Patent Publication Number: US-2010123431-A1

Title: Adapter assembly for receiving car charger of communication devices

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/114,691 filed on Nov. 14, 2008 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure generally relates to car chargers electronic devices, and more particularly, to an adapter assembly for receiving any car charger adapted to charge an electronic device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Individuals, who possess mobile phones and other portable electronic devices, may own car chargers to re-charge the batteries of their devices within their vehicles. These car chargers are typically adapted for charging only one model or a few models of electronic devices, and are transported along with the owners to various destinations throughout a day. The car chargers may not fully re-charge the batteries when, for example, the individual travels generally short distances to places, such as a local restaurant, a coffee shop, a library or a place of employment. Accordingly, the battery may become depleted of its charge thereby rendering the mobile phone at least temporarily inoperable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     One embodiment of an adapter assembly for a car charger configured to charge a communication device may include a housing having a floor member and a plurality of supporting members extending from a peripheral portion of the floor member. Further, the adapter assembly may include a cover carried by the housing for covering the housing. The cover may have an opening including a periphery. 
     Furthermore, the adapter assembly may include a receptacle carried within the housing and circumscribingly attached to the periphery of the opening, for receiving the car charger. The receptacle may include a base having a first member and a second member carried transversely by the first member. The base may be configured with a groove thereon. Further, the receptacle may include a body circumscribingly attached to the base and extending from the base. The receptacle may also include an interface member associated with the groove of the base and extending from the first member within the housing. The body may be adapted to detachably receive a connecting member of the car charger and the groove may be adapted to detachably receive a protruding member extending outwardly from the connecting member of the car charger. 
     Moreover, the adapter assembly may include a Direct Current (DC) voltage converter carried within the housing, and adapted to associate with the interface member of the receptacle. The DC voltage converter may further be adapted to receive power in the form of alternating current from a power source through an electrical means. In addition, the DC voltage converter may be adapted to convert the alternating current to direct current. The direct current may be supplied to the car charger through the interface member and the groove of the receptacle for charging the communication device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and best mode, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of an adapter assembly for receiving a car charger of a communication device; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the adapter assembly of  FIG. 1  along the plane X-Y; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the adapter assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an unassembled perspective view of a base of a receptacle of the adapter assembly of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the adapter assembly of  FIG. 1  engaged with the car charger and plugged-in an electrical wall outlet. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The exemplary embodiments described herein in detail for illustrative purposes are subject to many variations in structure and design. It should be emphasized, however, that the present disclosure is not limited to a particular lighting system, as shown and described. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but these are intended to cover the application or embodiment without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present disclosure. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Further, the term “first,” “second,” and the like, herein do not denote any order, elevation or importance, but rather are used to distinguish placement of one element over another. Further, the terms, “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. Unless limited otherwise, the term “associated,” “coupled” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect associations and couplings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , one embodiment of an adapter assembly  1000  for a car charger  10  may be used to re-charge a battery of a communication device  20 , such as a cellular phone. Of course, the car charger may be used for charging any electronic device. 
     The adapter assembly  1000  may include a housing  100  having a floor member  110  that may include a peripheral portion. The housing may further have a plurality of supporting members  120  extending from the peripheral portion of the floor member  110 . The housing  100  may optionally include a clamp that may be allowed to engage with a nail on a wall for mounting the adapter assembly  1000  on the wall. The housing  100  may be manufactured from a material, such as a wooden material, a plastic material, and the like. Of course, the housing  100  may be manufactured from any other material without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, the housing  100  may be in the form of a modular box having a cubical shape. Of course, the housing  100  may instead be configured to have any other shape and/or size as per a manufacturer&#39;s preference. 
     Further, the adapter assembly  1000  may include a cover  200  carried by the housing  100  for covering the housing  100 . The cover  200  may have an opening  210  including a periphery  212 . Further, the cover  200  may snugly fit onto the housing  100 . Of course, the cover  200  may be carried by the housing  100  by any other means of attachment, such as nut and bolts. 
     The cover  200  may be manufactured from any suitable material, such as wood, plastic, and the like. Further, the cover  200  may be designed to have a shape and a size complementary to that of the housing  100 . Furthermore, the cover  200  may be designed to match or complement any décor. Accordingly, the cover  200  may be configured to have any color as per a manufacturer&#39;s preference. 
     The adapter assembly  1000  may further include a receptacle  300  carried within the housing  100  and circumscribingly attached to the periphery  212  of the opening  210 . In one form, the receptacle  300  may be soldered to the periphery  212  of the opening  210 . Alternately, the receptacle  300  may be attached to the periphery  212  by other fasteners, such as adhesives, nut and bolts, and the like. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the receptacle  300  may be configured for receiving the car charger  10 . The receptacle  300  may include a base  320  that may be a three-piece component. The base  320  may have a first member  322  and a second member  324  carried transversely by the first member  322 . Further, the base  320  may include a third member  336  transversely carried by the second member  324 . The base  320  may also include a groove  332  configured thereon. Specifically, each of the first, second and third members  322 ,  324  and  336  may have openings at respective center portions thereof, which align to form the groove  332  of the base  320 . 
     Each of the first member  322  and the second member  324  may be in the form of strips. Of course, the first member  322  and the second member  324  may have any other suitable shape. The first member  322  of the base  320  may include one or more slots  326 . For example, the first member  322  of the base  320  may include two slots  326  formed in a respective one of end portions  328 ,  330  of the first member  322 . The second member  324  may include one or more flanges  334 . 
     The third member  336  may be in the form of a ring with a plurality of protrusions  338  extending away from a center portion  340  of the third member  336 . One of the protrusions  338  may be received within one of the slots  326  of the first member  322 . Of course, the third member  336  may have any other suitable shape. In one form, the first member  322 , the second member  324 , and the third member  336  may be manufactured as a single unit structure. 
     Further, the receptacle  300  may include a body  350  circumscribingly attached to the base  320  and extending from the base  320 . The body  350  may include a plurality of ridge members  352  extending from the base  320  within the body  350 . The ridge members  352  may be circumscribingly arranged in a spaced apart relation about the groove  332  in order to form a plurality of channels  354  between respective ridge members  352 . In one form, the receptacle  300  may include two ridge members  352  forming two channels  354  therebetween, when the ridge members  352  are circumscribingly arranged in the spaced apart relation about the groove  332 . 
     The receptacle  300  may also include an interface member  380  associated with the groove  332  and extending from the first member  322  within the housing  100 . The interface member  380  may be electrically coupled to the groove  332 . 
     The receptacle  300  may be made of a conductive material, such as steel, brass, and the like. Of course, the receptacle  300  may be made of any other conductive material. Further, the receptacle  300  may have a shape and a size complementary to the shape and size of the car charger  10 . 
     The car charger  10  may include a connecting member  12  detachably received within the receptacle  300 . Specifically, the connecting member  12  may be detachably received within the body  350  of the receptacle  300 . The car charger  10  may further include a protruding member  14  extending outwardly from the connecting member  12  and adapted to be detachably received within the groove  332  of the receptacle  300 . The car charger  10  may snugly fit within the receptacle  300  with the help of the protruding member  14  being received and fitted within the groove  332  of the receptacle  300 . The car charger  10  may further include a plurality of extension members  16  configured on the connecting member  12 . In one form, the car charger  10  may include two extension members  16 . The extension members  16  may be adapted to be slidably received within the channels  354  between respective ridge members  352 . 
     The adapter assembly  1000  may also include a Direct Current (DC) voltage converter  400  carried within the housing  100 . The DC voltage converter  400  may include a current input unit adapted to receive power in the form of 120 Volts (V) of Alternating Current (AC) from an electrical power source through an electrical means  30 . Specifically, the electrical means  30  may be a wire having a male connector  32 , such as a two or three pronged plug, adapted to be received by a female connector  34  configured within an electrical wall outlet  40 . The male connector  32  may instead have pins  36  adapted to be received within slots  38  of the female connector  34 . The AC current provided to the current input unit may hereinafter interchangeably be referred to as input current. 
     The DC voltage converter  400  may be adapted to convert the AC current to DC current, i.e., charge, and to send the charge to the interface member  380  of the receptacle  300 . Accordingly, the DC voltage converter  400  may be associated with the interface member  380  of the receptacle  300  in order to supply the charge to the car charger  10  for charging the communication device  20 . Specifically, the DC voltage converter  400  may be electrically coupled to the interface member  380  through a wire  500 . 
     The DC voltage converter  400  may further include other electrical components for operating the adapter assembly  1000 , without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the DC voltage converter  400  may additionally include a power/signal jack, and/or a voltage regulator adapted to automatically regulate the voltage of the AC current and to drive the DC voltage converter  400  to output a predetermined DC current that needs to be provided to the car charger  10  for charging the communication device  20 . 
     In use, the car charger  10  associated with the communication device  20  may be allowed to be received within the receptacle  300  of the adapter assembly  1000 . The adapter assembly  1000  may then be plugged-in the electrical wall outlet  40  through the electrical means  30 . The electrical power source may then supply AC current to the DC voltage converter  400  of the adapter assembly  1000  via the electrical means  30 . Subsequently, the AC current, i.e., the input current may then be converted to the DC current, i.e., the charge. The charge may then be transmitted by the DC voltage converter  400  to the groove  332  through the interface member  380  of the receptacle  300  via the wire  500 . The protruding member  14  of the car charger  10  that is received within the groove  332  may receive the charge from the groove  332 . Therefore, receiving of the car charger  10  and components thereof, such as the protruding member  14 , within the receptacle  300  enables the establishment of the electrical coupling between the car charger  10  and the DC voltage converter  400 . The car charger  10  may then charge a battery of the communication device  20 . 
     For the purpose of the description, the adapter assembly  1000  is shown and described as being used for charging the cellular phone  20 . Of course, the adapter assembly  1000  may be utilized for charging other communication devices, such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a Global Positioning System (GPS), and the like. Further, as shown and described the adapter assembly  1000  may include only one receptacle  300 . However, it should be evident that the adapter assembly  1000  may have more than one receptacle  300 . 
     The present disclosure provides an adapter assembly, such as the adapter assembly  1000 , for a car charger of a communication device. The adapter assembly may be installed at any location including public places, such as a restaurant and the like, for delivering charge to a communication device at any location. Further, the adapter assembly may be mounted on a wall. The adapter assembly serves as a tool for users who need to charge communication devices with low or dead battery, at any point of time. Specifically, the adapter assembly may be used for charging communication devices when a user may be dining out or may be at any public place. The user may simply need to get a car charger, such as a car charger available in a vehicle, for example a car, and to plug-in the car charger into the adapter assembly while associating the car charger to his/her communication device. The adapter assembly may also assist a household equipped with several communication devices of different makes and models. Accordingly, the adapter assembly may serve as a universal port for all types of communication devices. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present disclosure and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present disclosure and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omission and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present disclosure.