Resonant circuit unit and base member

Abstract

It provides stable power transmission and reception regardless of the material of the moving surface. [Solution] The resonant circuit unit comprises a resonant circuit arranged along a moving surface on which a moving body moves and supplying high-frequency power to a power receiving device in a non-contact manner using magnetic coupling, and a base member provided between the resonant circuit and the moving surface and supporting the resonant circuit. The base member is formed by laminating a main body made of a magnetic material and a first member made of a non-magnetic metal, and the end of the main body in the width direction is located outside the end of the resonant circuit in the width direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a resonant circuit and a non-contact power supply device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, non-contact power supply devices that transmit power without using cables have attracted attention for electronic devices, electric mobility, etc. Specifically, for example, a power receiving coil mounted on an automated guided vehicle traveling on a traveling path in a factory is non-contact charged using a power transmitting coil installed on the traveling path of the automated guided vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, depending on the material of the moving surface of the automated guided vehicle, the resonance conditions of the resonance circuit on the power transmission side may change, and it may be difficult to stably transmit and receive power. For this reason, in the conventional configuration, there is room for improvement in stably transmitting and receiving power regardless of the material of the moving surface.

[0005] Therefore, the present embodiment provides a resonance circuit unit and a base member that can stably transmit and receive power regardless of the material of the moving surface.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The resonant circuit unit of the embodiment comprises a resonant circuit arranged along a moving surface on which a moving body moves and which supplies high-frequency power to a power receiving device in a non-contact manner using magnetic coupling, and a base member provided between the resonant circuit and the moving surface and supporting the resonant circuit, wherein the base member is formed by laminating a main body made of a magnetic material and a first member made of a non-magnetic metal, and the end of the main body in the width direction is located outside the end of the resonant circuit in the width direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This diagram schematically shows an example of the configuration of a contactless power supply device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] The first embodiment of the power transmission side resonant circuit unit shows an example of the configuration of the circuit body, where (a) is a front view plan of the circuit body as seen from the front, (b) is a plan view of the circuit body as seen from the back, and (c) is a side view of the circuit body as seen from the side. [Figure 3] This figure shows the circuit configuration of the power transmission side resonant circuit unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] A plan view of an example of a base member of the power transmission side resonant circuit unit according to the first embodiment, as seen from the back side. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of the power transmission side resonant circuit unit according to the first embodiment, when cut along the line X5-X5 in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a power transmission side resonant circuit unit according to the first embodiment in which the second member is omitted from the base member. [Figure 7] A cross-sectional view showing an example of a power transmission side resonant circuit unit according to the first embodiment, in which the first member is omitted from the base member. [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view showing another example of the power transmission side resonant circuit unit according to the first embodiment, in which the first member is omitted from the base member. [Figure 9] A plan view of an example of a base member of the power transmission side resonant circuit unit according to the second embodiment, viewed from the back side. [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view of the power transmission side resonant circuit unit according to the second embodiment, when cut along the line X10-X10 in Figure 9. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The following describes several embodiments with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. In each embodiment, the terms "first" and "second" attached to components are simply for distinguishing similar components and do not imply any superiority or inferiority between them. Also, in each drawing, for the sake of explanation, the dimensions of each component may be enlarged as needed, and the dimensional ratios between components may not be the same as in reality.

[0009] (First Embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. The contactless power supply device 1 shown in Figure 1 supplies power to a mobile body 90 without contact. The mobile body 90 is a transport device that transports parts and other items, for example, within a factory or logistics facility. Transport devices include AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) that automatically travel along predetermined routes, as well as AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) that automatically travel along routes determined by themselves. The contactless power supply device 1 consists of a power receiving side resonant circuit 91 and a power transmitting side resonant circuit unit 10, both of which are installed on the mobile body 90. The power transmitting side resonant circuit unit 10 functions as a resonant circuit unit.

[0010] The receiving-side resonant circuit 91 functions as a power receiving device. The transmitting-side resonant circuit unit 10 is laid on the moving surface F, which is the floor surface on which the moving body 90 moves, for at least a portion of the moving range of the moving body 90. The transmitting-side resonant circuit unit 10 has a transmitting-side resonant circuit 20 and a base member 30. The receiving-side resonant circuit 91 and the transmitting-side resonant circuit 20 are each composed of LC resonant circuits, and their resonant frequencies match. The transmitting-side resonant circuit 20 functions as a resonant circuit.

[0011] The contactless power supply device 1 provides contactless power to the mobile body 90 by utilizing the transfer of power through magnetic coupling between the transmitting resonant circuit 20 and the receiving resonant circuit 91. In other words, the transmitting resonant circuit 20 supplies high-frequency power to the receiving resonant circuit 91 contactlessly using magnetic coupling. The transmitting resonant circuit 20 generates high-frequency power corresponding to the so-called HF band, for example, from 3 MHz to 30 MHz. The receiving resonant circuit 91 is electrically connected to the drive source of the mobile body 90 via, for example, a rectifier circuit (not shown). The transmitting resonant circuit 20 is connected to an external power source 2, such as a high-frequency power supply device, via, for example, an inverter or rectifier circuit (not shown).

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the transmitting-side resonant circuit 20 includes a circuit body 40. The circuit body 40 constitutes the main body of the transmitting-side resonant circuit 20 and is formed separately from a circuit start end and a circuit end (not shown). The circuit start end is electrically connected to the power supply 2 and constitutes the start end of the transmitting-side resonant circuit 20. The circuit body 40 receives high-frequency current from the power supply 2 via the circuit start end. The circuit end constitutes the end of the transmitting-side resonant circuit 20. Note that the transmitting-side resonant circuit 20 may be formed integrally with the circuit body 40 and at least one of the circuit start end and the circuit end.

[0013] The circuit body 40 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape, for example, in the direction of installation of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20. As shown in Figure 2, the length dimension L1 of the circuit body 40 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 40, and the length dimension L1 corresponds to the dimension in the long direction of the circuit body 40. The width dimension W1 is the same as the width dimension of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20. For example, it is set in the range of several tens of millimeters to several hundred millimeters. The width dimension W1 and length dimension L1 of the circuit body 40 are set to, for example, several hundred millimeters. It is preferable that the length dimension L1 is set to a length of less than 1 / 40 of a predetermined resonant frequency.

[0014] The circuit body 40 includes a first electrode 41, a second electrode 42, an insulating layer 43, and a protective layer 44. The first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 are provided, for example, on both sides of the center of the circuit body 40 in the width direction. In other words, multiple first electrodes 41 and second electrodes 42 are provided in the width direction of the circuit body 40 at predetermined intervals.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2(a), the first electrode 41 is provided on the first main surface 401 which constitutes the surface of the circuit body 40. The first electrode 41 has a first electrode pattern 411, a start-end connector 412, and a end-end connector 413. The first electrode pattern 411 is formed, for example, by patterning copper foil, and has a thickness of, for example, several tens of micrometers to several millimeters. The thickness of the first electrode pattern 411 is preferably 50 μm or more, considering the skin effect at a predetermined resonant frequency, for example, around 7 MHz. The first electrode pattern 411 is formed extending along the longitudinal direction of the circuit body 40. The start-end connector 412 is provided at the start end of the first electrode pattern 411. The end-end connector 413 is provided at the end of the first electrode pattern 411.

[0016] The start - end side connector 412 and the end - side connector 413 can be fitted and connected to each other. By connecting the start - end side connector 412 and the end - side connector 413, a plurality of circuit body parts 40 can be continuously and directly connected. That is, the power - transmission side resonance circuit 20 can be configured to include a plurality of circuit body parts 40. The power - transmission side resonance circuit 20 may also be configured to include one circuit body part 40. Further, the start - end side connector 412 can be connected to the circuit start - end part and can be connected to the power supply 2 through the circuit start - end part. Note that the start - end side connector 412 may also be configured to be directly connected to the power supply 2 without passing through the circuit start - end part. Also, the end - side connector 413 can be connected to the circuit end - part.

[0017] The first electrode pattern 411 has a first electrode pattern main body 411a, a start - end side end part 411b, and an end - side end part 411c. The first electrode pattern main body 411a constitutes the main body of the first electrode pattern 411. The first electrode pattern main body 411a extends along the longitudinal direction of the circuit body part 40 and has a length of at least half or more of the length of the circuit body part 40. The width of the first electrode pattern main body 411a is set to be, for example, about several millimeters. In this case, the first electrode pattern main body 411a is formed in an elongated shape along the longitudinal direction of the circuit body part 40.

[0018] The start - end side end part 411b is located on the start - end side of the first electrode pattern 411. The start - end side end part 411b is formed with a width larger than that of the first electrode pattern main body 411a. The start - end side end part 411b is connected to the start - end side connector 412. Also, the start - end side end of the start - end side end part 411b is located inside the start - end side end of the circuit body part 40. The end - side end of the start - end side end part 411b is connected to the first electrode pattern main body 411a.

[0019] The terminal end 411c is located on the terminal side of the first electrode pattern 411. The terminal end 411c is formed with a greater width than the first electrode pattern body 411a. In this case, the terminal end 411c is formed with substantially the same shape as the start end 411b. The terminal end 411c is connected to the terminal connector 413. As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(c), the terminal end 411c is positioned with a predetermined gap D1 between it and the first electrode pattern body 411a. In other words, the terminal end 411c is not connected to the first electrode pattern body 411a. The gap D1 between the terminal end 411c and the first electrode pattern body 411a is set to, for example, several millimeters.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2(b), the second electrode 42 is provided on the second main surface 402 which constitutes the back surface of the circuit body 40. The second electrode 42 has a second electrode pattern 421. The second electrode pattern 421 is formed, for example, by patterning copper foil and has a thickness of, for example, several tens of micrometers to several millimeters. The thickness of the second electrode pattern 421 is preferably 50 μm or more when considering the skin effect at a predetermined resonant frequency, for example, 7 MHz. The second electrode pattern 421 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the circuit body 40.

[0021] The second electrode pattern 421 has a second electrode pattern body 421a and a terminal end 421b. The second electrode pattern body 421a constitutes the main body of the second electrode pattern 421. The second electrode pattern body 421a extends along the longitudinal direction of the circuit body 40. In a plan view, the second electrode pattern body 421a is positioned to overlap with the first electrode pattern body 411a. In this case, the width of the second electrode pattern body 421a is set to be approximately the same as the width of the first electrode pattern body 411a. The second electrode pattern body 421a is formed in an elongated shape along the longitudinal direction of the circuit body 40 and has a length of at least half the length of the circuit body 40.

[0022] The terminal end 421b is located on the terminal side of the second electrode pattern 421. The terminal end 421b is formed with a greater width than the second electrode pattern body 421a. The starting end of the terminal end 421b is connected to the second electrode pattern body 421a. The terminal end of the terminal end 421b is located inward from the terminal end of the circuit body 40. The terminal end 421b is electrically connected to the terminal end 411c of the first electrode pattern 411 via through-holes (not shown). Furthermore, multiple terminal ends 411c are interconnected via wiring patterns (not shown) formed at the circuit termination. In this way, the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 is short-circuited at its terminal side.

[0023] The insulating layer 43 is located between the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 in the thickness direction of the circuit body 40. In other words, the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 are provided facing each other with the insulating layer 43 in between. The insulating layer 43 is composed of a thickness of, for example, several tens of micrometers to several millimeters. The insulating layer 43 is composed of an insulating material such as a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate. In this embodiment, the insulating layer 43 is composed of a flexible substrate and is pliable.

[0024] The insulating layer 43 is formed with an outer shape substantially identical to that of the circuit body 40. In other words, the insulating layer 43 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is elongated in the direction in which the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 is installed. For this reason, the first electrode pattern 411 and the second electrode pattern 421 extend along the longitudinal direction of the insulating layer 43. The first electrode pattern 411 and the second electrode pattern 421 are formed on both sides of a single insulating layer 43. However, the first electrode pattern 411 and the second electrode pattern 421 may be laminated on multiple insulating layers 43, resulting in a multilayer structure of 4 or 6 layers. The protective layer 44 is formed, for example, from a film-like coverlay having heat resistance and electrical insulation properties. The protective layer 44 covers the outer circumferential surfaces of the first electrode pattern body 411a and the second electrode pattern 421.

[0025] In this configuration, the transmitting side resonant circuit 20 has the circuit configuration shown in Figure 3. Specifically, multiple capacitors C1 and C2 are formed by multiple first electrode patterns 411 and second electrode patterns 421 and an insulating layer 43. In this case, each first electrode pattern 411 and second electrode pattern 421 constitutes an electrode for capacitors C1 and C2, respectively. The insulating layer 43 constitutes an insulator for the multiple capacitors C1 and C2. Since there are multiple first electrode patterns 411 and second electrode patterns 421, in this case there are two capacitors C1 and C2 for one circuit body 40. The two capacitors C1 and C2 have similar characteristics due to their capacitance. In addition, a coil L is formed by multiple first electrodes 41 and second electrodes 42, etc. The coil L transmits power from the transmitting side resonant circuit 20 to the receiving side resonant circuit 91 using a magnetic field. The first electrode patterns 411 and second electrode patterns 421 constitute the wiring of the coil L.

[0026] Thus, in this embodiment, the first electrode pattern 411 and the second electrode pattern 421 serve as both the electrodes of the capacitor C and the wiring of the coil L. In this case, the electrodes of the capacitor C and the wiring of the coil L have the same thickness. In other words, in the power transmission side resonant circuit 20, the capacitor C and the coil L are provided at the same height. In the power transmission side resonant circuit 20, the electrodes of the capacitor C perform the function of the wiring of the coil L, and the wiring of the coil L performs the function of the electrodes of the capacitor C. Therefore, in the power transmission side resonant circuit 20, the inductance of the coil L and the capacitance of the capacitor C can be adjusted by changing, for example, the aspect ratio, i.e., the cross-sectional area, of the first electrode pattern 411 and the second electrode pattern 421, thereby setting a desired resonant frequency.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the base member 30 is provided between the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 and the moving surface F, and supports the power transmission side resonant circuit 20. The base member 30 is installed on the moving surface F. The base member 30 is intended to suppress fluctuations in the resonance conditions of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 caused by the material of the moving surface F, etc. The base member 30 extends along the longitudinal direction of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the base member 30 has a main body 31, a first member 32, and a second member 33. The base member 30 is formed by stacking, for example, the second member 33, the main body 31, and the first member 32 in that order.

[0028] The main body 31 is made of a magnetic material whose relative permeability in the high-frequency band used is greater than 1. In this embodiment, the main body 31 is made of a soft magnetic material such as ferrite. The main body 31 is for generating a magnetic field appropriately in relation to the power transmission side resonant circuit 20. The main body 31 is formed in a rectangular shape, for example. The width dimension W2 of the main body 31 is set to be larger than the width dimension W1 of the circuit main body 40. Both ends of the main body 31 in the width direction are located outside the ends of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 in the width direction. However, one end of the main body 31 in the width direction may be configured to be located outside the end of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 in the width direction.

[0029] The first member 32 and the second member 33 are made of a non-magnetic metal body with a relative permeability of 1 or less in the high-frequency band used. In this embodiment, the first member 32 and the second member 33 are made of a conductive, non-magnetic metal body such as aluminum, copper, gold, or silver. The first member 32 and the second member 33 may be made of the same material or different materials. In this embodiment, the first member 32 and the second member 33 are made of the same material, for example, aluminum.

[0030] The first member 32 is located between the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 and the main body 31. The width dimension W3 of the first member 32 is set to be less than or equal to the width dimension W2 of the main body 31. Furthermore, the width dimension W3 of the first member 32 is set to be less than or equal to the width dimension W1 of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20. The width dimension W3 of the first member 32 is set in a range of, for example, several millimeters to several tens of millimeters. When the base member 30 is cut along the width direction, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of ​​the first member 32 to the cross-sectional area of ​​the main body 31 is set within a predetermined range. For example, when the base member 30 is cut along the width direction, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first member 32 is set to be smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the main body 31. This makes it easier to adjust the resonance conditions of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20.

[0031] The first member 32 extends, for example, along the entire length of the base member 30. For example, in a plan view, the first member 32 is positioned to overlap with a plurality of first electrode patterns 411 and second electrode patterns 421 of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20. In this embodiment, the plurality of first electrode patterns 411 and second electrode patterns 421 are arranged within the region of the first member 32.

[0032] For example, the first member 32 is divided into multiple portions, in this case two, in the width direction of the base member 40, and provided in regions that overlap with multiple first electrode patterns 411 and second electrode patterns 421. In this case, two first members 32 are provided along the width direction of the base member 30, spaced apart from each other. This makes it possible to optimize the magnetic field formed between the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 and the main body 31. The width direction end of the first member 32 is located inside the width direction end of the circuit main body 40. Note that in Figure 4, the first member 32 is shown with hatching for clarity.

[0033] The second member 33 is located between the moving surface F and the main body 31 and extends along the entire length of the base member 30. The width dimension W4 of the second member 33 is larger than the width dimension W3 of the first member 32 and is set to be approximately the same as the width dimension W2 of the main body 31. Therefore, the distance between the widthwise end of the second member 33 and the widthwise end of the main body 31 is set to be the same as the distance between the widthwise end of the main body 31 and the widthwise end of the circuit main body 40.

[0034] The base member 30 may also be configured to have at least one of the first member 32 and the second member 33. That is, as shown in the example in Figure 6, the base member 30 may be composed of a main body 31 and the first member 32. In the example in Figure 6, the main body 31 is sandwiched between the moving surface F and the first member 32 and is installed on the moving surface F. Also, as shown in the example in Figure 7, the base member 30 may be composed of a main body 31 and the second member 33. In the example in Figure 7, the main body 31 is sandwiched between the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 and the second member 33.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in the example in Figure 8, the main body 32 may be divided into multiple parts, in this case three, with spacing between them in the width direction of the base member 30. The number of parts into which the main body 32 is divided is not limited to three.

[0036] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting-side resonant circuit unit 10 comprises a transmitting-side resonant circuit 20 and a base member 30. The transmitting-side resonant circuit 20 is arranged along the moving surface F on which the moving body 90 moves, and supplies high-frequency power to the receiving-side resonant circuit 91 in a non-contact manner using magnetic coupling. The base member 30 is provided between the transmitting-side resonant circuit 20 and the moving surface F and supports the transmitting-side resonant circuit 20. The base member 30 is formed by laminating a main body portion 31 made of a magnetic material and a first member 32 made of a non-magnetic metal material. The widthwise end of the main body portion 31 is located outside the widthwise end of the transmitting-side resonant circuit 32. This allows for stable power transmission and reception regardless of the material of the moving surface F.

[0037] The base member 30 is formed by stacking the main body 31 and the first member 32 in that order. This allows the resonance conditions of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 to be adjusted without requiring a typical single capacitor component, thus suppressing an increase in manufacturing costs.

[0038] The widthwise dimension W3 of the first member 32 is set to be less than or equal to the widthwise dimension of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20. This allows for stable power transmission regardless of the material of the moving surface F.

[0039] The base member 30 further comprises a second member 33. The second member 33 is located between the moving surface F and the main body 31 and is made of a non-magnetic material. The widthwise dimension W4 of the second member 33 is set to be approximately the same as the widthwise dimension W2 of the main body 31. This allows for the optimization of the magnetic field and enables power supply over a wide range.

[0040] The first component 32 and the second component 33 are made of the same material. This allows for a reduction in the increase in manufacturing costs by limiting the number of parts.

[0041] The power transmission side resonant circuit 20 has multiple electrode patterns 411 and 421 arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 and extending along the moving surface F. The first member 32 is divided into multiple parts and provided in regions that overlap with the multiple electrode patterns 411 and 421. This makes it easier to adjust the resonance conditions of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20. As a result, stable power transmission can be achieved.

[0042] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. In this second embodiment, the configuration of the first member 32 of the base member 30 differs from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, in this second embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, multiple first members 32 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the base member 30, spaced apart from each other. In Figure 9, the first members 32 are shown with hatching for clarity. As shown in Figure 10, the widthwise end of the first member 32 and the widthwise end of the power transmission side resonant circuit 20 are approximately coincident. This second embodiment also produces the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0043] The above embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented 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 variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10...Transmitter side resonant circuit unit (resonant circuit unit), 20...Transmitter side resonant circuit (resonant circuit), 30...Base member, 31...Main body, 32...First member, 90...Moving body, 91...Receiving side resonant circuit (receiving device)

Claims

1. A resonant circuit is positioned along the moving surface of a moving object and supplies high-frequency power to a power receiving device in a non-contact manner using magnetic coupling, The resonant circuit and the moving surface are provided with a base member that supports the resonant circuit, The base member is formed by laminating a main body made of a magnetic material and a first member made of a non-magnetic metal. The end of the main body in the width direction is located outside the end of the resonant circuit in the width direction. Resonant circuit unit.

2. The base member is formed by stacking the main body portion and the first member in that order. The resonant circuit unit according to claim 1.

3. The widthwise dimension of the first member is set to be less than or equal to the widthwise dimension of the resonant circuit. The resonant circuit unit according to claim 1.

4. The base member further comprises a second member located between the moving surface and the main body and made of a non-magnetic material. The widthwise dimension of the second member is set to be approximately the same as the widthwise dimension of the main body. The resonant circuit unit according to claim 2.

5. The first member and the second member are made of the same material. The resonant circuit unit according to claim 4.

6. The resonant circuit has a plurality of electrode patterns arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the resonant circuit and extending along the moving surface. The first member is provided in multiple parts, divided into regions that overlap with the multiple electrode patterns. The resonant circuit unit according to claim 1.

7. A base member provided between a resonant circuit, which is arranged along a moving surface on which a moving body moves and supplies high-frequency power to a power receiving device in a non-contact manner using magnetic coupling, and the moving surface, and which supports the resonant circuit, The base member is formed by laminating a main body made of a magnetic material and a first member made of a non-magnetic metal. The end of the main body in the width direction is located outside the end of the resonant circuit in the width direction. Base component.

Images