5946results about "Coils" patented technology

Embodiments of the invention relate to a method and system for transferring power wirelessly to electronic devices. The system can utilize magnetic coupling between two coils at close proximity to transfer sufficient power to charge an electronic device. Embodiments of the invention pertain to an array of spiral coils that can be used to transmit power for transfer to receiver coils. Potential applications of this technology include charging consumer electronic devices (cell phones, laptops, PDAs, etc), developing hermetically sealed devices for extreme environments, and less invasive transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) systems. Various embodiments of the subject system can be referred to as PowerPad system. Embodiments can incorporate one or more of the following: planar inductors, PCB transformers, and very high frequency power supplies. Embodiments of the invention also pertain to planar inductors having characteristics that allow the production of even magnetic field, as well as systems that incorporate such planar inductors.

A system and method for transferring power does not require direct electrical conductive contacts. There is provided a primary unit having a power supply and a substantially laminar surface having at least one conductor that generates an electromagnetic field when a current flows therethrough and having an active area defined within a perimeter of the surface, the at least one conductor being arranged such that electromagnetic field lines generated by the at least one conductor are substantially parallel to the plane of the surface within the active area; and at least one secondary device including at least one conductor that may be wound about a core; wherein the active area has a perimeter large enough to surround the conductor or core of the at least one secondary device in any orientation thereof substantially parallel to the surface of the primary unit in the active area, such that when the at least one secondary device is placed on or in proximity to the active area in a predetermined orientation, the electromagnetic field induces a current in the at least one conductor of the at least one secondary device.

A multilayer printed circuit board (“PCB”) coil that simulates a coil formed from litz wire. The PCB includes a plurality of alternating conductor and insulating layers interconnected to cooperatively form the coil. Each conductor layer includes a trace that follows the desired coil shape and is divided into a plurality of discrete conductor segments. The segments are electrically connected across layers to provide a plurality of current flow paths (or filaments) that undulate between the layers in a regular, repeating pattern. The coil may be configured so that each filament spends a substantially equal amount of time in proximity to the paired coil and therefore contributes substantially equally to the self or mutual inductance of the coil. Each conductor layer may include a plurality of associated traces and intralayer connector that interconnected so that each filament undulates not only upwardly/downwardly, but also inwardly/outwardly in a regular, repeating pattern.

A magnetic field position and orientation measurement system contains, confines and re-directs the magnetic field from one or more transmitters such that the fields are attenuated in areas outside of the operating volume in areas where metallic objects are commonly found. A thin barrier made of a highly permeable material such as ferrite or mumetal is placed on top of a conductive plate. The thickness of the permeable layer is from 0.01 inches to 0.25 inches while the conductive plate, preferably made of an aluminum alloy, may preferably be from {fraction (3/16)} of an inch to ¼ inch in thickness. On top of the permeable barrier, a rhombic three axis transmitter is placed. In the preferred embodiment, the transmitter consists of a PC board carrying the transmitter. PC boards having thicknesses varying from 0.03125-0.125 inches may be employed. Thus, the entire "stack" including the transmitter, the permeable barrier and the conductive plate may only be from ½ inch to ⅝ of an inch in thickness. The permeable barrier may have a flat, planar configuration. Alternatively, it may be made to resemble, in cross-section, a cake pan having a flat central region with uplifted peripheral edges. Alternatively, the permeable barrier may have a generally flat configuration with peripheral edges that taper outwardly from the top surface thereof to the bottom surface thereof with the taper making an angle with the bottom surface in the range of, preferably, 30° to 85°.

A magnet structure produces a field within a magnet gap. The field is provided at least in part by a pair of permanent magnets that are fixed in place by a frame. The frame fixes a magnet assembly that is adapted to hold the magnetic material composing the permanent magnets, such that the quantity of the magnetic material can be adjusted to suit the particular application. The magnetic material can be provided in the form of discrete magnetic elements, such as magnetic “bricks”. The frame also functions as the flux collector and return. Accordingly, the general geometry of the magnet structure is fixed, and the amount of magnetic material, and therefore the magnetic field strength, is adjustable.

Described herein are improved configurations for providing a stranded printed circuit board trace comprising, a plurality of conductor layers, a plurality of individual conductor traces on each of the said conductor layers, and a plurality of vias for connecting individual conductor traces on different said conductor layers, the vias located on the outside edges of the stranded trace. The individual conductor traces of each layer may be routed from vias on one side of the stranded printed circuit board trace to vias on the other side in a substantially diagonal direction with respect to the axis of the stranded printed circuit board trace. In embodiments, the stranded printed circuit board trace configuration may be applied to a wireless power transfer system.

A position detector is provided for detecting the relative movement of first and second members which are mounted for relative movement along a measuring path. One of the members comprises a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field and the other member comprises first and second conductors which are inductively coupled to said magnetic field generator. The arrangement of the first and second conductors and the magnetic field generator is such that output signals are generated in a first and second receive circuits whose position varies with the relative movement between the two members. In addition to carrying information relating to the relative position between the two members, the signals induced in the receive circuits also comprise information defining the relative orientation of the two movable members, and by suitable processing of the received signals the relative orientation of the two members can also be determined. In a preferred form of the invention, the system operates to define the relative position and orientation of the two movable members in first and second directions from which the relative orientation of the two members in a plane containing the two directions can be determined. The signals induced in the receive circuits can also be processed to give an indication of the gap between the two circuits and to provide an indication of the full relative orientation of the two members.

The present invention describes a planar transformer having a plurality of juxtaposed magnetic cores as well as a two-layer printed circuit board for spiralling a plurality of windings. Each arm of a plurality of juxtaposed magnetic cores respectively goes through a corresponding hole in the middle of these windings, to magnetically couple the current in the main winding to the other windings.

Improved termination features for multilayer electronic components are disclosed. Monolithic components are provided with plated terminations whereby the need for typical thick-film termination stripes is eliminated or greatly simplified. Such termination technology eliminates many typical termination problems and enables a higher number of terminations with finer pitch, which may be especially beneficial on smaller electronic components. The subject plated terminations are guided and anchored by exposed internal electrode tabs and additional anchor tab portions which may optionally extend to the cover layers of a multilayer component. Such anchor tabs may be positioned internally or externally relative to a chip structure to nucleate additional metallized plating material. External anchor tabs positioned on one or both of top and bottom surfaces of a monolithic structure can facilitate the formation of selective wrap-around plated terminations. The disclosed technology may be utilized with a plurality of monolithic multilayer components, including interdigitated capacitors, multilayer capacitor arrays, and integrated passive components. A variety of different plating techniques and termination materials may be employed in the formation of the subject self-determining plated terminations.

A rechargeable apparatus is provided for being recharged by an power source. The rechargeable apparatus include a rechargeable battery and a secondary inductive coil excited by the power source. The secondary inductive coil includes a first inductor having a first axis, a second inductor having a second axis, and a third inductor having a third axis. The first, second, and third axes are mutually orthogonal. The first, second, and third inductors produce a power output in response to said power source. The secondary inductive coil is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery whereby charging energy is coupled from the power source to the rechargeable battery regardless of an orientation of the secondary inductive coil to the power source.

An enhanced inductive coil design for use in data storage magnetic disk drives with areal density over 35 Gb/in², features a double wound twin coil that is able to achieve a yoke length of 15 μm or less by reducing the insulation spacing between the two coils. The coil further presents improved reliability by reducing the possibility of occurrence of electrical shorting. The coil is made by forming two interleafing conductors on the same layer with a demesne process. A tri-level process is implemented in the layout of the first conductor to ensure that the coil width and spacing are uniform and even, in order for the second conductor to be wound therebetween. A conformal dielectric layer of approximately 0.1 to 0.2 μm in thickness is deposited between the two conductors and serves as insulation. The two conductors are formed by a copper seed layer plating process that eliminates potential damage to the conductors during production.

Apparatus for dispensing paper from rolls which feeds continuously, roll to roll, and does not require extra procedure to bring stub roll into position. The apparatus holds and positions at least first and second rolls of paper with respect to each other; dispenses paper from the first roll; dispenses paper from the first and second rolls simultaneously when the first roll reduces to a predetermined diameter of paper, positions the depleted first roll for replacement without the necessity of removing the second roll; and dispenses from the second and replacement rolls simultaneously when the second roll reduces to a predetermined diameter of paper. The apparatus also has a proximity sensor, which senses when a hand is placed near the dispenser, and thereupon dispenses a set amount of towel. The proximity sensor incorporates “static” and noise immunity circuitry.