Inductive charging for a vehicle

• US 10,256,659 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Ferguson, Benjamin Edward, Chopko, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitmore, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US15/275,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20170098954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00014 for load cargos on load transporting vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle having a wireless power system is provided. The vehicle includes a tractor and a trailer mounted to the tractor, the tractor having a tractor frame and the trailer having a refrigeration unit. A first inductive charging pad is mounted on the trailer, the first inductive charging pad electrically connected to a portion of the refrigeration unit. A second inductive charging pad is mounted on the tractor, the second inductive charging pad electrically connected to a portion of the tractor and configured to induce an electrical current in the first inductive charging pad. The first inductive charging pad and the second inductive charging pad are configured such that the second charging pad can induce and maintain the electric current in the first inductive charging pad throughout a range of relative rotation.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a wireless power system, the vehicle comprising:

a tractor and a trailer mounted to the tractor, the trailer having a refrigeration unit;

a first inductive charging pad mounted on the trailer, the first inductive charging pad electrically connected to a portion of the refrigeration unit; and

a second inductive charging pad mounted on the tractor, the second inductive charging pad electrically connected to a portion of the tractor and configured to induce an electrical current in the first inductive charging pad,

wherein the first inductive charging pad and the second inductive charging pad are configured such that during relative rotation between the trailer and the tractor, the second charging pad can induce and maintain the electric current in the first inductive charging pad throughout a range of the relative rotation, and

wherein the electrical current induced in the first inductive charging pad is employed to run the refrigeration unit.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first inductive charging pad is mounted on a bottom side of the trailer and the second inductive charging pad is mounted on a frame of the tractor.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the first inductive charging pad is configured about a king pin on the trailer and the second inductive charging pad is configured about a shoe located on the frame of the tractor.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first inductive charging pad is mounted on a frame of the refrigeration unit and the second inductive charging pad is mounted to a cab of the tractor.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a generator located on the tractor, the generator configured to supply an electrical current to the second inductive charging pad.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a regenerative braking system, the regenerative braking system configured to supply an electrical current to the second inductive charging pad.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a battery on the trailer, wherein the electrical current induced in the first inductive charging pad is employed to charge the battery.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first inductive charging pad and the second inductive charging pad is circular.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first inductive charging pad and the second inductive charging pad is arcuate.

10. A method of wirelessly transferring power on a vehicle, the method comprising:

generating an electrical current on a tractor of the vehicle;

supplying the electrical current to an inductive charging pad on the tractor;

inducing an electrical current in an inductive charging pad on a trailer of the vehicle;

supplying the induced electrical current to a portion of a refrigeration unit on the trailer to run the refrigeration unit; and

maintaining the induced electrical current in the inductive charging pad on the trailer during relative rotation between the trailer and the tractor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the inductive charging pad on the trailer is mounted on a bottom side of the trailer and the inductive charging pad on the tractor is mounted on a frame of the tractor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the inductive charging pad on the trailer is configured about a king pin on the trailer and the inductive charging pad on the tractor is configured about a shoe of the tractor.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the inductive charging pad on the trailer is mounted on a frame of the refrigeration unit and the inductive charging pad on the tractor is mounted to a cab of the tractor.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the electrical current on the tractor comprises regenerative braking of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the portion of the refrigeration unit that is supplied with the electrical current is a battery.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the portion of the refrigeration unit that is supplied with the electrical current is a component of the refrigeration unit to be directly operated with the electrical current.