Contactless power-supply system, contactless adapter, and power-supply device

• US 9,948,143 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Abe, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Xuan
• Application Number:
  US14/422,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A contactless adapter (30) installed in a notebook computer (20) has a plug part (31), a telescopic arm (34), a power circuit part (35), and a power-receiving part (40). The power-receiving part (40) is provided with a secondary coil (41) and has a rotatably linked fixed base plate (42) and a rotating base plate (43). Power can be supplied without contact to the notebook computer (20) from a power-supply device (10) via the contactless adapter (30) by expanding the fixed base plate (42) and the rotating base plate (43) to cause the secondary coil (41) to face the primary coil (11) of the power-supply device (10) provided inside the tabletop (2) of a desk (1).

Claims

1. A contactless power supply system comprising:

a power supplying device including a high frequency inverter, which is connected to a power supply and which generates a high frequency current, and a primary coil, which is connected to the high frequency inverter and which is supplied with the high frequency current;

a contactless adapter including a secondary coil, which is arranged on a substrate and which generates an induced electromotive force with an alternating magnetic field generated by the primary coil of the power supplying device, a power supply circuit unit, which converts the induced electromotive force generated at the secondary coil to a predetermined output voltage, an output unit, which outputs the output voltage converted by the power supply circuit unit, and a connection line, which connects the power supply circuit unit and the output unit, wherein the substrate is a substrate that is rollable into and spreadable from a cylindrical form or a substrate that is foldable and spreadable; and

an electrical appliance electrically connected or magnetically coupled to the output unit of the contactless adapter to receive the output voltage of the contactless adapter;

wherein the contactless adapter is attached to the electrical appliance so that the contactless adapter can be carried integrally with the electrical appliance;

the output unit of the contactless adapter is configured to be attached in a removable manner to the electrical appliance;

when the output unit is attached to the electrical appliance, the contactless adapter is pivotally supported by the electrical appliance; and

the contactless adapter includes a coupling body that couples the output unit and the power supply circuit unit so that a distance and an angle of the output unit and the power supply circuit are changeable, and the connection line is wired along the coupling body.

2. The contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein

the electrical appliance includes an accommodation compartment formed to accommodate the contactless adapter;

and

the contactless adapter is accommodated and held in the accommodation compartment when not in use and drawn out of the accommodation compartment when used.

3. The contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical appliance is accommodated in a dedicated case, and the contactless adapter is attached to the electrical appliance through the dedicated case.

4. The contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein any one of the power supplying device, the contactless adapter, and the electrical appliance includes a display function for detecting and displaying a magnetic coupling state of the primary coil and the secondary coil.

5. The contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the power supplying device is one of a plurality of power supplying devices, and the primary coils of the plurality of power supplying devices are arranged in an array so that the secondary coil of the contactless adapter when spread faces and extends across the plurality of primary coils.

6. A contactless adapter comprising:

a secondary coil that is arranged on a substrate and generates an induced electromotive force;

a power supply circuit unit that converts the induced electromotive force generated at the secondary coil to a predetermined output voltage;

an output unit configured to be able to be electrically connected or magnetically coupled to an electrical appliance to supply the output voltage converted by the power supply circuit unit to the electrical appliance;

a connection line that connects the power supply circuit unit and the output unit;

a housing that incorporates the power supply circuit unit, wherein a portion of the substrate is coupled to the housing; and

a coupling body that couples the housing of the power supply circuit unit and the output unit so that a distance and an angle are variable, wherein the connection line is arranged along the coupling body;

wherein the substrate is a substrate that is rollable into and spreadable from a cylindrical form or a substrate that is foldable and spreadable;

the contactless adapter is attached to the electrical appliance so that the contactless adapter can be carried integrally with the electrical appliance;

the output unit of the contactless adapter is configured to be attached in a removable manner to the electrical appliance; and

when the output unit is attached to the electrical appliance, the contactless adapter is pivotally supported by the electrical appliance.

7. The contactless adapter according to claim 6, wherein

the substrate is configured by a plurality of substrate segments coupled in a foldable manner, and

the secondary coil is arranged on each substrate segment.

8. The contactless adapter according to claim 7, wherein each substrate segment includes a magnetic body and an electromagnetic shield plate, the secondary coil is arranged on one side surface of the magnetic body, and the electromagnetic shield plate is arranged on another side surface of the magnetic body.

9. The contactless adapter according to claim 6, wherein the substrate that is rollable into and spreadable from a cylindrical form a single flexible substrate including the secondary coil.

10. The contactless adapter according to claim 9, wherein the flexible substrate includes a magnetic thin film and an electromagnetic shield thin film formed on the magnetic thin film, and the secondary coil is formed on the magnetic thin film at a side opposite to a surface on which the electromagnetic shield thin film is formed.

11. The contactless adapter according to claim 6, wherein

the housing of the power supply circuit unit includes an input terminal connected to a commercial AC power supply;

and

the power supply circuit unit converts input voltage supplied to the input terminal to a predetermined output voltage and supplies the output voltage to the electrical appliance via the output unit.

12. The contactless adapter according to claim 6, wherein the output unit includes an input terminal connected to an output terminal of an AC adapter that AC-DC-converts commercial AC power and supplies the electrical appliance with DC power supply input to the input terminal.

13. The contactless adapter according to claim 6, wherein the contactless adapter includes a display function for detecting and displaying a magnetic coupling state of the secondary coil and a primary coil.

14. A power supplying device accommodated in an object including an accommodation recess, the power supplying device comprising:

a high frequency inverter that is connected to a power supply and generates a high frequency current;

a primary coil that is connected to the high frequency inverter and generates an alternating magnetic field to generate an induced electromotive force at a secondary coil when supplied with the high frequency current;

a coil formation substrate including the primary coil;

a coupling body that couples the accommodation recess of the object and the coil formation substrate so that a distance and an angle are variable, wherein when the coil formation substrate is drawn to a desired position, the coupling body holds the coil formation substrate at that position as long as force is not applied; and

a connection line that is wired along the coupling body and that connects the high frequency inverter and the primary coil, wherein

the coil formation substrate is configured by a plurality of coil formation substrate portions coupled in a foldable manner,

the primary coil is arranged on each coil formation substrate portion,

when the coil formation substrate portions are folded, the coil formation substrate is configured to be fitted into the accommodation recess of the object such that the coil formation substrate portions are accommodated in the accommodation recess in a folded state when the power supplying device is not used, and

the coupling body is coupled to one of the coil formation substrate portions.