Resonance circuit, and non-contact power supply device

Abstract

To provide a resonance circuit which can exhibit stable performance, and a non-contact power supply device.SOLUTION: A resonance circuit comprises a capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode that face each other with an isolation layer interposed therebetween, and a coil for transmitting electric power by using a magnetic field. The first electrode and the second electrode also serve as wiring of the coil.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a resonant circuit and a contactless power supply device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, attention has been focused on contactless power supply devices that transmit power without using cables to electronic devices, electric mobility, etc. Specifically, for example, a power receiving unit mounted on a mobile object that transports logistics resources within a logistics facility is charged contactlessly using a power supplying unit installed along the direction of movement of the mobile object.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration having a coil wiring board and a capacitor as a resonant circuit used in a contactless power supply device, and discloses that the resonant circuit can be applied to a flexible substrate. In Patent Document 1, the capacitor is attached to a control circuit board that is configured separately from the coil wiring board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-088471 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the resonant circuit disclosed in Patent Document 1, stable performance may be impaired due to problems such as damage to the capacitor or cracks occurring in the soldered portion of the capacitor during handling during mounting, for example.

[0006] Therefore, this embodiment provides a resonant circuit and a contactless power supply device that can exhibit stable performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The resonant circuit of the embodiment is a resonant circuit comprising a capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode arranged opposite each other with an insulating layer sandwiched therebetween, and a coil for transmitting power using a magnetic field, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode also serve as wiring for the coil. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a contactless power supply device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power transmission side resonant circuit according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of a circuit main body of a power transmitting resonant circuit according to a first embodiment, in which (a) is a plan view of the circuit main body as seen from the front side, (b) is a plan view of the circuit main body as seen from the back side, and (c) is a side view of the circuit main body as seen from the side. [Figure 4] 3 is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the arrow X4 in FIG. 2 in the power transmitting side resonant circuit according to the first embodiment; FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a power transmission side resonant circuit according to a first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power transmitting resonant circuit according to a first embodiment, in which a circuit main body and a terminal portion are integrated together; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the power transmitting resonant circuit according to the first embodiment when the circuit main body is divided in the width direction. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the power transmitting side resonant circuit according to the first embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power transmission side resonant circuit according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. In each embodiment, the terms "first" and "second" attached to components are merely used to distinguish between similar components, and do not indicate superiority or inferiority between the components. In each drawing, the dimensions of each component may be enlarged as necessary for ease of explanation, and the dimensional ratios between the components may not be the same as in reality.

[0010] The contactless power supply device 1 shown in FIG. 1 supplies power to a mobile object 90 in a contactless manner. The mobile object 90 is, for example, a transport device that transports parts and the like in a factory or a logistics facility. The contactless power supply device 1 is composed of a power receiving-side resonant circuit 91 and a power transmitting-side resonant circuit 10 that are provided in the mobile object 90. The power receiving-side resonant circuit 91 and the power transmitting-side resonant circuit 10 are configured to include LC resonant circuits and have the same resonant frequency. The power receiving-side resonant circuit 91 functions as a power receiving device. The power transmitting-side resonant circuit 10 is buried or installed in at least a part of the moving range of the mobile object 90, for example, on a moving surface F that is the floor surface on which the mobile object 90 moves. The power transmitting-side resonant circuit 10 functions as a resonant circuit.

[0011] The contactless power supply device 1 supplies power to a moving object 90 in a contactless manner by utilizing the exchange of power caused by magnetic coupling between a power transmitting-side resonant circuit 10 and a power receiving-side resonant circuit 91. The power receiving-side resonant circuit 91 is electrically connected to a driving source of the moving object 90 via, for example, a rectifier circuit (not shown). The power transmitting-side resonant circuit 10 is connected to an external power source 2 such as a high-frequency power supply device. The power source 2 is installed on the ground, for example.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2 , the power transmitting resonant circuit 10 includes a circuit start portion 11, a circuit end portion 12, and a circuit main portion 20. The circuit start portion 11 and the circuit end portion 12 are mainly formed of substrates 111, 121, such as a rigid substrate made of glass epoxy resin or a flexible substrate made of polyimide film. The circuit start portion 11 and the circuit end portion 12 can be formed separately from the circuit main portion 20, for example. The circuit start portion 11 is electrically connected to the power source 2 and forms the start portion of the power transmitting resonant circuit 10. The circuit end portion 12 forms the end portion of the power transmitting resonant circuit 10.

[0013] The circuit starting end 11 and the circuit ending end 12 each have a plurality of connectors 112, 122. The connector 112 is provided on one surface, in this case the front surface, of the circuit starting end 11. The connector 122 is provided on the front surface of the circuit ending end 12. In other words, the connectors 112 and 122 are located on the front surface side of the power transmitting resonant circuit 10. The connector 112 outputs high frequency current from the power source 2 to the circuit main body 20.

[0014] The circuit body 20 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular shape elongated in the installation direction of the power transmitting resonant circuit 10. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3 , the length dimension L1 of the circuit body 20 is set to be larger than the width dimension W1. The width dimension W1 corresponds to the dimension in the short direction of the circuit body 20, and the length dimension L1 corresponds to the dimension in the long direction of the circuit body 20. The width dimension W1 is set, for example, in the range of several tens to several hundreds of millimeters. The length dimension L1 is set, for example, to approximately several hundreds of millimeters. It is preferable that the length dimension L1 be set to a length less than 1 / 40 of a predetermined resonant frequency. The circuit body 20 has a first electrode 21, a second electrode 22, and an insulating layer 23. The first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 are provided, for example, at both ends of the circuit body 20 in the width direction. That is, a plurality of first electrodes 21 and a plurality of second electrodes 22 are provided at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the circuit body 20.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the first electrode 21 is provided on a first main surface 201 constituting the surface of the circuit main body 20. The first electrode 21 has a first electrode pattern 211, a starting connector 212, and a ending connector 213. The first electrode pattern 211 is formed, for example, by patterning copper foil, and has a thickness of, for example, several tens of μm to several mm. Taking into account the skin effect at a predetermined resonance frequency, for example, about 7 MHz, the thickness of the first electrode pattern 211 is preferably 50 μm or more. The first electrode pattern 211 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the circuit main body 20. The starting connector 212 is provided at the starting end of the first electrode pattern 211. The ending connector 213 is provided at the ending end of the first electrode pattern 211.

[0016] The start-side connector 212 and the end-side connector 213 can be mated with each other for connection. By connecting the start-side connector 212 and the end-side connector 213, multiple circuit main bodies 20 can be directly connected in series, as shown in FIG. 2 and other figures. That is, the power transmitting resonant circuit 10 can be configured to include multiple circuit main bodies 20. The power transmitting resonant circuit 10 may be configured to include a single circuit main body 20. The start-side connector 212 can be mated with and connected to the connector 112 of the circuit start end 11. The start-side connector 212 can be connected to the power source 2 via the connector 112. The start-side connector 212 may also be configured to be directly connected to the power source 2 without the connector 112. In this case, the power transmitting resonant circuit 10 can be configured without the circuit start end 11. The end-side connector 213 can be mated with and connected to the connector 122 of the circuit end end 12.

[0017] The first electrode pattern 211 has a first electrode pattern main body 211a, a starting end 211b, and a terminal end 211c. The first electrode pattern main body 211a constitutes the main body of the first electrode pattern 211. The first electrode pattern main body 211a extends along the longitudinal direction of the circuit main body 20 and has a length that is at least half the length of the circuit main body 20. The width of the first electrode pattern main body 211a is set to, for example, about several mm. In this case, the first electrode pattern main body 211a is formed in an elongated shape that extends along the longitudinal direction of the circuit main body 20. The surface of the first electrode pattern main body 211a is covered, for example, with a film-like coverlay (not shown).

[0018] The starting end 211b is located on the starting end side of the first electrode pattern 211. The starting end 211b is formed with a width greater than that of the first electrode pattern main body 211a. The starting end 211b is connected to the starting end connector 212. Furthermore, the starting end side end of the starting end 211b is located more inward than the starting end side end of the circuit main body 20. The terminal end side end of the starting end 211b is connected to the first electrode pattern main body 211a.

[0019] The terminal end 211c is located on the terminal end side of the first electrode pattern 211. The terminal end 211c is formed with a width greater than that of the first electrode pattern main body 211a. In this case, the terminal end 211c is formed with substantially the same shape as the starting end 211b. The terminal end 211c is connected to the terminal connector 213. As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(c), the terminal end 211c is disposed at a predetermined distance D from the first electrode pattern main body 211a. In other words, the terminal end 211c is not connected to the first electrode pattern main body 211a. The distance D between the terminal end 211c and the first electrode pattern main body 211a is set to, for example, approximately several mm.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the second electrode 22 is provided on the second main surface 202 that constitutes the back surface of the circuit main body 20. The second electrode 22 has a second electrode pattern 221. The second electrode pattern 221 is formed, for example, by patterning copper foil, and has a thickness of, for example, several tens of μm to several mm. Taking into account the skin effect at a predetermined resonance frequency, for example, 7 MHz, the thickness of the second electrode pattern 221 is preferably 50 μm or more. The second electrode pattern 221 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the circuit main body 20. Similar to the first electrode pattern main body 211a, the surface of the second electrode pattern 221 is covered with a coverlay (not shown).

[0021] The second electrode pattern 221 has a second electrode pattern main body 221a and a terminal end portion 221b. The second electrode pattern main body 221a constitutes the main body of the second electrode pattern 221. The second electrode pattern main body 221a extends along the longitudinal direction of the circuit main body 20. In a plan view, the second electrode pattern main body 221a is disposed so as to overlap with the first electrode pattern main body 211a. In this case, the width of the second electrode pattern main body 221a is set to be approximately the same as the width of the first electrode pattern main body 211a. The second electrode pattern main body 221a is formed in an elongated shape along the longitudinal direction of the circuit main body 20, and has a length that is at least half the length of the circuit main body 20.

[0022] The termination side end 221b is located on the termination side of the second electrode pattern 221. The termination side end 221b is formed with a width greater than that of the second electrode pattern main body 221a. The start side end of the termination side end 221b is connected to the second electrode pattern main body 221a. The termination side end of the termination side end 221b is located more inward than the start side end of the circuit main body 20. The termination side end 221b is electrically connected to the termination side end 211c of the first electrode pattern 211 via a through hole or the like (not shown).

[0023] The insulating layer 23 is located between the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 in the thickness direction of the circuit main body 20. That is, the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 are provided facing each other with the insulating layer 23 sandwiched therebetween. The insulating layer 23 has a thickness of, for example, several tens of μm to several mm. The insulating layer 23 is made of an insulating material such as a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate. In the present embodiment, the insulating layer 23 is made of a flexible substrate and is flexible. The insulating layer 23 is formed with approximately the same outer shape as the outer shape of the circuit main body 20. That is, the insulating layer 23 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the installation direction of the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10. Therefore, the first electrode pattern 211 and the second electrode pattern 221 extend along the longitudinal direction of the insulating layer 23. The first electrode pattern 211 and the second electrode pattern 221 are formed on both sides of a single insulating layer 23. However, the first electrode pattern 211 and the second electrode pattern 221 may be laminated on a plurality of insulating layers 23, so that they are provided in multiple layers, such as four layers or six layers.

[0024] 2 and 4, the circuit termination portion 12 also has a termination portion wiring pattern 123. The termination portion wiring pattern 123 is provided on the front surface side of the circuit termination portion 12 along the width direction of the circuit termination portion 12. The termination portion wiring pattern 123 is formed, for example, by patterning copper foil, and electrically connects the multiple connectors 122. The termination portion wiring pattern 123 also serves to electrically connect the multiple termination side end portions 211c to each other. For example, the termination portion wiring pattern 123 is formed separately from the multiple termination side end portions 211c. The termination portion wiring pattern 123 functions as a connecting portion. The termination portion wiring pattern 123 shorts out the termination of the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10.

[0025] In this configuration, the power transmitting resonant circuit 10 has a circuit configuration as shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, a plurality of capacitors C1 and C2 are formed by a plurality of first electrode patterns 211 and second electrode patterns 221 and an insulating layer 23. In this case, each of the first electrode patterns 211 and second electrode patterns 221 forms an electrode of the capacitor C1 and C2, respectively. The insulating layer 23 also forms an insulator for the plurality of capacitors C1 and C2. Because a plurality of first electrode patterns 211 and two second electrode patterns 221 are provided, two capacitors C1 and C2 are provided for one circuit main body 20. The two capacitors C1 and C2 have similar capacitance-based characteristics. A coil L is also formed by the plurality of first electrodes 21 and second electrodes 22 and the circuit termination portion 12. The coil L transmits power from the power transmitting resonant circuit 10 to the power receiving resonant circuit 91 using a magnetic field. The first electrode pattern 211 and the second electrode pattern 221 form the wiring of the coil L.

[0026] As described above, in this embodiment, the first electrode pattern 211 and the second electrode pattern 221 serve both as electrodes of the capacitor C and wiring for the coil L. In this case, the electrodes of the capacitor C and the wiring for the coil L have the same thickness. In other words, in the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10, the capacitor C and the coil L are provided at the same height. In the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10, the electrodes of the capacitor C function as the wiring for the coil L. Alternatively, the wiring for the coil L functions as the electrodes of the capacitor C. Therefore, in the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10, the inductance of the coil L and the capacitance of the capacitor C can be adjusted by changing the aspect ratio, i.e., the cross-sectional area, of the first electrode pattern 211 and the second electrode pattern 221, for example, and therefore a desired resonant frequency can be set.

[0027] The power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 may have the circuit main body 20 and the circuit termination section 12 integrally configured. That is, the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 may be configured without the circuit termination section 12. In this case, the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 includes a circuit main body 30, as shown in FIG. 6 . The circuit main body 30 can be used as a dedicated component that forms the termination of the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10. The circuit main body 30 may have the same configuration as the circuit main body 20, except that it has a termination section wiring pattern 31 instead of the termination side connector 213 of the circuit main body 20.

[0028] The termination wiring pattern 31 can be provided on the first main surface 201 side of the circuit main body 20 and along the width direction of the circuit main body 20. The termination wiring pattern 31 is formed, for example, by patterning copper foil and has a thickness of, for example, approximately several tens of μm to several mm. The termination wiring pattern 31 has the same function as the termination wiring pattern 123. The termination wiring pattern 31 electrically connects the two termination end portions 211c of the first electrode pattern 211. Therefore, when the circuit main body 30 is used, it is not necessary to connect the termination connector 213 and the connector 122 on the termination side of the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10. Using the circuit main body 30 is useful from the perspective of improving assembly workability, for example, when the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 is used with a relatively short length, that is, when multiple circuit main bodies 20 are not used consecutively.

[0029] 7, the circuit body 20 can be divided in the width direction. In this case, as shown in the example of FIG. 7, the circuit body 20 has one circuit body 20a and the other circuit body 20b. The circuit body 20a and the other circuit body 20b have substantially the same external shape. The circuit body 20a constitutes the capacitor C1, while the other circuit body 20b constitutes the capacitor C2. The two capacitors C1 and C2 are physically separated.

[0030] Specifically, one circuit body 20a includes a first electrode 21a, a second electrode 22a, and an insulating layer 23a. The first electrode 21a and the second electrode 22a are disposed opposite each other with the insulating layer 23a sandwiched therebetween. The other circuit body 20b includes a first electrode 21b, a second electrode 22b, and an insulating layer 23b. The first electrode 21b and the second electrode 22b are disposed opposite each other with the insulating layer 23b sandwiched therebetween. The first electrode 21a and the second electrode 22a on one side are configured separately from the first electrode 21b and the second electrode 22b on the other side. The first electrodes 21a and 21b may have a configuration similar to the first electrode 21, and the second electrodes 22a and 22b may have a configuration similar to the second electrode 22.

[0031] According to the embodiment described above, the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 includes a capacitor C having a first electrode 21 and a second electrode 22 arranged opposite to each other with an insulating layer 23 sandwiched therebetween, and a coil L for transmitting power using a magnetic field. The first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 also serve as wiring for the coil L. By using the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 constituting the capacitor C also as wiring for the coil L, it is possible to ensure a large surface area for the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 without requiring a typical capacitor as a separate component. This reduces the risk of damage to the capacitor C. Therefore, the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 can exhibit stable performance.

[0032] The insulating layer 23 is made of a flexible substrate. This allows the capacitor C to be flexible, thereby further reducing the risk of damage to the capacitor C. When the insulating layer 23 is made of a flexible component such as a flexible substrate, at least a portion of the longitudinal direction of the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 may be curved in the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 8. In this case, by arranging at least some of the circuit main bodies 20 of the multiple circuit main bodies 20 that are provided consecutively so as to be curved in the vertical direction, the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 can be curved in the vertical direction. In this way, the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 can be installed in a variety of locations.

[0033] The first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 each include a plurality of electrode patterns 211, 221 arranged at a predetermined interval and extending along the longitudinal direction of the insulating layer 23. This allows the capacitor C and the coil L to be used together while suppressing an increase in the number of parts. This makes it possible to stabilize the performance of the power transmitting resonant circuit 10 while suppressing an increase in cost.

[0034] The power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 further includes termination wiring patterns 123 and 31. The termination wiring patterns 123 and 31 connect the terminations of the multiple electrode patterns 211 and 221. The termination wiring patterns 123 and 31 are formed integrally with or separately from the electrode patterns 211 and 221. This makes it possible to stabilize the performance of the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 and improve the degree of freedom in designing the termination of the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10.

[0035] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 can be configured to include at least a portion of the circuit main bodies 40, 50, and 60, instead of or in addition to the circuit main body 20. As shown in Fig. 9, the circuit main bodies 40, 50, and 60 each have a different shape from the circuit main body 20. The circuit main bodies 40, 50, and 60 can have the same configuration as the first embodiment, except for the shape of the circuit main body 20.

[0036] The circuit main body 40 has a width dimension W1 that is different from that of the circuit main body 20. In this case, the width dimension W1 of the circuit main body 40 is set to be larger than that of the circuit main body 20, for example. The circuit main body 50 has a length dimension L1 that is different from that of the circuit main body 20. In this case, the length dimension L1 of the circuit main body 50 is set to be shorter than that of the circuit main body 20, for example. The circuit main body 60 is curved in a plan view. The resonance characteristics of the circuit main bodies 40, 50, and 60 are configured to match the transmission frequency of the power transmitting resonant circuit 10.

[0037] According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved. In addition, by combining the circuit main bodies 20, 40, 50, and 60 of various shapes, the power transmitting side resonant circuit 10 can be adapted to various installation locations.

[0038] The above-described embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1... non-contact power supply device, 10... power transmission side resonant circuit (resonant circuit), 123, 31... termination portion wiring pattern (connecting portion), 21... first electrode, 211... first electrode pattern (electrode pattern), 22... second electrode, 221... second electrode pattern (electrode pattern), 23... insulating layer, 91... power receiving side resonant circuit (power receiving device), C... capacitor, L... coil

Claims

1. a capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode disposed opposite each other with an insulating layer interposed therebetween; a coil for transmitting power using a magnetic field, The first electrode and the second electrode also serve as wiring for the coil. resonant circuit.

2. The insulating layer is made of a flexible substrate.

2. The resonant circuit of claim 1.

3. The first electrode and the second electrode each include a plurality of electrode patterns arranged at predetermined intervals and extending along the longitudinal direction of the insulating layer.

3. The resonant circuit of claim 2.

4. Further provided is a connecting portion that connects the terminal ends of the plurality of electrode patterns to each other, The connecting portion is formed integrally with or separately from the electrode pattern.

4. The resonant circuit of claim 3.

5. A resonant circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a power receiving device that receives power from the resonant circuit in a wireless manner, Contactless power supply device.

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