Structural framework for wireless charging mats

• US 10,714,951 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Graham, Christopher S., Karanikos, Demetrios B., Kasar, Darshan R., Thompson, Paul J., Jol, Eric S., Haug, Grant S., Larsson, Karl Ruben F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US15/699,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20180090956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 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 50/60 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 and first and second walls that define an interior cavity; a transmitter coil arrangement disposed within the interior cavity, an interconnection structure positioned within the interior cavity below the transmitter coil arrangement, the interconnection structure including a plurality of packaged electrical components mounted on the interconnection structure and configured to operate the plurality of transmitter coils during wireless power transfer, where the plurality of packaged electrical components is located below the transmitter coil arrangement; and a frame comprising a plurality of openings positioned corresponding to the plurality of packaged electrical components, each opening providing space within which a respective packaged electrical device is disposed.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing comprising a charging surface; and

an inductor coil arrangement disposed within the housing, the inductor coil arrangement comprising;

a first inductor coil layer in a first plane including a first inductor coil having a first center axis;

a second inductor coil layer in a second plane including a second inductor coil overlapping with a portion of the first inductor coil and having a second center axis;

a third inductor coil layer in a third plane including a third inductor coil overlapping with a portion of the first inductor coil and a portion of the second inductor coil, the third inductor coil having a third center axis, wherein the first center axis, the second center axis, and the third center axis are equally spaced apart from one another; and

a spacing layer between one of the first inductor coil layer and the second inductor coil layer or the second inductor coil layer and the third inductor coil layer, wherein the spacing layer defines a degree of parasitic capacitance between adjacent conductive layers.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first center axis is laterally positioned outside of a first outer diameter of the second inductor coil and the third inductor coil, the second center axis is laterally positioned outside of a second outer diameter of the first inductor coil and the third inductor coil, and the third center axis is laterally positioned outside of a third outer diameter of the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first center axis, the second center axis, and the third center axis are arranged in an equilateral triangle pattern.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the inductor coil arrangement is formed with a total of three inductor coils.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first inductor coil layer further includes a fourth inductor coil and a fifth inductor coil, and the second inductor coil layer further includes a sixth inductor coil and a seventh inductor coil.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the first inductor coil, the fourth inductor coil, and the fifth inductor coil in the first inductor coil layer are coplanar, equally spaced apart from one other, and positioned in a non-overlapping arrangement.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the second inductor coil, the sixth inductor coil, and the seventh inductor coil in the second inductor coil layer are coplanar, equally spaced apart from one other, and positioned in a non-overlapping arrangement.

8. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the third inductor coil overlaps with a portion of all other inductor coils in the inductor coil arrangement.

9. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the third center axis is positioned at a center of an entire inductor coil arrangement.

10. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the inductor coil arrangement is formed with a total of seven inductor coils.

11. A wireless charging device, comprising:

a housing comprising a charging surface; and

an inductor coil arrangement disposed within the housing, the inductor coil arrangement comprising;

a first inductor coil layer in a first plane including a first inductor coil having a first center axis;

a second inductor coil layer in a second plane including a first plurality of inductor coils arranged in a non-overlapping arrangement with one another and in an overlapping arrangement with the first inductor coil, wherein each inductor coil of the first plurality of inductor coils are spaced equally apart from one another;

a third inductor coil layer in a third plane including a second plurality of inductor coils arranged in a non-overlapping arrangement with one another and in an overlapping arrangement with the first inductor coil, wherein each inductor coil of the second plurality of inductor coils are spaced equally apart from one another; and

a spacing layer between one of the first inductor coil layer and the second inductor coil layer or the second inductor coil layer and the third inductor coil layer, wherein the spacing layer defines a degree of parasitic capacitance between adjacent conductive layers.

12. The wireless charging device of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of inductor coils includes three inductor coils, wherein each inductor coil of the first plurality of inductor coils includes a center axis that is equally spaced apart from the center axes all other inductor coils in the second inductor coil layer.

13. The wireless charging device of claim 12, wherein the second plurality of inductor coils includes three inductor coils, wherein each inductor coil of the second plurality of inductor coils includes a center axis that is equally spaced apart from the center axes all other inductor coils in the second inductor coil layer.

14. The wireless charging device of claim 13, wherein the first center axis is equally spaced apart in a lateral dimension from a center axis of all other inductor coils in the second inductor coil layer and the third inductor coil layer of the inductor coil arrangement.

15. The wireless charging device of claim 11, wherein the first inductor coil overlaps with a portion of all other inductor coils in the inductor coil arrangement.

16. A wireless charging system, comprising:

a first 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 second electrical device configured to generate the time-varying magnetic flux to wirelessly charge the first electrical device, the second electrical device comprising;

a housing comprising a charging surface; and

an inductor coil arrangement disposed within the housing, the inductor coil arrangement comprising;

a first inductor coil layer in a first plane including a first inductor coil having a first termination zone at a center of the first inductor coil;

a second inductor coil layer in a second plane including a second inductor coil overlapping with a portion of the first inductor coil and having a second termination zone at a center of the second inductor coil; and

a third inductor coil layer in a third plane including a third inductor coil overlapping with a portion of the first inductor coil and a portion of the second inductor coil, the third inductor coil having a third termination zone at a center of the third inductor coil; and

a spacing layer between one of the first inductor coil layer and the second inductor coil layer or the second inductor coil layer and the third inductor coil layer, wherein the spacing layer defines a degree of parasitic capacitance between adjacent conductive layers.

17. The wireless charging system of claim 16, wherein a first center axis is laterally positioned outside of a first outer diameter of the second inductor coil and the third inductor coil, a second center axis is laterally positioned outside of a second outer diameter of the first inductor coil and the third inductor coil, and a third center axis is laterally positioned outside of a third outer diameter of the first inductor coil and the second inductor coil.

18. The wireless charging system of claim 16, wherein a first center axis, a second center axis, and a third center axis form an equilateral triangle.

19. The wireless charging system of claim 16, wherein the inductor coil arrangement is formed with a total of three inductor coils.

20. The wireless charging system of claim 16, wherein the first inductor coil layer further includes a fourth inductor coil and a fifth inductor coil, and the second inductor coil layer further includes a sixth inductor coil and a seventh inductor coil.