Portable power source

Abstract

To provide a portable power source that is more suitable for use in public facilities and can be easily managed.SOLUTION: A portable power source 100 includes a case 10, a storage battery 20 housed within the case 10, one or more pockets 30 provided within the case 10, and one or more GPS transmitters 40 housed within the pocket 30. The portable power source 100 also includes a cover 16 provided within the case 10, which covers the storage battery 20 and / or covers components provided within the case 10, and the pocket 30 is detachable from the inside of the case 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a portable power source.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional technology, a portable power source, which is a power supply device that can be carried around, is known. The portable power source is used not only for outdoor activities such as camping, staying in a car, and leisure, but also in daily life and during disasters. For example, in daily life, by combining the portable power source with a solar panel to charge it during the day and using the electricity charged in the portable power source at night, it is possible to save on electricity bills. Also, in the event of a disaster, in addition to natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and floods caused by heavy rain, and power outages caused by lightning strikes where the power supply is cut off, the portable power source comes in handy.

[0003] In addition to the examples mentioned above, the portable power source is also useful in places where it is difficult to supply power, regardless of the field, such as construction sites, vinyl greenhouses for growing vegetables and fruits, and field hospitals. And there are also services that rent such portable power sources and services that lend them out on a monthly subscription basis.

[0004] Also, as technologies related to portable power sources, those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known. Patent Document 1 describes a portable power source device provided with a rechargeable battery and a charge / discharge function such as a charge / discharge control circuit inside a main body case. This portable power source device is configured with the main body case in a hollow cylindrical shape with both ends open, and an elastic member is attached so as to cover the entire circumference of the openings at both ends of the main body case. Further, this elastic member protrudes outward from the end faces and the outer peripheral surface of the white part between the two ends of the main body case.

[0005] On the one hand, Patent Document 2 describes a portable power source management system aimed at causing a portable power source to perform a predetermined operation when a user takes the portable power source outside the place of use. This management system includes a position information detection unit that detects the position information of the portable power source 10, and a region information determination unit that determines whether the portable power source has left a predetermined region based on the position information detected by the position information detection unit. After the region information determination unit determines that the portable power source has moved to a position outside the predetermined region, the portable power source is provided with an operation unit that performs a predetermined operation corresponding to the determination result (Fig. 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] As described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, portable power sources are very convenient because they can be carried around. However, because they can be carried around, problems such as theft and loss occur. For example, a portable power source carried to a campsite during outdoor activities may be stolen or left behind and forgotten to be taken back. Therefore, it is very important to know which portable power source is being used, by whom, and where.

[0008] In addition, in the storage management of portable power sources in daily life or the lending management in rental services, it is also required to manage which portable power source is being used, by whom, and where.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable power source that is more suitable for use in public facilities and can be easily managed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The portable power source according to the present invention includes a case, a storage battery housed in the case, one or more pockets provided in the case, and one or more GPS transmitters housed in the pockets. Thereby, one or more GPS transmitters can be stored in or taken out from one or more pockets provided in the case. Therefore, the GPS transmitter of the portable power source can be replaced or increased.

[0011] Further, it is desirable that the portable power source has a cover provided in the case. This cover is provided in an appropriate shape and an appropriate number in the case, and can cover, for example, the entire storage battery. Further, this cover covers and fixedly protects each component provided in the case, for example. In addition, it is desirable that one or more pockets provided in the case are detachable inside the case.

Effects of the Invention

[0012] With such a configuration, the portable power source according to the present invention can store or take out one or more GPS transmitters in one or more pockets provided in the case. Therefore, the GPS transmitter of the portable power source can be replaced or increased. Thus, the position (location) of the portable power source can be specified by the GPS transmitter, and by replacing the GPS transmitter housed in the pocket, the information source for specifying who is using it can be smoothly exchanged. Further, by adding more GPS transmitters housed in the pocket, even if one GPS transmitter fails, the position of the portable power source can be specified by other GPS transmitters. In short, the present invention is a portable power source that allows the user to replace and add GPS transmitters according to their usage patterns by themselves, so it is a simple and practical invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. However, the description of the constituent elements described below is an example (representative example) of the embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following content unless the gist thereof is changed. For components having the same function, the same reference numerals are given in the drawings, and the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0015] [Portable Power Source] The portable power source according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the portable power source 100 according to the present invention includes a case 10, a storage battery 20 housed in the case 10, one or more pockets 30 provided in the case 10, and one or more GPS transmitters 40 housed in the pockets 30.

[0016] [Case] The case 10 is made of polypropylene in this embodiment, but it may be made of polycarbonate, ABS resin, carbon resin, or other materials. Or, the case 10 may be made of metal or a soft case (a case with a soft surface), and there is no limitation on the material, shape, size, design, etc., as long as it can accommodate the battery 20, the GPS transmitter 40, etc. inside and can be carried around.

[0017] Also, the case 10 has a case main body portion 10A having a space for accommodating the battery 20 and an upper lid 10B. When the battery 20, the GPS transmitter 40, etc. are accommodated in the case 10, the upper lid 10B is closed, and the case main body portion 10A and the upper lid 10B are fixed by the locking mechanism 12, and it becomes a form that can be carried around (see Fig. 3).

[0018] Note that in this embodiment, the case 10 is configured to be closed by the locking mechanism 12, but it may be configured to be closed by a fastener. Also, in this embodiment, the portable power source 100 has a handle portion 11, but there is no limitation on the presence or absence of the handle portion 11, the position where the handle portion 11 is attached, the shape, etc.

[0019] [Battery] The battery 20 stores power when not in use and supplies power to the outside when in use (secondary battery, battery). The type of the battery 20 is not particularly limited, such as a lithium iron phosphate battery, a lead-acid battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a NAS battery (sodium-sulfur battery), etc., but it is desirable to use a lithium iron phosphate battery with high safety among the batteries.

[0020] Also, the capacity (rated output) is not particularly limited, such as "120Wh", "640Wh", "1000Wh", "1800Wh", "2000Wh", and can be appropriately selected according to the usage purpose. Of course, the capacity (rated output) may be smaller or larger than the examples shown above. Regarding the instantaneous maximum output of the storage battery 20 as well, there are no particular restrictions, and it can be appropriately selected according to the intended use.

[0021] In addition, although not shown in the drawings, the storage battery 20 is charged by a charger (AC charger).

[0022] Inside the case 10, the control device 13 and the wiring 14 are housed in a space other than the space for housing the storage battery 20. The control device 13 is for measuring the voltage and remaining amount of the storage battery 20 and displaying them on the display means 17 (see FIG. 3). The wiring 14 is, for example, a wiring connecting the control device 13 and the storage battery 20, and is for connecting the components provided inside the case 10 to each other.

[0023] Note that the control device 13 is provided with a manual circuit breaker switch 15, and by turning this off, the portable power source 100 (storage battery 20) can be turned off. Also, this circuit breaker switch 15 can be operated from the outside (outside the case 10). In this embodiment, a switch 18 interlocking with the circuit breaker switch 15 is provided on the front of the case 10 (see FIG. 3).

[0024] Also, the portable power source 100 has a cover 16 inside the case 10 (see FIG. 2). This cover 16 is provided in an appropriate shape and an appropriate number inside the case 10, and can cover, for example, the entire storage battery. In this embodiment, the cover 16 covers and fixedly protects the control device 13. In this way, the cover 16 can cover and fixedly protect each component provided inside the case 10.

[0025] In short, the cover 16 can fix the storage battery 20 housed inside the portable power source 100 and each component provided inside the portable power source 100, and can prevent these from coming into contact with other components.

[0026] [Pocket, GPS transmitter] The pocket 30 is provided inside the case 10 and is for housing the GPS transmitter 40 (the GPS transmitter also includes a "GPS tag"). In this embodiment, the pocket 30 is provided on the upper lid 10B. And the GPS transmitter 40 is housed in this pocket 30. A unique number (identification number) is assigned to this GPS transmitter 40.

[0027] The pocket 30 (so to speak, a storage case) is of a polypropylene card case size and can house a plurality of GPS transmitters 40. Just as an example, the size of the pocket 30 is about "width 64 mm × depth 100 mm × height 14 mm". The size of the pocket 30 is not limited to this as long as it can house a plurality of generally distributed GPS transmitters and can be adjusted as appropriate. Of course, the material of the pocket 30 can also be changed as appropriate. Also, the pocket 30 is compatible with card-type GPS transmitters (it can also house card-type GPS transmitters).

[0028] On the other hand, the GPS transmitter 40 may be one independently provided by each communication carrier such as docomo, au, softbank, etc., or may be one provided by each company in each service (for example, location information service, anti-loss service, etc.). Also, the fee form when renting the GPS transmitter 40 includes both monthly payment types and free types. Note that the batteries of the GPS transmitter 40 vary, such as those that last for one year, those that last for three years, those with replaceable batteries, and those with non-replaceable batteries. In addition, some of the GPS transmitters 40 are sold for their loud sound, and some are equipped with a waterproof function. The user can freely select one, two, three or more optimal GPS transmitters 40 from among such various GPS transmitters 40 according to the usage and needs.

[0029] And the GPS transmitter 40 uses the GPS (Global Positioning System) to transmit its position information to a GPS receiver (not shown). Since the portable power source 100 has such a configuration, the GPS transmitter 40 can be easily stored in or taken out of the pocket 30 provided in the case 10. Therefore, the GPS transmitter 40 of the portable power source 100 can be replaced or increased. Accordingly, it is possible to easily manage which portable power source 100 is being used, by whom, and where.

[0030] For example, considering the case where the portable power source 100 is used during a disaster, suppose a person (medical worker A) carried and used a portable power source 100 with a GPS transmitter 40 assigned with their identification number (e.g., AA) to a certain area. Then, it can be known that the portable power source 100 is being used by medical worker A in a certain area (the area specified by GPS).

[0031] After that, when another person (medical worker B) uses the portable power source 100, the GPS transmitter 40 assigned with medical worker A's identification number is taken out of the pocket 30, and a GPS transmitter 40 assigned with their own identification number (e.g., BB) is stored instead. Then, it can be known that the portable power source 100 is being used by medical worker B in a certain area (the area specified by GPS).

[0032] In this way, the position (location) of the portable power source 100 can be specified by the GPS transmitter 40, and by replacing the GPS transmitter 40 stored in the pocket 30, the information source for specifying who (medical worker A, medical worker B, or other person) is using it can be smoothly exchanged. Therefore, the management of the portable power source 100 can be carried out easily.

[0033] When the users of the portable power source 100 of the present invention are staff and related parties of public facilities under private or administrative jurisdiction, and an unspecified number of people who use such public facilities, the administrator who manages the portable power source 100 using the GPS transmitter 40 is likely to be mobile or there may be multiple administrators. Even in such a case, the portable power source 100 can quickly respond by easily changing or increasing the number of administrators by replacing or adding GPS transmitters 40.

[0034] In addition, by adding GPS transmitters 40 stored in the pocket 30, even if one of the multiple stored GPS transmitters 40 fails, the position of the portable power source 100 can be identified by other GPS transmitters 40. The same applies when one of the multiple stored GPS transmitters 40 runs out of battery, when a communication failure occurs, or when it is lost when the case 10 is opened.

[0035] In particular, by making the pocket 30 provided inside the case 10 detachable from the inside of the case 10, the pocket 30 can be attached to the inside of the case 10 to increase it, or the pocket 30 attached to the inside of the case 10 can be peeled off to decrease it. In this case, it is also possible to replace the GPS transmitter 40 together with the pocket 30, such as peeling off the pocket 30 containing the GPS transmitter 40 assigned with a certain person's identification number and attaching the pocket 30 containing the GPS transmitter 40 assigned with another person's identification number.

[0036] The configuration of the portable power source 100 described above is merely an example. For example, the pocket 30 is not limited in terms of its material, shape, size, etc., as long as it can store one or more GPS transmitters 40.

[0037] Also, the GPS transmitter 40 may be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet owned by an individual, as long as it can transmit its position information to a GPS receiver using the GPS system.

Industrial Applicability

[0038] The present invention is a portable power source that can be easily managed and can be used not only outdoors but also in agriculture, fishing, and in times of disaster and daily life. In addition, since the built-in GPS can be replaced and added, the storage battery developed for medical, disaster prevention, and electricians can be used more in public facilities, and the problems of management by the administrator of the corresponding equipment unique to supply equipment and the management of the administrator himself can be solved. Since it is specialized for a business model that conducts sales, rental lease, etc. to private and public facilities, it is industrially useful.

Explanation of Signs

[0039] Case 10 Case main body part 10A Upper lid 10B Carrying handle 11 Lock mechanism 12 Control device 13 Wiring 14 Breaker switch 15 Cover 16 Display means 17 Switch 18 Storage battery 20 Pocket 30 GPS transmitter 40 Portable power source 100

Claims

1. A case, a storage battery housed in the case, one or more pockets provided in the case, and one or more GPS transmitters housed in the pockets, a portable power source having the above components.

2. A cover provided in the case, covering the storage battery and / or covering components provided in the case, The portable power source according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is detachable inside the case.

3. The pocket is of a polypropylene card case size, and the portable power source according to claim 1 or 2, wherein two or more GPS transmitters are housed in the pocket.

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