Patent Publication Number: US-2010109599-A1

Title: Portable solar charging apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a solar charging apparatus, and more particularly to a portable solar charging apparatus. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     At present, the world is facing a serious energy shortage, and people pay more attention to the power saving issue, and a charging apparatus applied in portable electronic products such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDA) or digital cameras for charging the portable electric products by solar chips is gradually replaced by a solar charging apparatus for converting light energy into electric energy, but the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar chips available in the market is generally low, and thus it is a subject for the related industry to improve the photoelectric conversion generation efficiency of the solar chips. 
     In general, a traditional solar charging apparatus includes a retaining base, a snoot, a photoelectric conversion module and a power connector, wherein the snoot is coupled onto the retaining base, and a containing space is defined between the retaining base and the snoot, and the photoelectric conversion module is contained in the containing space and fixed onto the retaining base. The photoelectric conversion module includes a plurality of solar chips and an accumulator electrically coupled to the solar chip, wherein the solar chip is a silicon chip installed corresponding to the snoot, and the power connector is connected to the retaining base and electrically coupled to the accumulator. 
     Before use, the solar charging apparatus is placed indoors or outdoors with sufficient light, and the light energy received by the solar chip from the outside is converted into electric energy, and the electric energy is stored in the accumulator, such that when the portable electronic product has insufficient or no electric power, the solar charging apparatus will charge the portable electronic product. 
     However, the traditional solar charging apparatus still has the following drawbacks. If a user does not carry the solar charging apparatus or the solar charging apparatus has not been charged under light before use, then the user cannot charge or use the portable electronic product. Furthermore, the traditional solar charging apparatus is made of a silicon chip whose photoelectric conversion efficiency is poor and approximately equal to 15%. 
     In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a portable solar charging apparatus in accordance with the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a portable solar charging apparatus of an electronic product, wherein the solar charging apparatus comes with a joint mechanism for installing/removing the solar charging apparatus onto/from the portable electronic product, such that the solar charging apparatus can receive and convert external light energy into electric energy anytime and provide the electric energy to the portable electronic product. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to supply electric power to a portable electronic product, so that the portable electronic product can be charged and used anytime. 
     To achieve the foregoing objectives, the present invention provides a portable solar charging apparatus comprising a retaining base, a snoot, a photoelectric conversion module, a power connector and a joint mechanism. The snoot is coupled onto the retaining base, and a containing space is formed between the retaining base and the snoot. The photoelectric conversion module is contained in the containing space and fixed onto the retaining base, and the photoelectric conversion module includes an accumulator and a solar chip electrically coupled to the accumulator, and the solar chip is installed corresponding to the snoot. The power connector is connected to the retaining base and electrically coupled to the accumulator, and the joint mechanism is coupled to the retaining base and disposed outside the containing space. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a portable solar charging apparatus having a solar chip which is a single-joint gallium arsenide germanium-based (GaAs/Ge) solar chip or a multi-joint (InGaP/GaAs/Ge) solar chip to improve the overall photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar chip. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the invention applied in a portable electronic product; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an assembly of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5   4  is a perspective view of another assembly of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a first schematic view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The technical characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the preferred embodiments are used for illustrating the present invention only, but not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a portable solar charging apparatus  1  of the invention comprises a retaining base  10 , a snoot  20 , a photoelectric conversion module  30 , a joint mechanism  40  and a power connector  50 . 
     The retaining base  10  is a rectangular base having a latch bar  11  formed at an external periphery of the retaining base  10  and a wire outlet hole  12 , wherein the retaining base  10  is made of metal, plastic or a high temperature resisting and insulating material. 
     The snoot  20  is coupled to the retaining base  10  and includes a containing space  21  between the retaining base  10  and the snoot  20 , wherein the snoot  20  includes a latch slot  22  latched at a position corresponding to the latch bar  11 , and the wire outlet hole  12  is interconnected with the containing space  21 , and the snoot  20  is provided for focusing a light source to increase the effective area of a light projection, and the snoot  20  is a general lens. 
     The photoelectric conversion module  30  is contained in the containing space  21  and mounted onto the top of the retaining base  10 , and the photoelectric conversion module  30  includes a plurality of solar chips  31  connected in parallel or in series with each other and electrically coupled to an accumulator  32  of the solar chip  31 . The solar chips  31  are installed corresponding to the snoot  20  for receiving an external light source and converting light energy into electric energy. The accumulator  32  stores the electric energy converted by the solar chips  31 , wherein the solar chips  31  are single-joint gallium arsenide germanium-based (GaAs/Ge) solar chips or multi-joint indium gallium phosphide/gallium arsenide/germanium (InGaP/GaAs/Ge) solar chips, and the accumulator  32  is a lithium cell, a polymer lithium cell, a lithium-ion cell, a nickel-hydrogen cell or a nickel-cadmium cell. 
     The joint mechanism  40  is connected to the bottom of the retaining base  10  and disposed outside the containing space  21 , and the joint mechanism  40  of this embodiment is an adhesive. 
     The power connector  50  is connected to the retaining base  10  and electrically coupled to the accumulator  32 , and the power connector  50  includes an electric wire  51  passed out from the wire outlet hole  12  and electrically coupled to the accumulator  32  and a connector  52  electrically coupled to the electric wire  51 , wherein the connector  52  is a circular connector. 
     After the aforementioned components are assembled, a smaller and thinner portable solar charging apparatus  1  of the invention is produced, and the portable solar charging apparatus  1  can be mounted onto a portable electronic product  2  (as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ), and the portable electronic product  2  can be a mobile phone having a body  200  and a clamshell cover  201  connected to the body  200 , and the body  200  includes a charging socket  202 , and the joint mechanism  40  (or an adhesive) is used for fixing the backside of the body  200 , and then the connector  52  of the power connector  50  is inserted into the charging socket  202 , such that the solar chips  31  can receive external light energy and supply electric power to the portable electronic product  2  and allow the portable electronic product  2  to be charged or used anytime. 
     Since the solar chips  31  of the invention area single-joint gallium arsenide germanium-based (GaAs/Ge) solar chips or multi-joint indium gallium phosphide/gallium arsenide/germanium (InGaP/GaAs/Ge) solar chips, therefore the photoelectric conversion efficiency are greater than 18% or 30% respectively, and the overall photoelectric conversion efficiency is enhanced. 
     The foregoing portable electronic product  2  includes but not limited to a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital camera, an iPhone or an iPod. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , the portable solar charging apparatus  1  of the invention can be fixed onto the clamshell cover  201  of the portable electronic product  2 , and this is another way of fixing the solar charging apparatus  1 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 6  for another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the difference of this embodiment from the previous one resides on that the joint mechanism  40  is a magnet  41 , and a casing of the body  200  of the portable electronic product  2  is made of iron, or an iron piece is installed in the body  200 , such that the magnet  41  can attract the iron material or the iron piece. In addition, an iron piece can be installed in the clamshell cover  201  or the casing of the clamshell cover  201  made of iron, such that the solar charging apparatus  1  can be attached onto the clamshell cover  201 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 7  for a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the difference of this embodiment from the previous one resides on that the joint mechanism  40  is a loop side  421  of a Velcro tape  42  and the body  200  of the portable electronic product  2  has a hook side  422  of the Velcro tape  42 , and the loop side  421  is attached to the corresponding hook side  422 . In addition, the hook side  422  of the Velcro tape  42  is set on the clamshell cover  201  for attaching the portable solar charging apparatus onto the clamshell cover  201 . 
     It is noteworthy to point out that the joint mechanism  40  can be a hook side  422  of the Velcro tape  42 , and the body  200  or the clamshell cover  201  of the portable electronic product  2  can have the loop side  421  of the Velcro tape  42  for attaching the corresponding components. 
     With reference to  FIG. 8  for a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the difference of this embodiment from the previous one resides on that the connector  52  of the power connector  50  is a USB connector  52 ′, and the charging socket  202  of the portable electronic product  2  is a USB charging socket  202 ′ provided for receiving the corresponding USB connector  52 ′. 
     In summation of the description above, the portable electronic product  2  can be charged and used anytime, and the overall photoelectric conversion efficiency can be improved, and thus the invention complies with patent application requirements, and is duly filed for patent application. 
     While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.