Coil device and inductance-changing mechanism

• US 10,446,316 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Original Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Inventors: Furiya, Kentarou, Tokura, Susumu, Hara, Masakazu, Araki, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiao, David A
• Application Number:
  US15/387,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20170103850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/02 continuously variable, e.g. variometers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/10 by means of a movable shield
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/363 made of electrically conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/12 having movable coil, winding, or part thereof; having movable shield
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A coil device includes a first coil portion which faces a second coil portion of another coil device and has a conductive wire, and at least one non-magnetic member disposed on an opposite side from a side facing the second coil portion. The non-magnetic member includes an eddy current interrupter for changing a state of an eddy current formed in the non-magnetic member by interrupting a portion of the eddy current.

Claims

1. A coil device facing another coil device to transmit or receive power wirelessly, the coil device comprising:

a first coil portion facing a second coil portion of the other coil device and including a conductive wire;

a plurality of non-magnetic members which are electrically conductive and disposed such that the first coil portion is positioned between the plurality of non-magnetic members and the second coil portion,

wherein the plurality of non-magnetic members includes a first non-magnetic member and a second non-magnetic member which are disposed such that the first non-magnetic member is positioned between the first coil portion and the second non-magnetic member, and

wherein at least one of the first non-magnetic member and the second non-magnetic member includes an eddy current interrupter for changing a state of an eddy current formed in the at least one of the first non-magnetic member and the second non-magnetic member by interrupting a portion of the eddy current, the eddy current interrupter including a hole portion penetrating the at least one of the first non-magnetic member and the second non-magnetic member or a depressed portion in the at least one of the first non-magnetic member and the second non-magnetic member, and

a conductive sheet-shaped member provided between the first non-magnetic member and the second non-magnetic member, and including a first surface in contact with the first non-magnetic member and a second surface in contact with the second non-magnetic member.

2. The coil device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a moving mechanism configured to move the first non-magnetic member along the first surface of the conductive sheet-shaped member or the second non-magnetic member along the second surface of the conductive sheet-shaped member.

3. The coil device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a movement control mechanism configured to adjust a distance for which the at least one of the first non-magnetic member and the second non-magnetic member is moved by the moving mechanism by controlling the moving mechanism.

4. The coil device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first non-magnetic member and the second non-magnetic member includes a hole portion that is the eddy current interrupter, and a first hole portion of the first non-magnetic member and a second hole portion of the second non-magnetic member are formed in similar patterns.

5. The coil device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first non-magnetic member and the second non-magnetic member includes a hole portion that is the eddy current interrupter, and a first hole portion of the first non-magnetic member and a second hole portion of the second non-magnetic member are formed in different patterns.

6. The coil device according to claim 1,

wherein the first non-magnetic member includes a hole portion that is the eddy current interrupter, and

the second non-magnetic member includes a first flat surface being in contact with the conductive sheet and a second flat surface opposite to the first flat surface.

7. The coil device according to claim 1, wherein the first coil is a solenoid coil and has a plate-shaped bobbin including a pair of surfaces opposite to each other,

wherein the conductive wire is wound around the plate-shaped bobbin and extend along the pair of surfaces,

wherein the eddy current interrupter is a long hole portion or a groove portion extending along the first surface and the second surface, and

wherein the long hole portion or the groove portion extends in a direction intersecting with an extending direction of the conductive wire in the first coil portion.

8. The coil device according to claim 7, wherein the long hole portion or the groove portion extends to a position outward from the first coil portion.