Wireless Charging Pad Having Coolant Assembly

• US 20170338023A1
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Ansari, Ajmal Imran, Hurlburt, Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 10,756,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/025 Constructional details relating to cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/085 Cooling by ambient air
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/10 Liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/22 Cooling by heat conduction through solid or powdered fillings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/363 made of electrically conductive material
• 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 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 50/10 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: 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A charging pad for an electric vehicle includes a coolant assembly, a magnetics assembly, and an electronics assembly. The coolant assembly has a top wall and a bottom wall which form a coolant channel for circulating coolant through the coolant assembly. The magnetics assembly is configured to wirelessly receive power from a charging source induction coil arrangement facing the magnetics assembly. The magnetics assembly is adjacent the bottom wall of for heat generated by the magnetics assembly to thermally conduct from the bottom wall into coolant in the coolant channel. The electronics assembly is configured to convert the power wirelessly received by the magnetics assembly into electrical power for charging the electric vehicle. The electronics assembly is arranged adjacent the top wall for heat generated by the electronics assembly to thermally conduct from the top wall into coolant in the coolant channel.

Claims

1. A charging pad comprising:

a coolant assembly having a first wall and a second wall with a coolant channel formed between the first wall and the second wall, the coolant channel for circulating coolant through the coolant assembly; and

a magnetics assembly, the magnetics assembly arranged adjacent the first wall of the coolant assembly for heat generated by the magnetics assembly to thermally conduct from the first wall into coolant in the coolant channel.

2. The charging pad of claim 1 further comprising:

an electronics assembly, the electronics assembly arranged adjacent the second wall of the coolant assembly for heat generated by the electronics assembly to thermally conduct from the second wall into coolant in the coolant channel.

3. The charging pad of claim 2 wherein:

the magnetics assembly is configured to wirelessly receive power from a charging source and the electronics assembly is configured to convert the power wirelessly received by the magnetics assembly into electrical power.

4. The charging pad of claim 2 further comprising:

an electromagnetic shield between at least one of the first wall of the coolant assembly and the magnetics assembly and the second wall of the coolant assembly and the electronics assembly.

5. The charging pad of claim 1 further comprising:

an electromagnetic shield between the first wall of the coolant assembly and the magnetics assembly.

6. The charging pad of claim 1 wherein:

the coolant assembly further includes a coolant inlet for coolant to enter into the coolant channel and a coolant outlet for coolant to exit out of the coolant channel.

7. The charging pad of claim 1 wherein:

the first wall and the second wall are of thermally conductive plastic.

8. The charging pad of claim 1 wherein:

the magnetics assembly is attached to the first wall of the coolant assembly.

9. The charging pad of claim 1 further comprising:

a housing connected to the coolant assembly, the magnetics assembly being arranged adjacent the first wall of the coolant assembly within the housing;

wherein the magnetics assembly is attached to the housing.

10. The charging pad of claim 2 wherein:

the electronics assembly is attached to the second wall of the coolant assembly.

11. The charging pad of claim 10 wherein:

the magnetics assembly is attached to the first wall of the coolant assembly.

12. The charging pad of claim 1 wherein:

the magnetics assembly includes an induction coil arrangement and potting material filing in space between the induction coil arrangement and the first wall of the coolant assembly.

13. The charging pad of claim 2 wherein:

the electronics assembly includes a printed circuit board having electric and electronic components arranged thereon and a thermal interface layer, the thermal interface layer being arranged between the second wall of the coolant assembly and the printed circuit board.

14. A charging pad for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a coolant assembly having a top wall and a bottom wall with a coolant channel formed between the top wall and the bottom wall, the coolant channel for circulating coolant through the coolant assembly;

a magnetics assembly configured to wirelessly receive power from a charging source induction coil arrangement facing the magnetics assembly, the magnetics assembly adjacent the bottom wall of the coolant assembly for heat generated by the magnetics assembly to thermally conduct from the bottom wall into coolant in the coolant channel; and

an electronics assembly configured to convert the power wirelessly received by the magnetics assembly into electrical power for charging the electric vehicle, the electronics assembly arranged adjacent the top wall of the coolant assembly for heat generated by the electronics assembly to thermally conduct from the top wall into coolant in the coolant channel.

15. The charging pad of claim 14 further comprising:

an electromagnetic shield between at least one of the bottom wall of the coolant assembly and the magnetics assembly and the top wall of the coolant assembly and the electronics assembly.

16. The charging pad of claim 14 wherein:

the top wall and the bottom wall are of thermally conductive plastic or metal.

17. The charging pad of claim 14 wherein:

the magnetics assembly is attached to the bottom wall of the coolant assembly.

18. The charging pad of claim 14 further comprising:

a housing connected to the coolant assembly, the magnetics assembly being arranged adjacent the bottom wall of the coolant assembly within the housing;

wherein the magnetics assembly is attached to the housing; and

wherein the electronics assembly is attached to the top wall of the coolant assembly.

19. The charging pad of claim 14 wherein:

the magnetics assembly includes an induction coil arrangement and potting material filing in space between the induction coil arrangement and the bottom wall of the coolant assembly.

20. The charging pad of claim 14 wherein:

the electronics assembly includes a printed circuit board having electric components arranged thereon and a thermal interface layer, the thermal interface layer being arranged between the top wall of the coolant assembly and the printed circuit board.