JP2013162611A - Wireless power feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To permit power feeding from a power feeding unit to a power receiving unit in a wireless power feeding device even in a presence of the method, the size, and the shape mismatch between the power feeding unit and the power receiving unit, thereby widening a range of the power receiving unit in which the power feeding unit can feed power.SOLUTION: A detachable converter 130 is disposed between a power feeding unit 110 and a power receiving unit 120. The converter 130 functions to establish conformity of the apparent method, the size and the shape of the power receiving unit 120 from the power feeding unit 110 by using a magnetic circuit, an electrical passive element, power refeeding, or the like.

Description

  The present invention relates to wireless power feeding that transmits power to the near field without mechanical connection such as a connector.

  As a method for transmitting power to the near field without connection, a magnetic resonance method, an electric field coupling method, a magnetic field coupling method, and the like are widely known. In the magnetic field resonance method, development relating to power feeding to a moving body such as a car, which has a high degree of freedom in the spatial positional relationship between the power feeder and the power receiver and is difficult to accurately align, has been actively performed. In addition, products for supplying power to 3D glasses that do not have a flat contact surface using a magnetic resonance method have been developed.

  On the other hand, as the electric field coupling method, a method of supplying power by placing a power supply in close contact with a power receiver, a method of supplying power to a tablet terminal or the like has been developed. In the electric field coupling method, a flat electrode is used, so that the cost can be realized relatively inexpensively.

  In addition, in the magnetic field coupling method, a standardization movement is progressing. Conventionally, when charging a portable device incorporating a secondary battery, a dedicated AC adapter or the like that is different for each portable device has been used as a power feeder. For this reason, the number of AC adapters is increased, the cost of the user is high, and it is necessary to perform a complicated operation of finding a corresponding AC adapter and connecting a connector.

  By standardizing the wireless power supply specification and supplying power from a general-purpose power supply without connecting to the connector, the convenience can be greatly improved. Since power can be supplied simply by placing any power receiver that satisfies the standardized specification on any power supply that satisfies the standardized specification, the burden on the user and convenience are greatly improved.

  An example of such a conventional magnetic field coupling type wireless power supply apparatus 1801 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 18, a wireless power feeder 1801 includes a power feeder 210 and a power receiver 1820 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The power feeder 210 includes a power feeding surface 211, a detection electrode 212, detection means 213, first power conversion means 214, a primary coil 215, and first control means 216. In the power feeder 210, when the power receiver 1820 to be fed is placed on the upper power feeding surface 211, the detection unit 213 detects a change in the electrical signal from the detection electrode 212. When the detection unit 213 detects that the power receiver 1820 is placed, the first control unit 216 starts power supply by the first power conversion unit 214. The first power conversion means 214 converts power stored in an external power source or an internal battery into high frequency power. The converted power is converted into magnetic flux by the primary coil 215 and output from the power feeding surface 211.

  The power receiver 1820 includes a power receiving surface 1821, a secondary coil 1822, second power conversion means 224, power storage means 227, and second control means 226. The secondary coil 1822 disposed so as to face the primary coil 215 is coupled to the primary coil 215 by mutual inductance, and converts the magnetic flux from the primary coil 215 into high-frequency power. The high frequency power from the secondary coil 1822 is converted into DC power by the second power conversion means 224. That is, power is transmitted via the mutual inductance of the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 1822. The transmitted power is used as a power source for the circuit of the entire power receiver 1820 and is stored in the power storage means 227. The second control unit 226 performs management of the state of the power storage unit 227, control of communication with the power feeder 210, and the like. Communication with the power feeder 210 is performed, for example, by changing the load of the second power conversion means 224 of the power receiver 1820 to perform confirmation of the power supply target and power control.

  Here, in order to increase the mutual inductance between the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 1822 and increase the coupling coefficient between the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 1822, the size of the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 1822 is increased. It should be almost the same. For this reason, the sizes of the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 1822 are generally substantially the same. Specifically, both the primary coil and the secondary coil were about 30 mm in outer diameter. However, since the secondary coil 1822 is incorporated in the power receiver 1820, the power receiver 1820 having an outer shape smaller than the secondary coil 1822 cannot be formed. Therefore, in the power receiver smaller than the primary coil 215, the secondary coil is further smaller than the power receiver, so that the coupling coefficient is reduced and the power that can be supplied is reduced. Further, if the power receiver is smaller than the power feeder 210 assumes, it may not be detected as a regular power receiver.

  Further, if the magnetic resonance method, the electric field coupling method, the magnetic field coupling method, or the like is different, power cannot be supplied. As described above, in the conventional wireless power feeding, there is a problem that power feeding cannot be performed if there is a mismatch in the method, standard, size, shape, positional relationship, and the like between the power feeder and the power receiver.

JP 2010-183706 A

  Therefore, the present invention solves the problems of the conventional wireless power supply apparatus described above, and even when there is a mismatch in the method, standard, size, shape, positional relationship, etc. between the power supply and the power receiver, By providing a wireless power supply device that can broaden the range of power receivers that can be powered by the power feeder and greatly improve convenience for the user. is there.

  In a wireless power feeder that transmits power from a power feeder to a power receiver via electromagnetic energy, a power feeder that converts the power into electromagnetic energy and outputs it, and the electromagnetic energy is input and converted into power And a converter that is detachably disposed between the power feeder and the power receiver, and that outputs electromagnetic energy to the power receiver substantially simultaneously while inputting electromagnetic energy from the power feeder; Thus, a wireless power feeding apparatus is configured.

  According to the present invention, even when there is a mismatch in the method, standard, size, shape, positional relationship, and the like between the power feeder and the power receiver, power can be supplied from the power supply to the power receiver. For this reason, since the range of the power receiver which can be fed by the power feeder can be expanded, the convenience for the user can be greatly improved.

1 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a wireless power supply apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a wireless power supply apparatus according to the present invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the converter which concerns on this invention The block diagram which shows the function of the converter which concerns on this invention The block diagram which shows the other example of a structure of the converter which concerns on this invention The block diagram which shows the other example of the function of the converter which concerns on this invention The block block diagram which shows the other Example of the wireless electric power feeder which concerns on this invention Circuit diagram showing the function of the converter according to the present invention Frequency characteristics diagram of wireless power supply apparatus according to the present invention The block diagram which shows the other example of a structure of the converter which concerns on this invention The block block diagram which shows the other Example of the wireless electric power feeder which concerns on this invention Circuit diagram showing the function of the converter according to the present invention The block block diagram which shows the other Example of the wireless electric power feeder which concerns on this invention Circuit diagram showing the function of the converter according to the present invention The block block diagram which shows the other Example of the wireless electric power feeder which concerns on this invention The block block diagram which shows the other Example of the wireless electric power feeder which concerns on this invention The block block diagram which shows the other Example of the wireless electric power feeder which concerns on this invention Block diagram of a conventional wireless power supply device

An embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
A wireless power feeder 101 according to the present invention includes a power feeder 110 that converts electric power into electromagnetic energy and outputs the power, a power receiver 120 that inputs electromagnetic energy and converts the electric power, and the power feeder 110 and the power receiver. The power supply unit 110 includes a converter 130 that is detachably disposed between the power supply units 120 and outputs electromagnetic energy to the power reception unit 120 substantially simultaneously while inputting electromagnetic energy from the power supply unit 110. The power is transmitted to the power receiver 120 without mechanical connection such as a connector.

  Note that expressions such as electromagnetic energy input and electromagnetic energy output are expressions that are temporally averaged, and energy is actually transmitted while interacting by a resonance phenomenon or the like. The same applies to the following description. The electromagnetic energy referred to here is electric field energy, magnetic field energy, or a composite energy thereof.

  The converter 130 is for absorbing a mismatch in power feeding between the power feeder 110 and the power receiver 120. Here, the power feeding mismatch is a difference in the method, standard, size, shape, positional relationship, and the like. The system mentioned here may be a magnetic field coupling system, an electric field coupling system, a magnetic field resonance system, or another wireless power feeding system that will be developed in the future. There is no particular limitation on the combination.

As described above, according to the present invention, even when there is a mismatch in the method, standard, size, shape, positional relationship, and the like between the power feeder and the power receiver, power can be supplied from the power feeder to the power receiver. For this reason, since the range of the power receiver which can be fed by the power feeder can be expanded, the convenience for the user can be greatly improved.
In the following description of the embodiments, parentheses () are used as a headline for convenience.

  In the first embodiment, both the power feeder and the power receiver are magnetic coupling methods. However, since the power receiver is small, power cannot be supplied efficiently without a converter. For this reason, this is an example in which a magnetic field is collected using a magnetic circuit made of a soft magnetic material in a transducer. In other words, even when a power receiver having an unexpectedly small secondary coil is set, it functions as if the size of the electromagnetic apparent secondary coil from the power feeder is within the assumption. The range of the size of the power receiver that can be fed by a simple power feeder can be widened.

(Wireless power supply apparatus 201)
FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the wireless power feeder 201 according to the present invention.
A wireless power feeder 201 according to the present invention includes a power feeder 210 that converts electric power into magnetic energy and outputs the power, a power receiver 220 that receives power from magnetic energy, and the power feeder 210 and the power receiver 220. The converter 230 is detachably disposed between the power supply units 210 and functions so as to increase the electromagnetic apparent size.

(Power feeder 210)
The power feeder 210 includes a power feeding surface 211, a detection electrode 212, a detection unit 213, a first power conversion unit 214, a primary coil 215, and a first control unit 216. In the power feeder 210, when a power supply target is placed on the power supply surface 211, the detection unit 213 detects a change in the electrical signal from the detection electrode 212. The detection target referred to here is one in which the power receiver 220 is set in the converter 230. When the detection unit 213 detects that the power supply target is placed, the first control unit 216 starts the power supply by the first power conversion unit 214. The first power conversion unit 214 converts power stored in an external power source or an internal battery into high frequency power. The converted electric power is converted into magnetic energy by the primary coil 215 and output from the contact surface. Here, although not shown, the first power conversion means 214 includes a capacitor that forms a resonance circuit together with the primary coil 215 in order to improve the power factor.

  The power feeder 210 according to this embodiment is a general-purpose power feeder in which the outer diameter of the primary coil 215 is 30 mm, and the size of the secondary coil is assumed to be the same. Therefore, as shown in the conventional example, a power receiver having a secondary coil with a size of about 30 mm can be directly fed to the power receiver without a converter as shown in FIG.

(Power receiver 220)
The power receiver 220 includes a power receiving surface 221, a secondary coil 222, second power conversion means 224, power storage means 227, and second control means 226. The secondary coil 222 is disposed so that the winding axis is perpendicular to the power receiving surface 221, and is coupled to the primary coil 215 via the converter 230 to receive power from magnetic energy. The power received by the secondary coil 222 is converted into direct current by the second power conversion means 224. Here, although not shown, the second power conversion means 224 includes a capacitor that forms a resonance circuit in order to compensate for the leakage inductance together with the secondary coil 222. The electric power converted into direct current is used as a power source for the circuit of the entire power receiver 220 and is stored in the power storage means 227. The second control unit 226 performs management of the state of the second power conversion unit 224 and the power storage unit 227, control of communication with the power feeder 210, and the like. Communication with the power feeder 210 is performed, for example, by changing the load of the second power conversion means 224 of the power receiver 220. The communication content is the power required by the power receiver 220.

  Compared with a conventional power receiver 1820 as shown in FIG. 18, the power receiver 220 of this embodiment has a small outer shape, and therefore the secondary coil 222 cannot be made sufficiently large. However, when the diameter of the secondary coil 222 is less than half of the diameter of the primary coil 215, only a part of the magnetic field generated by the primary coil 215 intersects with the secondary coil 222, so that the coupling coefficient is small and high efficiency is achieved. It is known that the power transmission becomes difficult. Further, when the coupling coefficient is reduced, the power that can be supplied is also reduced. Specifically, it is assumed that the power receiver 220 of this embodiment is built in a portable electronic device such as a wristwatch or a hearing aid, a rechargeable button battery, or the like. For this reason, the size of the secondary coil 222 is less than half of the size of the primary coil 215 and 15 mm or less. Therefore, even if the portable device is arranged such that the power receiving surface 221 of the power receiver 220 is in contact with the power feeding surface 211 of the power feeder 210 without using the converter 230, it is difficult to transmit sufficient power with high efficiency.

(Configuration of converter 230)
FIG. 3 shows an example of a cross-sectional configuration of the converter 230. The converter 230 is a closed loop due to mutual inductance of the conversion input surface 231 in contact with the power supply surface 211 of the power feeder 210, the conversion output surface 232 in contact with the power reception surface 221 of the power receiver 220, and the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 222. A circular first soft magnetic body 233 that reduces the magnetic resistance of one of the two paths of the magnetic circuit and a circular second soft magnetic body 234 that decreases the magnetic resistance of the other path are mainly configured. Element. The two paths of the closed-loop magnetic circuit are a path from the inside of the primary coil 215 to the inside of the secondary coil 222 and a path from the outside of the primary coil 215 to the outside of the secondary coil 222.

In FIG. 3, the dimension A is the inner dimension of the second soft magnetic body 234 on the conversion input surface 231 side, and is approximately the same length as the outer dimension of the primary coil 215. Similarly, the dimension B is the inner dimension of the second soft magnetic body 234 on the conversion output surface 232 side, and has the same length as the outer dimension of the secondary coil 222. Therefore, in this embodiment, the dimension B is less than or equal to one half of the dimension A.
In this example, ferrite was used as the soft magnetic material. When the soft magnetic material is a conductor, it is desirable to divide the soft magnetic material in order to reduce eddy currents.

(Magnetic circuit)
FIG. 4 shows an example of a magnetic circuit in the present embodiment. The primary coil 215 is provided with a third soft magnetic body 416. The third soft magnetic body 416 is a circular soft magnetic body having an E-shaped cross section, and a primary coil 215 is wound around a central convex portion. Similarly, the secondary coil 222 is provided with a fourth soft magnetic body 423. The fourth soft magnetic body 423 is a circular soft magnetic body having an E-shaped cross section, and a secondary coil 222 is wound around a central convex portion.

  The third soft magnetic body 416 of the power feeder 410, the first soft magnetic body 233, the second soft magnetic body 234 of the converter 230, and the fourth soft magnetic body 423 of the power receiver 420 are magnetic as indicated by arrows in FIG. The circuit is configured. However, the arrow indicates the path of the magnetic circuit at a certain moment, and the direction of the arrow has no particular meaning because it is actually an alternating magnetic field.

  In this way, by arranging the magnetic body so that most of the magnetic flux that interlaces with the primary coil 215 interlaces with the secondary coil 222, the electromagnetic appearance from the primary coil 215 side of the secondary coil 222 can be reduced. The size increases. Moreover, since the coupling coefficient of the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 222 approaches 1, mutual inductance also increases and the electric power and efficiency which can be transmitted can be improved. Furthermore, since the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 222 are surrounded by the soft magnetic material, radiation noise can be reduced.

  The magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit is such that the relative permeability of the soft magnetic material is sufficiently large, so that the gap between the third soft magnetic body 416 and the first soft magnetic body 233, the first soft magnetic body 233, and the fourth soft magnetic body. This is the total sum of the magnetic resistances of the four gaps of the gap 423, the gap between the fourth soft magnetic body 423 and the second soft magnetic body 234, and the gap between the second soft magnetic body 234 and the third soft magnetic body 416. By making these magnetic resistances sufficiently small, the mutual inductance of the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 222 can be further increased. In order to reduce the magnetic resistance of these four gaps, each magnetic body was in a positional relationship with the outer shape so as to face each other in the four gaps.

  As described above, by inserting the converter 230 between the power feeder 410 and the power receiver 420, the magnetic flux from the large primary coil 215 is efficiently mixed with the small secondary coil 222. Therefore, the apparent size of the electromagnetic power receiver 420 from the power feeder 410 functions so as to be greatly expanded. Here, the electromagnetic apparent size is, specifically, a range in which the magnetic flux intermingled with the secondary coil 222 enters and exits the power supply surface 111.

(Reduction of leakage magnetic flux)
Also, the corner 331 that is farther from the conversion output surface inside the second soft magnetic body 234 is chamfered, which increases the magnetic resistance between the first soft magnetic body 233 and the second soft magnetic body 234. By reducing the leakage magnetic flux, the coupling coefficient between the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 222 is prevented from decreasing. In this way, the magnetic resistance between the first soft magnetic body 233 and the second soft magnetic body 234 is set as large as possible so that the leakage magnetic flux is as small as possible.
For this reason, it is desirable that the height of the converter 230 is approximately the same as the outer radius of the second soft magnetic body 234.

(Configuration of other soft magnetic materials)
In the above, an example in which the magnetic resistance is reduced when the four soft magnetic bodies 233, 234, 416, and 423 have a circular shape sharing the same axis has been described, but this is not restrictive. Although not shown, for example, even when the circular axes of the third soft magnetic body 416 around which the primary coil 215 is wound and the fourth soft magnetic body 423 around which the secondary coil 222 is wound are shifted, for example, Since the first soft magnetic body 233 and the second soft magnetic body 234 are decentered, the first soft magnetic body 233 and the second soft magnetic body 234 are in the third soft magnetism on the surface where the power feeding surface 411 and the conversion input surface 231 are in contact with each other. The first soft magnetic body 233 and the second soft magnetic body 234 may be opposed to the fourth soft magnetic body 423 on the surface that faces the body 416 and the conversion output surface 232 and the power receiving surface 421 are in contact with each other.

  Moreover, although the example in the case where the four soft magnetic bodies 233, 234, 416, and 423 are circular has been described above, this is not restrictive. For example, the primary coil 215, the secondary coil 222, and the four magnetic bodies 233, 234, 416, and 423 may be rectangular.

(Positioning method)
The converter is detachably disposed between the power feeder and the power receiver. However, in order to efficiently supply power while minimizing the magnetic resistance of the four gaps described above, a power feeder, a converter, and a converter are provided. The power receiver needs to be in the desired positional relationship. For this purpose, the power feeder and the converter are aligned with a displayed guide (not shown), but may be aligned with an uneven guide or may be aligned with a magnet force or the like. Good or other methods may be used. The same applies to the alignment between the converter and the power receiver.
In order to enhance the convenience for the user, it is desirable that the converter is also general-purpose, and it is desirable that the alignment method is unified so that the same converter can be used even if the power receivers are different.

(When the 3rd and 4th soft magnetic bodies are flat)
FIG. 5 shows another configuration of the third soft magnetic body 516 and the fourth soft magnetic body 523. The third soft magnetic body 516 and the fourth soft magnetic body 523 are not necessarily E-shaped. As shown in FIG. 5, when the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 222 are thin, for example, a flat circular shape may be used. In this case, the above-mentioned four gaps are slightly longer than in the E-shaped case, and the magnetic resistance is increased. When the magnetic resistance of the intended path is increased, the ratio of the magnetic resistance is relatively decreased. For example, the primary coil 215 is caused by a leakage magnetic flux between the first soft magnetic body 233 and the second soft magnetic body 234. As a result, the coupling coefficient of the secondary coil 222 is reduced and the mutual inductance is also reduced. Still, when there is no converter, the coupling coefficient and the mutual inductance are reduced by the ratio of the area of the secondary coil 222. Therefore, the converter 230 usually improves the coupling coefficient and the mutual inductance.

(Detection of power supply target)
The detection electrodes 212 of the power feeder 210 shown in FIG. 2 are arranged corresponding to the two-dimensional coordinates. Therefore, the detection means 213 can detect the position and size of the power supply target from the change in the signal from each detection electrode 212. When the detected power supply target size is smaller than a predetermined size, there is a possibility of foreign matter, so power supply is not performed. The detection of the power supply target by the detection electrode 212 and the detection means 213 is performed by changing the capacitance. Since the first soft magnetic body 233 and the second soft magnetic body 234 are ferrite and have a volume resistivity of about 0.1 to 1 Ωm, they can be detected as they are due to a change in capacitance. The converter 230 can be detected as a regular power supply target because of the size of the power receiver assumed by the power supply 210. That is, even in detection of the power supply target, the electromagnetic apparent size of the power receiver 220 from the power feeder 210 via the converter 230 can be increased.

Detection of the power supply target is not necessarily a method based on a change in capacitance, and other methods such as a change in resonance frequency due to electromagnetic induction may be used.
In addition, although an example in which a power supply target is detected by the detection electrode 212 is illustrated in FIG. 2, when there is a communication unit between the power feeder 210 and the power receiver 220, the detection electrode 212 and the detection unit 213 are not necessarily provided. There is no need to provide it. The communication means referred to here includes, for example, modulation due to the impedance of power feeding to the power receiver side, or a case where a communication circuit or coil exists independently.

(Other configuration examples of magnetic circuit)
As described above, the two paths in the converter 230 of the closed-loop magnetic circuit due to the mutual inductance between the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 222 are the path from the inside of the primary coil 215 to the inside of the secondary coil 222, and 1 Although an example in which a path from the outside of the secondary coil 215 to the outside of the secondary coil 222 is associated is shown, this is not restrictive. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, fourth ends of the third soft magnetic body 616 that penetrate the primary coil 615 and extend from both ends approach the feeding surface 611, respectively, pass through the secondary coil 622 and extend from both ends. In the case where both ends of the soft magnetic body 623 are close to the power receiving surface 621, the coupling between the primary coil 615 and the secondary coil 622 is strengthened as two paths of the magnetic circuit in the converter 630. The first soft magnetic body 633 is provided so as to face both the one approach point to the power feeding surface 611 of the third soft magnetic body 616 and the one approach point to the power receiving surface 621 of the fourth soft magnetic body 623, Similarly, the second soft magnetic body 634 is provided so as to face both the other approaching portion of the third soft magnetic body 616 to the power feeding surface 611 and the other approaching portion of the fourth soft magnetic body 623 to the power receiving surface 621. You may do it.

In this case, it goes without saying that each magnetic body is not circular. Further, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 6, a magnetic circuit composed of four soft magnetic bodies is formed, and even when the power receiver 620 is smaller than the size of the third soft magnetic body 616, the primary coils 615 and 2 By making the coupling coefficient of the secondary coil 622 close to 1, the mutual inductance can be increased. In this case, as in the case described above, the arrow indicates the path of the magnetic circuit, and the direction of the arrow has no meaning.
Further, although not shown, the first soft magnetic body and the second soft magnetic body have a concentric circular shape as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, for example, and a power receiving side as a two-pole type as shown in FIG. It is also possible to make it.

  In the first embodiment, an example in which a soft magnetic material is used for the converter when the power feeder and the power receiver are magnetic coupling methods having different sizes has been described. In the second embodiment, even when there is a mismatch in method and size between the power feeder and the power receiver, an electrically passive element is connected in a converter that is detachably provided between the power feeder and the power receiver. Thus, the wireless power feeding apparatus can feed power to the power receiver as if the apparent method and size from the power feeder are adapted. The second embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the first embodiment in order to avoid duplication of description with the first embodiment.

(Wireless power feeder 301 of primary side secondary side co-magnetic field coupling)
A second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
A wireless power feeder 301 according to the present invention includes a power feeder 210 that converts electric power into magnetic energy and outputs the power, a power receiver 220 that receives power from magnetic energy, and the power feeder 210 and the power receiver 220. A converter 730 that is detachably disposed between the power feeders 210 and functions so that the electromagnetic apparent size of the power receiver 220 from the power feeder 210 is increased. Here, the power feeder 210 and the power receiver 220 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

(Configuration of converter 730)
The converter 730 includes a conversion input surface 731 that is in contact with the power supply surface 211 of the power supply 210, a conversion output surface 732 that is in contact with the power reception surface 221 of the power receiver 220, a conversion primary coil 733 that is magnetically coupled to the primary coil 215, The secondary coil 222 and the conversion secondary coil 734 that is magnetically coupled are the main components. Here, one terminal of the conversion primary coil 733 and one terminal of the conversion secondary coil 734 are connected, and the other terminal of the conversion primary coil 733 and the other terminal of the conversion secondary coil 734 are also connected. .

  The converted primary coil 733 has substantially the same winding diameter as the primary coil 215 in order to increase the coupling coefficient with the primary coil 215. Specifically, the outer diameter C of the conversion primary coil 733 was set to 30 mm. For this reason, similarly, the conversion secondary coil 734 has a winding diameter substantially the same as that of the secondary coil 222 in order to increase the coupling coefficient with the secondary coil 222. Specifically, the outer diameter D of the conversion secondary coil 734 is 15 mm or less.

(Function of converter 730)
Thus, by inserting the converter 730 between the power feeder 210 and the power receiver 220, most of the magnetic flux from the large primary coil 215 once intersects with the large conversion primary coil 733, and the small conversion 2 Since most of the magnetic flux from the secondary coil 734 intersects with the small secondary coil 222, it functions so that the apparent size of the electromagnetic power receiver 220 from the power feeder 210 is greatly expanded.

  FIG. 8A is a circuit diagram for illustrating the function of the converter 730 in this embodiment. The primary coil 215 has a self-inductance L1, a voltage V1 is applied to both ends, and a current I1 flows. Similarly, the conversion primary coil 733 has a self-inductance La1, a voltage Va is applied to both ends, and a current Ia flows. The conversion secondary coil 734 has a self-inductance La2, the same voltage Va as that of the conversion primary coil 733 is applied to both ends, and the same current Ia as that of the conversion primary coil 733 flows. Further, the secondary coil 222 has a self-inductance L2, a voltage V2 is applied to both ends, and a current I2 flows. Here, the subscript a means a converter (adapter). Also, the three arrows in the figure each indicate the direction of current.

  Here, the primary coil 215 and the conversion primary coil 733 are magnetically coupled by mutual inductance M1a. Therefore, the voltage V1 across the primary coil 215, the current I1 flowing through the primary coil 215, and the current Ia flowing through the converted primary coil 733 satisfy (Equation 1).

  Similarly, the conversion secondary coil 734 and the secondary coil 222 are magnetically coupled by a mutual inductance Ma2. Therefore, the voltage V2 across the secondary coil 222, the current I2 flowing through the secondary coil 222, and the current Ia flowing through the converted secondary coil 734 satisfy (Equation 2).

  Further, voltage Va applied to conversion primary coil 733 and conversion secondary coil 734, current Ia flowing through conversion primary coil 733 and conversion secondary coil 734, current I1 flowing through primary coil 215, The current I2 flowing through the secondary coil 222 satisfies (Equation 3).

  Solving this (Equation 3) for the time differentiation of the current Ia flowing through the conversion primary coil 733 and the conversion secondary coil 734, (Equation 4) is obtained.

  By substituting the time derivative of the current Ia flowing through the conversion primary coil 733 and the conversion secondary coil 734 obtained in (Equation 4) into (Equation 1) and arranging it, (Equation 5) is obtained.

  Similarly, when substituting into (Equation 2) and rearranging, (Equation 6) is obtained.

  (Equation 5) indicates that the voltage of the primary coil 215 depends on the change of the current I1 of the primary coil 215 and the change of the current I2 of the secondary coil 222. Similarly, (Equation 6) indicates that the voltage of the secondary coil 222 depends on the change of the current I1 of the primary coil 215 and the change of the current I2 of the secondary coil 222.

(Equivalent circuit)
FIG. 8B is an equivalent circuit of the circuit shown in FIG. 8A showing the function of the converter 730 in the second embodiment. In the equivalent circuit, the equivalent primary coil 815 has a self-inductance L′ 1, a voltage V1 is applied to both ends, and a current I1 flows. Similarly, the equivalent secondary coil 822 has a self-inductance L′ 2, a voltage V2 is applied to both ends, and a current I2 flows. That is, the voltage and current on the primary side and secondary side of the equivalent circuit are the same as those in the actual circuit including the converter 730 shown in FIG. Note that the two arrows in the figure indicate the direction of current as in the case of FIG.

  Here, the equivalent primary coil 815 and the equivalent secondary coil 822 are magnetically coupled by an equivalent mutual inductance M′12. Therefore, the voltage V1 across the equivalent primary coil 815, the current I1 flowing through the equivalent primary coil 815, and the current I2 flowing through the equivalent secondary coil 822 satisfy (Equation 7).

  Similarly, the voltage V2 across the equivalent secondary coil 822, the current I1 flowing through the equivalent primary coil 815, and the current I2 flowing through the equivalent secondary coil 822 satisfy (Equation 8).

  If (Equation 7) is the same as (Equation 5) and (Equation 8) is the same as (Equation 6), there is a converter 730 having two air-core transformers in FIG. The actual circuit in this case is equivalent to the equivalent circuit having one air-core transformer shown in FIG. The self-inductance L′ 1 of the equivalent primary coil 815 for that purpose is expressed by (Equation 9) by comparing the coefficients of the first term on the right side of (Equation 5) and (Equation 7).

  Further, the self-inductance L′ 2 of the equivalent secondary coil 822 is expressed by (Equation 10) by comparing the coefficient of the first term on the right side of (Equation 6) and (Equation 8).

  Further, the equivalent mutual inductance M′12 of the equivalent primary coil 815 and the equivalent secondary coil 822 is expressed by (Equation 11) by comparing the coefficients of the second term on the right side of (Equation 5) and (Equation 7). The

  In addition, since the same result can be obtained by comparing the coefficient in the second term on the right side of (Equation 6) and (Equation 8), (Equation 11) has two coefficients on the right side of (Equation 5) and (Equation 6). And the four coefficients obtained by combining the two coefficients on the right side of (Equation 7) and (Equation 8) all match. This means that the circuit in this embodiment having the converter 730 shown in FIG. 8A is equivalent to the circuit having no apparent converter shown in FIG. 8B. Therefore, the presence of the converter 730 can be replaced with a change in the value of each inductance shown in (Equation 9) to (Equation 11).

(Method of increasing the equivalent mutual inductance M′12)
Here, two coupling coefficients used in the following description are defined by (Equation 12). The two coupling coefficients are a coupling coefficient k1a between the primary coil 215 and the converted primary coil 733, and a coupling coefficient ka2 between the converted secondary coil 734 and the secondary coil 222. The definitions of these coupling coefficients are the same as those generally used.

  If the mutual inductance M1a and the mutual inductance Ma2 are eliminated from (Equation 11) and (Equation 12), (Equation 13) is obtained.

  Here, the value obtained by dividing the square root of the product of any two values by the sum is half as the maximum value when the two values are equal. Therefore, when the value of the self-inductance La1 of the conversion primary coil 733 is equal to the value of the self-inductance La2 of the conversion secondary coil 734 from (Expression 13), the equivalent mutual inductance M′12 becomes the maximum value shown in (Expression 14).

  (Equation 14) indicates that the maximum value of the equivalent mutual inductance M′12 is approximately halved by inserting the converter 730. However, if the converter is not used when the secondary coil 222 is smaller than the primary coil 215, the mutual inductance is reduced by the ratio of the area of the secondary coil 222 to the area of the primary coil 215 due to the reduction of the coupling coefficient. End up. Therefore, when the area of the secondary coil 222 is smaller than half of the area of the primary coil 215, the mutual inductance can be increased by using the converter 730. That is, the coupling coefficient and the mutual inductance are improved by the converter 730.

  The effect of the present invention can be obtained satisfactorily within the range of 0.8 times the maximum value of the equivalent mutual inductance M′12 shown in (Equation 14). For this purpose, the ratio of the self-inductance La1 of the conversion primary coil 733 and the self-inductance La2 of the conversion secondary coil 734 is in the range of 1/4 to 4 times. In addition, if the range is 0.5 times the maximum value of the equivalent mutual inductance M′12, the effect of the present invention is obtained. For this purpose, the ratio of the self-inductance La1 of the conversion primary coil 733 and the self-inductance La2 of the conversion secondary coil 734 is in the range of 1/14 to 14 times.

  Although not shown in the mathematical expression, the self-inductance La1 of the conversion primary coil 733 and the self-inductance La2 of the conversion secondary coil 734 are equal, and the coupling coefficient k1a between the primary coil 215 and the conversion primary coil 733, and the conversion secondary When the coupling coefficient ka2 between the coil 734 and the secondary coil 222 is both close to 1, the coupling coefficient k′12 of the equivalent circuit can also be close to 1. However, the coupling coefficient of the equivalent circuit mentioned here is calculated from the self-inductance L′ 1 of the equivalent primary coil 815, the self-inductance L′ 2 of the equivalent secondary coil 822, and the equivalent mutual inductance M′12. is there.

  By increasing the equivalent mutual inductance M′12 of the equivalent circuit, there is substantially the same effect as the coupling between the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 222 is strengthened. Power can be supplied efficiently. Three methods for increasing the equivalent mutual inductance M′12 will be described. These methods are obvious from (Equation 13).

  The first method is to increase the coupling coefficient k1a between the primary coil 215 and the converted primary coil 733 and the coupling coefficient ka2 between the converted secondary coil 734 and the secondary coil 222 as close as possible to 1. For this reason, the area of the part which the primary coil 215 and the conversion primary coil 733 overlap is enlarged. More specifically, the outer shapes of the primary coil 215 and the converted primary coil 733 are close to each other and are arranged close to the overlapping position. The same applies to the converted secondary coil 734 and the secondary coil 222. It is also effective to increase the coupling coefficient with a soft magnetic material to be described later.

  The second method is to bring the values of the self-inductance La1 of the conversion primary coil 733 and the self-inductance La2 of the conversion secondary coil 734 close to each other. However, from (Equation 13), it is sufficient for the self-inductance La1 and the self-inductance La2 to be close to each other. For example, these values may be as small as possible. However, in actuality, when the values of the self-inductance La1 and the self-inductance La2 are reduced, the current Ia flowing through the conversion primary coil 733 and the conversion secondary coil 734 of the converter 730 is increased, whereby the conversion primary coil 137 The power supply efficiency is significantly reduced due to the winding resistance of the conversion secondary coil 138 and the like. The values of the self-inductance La1 and the self-inductance La2 need to be large enough not to cause this problem.

  The third method is to increase the self-inductance L1 of the primary coil 215 and the self-inductance L2 of the secondary coil 222 as much as possible. These self-inductances can be increased by increasing the size of the coil, increasing the number of turns, or using a soft magnetic material. However, for that purpose, the balance becomes important because the outer shape becomes larger, the weight becomes heavier, and the cost becomes higher.

(Frequency characteristic)
FIG. 9A shows an example of the simulation result of the frequency characteristics of the wireless power supply apparatus 101 using the converter 730 in the present embodiment. FIG. 9B shows a simulation result of frequency characteristics when a converter is not used for comparison. In both FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, the horizontal axis represents frequency, and the unit is kilohertz. The left vertical axis represents power, and the unit is watts. The vertical axis on the right represents efficiency, and the unit is percent. The characteristics of the dotted line indicate the power supplied by the power feeder 210, the characteristics of the alternate long and short dash line indicate the power received by the power receiver 220, and the characteristics of the solid line indicate the power received with respect to the power supplied. It represents the efficiency which is the ratio of. For comparison, the simulation conditions were the same except for those related to the converter 730.

  The specific simulation condition is that the primary coil 215, the converted primary coil 733, and the converted secondary coil 734 have a self-inductance of 24 μH, and the secondary coil 222 has a self-inductance of 96 μH. The winding resistances of these four coils were all set to 0.1Ω. The primary coil 215 is connected with a 0.1 μF capacitor in series, and the resonance frequency with the primary coil 215 is about 100 kHz. Similarly, a 0.025 μF capacitor is connected to the secondary coil 222 in series, and the resonance frequency with the secondary coil 222 is also about 100 kHz.

  In the simulation when the converter whose result is shown in FIG. 9B is not used, since the coupling coefficient between the primary coil 215 and the secondary coil 222 is 0.1, the mutual inductance M12 is 4.8 μH. The reason why the coupling coefficient is set to 0.1 is that the ratio of the area of the secondary coil 222 to the area of the primary coil 215 is about 1/10.

  On the other hand, in the simulation of the present example whose result is shown in FIG. 9A, since the coupling coefficient between the primary coil 215 and the converted primary coil 733 is 0.6, the mutual inductance M1a is 14.4 μH. Further, since the coupling coefficient between the converted secondary coil 734 and the secondary coil 222 is also set to 0.6, the mutual inductance Ma2 is 28.8 μH.

  From these simulation results, it can be seen that the power supplied is greatly improved. Further, in the case where there is no converter shown in FIG. 9B, the efficiency is 70% or less, whereas in the case where there is the converter 730 shown in FIG. 9A, the efficiency is close to 90%. It can be seen that it has been improved.

(Positioning method)
The converter 730 is detachably disposed between the power feeder 210 and the power receiver 220. However, in order to increase the equivalent mutual inductance M′12 of the equivalent circuit and efficiently supply power, conversion to the power feeder 210 is performed. The position of the power receiver 730 and the position of the power receiver 220 relative to the converter 730 need to be in a desired relationship. The alignment method for this is the same as in the first embodiment.

(Soft magnetic material)
As can be seen from (Equation 13), in order to increase the equivalent mutual inductance M′12, the coupling coefficient k1a between the primary coil 215 and the conversion primary coil 733 and the coupling between the conversion secondary coil 734 and the secondary coil 222 are combined. It is effective to increase the coefficient ka2. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 10, a soft magnetic material may be provided in the primary coil 215, the conversion primary coil 733, the conversion secondary coil 734, and the secondary coil 222. These soft magnetic materials increase the inductance by reducing the magnetic resistance of the path of magnetic flux between the coupled coils.

  In the example shown in FIG. 10, a circular magnetic ferrite having an E-shaped cross section is used as a soft magnetic material, and each coil is wound around a central convex portion. That is, the primary coil 215 is wound around the central convex portion of the third soft magnetic body 416, the secondary coil 222 is wound around the central convex portion of the fourth soft magnetic body 423, and the center of the fifth soft magnetic body 833 is The conversion primary coil 733 is wound around the convex portion, and the conversion secondary coil 734 is wound around the central convex portion of the sixth soft magnetic body 834.

  By doing so, the third soft magnetic body 416 and the fifth soft magnetic body 833 strengthen the magnetic field coupling between the primary coil 215 and the conversion primary coil 733, and the sixth soft magnetic body 834 and the fourth soft magnetic body 423 are converted. The magnetic coupling between the secondary coil 734 and the secondary coil 222 is strengthened. The arrow in FIG. 10 shows an example of the magnetic flux path of the magnetic circuit by each coupling. However, since the magnetic flux is alternating, the direction of the arrow has no particular meaning.

  Note that the soft magnetic material shown in FIG. 10 also has a function of shielding the coupling between the conversion primary coil 733 and the conversion secondary coil 734 in the converter 830. This is because the function of each coil is clear and easy to understand. However, this shielding is not always necessary. Rather, the conversion primary coil 733 and the conversion secondary coil 734 are positively coupled so that a part of the magnetic flux from the primary coil 215 directly intersects with the secondary coil 222. In this way, it is conceivable to improve the efficiency of the converter.

(Wireless feeder 401 of primary side secondary side co-field coupling method)
As described above, an example in which both the power feeder and the power receiver are of the magnetic field coupling system has been described, but the wireless power feeder according to the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 11, for example, in the wireless power feeding apparatus 401 using an electric field coupling method, the same effect can be obtained with the same configuration. Here, the description will focus on differences from the above-described magnetic field coupling method.
In the example shown in FIG. 11, both the power feeder 910 and the power receiver 920 are of an electric field coupling type, and a detachable converter 930 is provided between them.

  The power feeder 910 includes a power feeding surface 911, a first power conversion unit 914, a first electrode 915, a second electrode 916, and a first control unit 216 as main components. The first electrode 915 and the second electrode 916 are provided near the power supply surface 911 in parallel with the power supply surface 911. The two outputs of the first power conversion means 914 are connected to the first electrode 915 and the second electrode 916, respectively. Thus, the first electrode 915 and the second electrode 916 convert high-frequency power from the first power conversion means 914 into electric field energy.

  The power receiver 920 includes a power receiving surface 921, a third electrode 925, a fourth electrode 926, a second power conversion unit 924, a power storage unit 227, and a second control unit 226. The third electrode 925 and the fourth electrode 926 are provided near the power receiving surface 921 in parallel with the power receiving surface 921. The third electrode 925 and the fourth electrode 926 are connected to two inputs of the second power means 924, respectively. Thus, the third electrode 925 and the fourth electrode 926 cause a current corresponding to a change in the electric field to flow into the second power means 924. That is, the electric field energy is converted into electric power.

  In the converter 930, the conversion first electrode 933 facing the first electrode 915 and the conversion third electrode 935 facing the third electrode 925 are connected, and the conversion second electrode 934 and the fourth electrode facing the second electrode 916 are connected. A conversion fourth electrode 936 facing 926 is connected. Since the power receiver 920 is small, the first electrode 915 and the second electrode 916 cannot directly face the third electrode 925 and the fourth electrode 926, and thus a converter 930 is provided.

  The operation in this example will be described based on the circuit shown in FIG. 12A, the two terminals on the left side of the circuit diagram are connected to the output of the first power conversion unit 914 of the power feeder 910, and the two terminals on the right side are inputs of the second power conversion unit 924 of the power receiver 920. Connected to. Further, the first capacitor 1251 is configured by the first electrode 915 and the conversion first electrode 933, the second capacitor 1252 is configured by the second electrode 916 and the conversion second electrode 934, and the third capacitor 1253 is the conversion third electrode 935. The fourth capacitor 1254 includes a conversion fourth electrode 936 and a fourth electrode 926.

  The circuit in FIG. 12A is equivalent to the equivalent circuit in FIG. 12B, similarly to FIG. 12A, the two terminals on the left side of the circuit diagram are connected to the output of the first power conversion means 914 of the power feeder 910, and the two terminals on the right side are the power receiver 920. It is assumed that the second power conversion means 924 is connected to the input. However, the capacitance C′1 of the equivalent first capacitor 1255 in FIG. 12B is a value obtained as a series connection from the capacitance C1 of the first capacitor 1251 and the capacitance C3 of the third capacitor 1253. . Similarly, the capacitance C ′ 2 of the equivalent second capacitor 1256 is a value obtained as a series connection from the capacitance C 2 of the second capacitor 1252 and the capacitance C 4 of the fourth capacitor 1254.

  Therefore, the value of the capacitance C′1 is smaller than the capacitance C1 and the capacitance C3, and the value of the capacitance C′2 is smaller than the capacitance C2 and the capacitance C4. The power that can be supplied is also reduced. Nevertheless, the small power receiver 920 often requires less power and is practical enough. In this manner, by using the converter 930, the power feeder 910 and the power receiver 920 that cannot face each other due to the difference in size, shape, and arrangement of the electrodes can be electrostatically coupled. Therefore, the converter 930 can widen the range of power receivers to which the power feeder 910 can supply power.

  The electrostatic capacitance C1 and the electrostatic capacitance C2 are set to substantially the same value, the electrostatic capacitance C3 and the electrostatic capacitance C4 are set to the substantially same value, and the opposite phase driving is performed from the two terminals of the first electrode means. The potentials of the power feeder 910, the converter 930, and the power receiver 920 hardly change depending on the power feeding. Moreover, since the values of the electrostatic capacitances C1 to C4 are not large, a high frequency or a high voltage is required to transfer power. In order to efficiently transfer using a high voltage, although not shown, a booster circuit or the like is normally used for the first power conversion unit 914 and a step-down circuit or the like is used for the second power conversion unit 924.

(Wireless power supply apparatus 501 with primary side magnetic field coupling and secondary side electric field coupling)
FIG. 13 illustrates an example of the wireless power feeding apparatus 501 when the power feeder 1010 is a magnetic field coupling method and the power receiver 920 is an electric field coupling method. In this case, the power feeding device 1010 and the power receiving device 920 are different in system, so that direct power feeding cannot be performed. Therefore, a converter 1030 that is detachably disposed between the power feeder 1010 and the power receiver 920 is used. Here, the description will focus on differences from the case where the power feeder and the power receiver are different in size.

  The converter 1030 includes a conversion primary coil 733 that is magnetically coupled to the primary coil 215, a conversion third electrode 935 that is electrically coupled to the third electrode 925, and a conversion fourth electrode 936 that is electrically coupled to the fourth electrode 926. is there. The conversion third electrode 935 and the conversion fourth electrode 936 are connected to two terminals of the conversion primary coil 733, respectively.

FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram for explaining the operation in this case. In the circuit diagram of FIG. 14, the two terminals on the left side are connected to the output of the first power conversion unit 1014 of the power feeder 1010, and the two terminals on the right side are connected to the two inputs of the second power conversion unit 924 of the power receiver 920. Connected. In this case, since the capacitances of the third capacitor 1253 and the fourth capacitor 1254 are small, power supply at a high frequency or a high voltage is required. For this reason, although not shown, the first power conversion means 1014 is provided with a booster circuit.
Although no specific example is shown, conversely, even when the power feeder is an electric field coupling system and the power receiver is a magnetic field coupling system, wireless power feeding can be performed by using a converter in the same manner.

  In the first embodiment, an example in which a soft magnetic material is used for the converter to absorb the mismatch in size between the power feeder and the power receiver will be described. In the second to fourth embodiments, the power feeder and the power receiver An example has been described in which an electrical passive element is used in the converter to absorb size and type mismatches. In the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, in order to absorb mismatches such as the method, standard, size, shape, and positional relationship between the power feeder 110 and the power receiver 120, the power feeder 110, the power receiver 120, and the converter 1530 configures the wireless power supply apparatus 601. Here, the converter 1530 includes a conversion power receiving unit 1531 that receives power suitable for the power feeder 110 and a conversion power feeding unit 1532 that performs power feeding suitable for the power receiver 120 by the power received substantially simultaneously with the power received by the conversion power receiving unit 1531. The main components. Therefore, in Example 5, there are no restrictions on the method, standard, size, shape, positional relationship, and the like of the power feeder 110 and the power receiver 120. Here, the difference from the description in the first to fourth embodiments will be mainly described.

(Wireless power supply device 701)
A specific example of the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
A wireless power feeder 701 includes a power feeder 210 that converts electric power into magnetic field energy and outputs the power, a power receiver 920 that receives electric field energy and converts it into power, and is detachable between the power feeder 210 and the power receiver 920. And a converter 1630 that converts magnetic field energy from the power feeder 210 into electric field energy and outputs it to the power receiver 920. Here, the power feeder 210 is the same as that of the first embodiment. The power receiver 920 is the same as that shown in FIG.

(Converter 1630)
Converter 1630 is a conversion primary coil that converts magnetic energy from primary coil 215 into AC power by magnetically coupling with conversion input surface 1631 in contact with power supply surface 211 of power supply 210 and primary coil 215. 733, third power conversion means 1633 that converts AC power from the conversion primary coil 733 into DC power and supplies the power to the entire converter 1630, and DC power from the third power conversion means 1633 Fourth power conversion means 1634 for converting to AC power, conversion third electrode 935 and conversion fourth electrode 936 for converting AC power from fourth power conversion means 1634 to electric field energy, and power reception by power receiver 920 A conversion output surface 1632 in contact with the surface 921 and third control means 1635 are included. The conversion power reception means 1531 in FIG. 15 includes the conversion primary coil 733 and the third power conversion means 1633 as main components. The conversion power supply unit 1532 includes a fourth power conversion unit 1634, a conversion third electrode 935, and a conversion fourth electrode 936 as main components.

  The third power converter 1633 converts alternating current into direct current, and the fourth power converter 1634 converts direct current into alternating current from the power supply 210 to the converter 1630 and the converter 1630. This is because the frequency of power supply to the power receiver 920 is different.

  The third control unit 1635 performs management of the states of the third power conversion unit 1633 and the fourth power conversion unit 1634, control of communication with the power feeder 210 and the power receiver 920, and the like. Communication with the power receiver 920 is received from, for example, a change in power supplied by the fourth power converter 1634. The content of communication is the power required by the power receiver 920. Further, communication with the power feeder 210 is performed, for example, by changing the load of the third power conversion unit 1633 of the converter 1630. The communication content is the power required by the converter 1630 and the like. Further, the fourth power conversion unit 1634 is operated when the DC voltage output from the third power conversion unit 1633 exceeds a predetermined value. However, the third control means 1635 may be provided as necessary.

  In this manner, by inserting the converter 1630 between the power feeder 210 and the power receiver 920, the converter 1630 can supply power to the power receiver 920 by electric field coupling by the power received from the power feeder 210 by magnetic field coupling. As a result, power can be supplied to the power receiver 920 having a different system from the power feeder 210.

(Free combination of power supply methods)
As described above, as a fifth embodiment, a column in the case where power is supplied from the power feeder 210 to the converter 1630 by the magnetic field coupling method and power is supplied from the converter 1630 to the power receiver 920 by the electric field coupling method is shown. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the wireless power feeder 801 is configured to feed power from the power feeder 210 to the converter 1730 by the magnetic field coupling method and also feed power from the converter 1730 to the power receiver 220 by the magnetic field coupling method. Also good. As described above, the power supply from the power feeder 110 to the converter 1530 and the power supply from the converter 1530 to the power receiver 120 may differ in method, standard, size, shape, positional relationship, and the like.

101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801 Wireless power feeder 110, 210, 410, 510, 610, 910, 1010 Power feeder 120, 220, 420, 520, 620, 920 Power receiver 130, 230, 630, 730, 830, 930, 1030, 1530, 1630, 1730 Converter 211, 411, 511, 611, 911 Feeding surface 212 Detection electrode 213 Detection means 214, 914, 1014 First power conversion means 215, 615 Primary coil 216 First control means 221, 421, 521, 621, 921 Power receiving surface 222, 622 Secondary coil 224, 924 Second power conversion means 226 Second control means 227 Power storage means 231, 631, 731, 831, 931, 1631, 1731 Conversion input surface 232, 632, 7 32, 832, 932, 1632, 1732 Conversion output surfaces 233, 633 First soft magnetic body 234, 634 Second soft magnetic body 416, 516, 616 Third soft magnetic body 423, 523, 623 Fourth soft magnetic body 733 Conversion Primary coil 734 Conversion secondary coil 815 Equivalent primary coil 822 Equivalent secondary coil 833 5th soft magnetic body 834 6th soft magnetic body 915 1st electrode 916 2nd electrode 925 3rd electrode 926 4th electrode 933 Conversion 1st Electrode 934 Conversion second electrode 935 Conversion third electrode 936 Conversion fourth electrode 1251 First capacitor 1252 Second capacitor 1253 Third capacitor 1254 Fourth capacitor 1255 Equivalent first capacitor 1256 Equivalent second capacitor 1531 Conversion power receiving means 1532 Conversion power supply means 1633 Third power conversion means 1634, 1734 Fourth power conversion Means 1635 third control means 1801 conventional wireless power supply apparatus 1820 conventional power receiver 1821 conventional receiving surface 1822 conventional secondary coil

Claims (7)

In a wireless power feeder that transmits electric power from a power feeder to a power receiver via electromagnetic energy,
A power feeder that converts electric power into electromagnetic energy and outputs it;
A receiver that receives electromagnetic energy and converts it into electric power;
A converter that is detachably disposed between the power feeder and the power receiver, and that inputs electromagnetic energy from the power feeder and outputs the electromagnetic energy to the power receiver;
A wireless power feeder characterized by comprising: The power feeder has a primary coil that converts electric power into electromagnetic energy and outputs it,
The power receiver has a secondary coil for inputting the electromagnetic energy,
The wireless power feeder according to claim 1, wherein the converter includes a magnetic body that forms a magnetic circuit with the primary coil and the secondary coil. The power feeder has a primary coil that converts electric power into electromagnetic energy and outputs it,
The power receiver has a secondary coil for inputting the electromagnetic energy,
The wireless power feeder according to claim 1, wherein the converter includes a conversion primary coil coupled to the primary coil and a conversion secondary coil coupled to the secondary coil. The power feeder has a first electrode and a second electrode that convert electric power into electromagnetic energy and output it,
The power receiver has a third electrode and a fourth electrode for inputting the electromagnetic energy,
The converter includes a conversion first electrode coupled to the first electrode, a conversion second electrode coupled to the second electrode, a conversion third electrode coupled to the third electrode, and a conversion fourth coupled to the fourth electrode. The wireless power feeder according to claim 1, further comprising an electrode. The power feeder has a primary coil that converts electric power into electromagnetic energy and outputs it,
The power receiver has a third electrode and a fourth electrode for inputting the electromagnetic energy,
The converter includes a conversion primary coil coupled to the primary coil, a conversion third electrode coupled to the third electrode, and a conversion fourth electrode coupled to the fourth electrode. The wireless power supply apparatus according to 1.   2. The converter according to claim 1, wherein the converter receives the electromagnetic energy from the power feeder and converts it into DC power, further converts the converted DC power into electromagnetic energy and outputs the electromagnetic energy to the power receiver. The wireless power supply apparatus described.   The wireless power feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the power receiver is a portable electronic device or a rechargeable battery.

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