WIRELESSLY RECHARGEABLE BATTERY AND COMPONENTS THEREOF

• US 20140225562A1
• Filed: 09/24/2012
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: PowerbyProxi Limited (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Hao, Ren, Saining, Qin, Aijun
• Granted Patent: US 9,735,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2003/005 Magnetic cores for receiving several windings with perpendicular axes, e.g. for antennae or inductive power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A receiver coil assembly for a wirelessly rechargeable battery including first and second transverse coils and a third coil encompassing the first and second coils. The receiver coil may be employed in a power receiver of a wirelessly rechargeable battery. Also disclosed is a wirelessly rechargeable battery having a power receiver demountable from an electrochemical cell.

Claims

1. A receiver coil assembly for a rechargeable battery including:

a. first and second coils having magnetic axes oriented transverse to one another; and

b. a third coil having a magnetic axis transverse to the magnetic axes of the first and second coils and encompassing the first and second coils.

2. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein third coil is a substantially annular coil.

3. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second coils are arranged in a cross.

4. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 1 including a ferrite core located within all coils.

5. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the ferrite core is in the form of a cross with the first and second coils wound about arms of the cross and the third coil wound about the distal ends of the arms of the cross.

6. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 1 of substantially cylindrical form.

14. A power receiver for a wirelessly rechargeable battery including a receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 1.

15. A rechargeable battery including a power receiver as claimed in claim 14.

7. A receiver coil assembly for a rechargeable battery including first, second and third coils having magnetic axes oriented transverse to one another, wherein one of the coils enables greater power transfer than the other coils.

8. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the coil enabling greater power transfer encompasses the other coils.

9. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the first and second coils are in a cross arrangement.

10. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the power transfer capacity of the third coil is at least 10% more than that of the first and second coils.

11. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the power transfer capacity of the third coil is at least 20% more than that of the first and second coils.

12. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the length of the conductor of the third coil is at least 25% greater than the length of the first and second coil conductors.

13. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the length of the conductor of the third coil is at least 50% greater than the length of the first and second coil conductors.

16. A wirelessly rechargeable battery having a power receiver and an electrochemical cell wherein the power receiver is housed within a first battery sub-casing and the electrochemical cell is housed within a second battery sub-casing wherein the first and second sub-casings are demountable.

17. A wirelessly rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 16 wherein the power receiver is demountable from the electrochemical cell.

18. A wirelessly rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 17 wherein the power receiver is user-demountable from the electrochemical cell.

19. A wirelessly rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 16 wherein the power receiver and the electrochemical cell screw together.

20. A wirelessly rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 16 wherein the power receiver and the electrochemical cell are held together magnetically.

21. A wirelessly rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 16 wherein the power receiver and the electrochemical cell are held together via a push-fit coupling.

22. A wirelessly rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 16 wherein the electrochemical cell is magnetically shielded.

23. A wirelessly rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 22 wherein the electrochemical cell is magnetically shielded by a metal layer.

24. A wirelessly rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 23 wherein the metal layer is of about one skin depth.

25. A wirelessly rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 23 wherein the metal is copper.