Wireless power supply system

• US 9,634,524 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Original Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Inventors: Niizuma, Motonao
• Primary Examiner(s): Amaya, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US14/741,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

A wireless power supply system includes a power-supplying device mounted on one of a mobile object and a structure different from the mobile object and a power-receiving device mounted on the other of the mobile object and the structure and supplies electric power from the power-supplying device to the power-receiving device disposed to face the power-supplying device under water or on surface of water. The wireless power supply system includes a contact portion that is disposed in the mobile object and that comes in contact with the structure and a thruster that presses the contact portion against the structure during the transmission of electric power.

Claims

1. A wireless power supply system that includes a power-supplying device mounted on one of a mobile object and a structure different from the mobile object and a power-receiving device mounted on the other of the mobile object and the structure and supplies electric power from the power-supplying device to the power-receiving device disposed to face the power-supplying device under water or on surface of water, the wireless power supply system comprising:

a contact portion that is disposed in the mobile object and that comes in contact with the structure; and

a thruster that presses the contact portion against the structure during the transmission of electric power.

2. The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, comprising a receiver portion that is disposed in the structure, receives the contact portion, and positions the mobile object.

3. The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, comprising:

a position detecting device that detects a positional relationship between the power-supplying device and the power-receiving device; and

a power transmission stopping device that stops the transmission of electric power when the detection result of the position detecting device indicates that the positional relationship between the power-supplying device and the power-receiving device departs from a reference position.

4. The wireless power supply system according to claim 2, comprising:

a position detecting device that detects a positional relationship between the power-supplying device and the power-receiving device; and

a power transmission stopping device that stops the transmission of electric power when the detection result of the position detecting device indicates that the positional relationship between the power-supplying device and the power-receiving device departs from a reference position.

5. The wireless power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the position detecting device includes a metal piece that is disposed in one of the mobile object and the structure on which the power-receiving device is mounted and a metal detecting device that is disposed in one of the mobile object and the structure on which the power-supplying device is mounted and detects the metal piece in a wireless manner.

6. The wireless power supply system according to claim 4, wherein the position detecting device includes a metal piece that is disposed in one of the mobile object and the structure on which the power-receiving device is mounted and a metal detecting device that is disposed in one of the mobile object and the structure on which the power-supplying device is mounted and detects the metal piece in a wireless manner.

7. The wireless power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the position detecting device includes an ultrasonic wave transmitting device that is disposed in one of the mobile object and the structure on which the power-receiving device is mounted and an ultrasonic wave receiving device that is disposed in one of the mobile object and the structure on which the power-supplying device is mounted.

8. The wireless power supply system according to claim 4, wherein the position detecting device includes an ultrasonic wave transmitting device that is disposed in one of the mobile object and the structure on which the power-receiving device is mounted and an ultrasonic wave receiving device that is disposed in one of the mobile object and the structure on which the power-supplying device is mounted.

9. The wireless power supply system according to claim 7, wherein the contact portion functions as a waveguide that transmits an ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic wave transmitting device to the ultrasonic wave receiving device.

10. The wireless power supply system according to claim 8, wherein the contact portion functions as a waveguide that transmits an ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic wave transmitting device to the ultrasonic wave receiving device.