Inductive coupling apparatus for charging an electric car

• US 5,929,599 A
• Filed: 03/03/1998
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Kunihiko, Shimada, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Toatley, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/033,794
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 336/60, 336/185, 336/182, 336/196
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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 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 coupling apparatus charges a storage device in an electric car by means of an external power source apparatus. The inductive coupling apparatus includes a coil unit assembly comprising a primary coil unit (10) and a secondary coil unit (20). The primary and secondary coil units (10, 20) comprise primary and secondary coils (12, 22) and primary and secondary cores (11, 21) for supporting the respective coils (12, 22). Spacers (13, 23) are mounted on arms (11A, 21A) of the cores (11, 21) of the units (10, 20) so that the coils (12, 22) are spaced apart from the peripheral surfaces of the arms (11A, 21A), thereby forming gaps (11D, 21D) between the arms (11A, 21A) and the coils (12, 22) to flow a cooling medium such as air therebetween. When the coils (12, 22) radiate a heat upon charging, the cooling media which flow in the gaps (11D, 21D) absorb the heat from the cores (11, 21). This prevents the heat from being accumulated in spaces between the cores (11, 21) and the coils (12, 22) and suppresses the cores (11, 21) from a rise in temperature.

Claims

1. An inductive coupling apparatus for charging an electric car, wherein a storage device in the electric car is charged through said inductive coupling apparatus by means of an external power source apparatus, wherein said inductive coupling apparatus includes a coil unit assembly comprising a primary coil unit having a primary coil connected to said external power source apparatus and a primary core for supporting said primary coil, and a secondary coil unit having a secondary coil connected to said storage device and a secondary core for supporting said secondary coil, and wherein said primary and secondary cores form a magnetic circuit between said primary and secondary coils;

said inductive coupling apparatus being characterized in that a gap for flowing a cooling medium is formed between each of said primary and secondary coils and a coil supporting portion of each of said primary and secondary cores.

2. An inductive coupling apparatus for charging an electric car, according to claim 1, wherein each of said primary and secondary cores is provided on each of said coil supporting portions with a spacer adapted to define said gap.

3. An inductive coupling apparatus for charging an electric car, according to claim 1, wherein each of said primary and secondary coils has reduced diameter portions adapted to be mounted on said coil support portion so as to define a gap for flowing a cooling medium.