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US 2007/0167084 A1Published application
Cigarette-Lighter Assembly Connector with Indicator for Verifying Proper Insertion
AssigneeAmerican Power Conversion Corporation
InventorConrad Baranowski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cigarette-lighter assembly connector includes an indicator, particularly a light source, that can be activated when the connector is sufficiently inserted into a cigarette-lighter socket to indicate to the user that a portable electronic device can be safely operated via the power supplied from the cigarette-lighter assembly connector.
Claims20
A cigarette-lighter assembly connector comprising:
- a housing;
- an electrically conductive plunger mounted for axial reciprocation into and out of the housing, the range of axial reciprocation for the plunger ranging from a retracted extremum to an extended extremum;
- a mechanism that biases the plunger out of the housing toward the extended extremum;
- an electrically conductive light-source terminal positioned to make electrical contact with the plunger only when the plunger is retracted at least a specified distance from the extended extremum into the housing;
- and
- a light source in electrical communication with the electrically conductive light-source terminal such that the light source can be powered to emit light when a voltage is applied to the plunger and when the plunger is retracted at least the specified distance.
3 more elements
(canceled)
(canceled)
A cigarette-lighter assembly connector comprising:
- a housing having a substantially cylindrical, electrically insulating barrel portion;
- an electrically conductive plunger mounted for axial reciprocation along the axis of the barrel portion of the housing, the range of axial reciprocation for the plunger ranging from a retracted extremum to an extended extremum;
- a mechanism that biases the plunger out of the housing toward the extended extremum;
- and
- an indicator assembly that provides an indication of whether the plunger is retracted at least a specified distance from the extended extremum.
2 more elements
A method for safely powering a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
- providing a cigarette-lighter assembly connector including:
- a) a housing having a barrel portion that is substantially cylindrical about an axis;
- b) an electrically conductive plunger mounted for displacement along the axis of the barrel portion of the housing, the range of axial displacement for the plunger ranging from a retracted extremum to an extended extremum;
- c) an electrically conductive light-source terminal positioned to make electrical contact with the plunger only when the plunger is retracted at least a specified distance from the extended extremum;
- d) a light source in electrical communication with the light-source terminal such that the light source can be powered to emit light when a voltage is applied to the plunger and when the plunger is retracted at least the specified distance;
- e) at least one electrically conductive side terminal extending out of the barrel portion of the housing;
- and
- f) a power cable extending from the housing and electrically coupled with the plunger and with the side terminal;
- providing a portable electronic device coupled with or couplable with the power cable;
- and
- inserting the barrel portion of the housing into a cigarette-lighter socket until the light source is powered to emit light, indicating that the cigarette-lighter assembly connector is inserted sufficiently far into socket to enable safe operation of the portable electronic device.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.