Patent ID: 12237702

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The problem addressed by the present disclosure is that of providing a charging device for wireless charging of an electrical energy store of a mobile terminal in a motor vehicle, which charging device is improved in comparison with the prior art.

This problem is solved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments and embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed by the dependent claims, the following description, and the drawings.

The present disclosure provides a charging device for wireless charging of an electrical energy store of a mobile terminal for a motor vehicle, the charging device having charging electronics and a housing in which the charging electronics are arranged. The housing has a support region on which to place the mobile terminal, the support region having at least two elevations, each of which has a first predetermined height, said elevations extending in the direction of the length of the support region, being arranged in parallel at a predetermined distance from one another, and, when the mobile terminal is in place, forming an air channel. The housing has at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening, the air outlet opening being arranged in the support region and being designed to blow air out into the air channel, at least one barrier being arranged in the air channel, which barrier is designed to swirl the air blown out into the air channel.

In other words, a charging device which comprises charging electronics in a housing is provided in a motor vehicle. The charging electronics can comprise a primary coil that generates a magnetic field by means of which a current is induced in a secondary coil of the mobile terminal, and the electrical energy store of the mobile terminal can thus be charged. The charging electronics can be provided in a housing in the motor vehicle; in particular, the housing can be arranged in a center console of the motor vehicle. A support region for placing and inductively charging the mobile terminal can be provided on the housing, the support region having at least two elevations in a longitudinal direction, each of which has the same first predetermined height and which run in parallel at a predetermined distance from one another. The first predetermined height can be one to two millimeters, preferably 1.2 millimeters, and the predetermined distance can be smaller than a width of the mobile terminal, for example. The predetermined distance can be in a range of from four to seven centimeters, in particular five centimeters, for example. Mobile terminals can include, for example, a cell phone, a smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet PC.

The mobile terminal placed on the support region, in particular on the at least two elevations that extend in the direction of the length of the support region, forms, together with the support region, an air channel, i.e. a tunnel through which air can flow, which channel is delimited laterally by the at least two elevations, at the bottom by the support region, and at the top by the mobile device.

Furthermore, the housing has at least one air inlet opening through which air can be introduced into the housing and an air outlet opening through which the air introduced into the housing can be blown out. For this purpose, for example, an air delivery device, such as a blower, can be provided, which generates the air flow for introducing and blowing out the air. The air outlet opening can in particular be arranged in the support region in such a way that the air from the air outlet opening is blown out into the air channel. For this reason, the air outlet opening can preferably be arranged at one end of the air channel, so that the air flows from the air outlet opening through the entire air channel. However, a central arrangement of the air outlet opening in the air channel is also possible, so that air is blown out of the air outlet opening from the center of the air channel to both long sides of the air channel.

Moreover, the air blown out into the air channel is swirled by a barrier in the air channel. For this purpose, for example, an elevation and/or depression which is arranged entirely or partially in a width and/or length of the air channel can be provided in the air channel. For example, a barrier designed as a step, or a grid-shaped barrier, can be provided which swirls the air that flows through the barrier. The barrier can also comprise a plurality of swirl elements on the support region in the air channel, for example a plurality of swirl elevations. The barrier can generate air eddies within the air channel, creating a turbulent flow, which can absorb more heat than a laminar flow, as not only the closest air layers absorb and dissipate heat.

The present disclosure has the advantage that the cooling performance of the charging device can be improved, as a result of which a charging process of the mobile terminal can be made faster.

The present disclosure also includes further embodiments, which offer additional advantages.

In one embodiment, the at least one barrier is designed as an elevation which has a second predetermined height, the second predetermined height being smaller than the first predetermined height. In other words, a further elevation, which acts as a barrier and which is smaller than the two elevations that run in the direction of the length of the support region, can be provided on the support region in the air channel. In this way, air layers in a laminar flow of the air flowing through the air channel can be slowed down, which can lead to swirls, which can absorb more heat and thus dissipate more heat.

The second predetermined height is preferably in a range of from 20 percent to 70 percent of the first predetermined height, in particular in a range of from 40 percent to 60 percent of the first predetermined height. This means that if the first predetermined height is 1.2 millimeters, for example, the second predetermined height can be in a range of from 0.24 millimeters to 0.84 millimeters, in particular in a range of from 0.48 millimeters to 0.72 millimeters. In particular, it was possible to establish that desired air swirling occurs starting from a height of 20 percent and air congestion in the air channel can be prevented at a height of up to 70 percent of the first predetermined height. Air congestion would have a negative effect on heat dissipation. The highest efficiency can be demonstrated in a range of from 40 percent to 60 percent of the first predetermined level.

In one embodiment, the at least one barrier comprises a first swirl elevation which is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the elevations that extend in the direction of the length of the support region. In other words, a bar, a step, or a platform, the edge of which is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the side walls of the air channel, can be arranged in the air channel as the first swirl elevation. This embodiment has the advantage that air which hits the first swirl elevation can be swirled evenly, as a result of which an improved cooling performance can be achieved in a region behind the first swirl elevation.

The width of the first swirl elevation preferably extends over the predetermined distance of the air channel. In other words, the first swirl elevation reaches over the entire width of the air channel. This has the advantage that all of the air flowing through the air channel can be swirled evenly, and thus optimum heat absorption of the air can be achieved.

In another embodiment, the at least one barrier has a ramp which rises in the direction of the air flow. This means that, for example, an incline can be provided by means of which the lower air layers in the air flow are guided upward, which can lead to increased swirling in the air. A straight incline with an angle of inclination of 25 to 75 degrees can be provided as the ramp, for example, but the ramp can also be circular or parabolic. This embodiment has the advantage that better air swirling and thus improved cooling performance can be achieved.

In another embodiment, the at least one barrier is arranged in a region of an induction coil of the charging electronics. During a charging process of the electrical energy store, heat can arise in particular in an overlap region of the primary coil of the charging electronics and the secondary coil of the mobile terminal. If the barrier is arranged in the region of the induction coil, the heat arising in this way can be better absorbed and dissipated by the air swirls. This has the advantage that the greatest cooling performance can be achieved in the overlap region.

In another embodiment, the charging device has an air delivery device to suck air in through the at least one air inlet opening and to blow the sucked-in air out through the at least one air outlet opening, and/or the air inlet opening of the charging device is connected to an air conditioning system of the motor vehicle, with the air conditioning system being designed to introduce air into the air inlet opening and blow it out through the air outlet opening. In other words, the charging device can have its own air delivery device, such as a fan or blower, which can suck air into the air inlet opening and then blow the sucked-in air out through the air outlet opening into the air channel.

Alternatively or additionally, the charging device in the motor vehicle can also be connected to an air conditioning system of the motor vehicle, the air conditioning system being able to blow the air into the air inlet opening either alone or with the assistance of the air delivery device, and the blown-in air then being guided through the air outlet opening into the air channel. This embodiment has the advantage that an air flow can be generated which can flow through the air channel and cooling for the mobile terminal can thus be provided. A cooling element which cools the air entering the housing is preferably also provided in the housing of the charging device. In particular, the air from the air conditioning system of the motor vehicle can also be cooled before it enters the air inlet opening.

In another embodiment, the at least one barrier has, at least in regions, an elevation pattern that forms a graphic symbol. In other words, an elevation pattern can be provided in regions as a barrier which, viewed from the outside, can represent a graphic symbol, i.e. a graphic identifier. For example, the graphic symbol can indicate a function of the charging device, e.g. a graphic identifier for wireless charging, for near field communication (NFC), and/or for a data coupling function (WLAN, Bluetooth). This embodiment has the advantage that, in addition to the swirl function for air, the barrier can indicate additional functions of the charging device to a user. In the simplest case, for example, the support region for wireless charging of the mobile terminal can be indicated to the user. Optimal positioning of the mobile terminal can also be indicated by means of the elevation pattern, as a result of which the cooling performance can be further improved.

According to the present disclosure, a motor vehicle having a charging device according to any of the preceding embodiments is also provided. The motor vehicle according to the present disclosure is preferably designed as an automobile, in particular as a passenger car, truck, minibus, or motorcycle.

The present disclosure also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below.

The embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. In the embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the present disclosure which should be considered independently of one another and which each develop the present disclosure further independently of one another. The disclosure is therefore also intended to include combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those presented. Furthermore, the described embodiments may also be supplemented by further features of the present disclosure as already described.

In the drawings, the same reference signs refer to functionally identical elements.

FIG.1is a perspective view of a charging device10, in particular of a support region12on which to place a mobile terminal (not shown inFIG.1), for wireless charging of an electrical energy store of the mobile terminal. The charging device10can preferably be arranged in a center console of a motor vehicle and the support region12can be an upper side of a housing14of the charging device10in which charging electronics are provided for charging the mobile terminal.

The housing14can have at least one air inlet opening16(not shown inFIG.1), which can be located, for example, on a side and/or underside of the housing. Furthermore, at least one air outlet opening18can be provided which is arranged in the support region12and which is designed to blow air out into an air channel20.

The air channel20can be defined at the sides by two elevations22which extend in the direction of the length of the support region and are arranged parallel to one another at a predetermined distance. Furthermore, each of the two elevations22can be delimited from the support region12by a first predetermined height. The first predetermined height can be up to five millimeters, for example. Furthermore, the air channel20can be delimited at the top by the mobile terminal, which can be placed on the two elevations22.

It is already possible to dissipate heat, which can arise during wireless charging of the electrical energy store of the mobile terminal, via air flowing through the air channel20with such a charging device10. However, research has shown that the cooling performance can be significantly increased by arranging at least one barrier26in the air channel20.

The barrier26is in particular intended to mean an elevation with a second predetermined height, it being possible for the second predetermined height to be smaller than the first predetermined height. In particular, the second predetermined height can be 10 to 80 percent of the first predetermined height, preferably 45 to 55 percent. In this way, an air flow of the air can be made to swirl, as a result of which the air can absorb and thus dissipate more heat from the mobile terminal24. For example, the first predetermined height of the two elevations22can be four millimeters and the barrier, as the second predetermined height, can be 50 percent of the first predetermined height, i.e. two millimeters.

The barrier26can preferably have a first swirl elevation28, which is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the elevations22that extend in the direction of the length of the support region, and the width of which extends over the entire predetermined distance of the air channel. In this way, it is possible to make the air in the air channel swirl evenly over the entire width of the air channel, as a result of which better heat absorption of the air can be achieved. In addition, one or more further swirl elevations30which generate further swirls can also be provided in the air channel.

The barrier26can preferably also have one or more elevation patterns32, which can comprise, for example, a graphic symbol, in particular a graphic identifier of a customer function, such as a symbol for wireless charging, a WLAN symbol, or a near-field communication symbol. This has the advantage, in addition to further swirling of air, that technical information about the charging device10can also be displayed.

FIG.2is a cross-sectional view of a charging device10according to an embodiment, the cross-section running in the longitudinal direction centrally through the charging device10. In this depiction, the mobile terminal24is placed on the support region12of the housing14, in particular on the elevations22which extend in the direction of the length of the support region and are not shown here.

In the charging device10, the barrier26can preferably be arranged in a region of an induction coil34of the charging electronics36on the support region12. This has the advantage that the air swirls are generated in a region in which the most heat can develop and an improved cooling performance can thus be achieved. In addition, the barrier26, in particular the first swirl elevation28, can have a ramp in the direction of the air flow of the blown-out air, i.e. the first swirl elevation28can rise in the direction of the air flow, for example. The slope of the ramp can be described by a linear function, a power function, or an exponential function, for example. This ramp has the advantage that stronger air swirls can be achieved and an improved cooling performance can thus be produced.

The air flow of the air which flows through the air channel20and which is blown out of the air outlet opening18into the air channel20can be sucked in, for example, by an air delivery device38via the at least one air inlet opening16before it is blown out through the air outlet opening18. Alternatively or additionally, the air inlet opening16can also be connected to an air conditioning system of the motor vehicle (not shown), which can introduce the air, which is preferably precooled by the air conditioning system, into the at least one air inlet opening16before it is blown out into the air channel20to cool the mobile terminal24.

Overall, the examples show how the present disclosure can provide effective heat dissipation for inductively charged mobile terminals.