Charging paddle

• US 6,175,212 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Oguri, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/420,926
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/108, 336/DIG.2
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2876 Cooling cooling transformers and inductances in general H01F27/08
• 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 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 336/02 Separable

Abstract

A relatively thin charging paddle that is cooled during charging. When charging a battery, the charging paddle is plugged into a receptacle. At this time the paddle is insulated from the receptacle. Electricity is supplied to a thin annular primary coil of the charging paddle via a conductor wire, which induces electromotive force in a secondary coil in the receptacle. A coolant chamber is formed in the paddle to cool the primary coil. The shape of the coolant chamber corresponds to that of the primary coil. A location at which cooling water is supplied to and drained from the coolant chamber is spaced from another location at which the wire is connected to the primary coil.

Claims

1. A charging paddle of a charger coupling, the charging paddle having a generally planar shape, wherein the charging paddle is plugged into and is insulated from a receptacle when charging a battery connected to the receptacle, wherein the charging paddle comprises:

a primary coil for inducing electromotive force in the receptacle;

a wire for supplying electricity to the primary coil;

a first location at which the wire is connected to the primary coil;

a coolant chamber shaped to correspond to the shape of the primary coil, wherein coolant flows through the coolant chamber to cool the primary coil;

an inlet conduit for supplying coolant to the coolant chamber;

an outlet conduit for draining coolant from the coolant chamber; and

a second location at which the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are connected to the coolant chamber, wherein the second location is spaced apart from the first location.

2. The charging paddle according to claim 1, wherein the wire is spaced from the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit.

3. The charging paddle according to claim 1, further including a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the primary coil and the coolant chamber are located in the front portion, an opening is formed in the rear portion to function as a handle, and wherein the wire is located at one side of the opening and the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are located at an opposite side of the opening.

4. The charging paddle according to claim 1, wherein the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are parallel to each other and are spaced from one another in a lateral direction of the paddle.

5. The charging paddle according to claim 1, wherein the coolant chamber is divided into two sub-chambers by the primary coil, which is generally planer.

6. The charging paddle according to claim 5, wherein the sub-chambers have the same dimension as measured in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paddle.

7. The charging paddle according to claim 5, wherein the inlet conduit is connected to one of the sub-chambers at the second location, and the outlet conduit is connected to the other sub-chamber at the second location, and wherein the sub-chambers are connected by a connecting passage.

8. The charging paddle according to claim 1, wherein the primary coil includes copper foils that are laminated with insulating substrates.

9. The charging paddle according to claim 8, wherein each side of the primary coil is covered by an insulating coating.

10. The charging paddle according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is water.

11. The charging paddle according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is insulating oil.

12. A charging paddle of a charger coupling, wherein the charging paddle has a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the charging paddle is plugged into and is insulated from a receptacle when charging a battery connected to the receptacle, and wherein the charging paddle comprises:

a thin annular primary coil for inducing electromotive force in the receptacle, wherein the primary coil is located at the front portion of the paddle;

a wire for supplying electricity to the primary coil;

a first location at which the wire is connected to the primary coil;

a coolant chamber through which coolant flows to cool the primary coil, wherein the coolant chamber is located at the front portion of the paddle and is shaped to correspond to the shape of the primary coil;

an inlet conduit for supplying coolant to the coolant chamber;

an outlet conduit for draining coolant from the coolant chamber;

a second location at which the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are connected to the coolant chamber, wherein the second location is spaced apart from the first location; and

a handle formed by forming an opening at the rear portion of the paddle, wherein the wire is located at one side of the opening and the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are located at an opposite side of the opening, and wherein the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are spaced from one another in a lateral direction of the paddle.

13. The charging paddle according to claim 12, wherein the coolant chamber is divided into two sub-chambers by the primary coil, which is generally planer.

14. The charging paddle according to claim 13, wherein the sub-chambers have the same dimension as measured in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paddle.

15. The charging paddle according to claim 12, wherein the primary coil includes copper foils that are laminated with insulating substrates.

16. The charging paddle according to claim 15, wherein each side of the primary coil is covered by an insulating coating.

17. The charging paddle according to claim 12, wherein the coolant is water.

18. The charging paddle according to claim 12, wherein the coolant is insulating oil.

19. A charging paddle of a charger coupling, wherein the charging paddle is generally planar and has a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the charging paddle is plugged into and is insulated from a receptacle when charging a battery connected to the receptacle, and wherein the charging paddle comprises:

a thin annular primary coil for inducing electromotive force in the receptacle, wherein the primary coil is located at the front portion of the paddle;

a wire for supplying electricity to the primary coil;

a first location at which the wire is connected to the primary coil;

a coolant chamber through which coolant flows to cool the primary coil, wherein the coolant chamber is located at the front portion of the paddle and is shaped to correspond to the shape of the primary coil, wherein the coolant chamber is divided into two sub-chambers by the primary coil, which lies in the plane of the paddle;

an inlet conduit for supplying coolant to the coolant chamber;

an outlet conduit for draining coolant from the coolant chamber, wherein the outlet conduit is aligned with the inlet conduit in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paddle;

a second location at which the inlet conduit is connected to one of the sub-chambers and the outlet conduit is connected to the other sub-chamber, wherein the second location is spaced from the first loation;

a connecting passage to connect the sub-chambers to each other; and

a handle formed by forming an opening at the rear portion of the paddle, wherein the wire is located at one side of the opening and the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are located at an opposite side of the opening.

20. The charging paddle according to claim 19, wherein the sub-chambers have the same dimension as measured in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paddle.