Wirelessly rechargeable battery and components thereof

• US 10,461,543 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PowerbyProxi Limited (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Hao, Ren, Saining, Qin, Aijun
• Primary Examiner(s): Parihar, Suchin
• Application Number:
  US16/107,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20180358815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2003/005 Magnetic cores for receiving several windings with perpendicular axes, e.g. for antennae or inductive power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A receiver coil assembly for a wirelessly rechargeable battery including first and second transverse coils and a third coil encompassing the first and second coils. The receiver coil may be employed in a power receiver of a wirelessly rechargeable battery. Also disclosed is a wirelessly rechargeable battery having a power receiver demountable from an electrochemical cell.

Claims

1. A device for charging a battery, the device comprising:

first and second receiver coils having magnetic axes oriented transverse to one another;

a third receiver coil having a magnetic axis transverse to the magnetic axes of the first and second receiver coils; and

a cylindrical outer casing having a base and a side wall,

wherein the third receiver coil is adapted to couple to a transmitter coil when the side wall is oriented perpendicular to a magnetic axis of the transmitter coil.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the third receiver coil is a substantially annular coil.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second receiver coils are arranged in a cross.

4. The device of claim 1 including ferrite core material located within the first, second, and third receiver coils.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the ferrite core material is arranged in the form of a cross with the first and second receiver coils wound about arms of the cross and the third receiver coil wound about distal ends of the arms of the cross.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the first, second, and third receiver coils enables greater power transfer than each of the others of the first, second, and third receiver coils.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the power transfer capacity of one of the first, second, and third receiver coils is at least 10% more than that of each of the others of the first, second, and third receiver coils.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the power transfer capacitor of one of the first, second, and third receiver coils is at least 20% more than that of each of the others of the first, second, and third receiver coils.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein a length of a conductor of one of the first, second, and third receiver coils is at least 25% greater than a length of a conductor of each of the others of the first, second, and third receiver coils.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the length of the conductor of one of the first, second, and third receiver coils is at least 50% greater than the length of the conductor of each of the others of the first, second, and third receiver coils.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising an electrochemical cell electrically coupled with one of the first, second, and third receiver coils.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the electrochemical cell is magnetically shielded by a metal layer.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the metal layer is of about one skin depth.