Interconnections for multi-layer transmitter coil arrangements in wireless charging mats

• US 10,693,308 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jol, Eric S., Graham, Christopher S., Kasar, Darshan R., Karanikos, Demetrios B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Dung V
• Application Number:
  US15/700,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20180090972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/288 Shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/325 Coil bobbins formers for coils in general H01F5/02
• 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 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0007 Casings standardised racks H05K9/0062

Abstract

Embodiments describe a wireless charging device including: a housing having a charging surface, the housing including first and second walls defining an interior cavity; a transmitter coil arrangement disposed within the interior cavity; a plurality of cowlings for confining the plurality of planar transmitter coils in their respective positions; an interconnection structure positioned within the interior cavity between the transmitter coil arrangement and the second wall, the interconnection structure including a plurality of packaged electrical components mounted onto the interconnection structure; and a plurality of standoffs coupled to the interconnection structure and configured to electrically couple the transmitter coil arrangement to the plurality of packaged electrical components.

Claims

1. A wireless charging device comprising:

a housing having a charging surface, the housing including first and second walls defining an interior cavity;

a transmitter coil arrangement disposed within the interior cavity, the transmitter coil arrangement including a plurality of transmitter coils arranged in at least a top layer, a bottom layer, and a middle layer between the top and bottom layers, and positioned within the interior cavity in an overlapping arrangement such that different coils in the plurality of transmitter coils are on different planes and each of the plurality of transmitter coils has a central axis positioned a lateral distance away from the central axes of all other transmitter coils of the plurality of transmitter coils;

a plurality of cowlings for confining the plurality of transmitter coils in their respective positions;

an interconnection structure positioned within the interior cavity between the transmitter coil arrangement and the second wall, the interconnection structure comprising a plurality of packaged electrical components mounted onto the interconnection structure; and

a plurality of standoffs coupled to the interconnection structure and configured to electrically couple the transmitter coil arrangement to the plurality of packaged electrical components, wherein the plurality of standoffs includes;

a first standoff extending through the middle layer and the bottom layer and coupling the interconnection structure to a transmitter coil in the top layer;

a second standoff extending through the bottom layer and coupling the interconnection structure to a transmitter coil in the middle layer; and

a third standoff coupling the interconnection structure to a transmitter coil in the bottom layer.

2. The wireless charging device of claim 1, wherein the first standoff is taller than the second and third standoffs.

3. The wireless charging device of claim 1, wherein the third standoff is shorter than the first and second standoffs.

4. The wireless charging device of claim 1, wherein the second standoff is taller than the third standoff but shorter than the first standoff.

5. The wireless charging device of claim 1, wherein each standoff of the plurality of standoffs includes a monolithic structure formed of a first contact, a second contact, and a connector coupling the first contact to the second contact.

6. The wireless charging device of claim 1, wherein each standoff is positioned within an inner diameter of its respective transmitter coil to which it is coupled.

7. The wireless charging device of claim 1, wherein each cowling is configured to confine a layer of transmitter coils in their respective positions, and wherein each cowling includes a plurality of openings within which the layer of transmitter coils are positioned.

8. The wireless charging device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of cowlings comprises:

a top cowling including first openings for confining positions of transmitter coils in the top layer;

a bottom cowling including second openings for confining positions of transmitter coils in the bottom layer; and

a middle cowling including third openings for confining positions of transmitter coils in the middle layer.

9. The wireless charging device of claim 1, wherein each cowling of the plurality of cowlings includes portions that are positioned within an inner diameter of each of the plurality of transmitter coils.

10. A wireless charging device comprising:

a housing having a planar charging surface, the housing including first and second shells defining an interior cavity;

a transmitter coil arrangement disposed within the interior cavity, the transmitter coil arrangement including a plurality of transmitter coils arranged in at least a top layer, a bottom layer, and a middle layer between the top and bottom layers, and positioned within the interior cavity in an overlapping arrangement such that different coils in the plurality of transmitter coils are on different planes and each of the plurality of transmitter coils has a central axis positioned a lateral distance away from the central axes of all other transmitter coils of the plurality of transmitter coils;

a plurality of cowlings for confining the plurality of transmitter coils in their respective positions, wherein the plurality of cowlings comprises;

a top cowling including first openings for confining positions of transmitter coils in the top layer;

a bottom cowling including second openings for confining positions of transmitter coils in the bottom layer; and

a middle cowling including third openings for confining positions of transmitter coils in the middle layer;

an interconnection structure positioned within the interior cavity between the transmitter coil arrangement and the second shell, the interconnection structure comprising a plurality of packaged electrical components mounted onto the interconnection structure; and

a plurality of standoffs coupled to the interconnection structure and configured to electrically couple the transmitter coil arrangement to the plurality of packaged electrical components, wherein each standoff of the plurality of standoffs includes a monolithic structure formed of a first contact, a second contact, and a connector coupling the first contact to the second contact, and wherein the plurality of standoffs includes;

a first standoff extending through the middle layer and the bottom layer and coupling the interconnection structure to a transmitter coil in the top layer;

a second standoff shorter than the first standoff and extending through the bottom layer and coupling the interconnection structure to a transmitter coil in the middle layer; and

a third standoff shorter than the first and second standoffs and coupling the interconnection structure to a transmitter coil in the bottom layer.

11. The wireless charging device of claim 10, wherein each standoff is positioned within an inner diameter of its respective transmitter coil to which it is coupled.

12. The wireless charging device of claim 10, wherein a thickness of each cowling is equal to a thickness of each transmitter coil in the plurality of transmitter coils.

13. A wireless charging system, comprising:

an electrical device comprising a receiver coil configured to generate a current to charge a battery when exposed to a time-varying magnetic flux; and

a wireless charging mat configured to generate the time-varying magnetic flux to wirelessly charge the electronic device, the wireless charging mat comprising;

a housing having a planar charging surface, the housing including first and second shells defining an interior cavity;

a transmitter coil arrangement disposed within the interior cavity, the transmitter coil arrangement including a plurality of transmitter coils arranged in at least a top layer, a bottom layer, and a middle layer between the top and bottom layers, and positioned within the interior cavity in an overlapping arrangement such that different coils in the plurality of transmitter coils are on different planes and each of the plurality of transmitter coils has a central axis positioned a lateral distance away from the central axes of all other transmitter coils of the plurality of transmitter coils;

an interconnection structure positioned within the interior cavity between the transmitter coil arrangement and the second shell, the interconnection structure comprising a plurality of packaged electrical components mounted onto the interconnection structure; and

a plurality of standoffs coupled to the interconnection structure and configured to couple the transmitter coil arrangement to the plurality of packaged electrical components, wherein the plurality of standoffs includes;

a first standoff extending through the middle layer and the bottom layer and coupling the interconnection structure to a transmitter coil in the top layer;

a second standoff extending through the bottom layer and coupling the interconnection structure to a transmitter coil in the middle layer; and

a third standoff coupling the interconnection structure to a transmitter coil in the bottom layer.

14. The wireless charging system of claim 13, wherein the first standoff is taller than the second and third standoffs.

15. The wireless charging system of claim 13, wherein the third standoff is shorter than the first and second standoffs.

16. The wireless charging system of claim 13, wherein the second standoff is taller than the third standoff but shorter than the first standoff.

17. The wireless charging system of claim 13, wherein each standoff of the plurality of standoffs includes a monolithic structure formed of a first contact, a second contact, and a connector coupling the first contact to the second contact.

18. The wireless charging system of claim 13, wherein each standoff is positioned within an inner diameter of its respective transmitter coil to which it is coupled.

19. The wireless charging system of claim 13, wherein each cowling is configured to confine a layer of transmitter coils in their respective positions, and wherein each cowling includes a plurality of openings within which the layer of transmitter coils are positioned.

20. The wireless charging system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of cowlings comprises:

a top cowling including first openings for confining positions of transmitter coils in the top layer;

a bottom cowling including second openings for confining positions of transmitter coils in the bottom layer; and

a middle cowling including third openings for confining positions of transmitter coils in the middle layer.