Electricity supply device, electricity reception device, and electricity supply system

• US 9,895,988 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Koizumi, Masayoshi, Ohashi, Osamu, Nishio, Tsuyoshi, Asaoka, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dhillon, Jagdeep
• Application Number:
  US14/384,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 307149, 307 91, 307 101, 307 102, 307 66, 307 64, 320108, 320109, 701 22, 701 28, 701 3, 348148, 348146, 348123, 455255, 455257
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/02 Casings
• 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 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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

In the present invention, an electricity supply unit (103) contactlessly supplies electricity using electromagnetic induction to an electricity reception unit (153) provided to a vehicle. An electricity supply coil (103a) has a ring shape, and supplies electricity to the electricity reception unit (153) while facing the electricity reception unit (153). A casing (103b) houses the electricity supply coil (103a). The casing (103b) has an inclined section (202) that is inclined in a manner so as to approach the electricity supply coil (103a) gradually in the direction towards the outer periphery (212) of the electricity supply coil (103a) in the radial direction of the electricity supply coil (103a) at the portion at which the electricity supply coil (103a) is projected when the electricity supply coil (103a) is projected at the casing (103b) in the direction towards the electricity reception unit (153).

Claims

1. An electricity supply apparatus that supplies electricity in a contactless manner to an electricity reception section provided in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an electricity supply coil configured to supply electricity to an electricity reception coil of the electricity reception section, said electricity supply coil having a ring shape, an in-edge, an out-edge, and a middle point, the inn-edge being adjacent to a hollow portion of the ring shape in a radial direction of the electricity supply coil, the out-edge being outer than the inn-edge in the radial direction, and the middle point being between the inn-edge and the out-edge in the radial direction; and

a casing which houses the electricity supply coil, said casing having a first surface configured to face the electricity reception section and a second surface on which the electricity supply coil is located, wherein

the first surface has an inclined portion with a first region and a second region, the first region overlapping at least a part of an inner portion of the electricity supply coil in a center axis direction of the electricity supply coil, the inner portion being between the inn-edge and the middle point, the second region overlapping at least a part of an outer portion of the electricity supply coil in the center axis direction of the electricity supply coil, the outer portion being between the out-edge and the middle point, a first distance between the first region of the inclined portion of the first surface and the second surface being larger than a second distance between the second region of the inclined portion of the first surface and the second surface, wherein

when a foreign object having a flat surface is on the inclined portion with the flat surface in contact with the inclined portion, the inclined portion causes the flat surface of the foreign object to incline at one angle with respect to a radial direction of the electricity supply coil over the first region and the second region.

2. The electricity supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the casing further includes a flat portion that intersects the center axis of the electricity supply coil and that is flat in the radial direction of the electricity supply coil, in addition to the inclined portion, wherein:

the flat portion is formed in at least a part of a first projection region formed when a hollow portion of the electricity supply coil is projected to the casing in the center axis direction of the electricity supply coil; and

the inclined portion is formed in at least a part of a second projection region formed when the electricity supply coil is projected to the casing in the center axis direction of the electricity supply coil.

3. The electricity supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion is formed in such a way as to include a circle formed when a middle circle between an inner periphery and the outer periphery of the electricity supply coil is projected to the casing in the center axis direction of the electricity supply coil.

4. The electricity supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion has an inclination angle of 20 degrees or greater.

5. The electricity supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flat portion has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of a hollow portion of the electricity supply coil and that is smaller than a diameter of a middle circle between an inner periphery and the outer periphery of the electricity supply coil.

6. An electricity reception apparatus that is provided in a vehicle and that receives electricity from an electricity supply section in a contactless manner, the apparatus comprising:

an electricity reception coil configured to receive electricity from the electricity supply coil of the electricity supply section, said electricity reception coil having a ring shape, an in-edge, an out-edge, and a middle point, the inn-edge being adjacent to a hollow portion of the ring shape in a radial direction of the electricity reception coil, the out-edge being outer than the inn-edge in the radial direction, and the middle point being between the inn-edge and the out-edge in the radial direction; and

a casing which houses the electricity reception coil, said casing having a first surface configured to face the electricity supply section and a second surface on which the electricity reception coil is located, wherein

the first surface has an inclined portion with a first region and a second region, the first region overlapping at least a part of an inner portion of the electricity reception coil in a center axis direction of the electricity reception coil,

the inner portion being between the inn-edge and the middle point, the second region overlapping at least a part of an outer portion of the electricity reception coil in the center axis direction of the electricity reception coil, the outer portion being between the out-edge and the middle point, a first distance between the first region of the inclined portion of the first surface and the second surface being larger than a second distance between the second region of the inclined portion of the first surface and the second surface, wherein

when a foreign object having a flat surface is on the inclined portion with the flat surface in contact with the inclined portion, the inclined portion causes the flat surface of the foreign object to incline at one angle with respect to a radial direction of the electricity reception coil over the first region and the second region.

7. The electricity reception apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the casing includes a flat portion that intersects the center axis of the electricity reception coil and that is flat in a radial direction of the electricity reception coil, in addition to the inclined portion, wherein:

the flat portion is formed in at least a part of a first projection region formed when a hollow portion of the electricity reception coil is projected to the casing in the center axis direction of the electricity reception coil; and

the inclined portion is formed in at least a part of a second projection region formed when the electricity reception coil is projected to the casing in the center axis direction of the electricity reception coil.

8. The electricity reception apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inclined portion is formed in such a way as to include a circle formed when a middle circle between an inner periphery and the outer periphery of the electricity reception coil is projected to the casing in the center axis direction of the electricity reception coil.

9. The electricity reception apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inclined portion has an inclination angle of 20 degrees or greater.

10. The electricity reception apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the flat portion has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of a hollow portion of the electricity reception coil and that is smaller than a diameter of a middle circle between an inner periphery and the outer periphery of the electricity reception coil.

11. An electricity supply system comprising:

an electricity reception apparatus that is provided in a vehicle; and

an electricity supply apparatus that supplies electricity in a contactless manner to the electricity reception apparatus, wherein

the electricity reception apparatus includes;

a hollow ring-shaped electricity reception coil that receives electricity from an electricity supply coil of the electricity supply apparatus; and

an electricity-reception-side casing that houses the electricity reception coil, and

the electricity supply apparatus includes;

an electricity supply coil configured to supply electricity to the electricity reception coil of the electricity reception apparatus, said electricity supply coil having a ring shape, an in-edge, an out-edge, and a middle point, the inn-edge being adjacent to a hollow portion of the ring shape in a radial direction of the electricity supply coil, the out-edge being outer than the inn-edge in the radial direction, and the middle point being between the inn-edge and the out-edge in the radial direction; and

an electricity-supply-side casing which houses the electricity supply coil, said casing having a first surface configured to face the electricity reception section and a second surface on which the electricity supply coil is located, wherein;

the electricity-reception-side casing includes an electricity-reception-side inclined portion that inclines in such a way as to gradually approach the electricity reception coil toward an outer periphery of the electricity reception coil, wherein

the electricity-reception-side inclined portion is formed in at least a part of a first projection region formed when the electricity reception coil is projected to the electricity-reception-side casing in a center axis direction of the electricity reception coil; and

the first surface has an electricity-supply-side inclined with a first region and a second region, the first region overlapping at least a part of an inner portion of the electricity supply coil in a center axis direction of the electricity supply coil,

the inner portion being between the inn-edge and the middle point, the second region overlapping at least a part of an outer portion of the electricity supply coil in the center axis direction of the electricity supply coil, the outer portion being between the out-edge and the middle point, a first distance between the first region of the inclined portion of the first surface and the second surface being larger than a second distance between the second region of the inclined portion of the first surface and the second surface, wherein

when a foreign object having a flat surface is on the inclined portion with the flat surface in contact with the inclined portion, the inclined portion causes the flat surface of the foreign object to incline at one angle with respect to a radial direction of the electricity supply coil over the first region and the second region.

12. The electricity supply system according to claim 11, wherein:

the electricity-reception-side casing includes an electricity-reception-side flat portion that intersects the center axis of the electricity reception coil and that is flat in a radial direction of the electricity reception coil, in addition to the electricity-reception-side inclined portion, wherein

the electricity-reception-side flat portion is formed in at least a part of a third projection region where a hollow portion of the electricity reception coil is projected to the electricity-reception-side casing in the center axis direction of the electricity reception coil; and

the electricity-supply-side casing includes an electricity-supply-side flat portion that intersects the center axis of the electricity supply coil and is flat in a radial direction of the electricity supply coil, in addition to the electricity-supply-side inclined portion, wherein

the electricity-supply-side flat portion is formed in at least a part of a fourth projection region where a hollow portion of the electricity supply coil is projected to the electricity-supply-side casing in the center axis direction of the electricity supply coil.