Wireless power transfer system and vehicle power supply device

• US 10,236,727 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Original Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Inventors: Takatsu, Yuji, Ueda, Akio, Tokura, Susumu, Hashizume, Sho, Akune, Kei, Hayashi, Tooru, Shibata, Shoei
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mourad, Rasem
• Application Number:
  US15/277,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• 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 53/126 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: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/22 characterised by use of movable platforms for horizontal transport , i.e. cars being permanently parked on palettes
• 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 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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

A wireless power transfer system includes: a primary coil support member provided with a fitting member that is fit with a fit member, the primary coil support member being configured to support the power supply primary coil; a secondary coil support member provided with the fit member with which the fitting member is fit, the secondary coil support member being configured to support the power supply secondary coil; and a posture/position adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a relative posture or position between the primary coil support member and the secondary coil support member to change the posture between a releasing posture and a fitting posture. When the relative posture is changed from the releasing posture to the fitting posture by the adjustment of the posture/position adjustment mechanism, the power supply apparatus performs wireless power transfer from the power supply primary coil to the power supply secondary coil.

Claims

1. A wireless power transfer system comprising:

a power receiving apparatus having a power supply secondary coil that is a coil circuit configured to perform wireless power transfer, the power receiving apparatus being configured to supply electric power to a load;

a power supply apparatus having a power supply primary coil that is a coil circuit configured to perform the wireless power transfer, and a drive circuit that drives the power supply primary coil;

a primary coil support member provided with a fitting member that is fit with a fit member, the primary coil support member being configured to support the power supply primary coil;

a moving body provided with the fit member with which the fitting member is fit;

an object being separate from the primary coil support member and the moving body, the power supply secondary coil being installed in the object;

the moving body being configured to support the object with the power supply secondary coil at a predetermined position in a predetermined posture; and

a posture/position adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a relative posture or position between the primary coil support member and the moving body to change the posture between a releasing posture and a fitting posture, the releasing posture being such a posture that the fitting member releases the fit member, the fitting posture being such a posture that the fitting member is fit with the fit member, wherein

when the moving body supports the object with the power supply secondary coil in the object at the predetermined position in the predetermined posture and is located between the power supply primary coil and the power supply secondary coil, the posture/position adjustment mechanism adjusts the relative posture or position between the primary coil support member and the moving body such that the releasing posture is changed to the fitting posture, and the power supply apparatus performs the wireless power transfer from the power supply primary coil to the power supply secondary coil in the fitting posture.

2. The wireless power transfer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a relay coil installed in the moving body, the relay coil configured to relay the wireless power transfer from the power supply primary coil to the power supply secondary coil.