Power feed system

• US 10,541,561 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shingo, Horiuchi, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kessie, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/094,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20160226316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• 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 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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

Disclosed is a power feed system which can highly efficiently feed power to a power receiving unit from a power feed-side even though distance fluctuation or lateral shift occurs between a power feed-side helical coil and a power receiving-side helical coil. A distance measuring unit measures a inter-coil distance L₁ between the power feed-side helical coil and the power receiving-side helical coil, and a control units, adjust capacitances of a power feed-side varactor and a power receiving-side varactor in accordance with the inter-coil distance L₁ measured by the measuring unit.

Claims

1. A power feed system, comprising:

a power feeding unit provided with a power feed-side loop antenna for feeding power, and a power feed-side coil electromagnetically coupled with the power feed-side loop antenna; and

a power receiving unit provided with a power receiving-side coil electromagnetically resonated with the power feed-side coil, and a power receiving-side loop antenna electromagnetically coupled with the power receiving-side coil, wherein at least one of the power feed-side loop antenna and the power receiving-side loop antenna is divided into a plurality of members, wherein the plurality of members is configured to be moved, and a contact position relative to each other is configured to be changed, so as to vary a length of a part constituting a loop, wherein a hollow recessed inwardly is disposed at an end of at least one of the plurality of members, and an end of the member adjacent to the member having the hollow is slidably inserted into the hollow, and wherein the plurality of members is intersected, overlaid, and contacted to each other so as to form a loop.

2. The power feed system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator for driving the plurality of members;

a distance measuring unit for measuring distance between the power feed-side loop antenna and the power receiving-side loop antenna; and

an actuator control unit for controlling the actuator to move the plurality of members so that the dimension of the loop corresponds to the distance measured by the distance measuring unit.

3. A power feed system, comprising:

a power feeding unit provided with a power feed-side loop antenna for feeding power, and a power feed-side coil electromagnetically coupled with the power feed-side loop antenna; and

a power receiving unit provided with a power receiving-side coil electromagnetically resonated with the power feed-side coil, and a power receiving-side loop antenna electromagnetically coupled with the power receiving-side coil, wherein at least one of the power feed-side loop antenna and the power receiving-side loop antenna is divided into a plurality of members, the plurality of members is configured to be moved, and a contact position relative to each other is configured to be changed, so as to vary a length of a part constituting a loop thereof, wherein a hollow recessed inwardly is disposed at an end of at least one of the plurality of members, and an end of the member adjacent to the member having the hollow is slidably inserted into the hollow, an actuator for driving the plurality of members;

a reflection measuring unit for measuring a reflection amount from the power fed from the feed-side coil to the power receiving-side coil; and

an actuator control unit for controlling the actuator to move the plurality of members in accordance with the reflection amount measured by the reflection measuring unit.