Inductive coupler for transferring electrical power

• US 5,719,546 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 02/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ito, Makoto, Takeuchi, Kazuyoshi, Asahi, Goro
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US08/471,643
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 336/234, 336/212-219, 336/221, 336/70-80, 335/281, 335/297
• US Class Current: 336/180
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2003/106 Magnetic circuits using combinations of different magnetic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2007/1676 Means for avoiding or reducing eddy currents in the magnetic circuit, e.g. radial slots
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An inductive coupler forming a closed magnetic circuit by mating a primary core assembly having a primary winding and a secondary core assembly having a secondary winding for transferring electrical power from the primary winding to the secondary winding by electromagnetic induction. A thin magnetic protective sheet having high permeability is attached to the mating surfaces of at least one of the primary and secondary core assemblies or placed to be held by the core assemblies. The magnetic sheet can protect the mating surfaces of ferrite cores, if such cores are used, from breakage by absorbing and dispersing the shock of impact caused when the mating surfaces are abutted against each other to close the cores. Provision of a slit or slits in the magnetic protective sheet can reduce eddy currents flowing in the magnetic sheet.

Claims

1. An inductive coupler comprising a primary core assembly having a primary winding mounted on a primary magnetic core structure which has an E-shape cross section formed by a central pole surrounded by a concentric cylindrical pole, each primary pole having a primary pole face;

a secondary core assembly having a secondary winding mounted on a secondary magnetic core structure which has an E-shape cross section formed by a central pole surrounded by a concentric cylindrical pole, each secondary pole having a secondary pole face;

said primary and secondary core assemblies being mateable and separable at mating surfaces thereof, pole face to pole face, thereby to form a magnetic circuit for transferring electrical power from said primary winding to said secondary winding by electromagnetic induction; and

a thin layer of magnetic electrically conductive material covering the pole faces of the mating surfaces of at least one of said primary and secondary core assemblies coextensive with the interface between said mating surfaces when said assemblies are mated, said thin layer of magnetic material over the central pole being formed with a slit extending spirally radially outwardly from the center thereof to a periphery, and the thin layer of magnetic material over the cylindrical pole containing radial slits each extending across less than the total width of said cylindrical pole in alternating fashion from its inner and outer peripheries to thereby restrict the production of eddy currents in said thin layer of magnetic material.

2. An inductive coupler according to claim 1, wherein the intervening area between said central pole and said cylindrical pole is covered by a layer of essentially nonmagnetic heat resistant plastomeric material.

3. An inductive coupler according to claim 2, wherein said layer of magnetic material is attached to the respective pole face by an intervening layer of an adhesive material.

4. An inductive coupler according to claim 1, wherein said layer of magnetic material is attached to the respective pole face by an intervening layer of an adhesive material.

5. An inductive coupler according to claim 1, wherein said thin layer of magnetic material is the result of plating on the associated pole face using a mask during the plating operation to form said slits.