Power transmission apparatus and method, and resonance device used therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9577477-B2
Application number	US-201314389748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2013
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A resonance device includes a waveguide, a dielectric resonator disposed coaxial with the waveguide, an excitation structure thereof. One end of the waveguide is open and the other is short-circuited. The dielectric resonator has two end surfaces disposed on opposite sides to each other, is insulated from the waveguide in the vicinity of the open end of the waveguide, and is disposed within the waveguide, such that a thickness being a distance between the two end surfaces is constant, regardless of a radial position of the dielectric resonator. In a power transmission apparatus, the two resonance devices are provided. The open end of the waveguide of one resonance device and the open end of the waveguide of the other resonance device are disposed opposite each other. Power, which is input to an excitation structure of one resonance device, is output from an excitation structure of the other resonance device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power transmission apparatus comprising:
a first resonance device including a first waveguide, a first dielectric resonator disposed coaxial with the first waveguide, and a first excitation structure for exciting the first dielectric resonator; and
a second resonance device including a second waveguide, a second dielectric resonator disposed coaxial with the second waveguide, and a second excitation structure for exciting the second dielectric resonator,
the first waveguide having an open end as one end and a short-circuited end as the other end,
the first dielectric resonator having two first end surfaces disposed on opposite sides to each other, being insulated from the first waveguide in the vicinity of the open end of the first waveguide, and being disposed within the first waveguide, such that a thickness being a distance between the two first end surfaces is constant, regardless of a radial position of the first dielectric resonator,
the second waveguide having an open end as one end and a short-circuited end as the other end,
the second dielectric resonator having two first end surfaces disposed on opposite sides to each other, being insulated from the second waveguide in the vicinity of the open end of the second waveguide, and being disposed within the second waveguide, such that a thickness being a distance between the two second end surfaces is constant, regardless of a radial position of the second dielectric resonator, and
the first resonance device and the second resonance device being disposed such that the open end of the first waveguide and the open end of the second waveguide are opposite to each other, and power input to the first excitation structure being output from the second excitation structure.

2. The power transmission apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the two first end surfaces or the two second end surfaces are made of planes parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to a wave guiding direction of the first waveguide or a wave guiding direction of the second waveguide.

3. The power transmission apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the two first end surfaces or the two second end surfaces are located such that a central portion is farther from the second dielectric resonator or the first dielectric resonator than an outer peripheral portion.

4. The power transmission apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein at least one of the two first end surfaces or at least one of the two second end surfaces is made of at least a part of a conical surface, a pyramid surface, a spherical surface, a parabolic surface, or an elliptical surface, which has a symmetrical axis coaxial with the first waveguide or the second waveguide in at least the outer peripheral portion.

5. The power transmission apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein a shape of the first dielectric resonator or the second dielectric resonator is a polygonal prism, a polygonal cylinder, a cylindrical prism, or a circular cylinder, which has the first end surface or the second end surface as both end surfaces.

6. The power transmission apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first waveguide or the second waveguide is a polygonal cylinder or a circular cylinder.

7. The power transmission apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first waveguide or the second waveguide has a tapered shape such that a cross-sectional area is gradually reduced from the open end to the short-circuited end.

8. The power transmission apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first excitation structure or the second excitation structure is disposed to be insulated from the first waveguide or the second waveguide in the short-circuited end of the first waveguide or the short-circuited end of the second waveguide, and includes a conductor extending in a wave guiding direction within the first waveguide or the second waveguide.

9. A power transmission method, which wirelessly transmits power from a first resonance device to a second resonance device by using the power transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , the power transmission method comprising:
disposing the first resonance device and the second resonance device so that the open end of the first waveguide and the open end of the second waveguide are opposite to each other;
inputting power to the first excitation structure; and
outputting the power from the second excitation structure.

10. A resonance device comprising:
a waveguide;
a dielectric resonator disposed coaxial with the waveguide; and
an excitation structure for exciting the dielectric resonator,
wherein one end of the waveguide is an open end and the other end of the waveguide is a short-circuited end, and
the dielectric resonator has two end surfaces disposed on opposite sides to each other, is insulated from the waveguide in the vicinity of the open end of the waveguide, and is disposed within the waveguide, such that a thickness being a distance between the two end surfaces is constant, regardless of a radial position of the dielectric resonator.

11. The resonance device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the two end surfaces are made of planes parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to a wave guiding direction of the waveguide.

12. The resonance device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the two end surfaces are located such that a central portion is farther from the dielectric resonator than an outer peripheral portion.

13. The resonance device according to claim 12 ,
wherein at least one of the two end surfaces is made of at least a part of a conical surface, a pyramid surface, a spherical surface, a parabolic surface, or an elliptical surface, which has a symmetrical axis coaxial with the waveguide in at least the outer peripheral portion.

14. The resonance device according to claim 11 ,
wherein a shape of the dielectric resonator is a polygonal prism, a polygonal cylinder, a cylindrical prism, or a circular cylinder, which has the end surface as both end surfaces.

15. The resonance device according to claim 10 ,
wherein a cross-sectional shape of the waveguide is a polygonal cylinder or a circular cylinder.

16. The resonance device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the waveguide has a tapered shape such that a cross-sectional area is gradually reduced from the open end to the short-circuited end.

17. The resonance device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the excitation structure is disposed to be insulated from the waveguide in the short-circuited end of the waveguide, and includes a conductor extending in a wave guiding direction within the waveguide.

Assignees

• Ube Industries

Inventors

• Fujiyama Yoshiaki
• Harada Nobuhiro

Classifications

• H01P5/024

  between hollow waveguides · CPC title

• H02J50/20

  using microwaves or radio frequency waves · CPC title

• H01P7/10

  Dielectric resonators · CPC title

• H02J17/00 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J50/00

  Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power · CPC title