Power reception apparatus, vehicle, and detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227015-B2
Application number	US-201715632646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

The power reception apparatus includes a secondary coil which receives power in a non-contact state from a power transmission apparatus having a primary coil, while facing the power transmission apparatus, a housing which houses the secondary coil to form a space between the secondary coil and the housing, a fluid filled in the space, a sensor which is disposed in the space and detects a change in the a liquid level height of the fluid, and a detection unit which detects a breakage of the housing, based on a the change in the liquid level height detected by the sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power reception apparatus, comprising:
a secondary coil which receives power in a non-contact state from a power transmission apparatus having a primary coil, while facing the power transmission apparatus;
a housing which houses the secondary coil to form a space between the secondary coil and the housing;
a fluid filled in the space;
a sensor which is disposed in the space and detects a change in a liquid level height of the fluid; and
a detection unit which detects a breakage of the housing based on the change in the liquid level height detected by the sensor.

2. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the housing includes a support unit which supports the secondary coil, and
the support unit has a thermal conductivity which is higher than a thermal conductivity of the secondary coil.

3. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the housing includes the support unit which supports the secondary coil, and
the support unit has a thermal conductivity which is higher than a thermal conductivity of the fluid.

4. The power reception apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the support unit supports the sensor at an upper end in a vertical direction in the space.

5. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor detects a change in a liquid level height of the fluid at a plurality of places in the space, and
the detection unit detects a breakage of the housing in a case that all of the liquid level heights at the plurality of places change in the same direction.

6. The power reception apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the detection unit detects a breakage of the housing in a case that all of the liquid level heights at the plurality of places drop.

7. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a transmission unit which transmits a command to stop power transmission toward the secondary coil to the power transmission apparatus in a case that the detection unit detects a breakage of the housing.

8. A vehicle having a power reception apparatus, the power reception apparatus comprising:
a secondary coil which receives power in a non-contact state from a power transmission apparatus having a primary coil, while facing the power transmission apparatus;
a housing which houses the secondary coil to form a space between the secondary coil and the housing;
a fluid filled in the space;
a sensor which is disposed in the space and detects a change in a liquid level height of the fluid; and
a detection unit which detects a breakage of the housing based on the change in the liquid level height detected by the sensor.

9. A detection method performed by a power reception apparatus including:
a secondary coil which receives power in a non-contact state from a power transmission apparatus having a primary coil, while facing the power transmission apparatus;
a housing which houses the secondary coil to form a space between the secondary coil and the housing; and
a fluid filled in the space,
wherein the method includes the steps of:
detecting a change in a liquid level height of the fluid; and
detecting a breakage of the housing based on the change in the detected liquid level height.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kume Yasuhisa
• Ono Tomoaki
• Iwamoto Takuya
• Fujita Hajime

Classifications

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title

• H02J50/80

  involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices · CPC title

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J7/60

  including safety or protection arrangements · CPC title