Variable diameter coil for efficient inductive charging

• US 10,498,159 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bushnell, Tyler S., Brzezinski, Makiko K., Graham, Christopher S., Yao, Stephen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US15/156,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20170331316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2823 Wires H01F27/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2871 Pancake coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/306 Fastening or mounting coils or windings on core, casing or other support
• 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 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

This application relates to inductive charging coil configurations. In particular, the wireless charging coil configurations are arranged in a shape and size suitable for utilizing available space within a device housing. In some embodiments, wires making up the charging coil have varying diameters configured to optimize the size and shape of the charging coil so that available space can be fully utilized.

Claims

1. A wireless charging coil, comprising:

an electrically conductive conduit, comprising;

first and second loops spaced apart from each other, the first loop formed from a first wire portion having a first wire diameter and the second loop formed from a second wire portion having a second wire diameter greater than the first wire diameter, the first and second loops being configured to receive power by induction.

2. The wireless charging coil of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second wire portions are wire bundles.

3. The wireless charging coil of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the wireless charging coil is greater in a central portion of the wireless charging coil than in a peripheral portion of the wireless charging coil.

4. The wireless charging coil of claim 1, wherein the first wire portion comprises a first plurality of wires and the second wire portion comprises a second plurality of wires and the first plurality of wires has the same number of wires as the second plurality of wires.

5. The wireless charging coil of claim 1, wherein the second loop includes a greater number of wires than the first loop.

6. The wireless charging coil of claim 1, wherein the first wire diameter is an outer diameter of a bundle of wires.

7. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a device housing comprising a wall defining a concave recess within the device housing; and

a charging coil, comprising an electrically conductive conduit arranged in a plurality of loops, an average outer diameter of a first portion of the electrically conductive conduit arranged in a central portion of the concave recess being greater than an average outer diameter of a second portion of the electrically conductive conduit that is arranged in a peripheral portion of the concave recess.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the average outer diameter of the electrically conductive conduit varies in a way that causes the first portion of the electrically conductive conduit to extend substantially the same distance from the concave recess as the second portion of the conduit.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the electrically conductive conduit comprises a plurality of wires twisted together.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9, wherein a greater number of wires are twisted together in the first portion of the electrically conductive conduit than in the second portion of the electrically conductive conduit.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the wall defining the concave recess is formed from a magnetically permeable material.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the electrically conductive conduit comprises a first segment having an increasing diameter and a second segment having a decreasing diameter.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the electrically conductive conduit comprises a first segment and a second segment, the first segment having a greater number of wires than the second segment.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the charging coil has a substantially circular geometry.

15. A charging coil, comprising:

an electrically conductive conduit, comprising;

a first wire having a first length, and

a second wire having a second length less than the first length, the second wire being coupled with a portion of the first wire disposed in a central portion of the charging coil, wherein the electrically conductive conduit is arranged in a plurality of loops such that an average outer diameter of a first segment of the electrically conductive conduit is different than an average outer diameter of a second segment of the electrically conductive conduit, the first and second wires being configured to receive power by induction.

16. The charging coil of claim 15, wherein the second segment of the electrically conductive conduit is position at a peripheral portion of the charging coil and has a substantially smaller average outer diameter than the central portion of the charging coil.

17. The charging coil of claim 15, wherein the average outer diameter of the first segment is greater than the average outer diameter of the second segment.

18. The charging coil of claim 17, wherein the second segment of the first wire is disposed within the central portion of the charging coil.

19. The charging coil of claim 15, wherein the first and second wires are formed from a copper alloy.