Movable power coupling and a robot with movable power coupling

• US 10,742,070 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Persimmon Technologies Corporation (Sumitomo Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Persimmon Technologies Corporation (Sumitomo Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hosek, Martin, Sah, Sripati
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuhfuss, Zachary L
• Application Number:
  US15/017,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20160229296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 191 10, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/08 fed from ac supply lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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

An apparatus comprises a first induction section comprising a first core and a first coil on the first core. A second induction section comprises a second core and a second coil on the second core. The first core comprises rail extensions, where at least two of the rail extensions extend from opposite ends of the first core. The second core comprises shoe portions located at respective ones of the rail extensions, where a gap is provided between each of the rail extensions and respective ones of the shoe portion. The second induction section is configured to move relative to the first induction section in a path along the extensions. The first induction section is configured to induce current in the second induction section, including when the second core moves relative to the first core along the extensions, to provide a contactless induction coupling between the first induction section and the second induction section.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first induction section comprising a first core and a first coil on the first core, where the first core comprises first ferromagnetic material; and

a second induction section comprising a second core and a second coil on the second core, where the second core comprises second ferromagnetic material,

where the first core comprises transverse laminates and flux concentrating fillers connected to the transverse laminates at opposite ends of the first core, where the first ferromagnetic material at least partially forms rail extensions, where at least two of the rail extensions extend from opposite ends of the first core, where the first core comprises a longitudinal channel along a first longitudinal exterior side of the first core, where the rail extensions are located adjacent opposite sides of the channel, where the first coil is wound on the first core in the channel, around the flux concentrating fillers at the opposite ends of the first core and around a second longitudinal exterior side of the first core, where the second longitudinal exterior side is located on an opposite side of the first core from the first longitudinal exterior side of the first core,

where the second ferromagnetic material at least partially forms shoe portions located at respective ones of the rail extensions, where a gap is provided between each of the rail extensions and the respective ones of the shoe portions,

where the second induction section is configured to move relative to the first induction section in a path along the extensions,

where the first induction section is configured to induce current in the second induction section, including when the second core moves relative to the first core along the extensions, to provide a contactless induction coupling between the first induction section and the second induction section.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the extensions comprise rails which are substantially parallel to one another.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the extensions comprise substantially straight rails.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the extensions comprise curved rails.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4 where the extensions comprise connecting portions which connect the curved rails to a central portion having the first coil thereon.

6. An apparatus as in claim 4 where the curved rails each form a circle.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the apparatus comprises at least two second induction sections movably located on the first induction section.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first induction section comprises more than one first coil, where each of the first coils are located on separate middle sections of the first core.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the apparatus comprises a plurality of the first induction section, where the plurality of the first induction section are located in series relative to one another.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the second induction section is connected to a robot having a movable arm, where movement of the second induction section relative to the first induction section along the path is configured to occur when the robot also moves along the path.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first and second induction sections are connected to different components of a robot which are movable relative to each other, where at least one of the components is a link of a robot arm.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first core and/or the second core has a central section with a substantial C shape.

13. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first core and/or the second core has a central section with a substantial E shape.

14. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the shoe portions are located vertically above the rail extensions with the gaps located vertically below the shoe portions and vertically above the rail extensions.

15. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first coil is wrapped around the first core about a first axis, where the second coil is wrapped around the second core about a second axis, where the first and second axes are parallel, and where the first and second coils are in a mirrored orientation relative to each other.

16. A device comprising:

a robot comprising a robot drive with an articulate arm;

a shuttle comprising a movable portion and a stationary portion, where the robot is connected to the movable portion; and

the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, where the first induction section is attached to the stationary portion of the shuttle, where the second induction section is attached to the movable portion of the shuttle, where the first coil at the second longitudinal exterior side of the first core is located in a channel of the stationary portion of the shuttle, where the second coil is located in a channel of the movable portion of the shuttle.

17. A device comprising:

a robot comprising a robot drive with an articulate arm;

a shuttle comprising a movable portion and a stationary portion, where the robot is connected to the movable portion;

the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, where the first induction section is attached to the stationary portion of the shuttle, and where the second induction section is attached to the movable portion of the shuttle; and

a third induction section comprising a third core and a third coil on the third core, where the third core comprises ferromagnetic material, where the third induction section is substantially identical to the first induction section, where the third induction section is attached to the stationary portion of the shuttle, and where the first and third induction sections are aligned with the longitudinal channel and the first coil of the first induction section being aligned with a longitudinal channel and the third coil of the third induction section.

18. A method comprising:

providing a first induction section comprising a first core and a first coil on the first core, where the first core comprises first ferromagnetic material, where the first core comprises transverse laminates and flux concentrating fillers connected to the transverse laminates at opposite ends of the first core, where the first ferromagnetic material at least partially forms rail extensions, where at least two of the rail extensions extend from opposite ends of the first core, where the first core comprises a longitudinal channel along a first longitudinal exterior side of the first core, where the at least two rail extensions are located adjacent opposite sides of the channel, where the first coil is wound on the first core in the channel, around the flux concentrating fillers at the opposite ends of the first core and around a second longitudinal exterior side of the first core, where the second longitudinal exterior side is located on an opposite side of the first core from the first longitudinal exterior side of the first core;

providing a second induction section comprising a second core and a second coil on the second core, where the second core comprises second ferromagnetic material, where the second ferromagnetic material at least partially forms shoe portions; and

locating the second induction section relative to the first induction section, where respective ones of the shoe portions are located at respective ones of the rail extensions, where a gap is provided between each of the rail extensions and respective ones of the shoe portions, and such that the second induction section is configured to move relative to the first induction section in a path along the extensions,

where the first induction section is configured to induce current in the second induction section, including when the second core moves relative to the first core along the extensions, to provide a contactless induction coupling between the first induction section and the second induction section.

19. A method as in claim 18 where the extensions comprise substantially straight rails which are substantially parallel to one another.

20. A method as in claim 18 where the extensions comprise curved rails.

21. A method as in claim 18 where providing the first induction section comprises at least two second induction sections movably located on the first induction section.

22. A method comprising:

providing a contactless induction coupling comprising a first induction section and a second induction section,

where the first induction section comprises a first core and a first coil on the first core, where the first core comprises first ferromagnetic material, where the first core comprises transverse laminates and flux concentrating fillers connected to the transverse laminates at opposite ends of the first core, where the first ferromagnetic material at least partially forms rail extensions, where at least two of the rail extensions extend from opposite ends of the first core, where the first core comprises a longitudinal channel along a first longitudinal exterior side of the first core, where the at least two rail extensions are located adjacent opposite sides of the channel, where the first coil is wound on the first core in the channel, around the flux concentrating fillers at the opposite ends of the first core and around a second longitudinal exterior side of the first core, where the second longitudinal exterior side is located on an opposite side of the first core from the first longitudinal exterior side of the first core,

where the second induction section comprises a second core and a second coil on the second core, where the second core comprises second ferromagnetic material,

where the second ferromagnetic material at least partially forms shoe portions, the second induction section being located relative to the first induction section such that respective ones of the shoe portions are located at respective ones of the rail extensions with a gap provided between each of the rail extensions and the respective ones of the shoe portions, and such that the second induction section is configured to move relative to the first induction section in a path along the extensions; and

while the second induction section moves along the extensions of the first induction section, producing alternating magnetic flux at the first induction section and inducing current in the second induction section from the alternating magnetic flux.