Electrified vehicle wireless charging system and charging method

• US 10,513,198 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2018
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rhodes, Kevin James, Christen, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Diao, M Baye
• Application Number:
  US15/921,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20190283610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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

An exemplary charging system includes, among other things, a charger that conveys energy wirelessly to an electrified vehicle when the charger is disposed against a surface of the electrified vehicle. The energy is used to charge a traction battery of the electrified vehicle. An exemplary charging method includes, among other things, conveying energy wirelessly from a charger to an electrified vehicle to charge a traction battery of the electrified vehicle. The charger is disposed against a surface of the electrified vehicle during the conveying.

Claims

1. A charging system, comprising:

a charger that conveys energy wirelessly to an electrified vehicle when the charger is disposed against a surface of the electrified vehicle, the energy used to charge a traction battery of the electrified vehicle; and

a magnet that secures the charger to the surface of the electrified vehicle to dispose the charger against the surface.

2. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the magnet is an electromagnet.

3. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the magnet is a permanent magnet.

4. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the magnet is magnetic ring.

5. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising a polymer-based coating on the magnet that blocks the magnet from directly contacting the surface when the charger is disposed against the surface.

6. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency emitter of the charger that is activated to emit energy wirelessly from the charger for receipt by the electrified vehicle.

7. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising of a body panel assembly of the electrified vehicle that includes the surface, wherein a receiver disposed behind a body panel of the body panel assembly relative to the charger receives the energy conveyed from the charger.

8. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising the surface of the electrified vehicle, wherein, when the charger is disposed against the surface, no portion of the charger is received within an opening of the electrified vehicle, and no portion of the electrified vehicle is received within an opening of the charger.

9. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising the surface of the electrified vehicle, wherein the charger can convey energy wirelessly to the electrified vehicle when the charger is disposed against the surface in a first position, and the charger can convey energy wirelessly to the electrified vehicle when the charger is disposed against the surface in a second position, the charger in the first position spaced a distance from the charger in the second position.

10. A charging system, comprising:

a charger that conveys energy wirelessly to an electrified vehicle when the charger is disposed against a surface of the electrified vehicle, the energy used to charge a traction battery of the electrified vehicle; and

a body panel assembly of the electrified vehicle that includes the surface, wherein a receiver integrated within the body panel assembly receives the energy conveyed from the charger.

11. The charging system of claim 10, wherein the receiver comprises a radio frequency antenna array.

12. The charging system of claim 11, wherein the radio frequency antenna array is a lithograph patterned on to an insulating layer.