Battery charging device

• US 20010002786A1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Published: 06/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Najima, Kazuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,310,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery charging device includes a power supply coupler and a power receiver coupler. The power supply coupler includes a primary coil, a communication unit to communicate the power receiver coupler, a thermistor for detecting the temperature of the power supply coupler, and a communication interruption circuit for interrupting a communication signal when the predetermined value is detected by the thermistor. When the temperature of the power supply coupler exceeds the predetermined value, a signal is produced by the communication interruption circuit to prevent an excessive temperature rise in the power supply coupler. The signal may, for example, stop the supply of electric power to the power supply couple.

Claims

1. A battery charging device comprising:

a power supply coupler having the following components;

a first core, a primary coil located around the first core, and a case enclosing the first core and the primary coil;

a power receiver coupler including a second core for forming a magnetic path with said first core, a secondary coil located around the second core, and a case enclosing the second core and the secondary coil;

a power supply device connected to the primary coil;

a battery connected to the secondary coil, wherein the battery is charged by an inductive current generated in the secondary coil when electric power is supplied to the primary core by the power supply device; and

a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the power supply coupler and for generating an electric signal for use in preventing the temperature of the components from exceeding a predetermined level.

2. A battery charging deice according to

claim 1

, wherein the power supply device includes a control unit for controlling the level of the electric power supplied to the primary coil, wherein the power supply coupler includes a communication unit for transmitting a signal, which carries information that the control unit uses to control the electric power, to the control unit, and a communication interruption circuit to interrupt the signal when the temperature detector indicates that the power supply coupler has reached the predetermined level.

3. A battery charging device according to

claim 2

, wherein the communication interruption circuit includes a temperature switch, which is turned off when the temperature of the power supply coupler exceeds the predetermined level.

4. A battery charging device according to

claim 2

, wherein the communication interruption circuit outputs a first signal to the control unit when the temperature of the power supply coupler is below the predetermined level and a second signal, which is different from the first signal, when the temperature of the power supply coupler exceeds the predetermined level.

5. A battery charging device according to

claim 1

, wherein the temperature detector is connected to the control unit, and wherein the power supply device includes a control unit for controlling the electric power supplied to the primary coil in response to the first and second signals generated by the temperature detector.

6. A battery charging device comprising:

a power supply coupler having the following components;

a first core, a primary coil located around the first core, and a case the first core and the primary coil;

a power receiver coupler including a second core for forming a magnetic path with the first core, a secondary coil located around the first core, and a case enclosing the second core and the secondary coil;

a power supply device for supplying an electric power to the primary coil;

a battery connected to the secondary coil, wherein the battery is charged by an inductive current generated in the secondary coil when electric power is supplied to the secondary coil from the power supply device;

a first communicating unit in the power receiver coupler for transmitting a first electric signal, which carries information related to the condition of the battery, to the power supply coupler;

a second communication unit in the power supply coupler, wherein the second communication unit responds to the first electric signal by transmitting the first electric signal as a second electric signal to the power supply device;

a temperature detector located in the power supply coupler for generating a third electric signal, wherein the third electric signal indicates whether a temperature in the power supply coupler has reached a predetermined value;

a communication interruption circuit connected to the temperature detector to receive the third electric signal, wherein the third electric signal interrupts the second electric signal when the temperature exceeds the predetermined value; and

a control unit in the power supply unit for controlling the electric power supplied to the primary coil in response to the second electric signal.

7. A battery charging device according to

claim 6

, wherein the communication interruption circuit includes a temperature switch, which is turned off when the temperature of the power supply coupler exceeds the predetermined temperature value.

8. A battery charging device according to

claim 6

, wherein the first communication unit, the second communication unit and the control unit communicate with each other with a digital signal, and wherein the communication interruption circuit continues to transmit the second electric signal to the control unit if the second electric signal is supplied to the control unit by the second communication unit when the temperature of the power supply coupler is below the predetermined value, and the communication interruption circuit continuously outputs a Low level signal to the control unit if the second electric signal is not supplied to the control unit from the second communication unit, and when the third electric signal indicates that temperature exceeds the predetermined value, the second communication unit continues to output a Hi level signal to the control unit, and the control unit interrupts the supply of electric power to the primary coil in response to the Hi level signal.

9. A battery charging device according to

claim 6

, wherein the first communication unit, the second communication unit and the control unit communicates with each other via a digital signal, and wherein the communication interruption circuit continues to output the second signal to the control unit when the second control signal is transmitted to the control unit from the second communication unit, and the communication interruption circuit continuously outputs the Hi level signal to the control unit when the second electric signal is not transmitted to the control unit from the second communication unit, and when the third electric signal indicates that the temperature exceeds the predetermined value, the second communication unit continues to the Hi level signal and the control unit interrupts the supply of electric power to the primary coil.

10. A power supply coupler for the battery charging device having a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the inside of the power supply coupler and for generating an electric signal when the temperature of the inside of the power supply coupler exceeds a predetermined level.

11. A power supply coupler for a battery charging device, the power supply coupler being connected to a power supply device, which has a control unit for controlling a supply of electric power to the power supply coupler, wherein the battery charging device has a power receiver coupler that includes a first core and a secondary coil located around the first core, the power supply coupler comprising:

a second core that forms a magnetic path with the first core when the power supply coupler is inserted into the power receiver coupler;

a primary core located around the second core and connected to the power supply device to receive the electric power;

a temperature detector for detecting a temperature of said power supply coupler and for producing an output signal when the temperature exceeds a predetermined value, which causes the control unit to stop the supply of electric power for preventing an excessive temperature rise beyond the predetermined value in the power supply coupler; and

a case enclosing the second core, the primary core and the temperature detection means.

12. A power supply coupler according to

claim 11

, wherein the power supply coupler further comprises a communication unit for transmitting an electric signal, which caries information used by the control unit, to the control unit, and a communication interruption circuit for interrupting the electric signal when the predetermined temperature value is detected by the temperature detector.