Power supply device and power transmission unit for power supply device

• US 9,806,539 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kubota, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun, Pinping
• Application Number:
  US14/780,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20160087449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• 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 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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

A power supply device of the present invention includes a power transmission unit (15) configured to wirelessly supply power to the power receiving unit (9). The power transmission unit (15) includes: a ground-side coil (13); and a housing (21) set on a ground (19) and configured to house the ground-side coil (13). The housing (21) includes: a coil section (25) in which to dispose the ground-side coil (13); and a first projection (29) disposed closer to a vehicle entry side than the ground-side coil (13) is, and projecting upward from a surface of the coil section (25).

Claims

1. A power supply device comprising:

a power receiving unit including a vehicle-side coil, the power receiving unit being mounted on a vehicle; and

a power transmission unit configured to wirelessly supply power to the power receiving unit, wherein

the power transmission unit includes

a ground-side coil, and

a housing set on a ground and configured to house the ground-side coil, and

the housing includes

a cover located above the ground-side coil and made of a non-conducting material, and

a first projection disposed closer to a vehicle entry side than the cover is, and projecting upward from a surface of the cover,

wherein the power transmission unit is configured to wirelessly supply power to the power receiving unit when the housing is located at a position with respect to which a pair of tires of the vehicle are left-right symmetric, and

wherein the first projection includes a run-onto blocking portion configured to prevent a tire of the vehicle from running onto the cover.

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

the housing includes a second projection, which projects upward from the surface of the cover, at a position opposite the first projection with the cover interposed in between,

one of the first and second projections includes a transmitter of a foreign object detection signal for detecting a foreign object on the cover, and

the other of the first and second projections includes a receiver configured to receive the foreign object detection signal transmitted from the transmitter.

3. The power supply device according to claim 2, wherein the run-onto blocking portion is formed in a shape which makes it harder for the tire of the vehicle to run onto the first projection than the second projection.

4. The power supply device according to claim 3, wherein the run-onto blocking portion is formed by making an upward projection height of the first projection higher than an upward projection height of the second projection.

5. The power supply device according to claim 3, wherein the run-onto blocking portion is formed by making a radius of curvature of an upper end corner portion of the first projection on the vehicle entry side smaller than a radius of curvature of an upper end corner portion of the second projection on an opposite side from the first projection.

6. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a sidewall extending in a vehicle entry direction.

7. A power transmission unit for a power supply device configured to wirelessly supply power to a power receiving unit including a vehicle-side coil, the power receiving unit being mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a ground-side coil, and

a housing set on a ground and configured to house the ground-side coil, wherein the housing includes

a cover located above the ground-side coil and made of a non-conducting material, and

a projection disposed closer to a vehicle entry side than the cover is, and projecting upward from a surface of the cover,

wherein the power transmission unit is configured to wirelessly supply power to the power receiving unit when the housing is located at a position with respect to which a pair of tires of the vehicle are left-right symmetric, and

wherein the projection includes a run-onto blocking portion configured to prevent a tire of the vehicle from running onto the cover.

8. A power supply device comprising:

a power receiving unit including a vehicle-side coil; and

a power transmission unit configured to wirelessly supply power to the power receiving unit, wherein

the power transmission unit includes

a ground-side coil, and

a housing set on a ground and configured to house the ground-side coil, and

the housing includes

a cover located above the ground-side coil and made of a non-conducting material, and

a first projection disposed closer to a vehicle entry side than the cover is, and projecting upward from a surface of the cover,

the housing includes a second projection, which projects upward from the surface of the cover, at a position opposite the first projection with the cover interposed in between,

one of the first and second projections includes a transmitter of a foreign object detection signal for detecting a foreign object on the cover, and

the other of the first and second projections includes a receiver configured to receive the foreign object detection signal transmitted from the transmitter.

9. The power supply device according to claim 8, wherein the first projection includes a run-onto blocking portion formed in a shape which makes it harder for a tire of a vehicle to run onto the first projection than the second projection.

10. The power supply device according to claim 9, wherein the run-onto blocking portion is formed by making an upward projection height of the first projection higher than an upward projection height of the second projection.

11. The power supply device according to claim 9, wherein the run-onto blocking portion is formed by making a radius of curvature of an upper end corner portion of the first projection on the vehicle entry side smaller than a radius of curvature of an upper end corner portion of the second projection on an opposite side from the first projection.