Abstract:
A solar charger primarily comprises a main body and at least one solar panel wherein the main body and the solar panel are respectively an independent modulized component. In addition, one edge of the solar panel can be detachably attached to one adjacent edge of the main body. Since contacts are respectively provided on the adjacent edges of the solar panel and the main body, the two components are electrically connected when they are assembled together so as to store an electric power transformed from a light energy in a rechargeable battery in the main body for providing the electric power to charge electronic devices later. Thereupon, the present invention facilitates manufacturing as well as processing and reduces time consumption of fabricating.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to solar chargers and, more particularly, to a solar charger comprising one main body and at least one solar panel, which are respectively an independent modulized component, wherein the solar panel can be detachably attached to the main body. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    There are many portable  3 C electronic devices available on the market, such as PDA, ipod and DV. Users bringing these electronic devices out or during their travel usually bring extra batteries for preventing the electronic devices from running out of power. For those users don&#39;t have extra batteries, they may have to bring chargers instead. A traditional charger typically uses a wire connected with an AC/DC (alternating current/direct current) converter that further connected with an outlet of the grid to charge a battery of a mentioned electronic device. However, when power cut happens or when the user is in the outdoors where a power outlet is not accessible, it is impossible to charge the electronic device through the traditional charger. Therefore, various solar charging devices have been successively developed and introduced to the market. Such a solar charging device employs a solar panel to collect light from an external light source and transform a light energy of the light into an electric energy for being stored in an internal rechargeable battery thereof so that the electric energy stored in the internal rechargeable battery can be used to charge electric devices without need of the grid. Hence, the known solar charging devices are somehow convenient to the users. 
         [0005]    Nevertheless, the solar charging devices of the prior arts still have problems to be remedied. These solar charging devices, in that main, have the solar panels integrated with the main bodies, or alternatively have the solar panels, pivotably, or reversibly and foldably attached to the main body in an undetachable manner. Thus, some of them are inevitably complicated and require relatively higher costs of manufacturing, processing and fabricating. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention has been accomplished under these circumstances in view. It is one objective of the present invention to provide a solar charger that can be produced with reduced costs of manufacturing, processing and fabricating. In particular, when one of the main body and the solar panel is broken or lost replacement or supplement can be only conducted upon the broken or lost component so as to reduce unnecessary waste. In addition, the present invention provides convenience regarding assembling, disassembling, and compacting so as to facilitate portability and storage of the disclosed subject matter. 
         [0007]    To achieve above object, the present invention provides a solar charger, comprising a main body and at least one solar panel, wherein: the main body has a housing, a rechargeable battery settled in the housing, at least one contact provided on the housing, and a power output unit connected to the rechargeable battery, in which the at least one contact is positioned at least one edge of the housing; and the solar panel has one edge thereof detachably attached to the main body and comprises a contact positioned on the edge so that when the solar panel is assembled to the main body, the contact of the solar panel and the contact of the main body are electrically connected. 
         [0008]    The disclosure of present invention permits the main body and the solar panel of a solar charger to be separately made as a respective modulized component, so as to save costs of manufacturing as well as processing and reduce time consumption during fabricating. Further, when one of the main body and the solar panel is broken or lost, replacement or supplement can be conducted upon the broken or lost component without discarding the entire solar charger so as to reduce unnecessary waste. Moreover, according to the present invention, the assembly, disassembly, and compacting between the main body and the solar panels are facile and rapid. Particularly, the two solar panels can be assembled at one of the edges of the main body for storage in the manner that the light collecting surfaces of the two solar panels face each other so as to protect the light collecting surfaces from being impacted or scraped. Consequently, the safety of the solar panels is ensured and the overall width of the solar charger can be substantially reduced so as to reduce required space and facilitate portability as well as storage. Furthermore, one or both of the solar panels can be assembled to the main body according to practical needs, so as to permit enhanced flexibility of assembly. Thereupon, the efficiency of power transformation and store can be freely controlled by the user. Additionally, the user can determine to charge the rechargeable battery with the solar panels or a normal AC or DC source so that the solar charger is prevented from lacking for an accessible power source. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective drawing of the subject matter of the present invention showing the solar panel and the main body disassembled; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is another perspective drawing of the subject matter of the present invention showing the solar panel and the main body assembled and the solar charger at an extended state; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective drawing showing that the two solar panels having the light collecting surfaces thereof facing each other are assembled at one edge of the main body, and the solar charger is at an compacted state, wherein a plurality of indication lamps are provided on the main body; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is another perspective drawing showing the disclosed subject matter at the compacted state wherein the two solar panels having the light collecting surfaces thereof facing each other are assembled at one edge of the main body, and a power input unit as well as a power output unit provided on the main body; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the main body of the present invention showing a plurality of indication lamps provided thereon; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is another perspective view of the main body of the present invention showing a power input unit and a power output unit provided; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a schematic block diagram of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    Please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2  for one preferred embodiment of the solar charger of the present invention. The solar charger comprises a main body  10  and two solar panels  20 , which will be further explained in detail through the following description. 
         [0018]    The main body  10 , referring also to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , comprises a approximately rectangular housing  11 . Inside the housing  11 , a rechargeable battery  12  and a circuit board (not shown) are provided. A charging unit  13  and a discharging unit  14  are arranged on the circuit board and are respectively connected to the rechargeable battery  12 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , for preventing the rechargeable battery  12  from being over charged or over discharged. Further, each of two opposite edges of the housing  11  has a depressed portion  111 , and two partitions  112  are transversely positioned in a middle part of the depressed portion  111  and distant from each other with a proper distance so that the depressed portion  111  is divided into a first depressed portion  111   a  and a second depressed portion  111   b . Two sockets  113  and a contact  114  located between the two sockets  113  are provided at each of the first depressed portion  111   a  and the second depressed portion  111   b . Therein, the contacts  114  are respectively connected to the charging unit  13 . Moreover, a power input unit  115  and a power output unit  116  are provided at another edge of the housing  11 . According to the present embodiment, the power input unit  115  is an AC input port complying with the mini USB specification and shaped as a raised socket. The power output unit  116  is a DC output port and shaped as a round socket. Therein, the power input unit  115  is connected to the charging unit  13 , and the power output unit  116  is connected to the discharging unit  14 . In addition, in yet another edge of the housing  11 , three indication lamps  117  are provided for indicating a power status of the rechargeable battery  12 . 
         [0019]    The solar panels  20  are approximately rectangular plates. On each of the solar panels  20 , a light collecting surface  21  is formed with a relatively large area while two protruding anchor bolts  23  and a contact  24  located between the two anchor bolts  23  are provided at one edge  22  thereof. Thereupon, when the anchor bolts  23  at the edge  22  of the solar panels  20  are respectively inserted into and engaged with the sockets  113  at the first depressed portion  111   a  or the second depressed portion  111   b  on either of the adjacent edges of the housing  11  of the main body  10 , the solar panels  20  can be attached to the main body  10  and the solar charger is at an extended state, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Meantime, the edges  22  of the solar panels  20  are designed to be fittingly received and retained by the first depressed portions  111   a  or the second depressed portions  111   b  so as to ensure tightness and firmness of the assembled solar charger. When the solar panels  20  are properly attached to the main body  10 , the contacts  24  at the edges  22  thereof can just electrically contact the contacts  114  on the adjacent edges of the housing  11 , so that the solar panels  20  can store an electric energy transformed from a light energy in the rechargeable battery  12  inside the main body  10  through the electrically connected contacts  114  and  24 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 7 , in the disclosed solar charger, a power input unit  115  is provided on the housing  11  of the main body  10 . When the rechargeable battery  12  in the housing  11  of the main body  10  is low on power, a user can connect an AC/DC converter (not shown) that is further connected with the grid to the main body  10  so as to convert an AC power of the grid into a DC power and store the DC power in the rechargeable battery  12  through the power input unit  115 . Meantime, the user can identify the power status of the rechargeable battery  12  through the indication lamp  117  on the housing  11  and the user can plug a wire of an electronic device into the power outlet unit  116  of the main body  10  so as to recharge the electronic device with the rechargeable battery  12 . 
         [0021]    When the grid is not available, the user can alternatively use the solar panels  20  to charge the rechargeable battery  12 . In operation, the user can determine to assemble one of the solar panels  20  to the edge of the main body  10  or to assemble both of the solar panels  20  to the two edges of the main body  10 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Then the user can face the light collecting surfaces  21  of the solar panels  20  to an external light source, so as to collect the external light and transform the light energy into electric energy before storing the electric energy in the rechargeable battery  12  of the main body  10  for being supplied to electronic devices later. 
         [0022]    Besides, when the disclosed solar charger is not in use, the solar panels  20  can be assembled to the first depressed portion  111   a  and the second depressed portion  111   b  of either edge  22  of the housing  11  of the main body  10  in the manner that the light collecting surfaces  21  of the two solar panels  20  face each other, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Thereupon, the light collecting surfaces  21  of the two solar panels  20  are prevented from being exposed without any shield and therefore are protected from damages caused by impacting and scraping. Consequently, safety of the light collecting surfaces  21  during being carried and stored can be ensured. On the other hand, overall width of the solar charger can be reduced thereby, and therefore less space is taken during carrying and storing the disclosed solar charger. 
         [0023]    Besides, in addition to the sockets  113  and the anchor bolts  23 , the housing  11  of the main body  10  and the solar panels  20  may be alternatively connected by magnets (not shown) that are mutually attract or other commercially available mechanical structures. It is to be understood that the structure described in the embodiment is not a limitation of the present invention and any mechanical structure allowing the solar panels  20  to be detachably attached to the main body  10  is compliable to the spirit of the present invention. 
         [0024]    According to the above description, the features and effects of the present invention can be concluded into the following points: 
         [0025]    1. When one of the main body  10  and the solar panel  20  is broken or lost, replacement or supplement can be only conducted upon the broken or lost component. Thus, dissimilar to the prior arts that in the same circumstances, the entire solar charging devices have to be discarded and the user has to repurchase an entire new solar charging device, the disclosed subject matter reduces unnecessary waste. 
         [0026]    2. The two solar panels  20  can be assembled at one of the edges of the main body  10  in the manner that the light collecting surfaces  21  thereof face each other so as to enhance the safety of the solar panels  20  by protecting the light collecting surfaces  21  from being impacted or scraped. On the other hand, the overall width of the solar charger can be substantially reduced so as to reduce required space and facilitate portability as well as storage. 
         [0027]    3. The main body  10  of the disclosed solar charger can be attached by one of the solar panels  20  or, alternatively, attached by both of the solar panels  20  according to practical needs, so as to permit enhanced flexibility of assembly. Thereupon, the efficiency of power transformation and store can be freely controlled by the user. 
         [0028]    4. The solar charger is adapted for being charged by the solar panels  20  and a normal AC or DC power source so that the solar charger is prevented from lacking for an accessible power source.