Power reception device, power transmission device and power transfer system

• US 9,531,217 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Horiuchi, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US14/124,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20140111002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,010 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/30 Fastening or clamping coils, windings, or parts thereof together; Fastening or mounting coils or windings on core, casing, or other support
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power reception device includes: a vehicle-side resonant portion mounted on a vehicle and resonating, through an electromagnetic field, with a facility-side resonant portion provided in an external facility; and a vehicle-side support including a first support member supporting the vehicle-side resonant portion, and a second support member spaced apart from the vehicle-side resonant portion and supporting the first support member, wherein a dielectric tangent of the first support member is smaller than a dielectric tangent of the second support member.

Claims

1. A power reception device, comprising:

a vehicle-side resonant portion mounted on a vehicle and resonating, through an electromagnetic field, with a facility-side resonant portion provided in an external facility; and

a vehicle-side support including a first support member supporting said vehicle-side resonant portion, and a second support member spaced apart from said vehicle-side resonant portion and supporting said first support member, wherein

a dielectric tangent of said first support member is smaller than a dielectric tangent of said second support member.

2. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein

said vehicle-side resonant portion includes a first resonant coil formed by winding a first coil wire,

said second support member includes a circumferential surface extending along said first resonant coil, and

said first support member includes a plurality of vehicle-side support pieces provided on said circumferential surface of said second support member, spaced apart from one another in a length direction of said first coil wire, and supporting said first resonant coil.

3. The power reception device according to claim 2, wherein

said first resonant coil includes an intermediate region including a central portion in the length direction of said first coil wire and a portion located around said central portion as well as an end region including an end of said first coil wire and a portion located around said end,

said first support member includes a first support piece supporting a portion of said first resonant coil located in said intermediate region, and a second support piece supporting a portion of said first resonant coil located in said end region, and

a contact area between said first support piece and said first resonant coil is smaller than a contact area between said second support piece and said first resonant coil.

4. The power reception device according to claim 2, wherein

said vehicle-side support pieces are removably provided at said second support member.

5. The power reception device according to claim 2, wherein

said second support member is cylindrically formed,

the power reception device further comprising:

a first path forming member made of resin, spaced apart from said first resonant coil, and forming a first cooling medium flow path for cooling said first resonant coil between said first path forming member and said circumferential surface of said second support member; and

a cooling medium supply device for supplying a cooling medium to said first cooling medium flow path, wherein

a thickness of said first path forming member is smaller than a thickness of said second support member.

6. The power reception device according to claim 5, wherein

a distance between said first path forming member and said first resonant coil is shorter than a distance between said second support member and said first resonant coil.

7. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein

said vehicle-side resonant portion includes a first resonant coil formed by winding a first coil wire,

said second support member includes a circumferential surface extending along said first resonant coil,

the power reception device further comprising:

a first electromagnetic induction coil extending along said circumferential surface of said second support member, spaced apart from said first resonant coil, and being capable of receiving electric power from said first resonant coil by electromagnetic induction; and

a third support member provided on said circumferential surface of said second support member and supporting said first electromagnetic induction coil, wherein

one of said first support member and said third support member is provided to be relatively movable with respect to the other such that a spacing between said first resonant coil and said first electromagnetic induction coil can be adjusted.

8. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein

said first support member is made of fluorine resin.

9. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein

said vehicle-side resonant portion includes a first resonant coil formed by winding a first coil wire,

said second support member is cylindrically formed and includes an inner circumferential surface extending along said first resonant coil, and

said first resonant coil is arranged on the inner circumferential surface side of said second support member.

10. A power transmission device, comprising:

a facility-side resonant portion resonating, through an electromagnetic field, with a vehicle-side resonant portion mounted on a vehicle; and

a facility-side support including a fourth support member supporting said facility-side resonant portion, and a fifth support member spaced apart from said facility-side resonant portion and supporting said fourth support member, wherein

a dielectric tangent of said fourth support member is smaller than a dielectric tangent of said fifth support member.

11. The power transmission device according to claim 10, wherein

said facility-side resonant portion includes a second resonant coil formed by winding a second coil wire,

said fifth support member includes a circumferential surface extending along said second resonant coil, and

said fourth support member includes a plurality of facility-side support pieces provided on said circumferential surface of said fifth support member, spaced apart from one another in a length direction of said second coil wire, and supporting said second resonant coil.

12. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein

said second resonant coil includes an intermediate region including a central portion in the length direction of said second coil wire and a portion located around said central portion as well as an end region including an end of said second coil wire and a portion located around said end,

said fourth support member includes a third support piece supporting a portion of said second resonant coil located in said intermediate region, and a fourth support piece supporting a portion of said second resonant coil located in said end region, and

a contact area between said third support piece and said second resonant coil is smaller than a contact area between said fourth support piece and said second resonant coil.

13. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein

said facility-side support pieces are removably provided at said fifth support member.

14. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein

said fifth support member is cylindrically formed,

the power transmission device further comprising:

a second path forming member made of resin, spaced apart from said second resonant coil, and forming a second cooling medium flow path for cooling said second resonant coil between said second path forming member and said circumferential surface of said fifth support member; and

a cooling medium supply device for supplying a cooling medium to said second cooling medium flow path, wherein

a thickness of said second path forming member is smaller than a thickness of said fifth support member.

15. The power transmission device according to claim 14, wherein

a distance between said second path forming member and said second resonant coil is shorter than a distance between said fifth support member and said second resonant coil.

16. The power transmission device according to claim 10, wherein

said facility-side resonant portion includes a second resonant coil formed by winding a second coil wire,

said fifth support member includes a circumferential surface extending along said second resonant coil,

the power transmission device further comprising:

a second electromagnetic induction coil extending along said circumferential surface of said fifth support member, spaced apart from said second resonant coil, and being capable of receiving electric power from said second resonant coil by electromagnetic induction; and

a sixth support member provided on said circumferential surface of said fifth support member and supporting said second electromagnetic induction coil, wherein

one of said fourth support member and said sixth support member is provided to be relatively movable with respect to the other such that a spacing between said second resonant coil and said second electromagnetic induction coil can be adjusted.

17. The power transmission device according to claim 10, wherein

said fourth support member is made of fluorine resin.

18. The power transmission device according to claim 10, wherein

said facility-side resonant portion includes a second resonant coil formed by winding a second coil wire,

said fifth support member is cylindrically formed and includes an inner circumferential surface extending along said second resonant coil, and

said second resonant coil is arranged on the inner circumferential surface side of said fifth support member.

19. A power transfer system, comprising:

a power transmission device including a facility-side resonant portion provided in a facility external to a vehicle, and a facility-side support supporting said facility-side resonant portion; and

a power reception device including a vehicle-side resonant portion mounted on the vehicle and resonating with said facility-side resonant portion through an electromagnetic field, and a vehicle-side support supporting said vehicle-side resonant portion, wherein

said vehicle-side support includes a first support member supporting said vehicle-side resonant portion, and a second support member spaced apart from said vehicle-side resonant portion and supporting said first support member,

said facility-side support includes a fourth support member supporting said facility-side resonant portion, and a fifth support member spaced apart from said facility-side resonant portion and supporting said fourth support member,

a dielectric tangent of said first support member is smaller than a dielectric tangent of said second support member, and

a dielectric tangent of said fourth support member is smaller than a dielectric tangent of said fifth support member.