Movable Power Coupling and a Robot With Movable Power Coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016229296-A1
Application number	US-201615017941-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 8, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a first induction section comprising a first core and a first coil on the first core. A second induction section comprises a second core and a second coil on the second core. The first core comprises rail extensions, where at least two of the rail extensions extend from opposite ends of the first core. The second core comprises shoe portions located at respective ones of the rail extensions, where a gap is provided between each of the rail extensions and respective ones of the shoe portion. The second induction section is configured to move relative to the first induction section in a path along the extensions. The first induction section is configured to induce current in the second induction section, including when the second core moves relative to the first core along the extensions, to provide a contactless induction coupling between the first induction section and the second induction section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a first induction section comprising a first core and a first coil on the first core; and a second induction section comprising a second core and a second coil on the second core, where the first core comprises rail extensions, where at least two of the rail extensions extend from opposite ends of the first core, where the second core comprises shoe portions located at respective ones of the rail extensions, where a gap is provided between each of the rail extensions and respective ones of the shoe portions, where the second induction section is configured to move relative to the first induction section in a path along the extensions, where the first induction section is configured to induce current in the second induction section, including when the second core moves relative to the first core along the extensions, to provide a contactless induction coupling between the first induction section and the second induction section.

2 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the extensions comprise rails which are substantially parallel to one another.

3 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the extensions comprise substantially straight rails.

4 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the extensions comprise curved rails.

5 . An apparatus as in claim 4 where the extensions comprise connecting portions which connect the curved rails to a central portion having the first coil thereon.

6 . An apparatus as in claim 4 where the curved rails each form a circle.

7 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the extensions comprise three or more of the extensions.

8 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the apparatus comprises at least two second induction sections movably located on the first induction section.

9 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first induction section comprises more than one first coil, where each of the first cores are located on separate middle sections of the first core.

10 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first induction section comprises more than one first induction section located in series relative to one another.

11 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the second induction section is connected to a robot having a movable arm, where movement of the second induction section relative to the first induction section on the extensions is configured to move the robot along the path.

12 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first and second induction sections are connected to different components of a robot which are movable relative to each other, where at least one of the components is a link of a robot arm.

13 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first core and/or the second core has a central section with a substantial C shape.

14 . An apparatus as in claim 1 where the first core and/or the second core has a central section with a substantial E shape.

15 . A method comprising:
providing a first induction section comprising a first core and a first coil on the first core, where the first core comprises rail extensions, where at least two of the rail extensions extend from opposite ends of the first core; providing a second induction section comprising a second core and a second coil on the second core, where the second core comprises shoe portions; and locating the second induction section relative to the first induction section, where the shoe portions are located at respective ones of the rail extensions, where a gap is provided between each of the rail extensions and respective ones of the shoe portions, and such that the second induction section is configured to move relative to the first induction section in a path along the extensions, where the first induction section is configured to induce current in the second induction section, including when the second core moves relative to the first core along the extensions, to provide a contactless induction coupling between the first induction section and the second induction section.

16 . A method as in claim 15 where the extensions comprise substantially straight rails which are substantially parallel to one another.

17 . A method as in claim 15 where the extensions comprise curved rails.

18 . A method as in claim 15 where the extensions comprise three or more of the extensions.

19 . A method as in claim 15 where providing the first induction section comprises at least two second induction sections movably located on the first induction section.

20 . A method comprising:
providing a contactless induction coupling comprising a first induction section and a second induction section, where the first induction section comprises a first core and a first coil on the first core, where the first core comprises rail extensions, where at least two of the rail extensions extend from opposite ends of the first core, and where the second induction section comprises a second core and a second coil on the second core, where the second core comprises shoe portions, the second induction section being located relative to the first induction section such that the shoe portions are located at respective ones of the rail extensions with a gap provided between each of the rail extensions and respective ones of the shoe portions, and such that the second induction section is configured to move relative to the first induction section in a path along the extensions; and while the second induction section moves along the extensions of the first induction section, producing alternating magnetic flux at the first induction section and inducing current in the second induction section from the alternating magnetic flux.

Assignees

• Persimmon Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Hosek Martin
• Sah Sripati

Classifications

• H01F38/14

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

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• B60L2200/26

  Rail vehicles · CPC title

• B60L9/00

  Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle (electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53) · CPC title

• B60L9/08 Primary

  fed from AC supply lines · CPC title