Antenna coil comprising plurality of coil portions

• US 9,318,258 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Equos Research Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Equos Research Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamakawa, Hiroyuki, Satou, Kenichirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIAO, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/401,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20150137612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy 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: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/08 Ferrite rod or like elongated core
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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

Provided is an antenna coil capable of forming a magnetic field in a desired direction in an efficient manner, while suppressing leakage of magnetic flux into a space other than the space in which the magnetic field is formed. The antenna coil includes a main coil portion formed by winding a length of conductor wire around a first reference axis and an auxiliary coil portion formed by winding the conductor wire around a second reference axis. The second reference axis is set to intersect the magnetic flux of the main coil portion at an axial end of the auxiliary coil portion. The main coil portion and the auxiliary coil portion are connected to together form a closed circuit.

Claims

1. An antenna coil, comprising:

a main coil portion formed by winding a length of conductor wire around a first reference axis; and

an auxiliary coil portion formed by winding a length of conductor wire around a second reference axis different from the first reference axis, the auxiliary coil portion having a smaller diameter than a diameter of the main coil portion, the auxiliary coil portion being disposed such that a magnetic flux of the main coil portion is deflected in a direction along the second reference axis;

wherein the main coil portion and the auxiliary coil portion are connected in series or in parallel to form a closed circuit, and wherein when current flows simultaneously in the main coil portion and the auxiliary coil portion, the magnetic flux of the main coil portion has directivity such that the magnetic flux of the main coil portion spreads on a side where the auxiliary coil portion is absent relative to a side where the auxiliary coil portion is present and the magnetic flux of the main coil portion bends and returns via the auxiliary coil portion as a bypassing circuit.

2. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein an inductance of the auxiliary coil portion is set smaller than an inductance of the main coil portion.

3. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary coil portion is formed by winding a length of conductor wire around an auxiliary coil core formed of magnetic material and disposed along the second reference axis.

4. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary coil portion is disposed such that a component of a current flowing in the auxiliary coil portion parallel with a tangent of conductor wire of the main coil portion wound around the first reference axis has a same direction as a current flowing in the main coil portion on a side proximate to the main coil portion.

5. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary coil portion is disposed such that the second reference axis is directed along one axial end face which is perpendicular to the first reference axis at one end of the main coil portion in a direction along the first reference axis.

6. The antenna coil according to claim 5, wherein when the antenna coil is provided in at least one of a power supplying circuit and a power receiving circuit of a magnetic-field resonance power supplying apparatus for effecting wireless power supply and transferring power to or from the antenna coil and another antenna coil, the auxiliary coil portion is disposed along a back face side axial end face which is an axial end face opposite to a side opposed to the other antenna coil.

7. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the auxiliary coil portions are provided, and the plurality of the auxiliary coil portions are disposed along a plane perpendicular to the first reference axis and equidistantly along a circumferential direction with the first reference axis as a center.

8. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary coil portion is disposed in such a manner as to have a portion thereof overlapped with the main coil portion as seen along an axial direction of the first reference axis.

9. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein the main coil portion is formed in a shape of a planar spiral coil in a reference plane perpendicular to the first reference axis.

10. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein the main coil portion and the auxiliary coil portion are connected in series to form a closed circuit.

11. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the auxiliary coil portions are provided, and a sum of inductances of the auxiliary coil portions is set smaller than an inductance of the main coil portion.

12. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the main coil portions and a plurality of the auxiliary coil portions are provided, and a sum of inductances of the auxiliary coil portions is set smaller than a sum of inductances of the main coil portions.

13. The antenna coil according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the main coil portions are provided, and an inductance of the auxiliary coil portion is set smaller than a sum of inductances of the main coil portions.

14. An antenna coil which is at least one of a power supplying side coil and a power receiving side coil of a magnetic-field resonance power supply apparatus for effecting wireless power supply between a power supplying circuit having the power supplying side coil and a power receiving circuit having the power receiving side coil, the antenna coil comprising:

a main coil portion formed by winding a length of conductor wire around a first reference axis; and

an auxiliary coil portion formed by winding a length of conductor wire around a second reference axis different from the first reference axis, the auxiliary coil portion having a smaller diameter than a diameter of the main coil portion;

an opposing side axial end face of the antenna coil that is an end face perpendicular to the first reference axis at a first end of the main coil portion on a side where the power supplying side coil and the power receiving side coil are opposed to each other; and

a back face side axial end face that is an end face perpendicular to the first reference axis at a second end of the main coil portion and is opposite the opposing side axial end face;

wherein the main coil portion and the auxiliary coil portion are connected in series or in parallel to form a closed circuit,

the auxiliary coil portion is disposed along the back face side axial end face with a depression angle of within 45 degrees for progressive inclination from the back face side axial end face toward the opposing side axial end face as the auxiliary coil portion extends toward a radial outer side of the main coil portion, and

a magnetic flux of the main coil portion is deflected in a direction along the second reference axis, and wherein when current flows simultaneously in the main coil portion and the auxiliary coil portion, the magnetic flux of the main coil portion has directivity in a direction along the first reference axis such that the magnetic flux of the main coil portion spreads on a side where the auxiliary coil portion is absent relative to a side where the auxiliary coil portion is present and the magnetic flux of the main coil portion bends and returns via the auxiliary coil portion as a bypassing circuit.

15. The antenna coil according to claim 14, wherein a plurality of the auxiliary coil portions are provided, and a plurality of the auxiliary coil portions are disposed equidistantly along a circumferential direction with the first reference axis as a center.

16. The antenna coil according to claim 15, wherein each of the auxiliary coil portions is disposed in such a manner as to have at least a portion thereof overlapped with the main coil portion as seen along an axial direction of the first reference axis.

17. The antenna coil according to claim 16, wherein a sum of inductances of the auxiliary coil portions is set smaller than an inductance of the main coil portion.

18. The antenna coil according to claim 17, wherein the main coil portion is formed in a shape of a planar spiral coil in a reference plane perpendicular to the first reference axis.

19. An antenna coil which is at least one of a power supplying side coil and a power receiving side coil of a magnetic-field resonance power supply apparatus for effecting wireless power supply between a power supplying circuit having the power supplying side coil and a power receiving circuit having the power receiving side coil, the antenna coil comprising:

a main coil portion formed by winding a length of conductor wire around a first reference axis; and

an auxiliary coil portion formed by winding a length of conductor wire around a second reference axis different from the first reference axis, the auxiliary coil portion having a smaller diameter than a diameter of the main coil portion, the second reference axis being substantially in parallel with the first reference axis,

wherein the main coil portion and the auxiliary coil portion are connected in series or in parallel to form a closed circuit,

the auxiliary coil portion is inscribed in the main coil portion on a side where the power supplying side coil and the power receiving side coil are opposed to each other, or circumscribed on the main coil portion on a side where the power supplying side coil and the power receiving side coil are opposed to each other, and is disposed in such a manner as to have a portion thereof overlapped with the main coil portion as seen along a first direction perpendicular to the first reference axis, and

a magnetic flux of the main coil portion is deflected in a direction along the second reference axis, and wherein when current flows simultaneously in the main coil portion and the auxiliary coil portion, the magnetic flux of the main coil portion has directivity in a second direction perpendicular to the first reference axis such that the magnetic flux of the main coil portion spreads on a side where the auxiliary coil portion is absent relative to a side where the auxiliary coil portion is present and the magnetic flux of the main coil portion bends and returns via the auxiliary coil portion as a bypassing circuit.

20. The antenna coil according to claim 19, wherein a plurality of the auxiliary coil portions are provided, and a sum of inductances of the auxiliary coil portions is set smaller than an inductance of the main coil portion.