NON CONTACT POWER TRANSFER DEVICE AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED THEREWITH

• US 20110254378A1
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizutani, Atsushi, Ichikawa, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 8,646,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• 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: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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: 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

A non contact electric power transfer device includes: a self resonant coil; an induction coil capable of transmitting and receiving electric power to and from an induction coil capable of the self resonance coil through electromagnetic induction; and a bobbin that has at least one of the self resonant coil and the induction coil attached thereto, and has an accommodation chamber defined therein and capable of accommodating a device therein.

Claims

1. A non contact electric power transfer device comprising:

a second self resonant coil capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving electric power to and from an opposite, first self resonant coil through magnetic field resonance;

an induction coil capable of at least one of extracting the electric power that said second self resonant coil has received through electromagnetic induction, and feeding said second self resonant coil with electric power through electromagnetic induction; and

an accommodation chamber capable of accommodating a device therein.

2. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 1, wherein said second self resonant coil and said induction coil are mounted in a vehicle, said first self resonant coil is disposed external to said vehicle, said first self resonant coil transfers electric power to said second self resonant coil, said second self resonant coil receives the electric power transferred from said first self resonant coil, and said second self resonant coil and said induction coil configure at least a portion of a power reception device.

3. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 1, wherein said first self resonant coil is mounted in a vehicle, said second self resonant coil and said induction coil are disposed external to said vehicle, said second self resonant coil transfers electric power to said first self resonant coil, said first self resonant coil receives the electric power transferred from said second self resonant coil, and said second self resonant coil and said induction coil configure at least a portion of a power transmission device.

4. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 15, wherein said bobbin as seen axially is smaller in length than said bobbin as seen widthwise.

5. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 15, wherein said device accommodated in said bobbin at said accommodation chamber includes a capacitor connected to said second self resonant coil.

6. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 15, wherein said device accommodated in said bobbin at said accommodation chamber is adapted to be a switching device capable of switching a first state selected in a power reception mode and having said second self resonant coil magnetically coupled with said first self resonant coil through magnetic field resonance, and a second state selected in a non power reception mode and having said second self resonant coil magnetically coupled with said first self resonant coil through resonance less strongly than said first state.

7. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 1, wherein:

said second self resonant coil includes said coil'"'"'s main body unit and an impedance variation unit varying said coil'"'"'s main body unit in inductance; and

said impedance variation unit is accommodated in said accommodation chamber.

8. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 7, wherein:

said coil'"'"'s main body unit is divided at a center thereof into a first portion and a second portion portion;

said impedance variation unit includes a relay provided at said center of said coil'"'"'s main body unit and connecting said first portion and said second portion in a power reception mode and disconnecting said first portion and said second portion in a non power reception mode; and

said relay is accommodated in said accommodation chamber.

9. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 1, wherein:

said second self resonant coil includes said coil'"'"'s main body unit and a capacitance variation unit varying said coil'"'"'s main body unit in capacitance; and

said capacitance variation unit is accommodated in said accommodation chamber.

10. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 9, wherein:

said capacitance variation unit includes a lead connected to an end of said coil'"'"'s main body unit, a relay connected to said lead, and a capacitor connected by said relay via said lead to said coil'"'"'s main body unit in a power reception mode and disconnected by said relay from said coil'"'"'s main body in a non power reception mode; and

at least one of said relay and said capacitor is accommodated in said accommodation chamber.

11. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising a rectifier connected to said induction coil, wherein said rectifier is accommodated in said accommodation chamber.

12. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage converter connected to said induction coil, wherein said voltage converter is accommodated in said accommodation chamber.

13. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 15, wherein said second self resonant coil includes:

a wound portion spaced from an outer circumferential surface of said bobbin and wound along said outer circumferential surface of said bobbin; and

a supporting portion connected to said bobbin and capable of supporting said wound portion.

14. A vehicle comprising the non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 1.

15. The non contact electric power transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising a bobbin having said second self resonant coil attached thereto, wherein said accommodation chamber is defined in said bobbin.