Checking a presence of an electrically conductive body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10938445-B2
Application number	US-201615201884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2016
Priority date	Jul 10, 2015
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus checks for a presence of an electrically conductive body in the near field of charging coils of an arrangement for induced charging. At least one transmitting device provides a transmission signal in the form of a magnetic field. At least one receiving device generates a reception signal from the transmission signal and induced into the receiving device. The transmitting device and the receiving device are formed in such a way that, when the electrically conductive body is present, a first reception signal forms and, when the electrically conductive body is absent, a second reception signal, different than the first, forms in the receiving device on account of the induced transmission signal. The transmitting device and the receiving device are formed in a manner dependent on the magnetic field of the charging coils in such a way that, when the electrically conductive body is absent, partial reception signals form in the receiving device on account of the induced transmission signal, where partial reception signals substantially cancel one another out in the reception signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for checking a presence of an electrically conductive body, the apparatus comprising:
charging coils of an arrangement for induced charging with a first magnetic field;
at least one transmitting device separate from the charging coils for providing a transmission signal in the form of a second magnetic field, the at least one transmitting device being decoupled from the first magnetic field of the charging coils; and
at least one receiving device for generating a first reception signal from the transmission signal provided by the transmitting device with the second magnetic field and induced into the receiving device,
wherein the transmitting device and the receiving device are formed such that, when the electrically conductive body is present in a near field of the charging coils, the first reception signal forms and, when the electrically conductive body is absent in the near field, a second reception signal, different than the first reception signal, forms in the receiving device on account of the induced transmission signal,
wherein the transmitting device and the receiving device are formed in a manner dependent on the magnetic power field of the charging coils in such a way that, when the electrically conductive body is absent in the near field, the second reception signal comprises partial reception signals formed in the receiving device on account of the induced transmission signal, the partial reception signals substantially cancelling one another out in the second reception signal, and
wherein, given a point symmetry of a z-component of the magnetic field in relation to a point of intersection of a y-axis (y) and an x-axis (x) of the charging coils mounted in an x-y plane of the transmitting device and the receiving device:
a) first conductor loops of the transmitting device are arranged geometrically such that the first conductor loops are located on a y-axis of the magnetic field such that an opening, enclosed by the first conductor loops, is incident on the y-axis of the magnetic field; and
b) second conductor loops of the receiving device are arranged geometrically such that the second conductor loops are located on an x-axis of the magnetic field such that a crossover point formed by the second conductors is incident on the x-axis of the magnetic field.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitting device and the receiving device each have a form of a conductor loop twisted at least once.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the partial reception signals are canceled out in the second reception signal in such a way that a geometrical arrangement of the transmitting device, the geometrical arrangement of the receiving device, or the geometrical arrangements of the transmit and receiving devices are determined in a manner dependent on a symmetry property of the magnetic power field of the charging coils.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the charging coils are a double-D coil system, wherein primary coils of the double-D coil system are arranged in an x-y plane axially symmetrically with respect to a y-axis.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, given an axial symmetry of a z-component of the magnetic field in relation to a x-axis and/or y-axis of the charging coils mounted in the x-y plane of the transmitting device and receiving device,
a) first conductor loops of the transmitting device are arranged geometrically in such a way that the first conductor loops are located on the y-axis of the magnetic field in such a way that a crossover point formed by first twisted conductors is incident on the y-axis,
b) second conductor loops of the receiving device are arranged geometrically in such a way that the second conductor loops are located on the x-axis of the magnetic field in such a way that a crossover point formed by the second twisted conductors is incident on the x-axis.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the charging coils are a circular coil system, wherein a primary coil of the circular coil system is located on a point of intersection of an x-axis and a y-axis of an x-y plane.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the receiving device comprises a predetermined number of receiving coils arranged with respect to the transmitting device in such a way that the transmission signal is induced into the respective receiving coils substantially in identical portions.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein receiving coils of the receiving device are arranged alongside one another in a main extension direction of the receiving device.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one transmitting device comprises a plurality of transmitting devices and the at least one receiving device comprises a plurality of receiving devices, the pluralities of transmitting and receiving devices arranged with respect to one another such that the main extension directions of the transmitting devices are perpendicular to the main extension directions of the receiving devices.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a control device configured to sequentially drive the transmitting devices for respectively providing the transmission signal.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the partial reception signals are canceled out in the second reception signal in such a way that a geometrical arrangement of the transmitting device, the geometrical arrangement of the receiving device, or the geometrical arrangements of the transmit and receiving devices are determined in a manner dependent on a symmetry property of the magnetic power field of the charging coils.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the charging coils are a double-D coil system, wherein primary coils of the double-D coil system are arranged in an x-y plane axially symmetrically with respect to a y-axis.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the charging coils are a circular coil system, wherein a primary coil of the circular coil system is located on a point of intersection of an x-axis and a y-axis of an x-y plane.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the receiving device comprises a predetermined number of receiving coils arranged with respect to the transmitting device in such a way that the transmission signal is induced into the respective receiving coils substantially in identical portions.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the receiving coils are arranged alongside one another in a main extension direction of the receiving device.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one transmitting device comprises a plurality of transmitting devices and the at least one receiving device comprises a plurality of receiving devices, the pluralities of transmitting and receiving devices arranged with respect to one another such that the main extension directions of the transmitting devices are perpendicular to the main extension directions of the receiving devices.

17. A charging arrangement for inductively charging an electric vehicle, the charging arrangement comprising:
charging coils for induced charging with a first magnetic field;
a conductor presence detector comprising:
at least one transmitting device separate from the charging coils for providing a transmission signal in the form of a second magnetic field, the at least one transmitting device being decoupled from the first magnetic field of the charging coils; and

at least one receiving device for generating a

Assignees

• Huber Klaus
• Seisenberger Claus
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Huber Klaus
• Seisenberger Claus

Classifications

• H02J50/402

  the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas · CPC title

• B60L53/124

  Detection or removal of foreign bodies · CPC title

• B60L53/60

  Monitoring or controlling charging stations · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title