# US 2019/0378650 A1 · Current distribution and thermal regulation in inductive power transfer coupling structures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0378650 A1 - Document ID: US20190378650A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/464,198 - Filed: 2017-11-27 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-25 - Assignees: Auckland Uniservices Limited - Inventors: John Talbot Boys; Grant Anthony Covic; Michael John Neath; Adeel Zaheer; Hui Zhi Beh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190378650A1 ## CPC - H01F 38/14: Inductive couplings - B60L 53/34: Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles (positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38) - H01F 27/08: Cooling (heat-transfer elements F28F); Ventilating (structural details of casings H01F27/02) - H01F 27/18: by evaporating liquids - H01F 27/22: Cooling by heat conduction through solid or powdered fillings - H01F 27/2823: {Wires (H01F27/2866 takes precedence)} - H01F 27/2871: {Pancake coils} - H01F 27/36: Electric or magnetic shields or screens (movable for varying inductance H01F21/10) - H01F 27/366: {made of ferromagnetic material} - H01F 2027/2838: {using transposed wires} - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A magnetic structure for wireless power transfer has a plurality of pieces of magnetically permeable material arranged along a first dimension. Each piece is separated from a neighbouring piece by a gap defining a separation distance which is selected to prevent partial saturation of a region of the structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetic structure for a magnetic flux coupling apparatus, the structure comprising: a plurality of pieces of magnetically permeable material arranged along a first dimension, each piece being separated from a neighbouring piece by a gap defining a separation distance, wherein the separation distance is selected to prevent partial saturation of a selected region of the structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the separation distance provides a lower relative permeability in the selected region of the structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the separation distance provides an overall lower relative permeability for the structure relative to the relative permeability of the magnetically permeable material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pieces of magnetically permeable material may move relative to each other in a direction transverse to the first dimension. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of pieces of magnetically permeable material comprises a length of permeable material, and the magnetic structure comprises a plurality of lengths of permeable material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 5 wherein the lengths are arranged in parallel to form a plane. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 6 wherein a heat transfer means is provided between the lengths. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein the heat transfer means comprises a heat pipe. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gap comprises a low permeability material having a lower relative permeability than the magnetically permeable material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 9 wherein the separation distance and the low permeability material are selected to prevent partial saturation of the selected region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a conductor magnetically associated with the ferrite. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 11 wherein the selected region is adjacent to the conductor, or a plurality of turns of the conductor. ### Claim 13 The magnetic structure as claimed in 12 wherein the conductor, or a plurality of turns of the conductor, is arranged substantially transverse to the first dimension at the selected region. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 11 wherein the conductor is wound to provide two poles, and the gap is positioned to provide high or maximum relative permeability between the poles. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The magnetic structure as claimed in claim 12 wherein the conductor comprises a mulitfilar winding comprising one or more turns wherein each filar crosses the other filars at a crossing point such that the inductance of each filar is substantially the same, and the crossing point is located in between the lengths of permeable material. ### Claim 16 A magnetic flux coupling apparatus comprising a mulitfilar winding having one or more turns, wherein the filars are physically arranged relative to each other, wherein each filar crosses the other filars at a crossing point such that the inductance of each filar is substantially the same. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 further including a magnetically permeable material magnetically associated with the multifilar winding. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the crossing point is located dependent on a characteristic of the permeable material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the characteristic comprises a gap or recess in the permeable material. ### Claim 20 A magnetic structure for a magnetic flux coupling apparatus, the structure comprising: a plurality of lengths of magnetically permeable material arranged substantially in parallel and a heat transfer means provided between at least two of the lengths. ### Claim at position 21 -22. (canceled)