Patent ID: 8222861

Claim:
A mains-powered voltage adapter/charger for powering or charging an appliance defining electrodes by which power or charging current may be applied, said adaptor/charger comprising: a housing; a transformer located within said housing, said transformer including a secondary winding and a primary winding defining first and second electrodes, for generating transformed voltage at said secondary winding when mains power is applied to said first and second electrodes of said primary winding; a voltage conditioner located within said housing and coupled to said secondary winding, for generating conditioned voltage in response to said transformed voltage; a mating socket-and-plug arrangement, said socket-and-plug arrangement including at least first, second and third mating contact sets, said socket of said socket-and-plug arrangement being affixed to said housing so that the mating plug can be mated and demated therewith, said first contact of said socket of said socket-and-plug arrangement being connected to said voltage conditioner for, when said voltage conditioner is supplied with said transformed voltage, receiving said conditioned voltage, said second contact of said socket being connected through said housing to said second electrode of said primary winding, said third contact of said socket being connected to a mains electrode of said housing by a conductive path extending at least partially through said housing; a conductor interconnecting said second and third contacts of said plug of said plug-and-socket arrangement, and a conductor extending from said first contact of said plug to one of said electrodes of said appliance, whereby, (a) when said socket and plug are mated, and mains power is applied between said first electrode of said primary winding of said transformer and said mains electrode of said housing, conditioned voltage is applied to said appliance, and (b) when mains power is applied between said first electrode of said primary winding of said transformer and said mains electrode of said housing and said socket and plug are demated, said appliance is rendered independent of said housing and said primary winding of said transformer is decoupled from said mains.