Wireless power supplying rack

• US 8,704,407 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kozakai, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHILLON, JAGDEEP S
• Application Number:
  US12/986,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20110175456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 307/149, 336/121
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a wireless power supplying rack, including: a power transmission device adapted to transmit power to be supplied; a repeater device adapted to repeat the transmission power of the power transmission device; a power reception device adapted to receive the power repeated by the repeater device; and a main body in which a load to which the power received at least by the power reception device from between the power reception device and the repeater device is supplied is disposed; at least the repeater device and the power reception device from among the power transmission device, repeater device and power reception device being incorporated in the main body; wherein the power transmission device, the repeater device and the reception device have a first resonance element, a second resonance element and a third resonance element, respectively.

Claims

1. A wireless power supplying rack, comprising:

a power transmission device operable to transmit power to be supplied;

a repeater device operable to receive and repeat said power transmitted by said power transmission device;

a power reception device operable to receive said power repeated by said repeater device; and

a main body in which a load is disposed, wherein said load receives to said power received by said power reception device,

wherein said power transmission device, said repeater device and said power reception device are incorporated in said main body,

wherein said power transmission device comprises

a first resonance element for receiving said transmitted power thereto and transmitting said power received by said first resonance element,

wherein said repeater device comprises

a second resonance element for receiving said power transmitted from said first resonance element and transmitting said power received by said second resonance element, and

wherein said power reception device comprises

a third resonance element for receiving said power transmitted from said second resonance element.

2. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said main body comprises

a plurality of frames disposed in a predetermined spaced relationship from each other to form a skeleton such that said power reception device is incorporated in one of said plurality of frames while said repeater device is incorporated in another one of said plurality of frames.

3. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 2, wherein each of said first, second and third resonance elements is formed from a coil, and each of said plurality of frames is formed from a framework of a non-conductive material of a loop shape in such a manner as to form a space at a central portion thereof and said coil which forms each of said first, second and third resonance elements forms a loop in said framework.

4. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 3, wherein said power transmission device comprises a first power supplying element to which power from a power supply is supplied and which is coupled to said first resonance element by electromagnetic induction and said power reception device comprises a second power supplying element which is coupled to said third resonance element by electromagnetic induction such that said power received by said third resonance element is supplied to said power reception device, and each of said first and second power supplying elements is formed from said coil and is incorporated in said plurality of frames together with said coil which forms said first, second and third resonance elements.

5. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said main body comprises

a plurality of frames disposed in a predetermined spaced relationship from each other to form a skeleton such that said power reception device is incorporated in one of said plurality of frames which is disposed on one side portion of said main body while said power transmission device is incorporated in another one of said plurality of frames which is disposed on another side portion of said main body opposing said one side portion and said repeater device is incorporated in said one of said plurality of frames which is disposed between said one side portion and said another side portion of said main body.

6. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 5, wherein each of said first, second and third resonance elements is formed from a coil, and each of said plurality of frames is formed from a framework of a non-conductive material of a loop shape in such a manner as to form a space at a central portion thereof and said coil which forms each of said first, second and third resonance elements forms a loop in said framework.

7. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 6, wherein said power transmission device comprises a first power supplying element to which power from a power supply is supplied and which is coupled to said first resonance element by electromagnetic induction and said power reception device comprises a second power supplying element which is coupled to said third resonance element by electromagnetic induction such that said power received by said third resonance element is supplied to said power reception device, and each of said first and second power supplying elements is formed from said coil and is incorporated in said plurality of frames together with said coil which forms said first, second and third resonance elements.

8. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said main body comprises

a plurality of frames disposed in a predetermined spaced relationship from each other to form a skeleton such that said power reception device is incorporated in one of said plurality of frames which is disposed on one side portion of said main body and said repeater device is incorporated in plural ones of said plurality of frames disposed in a predetermined spaced relationship from said one side portion of said main body to another side portion of said main body which is opposed to said one side portion while said power transmission device is incorporated in a non-skeleton frame disposed outside said main body such that said power transmission device is opposed to said another side portion.

9. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 8, wherein each of said first, second and third resonance elements is formed from a coil, and each of said plurality of frames is formed from a framework of a non-conductive material of a loop shape in such a manner as to form a space at a central portion thereof and said coil which forms each of said first, second and third resonance elements forms a loop in said framework.

10. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 9, wherein said power transmission device comprises a first power supplying element to which power from a power supply is supplied and which is coupled to said first resonance element by electromagnetic induction and said power reception device comprises a second power supplying element which is coupled to said third resonance element by electromagnetic induction such that said power received by said third resonance element is supplied to said power reception device, and each of said first and second power supplying elements is formed from said coil and is incorporated in said plurality of frames together with said coil which forms said first, second and third resonance elements.

11. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 9, wherein said non-skeleton frame is disposed on one of:

a wall, a floor and a ceiling of a room, and said main body is disposed such that a frame from said plurality of frames in which said repeater device is incorporated is disposed in an opposing said non-skeleton frame.

12. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said power transmission device comprises

a power supplying element to which power from a power supply is supplied and which is coupled to said first resonance element by electromagnetic induction.

13. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said power reception device comprises a power supplying element which is coupled to said third resonance element by electromagnetic induction such that said power received by said third resonance element is supplied to said power reception device.

14. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said power transmission device comprises a matching section having an impedance matching function at a power supplying point of said first resonance element.

15. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said power reception device comprises a matching section having an impedance matching function at a connecting portion between said third resonance element and said load.

16. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein a self resonance frequency of said first resonance element, a self resonance frequency of said second resonance element, and a self resonance frequency of said third resonance element are same.

17. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said power transmission device receives power from a power supply and wherein frequency of said power received from said power supply is equal to a self resonance frequency of said first resonance element.

18. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said second resonance element is aligned at a middle position between said second resonance element and said third resonance element.

19. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 1, wherein said main body comprises

a plurality of frames disposed in a predetermined spaced relationship from each other to form a skeleton such that said power reception device is incorporated in one of said plurality of frames while said repeater device is incorporated in another one of said plurality of frames, wherein each of said plurality of frames is non-cut loop-shaped framework member of a rectangular shape formed from four hollow struts.

20. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 19, wherein said plurality of frames is formed of Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or Polycarbonate (PC).

21. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 19, wherein said main body comprises a plurality of plates disposed on said plurality of frames and in a predetermined spaced relationship in a heightwise direction of said plurality of frames.

22. The wireless power supplying rack according to claim 21, wherein said load displays information related to an item placed on said plurality of plates and

wherein said information comprises name and price related to said item.