Inductively powered apparatus

• US 7,126,450 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips IP Ventures B.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baarman, David W., Houghton, Christopher, McPhilliamy, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David
• Application Number:
  US10/357,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 315/274, 315/275, 315/276, 315/277, 315/278, 315/281, 315/282, 336/121, 336/122, 336/123, 336/124, 336/125, 336/126
• US Class Current: 336/121
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/3228 Units having reflectors, e.g. coatings, baffles, plates, mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/326 Lamp control systems
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/20 Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/00 Lighting devices intended to be free-standing F21S9/00, F21S10/00, F21S13/12 take precedence lighting devices specially adapted to be transported from place to place, e.g. lighting devices carried on wheeled supports F21L; details of supports for lighting devices F21V21/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2005/027 wound on formers for receiving several coils with perpendicular winding axes, e.g. for antennae or inductive power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2005/043 having multiple pin terminals, e.g. arranged in two parallel lines at both sides of the coil
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2005/046 Details of formers and pin terminals related to mounting on printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/02 wound on non-magnetic supports, e.g. formers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 65/048 the field being produced by using an excitation coil
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• 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 50/12 : of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 : involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 : specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/0094 : Structural association with other electrical or electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/00 : Circuit arrangements or apparatus for operating incandescent light sources structurally associated with the incandescent lamps H01K1/62
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/24 : in which the lamp is fed by high frequency ac, or with separate oscillator frequencyH05B41/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/36 : Controlling
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 : Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection

Abstract

An inductive power supply system for providing power to one or more inductively powered devices. The system includes a mechanism for varying the physical distance or the respective orientation between the primary coil and secondary coil to control the amount of power supplied to the inductively powered device. In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an inductive power supply system having a primary coil and a receptacle disposed within the magnetic field generated by the primary coil. One or more inductively powered devices are placed randomly within the receptacle to receive power inductively from the primary coil. The power supply circuit includes circuitry for adjusting the power supplied to the primary coil to optimize operation based on the position and cumulative characteristics of the inductively powered device(s) disposed within the receptacle.

Claims

1. An inductively powered device comprising:

a power supply circuit having a primary, said power supply circuit applying power to said primary to generate a magnetic field;

a secondary assembly having a secondary circuit with a secondary and a load, said secondary being disposed within said magnetic field, said secondary physically spaced from the primary by a distance, said magnetic field inducing a current in said secondary to apply power to said load at a magnitude; and

a means for varying the distance between said primary and said secondary in order to control said magnitude of said power applied to said load.

2. The inductively powered device of claim 1 wherein said means for varying said distance between said primary and said secondary includes a secondary assembly support having a plurality of mounting locations each being a different distance from said primary, said secondary assembly being selectively mountable at a different one of said mounting locations.

3. The inductively powered device of claim 1 wherein said means for varying said distance between said primary and said secondary includes a flexible support disposed adjacent to said primary, said secondary assembly being mounted to said flexible support, said flexible support being bendable to vary said distance between said primary and said secondary.

4. The inductively powered device of claim 1 wherein said means for varying said distance between said primary and said secondary includes a support disposed adjacent to said primary and a counterbalance, said secondary assembly being mounted to said support, said support being movable to vary said distance between said primary and said secondary, said counterbalance offsetting the weight of said secondary assembly to retain said secondary assembly in a given position.

5. The inductively powered device of claim 1 wherein said primary is contained within a primary housing, said means for varying said distance between said primary and said secondary includes means for moving said primary within said primary housing.

6. The inductively powered device of claim 1 wherein said means for varying said distance between said primary and said secondary includes means for moving said secondary within said secondary assembly.

7. The inductively powered device of claim 1 wherein said inductively powered device includes a shaft supporting said primary, said means for varying said distance between said primary and said secondary includes means for moving said primary with respect to said shaft.

8. The inductively powered device of claim 1 wherein said means for varying said distance between said primary and said secondary includes a rack and a worm gear, said primary mounted to said rack, said worm gear being operable to cause linear movement of said rack.

9. The inductively powered device of claim 1 wherein said means for varying said respective position between said primary and said secondary includes means for varying an angular orientation between said primary and said secondary.

10. The inductively powered device of claim 9 wherein said primary and said secondary are disposed one within the other;

and

wherein at least one of said primary and said secondary is pivotally mounted to the device.

11. The inductively powered device of claim 9 further comprising:

a shaft supporting said primary;

an arm supporting said secondary, said arm being mounted for pivot movement with respect to said shaft.

12. The inductively powered device of claim 1 wherein said power supply circuit includes a means for monitoring a characteristic of said power indicative of said load and a means for varying a characteristic of said power based on said monitored characteristic, whereby said power supply circuit varies said power to optimize operation as a function of said one or more inductively powered devices.

13. The inductively powered device of claim 12 wherein said load is further defined as a light source.

14. The inductively powered device of claim 13 wherein said secondary circuit further includes a capacitor electrically connected in series between said secondary and said light source.

15. An inductively powered device comprising:

a power supply circuit having a primary generating a magnetic field;

a secondary, the secondary not physically in contact with the primary, the primary separated from the secondary by a distance, disposed with said magnetic field, whereby power is induced by said magnetic field in said secondary;

a load electrically connected to said secondary, said load receiving said power from said secondary; and

means for varying the distance between said primary and said secondary to vary said power applied to said load.

16. The inductively powered device of claim 15 wherein said means for varying said respective position between said primary and said secondary includes means for varying an angular orientation between said primary and said secondary.