Secondary module for battery charging system
There is provided a planar inductive battery charging system designed to enable electronic devices to be recharged. The system includes a planar charging module having a charging surface on which a device to be recharged is placed. Within the charging module and parallel to the charging surface is at least one and preferably an array of primary windings that couple energy inductively to a secondary winding formed in the device to be recharged. The invention also provides secondary modules that allow the system to be used with conventional electronic devices not formed with secondary windings.
1. A secondary module for a battery charging system, comprising:
a housing having at least one charging surface, a secondary winding provided in said housing adjacent to said surface and adapted to receive magnetic flux when said surface is brought adjacent to a primary winding;
a circuit provided in said housing and adapted to convert alternating current in said secondary winding to a regulated DC output, the circuit further adapted to charge a battery of a separate electronic device with the regulated DC output; and
a connector physically coupled to said housing, the connector adapted to electrically couple the regulated DC output to a charging socket of the separate electronic device, the charging socket electrically coupled to the battery of the separate electronic device.
2. A secondary module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said connector is in the form of mechanical contacts through which said DC output is supplied to said separate electronic device.
3. A secondary module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said charging socket is externally accessible.
4. A secondary module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said charging socket is located inside said separate electronic device.
5. A secondary module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said connector is integral with said housing.
6. A secondary module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said connector is separate from said housing.
7. A secondary module as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said connector is physically coupled to said housing via a cable.
8. The secondary module of claim 1 , wherein said circuit is configured to prevent the battery of the separate electronic device from discharging into the secondary winding.