Charging assembly for wireless power transfer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10424962-B2
Application number	US-201514871890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A charging assembly for wireless power transfer. In embodiments, the charging assembly comprises a housing, a cap structure, a ferrimagnetic sleeve, an inductive coil, a magnet, a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), and a four-pin connector extending from a bottom surface of the PCBA. A ridge of the cap structure can be coupled to a lip of the housing. The housing can include a bottom housing surface having an aperture, and a sidewall extending between the bottom housing surface and the lip that extends outward from the sidewall along a perimeter of the housing parallel to the bottom housing surface. The four-pin connector can extend through the aperture of the housing. Some embodiments are directed to a charging device that incorporates the charging assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless charging assembly comprising:
a housing including a charging surface;
a ferrimagnetic sleeve disposed within the housing, the ferrimagnetic sleeve including first and second opposing faces, a first opening extending from the first face to the second face through the ferrimagnetic sleeve, and a recess surrounding the first opening and open at the first face;
an inductive coil disposed within the recess between the charging surface and the second face of the ferrimagnetic sleeve, the inductive coil being configured to wirelessly transmit power across the charging surface;
a printed circuit board (PCB) defining a second opening; and
a magnet surrounded by a casing disposed within the first and second openings, the casing having a flange member contacting the second face of the ferrimagnetic sleeve, interaction between the flange member and the second face of the ferrimagnetic sleeve preventing movement of the casing through the first opening and toward the charging surface.

2. The wireless charging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion including a threaded screw hole configured to receive a screw or bolt.

3. The wireless charging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a cap structure coupled to a housing component, the housing component including an exterior surface and a sidewall extending between the exterior surface and a lip that extends outward from the sidewall, the lip of the housing component being coupled to the cap structure.

4. The wireless charging assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the ferrimagnetic sleeve is disposed between the PCBA and the charging surface.

5. The wireless charging assembly of claim 4 , wherein the PCBA comprises one or more contact pads configured to receive wires from the inductive coil.

6. The wireless charging assembly of claim 5 further comprising a guide element disposed in a notched portion of the ferrimagnetic sleeve, the guide element configured to guide the wires from the inductive coil to the one or more contact pads.

7. The wireless charging assembly of claim 4 , further comprising:
a connector attached to the PCBA and extending from a surface of the PCBA through an aperture defined by an exterior surface of the housing, the connector being electrically coupled to the inductive coil.

8. The wireless charging assembly of claim 4 ,
wherein the charging surface has a concave geometry.

9. The wireless charging assembly of claim 8 , wherein the casing physically and electrically isolates the magnet from both the PCBA and the ferrimagnetic sleeve.

10. A wireless charging assembly, comprising:
a housing including an exterior housing surface, a sidewall extending between the exterior housing surface and a lip that extends outward from the sidewall along a perimeter of the housing;
a cap structure having a charging surface and an interior-facing surface opposite the charging surface, the interior-facing surface coupled to the housing at the lip;
a ferrimagnetic sleeve disposed within the housing, the ferrimagnetic sleeve including first and second opposing faces, a central opening extending from the first face to the second face through the ferrimagnetic sleeve, and a recess surrounding the central opening and open at the first face;
an inductive coil disposed within the recess between the interior-facing surface and the second face of the ferrimagnetic sleeve, the inductive coil configured to wirelessly transmit power across the charging surface; and
a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) disposed within the housing between the second face of the ferrimagnetic sleeve and the exterior housing surface, the PCBA defining a hollow portion; and
a magnet disposed within a casing disposed within both the central opening of the ferrimagnetic sleeve and the hollow portion of the PCBA, the casing having a flange member contacting the second face of the ferrimagnetic sleeve, wherein interaction between the flange member and the second face of the ferrimagnetic sleeve prevents movement of the casing closer to the interior-facing surface of the cap structure.

11. The wireless charging assembly of claim 10 , wherein the exterior housing surface further includes a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion including a threaded screw hole configured to receive a screw or a bolt.

12. The wireless charging assembly of claim 10 further comprising an adhesive material disposed between the cap structure and the housing.

13. The wireless charging assembly of claim 10 , wherein the wireless charging assembly is substantially impermeable to liquids.

14. The wireless charging assembly of claim 10 wherein the PCBA comprises one or more contact pads configured to receive wires from the inductive coil.

15. The wireless charging assembly of claim 14 further comprising a guide element disposed in a notched portion of the ferrimagnetic sleeve, the guide element configured to guide the wires from the inductive coil to the one or more contact pads.

16. The wireless charging assembly of claim 10 , wherein the charging surface has a concave geometry.

17. The wireless charging assembly of claim 10 , wherein the casing physically and electrically isolates the magnet from both the PCBA and the ferrimagnetic sleeve.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Graham Christopher S
• Thompson Paul J

Classifications

• H02J50/70

  involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields · CPC title

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/70 Primary

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H01F38/14 Primary

  Inductive couplings {(for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10)} · CPC title

• H02J50/10 Primary

  using inductive coupling · CPC title