Non-contact type power feeder system for mobile object

• US 8,319,474 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mitake, Masaya, Morita, Katsuaki, Yamaguchi, Masahiro, Yamashita, Hiroshi, Yamada, Masaomi, Katahira, Kousuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US12/674,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• 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

Abstract

Provided is a noncontact type power feeder system for feeding an electric power to a mobile object, which enables a quick charge and transmission of a high electric power and in which a power feeder and a power receiver can be readily manufactured at low cost, comprising a power feeder arranged along a running road surface for the mobile object 1, and a power receiver mounted to the mobile object, the power feeder and the power receiver being opposed face-to-face to each other for feeding an electric power, wherein the power feeder is secured on the running road surface for the mobile object and characterized in that magnets are mounted to the upper surface of the power feeder which is accommodated in a recess formed in the running road surface and which is supported by resilient springs.

Claims

1. A noncontact type power feeder system for a mobile object comprising a power feeder arranged along a running road surface for the mobile object, and a power receiver mounted to the mobile object for feeding an electric power between the power feeder and the power receiver which are opposed face-to-face each other, characterized in that:

the power feeder is secured on the running road surface for the mobile object, the power feeder is secured at a position where the power receiver is opposed face-to-face to the power feeder with a predetermined gap therebetween when the mobile object is stopped at a position where the power feeder is set up,

each of the power feeder and the power receiver is composed of a planar core having long sides extended in a travel direction of the mobile object,

the power feeder is fed with an electric power through a power feed line laid underground,

either one of the power feeder and the power receiver is movable toward and away from each other, and

magnets are mounted to the upper surface of the power feeder which is accommodated in a recess formed in the running road surface and which is supported by resilient springs so that the power feeder is located below the running road surface by its dead weight when the mobile object does not approach the power feeder, but the power feeder is projected above the running road surface by an attraction force effected between the magnet and the mobile object when the mobile object approaches the power feeder.

2. A noncontact type power feeder system for a mobile object as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the mobile object incorporates a position detecting sensor for the mobile object, and a control unit receiving positional data detected by the position detecting sensor for stopping the mobile object at a position where the power feeder and the power receiver are opposed face-to-face to each other.

3. A noncontact type power feeder system for a mobile object as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that wheel stoppers for stopping a vehicle wheel when the mobile object comes to a position where the power feeder and the power receiver are opposed face-to-face to each other are buried in the running road surface, and are adapted to be projected from the running road surface when the mobile object comes to the position where the power feeder and the power receiver are opposed face-to-face to each other.

4. A noncontact type power feeder system as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that each of the power feeder and the power receiver is composed of oval-like windings and a magnetic planar plate formed in its outer surface with a recess for accommodating the windings with the oval direction of the windings being extended along the travel direction of the mobile object,

the planar core is composed of a plurality of planar blocks which are arranged in the travel direction or a direction orthogonal to the travel direction, or superposed with one another up and down in a condition in which the long sides of the planer blocks are extended in the travel direction;

and

the recess of the planar core is formed by the provision of thick wall parts in which the planar blocks are superposed with one another, on the outer surface of the planar core on the inside and the outside of the oval part of the windings.

5. A noncontact type power feeder system as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the recess of the planar core, corresponding to the oval part of the windings is configured in such a way that a plurality of planar blocks having rectangular surfaces are arranged in the travel direction or a direction orthogonal to the travel direction in a condition in which the rectangular long sides of the planar cores are extended in the travel direction, and the thick wall parts located on the inside and the outside of the oval part are formed by superposing the planar blocks with one another up and down.

6. A noncontact type power feeder system as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the planar core is provided with U-like sectional shape parts for supporting opposite ends of the windings in the oval direction so as to allow the planer core to support the windings over its entire periphery.

7. A noncontact type power feeder system for a mobile object as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of the U-like sectional shape parts is flattened hightwise, with its bottom extending in the direction of the short sides as viewed in the oval direction.

8. A noncontact type power feeder system for a mobile object as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that each of the U-like sectional shape parts for supporting the opposite end parts of the windings in the oval direction of the windings, on the planar core, has such a sectional structure that embankment-like wall thick parts are present on opposite sides of the recess in which the windings are accommodated, as viewed in the short side direction of the recess.

9. A noncontact type power feeder system for a mobile object as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the recess of the planer core has an opening width which is set to be equal to or larger than the gap between the power feeder and the power receiver.

10. A noncontact type power feeder system for a mobile object as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the power feeder has a length in the travel direction, which is longer than that of the power receiver.