Wireless power transfer system and power transmitting/receiving device with heat dissipation structure

• US 8,917,511 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Hiroshi, Kanno, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US13/169,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 361676-678, 36167946-67954, 361688-722, 361760-762, 361/764, 361/831
• US Class Current: 361/717
• 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 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 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

A wireless power transfer system and power transmitting/receiving device according to the present invention include an antenna (resonator) 109 and a heat dissipation structure 111 with an electrically conductive thermal conductor 11, a portion of which makes thermal contact with the inductor 13 of the antenna 109 with an electrical insulator 12 interposed between them. The thermal conductor 11 is arranged to form no electrically closed loop.

Claims

1. A power transmitting/receiving device that transmits and/or receives electric power in a wireless power transfer system that transfers the electric power wirelessly via a resonant magnetic field, the device comprising:

an antenna with an inductor;

a heat dissipation structure with an electrically conductive thermal conductor; and

an electrical insulator interposed between a portion of the conductor and the inductor, the inductor not in electrical contact with the conductor,

wherein the portion of the conductor makes thermal contact with the inductor through the electrical insulator,

the conductor is arranged to form no electrically closed loop,

the electrically conductive thermal conductor dissipates the heat that has been generated by the inductor by transferring that heat from the inductor to a distant location, the heat dissipation structure including a cooling member, which is arranged out of contact with the inductor, and

the electrically conductive thermal conductor dissipates the heat that has been generated by the inductor by transferring that heat to the cooling member.

2. A power transmitting/receiving device that transmits and/or receives electric power in a wireless power transfer system that transfers the electric power wirelessly via a resonant magnetic field, the device comprising:

an antenna with an inductor;

a heat dissipation structure with an electrically conductive thermal conductor; and

an electrical insulator interposed between a portion of the conductor and the inductor, the inductor not in electrical contact with the conductor,

wherein the portion of the conductor makes thermal contact with the inductor through the electrical insulator,

the conductor is arranged to form no electrically closed loop, and

when projected onto the principal plane of the inductor, said portion of the electrically conductive thermal conductor that makes thermal contact with the inductor is less wide than turns of the inductor.

3. A power transmitting/receiving device that transmits and/or receives electric power in a wireless power transfer system that transfers the electric power wirelessly via a resonant magnetic field, the device comprising:

an antenna with an inductor;

a heat dissipation structure with an electrically conductive thermal conductor; and

an electrical insulator interposed between a portion of the conductor and the inductor, the inductor not in electrical contact with the conductor,

wherein the portion of the conductor makes thermal contact with the inductor through the electrical insulator,

the conductor is arranged to form no electrically closed loop,

said portion of the electrically conductive thermal conductor that makes thermal contact with the inductor at least partially falls within a range that is defined by the profile of the inductor, and

the electrically conductive thermal conductor is electrically disconnected inside of the range that is defined by the profile of the inductor.

8. The power transmitting/receiving device of claim 3, wherein the electrically disconnected parts of the electrically conductive thermal conductor are located near a bent portion of the inductor.

4. A power transmitting/receiving device that transmits and/or receives electric power in a wireless power transfer system that transfers the electric power wirelessly via a resonant magnetic field, the device comprising:

an antenna with an inductor;

a heat dissipation structure with an electrically conductive thermal conductor; and

an electrical insulator interposed between a portion of the conductor and the inductor, the inductor not in electrical contact with the conductor,

wherein the portion of the conductor makes thermal contact with the inductor through the electrical insulator,

the conductor is arranged to form no electrically closed loop, and

the electrically conductive thermal conductor is electrically disconnected outside of the range that is defined by the profile of the inductor.

5. A power transmitting/receiving device that transmits and/or receives electric power in a wireless power transfer system that transfers the electric power wirelessly via a resonant magnetic field, the device comprising:

an antenna with an inductor;

a heat dissipation structure with an electrically conductive thermal conductor; and

an electrical insulator is interposed between a portion of the conductor and the inductor, the inductor not in electrical contact with the conductor,

wherein the portion of the conductor makes thermal contact with the inductor through the electrical insulator,

the conductor is arranged to form no electrically closed loop, and

the electrically conductive thermal conductor has a hollow pipe structure and is electrically disconnected at least partially.

6. The power transmitting/receiving device of claim 5, wherein the electrically disconnected parts of the electrically conductive thermal conductor are joined by a pipe that is made of an electrical insulator.

7. The power transmitting/receiving device of claim 5, wherein a cooling medium is enclosed in the electrically conductive thermal conductor.

9. A power transmitting/receiving device that transmits and/or receives electric power in a wireless power transfer system that transfers the electric power wirelessly via a resonant magnetic field, the device comprising:

an antenna with an inductor;

a heat dissipation structure with an electrically conductive thermal conductor; and

an electrical insulator is interposed between a portion of the conductor and the inductor, the inductor not in electrical contact with the conductor,

wherein the portion of the conductor makes thermal contact with the inductor through the electrical insulator,

the conductor is arranged to form no electrically closed loop, and

said portion of the electrically conductive thermal conductor that makes thermal contact with the inductor is arranged closer to the outer edge of turns of the inductor than to the center thereof.