Modular power supply
View Patent ↗A modular power supply that can be adapted to receive and charge practically any type or number of portable electronic devices includes a power converter that receives an AC wall voltage and converts the wall voltage to DC bus voltage. Each charging module has a pair of conductive rails and magnets positioned around the exterior of the module. The power converter has a connector that is physically and electrically coupled to a charging module through a pair of magnets and conductive rails such that the DC bus voltage is applied to the conductive rails of the module. Each charging module has a dock that physically couples to a portable electronic device and supplies a charging voltage produced from the DC bus voltage to the device. Additional charging modules can be physically and electrically coupled together by simply placing the modules adjacent one another through the interaction of the module's conductive rails and magnets. Adapters can be inserted into the docks of the charging modules to reconfigure the docks stations to mate with different types of devices. An FM transmitter can be included in one of the modules to transmit audio from the charging device to a remote FM receiver.
1. A charger for charging at least two portable electronic devices, said charger comprising: a power converter for receiving an AC voltage and converting the AC voltage to a DC bus voltage; a first charging module comprising: a first dock for receiving a first portable electronic device and supplying a charging voltage to the portable electronic device; a first external conductor adapted to be electrically connected to said power converter such that said bus voltage is applied to said first external conductor, a second charging module comprising: a second dock for receiving a second portable electronic device and supplying a second charging voltage to the portable electronic device; a second external conductor adapted to be electrically connected to said external conductor on said first charging module such that said DC bus voltage is received from said first charging module; and wherein said first charging module is physically and electrically coupled to said second charging module by said peripheral magnets and conductive rails.
2. The charger of claim 1 wherein each dock is adapted to receive a portable electronic device such that a 30 pin electrical connector on said device is electrically coupled to a 30 pin electrical connector in said dock such that a DC voltage is applied to an electrical charging contact of said portable electronic device and such that a display of said device is visible and a user input of said device is accessible.
3. The charger of claim 1 wherein each of said charging modules further comprises a plurality of magnets positioned around a periphery of said charging module such that said magnets will physically and electrically couple said charging module to a second charging module placed adjacent said charging module.
4. The charger of claim 1 further comprising a dock adapter dimensioned to be inserted into one of said docks to configure said dock to receive a second type of portable electronic device having different dimensions than said portable electronic device for which said dock is configured.
5. The charger of claim 4 wherein said adapter includes a voltage converter for converting a first DC voltage to a second DC voltage.
6. The charger of claim 4 further comprising an FM transmitter for receiving an output signal from a device coupled to one of said docks and producing an FM broadcast signal based upon said output signal.
7. The charger of claim 6 further comprising a display for displaying a transmit frequency and user inputs that allow a user to alter said transmit frequency.
8. The charger of claim 1 wherein said external conductor of said charging modules further comprises a pair of conductive rails positioned around a periphery of said charging modules.
9. The charger of claim 1 wherein said power converter further comprises an external power supply connection and at least one magnet for coupling said power converter one of said charging modules.
10. A charger for charging at least two portable electronic devices, said charger comprising: a power converter comprising: an external power supply connection for receiving an AC voltage from an external power supply; an AC to DC converter for converting the AC voltage to a DC bus voltage; and a module connector having at least one magnet and two output conductors; a first charging module comprising: a first dock for receiving a first portable electronic device and supplying a charging voltage to the portable electronic device; a first pair of conductive rails positioned around a periphery of said first charging module; and a first plurality of magnets positioned around a periphery of said first charging module; a second charging module comprising: a second dock for receiving a second portable electronic device and supplying a second charging voltage to the portable electronic device; a second pair of conductive rails positioned around a second periphery of said second charging module; and a second plurality of magnets positioned around the periphery of said second charging module; wherein said power converter is physically and electrically coupled to said conductive rails and said peripheral magnets of said first charging module by said magnets and said conductors on said module connector such that said DC bus voltage is coupled to one of said conductive rails of said first charging module and a ground potential is electrically coupled to the other of said conductive rails of said first charging module; and wherein said first charging module is physically and electrically coupled to said second charging module by said peripheral magnets and conductive rails such that said DC bus voltage is coupled from one of said conductive rails of said first charging module to one of said conductive rails of said second charging module and said ground potential is electrically coupled from the other of said conductive rails of said first charging module to the other of said conductive rails of said second charging module when said first and second charging modules are positioned adjacent one another.