Array for the contact-less transmission of electrical signals or energy

• US 20030094855A1
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schleifring Und Apparatebau Gmbh (Wegmann Unternehmens-Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Schleifring Und Apparatebau Gmbh (Wegmann Unternehmens-Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Schilling, Harry, Lohr, Georg, Weithmann, Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/109
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/06 using capacity coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/146 in combination with capacitive coupling
• 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 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils

Abstract

What is described here is an array for the contact-less transmission of electrical signals or energy, respectively, from at least one transmitter to several receivers.

The invention is characterised by the provisions that each transmitter comprises an AC voltage or current source, respectively, as well as a plurality of inductive coupling elements supplied from said source, which elements are supplemented by at least one capacitor to form elements capable of resonating, and that furthermore one control element is that controls said AC voltage or current source, respectively, in such a way that the latter operates on a resonant frequency of said elements capable of resonating

Claims

1. Array for the contact-less transmission of electrical signals or energy, respectively, from at least one transmitter to several receivers,

characterised in that each transmitter comprises an AC voltage or current source, respectively, as well as a plurality of inductive coupling elements supplied from said source, which elements are supplemented by at least one capacitor to form elements capable of resonating, and that furthermore one control element is that controls said AC voltage or current source, respectively, in such a way that the latter operates on a resonant frequency of said elements capable of resonating.

2. Array according to claim 1,

characterised in that said inductive coupling elements are so designed that their parasitic capacitance contributes at least a substantial fraction to the resonance capacity.

3. Array according to claim 1 or 2,

characterised in that said inductive coupling elements are supplemented to form series resonance circuits, and that said control element is so designed that said AC voltage or current source, respectively, is operated at a parallel resonance frequency.

4. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 3,

characterised in that said inductive coupling elements are supplemented to form parallel resonance circuits, and that said control element is so designed that said AC voltage or current source, respectively, is operated at a series resonance frequency.

5. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 4,

characterised in that additional capacitive elements are provided for the transmission of additional signals.

6. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 5,

characterised in that additional signals are transmitted via a further magnetic path such as the magnetic outside surface or further branches in the case of multi-branch cores, which path is not used for the transmission of energy.

7. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 6,

characterised in that at least one additional modulator unit or demodulator unit is provided for the transmission of additional signals within a frequency band different from the resonant frequency.

8. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 7,

characterised in that said additional capacitive elements are provided for the transmission of said additional signals in the range of the magnetic field of said inductive coupling element.

9. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 8,

characterised in that said additional capacitive coupling elements are integrated into a pc board that constitutes, at the same time, a mechanical cover for said inductive coupling elements.

10. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 9,

characterised in that said control element is so designed that it cooperates with said AC voltage or current source, respectively, and said resonance circuits to form a self-oscillating power oscillator.

11. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 11,

characterised in that said control element defines an invariable frequency for said AC voltage or current source, respectively.

12. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 11,

characterised in that a rectifier circuit with a joining linear controller is associated with at least one receiver.

13. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 12,

characterised in that a synchronous detector is connected downstream of at least one receiver.

14. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 13,

characterised in that a synchronous detector is associated with at least one receiver, which controls the power flow by controlling the phase.

15. Array according to any of the claims 1 to 14,

characterised in that a switching controller with a series rectifier is associated with at least one receiver.