Coil unit

• US 10,471,845 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Totsuka, Yuta
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Piggush, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US15/809,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20180141451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320108, 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/39 with position-responsive activation of primary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/006 with special arrangement or spacing of turns of the winding(s), e.g. to produce desired self-resonance
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2871 Pancake coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2876 Cooling cooling transformers and inductances in general H01F27/08
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/361 made of combinations of electrically conductive material and ferromagnetic material
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/14 with transposed conductors, e.g. twisted conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/24 with channels or ducts for cooling medium between the conductors
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A coil unit configured to be used in contactless transmission of electric power for running a vehicle includes a coil, and a plate-shaped coil holder that holds the coil. The coil holder has a spiral-shaped first passage and a spiral-shaped second passage. The first passage is formed along a plate surface of the coil holder, and a conductor constituting the coil is disposed in the first passage. The second passage is formed along the first passage and at a position that is different from a position of the first passage in at least a direction extending along the plate surface, and a cooling member is disposed in the second passage.

Claims

1. A coil unit configured to be used in contactless transmission of electric power for running a vehicle, the coil unit comprising:

a coil; and

a single coil holder layer including a first surface and a second surface located opposite to the first surface, the single coil holder layer holding the coil on the first surface,

the single coil holder layer including;

a first passage that is a spiral-shaped groove formed on the first surface, the first passage in which a conductor constituting the coil is completely disposed, and

a second passage that is a spiral-shaped groove formed on the second surface, the second surface in which a cooling member is completely disposed,

wherein an up-down direction is a plate thickness direction of the single coil holder layer, and an up direction is a direction extending towards the first surface from the second surface on the opposite side, an upper edge of the second passage is above a lower edge of the first passage in a cross-section perpendicular to a direction in which a route of the first passage extends and to a direction in which a route of the second passage extends.

2. The coil unit according to claim 1,

wherein the cooling material is a coolant pipe through which a coolant is passed.

3. The coil unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a ferrite layer that is formed into a flat plate shape and that is formed of a ferromagnet, wherein

the ferrite layer is on the first surface of the coil holder.

4. The coil unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a coil holder layer includes the coil, the coil holder and the cooling member, and

a ferrite layer that is formed into a flat plate shape and that is formed of a ferromagnet, wherein

the coil holder is configured to be connected with the ferrite layer via the first surface.

5. A coil unit configured to be used in contactless transmission of electric power for running a vehicle, the coil unit comprising:

a coil; and

a single coil holder layer including a first surface and a second surface located opposite to the first surface, the single coil holder layer holding the coil on the first surface, the single coil holder layer including;

a first passage that is a spiral-shaped groove formed on the first surface, the first passage in which a conductor constituting the coil is completely disposed, and

a second passage that is shaped a spiral-shaped pipe along the first passage in order to pass liquid coolant, the second passage being completely formed within the single coil holder layer and being located closer to the second surface than the first surface, the second passage being fully surrounded by mass of the single coil holder layer.