Contactless power transferring apparatus

• US 20080296979A1
• Filed: 05/28/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group), Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group), Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsuya, Yamazaki, Manabu, Onishi, Kota, Jin, Mikimoto, Kato, Hiroshi, Kondo, Yoichiro, Suzuki, Kuniharu, Yoda, Kentaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,750,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A contactless power transferring apparatus includes a terminal loading portion, a primary coil, an up-down-direction pressing portion, a width direction pressing portion and a thickness direction pressing portion. The terminal loading portion has an opening through which a mobile terminal is inserted and loaded. The primary coil transfers power using electromagnetic induction to a secondary coil incorporated in the mobile terminal. When the mobile terminal is inserted inside the terminal loading portion, the pressing portions operate in an up-down direction, in a left-right direction and in a width direction, to press and support the mobile terminal respectively from below to position the coils in the up-down direction, from the width direction to position the coils in the left-right direction and from the thickness direction to dispose the coils a predetermined distance apart.

Claims

1. A contactless power transferring apparatus comprising:

a terminal loading portion which has an opening of a size that is at least larger than an outer form of a mobile terminal and in which a mobile terminal inserted from the opening is loaded;

a primary coil that is disposed with a coil surface thereof substantially in parallel with a wall surface of the terminal loading portion and transfers power using electromagnetic induction to a secondary coil incorporated in the mobile terminal;

an up-down-direction pressing portion operable when the mobile terminal is inserted inside the terminal loading portion, to operate in an up-down direction that is a mobile-terminal loading and removing direction so as to press and support a case base surface of the mobile terminal from below and position the primary coil and the secondary coil of the mobile terminal in the up-down direction;

a width direction pressing portion operable when the mobile terminal is inserted inside the terminal loading portion, to operate in a width direction of the mobile terminal so as to press and support the mobile terminal from the width direction and position the primary coil and the secondary coil of the mobile terminal in a left-right direction; and

a thickness direction pressing portion operable when the mobile terminal is inserted inside the terminal loading portion, to operate in a thickness direction of the mobile terminal so as to press and support the mobile terminal from the thickness direction and dispose the primary coil and the secondary coil of the mobile terminal a predetermined distance apart.

2. A contactless power transferring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the up-down direction pressing portion includes:

a case base surface contacting portion operable when the mobile terminal is loaded inside the terminal loading portion, to contact the case base surface of the mobile terminal and press and support the mobile terminal from below; and

a compression spring that applies a reaction force that presses the case base surface contacting portion upward from below.

3. A contactless power transferring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the width direction pressing portion includes:

a case side surface contacting portion operable when the mobile terminal is loaded inside the terminal loading portion, to contact both side surfaces of the mobile terminal and press and support the mobile terminal from both sides thereof; and

a force converting portion that converts a downward pressing force, which acts when the up-down direction pressing portion is pressed down due to the weight of the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is loaded inside the terminal loading portion, to forces applied by the case side surface contacting portion to both side surfaces of the mobile terminal.

4. A contactless power transferring apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the case side surface contacting portion of the width direction pressing portion includes

a first case side surface contacting portion that contacts one side surface of the mobile terminal to press and support the one side surface of the mobile terminal;

and

a second case side surface contacting portion that contacts another side surface of the mobile terminal to press and support the other side surface of the mobile terminal, and

wherein the force converting portion of the width direction pressing portion includes a first force transmitting portion and a second force transmitting portion,

the first force transmitting portion having

a first rotation shaft provided on an apparatus case;

a first upper arm portion that connects the first rotation shaft and the first case side surface contacting portion;

a first rear surface contacting portion that faces the case base surface contacting portion of the up-down direction pressing portion and contacts a rear surface thereof;

a first spring end engaging portion engaged by one end of a tension spring;

a first lower arm portion that connects the first rear surface contacting portion and the first spring end engaging portion to the first rotation shaft, and the second force transmitting portion having

a second rotation shaft provided on the apparatus case;

a second upper arm portion that connects the second rotation shaft and the second case side surface contacting portion;

a second rear surface contacting portion that faces the case base surface contacting portion of the up-down direction pressing portion and contacts a rear surface thereof;

a second spring end engaging portion engaged by another end of the tension spring; and

a second lower arm portion that connects the second rear surface contacting portion and the second spring end engaging portion to the second rotation shaft.

5. A contactless power transferring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the width direction pressing portion includes:

a first case side surface contacting portion that contacts one side surface of the mobile terminal to press and support the one side surface of the mobile terminal;

a second case side surface contacting portion that contacts another side surface of the mobile terminal to press and support the other side surface of the mobile terminal;

a slide rail portion that is fixed to an apparatus case inner portion, is disposed with a length thereof substantially perpendicular to an up-down direction of the terminal loading portion, and includes a first arm rail portion at one end portion thereof and a second arm rail portion at another end portion thereof;

a first slide arm portion that has one arm end portion in sliding contact inside the first arm rail portion of the slide rail portion and another end portion to which the first case side surface contacting portion is attached;

a second slide arm portion that has one arm end portion in sliding contact inside the second arm rail portion of the slide rail portion and another end portion to which the second case side surface contacting portion is attached;

a first spring end engaging portion that is provided near the one arm end portion of the first slide arm portion and is engaged by one end of a tension spring; and

a second spring end engaging portion that is provided near the one arm end portion of the second slide arm portion and is engaged by another end of the tension spring.

6. A contactless power transferring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the thickness direction pressing portion is operable when the mobile terminal is loaded inside the terminal loading portion, to contact a case surface of the mobile terminal and press the mobile terminal toward a wall surface where the primary coil is disposed using a reaction force of a spring.

7. A contactless power transferring apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising an apparatus-side positioning portion that is disposed at a predetermined position relative to the primary coil and operable when the mobile terminal is loaded inside the terminal loading portion, to align center positions of the primary coil and the secondary coil by engaging a terminal-side positioning portion disposed at a predetermined position relative to the secondary coil of the mobile terminal.

8. A contactless power transferring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the terminal loading portion is substantially cylindrical, and

the cylindrical terminal loading portion, the primary coil, the up-down direction pressing portion, the width direction pressing portion, and the thickness direction pressing portion are integrated to construct a unit that is rotatable with respect to an apparatus main body.

9. A contactless power transferring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the width direction pressing portion includes a case side surface contacting portion operable when the mobile terminal is loaded inside the terminal loading portion, to make surface contact with both side surfaces of the mobile terminal to press and support the mobile terminal from both sides thereof.

10. A contactless power transferring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the case side surface contacting portion of the width direction pressing portion includes a protective portion at parts that contact both side surfaces of the mobile terminal.