Portable terminal charging device and automobile equipped with same

• US 10,069,337 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hatakeyama, Ken, Yamanishi, Yuto, Ota, Tomohiro, Yamamoto, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/910,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160197509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/105 forming directly coupled primary and secondary coils or loops
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A portable terminal charging device includes a large diameter detection coil arranged between a charging coil and a portable terminal, and a further detection coil arranged inward of the large diameter detection coil and having a smaller diameter than the large diameter detection coil. The large diameter detection coil and the further detection coil detect a state of a foreign metal object by finding out a decrease in the magnetic flux of an inward section of the charging coil and conversely finding out an increase in the magnetic flux of an outward section thereof, if the foreign metal object is present between a portable terminal installation unit of a support plate and the portable terminal.

Claims

1. A portable terminal charging device comprising:

a support plate whose front surface side serves as a portable terminal installation unit;

a charging coil that is arranged on a rear surface side of the support plate so as to face the support plate;

a first detection coil that is arranged between the charging coil and the portable terminal installation unit of the support plate, and that has a large diameter;

a second detection coil that is arranged inward of the first detection coil, and that has a smaller diameter than the first detection coil; and

a controller that is connected to the first and second detection coils,

wherein the controller performs a safety operation if a ratio (V2/V1) of a second voltage (V2) detected by the second detection coil to a first voltage (V1) detected by the first detection coil becomes smaller than a set value, and

wherein the controller stops power supply to the charging coil in order to perform the safety operation if the ration (V2/V1) of the second voltage (V2) detected by the second detection coil to the first voltage (V1) detected by the first detection coil becomes smaller than the set value.

2. The portable terminal charging device of claim 1,

wherein the charging coil is formed in an annular shape in which a wire is wound in a spiral shape, and the first and second detection coils are arranged on a surface on a support plate side of the charging coil.

3. The portable terminal charging device of claim 2,

wherein the charging coil is movable on the rear surface side of the support plate.

4. The portable terminal charging device of claim 2,

wherein the first detection coil is set to have substantially the same size as an outer diameter of the charging coil, and the second detection coil is set to have substantially the same size as an inner diameter of the charging coil.

5. The portable terminal charging device of claim 1,

wherein a third detection coil is arranged between the first and second detection coils.

6. The portable terminal charging device of claim 1,

wherein the controller operates an alarm unit connected to the controller in order to perform the safety operation, if the ratio (V2/V1) of the second voltage (V2) detected by the second detection coil to the first voltage (V1) detected by the first detection coil becomes smaller than the set value.

7. The portable terminal charging device of claim 1,

wherein each of the first and second detection coils is connected to a voltage detector for measuring a peak voltage, and the voltage detector is connected to the controller.

8. An automobile comprising:

the portable terminal charging device of claim 1,

wherein the portable terminal charging device is arranged in an automobile interior so that an upper surface side of the portable terminal charging device serves as the portable terminal installation unit.

9. The automobile of claim 8,

wherein a guard unit protruding upward beyond the support plate is disposed on an outer periphery of the support plate.

10. A portable terminal charging device comprising:

a support plate whose front surface side serves as a portable terminal installation unit;

a charging coil that is arranged on a rear surface side of the support plate so as to face the support plate;

a first detection coil that is arranged between the charging coil and the portable terminal installation unit of the support plate, and that has a large diameter;

a second detection coil that is arranged inward of the first detection coil, and that has a smaller diameter than the first detection coil; and

a controller that is connected to the first and second detection coils,

wherein the controller performs a safety operation if a ratio (V2/V1) of a second voltage (V2) detected by the second detection coil to a first voltage (V1) detected by the first detection coil becomes smaller than a set value, and

wherein the controller operates an alarm unit connected to the controller in order to perform the safety operation if the ratio (V2/V1) of the second voltage (V2) detected by the second detection coil to the first voltage (V1) detected by the first detection coil becomes smaller than the set value.

11. The portable terminal charging device of claim 10,

wherein the charging coil is formed in an annular shape in which a wire is wound in a spiral shape, and the first and second detection coils are arranged on a surface on a support plate side of the charging coil.

12. The portable terminal charging device of claim 11,

wherein the charging coil is movable on the rear surface side of the support plate.

13. The portable terminal charging device of claim 11,

wherein the first detection coil is set to have substantially the same size as an outer diameter of the charging coil, and the second detection coil is set to have substantially the same size as an inner diameter of the charging coil.

14. The portable terminal charging device of claim 10,

wherein a third detection coil is arranged between the first and second detection coils.

15. The portable terminal charging device of claim 10,

wherein each of the first and second detection coils is connected to a voltage detector for measuring a peak voltage, and the voltage detector is connected to the controller.

16. An automobile comprising:

the portable terminal charging device of claim 10,

wherein the portable terminal charging device is arranged in an automobile interior so that an upper surface side of the portable terminal charging device serves as the portable terminal installation unit.

17. The automobile of claim 16,

wherein a guard unit protruding upward beyond the support plate is disposed on an outer periphery of the support plate.