Vehicle wireless charging structure

• US 9,586,491 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Konet, Heather, Taha, Eloi
• Primary Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US14/732,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20160355093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 53/39 with position-responsive activation of primary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An alignment assembly includes a first track, a first shield, a first positioning device, a second track, a second shield, a second positioning device and an induction coil. The first track defines a first axis. The first shield is movable along the first track and the first axis. The first positioning device is configured to move the first shield along the first track. The second track is fixedly attached to a second side of the first shield opposite the first side of the first shield. The second track defines a second axis transverse to the first axis. The second shield has a first side mounted to the second track for movement along the second track. The second positioning device is coupled to the first shield, and is configured to move the second shield along the second track. The vehicle-side induction coil is fixedly attached to the second shield.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a wireless charging structure comprising:

a vehicle body structure;

a first track structure fixedly attached to the vehicle body structure, the first track structure defining a first axis;

a first shield plate movably coupled to the first track structure for movement along the first axis;

a first positioning device coupled to vehicle body structure and being configured to move and position the first shield plate along the first track structure;

a second track structure fixedly attached to a second side of the first shield plate opposite the first side of the first shield plate, the second track structure defining a second axis transverse to the first axis;

a second shield plate having a first side mounted to the second track structure for movement along the second track structure;

a second positioning device coupled to the first shield plate, and being configured to move and position the second shield plate along the second axis; and

a vehicle-side induction coil fixedly attached to a second side of the second shield plate opposite the first side of the second shield plate, the vehicle-side induction coil being configured to generate electric current in response reception of electromagnetic radiation.

2. The vehicle having a wireless charging structure according to claim 1, wherein

the first positioning device is a stepper motor and the second positioning device is a stepper motor.

3. The vehicle having a wireless charging structure according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first shield plate and the second shield plate includes a material or layer that prevents transmission of electromagnetic radiation from the second side to the first side of the at least one of the first shield plate and the second shield plate.

4. The vehicle having a wireless charging structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third track structure fixedly attached to the vehicle body structure and coupled to the first shield plate such that the first shield plate is movable along the third track structure, the third track structure being parallel to the first track structure.

5. The vehicle having a wireless charging structure according to claim 4, further comprising:

a fourth track structure fixedly attached to the second side of the first shield plate and coupled to the second shield plate such that the second shield plate is movable along the fourth track structure, the fourth track structure being parallel to the second track structure.

6. The vehicle having a wireless charging structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery; and

a convertor circuit electrically coupled to the vehicle-side induction coil and the battery, the convertor circuit being configured to convert electric current from the vehicle-side induction coil into direct electric current in order to recharge the battery.

7. The vehicle having a wireless charging structure according to claim 1, wherein

the first shield plate and the second shield plate are located between the vehicle-side induction coil and the vehicle body structure, the first shield plate and the second shield plate being sized and configured such that at least one of the first shield plate and the second shield plate extends outward beyond an outer periphery of the vehicle-side induction coil throughout an entire range of movement of the first shield plate and the second shield plate.

8. The vehicle having a wireless charging structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cover of nonconductive material attached to the vehicle body structure and covering at least the first shield plate, the second shield plate, and the vehicle-side induction coil throughout the entire range of movement of the first shield plate and the second shield plate.

9. An adjustable wireless charging system comprising:

a transmission coil in a fixed position relative to a vehicle parking space, the transmission coil being configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation; and

a vehicle configured for parking within the vehicle parking space, the vehicle comprising;

a vehicle body structure;

a first track structure fixedly attached to the vehicle body structure and extending along a first axis;

a first shield plate with a first side movably mounted to the first track structure for movement along the first track structure;

a first positioning device coupled to vehicle body structure and configured to move the first shield plate along the first axis along the first track structure;

a second track structure with a first side fixedly attached to a second side of the first shield plate opposite the first side of the first shield plate, the second track structure defining a second axis transverse to the first axis;

a second shield plate with a first side movably mounted to the second track structure for movement along the second track structure;

a second positioning device coupled to the first shield plate and configured to move the second shield plate along the second axis defined by the second track structure; and

a vehicle-side induction coil fixedly attached to a second side of the second shield plate opposite the first side, the vehicle-side induction coil being configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the transmission coil.

10. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 9, further comprising

a controller configured to detect transmissions from the transmission coil and received by the vehicle-side induction coil, the controller being configured to determine the efficiency of reception by the vehicle-side induction coil of electromagnetic radiation from the transmission coil.

11. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 10, wherein

the controller is coupled to the first positioning device and the second positioning device and is further configured to operate the first positioning device and the second positioning device in order to move and position the vehicle-side induction coil relative to the transmission coil in response to determining the efficiency of reception by the vehicle-side induction coil of electromagnetic radiation from the transmission coil.

12. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 9, wherein

the first positioning device is a stepper motor and the second positioning device is a stepper motor.

13. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 9, wherein the second axis of the second track structure is perpendicular to the first axis.

14. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a battery; and

a controller electrically coupled to the vehicle-side induction coil and the battery,

the controller being configured to receive electric current from to the vehicle-side induction coil and convert the electric current into direct electric current in order to recharge the battery.

15. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 9, wherein

at least one of the first shield plate and the second shield plate includes a material or layer that prevents passage of electromagnetic radiation from the second side to the first side of the at least one of the first shield plate and the second shield plate.

16. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 15, wherein

at least one of the first shield plate and the second shield plate is dimensioned and configured to be located between the vehicle body structure and the transmission coil with the vehicle-side induction coil being positioned relative to the transmission coil with the vehicle-side induction coil having an efficiency of reception of electromagnetic radiation from the transmission coil that is equal to or greater to a predetermined level of efficiency.

17. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 15, wherein

the first shield plate and the second shield plate are sized and configured such that at least one of the first shield plate and the second shield plate is positioned between the transmission coil and the vehicle body structure throughout the entire range of movement of the first shield plate and the second shield plate when the vehicle-side induction coil is in at least partial alignment with the transmission coil.

18. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 9, wherein

the first shield plate and the second shield plate are larger along the first axis and the second axis than the vehicle-side induction coil and the transmission coil.

19. The adjustable wireless charging system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a cover of nonconductive material attached to the vehicle body structure and covering at least the first shield plate, the second shield plate, and the vehicle-side induction coil throughout the entire range of movement of the first shield plate and the second shield plate.