Patent Publication Number: US-2011074340-A1

Title: Portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a charging module, and more particularly, to a portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the popularization of mobile electronic products, cellulous phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital music players, etc. have become electronic devices being frequently carried about by people living in the modern society. In addition to enable mobile communication and data storage, these mobile electronic products also satisfy consumers&#39; demands for entertainment. Most of these mobile electronic products have a built-in rechargeable battery. When the power of the rechargeable battery of the mobile electronic product is exhausted, the rechargeable battery can be recharged by connecting a power supply equipped with the mobile electronic product to an alternating current (AC) or a direct current (DC) outlet. 
     As suggested by its name, the mobile electronic product is frequently carried about by a user for use at different places. There are times the mobile electronic product has an exhausted rechargeable battery and no AC or DC outlet is available for charging or powering the mobile electronic product. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a portable electronic device charging module for powering a mobile electronic product or charging the battery thereof. 
     Conventionally, a power supply has a specific power input/output interface for powering or charging a corresponding mobile electronic product. Some of the conventional power supplies can be connected to a computer device via a universal serial bus (USB) interface, so as to supply AC voltage of 5V to the mobile electronic product to power or charge the same. 
     However, when a general mobile electronic product is connected to the computer device for exchanging data and at the same time utilizes the USB interface of the computer device to obtain AC voltage of 5V for powering or charging the mobile electronic product, the computer device must be turned on all the time until the mobile electronic product is fully charged, lest the charging should be interrupted due to shutdown of the computer device to result in incomplete charging of the mobile electronic product. 
     Further, the conventional power supply each can be used to power or charge only one type of mobile electronic product. In other words, the conventional power supply each has a hardware connecting interface that is adapted to only one type of mobile electronic product. When a user has several types of mobile electronic products that have different hardware connecting interfaces, the user has to purchase a portable power supply for each of the mobile electronic products. Under this condition, the user has to spend additional money and inconveniently carry all these portable power supplies about for use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional power supply, so that a user can supply power to or charge different mobile electronic products with only one power supply. 
     The solution adopted in the present invention to overcome the problems of the conventional techniques comprises a portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector. The portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector includes a charging module which is provided with at least one rechargeable battery. A charging port is connected to one end of the charging module for electrically connecting to an electronic device for conducting electric energy from the electronic device to the charging module, so that the electric energy is stored in the rechargeable battery of the charging module. 
     A plug connector fitting seat is connected to the other end of the charging module for at least one changeable plug connector to connect thereto. The plug connector fitting seat includes a fitting end face, a pair of sliding-fit sections and at least one set of conducting contacts. The sliding-fit sections are correspondingly formed on the fitting end face at two opposite sides thereof to define a sliding-fit direction. The set of conducting contacts are arranged in the recess portion to space from each other. 
     When the changeable plug connector is connected to the plug connector fitting seat by sliding in a sliding-fit direction by the sliding-fit sections on the plug connector fitting seat, the conducting contacts on the plug connector fitting seat are correspondingly in contact with the conducting contacts on the raised portion of the changeable plug connector, and thereby the charging module can supply power to or charge a mobile electronic product via the plug connector fitting seat and the changeable plug connector, to which the mobile electronic product is connected. 
     The portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector according to the present invention includes at least one rechargeable battery, which can continuously supply normal voltage source to the mobile electronic product even when a computer device, to which the charging module is connected to obtain electric energy, is in a power low condition or in a shutdown state, so that the mobile electronic product can be continuously charged for normal operation. 
     With the present invention, different changeable plug connectors can be selectively connected to a plug connector fitting seat to adapt the charging module to different input interfaces of different mobile electronic products. The user needs only to select a plug connector corresponding to the input interface of the mobile electronic product to be charged and connect the plug connector to the plug connector fitting seat, and the charging module can supply power to or charge the mobile electronic product. Therefore, the user need not expend extra money to buy or troublesomely carry about a plurality of portable power supplies for different mobile electronic products. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled perspective view of a portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3A  is a top view of a plug connector fitting seat for the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a bottom view of a changeable plug connector for the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the manner of connecting the changeable plug connector to the plug connector fitting seat of the first embodiment of the present invention by sliding fit in a predetermined direction; 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled perspective view of a portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is an assembled perspective view of a portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  shows an example of using the present invention to charge a mobile electronic product. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2  that are assembled and exploded perspective views, respectively, of a portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The first embodiment of the present invention is generally denoted by reference numeral  100 , and includes a charging module  1  having a case  11 , in which at least one rechargeable battery  12  is provided. The charging module  1  also includes a battery level detection unit  13  and a battery level indication unit  14 . The battery level detection unit  13  is electrically connected to both of the rechargeable battery  12  and the batter level indication unit  14  for detecting a battery level of the rechargeable battery  12  and showing a detected result on the battery level indication unit  14 , allowing a user to know from the battery level indication unit  14  the exact battery power of the rechargeable battery  12  available for use. 
     A charging port  2  is provided to one end of the charging module  1 , and includes a USB plug connector  21  and an extension cable  22 . The extension cable  22  is extended between and connected to the USB plug connector  21  and the charging module  1 . The USB plug connector  21  of the charging port  2  can be electrically connected to an electronic device. As known by one of ordinary skill in the art, the USB plug connector  21  can be used not only as a medium for transferring message and data, but also to plug in a USB slot on an electronic device to obtain and accordingly supply an active voltage of 5V and a current of 0.5 A. In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, with the charging port  2 , electric energy can be conducted to and stored in the rechargeable battery  12  of the charging module  1  to serve as stored electric energy and power supply. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a plug connector fitting seat  3  is provided to the other end of the charging module  1  opposite to the charging port  2 , and is connected to the charging module  1  via an extension cable  36 . The plug connector fitting seat  3  is provided for at least one changeable plug connector  4  to connect thereto. The changeable plug connector  4  has an output interface  46  for plugging in a corresponding port on a mobile electronic product. 
       FIG. 3A  is a top view of the plug connector fitting seat  3  for the first embodiment of the present invention;  FIG. 3B  is a bottom view of the changeable plug connector  4  for the first embodiment of the present invention; and  FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the manner of connecting the changeable plug connector  4  to the plug connector fitting seat  3  of the first embodiment of the present invention by sliding fit in a predetermined direction. Please refer to  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  4  at the same time. The plug connector fitting seat  3  includes a fitting end face  31 , a pair of sliding-fit sections  32 ,  33 , and at least one set of conducting contacts  35 . The fitting end face  31  of the plug connector fitting seat  3  is formed with a recess portion  34 , and the set of conducting contacts  35  are arranged in the recess portion  34  to space from each other. The sliding-fit sections  32 ,  33  are correspondingly formed on the fitting end face  31  at two opposite sides thereof to define a sliding-fit direction I. In the illustrated first embodiment, the sliding-fit sections  32 ,  33  are a guide groove each. 
     The changeable plug connector  4  includes a fitting end face  41 , a pair of retaining sections  42 ,  43  corresponding to the sliding-fit sections  32 ,  33  of the plug connector fitting seat  3 , and a set of conducting contacts  45 . The fitting end face  41  of the changeable plug connector  4  is formed with a raised portion  44  corresponding to the recess portion  34  on the plug connector fitting seat  3 , and the set of conducting contacts  45  are arranged on the raised portion  44  to space from each other. In the illustrated first embodiment, the retaining sections  42 ,  43  are a guide rail each. 
     When the retaining sections  42 ,  43  of the changeable plug connector  4  are engaged with the sliding-fit sections  32 ,  33  of the plug connector fitting seat  3  by moving the changeable plug connector  4  in the sliding-fit direction I defined by the sliding-fit sections  32 ,  33 , the changeable plug connector  4  is connected to the plug connector fitting seat  3  by sliding fit, and the conducting contacts  35  on the plug connector fitting seat  3  are correspondingly in contact with the conducting contacts  45  on the raised portion  44  of the changeable plug connector  4 . With these arrangements, the charging module  1  and the rechargeable battery  12  thereof can supply electric power to the corresponding mobile electronic product via the plug connector fitting seat  3  and the output interface  46  of the changeable plug connector  4 , which is connected to the plug connector fitting seat  3  by sliding fit. And, in the illustrated first embodiment, the changeable plug connector  4  is a USB plug connector. However, it is understood the USB plug connector is illustrated only as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the changeable plug connectors  4  in other embodiments can have different output interfaces. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 5 and 6  that are assembled perspective views of portable electronic device charging modules with changeable plug connector according to a second and a third embodiment of the present invention, respectively, which are denoted by reference numerals  100   a  and  100   b , respectively. As shown, the second and the third embodiment  100   a ,  100   b  are generally structurally similar to the first embodiment  100 , except for changeable plug connectors  4   a ,  4   b  that have output interfaces  46   a ,  46   b  different from the output interface  46 . Therefore, for the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the three embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals. 
     As the changeable plug connector  4  in the first embodiment  100 , the changeable plug connectors  4   a ,  4   b  are also connected to the plug connector fitting seat  3  in the manner of sliding fit by slidably engaging the retaining sections  42 ,  43  with the sliding-fit sections  32 ,  33 . In the present invention, the second and the third embodiment  100   a ,  100   b  are adaptable to different mobile electronic products. Since different mobile electronic products might have different power input interfaces, the present invention uses plug connectors  4   a ,  4   b  of different output interfaces  46   a ,  46   b  for connecting to corresponding mobile electronic products. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 7  that shows an example of using the first embodiment  100  of the present invention to charge a mobile electronic product. As shown, the USB plug connector  21  of the charging port  2  is electrically connected to a USB slot  51  on an electronic device  5 , which is a notebook computer in the illustrated example; and the changeable plug connector  4  is connected to a mobile electronic product  6 , which is a mobile phone in the illustrated example. With the charging port  2 , electric energy is conducted from the electronic device  5  to and stored in the rechargeable battery  12  of the charging module  1  to serve as stored electric energy, which can also be supplied to the mobile electronic product  6  to power or charge the latter. 
     When the electronic device  5  is in a battery low condition or in a shutdown state, the rechargeable battery  12  of the charging module  1  with electric energy stored therein can still supply a normal voltage source to the mobile electronic product  6  without being interrupted, allowing the mobile electronic product  6  to be charged or operate in a continuous and normal manner. 
     Further, in other examples of application, the present invention can be used to charge other different types of mobile electronic products simply by changing the changeable plug connector  4  to other ones having suitable output interfaces corresponding to the mobile electronic products  6  to be charged. Therefore, with the present invention, a user needs to buy only one portable electronic device charging module with changeable plug connector to supply power to different types of mobile electronic products or charge the batteries thereof. 
     The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.