Wirelessly rechargeable battery and components thereof

• US 10,340,705 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Hao, Ren, Saining, Qin, Aijun
• Primary Examiner(s): Parihar, Suchin
• Application Number:
  US15/671,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20170373508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2003/005 Magnetic cores for receiving several windings with perpendicular axes, e.g. for antennae or inductive power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A receiver coil assembly for a wirelessly rechargeable battery including first and second transverse coils and a third coil encompassing the first and second coils. The receiver coil may be employed in a power receiver of a wirelessly rechargeable battery. Also disclosed is a wirelessly rechargeable battery having a power receiver demountable from an electrochemical cell.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery comprising:

a. first and second receiver coils having magnetic axes oriented transverse to one another;

b. a third receiver coil having a magnetic axis transverse to the magnetic axes of the first and second receiver coils; and

c. a cylindrical casing,

wherein the third receiver coil has a magnetic axis substantially parallel to a major axis of the cylindrical casing and the first, second and third receiver coils are inside the cylindrical casing.

2. A rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1 wherein third coil is a substantially annular coil.

3. A rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second coils are arranged in a cross.

4. A rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1 including a ferrite core located within all coils.

5. A rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 4 wherein the ferrite core is in the form of a cross with the first and second coils wound about arms of the cross and the third coil wound about the distal ends of the arms of the cross.

6. A rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a power receiver circuit, operatively connected to the first, second, and third receiver coils, for rectifying an alternating current received by at least one of the first, second, and third receiver coils; and

an electrochemical cell, operatively connected to the power receiver circuit, for receiving the rectified current.

7. A rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 6 of substantially cylindrical form.

8. A rechargeable battery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical casing has a flat base portion, and the normal or preferred orientation of the rechargeable battery corresponding to the flat base portion located on a substantially horizontal surface of a transmitter coil assembly.

9. A receiver coil assembly for charging a battery including first, second and third coils having magnetic axes oriented transverse to one another, wherein the third coil exhibits greater maximum power transfer capacity than the first and second coils, and wherein the first coil has a first length, the second coil has a second length, and the third coil has a third length that is greater than the first and second lengths.

10. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the third coil encompasses the first and second coils.

11. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the first and second coils are in a cross arrangement.

12. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the power transfer capacity of the third coil is at least 10% more or 20% more than that of the first and second coils.

13. A receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the length of the conductor of the third coil is at least 25% greater or 50% greater than the length of the first and second coil conductors.

14. A power receiver for a wirelessly rechargeable battery including a receiver coil assembly as claimed in claim 9.

15. A rechargeable battery including a power receiver as claimed in claim 14.

16. A rechargeable battery including:

the coil assembly as claimed in claim 9;

a power receiver circuit, operatively connected to the first, second, and third receiver coils, for rectifying an alternating current received by at least one of the first, second, and third receiver coils; and

an electrochemical cell, operatively connected to the power receiver circuit, for receiving the rectified current.

17. A wirelessly rechargeable battery having a power receiver and an electrochemical cell, wherein the power receiver is housed within a first cylindrical battery sub-casing and the electrochemical cell is housed within a second cylindrical battery sub-casing, wherein the first and second cylindrical battery sub-casings are demountable from each other, and wherein the wirelessly rechargeable battery includes:

a. first and second receiver coils having magnetic axes oriented transverse to one another;

b. a third receiver coil having a magnetic axis transverse to the magnetic axes of the first and second receiver coils; and

c. a cylindrical casing,

wherein the third receiver coil has a magnetic axis substantially parallel to a major axis of the cylindrical casing and the first, second and third receiver coils are inside the cylindrical casing;

wherein;

the power receiver circuit is operatively connected to the first, second and third receiver coils for rectifying an alternating current received by at least one of the first, second and third receiver coils, and the electrochemical cell is operatively connected to the power receiver circuit, for receiving the rectified current.

18. A rechargeable battery comprising:

a. first and second receiver coils having magnetic axes oriented transverse to one another;

b. a third receiver coil having a magnetic axis transverse to the magnetic axes of the first and second receiver coils; and

c. a cylindrical casing having a flat base portion,

wherein the third receiver coil is configured to receive energy when the battery is standing on the flat base portion and wherein the cylindrical casing encloses the first, second and third receiver coils.