Load device, equipment device

Abstract

To provide a load device that easily transmits power.SOLUTION: A load device constitutes part of a predetermined facility device and has a predetermined load, and comprises: a power receiving unit that wirelessly receives supply of power from an external power supply unit; and a supply path for supplying the power received by the power receiving unit to the predetermined load. The load device can change its installation location according to the arrangement of the power supply unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a load device and a facility device. [Background technology]

[0002] Devices in factories, such as rotary presses and printing devices in printing factories, may operate with high-voltage and high-current power supplies. The power supply for such devices is, for example, via wired cables connecting a power source to the devices. Wired cables used for power supply and connectors connecting the wired cables to a power source or devices are made of materials that can withstand high voltages and high currents. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-251895 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-325339 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When there are multiple devices in a factory or the like, wired cables that supply power are placed between the power source and each device. There are cases where separate wired cables are placed from the power source to each device, or cases where a single wired cable coming from the power source is branched off and placed to each device. In either case, when changing the position of a device in a factory or the like due to rearrangement or the like, it is necessary to consider the placement of the wired cables that supply power as well as the placement of the device, which is time-consuming.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a load device that easily transmits power. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the following measures are adopted.

[0007] The present invention relates to a load device having a predetermined load, which constitutes a part of a predetermined facility device, and which includes a power receiving unit that wirelessly receives power from an external power supply unit, and a supply path that supplies the power received by the power receiving unit to the predetermined load, and the load device is configured to be able to change its installation location depending on the arrangement of the power supply unit. The predetermined facility device includes, for example, a device that performs a series of processes using power. The load device is, for example, one of a plurality of devices that are divided into a plurality of devices that perform a series of processes using power. The supply path is, for example, a power transmission cable that transmits power. With this configuration, it is possible to wirelessly receive power from another load device or a power supply unit that is a power transmission device, without using a wired cable for power supply. Furthermore, with this configuration, it is possible to change the installation location depending on the arrangement of the power supply unit.

[0008] Furthermore, the load device of the present invention further includes a power transmission unit that receives power from the power receiving unit and wirelessly supplies the power to other load devices that are located outside the load device and constitute the specified facility equipment, and is configured so that the installation location of the load device can be changed by wirelessly supplying a portion of the power received by the power receiving unit from the power transmission unit to the other load devices. With this configuration, it is possible to wirelessly supply power to the other load devices.

[0009] Furthermore, the load device of the present invention is a power receiving unit that receives power from a power transmitting coil of the power supply unit. The power receiving coil includes a power transmitting coil that receives power from the load device and the power transmitting unit includes a power transmitting coil that supplies power to the power receiving coil of the load device. With this configuration, power can be transmitted by the power receiving coil and the power transmitting coil. The power receiving coil and the power transmitting coil may include any of coils such as a wound coil, a laminated coil, a thin film coil, etc.

[0010] Furthermore, the load device of the present invention includes a bottom surface and one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the bottom surface, the coil surface of the power receiving coil is arranged parallel to any one of the one or more side surfaces, and the coil surface of the power transmitting coil is arranged parallel to any one of the one or more side surfaces. With such a configuration, it becomes easy to face the power receiving coil to the power transmitting coil of a power supply unit that is a power transmitting device embedded in another load device or a wall, and to face the power transmitting coil to the power receiving coil of another power transmission device.

[0011] Furthermore, the load device of the present invention includes a plurality of the power receiving units, a plurality of the power transmitting units, a bottom surface, and one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the bottom surface, the coil surface of the power receiving coil is arranged parallel to the bottom surface and at least one of the one or more side surfaces, and the coil surface of the power transmitting coil is arranged parallel to the bottom surface and at least one of the one or more side surfaces. Such a configuration increases the degree of freedom in arranging the load device.

[0012] Furthermore, the load device of the present invention includes a plurality of the power receiving units, a plurality of the power transmitting units, a bottom surface, one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the bottom surface, and a top surface perpendicular to the one or more side surfaces, the coil surface of the power receiving coil is arranged parallel to at least one of the bottom surface, the one or more side surfaces, and the top surface, and the coil surface of the power transmitting coil is arranged parallel to at least one of the bottom surface, the one or more side surfaces, and the top surface. Such a configuration increases the degree of freedom in arranging the load device.

[0013] Furthermore, the load device of the present invention is configured such that the power supply unit has a plurality of power transmission coils embedded in a predetermined surface of the space in which the predetermined facility device is installed for supplying power, the power receiving unit includes a power receiving coil that receives power from the power transmission coil of the power supply unit, and the installation location of the load device can be changed by selecting one of the plurality of power transmission coils and arranging the selected power receiving coil. The predetermined surface of the space in which the facility device is installed is, for example, a wall surface or a floor surface of a facility such as a factory. With this configuration, the installation location of the load device can be easily changed.

[0014] Furthermore, the load device of the present invention has a bottom surface, and the coil surface of the power receiving coil is arranged parallel to the bottom surface. With this configuration, it is easy to face the power receiving coil to the power transmitting coil of the power supply unit embedded in the floor or the like.

[0015] The present invention also provides a facility device including one or more load devices having a predetermined load, the load devices including a power receiving unit that wirelessly receives power from an external device, a supply path that supplies the power received by the power receiving unit to the predetermined load, and a power transmitting unit that receives power from the power receiving unit and wirelessly supplies power to the outside of the load device, the load devices being configured to receive power from the power transmitting unit of a first load device constituting the facility device and different from the load device, by the power receiving unit, and to transmit power from the power transmitting unit to a second load device constituting the facility device and different from the load device, thereby making it possible to change the installation location of the load devices. With this configuration, the installation location of the load devices can be easily changed.

[0016] The present invention also provides a facility device including one or more load devices having a predetermined load, the load devices including a power receiving unit that wirelessly receives power from an external device and a supply path that supplies the power received by the power receiving unit to the predetermined load, the facility device comprising: The facility equipment has a plurality of power transmitting coils for supplying power, which are embedded in a predetermined surface of the space in which it is installed, the power receiving unit of the load device includes a power receiving coil that receives power from the power transmitting coils, and the installation location of the load device can be changed by selecting one of the plurality of power transmitting coils and arranging the selected power receiving coil. With this configuration, the installation location of the load device can be easily changed. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a load device that easily transmits power. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a power supply system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the power supply system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a second modification of the power supply system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] [Application example] The present invention can be applied as a power transmission device of a power supply system as shown in FIG. 1, for example. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a power supply system. The power supply system 1 includes a power source 100, a power transmission device 200, and power transmission devices 300A, 300B, and 300C. The power supply system 1 supplies power to the power transmission devices 300A, 300B, and 300C by a wireless power transmission method (wireless). The power transmission devices 300A, 300B, and 300C have a similar configuration for transmitting power. The transmission of power includes power reception, which receives power from other devices, and power transmission, which supplies power to other devices. When the power transmission devices 300A, 300B, and 300C are not distinguished from each other, they are simply referred to as the power transmission device 300. The power transmission devices 300A, 300B, and 300C are, for example, all or part of a device that performs a series of processes using power and is divided into multiple devices. The device that performs a series of processes using electric power is, for example, a rotary press, a printing device, a personal computer, a robot, etc. installed in a factory, but is not limited to these. The device that performs a series of processes using electric power may be any device that operates using electric power. The power supply system 1 is an example of facility equipment. The power transmission device 200 is an example of a power supply unit. The power transfer device 300 is an example of a load device.

[0021] The power source 100 supplies power to the power transmitting device 200. The power source 100 is, for example, an AC power source such as a commercial power source. The AC power source is, for example, three-phase 200V, single-phase 100V, or single-phase 200V. The power source 100 may be a generator.

[0022] The power transmitting device 200 supplies power from the power source 100 to the power transmitting device 300 by wireless power transmission.

[0023] The power transmission device 300 receives power from the power transmission device 200 or another power transmission device 300 by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300 also supplies power to a load 330, and also supplies power to another power transmission device 300 by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300 includes a power receiving unit 310, a power transmitting unit 320, and a load 330.

[0024] The power receiving unit 310 receives power from the power transmitting device 200 or another power transmitting device 300 by a wireless power transmission method. The power receiving unit 310 supplies the received power to the load 330 and the power transmitting unit 320. The power receiving unit 310 can receive power from another device without using a wired cable.

[0025] The power transmitting unit 320 receives power from the power receiving unit 310. The power transmitting unit 320 supplies power to another power transmission device 300 by wireless transmission. The power transmitting unit 320 can supply power to another power transmission device 300 without using a wired cable. The power transmitting unit 320 is an example of a power supply unit. The power transmitting unit 320 is connected to the power receiving unit 310 by, for example, a power supply cable (e.g., a wired cable) and receives power. The power supply cable is an example of a supply path.

[0026] The load 330 is an operating unit that performs a predetermined operation using electric power. The load 330 may be any operating unit that operates using electric power. The predetermined operation of the load 330 is, for example, a printing process. The load 330 receives a supply of electric power from the power receiving unit 310 and performs a predetermined operation. The load 330 is connected to the power receiving unit 310 by, for example, a power supply cable (for example, a wired cable) and is supplied with electric power. The power supply cable is an example of a supply path. The load is an example of a predetermined load.

[0027] Examples of wireless power transmission methods for supplying power in a non-contact manner include an electromagnetic induction method, a magnetic field resonance method, an electric field coupling method, a radio wave reception method, etc. Here, the electromagnetic induction method is used as the method of wireless power transmission, but other wireless power transmission methods may also be used.

[0028] The electromagnetic induction method is a method of transmitting power by utilizing an induced magnetic flux generated between the power transmitting side and the power receiving side. In the electromagnetic induction method, when an alternating current flows through a coil on the power transmitting side, a magnetic flux is generated, and an alternating current also flows through the coil on the power receiving side. The magnetic field resonance method is a method of transmitting power by magnetically resonating a resonator on the power transmitting side and a resonator on the power receiving side. The electric field coupling method is a method of transmitting power by forming electrodes facing each other on the power transmitting side and the power receiving side to form a capacitor, and when an alternating current flows on the power transmitting side, a current also flows through the electrode on the power receiving side. The radio wave reception method is a method of transmitting power by converting a current into an electromagnetic wave on the power transmitting side and transmitting it, and receiving the electromagnetic wave on the power receiving side and converting it back into a current.

[0029] The power transmission device 300A receives power from the power transmitting device 200 by a wireless power transmission method, and supplies power to the power transmission device 300B by the wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300B receives power from the power transmission device 300A by a wireless power transmission method, and supplies power to the power transmission device 300C by the wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300C receives power from the power transmission device 300B by the wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300 supplies the received power to the load 330. The load 330 of the power transmission device 300 receives the power supply and can perform a predetermined operation. The power transmission device 300 can receive power without using a wired cable.

[0030] [Embodiment] The power supply system of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0031] (Configuration example) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power supply system according to the present embodiment. The power supply system 1 in FIG. 1 includes a power source 100, a power transmission device 200, and a power transfer device 300 (300A, 300B, 300C). The power transmission device 200 includes a power transmission coil 201 and a power transmission circuit 202. The power transfer device 300 includes a power receiving unit 310, a power transmission unit 320, and a load 330. The power receiving unit 310 includes a power receiving coil 311 and a power receiving circuit 312. The power transfer unit 320 includes a power transmission coil 321 and a power transmission circuit 322. The power supply system 1 is installed in a facility such as a factory having a floor and a wall perpendicular to the floor. The power transfer device 300 is placed on the floor (floor surface) of the factory or the like. The number of power transfer devices 300 is not limited to three, and may be one or more.

[0032] The power source 100 is, for example, an AC power source such as a commercial power source. The power source 100 supplies power to the power transmitting device 200. The power source 100 and the power transmitting device 200 are connected by a wired cable.

[0033] The power transmitting device 200 supplies power from the power source 100 to the power transmission device 300 by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmitting device 200 is embedded in, for example, a wall or a pillar. The power transmitting coil 201 is an antenna that transmits power. The power transmitting coil 201 is installed, for example, so that the coil surface of the power transmitting coil 201 is parallel to the wall surface. The coil surface of the power transmitting coil 201 is arranged so as to face the coil surface of the power receiving coil 311 of the power receiving unit 310 of the power transmission device 300. The power transmitting coil 201 may be installed so that a part of it is exposed from the wall surface of the wall. The power transmitting circuit 202 is a circuit that controls power transmission together with the power transmitting coil 201. The power transmitting circuit 202 forms a resonant circuit with the power transmitting coil 201, generates an electromagnetic field at a resonant frequency, and supplies power to the power receiving unit 310 of the power transmission device 300. Power transmitting coil 201 of power transmitting device 200 is disposed so as to generate an AC magnetic field in a direction away from the surface in which it is embedded (a direction away from a wall, a pillar, or the like). Power transmitting coil 201 is installed at a position where the distance between power transmitting coil 201 and the floor surface is a predetermined distance (defined as a first distance). The distance between power transmitting coil 201 and the floor surface is, for example, the position of the axis of power transmitting coil 201 and the length of a perpendicular line drawn from the position of the axis to the floor surface.

[0034] The power transmission device 300 receives power from the power transmission device 200 or another power transmission device 300 by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300 supplies power to the load 330 and also supplies power to another power transmission device 300 by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300 has at least a bottom surface and one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the bottom surface. The power transmission device 300 may have one or more side surfaces standing upright from an end of the bottom surface having an end. For example, the power transmission device 300 has a rectangular bottom surface and four side surfaces standing upright from each side that is the end of the rectangle. The power receiving coil 311 of the power transmission device 300 is installed near one of the side surfaces of the power transmission device 300 so that the coil surface is parallel to the side surface. The power transmitting coil 321 of the power transmission device 300 is installed near one of the side surfaces of the power transmission device 300 so that the coil surface is parallel to the side surface. Moreover, the power receiving coil 311 and the power transmitting coil 321 are arranged such that the distance (height) from the bottom surface of the power transfer device 300 is a predetermined distance (first distance). By making the distance from the bottom surface of the power receiving coil 311 the same as the distance from the bottom surface of the power transmitting coil 321, it becomes easier to make the coil surface of the power receiving coil 311 of one power transfer device 300 face the coil surface of the power transmitting coil 321 of the other power transfer device 300. By making the distance from the bottom surface of the power receiving coil 311 the same as the distance from the floor surface of the power transmitting coil 201 of the power transmitting device 200, it becomes easier to make the coil surface of the power receiving coil 311 of one power transfer device 300 face the coil surface of the power transmitting coil 201 of the power transmitting device 200. The distance between the power receiving coil 311 and the bottom surface of the power transfer device 300 is, for example, the position of the axis of the power receiving coil 311 and the length of a perpendicular line drawn from the position of the axis to the bottom surface of the power transfer device 300. The distance between the power transmitting coil 321 and the bottom surface of the power transfer device 300 is, for example, the position of the axis of the power transmitting coil 321 and the length of a perpendicular line drawn from the position of the axis to the bottom surface of the power transfer device 300. In addition, the power receiving coil 311 and the power transmitting coil 321 do not need to be arranged so that the distance (height) from the bottom surface of the power transfer device 300 is a predetermined distance (first distance).In this case, the power transfer device 300 is placed on a stand or the like so that the power transfer coil 321 of the power transfer device 300 on the power transfer side faces the power receiving coil 311 of the power transfer device 300 on the power receiving side.

[0035] The power receiving unit 310 includes a power receiving coil 311 and a power receiving circuit 312. The power receiving coil 311 is an antenna that receives power. The coil surface of the power receiving coil 311 is disposed so as to face the coil surface of the power transmitting coil 201 and the coil surface of the power transmitting coil 321 of another power transfer device 300. The power receiving circuit 312 is a circuit that controls power reception together with the power receiving coil 311. The circuit 312 forms a resonant circuit with the power receiving coil 311, and receives power from the power transmitting device 200 and the like. The power receiving circuit 312 may include a circuit that adjusts the voltage, current, and frequency of the power supplied to the load 330 and the power transmitting unit 320 according to the load 330 and the power transmitting unit 320. The power receiving circuit 312 may include a rectifier circuit that converts AC current to DC current. In the power receiving coil 311, an electromotive force is generated by electromagnetic induction based on an AC magnetic field generated in the power transmitting coil 201 (or the power transmitting coil 321), and a current flows. As a result, power is supplied from the power transmitting device 200 (or the power transmitting unit 320) to the power receiving unit 310.

[0036] The power transmitting unit 320 includes a power transmitting coil 321 and a power transmitting circuit 322. The power transmitting coil 321 is an antenna that transmits power. The coil surface of the power transmitting coil 321 is arranged to face the coil surface of the power receiving coil 311 of the power receiving unit 310 of the other power transmission device 300. The power transmitting circuit 322 is a circuit that controls power transmission together with the power transmitting coil 321. The power transmitting circuit 322 forms a resonant circuit with the power transmitting coil 321, generates an electromagnetic field at a resonant frequency, and supplies power to the power receiving unit 310 of the other power transmission device 300. The power transmitting circuit 322 may include a circuit that adjusts the voltage, current, and frequency of the output power. The power transmitting coil 321 of the power transmitting unit 320 is arranged to generate an AC magnetic field in a direction away from the power transmission device 300.

[0037] The load 330 is an operating unit that performs a predetermined operation using electric power. The load 330 may be any device that operates using electric power. The load 330 receives a supply of electric power from the power receiving unit 310 and performs a predetermined operation. The load 330 is connected to the power receiving unit 310 by, for example, a power supply cable (for example, a wired cable) and is supplied with electric power.

[0038] The power transmitting coil 201, the power receiving coil 311, and the power transmitting coil 321 are, for example, a wound coil, a laminated coil, a thin film coil, or the like. The coils are formed, for example, by winding a conductor around an axis. The coil plane of the coil is a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the coil.

[0039] The term "a first surface (e.g., the coil surface of the power receiving coil 311)" and "a second surface (e.g., the coil surface of the power transmitting coil 321) facing each other" means that a part or all of the second surface overlaps with a columnar region formed by moving the first surface in a direction perpendicular to the first surface (the direction of the perpendicular to the first surface). In this case, the first surface and the second surface may or may not be parallel to each other.

[0040] The coil surface of the power transmission coil 201 of the power transmission device 200 is arranged to face the coil surface of the power reception coil 311 of the power transfer device 300A. The coil surface of the power transmission coil 321 of the power transfer device 300A is arranged to face the coil surface of the power reception coil 311 of the power transfer device 300B. The coil surface of the power transmission coil 321 of the power transfer device 300B is arranged to face the coil surface of the power reception coil 311 of the power transfer device 300C. With this arrangement, when power is supplied from the power source 100 to the power transmission device 200, power is supplied from the power transmission device 200 to the power transfer device 300A, power is supplied from the power transfer device 300A to the power transfer device 300B, and power is supplied from the power transfer device 300B to the power transfer device 300C. In addition, power is supplied to the load 330 of each power transfer device 300.

[0041] The power transfer devices 300A, 300B, 300C may be installed with their installation locations swapped depending on the situation (e.g., the operation of the load, etc.). Here, one power transmission device 200 is provided, but multiple power transmission devices 200 may be provided. The presence of multiple power transmission devices 200 increases the degree of freedom in arranging the power transfer device 300. That is, by selecting one of the power transmission coils 201 of the multiple power transmission devices 200 and arranging the power receiving coil 311 of the power transfer device 300, the installation location of the power transfer device 300 can be easily changed. The power transfer device 300 has one power receiving unit 310, but the power transfer device 300 may have multiple power receiving units 310. Furthermore, each power receiving unit 310 of the power transfer device 300 may be connected to the power receiving unit 311 of the power transfer device 300. Each of the power transmission units 300 may be installed so that the coil plane of the power receiving coil 311 is parallel to the vicinity of one of the multiple side surfaces. The power transmission device 300 may be arranged so that the coil plane of the power receiving coil 311 of at least one of the power receiving units 310 is parallel to each of two or more side surfaces. The power transmission device 300 has one power transmission unit 320, but the power transmission device 300 may have multiple power transmission units 320. Each of the power transmission units 320 of the power transmission device 300 may be installed so that the coil plane of the power transmission coil 321 is parallel to the vicinity of one of the multiple side surfaces. The power transmission device 300 may be arranged so that the coil plane of the power transmission coil 321 of at least one of the power transmission units 320 is parallel to each of two or more side surfaces. The power transmission device 300 has multiple power receiving units 310 and multiple power transmission units 320, which increases the freedom of arrangement of the power transmission device 300. The coil surface of the power receiving coil 311 of the power receiving unit 310 of the power transfer device 300 and the coil surface of the power transmitting coil 321 of the power transmitting unit 320 are arranged near a plurality of side surfaces, which increases the degree of freedom in arranging the power transfer device 300. When power is not supplied to other power transfer devices 300, the power transmitting unit 320 of the power transfer device 300 may be omitted. Furthermore, the side surfaces on which the power receiving coil 311 and the power transmitting coil 321 of the power transfer device 300 are arranged may be provided on the inside of the power transfer device 300, rather than on the outside of the power transfer device 300. Providing the side surfaces on the inside of the power transfer device 300 allows power to be transferred between the power transfer device 300 and other power transfer devices 300 (e.g., personal computers, robots, etc.) built into or placed on the power transfer device 300.

[0042] (Variation 1) A first modified example of the power supply system of the present embodiment will be described. The first modified example has some points in common with the above-described configuration example. Here, a description of the points in common will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

[0043] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the power supply system of the present embodiment. The power supply system 2 of FIG. 2 includes a power source 100 and power transmission devices 300D, 300B, and 300E. The power transmission device 300D includes a power transmission unit 320 and a load 330. The power transmission unit 320 and the load 330 of the power transmission device 300D are similar to the power transmission unit 320 and the load 330 of the power transmission device 300. The power transmission device 300E includes a power receiving unit 310 and a load 330. The power receiving unit 310 and the load 330 of the power transmission device 300E are similar to the power receiving unit 310 and the load 330 of the power transmission device 300. The power supply system 2 is an example of a facility device. The power transmission devices 300D, 300B, and 300E are examples of load devices.

[0044] The power transmission device 300D receives power from the power source 100 via a wired cable. The power transmission device 300D supplies the power received from the power source 100 to the power transmission unit 320 and the load 330. The power transmission unit 320 supplies power to the power transmission device 300B via a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300D may receive power from the power source 100 via a wired cable when power can be received via a wired cable due to the arrangement of the devices in a factory or the like. By receiving power via a wired cable, the power transmission device 300D can receive power with less energy loss than when receiving power via a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300D does not have a power receiving unit 310, thereby simplifying the configuration.

[0045] The power transfer device 300E does not have the power transmission unit 320 that the power transfer device 300B and the like have. If the power transfer device 300 does not have a device to which it supplies power because the power transfer device 300 is a device disposed at the end of a factory or the like, the power transfer device 300 does not need to have the power transmission unit 320. By not having the power transmission unit 320, the configuration of the power transfer device 300E is simplified.

[0046] The power transmission device 300D receives power from the power source 100 and supplies power to the power transmission device 300B by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300D receives power from the power transmission device 300D by a power transmission method, and supplies power to the power transmission device 300E by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300E receives power from the power transmission device 300B by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission devices 300D, 300B, and 300E each supply the received power to the load 330. The load 330 can perform a predetermined operation by receiving the power supply.

[0047] (Variation 2) A second modified example of the power supply system of the present embodiment will be described. The second modified example has points in common with the above-described configuration example. Here, a description of the points in common will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described. Here, a power transmission device is placed on the floor of a facility such as a factory, and a power transfer device receives a supply of power from the power transmission device placed on the floor.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the power supply system of the present embodiment. The power supply system 3 of FIG. 3 includes a power source 100, power transmission devices 200A, 200B, and 200C, and power transfer devices 300F, 300G, and 300H. The power transmission devices 200A, 200B, and 200C have the same configuration. The power transmission devices 200A, 200B, and 200C have a power transmission coil 201 and a power transmission circuit 202. The power transmission coil 201 and the power transmission circuit 202 of the power transmission device 200A and the like are similar to the power transmission coil 201 and the power transmission circuit 202 of the power transmission device 200. The power transfer devices 300F, 300G, and 300H have the same configuration. The power transfer devices 300F, 300G, and 300H include a power receiving unit 310 and a load 330. The power receiving unit 310 and the load 330 of the power transmission device 300F are the same as the power receiving unit 310 and the load 330 of the power transmission device 300. The number of power transmission devices and the power transmission devices is not limited to three, and may be one or more. The number of power transmission devices and the number of power transmission devices may be different. Although three power transmission devices are arranged in the horizontal direction of FIG. 3, the power transmission devices may also be arranged in the depth direction of the figure. The power supply system 3 is an example of a facility device. The power transmission devices 300F, 300G, and 300H are examples of load devices.

[0049] The power transmitting device 200A supplies power from the power source 100 to the power transmission device 300F by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmitting device 200A is embedded in a floor, for example. The power transmitting coil 201 is installed, for example, so that the coil surface of the power transmitting coil 201 is parallel to the floor surface of the floor. The coil surface of the power transmitting coil 201 is arranged to face the coil surface of the power receiving coil 311 of the power receiving unit 310 of the power transmission device 300. The power transmitting coil 201 may be installed so that a part of it is exposed from the floor surface of the floor. The power transmitting device 200A is arranged so as to generate an AC magnetic field in a direction away from the floor surface. The same applies to the power transmitting devices 200B and 200C.

[0050] The power transmission device 300F receives power from the power transmission device 200A by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300F also supplies power to the load 330. The power transmission device 300F has at least a bottom surface and one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the bottom surface. The power transmission device 300F may have one or more side surfaces standing upright from an end of the bottom surface having an end. The power receiving coil 311 of the power transmission device 300F is installed near the bottom surface of the power transmission device 300F so that the coil surface is parallel to the bottom surface of the power transmission device 300F. This allows the power transmission device 300F to receive power from the power transmission device 200A installed on the floor. According to the power transmission device 300F, it is possible to receive power by wireless power transmission even if the power transmission device 300 is not installed near a wall. Furthermore, the power transfer device 300F may not be installed near the power transfer device 200A (its power transfer coil 201) as in FIG. 3, but may be installed near other power transfer devices such as the power transfer device 200B (its power transfer coil 201) or the power transfer device 200C (its power transfer coil 201) and may receive power from the power transfer device 200B (its power transfer coil 201) or the power transfer device 200C (its power transfer coil 201). By arranging a plurality of power transfer devices (power transfer coils) on the floor, it becomes possible to easily change the installation location (installation position) of the power transfer device. In other words, one of the plurality of power transfer coils is selected to place the power receiving coil 311. This allows the installation location of the power transmission device 300F to be easily changed. The power transmission device 300F may have a plurality of power receiving units 310 on the bottom surface. The power transmission device 300F may have a plurality of power receiving units 310, which increases the degree of freedom in arranging the power transmission device 300F. The power transmission device 300F may have an upper surface that is orthogonal to one or more side surfaces (i.e., an upper surface that is parallel to the bottom surface). In this case, the power transmission coil 321 of the power transmission device 300F may also be installed near the upper surface so that the coil surface is parallel to the upper surface. By installing the coil surface of the power receiving coil 311 near the upper surface of the power transmission device 300F, the power transmission device 300 in which the coil surface of the power receiving coil is installed near the bottom surface can be stacked on the power transmission device 300F to transmit power. The power receiving coil 311 of the power transmission device 300F may also be installed near the upper surface so that the coil surface is parallel to the upper surface. Furthermore, the power transmission coil 321 of the power transmission device 300F may be installed near the bottom surface so that the coil surface is parallel to the bottom surface. In this case, power can be transmitted between the power transmission device 300F and another power transmission device 300F stacked on top of the power transmission device 300F. The same applies to the power transmission devices 300G and 300H.

[0051] The power transmission device 300F may have a power transmission unit 320 in which the coil surface of the power transmission coil 321 is arranged on one of the side surfaces as in the above configuration example. By arranging the power transmission coil 321 of the power transmission unit 320 on the side surface, power can be supplied to the power transmission device 300 in the above configuration example that cannot receive power supply from the bottom surface. The power transmission device 300F may have a power receiving unit 310 in which the coil surface of the power receiving coil 311 is arranged parallel to one of the side surfaces as in the above configuration example. By arranging the power receiving coil 311 of the power receiving unit 310 on the side surface, even if power supply cannot be received from the bottom surface, power can be supplied from a power transmission device 300 in which another power transmission coil 321 is installed on the side surface or a power transmission device 200 in which the power transmission coil 201 is installed on a wall surface or the like. The power transmission device 300F may have an upper surface as described above. In this case, as described above, the power receiving coil 311 of the power transfer device 300F may also be installed near the bottom surface so that the coil surface is parallel to the top surface. The same applies to the power transfer devices 300G and 300H.

[0052] (Variation 3) A third modification of the power supply system of the present embodiment will be described. The third modification has some points in common with the above-described configuration example. Here, a description of the points in common will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

[0053] Here, it is assumed that the power transmission circuit 322 of the power transmission unit 320 of the power transmission device 300 has a measurement circuit that measures the impedance of the power transmission coil 321. As the power receiving coil 311 of the other power transmission device 300 approaches the power transmission coil 321, the impedance of the power transmission coil 321 increases when an AC current is applied to the power transmission coil 321. The transmission efficiency of wireless power transmission is improved by bringing the power transmission coil 321 and the power receiving coil 311 closer to each other. Therefore, the power transmission circuit 322 measures the impedance of the power transmission coil 321 before starting power transmission. If the impedance of the power transmission coil 321 is equal to or greater than a threshold indicating that the distance between the power transmission coil 321 and the power receiving coil 311 is less than a predetermined distance, the power transmission unit 320 performs wireless power transmission. If the impedance of the power transmission coil 321 is less than the threshold, the power transmission unit 320 does not perform wireless power transmission. The predetermined distance is, for example, a distance at which wireless power transmission can be performed with a predetermined transmission efficiency or higher. Furthermore, the power transmitting unit 320 may detect the presence of another power transfer device 300 by another method, and transmit power when (the power receiving coil 311 of) another power transfer device 300 is present near the power transmitting coil 321, and may not transmit power when not present. This makes it possible to stop power transmission when no other power transfer device 300 is present near the power transmitting coil 321, thereby suppressing wasteful energy consumption.

[0054] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiments) A power transmission device 300 having a load operated by power and installed in a facility such as a factory receives power from a power transmission device 200 installed on a floor surface or a wall surface perpendicular to the floor surface of the factory or the like, or from a power transmission unit 320 of another power transmission device 300 by a wireless power transmission method. The power transmission device 300 that has received the power supplies power to a load 330 in the device itself. In addition, the power supply device 300 that has received the power supplies power to the other power transmission device 300 by a wireless power transmission method. The power supply device 300 receives power by a wireless power transmission method and supplies power, thereby transmitting power without using a wired cable. According to the configuration of this embodiment, when changing the position of a device due to rearrangement of the device in a factory or the like, the arrangement of the device can be determined without considering the arrangement of the wired cable that supplies power along with the arrangement of the device. Also, according to the configuration of this embodiment, when power is supplied to the device, a wired cable for power transmission and a connector that connects the wired cable and the device are not used, so that the configuration of the device can be simplified.

[0055] (others) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, such as combinations of each configuration, are possible without departing from the spirit of the claims. In implementing the invention, specific configurations according to the embodiments may be appropriately adopted.

[0056] <Additional Notes> A load device (300) having a predetermined load and constituting a part of a predetermined facility device (1, 2, 3), a power receiving unit (310) that wirelessly receives power from an external power supply unit (200, 320); a supply path for supplying the electric power received by the electric power receiving unit (310) to the predetermined load; Equipped with The load device (300) is configured so that its installation location can be changed depending on the arrangement of the power supply unit (200, 320). Load device (300). [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1. Power supply system 2. Power Supply System 3. Power Supply System 100 power supply 200 Power transmission equipment 201 Transmission coil 202 Power transmission circuit 300 Power transmission device 310 Power receiving unit 311 Receiving coil 312 Receiving circuit 320 Power Transmission Division 321 Transmission Coil 322 Power Transmission Circuit 330 Load

Claims

1. A load device having a predetermined load that constitutes a part of a predetermined facility device, a power receiving unit that wirelessly receives power from an external power supply unit; a supply path that supplies the electric power received by the power receiving unit to the predetermined load; a power transmission unit that receives power from the power receiving unit and wirelessly supplies power to another load device that is located outside the load device and constitutes the predetermined facility equipment; Equipped with the power receiving unit includes a power receiving coil that receives power from a power transmitting coil of the power supply unit, the power transmission unit includes a power transmission coil that supplies power to a power receiving coil of the other load device, the power transmission unit measures an impedance of a power transmission coil of the power transmission unit before starting power transmission, and when the impedance is equal to or greater than a threshold, supplies power to a power receiving coil of the other load device; a power receiving unit configured to receive power from the power transmitting unit and transmit the power to the other load device wirelessly; and a power supply unit configured to supply power to the other load device wirelessly. load device.

2. A base and one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the base, a coil plane of the receiving coil is arranged in parallel to any one of the one or more side surfaces; a coil plane of the power transmitting coil is arranged parallel to any one of the one or more side surfaces; The load device according to claim 1 .

3. A plurality of the power receiving units are provided, A plurality of the power transmitting units are provided, A base and one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the base, The coil surface of the power receiving coil is at least one of the bottom surface and the one or more side surfaces. are arranged parallel to one surface, a coil plane of the power transmitting coil is disposed parallel to the bottom surface and at least one of the one or more side surfaces. The load device according to claim 1 .

4. A plurality of the power receiving units are provided, A plurality of the power transmitting units are provided, A bottom surface, one or more side surfaces perpendicular to the bottom surface, and a top surface perpendicular to the one or more side surfaces, a coil surface of the receiving coil is arranged parallel to at least one of the bottom surface, the one or more side surfaces, and the top surface; a coil plane of the power transmitting coil is disposed parallel to at least one of the bottom surface, the one or more side surfaces, and the top surface; The load device according to claim 1 .

5. A facility device including a plurality of load devices each having a predetermined load, the load devices each including a power receiving unit that wirelessly receives a supply of power from an external device, a supply path that supplies the power received by the power receiving unit to the predetermined load, and a power transmitting unit that receives a supply of power from the power receiving unit and wirelessly supplies the power to an external device of the load device, In each of the plurality of load devices, the power receiving unit includes a power receiving coil that receives power from a power transmitting coil of an external power supply unit, the power transmitting unit includes a power transmitting coil that supplies power to the power receiving coil of another load device, and the power transmitting unit measures an impedance of the power transmitting coil of the power transmitting unit before starting power transmission, and supplies power to the power receiving coil of the other load device when the impedance is equal to or greater than a threshold value; The load device is configured to receive power supplied from the power transmission unit of a first load device constituting the facility equipment and different from the load device by the power receiving unit, and transmit power from the power transmission unit to a second load device constituting the facility equipment and different from the load device, thereby making it possible to change the installation location of the load device. Equipment equipment.

Images