The invention relates to a piece of apparatus that allows for the convenient replacement, upgrade or change of a charging means, which is installed into another piece of equipment or into the fabric of the environment, such as a wall, floor or furniture, without the need for a qualified electrician or the return of the equipment to the supplier of the equipment.

The proliferation of portable electronic/electrical devices, typically laptop, mobile phone or the like, has led to an increased demand for the provision of power outlets to allow said devices to be charged. This increase in demand is particularly noticeable in public areas where people are in transit, such as airports and rail stations, areas of public use, such as offices, libraries, colleges or the like, and/or when they are using public transport such as on trains, planes and in areas such as hotel rooms.

These power oudets can take the form of two or three pin AC power sockets into which the public can insert a plugtop charger to power/ charge their devices. Whilst the provision of AC power sockets may seem convenient in many situations it has a number of drawbacks, the most significant of these being that AC power sockets are high voltage outlets and in many cases this may be regarded as a reason to restrict the use of AC power sockets to facility employees, rather than the public. A further drawback is that AC power socket designs differ across regions around the world, making a single plugtop charger incompatible without the use of a further travel adaptor.

A further drawback is that in recent years a wide variety of plugtop chargers of varying qualities are now available and the safety of some of these is questionable, with the potential for personal injury or property damage, such as fire, when used.

For a facility operator to allow the uncontrolled use of plugtop chargers, in high voltage AC power sockets, there can be a significant health and safety risk.

More recendy, the use of conventional two or three pin sockets has been replaced by the provision of low voltage charging means that can safely be used for all portable devices. These charging means allow the insertion of a plug therein which is connected to a cable which is, in turn, connected to the portable device in which the power cell is to be charged. One embodiment of such a charging means, that has gained worldwide application, uses a USB socket oudet as a low voltage DC power oudet connected to an AC to DC power supply and a control means for the purposes of portable device identification.

Facility operators can install such charging means in a piece of equipment, or permanently in their facility, ensuring that the levels of safety expected in their particular environment is maintained. The charging means may be mounted in a surface such as a wall or floor or, alternatively, may be mounted as part of an item of furniture, such as a seat or desk or may be mounted in a more portable piece of equipment that may/ may not perform some other function as well. While the provision of low voltage charging means more frequently and with better accessibility is more convenient to the public, it brings about the issue of low voltage connector Hfetime, for the facility operator.

Generally a low voltage connector is small, has small contacts, is not as robust as an AC power connector and often has a limited insertion lifetime. However, the application of these charging means in public areas is typically for high frequency, short duration connection/insertion and disconnection/removal of the plug with which connection to portable devices is made via a cable.

It is found that in many cases the level of usage is such that the "life" of the low voltage socket outlet, which is typically defined as the number of plug insertions and/or removals, is exceeded relatively quickly after installation, and, in some cases, only a number of months after the assemblies are installed, as new, for use.

Furthermore, the electronic circuitry required to convert AC power to DC power and regulate the power delivery through the low voltage socket outlet to the attached device, typically contains a number of components, such as transformers, capacitors, diodes and Field Effect Transistors (FET's), each of which have a risk of premature failure within their design life and, in high usage areas, the predicted design life of certain of the components may be less than the required usable life of the charging means which means that there may be a need to replace certain of the components during the use of the charging means.

These problems therefore mean that it is often the case that the low voltage socket outlets become worn out and/ or are broken by the frequency and/or relatively rough usage or incorrect usage of the apparatus by users, or the AC to DC power supply and/or control circuitry may stop working due to component failure. When this occurs, there is a need for the same to be repaired or replaced which either means that a qualified electrician will be required or the piece of equipment, in which the charging means is incorporated, must be removed from the location of use and returned to the supplier for repair or replacement.

Both of these options are unsatisfactory, and especially so when one considers the increase in the prevalence of the sockets and the increase in frequency of usage of the same, both of which will increase the demand for repair and/or replacement.

A further problem can be the need for the configuration of the charging means to be changed over time to reflect changes in the type of device which is to be charged, the type of charging plug with which the devices are provided and/or power level which is to be provided for the charging to occur. For example, the apparatus at the time of installation may be best configured to have USB charging sockets of a certain type, but during the lifetime of the charging means the type of USB socket requited may change, for example from a Type A to a Type C, or there may be different forms of sockets required to provide the charge to different forms of device so that a new configuration or a combination of different forms and/or types of sockets may become most appropriate.

An aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a charging means which can be connected to a power supply and will provide power to a user to allow the charging of a connectable electronic/electrical device whilst, at the same time, allowing the charging means to be repaired safely and/or elements of the same to be replaced safely and/or the configuration of the same to be adapted on site without the need for a qualified electrician or for the equipment, in which the charging means is incorporated, to be returned to the supplier.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a charger assembly for the provision of power to allow the operation and/or charging of a power cell for an electronic/electrical device, said charger assembly provided to be mounted in a piece of equipment or installed in a surface, such as a wall, floor or furniture and including at least one low voltage outlet socket which is user accessible, AC to DC power supply means and control means for the provision of DC power to the at least one low voltage outlet socket and connection means to connect the charger assembly to an incoming mains AC power supply and wherein interface connection means are provided which allow the selective removal and fitting of any, or any combination, of the at least one low voltage outlet socket and/or control means and/or AC to DC power supply means with respect to the remainder of the charger assembly whilst the mains AC power supply to the said remainder of the charger assembly is maintained.

Typically the removal and fitting of any of the at least one low voltage outlet socket and/or control means and/or AC to DC power supply conversion means can be safely performed whilst the mains AC power supply to the charger assembly is connected and power is maintained and the said remainder of the charger assembly is retained in its location of use.

In one embodiment the interface connection means allow the selective removal and fitting of the said at least one low voltage outlet socket with the charger assembly. In one embodiment, the interface connection means allow the selective removal and fitting of the control means, with or without the at least one low voltage outlet socket connected therewith, with the charger assembly.

In one embodiment, the interface connection means allow the selective removal and fitting of the AC to DC power supply conversion means, with or without the at least one low voltage outlet socket connected therewith, with or without the control means connected therewith, with the charger assembly.

Typically the control means and the AC to DC power supply conversion means include circuitry and electronic components and are provided on one, or a plurality of interconnected, Printed Circuit Board(s) (PCB)

In one embodiment the said at least one low voltage outlet socket, control means and the AC to DC power supply conversion means are provided as a unit which can be mechanically located within the housing of the charger assembly. In one embodiment, to remove and fit any of the at least one low voltage outiet socket and/or control means and/or AC to DC power supply conversion means, the unit is mechanically and electrically disengaged from the housing of the charger assembly. In one embodiment the unit can be removed and replaced as a whole so that the interface means are provided to allow the selective connection and removal of the at least one low voltage outlet socket and/ or control means and/ or AC to DC power supply conversion means as an integral unit. In another embodiment the unit may be removed from the charger assembly and then any, or any combination of, the at least one low voltage oudet socket and/or control means and/or AC to DC power supply means can be selectively removed and/or fitted to the unit and the unit is then replaced back into the charger assembly housing.

In one embodiment of the invention the low voltage oudet sockets are one or more USB sockets.

In one embodiment the user accessible USB socket(s) is of a Type A configuration. In another embodiment the user accessible USB socket(s) is of a Type C configuration. In another embodiment the user accessible USB socket(s) are a combination of both USB Type A and USB Type C configurations.

In a further embodiment, a plurality of user accessible low voltage oudet sockets are provided of the same or different configurations and each socket is independentiy removable and replaceable such that the particular configuration of charging sockets made available for use, can be adapted over time. Furthermore, the ability to remove and replace the control means allows a new form of control means to be fitted so as to allow the same to be adapted in accordance with changes to the socket configuration.

The provision of the invention as herein described means that the replacement of the at least one low voltage oudet socket and/or control means and/ or AC to DC power conversion means (hereinafter referred to individually as "parts" or collectively as a "unit") can be achieved without the need for the mains AC power supply to the charger assembly to be turned off and/or disconnected during these steps. As a result, the removal and fitting operations can be performed in situ rather than requiring the charger assembly or the equipment in which the same is installed being wholly removed and transported to a remote location. It also means that the repair and/or adaptation can be performed by relatively non-skilled personnel and in situ without the need to remove the whole charger assembly from the location of use as it is not necessary to access parts of the charger assembly which contain mains voltage components.

As, in accordance with the invention, there is the ability to remove various parts, or the unit, from the charger assembly while the assembly is in situ, and powered, and which is likely to be in a publicly accessible area, there is a need to be able to prevent unauthorised removal of said parts/unit. In one embodiment, the mechanical engagement of the parts/unit is such that the location means are masked from the external surface of the assembly and, when exposed, can only be actuated by the use of a suitably configured tool. In one embodiment, a plurality of location means are provided to achieve the mechanical location and the location means are required to be simultaneously moved to a release position in order for the parts/unit to be free to be moved out of the charger assembly housing.

In one embodiment the mechanical and electrical disengagement and engagement actions occur substantially simultaneously. In an alternative embodiment the part to be removed and replaced may first be removed mechanically whilst still electrically connected and then electrically disconnected

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a charger assembly in connection with a power supply, said charger assembly including a housing, at least one low voltage oudet socket for the reception of a plug therein to achieve a charging power connection from the low voltage outlet socket to an external device, and wherein the low voltage outlet socket and/or control means are provided in connection with interface connection means so as to be selectively removed and fitted whilst the mains AC power supply to the charger assembly is maintained.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a tool to allow the selective removal of part of a charger assembly from a housing with which the same is mechanically engaged, said part provided in the form of a unit with mechanical and electrical connections to the assembly, and wherein the tool is provided with a plurality of location means which can be positioned to contact components of the mechanical connection at at least two spaced locations and the movement of a gripping portion of the tool exerts a movement force on said mechanical connection components to move the same to a release position so as to allow the unit to be removed

In one embodiment the tool exerts a retaining force on the part/ unit so as to move the released part/ unit from the assembly as the tool is moved away from the assembly.

In one embodiment, a plurality of location means are required to be simultaneously moved to a release position in order for the part/unit to be free to be moved out of the housing.

Typically the electrical connection disengagement action occurs as a result of the movement of the part/ unit out of the charger assembly. In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of removing and/or fitting at least one low voltage oudet socket and/or control means and/ or AC to DC power supply conversion means from a charger assembly wherein the method includes the steps of providing the at least one low voltage outlet socket and/or control means and/or AC to DC power supply means in mechanical and electrical connection with the remainder of the charger assembly so as to connect with an AC mains power supply provided to the said charger assembly and selectively disengaging the said at least one low voltage outlet socket and/or control means and/or AC to DC power supply means from the remainder of the charger assembly by disconnecting the same mechanically and electrically from the remainder of the charger assembly whilst maintaining the AC mains power supply to the charger assembly..

In one embodiment the socket and/or control means and/or AC to DC power supply means can be selectively removed and/or fitted to the unit whilst the unit is removed from the charger assembly.

Typically the remainder of the charger assembly is left in situ whilst the unit is removed therefrom.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;

Figures la -h illustrate, schematically, embodiments of a charger assembly in accordance with the invention;

Figures 2a and b illustrate the embodiment of Figure Id in more detail; Figures 3a to 3c illustrate the embodiment of Figure If in more detail;

Figures 4a to 4c illustrate a unit release tool, and the use of the same, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention

Figure 5a illustrates the charger assembly incorporated into a furniture power distribution unit;

Figure 5b illustrates the charger assembly incorporated into a typical surface mounted electrical wall plate;

Figure 5c illustrates the charger assembly incorporated into a further embodiment of furniture power distribution unit;

Figure 6a to 6d illustrates an example of a process of disengagement of the at least one low voltage outiet and/or control means and/or AC to DC power supply from the charger assembly housing whilst the same is mounted in a piece of equipment; and

Figure 7a illustrates one embodiment of the charger assembly wherein the at least one socket has been removed with/without the control means and with/without the AC to DC power supply whilst still leaving a touch safe aperture.

Referring firstly to Figure la, there is illustrated a first embodiment of a charger assembly in accordance with the invention wherein the charger assembly includes at least one low voltage outlet socket 2, control means 4 and an AC to DC power supply 5. The low voltage oudet socket 2 is connected to the control means 4 via an electrical interface means 3 and in this embodiment is removably retained in an outer housing 1 by mechanical interface means 7. Typically, at all times, the connections to the incoming mains power supply 6, such as a mains power supply in the premises in which the assembly is located, are inaccessible during the removal and replacement of the low voltage outlet socket 2. In the Figure la embodiment the mechanical interface 7 and electrical interface 3 can be disengaged simultaneously in order to allow the selective removal and replacement of the at least one low voltage outlet socket 2.

Referring now to Figure lb, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the charger assembly in accordance with the invention. In this embodiment the charger assembly includes at least one low voltage oudet 2, control means 4, AC to DC power supply 5, wherein the low voltage oudet 2 is connected to the control means 4, with an electrical interface means 3, which itself is fitted to the end of a flexible link 8, and retained in the overall outer housing 1 with mechanical interface means 7. Again, at all times the connections to the incoming mains power supply 6 are inaccessible during the removal and replacement of the low voltage oudet socket 2. In the Figure lb embodiment the mechanical interface 7 and electrical interface 3 can be disengaged separately.

Referring now to Figure lc, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the charger assembly in accordance with the invention. In this embodiment the charger assembly includes the combination of at least one low voltage oudet socket and the control means therefore 9. This combination is connected to the AC to DC power supply 5 via an electrical interface 11 and is located in the outer housing 1 by a mechanical interface 12 with location means 10, 10' which in another embodiment are not provided. At all times the connections to the incoming mains power supply 6 are inaccessible during the removal and replacement of the low voltage outlet socket and control means combination 9.

Referring to Figure Id, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the charger assembly in accordance with the invention wherein the charger assembly includes the combination of at least one low voltage oudet socket and a portion of the control means, 13, which is connected to the remainder of the control means 14 via an electrical interface 16 which in this case is a flexible link 15. The combination 13 is retained in the outer housing 1 via mechanical interface 12. The remainder of the control means 14 and AC to DC power supply 5 are interconnected within the overall outer housing 1 along with the incoming mains power supply connections 6. At all times the connections to the incoming mains power supply 6 are inaccessible during the removal and replacement of the combination low voltage oudet socket and portion of the control means 13.

Referring to Figure le, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the charger assembly in accordance with the invention wherein the charger assembly includes the combination of at least one low voltage outlet socket and the control means, 28. The combination is connected to the AC to DC power supply 5 via an electrical interface 30 via a flexible link 29. The combination 28 is retained in the overall outer housing 1 by the mechanical interface 38. At all times the connections to the incoming mains power supply 6 are inaccessible during the removal and replacement of the low voltage oudet socket and control means combination 28.

Referring now to Figure If, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the charger assembly in accordance with the invention wherein the charger assembly includes the combination of at least one low voltage outlet socket, control means and the AC to DC power supply, hereinafter referred to as unit 31. The unit is connected to the incoming mains power supply 6 via an electrical interface 32 and is retained in the outer housing 1 by a mechanical interface 39. At all times the connections to the incoming mains power supply 6 are inaccessible during the removal and replacement of the unit 31 with respect to the charger assembly housing 40. The charger assembly housing remains in the outer housing 1 such that in this embodiment the charger assembly housing 40 and the mechanical interface are one and the same. Typically the outer housing 1 can be provided as, or as part of, a wall plate or furniture power module.

Referring to Figure lg, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the charger assembly in accordance with the invention. In this embodiment the charger assembly includes the combination of at least one low voltage oudet and the control means and the AC to DC power supply, hereinafter referred to as a unit 33. In this embodiment the unit 33 is connected to the incoming mains power supply via an electrical interface 37 and is retained in the overall outer housing 1 by a mechanical interface 40. In this embodiment the unit 33 is internally formed of separable sections 34, 35, 36 wherein these may represent part or all of each of the elements of the charger assembly in the form of at least one low voltage socket oudet, control means and AC to DC power supply. At all times the connections to the incoming mains power supply 6 are inaccessible during the removal and replacement of the unit 33.

Figure lh further illustrates the same embodiment as Figure lg and illustrates the manner in which the each of the sections 34, 35, 36 of the unit 33 can be removed and/or replaced once the unit 33 is removed from the mechanical interface 40, the electrical interface 37 is removed and the unit 33 has been removed from the charger assembly housing 40. It should be recognised that Figures la to lh are not exhaustive examples of the embodiments, but illustrate options for removal and replacement of any/all of the at least one low voltage oudet socket, control means and AC to DC power supply. As a result Figures la to lh should not be considered to restrict the orientation of any/all of the illustrated elements of the charger assembly.

Figures 2a and b show the charger assembly of the embodiment of Figure Id wherein the at least one low voltage outlet 25 is mounted in an overall outer housing 24 and may or may not be integral with a portion of the control means whilst the remainder of the control means together with the AC to DC power supply are remotely installed within the overall outer housing 24. The aforementioned two elements being connected by an interface means, allowing the at least one low voltage oudet with/without portion of control means to be separately removed and replaced from the overall outer housing, without the remainder of the control means or the AC to DC power supply and performed without disconnection from the mcoming mains power supply or the need for a qualified electrician to perform the action.

Figures 2a illustrates that the at least one low voltage outlet 25 is retained by mechanical location means 26 within a decorative bezel 27, which itself is retained in the outer housing 24. In this embodiment, further AC power outlet(s) 17 may also be mounted in the overall outer housing 24.

Figure 2b further illustrates the embodiment of Figure 2a with a partial sectional view through the housing 24, bezel 27 and low voltage outlet 25. It is shown how the charger assembly includes the low voltage outlet 25 retained by the mechanical interface which is formed by location means 21 of the bezel 27 and location means 26 formed on the outlet 25 and connected to the control means 22 with the electrical interface 19. In this embodiment the mechanical interface 21 is itself held within, or may be part of, the decorative bezel 27 and contains the control means 22 which is then connected via a flexible link 20 to the AC to DC power supply 18. In this way when the location means 26 are disengaged and the low voltage oudet 25 is removed from the mechanical interface 21, the electrical interface 19 is simultaneously disengaged thereby allowing the low voltage oudet 25 to be replaced without disturbing either the control means 22 or the AC to DC power supply 18. At all times the incoming supply connections 23, which are tapped off from the terminals in the rear of the AC power oudet 17, are inaccessible during the removal and replacement of the low voltage oudet 25.

Referring now to Figures 3a to 3c there is illustrated in greater detail the embodiment of Figure If showing a charger assembly wherein the at least one low voltage outiet, control means and AC to DC power supply are integrated in a single unit that can be wholly removed from the charger assembly housing all of which can be done without disconnection from the supply and/or the need for a qualified electrician, because the supply terminals are external to the charger assembly housing and touch safe.

Figure 3a further illustrates the embodiment of Figure If wherein the charger assembly comprises two part outer housing 41, 42 with front face 43 that is held in place by screws 47, 47' and at the rear has incoming supply connections 45, 45' for the connection of AC power therein. In this embodiment there are two low voltage outiets 44, 44' positioned to show through the front face 43.

Figure 3b shows a first stage of disassembly of the charger assembly of Figure 3a wherein the screws 47, 47' have been removed and the front face 43 has been detached from the charger assembly outer housing 41. In this view a means of fixation of the charger assembly to a surface is shown by way of a circular lip 46 which rests on top of the surface and under which a plurality of clips 46', 46" perform the function of retention into the surface. In this state the unit 48 containing the low voltage outlets 44, 44' is now accessible.

Figure 3c shows the unit 48 removed from the charger assembly outer housing 41, 42. In this state the location means 49, 49', 49", 49"' can be seen which previously were clipped under retaining apertures 52, 52', 52", 52"' respectively.. Further the electrical interface terminals 53, 53' of the unit 48 can now be seen where previously they had been contacting the incoming mains power supply connections 45, 45' within the charger assembly outer housing 42.

Figure 4a illustrates one embodiment of a release tool 50 wherein the same has a plurality of release fingers 51, 51', 51", 51"' which can be aligned with release apertures 54, 54', 54", 54"' around the unit 48 and one or more grip features 55 which will latch to the unit 48 so that when the tool 50 is pulled away from the charger assembly's location, the unit 48 will be pulled from the charger assembly outer housing 41, 42.

Figure 4b shows the release tool 50 pushed into the charger assembly such that the release fingers 51, 51', 51", 51"' are fully inserted into the release apertures (54, 54', 54", 54"' now hidden from view) and the grip feature(s) 55 have latched into the unit 48.

Figure 4c shows the release tool 50, holding the unit 48, as a result of the latched grip features 55, after the release fingers 51, 51', 51", 5 " have simultaneously disengaged the location means 49, 49' (also 49", 49"' being on the far side of the unit 48) from the retaining apertures 52, 52', 52", 52"' thereby releasing the unit 48 from the mechanical interface and electrical interface simultaneously when the unit 48 was pulled from the charger assembly outer housing 41, 42.

Figure 5a illustrates the charger assembly 60 incorporated into a furniture power distribution unit 61 within which other outlets 62, 63, 64 may also be fitted. In this embodiment the charger assembly is made accessible to a user of the workstation 65 in a portable electrical accessory.

Figure 5b illustrates the charger assembly 68 incorporated into a further embodiment of furniture power distribution unit. In this embodiment the charger assembly can be mounted below a worksurface 69 or alternatively under a piece of furniture

Figure 5c illustrates the charger assembly 66 incorporated into a typical surface mounted electrical wall plate 67. In this embodiment the charger assembly is fitted in a fixed electrical accessory, yet still provides the means to exchange/replace/upgrade any/all of the at least one low voltage outlet, control means or AC to DC power supply components without the need to turn off the supply or require a qualified electrician

Figure 6a to 6d illustrate an example of a process of disengagement of the required component 71 from a charger assembly 73 fitted into a piece of equipmentlOl. The front face 70 is removed which then provides access to any location means around the component 71 of the charger assembly which is to be replaced. The tool 72 in accordance with the invention is then used to disengage the location means and extract the component 71 from the remainder of the charger assembly 73. Figure 7a illustrates one embodiment of the charger assembly 73 wherein the at least one low voltage oudet socket has been removed with/ without the control means and with/without the AC to DC power supply whilst still leaving a touch safe aperture 102 such that the removal and replacement of said parts can be performed without disconnection of the supply and/or the presence of a qualified electrician. Specifically referring to the embodiment shown in Figure 7a wherein the entire unit 48 (not shown) has been removed, 45 and 45' indicate the positions of the incoming mains supply contacts, which are themselves recessed such that a standard probe test finger 74, IEC 61032 Test Probe B (Jointed Finger), cannot touch them, even when inserted into the aperture 102, thereby making the empty charger assembly housing 'touch safe'.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, there is provided an electrical power charging assembly which can be provided for use on site and for which the most likely components to malfunction or need replacement, in the form of the charging sockets, can be replaced on site, by non skilled personnel and without the need to disconnect the assembly from the mains power supply thereto.