Patent Publication Number: US-2022219028-A1

Title: Container for storing a mobile device while recharging

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is the U.S. national stage application of International Application PCT/NO2020/050123, filed May 14, 2020, which international application was published on Nov. 26, 2020, as International Publication WO 2020/236005 in the English language. The International Application claims priority of Norwegian Patent Application No. 20190634, filed May 21, 2019. The international application and Norwegian application are both incorporated herein by reference, in entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a container for storing at least one mobile device while recharging. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A significant amount of house fires is caused by electrical systems and apparatuses. For example, according to the Norwegian Fire Protection Association (Norsk brannvernforening), approximately 50% of all house fires are caused by these sources. 
     In particular, many house fires are started by electric chargers that were recharging a mobile device, such as a mobile phone or a tablet, when the fire started. It is common knowledge that the chargers of mobile devices generate heat during recharging operations and in some instances can start a fire. This can be caused by product failures, user failures or damages to devices and/or charging equipment. 
     Moreover, electric chargers are often left recharging a mobile device while the user is unaware or asleep. For example, as many as 7 of 10 Norwegians choose to charge their mobile devices at night, according to a survey carried out by a Norwegian insurance company (If Skadeforsikring), the Directorate for Norwegian Civil Security and Emergency Planning, and the Norwegian Fire Protection Association. A fire that starts at night while people are sleeping or unaware can have fatal consequences. 
     Document CN 107856554 A discloses a battery safety charging storage cabinet and a self-charging method aiming at improving battery charging and storage safety, anti-theft and convenience of charging. Upon detecting smoke or high temperature, an alarm device sends an alarm to the surroundings using sound and light. 
     Document CN 206922443 U discloses a charging bin compartment for charging of rechargeable batteries used in various electronic products. When a smoke detector detects smoke, the power supply is shutdown and a fire extinguisher is turned on. 
     Thus, it can be challenging to recharge a mobile device safely while a user is unaware or asleep. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention will now be disclosed. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for storing at least one mobile device being recharged, the container comprising:
         a self-closing door for closing the container;   a sensor for detecting a fire inside the container; and   an actuator for retaining the door in an open position,       

     wherein the actuator is adaptable to release the door when a fire is detected by the sensor. 
     It has been realised that, by providing the self-closing door closing the container when a fire is detected, a mobile device may be safely recharged while still being easily accessible to the user by direct contact. When a fire is detected, a full barrier is created to separate the interior and the exterior of the container. Thus, the container effectively provides a fire protection system that actuates in the initial stage of a fire when there is still a low amount of flames to extinguish. 
     The actuator may be connectable to a power source for recharging the at least one mobile device. Also, the power source may be adaptable to be switched off when a fire is detected by the sensor. These embodiments have the advantage that both the position of the door and the power supply are synchronously changed when the power source is turned off. Thus, an improved fire extinguishing action is achieved by the synchronous actuation of both the closing of the door and the switching off of the power supply. 
     The container may include a wireless communication module for communicating with a wireless circuit breaker when a fire is detected by the sensor. Also, the wireless circuit breaker may be adapted to switch the power source on or off. Moreover, the wireless communication module may be configured to communicate with a fire alarm system. 
     The self-closing door may be self-closing due to gravity, which has the advantage of achieving a simple design. Alternatively, the self-closing door may be self-closing due a spring. This embodiment is advantageous in that a more energy efficient actuator may be provided to retain the door in an open position. Also, the self-closing door may be self-closing due both gravity and a spring. This combination achieves an improved closing speed of the door, and this improves the actuation to extinguish a fire in the container. 
     The actuator for retaining the door in an open position may be a fail-safe electromagnetic lock. This fail-safe locking device unlocks when de-energized, and this thus has the advantage that the door closes in case of a power outage; in other words, the door is fail-safe, in that the door self-closes when the electric power to keep it open fails. This makes the container&#39;s safety exist even when there is no power. A power outage may occur due to a short circuit while a mobile device was recharging, and this allows actuating in a pre-emptive manner, even before a fire has started. 
     The container may also include a fire extinguisher for releasing an extinguishing agent inside the container when a fire is detected by the sensor. The extinguishing agent may be CO2 or a foam. This achieves an improved actuation when a fire is detected. The combination of releasing the extinguishing agent in combination with the actuation of the self-closing door achieves a further improved fire extinguishing action. 
     The container may contain a sound alarm for producing an audible sound when a fire is detected by the sensor. Also, the sensor may be any of a heat sensor, a smoke sensor or a flame sensor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C  are perspective and elevation schematic views of a first container embodiment, in which the container includes a door that is self-closing due to gravity; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective schematic view of a second container embodiment, in which the container includes a door that is self-closing due to a spring. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective schematic view of a third container embodiment, in which the container includes a door that is self-closing due to gravity and a spring. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1A , it shows a perspective view of a container  100  embodiment including a self-closing door  110 . In the situation being shown, a mobile device  900  is recharging inside the container  100 . For illustrative purposes, the internal components of the container  100  are not shown in  FIG. 1A . 
     Although the mobile device  900  shown in  FIG. 1A  resembles a tablet or a smartphone, the mobile device  900  may be any item including a rechargeable battery, such as a laptop, a flashlight, a wireless power tool, or a rechargeable battery itself. The container  100  may be implemented with different sizes and forms so that different items may be placed inside the container  100 . 
     The user of the mobile device  900  can leave the latter recharging inside the container  100  without having to be aware or awake and to monitor if the recharging operation is happening safely without starting a fire. The device is directly accessible while the recharging operation is taking place, as is observable in  FIG. 1A . 
     When a safety event, such as a fire, is detected inside the container, the door  110  will close the container in a descending vertical movement, as shown by the arrow in FIG.  1 A. The container  100  is made of material suitable for heat and small fire. Thus, the fire will be enclosed in the container  100  and its risk of propagation will be efficiently attacked at its early stages. 
       FIG. 1B  shows an elevation view of the container  100  shown in  FIG. 1A . Both the mobile device  900  and the charger  910  are shown inside the container  100 . In addition to the self-closing door  110 , the container  100  includes a sensor  120  for detecting a fire inside the container  100  and an actuator  130  for retaining the door  110  in the open position (as shown in  FIG. 1B ). 
     The sensor  120  is positioned on the ceiling of the interior of the container  100 , above where electronic equipment, such as the mobile device  900 , is expected to be recharging. It is also suitable to have the sensor in any other position that allows detecting fire in the interior of the container  100 . If any safety event happens, such as the mobile device  900  or the charger  910  starting a fire, the sensor  120  will detect it. 
     Several options may be chosen for implementing the sensor  120 , such as a heat sensor, fire sensor, or a flame sensor. 
     The door  110  is retained in the open position by the actuator  130 . One option for implementing the actuator  130  is to use a magnetic actuator that produces a magnetic force in a portion of the door  110  and will thus keep the door fixed in the open position. Another option is for the actuator  130  to grip the surface of the door  110  with an appropriate contact surface. 
     When the sensor  120  detects a safety event, the power signal of the actuator will be switched off so that the door  110  is released. This reacting control of the actuator  130  may be implemented in many manners known by a skilled person. 
       FIG. 1C  shows a schematic elevation view of the container  100  embodiment including some additional components: three charging points  911 ,  912 ,  913  are shown inside the container  100 ; and the sensor  121  includes a wireless communication module  140 . Also shown is a schematic of the electric circuit that powers the three charging points  911 ,  912 ,  913  and the actuator  130  for retaining the door. This schematic also includes a representation of the power source  142  from which electric power is drawn and a wireless circuit break  141  for switching the power source  142  on or off. 
     The three charging points include a mains socket  911 , a USB female socket  912 , and a wireless charger  913 . Also, the actuator  130  is powered to the same electric circuit of the charging points  911 ,  912 ,  913 . This enables a global fail-safe capability, in which the switching off of the power supply applies directly to all the charging points  911 ,  912 ,  913  and also the actuator  130 . 
     When the sensor  121  detects a fire, the wireless communication module  140  is used for communicating this to the wireless circuit breaker  141 . This communication can be implemented with a Wireless Z-wave signal platform with 868.4 MHz RF (908.4 MHz USA/Canada), for example. The wireless circuit breaker  141  therefore cuts the power being supplied to the container  100 . This achieves an improved actuation when a fire is detected, as switching off the power supply of the container results in both the charging points  911 ,  912 ,  913  being switched off as well as the door  110  closing. Therefore, and improved efficiency is achieved in attacking a fire in its early stages. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a second container  101  embodiment, in which the container  101  includes a door  111  that is self-closing due to a spring (not shown). The container  101  has a cylindrical form and the door  111  closes in a horizontal motion similar to the motion of a curtain closing. 
     For illustrative purposes, the container  101  is shown from a global point of view from the outside and both the actuator and the sensor are not shown. The actuator is positioned on the inside of the container and operates to retain the door  111  in the open position shown in  FIG. 2 . The sensor is on a portion of the interior of the container  101  that is suitable for detecting fire from a mobile device recharging inside the container  101 . For example, the sensor may be positioned on the ceiling or upper part of the interior of the container  101 . The cylindrical form in combination with the position of the sensor on the upper part of the interior of the container  101  provides an improved detection of fire or any other safety events inside the container, as the sensor can thus perform isotropic measurements. 
     The container  101  also includes an audio alarm  160  at the top, which produces an audible sound when a fire is detected by the sensor. This is increases the container&#39;s safety in fighting fire, as it will give its user a warning that a safety event has been detected. 
     Moreover, the container  101  includes a wireless communication module  140  similar to the one shown in  FIG. 1C , although in this case the wireless communication module  140  is further used to communicate with a fire alarm system, which may have further configurations to immediately issue an emergency request to the emergency services or the local fire department. 
     In  FIG. 3 , an elevation view of a third container  102  embodiment is shown. The container  102  includes two compartments: a first compartment is shown on the centre and right half of  FIG. 3 , and it includes a housing for positioning a mobile device  900  to be recharged; a second compartment is shown on the lower portion of the left half of  FIG. 3 , in which a fire extinguisher  170  is shown. 
     The first compartment includes a self-closing door  112  that self-closes in a semi-circular sliding motion on the first compartment (see arrow near the door  112  in  FIG. 3 ). The door  112  is self-closing due gravity and a spring  150 . This combination produces an efficient closing movement, and this gives an improved action to close the interior of the container and stop any mobile device or charger fire from evolving into a stronger fire. 
     The second compartment includes the fire extinguisher  170  for further increasing the extinguishing actuation in the first compartment when a fire is detected by sensor  120 . The first and second compartments are connected by a channel that enables the fire extinguisher  170  to dispense an extinguishing agent into the first compartment, such as foam or CO 2 . 
     Generally, the terms used in this description and claims are interpreted according to their ordinary meaning the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise. Notwithstanding, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. These terms are not interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or integers. Furthermore, the indefinite article “a” or “an” is interpreted openly as introducing at least one instance of an entity, unless explicitly stated otherwise. An entity introduced by an indefinite article is not excluded from being interpreted as a plurality of the entity. 
     The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or in the following claims, or in the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for obtaining the disclosed results, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof. 
     While the invention has been described in conjunction with the embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention set forth above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
         
           
               100 ,  101 ,  102 —container 
               110 ,  111 ,  112 —self-closing door 
               120 ,  121 —sensor 
               130 —actuator 
               140 —wireless communication module 
               141 —wireless circuit breaker 
               142 —power source 
               150 —spring 
               160 —sound alarm 
               170 —fire extinguisher 
               900 —mobile device 
               910 —electric charger 
               911 ,  912 ,  913 —charging points