JP2008283858A - Noncontact power transmission device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide proper electromagnetic joint of primary and secondary coils of a transformer and make the proper state recognized by a user at the time of the beginning of its use without adopting a special structure. <P>SOLUTION: This invention includes a power transmission device 5, a transformer 6, an electric power receiving device 7, and a position alignment device 8. The power transmission device 5 generates an AC signal with a predetermined frequency to be transmitted. The transformer 6 transmits power generated at the power transmission device 5 efficiently to the side of the electric power receiving device 7. In the position alignment detection device 8, whether a relative positional relation between a primary coil 61 of the transformer 6 and a secondary coil 62 is normal or not is detected based on an output voltage of an output rectifier circuit 71, and if it is normal, the fact is informed to a user by lighting of a light emitting diode LED. In this way, the electromagnetic coupling of the primary coil and the secondary coil of the transformer can be normalized at the start of use and the proper state can be recognized by the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a non-contact power transmission device including a power transmission device and a power reception device electromagnetically connected via a transformer, and in particular, a relative positional relationship between a planar primary coil and a secondary coil constituting the transformer. It can be optimized.

  Conventionally, as this kind of non-contact power device, as shown in FIG. 5, a power transmission device 1, a transformer (not shown), and a power reception device 2 are provided, and a lower side of the power reception device 2 is a concave portion of the power transmission device 1. 11 is detachably fitted into the frame 11 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, in this non-contact power transmission device, predetermined AC power is generated by the power transmission device 1, and the generated power is transmitted to the power reception device 2 via a transformer, and the AC power is converted to DC power by the power reception device 2. It is supposed to be converted.
The transformer includes a planar primary coil to which the output of the power transmission device 1 is applied, and a planar secondary coil that is electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, and the output of the secondary coil is the power receiving device 2. Is applied to the input side.

  The primary coil of the transformer is embedded in the bottom surface of the recess 11 of the power transmission device 1, the secondary coil is embedded in the bottom surface 22 of the power reception device 2, and the power reception device 2 is mounted in the recess 11 of the power transmission device 1. Sometimes the primary and secondary coils of the transformer can be electromagnetically coupled.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-23677 (FIG. 1)

  Incidentally, the non-contact power transmission device shown in FIG. 5 has a special structure in which the power transmission device 1 and the power reception device 2 are fitted via the recess 11. For this reason, the power transmission device 1 and the power reception device 2 can be reliably coupled. In other words, the electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil of the transformer can be performed properly (reliably).

However, in order to properly perform electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil of the transformer, a special structure such as a recess is required. For this reason, in the conventional non-contact electric power transmission apparatus, since there exists a restriction | limiting on the above structures, there exists a problem that there exists a restriction | limiting on a design at the time of design.
On the other hand, when a special structure such as a recess is not used, it is necessary to optimize the electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and secondary coil of the transformer and use the appropriate state. Need to be recognized by the person (user).

  Therefore, the object of the present invention is to optimize the electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil of the transformer at the start of use without adopting a special structure, and the user can recognize the appropriate state. An object of the present invention is to provide a contactless power transmission device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object of the present invention, each invention is configured as follows.
That is, the first invention is a power transmission unit that generates an AC signal having a predetermined frequency, a planar primary coil to which an output of the power transmission unit is applied, and a plane that is electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil. A secondary coil that is separable from the primary coil, a rectifier that generates a DC voltage from the output of the secondary coil, and an output voltage of the rectifier And an alignment detecting means for detecting whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is normal, and notifying that when it is normal.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the non-contact power transmission device according to the first aspect of the invention, the alignment detection unit includes a detection resistor that can be connected to an output terminal of the rectification unit, and the detection resistor is an output of the rectification unit. When connected to the terminal, it is determined whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is normal based on the voltage across the detection resistor. A comparator that outputs a normal signal to that effect, and the detection resistor connected to the output terminal of the rectifier means in this state, and in this state, the output of the normal signal from the comparator is monitored and output And a control circuit for causing the display to display that the display is normal based on the normal signal.

  A third invention further includes a constant voltage circuit connected to a subsequent stage of the rectifying means and controlled to be turned on / off based on an on / off signal from the outside, in the contactless power transmission device according to the first invention. The alignment detection means includes a detection resistor that can be connected to the output terminal of the rectification means, a light-emitting diode that is turned on by a drive current, and the detection resistance when connected to the output terminal of the rectification means. It is determined whether or not the both-end voltage of the detection resistor belongs to a predetermined range, and when the both-end voltage belongs to the predetermined range, the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is in the predetermined range. A comparator that outputs a normal signal of the detector, and at the start of use, the detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifier and the operation of the constant voltage circuit is turned off. When the output of the normal signal is monitored and output, the detection resistor is disconnected from the output terminal of the rectifying means and the operation of the constant voltage circuit is turned on, and based on the normal signal And a control circuit for causing the light emitting diode to light up by passing a driving current.

  4th invention, the power transmission means which can selectively produce | generate the alternating current signal which consists of a 1st frequency and a 2nd frequency higher than it, The planar primary coil to which the output of the said power transmission means is applied, A planar secondary coil that is electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, and a transformer that can separate the primary coil and the secondary coil, and a DC voltage generated from the output of the secondary coil Rectifying means for generating, and causing the power transmitting means to generate AC signals of a first frequency and a second frequency, respectively, and for each generation, based on each output voltage of the rectifying means, the primary coil and the secondary Alignment detection means for detecting whether or not the relative positional relationship of the coils is normal and notifying each of the detections when each of the detections is normal.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the non-contact power transmission device according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the alignment detection unit first causes the power transmission unit to generate an AC signal having a first frequency, and at the time of generation, the rectification unit Based on the output voltage, it is detected whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is normal, and when it is detected that the normal coil is normal, And generating an AC signal of the second frequency, and detecting whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is normal based on the output voltage of the rectifying means at the time of generation. If it is detected, this is notified.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the non-contact power transmission device according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the alignment detection unit includes a detection resistor that can be connected to an output terminal of the rectification unit, and the detection resistor is an output of the rectification unit. When connected to the terminal, it is determined whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is normal based on the voltage across the detection resistor. When the determination is made, the comparator that outputs a normal signal to that effect and the detection resistor are connected to the output terminal of the rectifier, and in this state, an AC signal having a first frequency is first supplied to the power transmitter. And when the output of the normal signal from the comparator is output at the time of generation, the power transmission means further generates an AC signal of the second frequency, and from the comparator at the time of generation. Monitor normal signal output It is when the output includes a control circuit for an indication is normal on the display based on the normal signal.

  The seventh invention further includes a constant voltage circuit connected to a subsequent stage of the rectifying means and controlled to be turned on / off based on an on / off signal from the outside, in the non-contact power transmission apparatus of the fourth invention. The alignment detection means includes a detection resistor that can be connected to the output terminal of the rectification means, a light-emitting diode that is turned on by a drive current, and the detection resistance when connected to the output terminal of the rectification means. It is determined whether or not the both-end voltage of the detection resistor belongs to a predetermined range, and when the both-end voltage belongs to the predetermined range, the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is in the predetermined range. A comparator that outputs a normal signal, and at the start of use, the detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifier and the operation of the constant voltage circuit is turned off. The first frequency AC signal is generated by the means, and when the normal signal output from the comparator is monitored at the time of generation, the second frequency AC signal is further output to the power transmission means. When the normal signal output from the comparator is monitored again at the time of the generation, the detection resistor is disconnected from the output terminal of the rectifier and the operation of the constant voltage circuit is turned on. And a control circuit that turns on the light emitting diode by causing a driving current to flow based on the normal signal.

  According to the present invention having such a configuration, it is possible to optimize the electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil of the transformer means (transformer) at the start of use without adopting a special structure. And the user can recognize the appropriate state.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The configuration of the first embodiment of the non-contact power transmission apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the contactless power transmission device according to the first embodiment includes a power transmission device 5, a transformer (transformer) 6, a power reception device 7, and an alignment detection device 8. .

The power transmission device 5 is a device that generates an AC signal (AC power) having a predetermined frequency to be transmitted. As shown in FIG. 1, the oscillation circuit 51, the inverter circuit 52, the driver circuits 53, 54, and 1 It comprises secondary capacitors C1 and C2.
The oscillation circuit 51 is a circuit with a fixed oscillation frequency that generates a high-frequency pulse having a predetermined frequency. The oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 51 is, for example, in the range of 100 [kHz] to 500 [kHz].

The inverter circuit 52 is a circuit that inverts a pulse generated by the oscillation circuit 51. The driver circuit 53 is a circuit that amplifies the output of the oscillation circuit 51. The driver circuit 54 is a circuit that amplifies the output of the inverter circuit 52.
The primary side capacitor C1 is a capacitor for AC coupling the output side of the driver circuit 53 and one end side of the primary coil 61 of the transformer 6. The secondary side capacitor C2 is a capacitor for AC coupling the output side of the driver circuit 54 and the other end side of the primary coil 61 of the transformer 6.

The transformer 6 efficiently transmits the power generated by the power transmission device 5 to the power reception device 7 side. For this reason, the transformer 6 has a primary coil 61 to which the output of the power transmission device 5 is applied, and a secondary coil 62 that is electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil 61.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 are, for example, planar coils obtained by winding an insulated single wire 63 spirally in the same plane. The greater the number of turns, the better, for example, about 10 turns. Further, the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 are formed in a disc shape as a whole so that a spiral state can be appropriately maintained by means (see FIG. 2B).

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2B, the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 are electromagnetically coupled so that their planes overlap each other as shown in FIG. In some cases, the structure is simple enough to physically separate them.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, for example, a primary coil 61 is placed on a desk 64, and at the start of use of the first embodiment, a second coil 62 is placed on the surface of the primary coil 61. You just need to stack. On the other hand, after the end of use, the second coil 62 only needs to be removed from the first coil 61.

The power receiving device 7 is a device that receives AC power from the power transmitting device 5 and converts it into DC power.
For this purpose, the power receiving device 7 generates and outputs a DC voltage from the capacitor C3 connected to both ends of the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6 and the output voltage of the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6, as shown in FIG. An output rectifier circuit 71; a capacitor C4 connected between the output terminals of the output rectifier circuit 71; and a constant voltage circuit 72 for stabilizing the output voltage of the output rectifier circuit 71 and outputting a constant voltage. A load 73 is connected to the output terminal of the circuit 72.

The constant voltage circuit 72 is controlled to be turned on and off by an on / off control signal from a control circuit 84 described later. The capacitor C3 can be omitted as necessary.
The alignment detection device 8 detects whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6 is normal based on the output voltage of the output rectifier circuit 71 and is normal. It is a device that informs the user to that effect.

For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 1, the alignment detection device 8 includes a detection resistor RD, a switch SW1, a voltage dividing circuit 81, a reference voltage source 82, a comparator 83, a light emitting diode LED, and a control. Circuit 84.
The detection resistor RD is connected in series with the switch SW1 to form a series circuit, and the series circuit is connected in parallel to both ends of the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71. Therefore, the detection resistor RD can be connected to both ends of the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71 by turning on the switch SW1.

The switch SW1 is made of, for example, a MOS transistor, and is on / off controlled by an on / off signal from the control circuit 84.
The voltage dividing circuit 81 is composed of a series circuit in which a resistor R1 and a resistor R2 are connected in series. The voltage dividing circuit 81 divides the voltage generated at both ends of the detection resistor RD and supplies the divided voltage to the + input terminal of the comparator 83. It has become.

The comparator 83 compares the divided voltage of the voltage dividing circuit 81 with the reference voltage Vref of the reference voltage source 82. If the divided voltage exceeds the reference voltage Vref, the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil of the transformer 6 are compared. A normal signal indicating that the relative positional relationship 62 is normal is output.
That is, the comparator 83 outputs a normal signal when the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6 is normal and the voltage across the detection resistor RD is at a normal value. It is like that.

At the start of use of the first embodiment, the control circuit 84 turns on the switch SW1, connects the detection resistor RD to the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71, and turns off the operation of the constant voltage circuit 72. Thus, the output of the normal signal from the comparator 83 is monitored.
Further, when a normal signal is output from the comparator 83, the control circuit 84 turns off the switch SW1 to disconnect the detection resistor RD from the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71 and turns on the operation of the constant voltage circuit 72. In addition, a driving current is supplied to the light emitting diode LED based on the normal signal to light the light emitting diode LED.

Next, a specific circuit configuration of the inverter circuits 53 and 54 in the power transmission device 5 illustrated in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the inverter circuit 53 includes a CMOS inverter circuit 531 composed of P-type and N-type MOS transistors Q1 and Q2, and a control circuit for preventing a through current that flows during operation of the CMOS inverter circuit 531. 532 is included. The control circuit 532 includes a NOR gate 5321, an AND gate 5322, inverters IV1 to IV6, and capacitors C11 and C12 as illustrated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inverter circuit 54 includes a CMOS inverter circuit 541 composed of P-type and N-type MOS transistors Q3 and Q4, and a control circuit for preventing a through current that flows during operation of the CMOS inverter circuit 541. 542. The control circuit 542 includes a NOR gate 5421, an AND gate 5422, inverters IV11 to IV16, and capacitors C21 and C22 as illustrated.
In the first embodiment having such a configuration, when the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 51 of the power transmission device 5 is changed, the output voltage, output power, and efficiency of the load connected to the power reception device 7 are changed accordingly. Therefore, a test example of each characteristic will be described below with reference to FIG.

  6, the load resistance is 12.5 [Ω], the output voltage (primary voltage) of the power transmission device 5 is 5.4 [V], and the primary capacitors C1 and C2 have the same capacitance value. It is a test result at the time of using the thing. In FIG. 6, curve a is when the capacitance values of C1 and C2 are large, curve b is when the capacitance values of C1 and C2 are medium, and curve c is when the capacitance values of C1 and C2 are small.

6A shows the relationship between the input frequency of the power transmitting device 5 and the efficiency, FIG. 6B shows the relationship between the frequency and the output voltage of the power receiving device 7, and FIG. 6C shows the frequency. And the output power relationship.
In this test example, during the test, the alignment detection device 8 stops its operation, applies the output of the variable oscillation device whose frequency is variable to the output side of the oscillation circuit 51, and sets the oscillation frequency of the variable oscillation device to The characteristic test was performed by changing the value.

  According to FIG. 6A, when the capacitance values of the primary side capacitors C1 and C2 are large, the maximum efficiency is obtained when the frequency is 410 [kHz], and the maximum efficiency is 64.6 [%]. . At this time, the input power is 5.4 [V] × 1.38 [A] = 7.45 [W], and the output power is 7.80 [V] × 0.62 [A] = 4.83 [W]. (See FIGS. 6B and 6C). Further, according to FIG. 6C, when the capacitance values of C1 and C2 are large, the maximum output is obtained when the frequency is 410 [kHz], and the maximum output is 7.80 [V] × 0.62. [A] = 4.83 [W], and the input power at this time is 5.4 [V] × 1.38 [A] = 7.45 [W].

  Next, according to FIG. 6A, when the capacitance values of the primary side capacitors C1 and C2 are medium, the maximum efficiency is obtained when the frequency is 620 [kHz]. 4 [%]. At this time, the input power is 5.4 [V] × 0.90 [A] = 4.86 [W], and the output power is 6.29 [V] × 0.50 [A] = 3.14 [W]. 〕is there. Further, according to FIG. 6C, when the capacitance values of C1 and C2 are medium, the maximum output is obtained when the frequency is 580 [kHz], and the maximum output is 6.42 [V] × 0. .50 [A] = 3.23 [W], and the input power at this time is 5.4 [V] × 0.94 [A] = 0.07 [W].

  Furthermore, according to FIG. 6A, when the capacitance values of the primary capacitors C1 and C2 are small, the maximum efficiency is obtained when the frequency is 810 [kHz], and the maximum efficiency is 62.5 [%]. Become. At this time, the input power is 5.4 [V] × 0.82 [A] = 4.43 [W], and the output power is 5.94 [V] × 0.47 [A] = 2.79 [W]. ]. Further, according to FIG. 6C, when the capacitance values of C1 and C2 are small, the maximum output is obtained when the frequency is 810 [kHz], and the maximum output is 5.94V × 0.47 [ V] = 2.78 [W], and the input power at this time is 5.4 [V] × 0.82 [A] = 4.43 [W].

  As can be seen from the above results, the maximum output power increases as the capacitance values of the primary side capacitors C1 and C2 increase, and the resonance frequency (extreme frequency) decreases as the capacitance value increases. Further, the output voltage can be controlled by controlling the oscillation frequency (see FIG. 6B), the maximum output power is 4.83 [W], and the maximum efficiency is 64 [%].

Note that the characteristics of the first embodiment, that is, the output voltage can be controlled by controlling the oscillation frequency and the power transmission efficiency (conversion efficiency) is good are the characteristics of other embodiments described later. It is the same.
Next, the operation of the first embodiment having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

In the first embodiment, the power transmission device 5 generates a high-frequency signal having a predetermined frequency, and the high-frequency signal can be transmitted to the power receiving device 7 through the transformer 6 with high efficiency (see FIG. 6A). Therefore, a large amount of power is generated in the power transmission device 5 and can be efficiently transmitted to the power reception device 7.
However, in this case, it is necessary to properly perform electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6. In the first embodiment, however, a special structure as in the prior art is used for this purpose. Not adopted (see FIG. 5). Therefore, it is necessary to make it appropriate by some method and to make the user recognize that it is appropriate.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, at the start of use, the alignment detection device 8 is configured so that the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6 is normal based on the output voltage of the output rectifier circuit 71. Whether or not it exists is detected, and when it is normal, that fact is notified.
That is, at the start of use of the first embodiment, the control circuit 84 turns on the switch SW1 to connect the detection resistor RD to the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71 and turns off the operation of the constant voltage circuit 72. In this state, the output of the normal signal from the comparator 83 is monitored.

  The comparator 83 compares the divided voltage of the voltage dividing circuit 81, that is, the voltage across the detection resistor RD with the reference voltage Vref of the reference voltage source 82. At this time, it is assumed that the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 is normal (appropriate) as shown in FIG. In this case, since the voltage across the detection resistor RD exceeds the reference voltage Vref, the comparator 83 outputs a normal signal indicating that the relative positional relationship is normal.

  When the normal signal is output from the comparator 83 in this way, the control circuit 84 turns off the switch SW1, disconnects the detection resistor RD from the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71, and turns on the operation of the constant voltage circuit 72. Let Further, the control circuit 84 supplies a drive current to the light emitting diode LED based on the normal signal to light the light emitting diode LED. By this lighting, the user can recognize that the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6 is appropriate.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2C, it is assumed that the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 is not normal. In this case, since the voltage across the detection resistor RD does not exceed the reference voltage Vref, the comparator 83 does not output the normal signal. For this reason, the control circuit 84 cannot light the light emitting diode LED.

  When the light emitting diode LED is not turned on, the user adjusts the position of the secondary coil 62, for example. When the relative position of the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 becomes a normal position as shown in FIG. 2B by this adjustment, the light emitting diode LED is turned on. As a result, the user can recognize that the relative position is appropriate, and stops the adjustment.

Next, the structure of 2nd Embodiment of the non-contact electric power transmission apparatus of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the non-contact power transmission device according to the second embodiment includes a power transmission device 5 </ b> A, a transformer 6, a power reception device 7, and an alignment detection device 9.

The power transmission device 5A is a device that generates an AC signal having a predetermined frequency. As shown in FIG. 4, the oscillation circuit 51A, the inverter circuit 52, the driver circuits 53 and 54, and the primary side capacitors C1 and C2 Consists of
The oscillation circuit 51A is a circuit that generates high-frequency pulses, and the oscillation frequency is, for example, in the range of 100 [kHz] to 500 [kHz]. Further, the oscillation circuit 51A is configured such that the frequency f1 and the frequency f2 are selected by a frequency control signal from a frequency control circuit 97 described later, and can oscillate at the selected frequency f1 or f2.

Here, the relationship between the frequencies f1 and f2 is f1 <f2, for example, f1 = 100 [kHz] and f2 = 400 [kHz].
In the second embodiment, since the output voltage of the power receiving device 7 depends on the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 51A of the power transmission device 5A as described above (see FIG. 6B), the output voltage is determined by the frequencies f1 and f2. Will be different.
Inverter circuit 52, driver circuits 53 and 54, and primary side capacitors C1 and C2 are configured similarly to inverter circuit 52, driver circuits 53 and 54, and primary side capacitors C1 and C2 shown in FIG. Detailed description is omitted here.

Moreover, since the transformer 6 and the power receiving device 7 are configured in the same manner as the transformer 6 and the power receiving device 7 shown in FIG. 1, the same reference numerals are given to the components, and detailed description thereof is omitted here.
At the start of use, the alignment detection device 9 first oscillates the oscillation circuit 51A of the power transmission device 5a at the frequency f1, and in this state, based on the output voltage of the output rectifier circuit 71, the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil of the transformer 6 If it is detected whether the relative positional relationship of the coil 62 is normal, and if it is detected that it is normal, then the oscillation circuit 51A is oscillated again at the frequency f2, and in this state, the output rectifier circuit Whether or not the relative positional relationship is normal is detected again based on the output voltage 71, and if it is detected that the relative positional relationship is normal, the user is informed that the relative positional relationship is appropriate. It is a device for.

For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 4, the alignment detection device 9 includes a detection resistor RD, a switch SW1, a voltage dividing circuit 91, a reference voltage source 92, a comparator 93, a light emitting diode LED, and a control. A circuit 94, a resonance circuit 95, an auxiliary transformer 96, and a frequency control circuit 97 are provided.
The detection resistor RD is connected in series with the switch SW1 to form a series circuit, and the series circuit is connected in parallel to both ends of the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71. Therefore, the detection resistor RD can be connected to both ends of the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71 by turning on the switch SW1.

The voltage dividing circuit 91 is a series circuit in which a resistor R3 and a variable resistor VR1 are connected in series, divides the voltage generated at both ends of the detection resistor RD, and supplies the divided voltage to the + input terminal of the comparator 93. It is like that. The resistance value of the variable resistor VR1 can be varied by a resistance value control signal from the control circuit 94.
The comparator 93 compares the divided voltage of the voltage dividing circuit 91 with the reference voltage Vref of the reference voltage source 92. If the divided voltage exceeds the reference voltage Vref, the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil of the transformer 6 are compared. A normal signal indicating that the relative positional relationship 62 is normal is output.

That is, the comparator 93 outputs a normal signal when the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6 is normal and the voltage across the detection resistor RD is at a normal value. It is like that.
At the start of use of the second embodiment, the control circuit 94 turns on the switch SW1 to connect the detection resistor RD to the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71 and turns off the operation of the constant voltage circuit 72. In this state, the oscillation circuit 51A is controlled to oscillate at the frequency f1, and the output of the normal signal from the comparator 93 is monitored.

Further, the control circuit 94 controls the oscillation circuit 51A to oscillate again at the frequency f2 when the first normal signal is output from the comparator 93, and monitors the output of the normal signal from the comparator 93 again. It has become.
Further, when the normal signal is output again from the comparator 93, the control circuit 94 turns off the switch SW1 to disconnect the detection resistor RD from the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71 and turns on the operation of the constant voltage circuit 72. In addition, a driving current is supplied to the light emitting diode LED based on the normal signal to light the light emitting diode LED.

The resonance circuit 95 is a circuit that generates a predetermined AC signal based on the frequency control signal output from the control circuit 94.
The auxiliary transformer 96 has a primary coil to which the output of the resonance circuit 95 is applied, and a secondary coil that is electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil. The primary coil and the secondary coil of the auxiliary transformer 96 are, for example, planar coils similar to the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6, but the purpose is to transmit a signal. The scale is small. Further, the primary coil and the secondary coil of the auxiliary transformer 96 can be connected and disconnected in conjunction with the connection and separation between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6.

When receiving the frequency control signal from the control circuit 94 from the secondary coil of the auxiliary transformer 96, the frequency control circuit 97 is a circuit that controls the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 51A to f1 or f2 based on the signal.
Next, the operation of the second embodiment having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

In the second embodiment, the power transmission device 5A generates a high-frequency signal having a predetermined frequency, and the high-frequency signal can be transmitted to the power receiving device 7 through the transformer 6 with high efficiency (see FIG. 6A). For this reason, large electric power is generated in the power transmission device 5 </ b> A and can be efficiently transmitted to the power reception device 7.
However, in this case, it is necessary to properly perform electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6, but in the second embodiment, a special structure as in the prior art is used for this purpose. Not adopted (see FIG. 5). Therefore, it is necessary to make it appropriate by some method and to make the user recognize that it is appropriate.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the use is disclosed, the alignment detection device 9 first oscillates the oscillation circuit 51A of the power transmission device 5a at the frequency f1 (for example, 100 kHz), and in this state, the output voltage of the output rectifier circuit 71 Based on the above, it is detected whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6 is normal. When oscillating again at the frequency f2 (for example, 400 kHz), in this state, again detecting whether or not the relative positional relationship is normal based on the output voltage of the output rectifier circuit 71, and detecting that it is normal The user is informed that the relative positional relationship is appropriate.

  That is, at the start of use of the second embodiment, the control circuit 94 turns on the switch SW1 to connect the detection resistor RD to the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71 and turns off the operation of the constant voltage circuit 72. In this state, the oscillation circuit 51A is controlled to oscillate at the frequency f1, and the output of the normal signal from the comparator 93 is monitored.

  The comparator 93 compares the divided voltage of the voltage dividing circuit 91, that is, the voltage across the detection resistor RD with the reference voltage Vref of the reference voltage source 92. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2B, it is assumed that the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 is appropriate. In this case, since the voltage across the detection resistor RD exceeds the reference voltage Vref, the comparator 93 outputs a normal signal indicating that the relative positional relationship is normal.

As described above, the output of the normal signal from the comparator 93 causes the control circuit 94 to change the resistance value of the variable resistor VR1 of the voltage dividing circuit 91 to a predetermined value by the resistance value control signal, and then the oscillation circuit 51A again at the frequency f2. Control is made to oscillate, and the output of the normal signal from the comparator 93 is monitored again.
Here, the reason why the resistance value of the variable resistor VR1 is changed to a predetermined value is as follows. That is, when the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 51A is changed to f2, the output voltage of the output rectifier circuit 71 is relatively increased and the input voltage of the comparator 93 is changed as compared with the case where the oscillation frequency is f1. However, since the reference voltage Vref of the comparator 93 remains constant, the comparator 93 cannot accurately determine the input voltage when the frequency of the oscillation circuit 51A is f2.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 2B, if the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 is normal, the comparator 93 outputs a normal signal indicating that the relative positional relationship is normal. Output again.
When the normal signal is output again from the comparator 93 in this way, the control circuit 94 turns off the switch SW1 and disconnects the detection resistor RD from the output terminal of the output rectifier circuit 71 on the condition that the constant signal is output. The operation of 72 is turned on. Further, the control circuit 94 supplies a drive current to the light emitting diode LED based on the normal signal to light the light emitting diode LED.

By this lighting, the user can recognize that the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 of the transformer 6 is normal.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2C, it is assumed that the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 is not normal. In this case, since the voltage across the detection resistor RD does not exceed the reference voltage Vref, the comparator 93 does not output the normal signal. For this reason, the control circuit 94 cannot turn on the light emitting diode LED.

  When the light emitting diode LED is not turned on, the user adjusts the position of the secondary coil 62, for example. When the relative position of the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 becomes an appropriate position as shown in FIG. 2B by this adjustment, the light emitting diode LED is turned on. As a result, the user can recognize that the relative position is appropriate, and stops the adjustment.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the oscillation circuit 51A is first oscillated at the frequency f1 to obtain a small output voltage from the output rectifier circuit 71. Based on the small output voltage, 1 of the transformer 6 is obtained. Whether or not the relative positional relationship between the secondary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 is normal is detected. If it is normal, the oscillation circuit 51A is further oscillated at a frequency f2 higher than the frequency f1 to obtain a large output voltage (for example, an output voltage in use) from the output rectifier circuit 71. Based on the large output voltage, whether or not the relative positional relationship is normal is detected, and the light emitting diode is turned on when it is normal.

  For this reason, according to the second embodiment, the electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil of the transformer can be optimized without being restricted by the structure, and the user can recognize the appropriate state. it can. In addition, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of foreign matter (such as metal pieces) between the primary coil and the second coil. That is, if a large output voltage is applied to the metal piece, there is a risk of heat generation. Therefore, this danger can be avoided by applying a small output voltage.

In each of the above embodiments, the comparators 83 and 93 are ordinary comparators. However, the comparators 83 and 93 may be replaced with window comparators.
In this way, when the window comparator is replaced, when determining whether the relative positional relationship between the primary coil 61 and the secondary coil 62 is normal, an allowable range for the determination can be provided. Can be ensured and stabilized.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil of the transformer means can be optimized at the start of use without adopting a special structure, and The user can recognize the appropriate state.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the primary and secondary coil of the transformer of FIG. 1, (A) is a top view which shows the structure of the both coils, (B) (C) is a side view which shows the example of the use condition of the coils It is. FIG. 2 is a specific circuit diagram of the driver circuit of FIG. 1 and includes its control circuit. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a conventional apparatus. In 1st Embodiment, it is a figure which shows an example of the test result which shows the relationship between the oscillation frequency of a primary side, efficiency, an output voltage, and output power.

Explanation of symbols

  5, 5A is a power transmission device, 6 is a transformer, 7 is a power reception device, 8 and 9 are alignment detection devices, 51 and 51A are oscillation circuits, 61 is a primary coil, 62 is a secondary coil, 71 is an output rectifier circuit, 73 is a load, 83 and 93 are comparators, 84 and 94 are control circuits, and 97 is a frequency control circuit.

Claims (7)

Power transmission means for generating an AC signal having a predetermined frequency;
A planar primary coil to which the output of the power transmission means is applied; and a planar secondary coil that is electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil are separated. Flexible transformation means,
Rectifying means for generating a DC voltage from the output of the secondary coil;
Alignment detecting means for detecting whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is normal based on the output voltage of the rectifying means, and notifying that if it is normal; ,
A non-contact power transmission device comprising: The alignment detection means includes
A detection resistor connectable to the output terminal of the rectifying means;
Whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is normal based on the voltage across the detection resistor when the detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifying means A comparator that outputs a normal signal to that effect when it is determined to be normal,
The detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifying means, and in this state, the output of the normal signal from the comparator is monitored. A control circuit for displaying that there is,
The non-contact power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein A constant voltage circuit connected to a subsequent stage of the rectifying means and controlled to be turned on / off based on an on / off signal from the outside;
The alignment detection means includes
A detection resistor connectable to the output terminal of the rectifying means;
A light emitting diode that is lit by a drive current;
When the detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifying means, it is determined whether the both-end voltage of the detection resistor belongs to a predetermined range, and when the both-end voltage belongs to the predetermined range, A comparator that outputs a normal signal indicating that the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is within a predetermined range;
At the start of use, the detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifier and the operation of the constant voltage circuit is turned off. In this state, the normal signal output from the comparator is monitored and output. A control circuit that disconnects the detection resistor from the output terminal of the rectifier and turns on the operation of the constant voltage circuit, and causes the light emitting diode to flow based on the normal signal to light it. When,
The non-contact power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein Power transmission means capable of selectively generating an AC signal composed of a first frequency and a second frequency higher than the first frequency;
A planar primary coil to which the output of the power transmission means is applied; and a planar secondary coil that is electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil, wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil are separated. Flexible transformation means,
Rectifying means for generating a DC voltage from the output of the secondary coil;
The power transmission means generates an AC signal having a first frequency and a second frequency, and the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil based on each output voltage of the rectification means each time the power transmission means is generated. Each detecting whether or not each is normal, and when each of the detections is normal, alignment detection means for notifying that,
A non-contact power transmission device comprising:   The alignment detection means first causes the power transmission means to generate an AC signal having a first frequency, and at the time of generation, the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil based on the output voltage of the rectifying means. Is detected, and when it is detected that the power is normal, the power transmission means generates an AC signal of the second frequency, and at the time of generation, the rectifying means Based on the output voltage, whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is normal is detected, and if it is detected that it is normal, the fact is notified. The contactless power transmission device according to claim 4, wherein The alignment detection means includes
A detection resistor connectable to the output terminal of the rectifying means;
Whether or not the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is normal based on the voltage across the detection resistor when the detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifying means A comparator that outputs a normal signal to that effect when it is determined to be normal,
The detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifying means, and in this state, the power transmission means first generates an AC signal having a first frequency, and at the time of generation, outputs a normal signal from the comparator. When it is monitored and output, it further causes the power transmission means to generate an AC signal of the second frequency, and at the time of generation, the output of the normal signal from the comparator is monitored and output. A control circuit for causing the display to indicate normality based on the normal signal;
The non-contact power transmission device according to claim 4, wherein: A constant voltage circuit connected to a subsequent stage of the rectifying means and controlled to be turned on / off based on an on / off signal from the outside;
The alignment detection means includes
A detection resistor connectable to the output terminal of the rectifying means;
A light emitting diode that is lit by a drive current;
When the detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifying means, it is determined whether the both-end voltage of the detection resistor belongs to a predetermined range, and when the both-end voltage belongs to the predetermined range, A comparator that outputs a normal signal indicating that the relative positional relationship between the primary coil and the secondary coil is within a predetermined range;
At the start of use, the detection resistor is connected to the output terminal of the rectifying means and the operation of the constant voltage circuit is turned off. In this state, the power transmission means first generates an AC signal of the first frequency. The output of the normal signal from the comparator is monitored at the time of generation, and when the output is output, the power transmission means further generates an AC signal of the second frequency, and the normal signal from the comparator is generated at the time of generation. When the signal output is monitored again and is output, the detection resistor is disconnected from the output terminal of the rectifying means and the operation of the constant voltage circuit is turned on, and the light emission is performed based on the normal signal. A control circuit that causes a drive current to flow through the diode and turns it on;
The non-contact power transmission device according to claim 4, wherein:

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