PCB Coil Layout for Efficient Wireless Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wire-wound coils in wireless charging systems face limitations such as restricted design flexibility, labor-intensive manufacturing, inefficiencies due to skin and proximity effects, and thermal management challenges, particularly at higher frequencies.
Innovation Solution
The use of conductive traces formed on a substrate to create coils with variable trace widths and spacings, optimized through polynomial functions, enhances coil design and efficiency, allowing for improved power transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wire-wound coils are used for wireless charging, then power transfer can be achieved, but design flexibility is restricted and manufacturing becomes labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wire-winding process with a printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication process. Conductive traces are formed on a substrate using standard PCB manufacturing techniques, eliminating the need for manual or automated wire winding while maintaining coil functionality for wireless power transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables variable trace widths and spacings in the PCB-based coil design, allowing optimization of electrical performance. By adjusting these geometric parameters during PCB design, the coil can be optimized for specific frequency ranges and power transfer requirements without changing the fundamental manufacturing process.
2Loss of energy
If wire-wound coils are used for wireless charging, then power transfer can be achieved, but skin and proximity effects increase resistive losses at higher frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements variable trace widths throughout the coil structure, with wider traces in regions experiencing higher current density. This non-uniform trace width distribution compensates for skin and proximity effects by providing lower resistance paths where needed, reducing overall resistive losses while maintaining compact coil geometry.
3Temperature
If wire-wound coils are used for wireless charging, then power transfer can be achieved, but thermal management becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes trace widths and spacings to distribute current more evenly across the coil structure, reducing localized heating. The PCB substrate also provides thermal pathways to conduct heat away from high-current regions, improving thermal management compared to insulated wire-wound coils.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach achieves power transfer efficiencies exceeding 90% and reduces thermal burden, enabling faster charging times and improved performance in devices like smartphones and augmented reality devices.
Implementation Method 1
These systems typically rely on inductive coupling between a transmit coil and a receive coil to deliver power without physical connectors
Implementation Method 2
At least one of the first coil or the second coil is fabricated by forming corresponding conductive traces on a substrate
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus of the subject technology includes a first coil including a first plurality of turns of conductive traces and a second coil including a second plurality of turns of conductive traces and magnetically coupled to the first coil. At least one of the first coil or the second coil is fabricated by forming corresponding conductive traces on a substrate.