Secondary battery and antenna device

Abstract

To provide a secondary battery and an antenna device that are capable of improving power receiving efficiency.SOLUTION: A secondary battery 1 is generally configured to include a rechargeable body 2 that can be repeatedly charged, a housing 10 that houses the rechargeable body 2, an antenna unit 3 having an antenna 33 that is arranged on the side portion 13 side of the housing 10 and receives a power transmission signal transmitted from a power transmission device 9 for contactless power supply to the rechargeable body 2, and a charging circuit 4 that is electrically connected to the antenna unit 3 and charges the rechargeable body 2 on the basis of the power transmission signal received via the antenna unit 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery and an antenna device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A locking / unlocking device having a power supply unit that receives power by wireless power supply using microwaves output from a power supply device is known as a conventional technique (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The power supply unit of this locking / unlocking device includes a power receiving unit having an antenna for receiving microwaves, and the power receiving unit is accommodated in a battery-type housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-105466 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventional locking / unlocking devices have a problem in that power receiving efficiency is low depending on the orientation of the housing and the orientation of the antenna relative to the housing.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a rechargeable battery and an antenna device that can improve power receiving efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides a rechargeable battery comprising a rechargeable body that can be repeatedly charged, a housing that houses the rechargeable body, an antenna unit that is arranged on the side of the housing and receives a power transmission signal transmitted from a power transmission device for contactless power supply to the rechargeable body, and a charging circuit that is electrically connected to the antenna unit and charges the rechargeable body based on the power transmission signal received via the antenna unit.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention provides an antenna device that is arranged on the side of a housing for a rechargeable battery that contains a rechargeable body that can be repeatedly charged, and that has an antenna that receives a power transmission signal transmitted from a power transmission device for contactless power supply to the rechargeable body. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the power receiving efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a side view showing an example of a rechargeable battery according to the first embodiment, FIG. 1(b) is a view showing an example of the interior of the rechargeable battery when the negative electrode is removed, and FIG. 1(c) is an example of a cross-sectional view of the section cut at I(c)-I(c) in FIG. 1(a) as viewed from the direction of the arrow. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an example of a block diagram of a rechargeable battery and a power transmitting device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern according to a modified example, in which the antenna patterns intersect obliquely. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern having a spiral shape according to a modified example, in which a first antenna and a second antenna coincide, and FIG. 4(b) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern having a spiral shape and which do not overlap. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern having a linearly folded shape in accordance with a modified example, in which the first antenna and the second antenna coincide, and FIG. 5(b) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern having a linearly folded shape in which the first antenna and the second antenna do not overlap. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(a) is a diagram showing an example of a patch antenna according to a modified example, and FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern arranged radially. [Figure 7]FIG. 7(a) is a diagram showing an example of a controller that houses multiple rechargeable batteries in the second embodiment, and FIG. 7(b) is a diagram showing an example of a battery holder that houses multiple rechargeable batteries in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] (Summary of the embodiment) The rechargeable battery in the embodiment is generally configured to include a rechargeable body that can be repeatedly charged, a housing that houses the rechargeable body, an antenna unit that is arranged on the side of the housing and receives a power transmission signal transmitted from a power transmission device for contactless power supply to the rechargeable body, and a charging circuit that is electrically connected to the antenna unit and charges the rechargeable body based on the power transmission signal received via the antenna unit.

[0012] Since the antenna section of this rechargeable battery is located on the side where the area is larger, the power transmission signal can be received more efficiently and power receiving efficiency can be improved compared to a case where this configuration is not adopted.

[0013] [First embodiment] (Rechargeable battery 1 overview) FIG. 1(a) is a side view showing an example of a rechargeable battery according to a first embodiment, FIG. 1(b) is a view showing an example of the inside of the rechargeable battery when the negative electrode is removed, and FIG. 1(c) is an example of a cross-sectional view taken along line I(c)-I(c) in FIG. 1(a) as viewed from the direction of the arrow. FIG. 2 is an example of a block diagram of a rechargeable battery and a power transmission device according to an embodiment. In each of the drawings according to the embodiments described below, the ratio and shape between figures may differ from the actual ratio and shape. In addition, "A to B" indicating a numerical range is used to mean A or more and B or less.

[0014] The rechargeable battery 1 is configured to be charged without the user being aware of it by receiving a power transmission signal transmitted from a power transmission device 9, even when the rechargeable battery 1 is, for example, housed in a battery holder 8 of a remote controller that enables remote operation of an electronic device, attached to the electronic device to store settings, or housed in an electronic key for opening and closing vehicle doors.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1(a) to 2, this rechargeable battery 1 is generally composed of a rechargeable body 2 that can be repeatedly charged, a housing 10 that houses the rechargeable body 2, an antenna unit 3 that is arranged on the side 13 of the housing 10 and has an antenna 33 that receives a power transmission signal transmitted from a power transmission device 9 for contactless power supply to the rechargeable body 2, and a charging circuit 4 that is electrically connected to the antenna unit 3 and charges the rechargeable body 2 based on the power transmission signal received via the antenna unit 3.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1(c), the antenna unit 3 includes a base 30 on which an antenna 33 is disposed. As shown in Fig. 1(a) and Fig. 1(b), the base 30 is disposed along the side portion 13 of the housing 10.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the side portion 13 has an outer surface 130 and an inner surface 131. The antenna portion 3 in this embodiment is disposed along the outer surface 130, that is, wound around the outer surface 130. As a modified example, the antenna portion 3 may be disposed along the inner surface 131. In this case, since the antenna portion 3 is disposed in the internal space 14 of the housing 10, the housing 10 is formed using a resin material that transmits power transmission signals. The internal space 14 is a space surrounded by the inner surface 131 of the side portion 13, the positive electrode terminal 11, and the negative electrode terminal 12. In this internal space 14, the charger 2 and the charging circuit 4 are disposed.

[0018] 1(c), the antenna 33 is composed of a first antenna 34 arranged on a first surface 31 of the base 30, and a second antenna 35 arranged on a second surface 32 opposite to the first surface 31. The first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 have different antenna patterns, i.e., different directivities. The first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 are insulated from each other by the base 30.

[0019] 2, the rechargeable battery 1 is configured to charge the charger 2 by contactless power supply using a power transmission signal transmitted from a power transmitting device 9. The power transmitting device 9 of the present embodiment transmits power using microwaves 91 as the power transmission signal, for example.

[0020] As an example, the power transmitting device 9 is roughly configured to include a transmitting antenna section 90, a transmitting conversion section 92, a power supply section 93, and a transmitting control section 94, as shown in FIG.

[0021] The transmitting antenna unit 90 is used to transmit microwaves 91 to the rechargeable battery 1. The transmitting conversion unit 92 converts power from a power supply unit 93 into microwaves 91. The power supply unit 93 supplies power for conversion into microwaves 91. This power supply unit 93 may be configured to use power supplied from an external power supply, or may be configured as a storage battery.

[0022] The transmission side control unit 94 is, for example, a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs calculations and processing on acquired data according to a stored program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that is a semiconductor memory, and a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The transmission side control unit 94 is configured to control the transmission side conversion unit 92 and the power supply unit 93.

[0023] Here, as a variant example, when the rechargeable battery 1 is configured to transmit a beacon signal indicating its own position, the power transmission device 9 may be configured to adjust the phase of the microwaves 91 based on the beacon signal received from the rechargeable battery 1 and transmit the microwaves 91 toward the rechargeable battery 1.

[0024] (Configuration of the housing 10) The case 10 has a cylindrical shape and is the same size as dry batteries such as D to AAA batteries. Therefore, the rechargeable battery 1 can be attached to a battery holder 8 for dry batteries. The positive electrode terminal 11 and the negative electrode terminal 12 of the case 10 are formed, for example, from a material in which a conductive metal such as copper or iron is nickel-plated. The rechargeable battery 1 may be in the shape of a 9V dry battery in which the positive electrode terminal 11 and the negative electrode terminal 12 are arranged on the same surface.

[0025] 1(b), the negative electrode terminal 12 is provided with an insertion opening 120 into which the end 36 of the antenna unit 3 is inserted. A packing that prevents foreign matter from entering the internal space 14 is disposed in the insertion opening 120.

[0026] In addition to the charging body 2, a substrate 5 is disposed in the internal space 14 of the housing 10. As an example, this substrate 5 is a rigid substrate. As an example, this substrate 5 has a connector 51, and a conversion unit 40 and a control unit 41 of the charging circuit 4 disposed on an arrangement surface 50.

[0027] In the antenna unit 3, an end portion 300 of the base body 30 is attached to a connector 51 electrically connected to the charging circuit 4 of the charging body 2, and the antenna 33 and the charging circuit 4 are electrically connected via the connector 51.

[0028] At the end 300 of the base 30, wiring connected to the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 is located, and is electrically connected to the connector 51.

[0029] (Configuration of charger 2) The charging unit 2 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a nickel cadmium battery. The charging unit 2 in this embodiment is, for example, a lithium ion battery, but is not limited to this. The charging unit 2 is charged by microwaves 91 transmitted from a power transmitting device 9.

[0030] (Configuration of antenna section 3) FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 3(a) and FIGS. 3(b) to 6(b) described later, the second surface 32 is the housing 10 side, so the first antenna 34 arranged on the first surface 31 is shown by a solid line, and the second antenna 35 arranged on the second surface 32 is shown by a dotted line. In FIG. 3(a) and FIGS. 3(b) to 6(b) described later, the right side of the paper is the positive electrode terminal 11 side of the rechargeable battery 1, and the left side is the negative electrode terminal 12 side. Furthermore, the antenna pattern 33a of the antenna 33 shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIGS. 3(b) to 6(b) described later may be arranged on the entire side 13 of the rechargeable battery 1, may be arranged partially, or may be arranged by combining a plurality of antenna patterns to approach isotropic directivity.

[0031] As an example, the first antennas 34 of this embodiment have linear shapes and are arranged in the same direction, as shown in Figures 1(a) and 3(a). The second antennas 35 have linear shapes and are arranged in the same direction as the first antennas 34 so as to intersect with them. In other words, the first antennas 34 and the second antennas 35 are arranged in a mesh pattern.

[0032] 1(c), the antenna unit 3 is provided on a first surface 31 and a second surface 32 of a base 30. The base 30 is formed in a film shape using a flexible resin material such as polyimide or polyethylene terephthalate, for example, but is not limited to this.

[0033] The first antenna 34 on the first surface 31 and the second antenna 35 on the second surface 32 are formed as thin films of a conductive metal such as copper, for example. The first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 are formed by printing, for example. The first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 may be formed using a transparent conductive metal.

[0034] The lengths of the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 are determined based on half the wavelength (λ / 2) of the wavelength (λ) of the microwave 91. The first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 of the present embodiment are, for example, made of the same material, width, height, and length.

[0035] The microwaves 91 used for power transmission have a frequency of, for example, 5.7 to 24 GHz. Therefore, the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 have a length of, for example, approximately 6 to 27 mm, making them mountable even on a small rechargeable battery 1.

[0036] The antenna unit 3 is attached to the side portion 13 of the housing 10 using, for example, an insulating double-sided tape, an adhesive, or the like.

[0037] The first antenna 34 is disposed so as to have the same interval as the second antenna 35. In addition, the first antenna 34 is disposed so as to cross the second antenna 35 at an angle of 90°.

[0038] - Modifications of antenna part 3 FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern that crosses obliquely according to a modified example. FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern that is spiral-shaped and in which the first antenna and the second antenna coincide according to a modified example, and FIG. 4(b) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern that is spiral-shaped and does not overlap. FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern that is linearly folded back according to a modified example and in which the first antenna and the second antenna coincide, and FIG. 5(b) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern that is linearly folded back and does not overlap. FIG. 6(a) is a diagram showing an example of a patch antenna according to a modified example, and FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing an example of an antenna pattern that is radially arranged.

[0039] 3(b) is an example of an antenna pattern 33a in which the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 are arranged so as to be inclined at 45° with respect to the line connecting the positive electrode terminal 11 and the negative electrode terminal 12. Note that in this antenna pattern 33a, the lengths and intervals of the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 may be changed.

[0040] Fig. 4(a) is an example of an antenna pattern 33a that spreads in a spiral shape from the center. The first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 have matching patterns. Therefore, in Fig. 4(a), the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 overlap with each other via the base 30. Note that the antenna pattern 33a in Fig. 4(a) may be a pattern in which either the first antenna 34 or the second antenna 35 is arranged.

[0041] 4(b) shows an example of an antenna pattern 33a that spreads out in a spiral shape from the center and has different patterns for the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35. In this antenna pattern 33a, the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 do not overlap.

[0042] Fig. 5(a) shows an example of an antenna pattern 33a that folds back linearly from the center. The first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 have matching patterns. Therefore, in Fig. 5(a), the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 overlap with each other via the base 30. Note that the antenna pattern 33a in Fig. 5(a) may be a pattern in which either the first antenna 34 or the second antenna 35 is arranged.

[0043] 5(b) shows an example of an antenna pattern 33a that folds back linearly from the center and spreads out, and has different patterns for the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35. In this antenna pattern 33a, the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 do not overlap.

[0044] Fig. 6(a) is an example of an antenna pattern 33a made up of multiple patch antennas. The first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 are arranged in a lattice pattern so as not to overlap. The antenna pattern 33a in Fig. 6(a) may be a pattern in which either the first antenna 34 or the second antenna 35 is arranged in a lattice pattern.

[0045] The multiple patch antennas constituting the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 may be configured to have different directivities by changing the connection points connected to the charging circuit 4.

[0046] Fig. 6(b) is an example of a radially arranged antenna pattern 33a. In the antenna pattern 33a shown in Fig. 6(a), the first antennas 34 are arranged radially and are fan-shaped at 90° with opposing corners as centers, and have various directivities. Note that this antenna pattern 33a may be arranged so that the second antenna 35 overlaps with the first antenna 34, or only one of them may be arranged.

[0047] The antenna 33 may be arranged with only these antenna patterns 33a, or may be arranged with a combination of a plurality of antenna patterns 33a.

[0048] (Configuration of charging circuit 4) 2, the charging circuit 4 includes a conversion unit 40 and a control unit 41. The conversion unit 40 converts the microwaves 91 received by the antenna unit 3 into a direct current. The control unit 41 is, for example, a microcomputer including a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM. The control unit 41 performs control related to charging.

[0049] (Effects of the First Embodiment) The rechargeable battery 1 of this embodiment can improve the power receiving efficiency. Specifically, since the antenna unit 3 is arranged on the side portion 13 side, which has a larger area, the rechargeable battery 1 can receive the microwaves 91 more efficiently and improve the power receiving efficiency compared to a case where this configuration is not adopted.

[0050] Since the directivity of the antenna 33 of the rechargeable battery 1 can be made closer to isotropic directivity and bias in directivity can be suppressed, the rechargeable battery 1 can be easily charged regardless of its position relative to the power transmission device 9 compared to a case in which the rechargeable battery 1 has a single directivity, and charging efficiency is improved.

[0051] The rechargeable battery 1 has less bias in the directivity of the antenna 33 compared to a battery having a single directivity, so that the rechargeable battery 1 can be easily charged regardless of the state in which the rechargeable battery 1 is placed.

[0052] Since the rechargeable battery 1 has the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 formed on the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 of the base 30, even the antenna pattern 33a in which the first antenna 34 and the second antenna 35 intersect is easier to insulate than when multiple antennas that intersect are arranged on a single surface.

[0053] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment differs from the other embodiments in that an antenna is disposed across a plurality of rechargeable batteries.

[0054] Fig. 7(a) is a diagram showing an example of a controller that stores multiple rechargeable batteries according to the second embodiment, and Fig. 7(b) is a diagram showing an example of a battery holder that stores multiple rechargeable batteries according to a modified example. In the embodiments described below, parts that have the same functions and configurations as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0055] As an example, the antenna section 3 of this embodiment is disposed across the side sections 13 of a plurality of housings 10 arranged side by side, as shown in FIG. 7(a).

[0056] The antenna 33 of the antenna unit 3 in this embodiment is at least one patch antenna.

[0057] In Fig. 7(a), an antenna unit 3 is disposed across the side portions 13 of two rechargeable batteries 1. The rechargeable batteries 1 are housed in a battery holder 8 of a remote controller 7 for operating an electronic device. Each of the rechargeable batteries 1 is equipped with a charging circuit 4.

[0058] The battery holder 8 is provided on the main body 70 of the remote controller 7, and a lid 80 is attached to it. The lid 80 is indicated by a dotted line in Figure 7(a).

[0059] The battery holder 8 has a recess 81, two positive electrodes 82, and two negative electrodes 83. The recess 81 has a concave shape corresponding to the shape of the rechargeable battery 1 so as to hold two rechargeable batteries 1. The positive electrode 82 has a plate shape and is in contact with the positive electrode terminal 11 of the rechargeable battery 1. The negative electrode 83 has a spring shape and is in contact with the negative electrode terminal 12 of the rechargeable battery 1.

[0060] The antenna unit 3 has one patch antenna as the antenna 33. This antenna 33 faces the lid 80. The antenna 33 receives microwaves 91 through the lid 80.

[0061] An end 36 of the antenna unit 3 is attached to a connector 51 of the rechargeable battery 1. As a modified example, the antenna unit 3 may be configured such that one antenna 33 is arranged for one rechargeable battery 1, or such that multiple antennas 33 are arranged for one rechargeable battery 1. The antenna unit 3 may also be the radial antenna 33 or mesh antenna 33 shown in the first embodiment, or a combination of these.

[0062] 7(b), the antenna unit 3 has a plurality of patch antennas for four rechargeable batteries 1. This antenna unit 3 is configured so that one patch antenna charges two rechargeable batteries 1.

[0063] (Effects of the second embodiment) The antenna unit 3 in this embodiment is arranged across multiple rechargeable batteries 1, so that its position relative to the multiple rechargeable batteries 1 is fixed, allowing for more stable charging, compared to when an antenna unit is arranged on a single rechargeable battery.

[0064] The antenna section 3 of the present embodiment determines the positions and intervals of a plurality of rechargeable batteries 1, and therefore can improve power receiving efficiency compared to a case in which an antenna section is provided for each rechargeable battery.

[0065] Here, as another embodiment, the antenna section 3 may be configured as an antenna device. That is, the antenna device is arranged on the side 13 of the housing 10 of the rechargeable battery 1 that houses the repeatedly rechargeable chargeable body 2, and is generally configured with an antenna 33 that receives a power transmission signal transmitted from the power transmission device 9 for contactless power supply to the chargeable body 2. By attaching this antenna device to the rechargeable battery 1, the rechargeable battery 1 can be charged by contactless power supply.

[0066] Although some embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments and modifications are merely examples and do not limit the invention according to the claims. These novel embodiments and modifications can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, not all combinations of features described in these embodiments and modifications are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. Furthermore, these embodiments and modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1...rechargeable battery, 2...charger, 3...antenna section, 4...charging circuit, 5...board, 7...remote controller, 8...battery holder, 9...power transmission device, 10...casing, 11...positive electrode terminal, 12...negative electrode terminal, 13...side section, 14...internal space, 30...base, 31...first surface, 32...second surface, 33...antenna, 33a...antenna pattern, 34...first antenna, 35...second antenna, 36...end section, 40...conversion section, 41...control section, 50...arrangement surface, 51...connector, 70...main body, 80...lid, 81...recess, 82...positive electrode, 83...negative electrode, 90...transmission antenna section, 91...microwave, 92...transmission conversion section, 93...power supply section, 94...transmission control section, 120...insertion opening, 130...outer surface, 131...inner surface, 300...end section

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery that can be repeatedly charged; A housing that houses the charging body; an antenna unit disposed on a side of the housing and having an antenna for receiving a power transmission signal transmitted from a power transmitting device for contactless power supply to the charging body; a charging circuit electrically connected to the antenna unit and configured to charge the charging body based on the power transmission signal received via the antenna unit; Equipped with a rechargeable battery.

2. the antenna portion includes a base on which the antenna is disposed, The base is disposed along a side surface of the housing.

2. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1.

3. the antenna comprises a first antenna disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and a second antenna disposed on a second surface opposite to the first surface; the first antenna and the second antenna have different patterns.

3. The rechargeable battery according to claim 2.

4. the antenna comprises a first antenna disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and a second antenna disposed on a second surface opposite to the first surface; the first antenna and the second antenna have matching patterns.

3. The rechargeable battery according to claim 2.

5. The antenna unit is disposed across the side surfaces of the plurality of housings arranged side by side.

2. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1.

6. the antenna portion includes a base on which the antenna is disposed, The antenna is at least one patch antenna. The rechargeable battery according to claim 5.

7. The antenna unit is attached to a connector at an end of the base that is electrically connected to the charging circuit of the charging body, and the antenna and the charging circuit are electrically connected via the connector.

7. The rechargeable battery according to claim 3, 4 or 6.

8. An antenna device comprising an antenna arranged on the side of a housing for a rechargeable battery that houses a rechargeable body that can be repeatedly charged, and which receives a power transmission signal transmitted from a power transmission device for contactless power supply to the rechargeable body.

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