POWER RECEIVING DEVICE AND POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE

• US 20150357828A1
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: ICHIKAWA, Shinji, YAMADA, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,755,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• 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 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/406 Temperature sensor or protection
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A power receiving device includes: a power receiving unit that receives electric power from an externally provided power transmitting unit contactlessly; and a casing having the power receiving unit accommodated therein, the casing including: a lid member located on the power transmitting unit'"'"'s side and allowing a magnetic field to pass therethrough, and a plurality of temperature sensors provided at the lid member and sensing in temperature a foreign matter present between the power transmitting unit and the power receiving unit, the temperature sensors being spaced closer together at the location of a strong portion of an electromagnetic field strength generated from the power receiving unit than the location of a weak portion of the electromagnetic field strength generated from the power receiving unit.

Claims

1. A power receiving device comprising:

a power receiving unit that receives electric power from an external power transmitting unit contactlessly; and

a casing having said power receiving unit accommodated therein, said casing including

a lid member located on said power transmitting unit'"'"'s side and allowing a magnetic field to pass therethrough, and

a plurality of temperature sensors provided at said lid member and sensing in temperature a foreign matter present between said power transmitting unit and said power receiving unit, said temperature sensors being spaced closer together at a location of a strong portion of an electromagnetic field strength generated from said power receiving unit than a location of a weak portion of said electromagnetic field strength generated from said power receiving unit.

2. The power receiving device according to claim 1, wherein:

said power receiving unit includes a solenoid type coil unit;

said coil unit has a tabular core, and a coil wound on a peripheral surface of said core about a winding axis; and

said electromagnetic field strength has said strong portion in a direction transverse to said winding axis at a region having said core exposed in a vicinity of an end of said coil transverse to said winding axis.

3. The power receiving device according to claim 1, wherein:

said power receiving unit includes an annular coil unit;

said coil unit has a cylindrical core, and an annular coil wound on a peripheral surface of said core; and

said coil unit presents an electromagnetic field strength such that said electromagnetic field strength generated from said power receiving unit has said strong portion at a center region of said coil.

4. The power receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said temperature sensors are PTC thermistors, respectively.

5. The power receiving device according to claim 4, wherein said PTC thermistors are connected in series.

6. The power receiving device according to claim 5, wherein:

said PTC thermistors have two or more sensor groups each of a plurality of said PTC thermistors connected in series; and

the power receiving device has a sensor circuit that outputs a sense signal when said PTC thermistor included in any one of said sensor groups senses a temperature equal to or higher than a prescribed temperature.

7. The power receiving device according to claim 1, wherein:

said power receiving unit is mounted in a vehicle; and

said power receiving unit is provided with a drive mechanism capable of moving said power receiving unit toward said power transmitting unit to be adjacent thereto and moving said power receiving unit away from said power transmitting unit.

8. The power receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said power transmitting unit and said power receiving unit have natural frequencies, respectively, with a difference smaller than or equal to 10% of said natural frequency of said power receiving unit.

9. The power receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said power receiving unit and said power transmitting unit have a coupling coefficient equal to or smaller than 0.3.

10. The power receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said power receiving unit receives electric power from said power transmitting unit through at least one of a magnetic field formed between said power receiving unit and said power transmitting unit and oscillating at a specific frequency and an electric field formed between said power receiving unit and said power transmitting unit and oscillating at a specific frequency.

11. A power transmitting device comprising:

a power transmitting unit that contactlessly transmits electric power to a power receiving unit mounted in a vehicle; and

a casing having said power transmitting unit accommodated therein, said casing including

a lid member located on said power receiving unit'"'"'s side and allowing an electromagnetic field to pass therethrough, and

a plurality of temperature sensors provided at said lid member and sensing in temperature a foreign matter present between said power transmitting unit and said power receiving unit, said temperature sensors being spaced closer together at a location of a strong portion of an electromagnetic field strength generated from said power transmitting unit than a location of a weak portion of said electromagnetic field strength generated from said power transmitting unit.

12. The power transmitting device according to claim 11, wherein:

said power transmitting unit includes a solenoid type coil unit;

said coil unit has a tabular core, and a coil wound on a peripheral surface of said core about a winding axis; and

said electromagnetic field strength has said strong portion in a direction transverse to said winding axis at a region having said core exposed in a vicinity of an end of said coil transverse to said winding axis.

13. The power transmitting device according to claim 11, wherein:

said power transmitting unit includes an annular coil unit;

said coil unit has a cylindrical core, and an annular coil wound on a peripheral surface of said core; and

said coil unit presents an electromagnetic field strength such that said electromagnetic field strength generated from said power transmitting unit has said strong portion at a center region of said coil.

14. The power transmitting device according to claim 11, wherein said temperature sensors are PTC thermistors, respectively.

15. The power transmitting device according to claim 14, wherein said PTC thermistors are connected in series.

16. The power transmitting device according to claim 15, wherein:

said PTC thermistors have two or more sensor groups each of a plurality of said PTC thermistors connected in series; and

the power transmitting device has a sensor circuit that outputs a sense signal when said PTC thermistor included in any one of said sensor groups senses a temperature equal to or higher than a prescribed temperature.

17. The power transmitting device according to claim 11, wherein said power transmitting unit and said power receiving unit have natural frequencies, respectively, with a difference smaller than or equal to 10% of said natural frequency of said power receiving unit.

18. The power transmitting device according to claim 11, wherein said power receiving unit and said power transmitting unit have a coupling coefficient equal to or smaller than 0.3.

19. The power transmitting device according to claim 11, wherein said power transmitting unit receives electric power from said power transmitting unit through at least one of a magnetic field formed between said power receiving unit and said power transmitting unit and oscillating at a specific frequency and an electric field formed between said power receiving unit and said power transmitting unit and oscillating at a specific frequency.