Contactless energy transfer apparatus
First Claim
1. A contactless electrical energy transfer apparatus comprising:
- (a) a portable receiving unit including;
(i) a receiver coil; and
(ii) a housing in which the receiver coil is disposed, said housing supporting the receiver coil and extending outwardly from a main body of said portable receiving unit, such that said housing and receiver coil are substantially separated from said main body; and
(b) a flux generator including;
(i) a base adapted to be disposed proximate to the receiving unit, said base comprising a cradle section and a charging section, said charging section being adapted to receive said housing in which the receiver coil is disposed;
(ii) a magnetic field generator comprising at least one permanent magnet disposed within the base; and
(iii) a prime mover drivingly coupled to an element of the magnetic field generator, causing said element of the magnetic field generator to move relative to the receiver coil, movement of said element of the magnetic field generator producing a varying magnetic field that is coupled to the receiver coil, inducing an electrical current to flow in the receiver coil.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flux generator base unit electromagnetically couples with a portable device to transfer energy into the portable device. The base unit includes one or more permanent magnets or flux shunts that are moved (e.g., by a motor) to produce a magnetic flux coupled to a receiver coil of the portable device. The receiver coil is disposed in an elongate housing and is electrically connected with the portable device. The disposition of the elongate housing ensures that magnetic flux directed to the receiver coil generally does not affect electronic components within the portable device. Either the permanent magnet(s) or flux shunt(s) are moved within the base unit to produce the varying magnetic flux that is coupled to the receiver coil. Preferably, the receiver coil is combined with any antenna employed by the portable device.
123 Citations
81 Claims
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1. A contactless electrical energy transfer apparatus comprising:
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(a) a portable receiving unit including;
(i) a receiver coil; and
(ii) a housing in which the receiver coil is disposed, said housing supporting the receiver coil and extending outwardly from a main body of said portable receiving unit, such that said housing and receiver coil are substantially separated from said main body; and
(b) a flux generator including;
(i) a base adapted to be disposed proximate to the receiving unit, said base comprising a cradle section and a charging section, said charging section being adapted to receive said housing in which the receiver coil is disposed;
(ii) a magnetic field generator comprising at least one permanent magnet disposed within the base; and
(iii) a prime mover drivingly coupled to an element of the magnetic field generator, causing said element of the magnetic field generator to move relative to the receiver coil, movement of said element of the magnetic field generator producing a varying magnetic field that is coupled to the receiver coil, inducing an electrical current to flow in the receiver coil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A contactless electrical energy transfer apparatus adapted to couple magnetic energy into a portable device having a main body and a magnetic energy receiving portion, comprising:
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(a) a base adapted to be disposed proximate to the magnetic energy receiving portion, said base comprising a cradle section and a charging section, said cradle section being adapted to support said main body, and said charging section being adapted to receive said magnetic energy receiving portion of the portable device;
(b) a prime mover; and
(c) a magnetic field generator that is disposed within the base, said magnetic field generator comprising a permanent magnet and including an element that is moved by the prime mover, causing a varying magnetic field to be produced for coupling with the magnetic energy receiving portion of the portable device, the varying magnetic field being substantially excluded from the main body portion of the portable device. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. Contactless electrical energy transfer apparatus comprising:
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(a) a portable device that includes;
(i) a receiver coil disposed in a receiver housing; and
(ii) a main housing in which electronic components of the portable device are disposed, said receiver housing extending outwardly from said main housing such that said receiver housing and receiver coil are substantially distinct from said main housing; and
(b) a flux generator including;
(i) a base adapted to be disposed proximate to the portable device, said base comprising a cradle section and a charging section, said cradle section receiving said main housing and said charging section receiving said receiver housing when the portable device is receiving energy;
(ii) a magnetic field generator disposed within the base for the flux generator and comprising at least one permanent magnet and a flux shunt, said at least one permanent magnet being fixed relative to the receiver coil; and
(iii) a prime mover that is drivingly coupled to said flux shunt, said flux shunt being moved by the prime mover, to intermittently pass adjacent to pole faces of said at least one permanent magnet so as to provide a magnetic flux shunt path between the pole faces, thereby varying a magnetic field experienced by the receiver coil, inducing an electrical current to flow in the receiver coil, said varying magnetic field being generally directed away from said main housing.
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47. A contactless electrical energy transfer apparatus that supplies electrical energy to a portable device, where the portable device includes a receiver coil attached to a main housing, comprising:
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(a) a charging base that is adapted to be disposed proximate to the portable device, said charging base having a charging section and being adapted to support the portable device with said charging section positioned proximate to the receiver coil of the portable device;
(b) a magnetic field generator disposed within the charging base, said magnetic field generator including a permanent magnet having opposite pole faces, and a flux shunt that is movably supported within the charging base;
(c) a prime mover that is drivingly coupled to the flux shunt, causing the flux shunt to move and intermittently pass adjacent to the opposite pole faces of said permanent magnet so as to provide a magnetic flux shunt path between the pole faces, thereby producing a varying magnetic field that is coupled with the receiver coil of the portable device, the varying magnetic field inducing an electrical current to flow in the receiving coil for use in energizing the portable device, said charging base being configured to direct the varying magnetic field toward the receiver coil of the portable device, and away from the main housing of the portable device.
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50. A contactless battery charging and energy transfer apparatus, comprising:
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(a) a flux generating base unit that includes;
(i) an electric motor having a drive shaft;
(ii) magnetic structure, operatively coupled to the drive shaft of the electric motor and drivingly rotated thereby, said magnetic structure a plurality of permanent magnets, each permanent magnet having a north pole face and a south pole face oriented generally parallel to a rotational plane of the magnetic structure; and
(iii) a housing in which the electric motor and magnetic structure are disposed, a surface of the housing defining a contactless mounting interface;
(b) a receiving unit that includes;
(i) an electrical energy-consuming load;
(ii) a main housing in which said electrical energy-consuming load is disposed; and
(iii) a receiver coil having a core formed of a magnetically permeable material and an electrically conductive winding wound around the core, said receiver coil being adapted to be placed proximate the contactless mounting interface, said receiver coil extending outwardly and away from said main housing, such that a varying magnetic field produced by the flux generating base unit and directed toward said receiver coil is generally not experienced by the main housing of the receiving unit, thereby preventing said electrical energy-consuming load from being affected by the varying magnetic field; and
(c) a conditioning circuit electrically connected to the winding of the receiver coil, wherein a rotation of the magnetic structure by the electric motor causes the receiver coil to experience a varying magnetic field, inducing an electrical current to flow in said winding, said electrical current being conditioned by the conditioning circuit for use in supplying electrical energy to the load. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method for charging a battery by inductively coupling a varying magnetic field produced in a first portion of a base component to a receiver coil disposed in a first portion of a receiver component, without interfering with electronic components disposed in a second portion of the receiver component, comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning the first portion of the receiver component proximate the first portion of the base component;
(b) positioning the second portion of the receiver component proximate a second portion of the base component;
such that the second portion of the base component substantially supports the second portion of the receiver component, and such that the first portion of the receiver component and the second portion of the receiver component do not substantially overlap;
(c) generating a magnetic field with a permanent magnet disposed in the first portion of the base component;
(d) coupling a driving force to an element in the base component so that the element is movable;
(e) moving the element with the driving force to produce a varying magnetic field, the varying magnetic field being inductively coupled to the receiver coil disposed within the first portion of the receiver component and inducing a corresponding electrical current in the receiver coil;
(f) conditioning the electrical current to produce a conditioned current at a voltage suitable for charging a battery; and
(g) charging the battery with the conditioned current. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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Specification