Contact-less power transfer

A primary unit for transferring power in a non-conductive manner to at least one secondary device including at least one electrical conductor, the primary unit having a substantially laminar surface with at least one electrical conductor that generates an electromagnetic field when a current flows therethrough and having an active area defined within a perimeter of the surface, the at least one conductor of the primary unit being arranged such that electromagnetic field lines generated by the at least one conductor of the primary unit are substantially parallel to a plane of the surface within the active area, and wherein the active area has a perimeter large enough to surround the conductor of the at least one secondary device in any orientation thereof substantially parallel to the surface of the primary unit in the active area.

A method of transferring power in a non-conductive manner from a primary unit to a secondary device, the primary unit having a substantially laminar surface with at least one electrical conductor that generates an electromagnetic field when a current flows therethrough and having an active area defined within a perimeter of the surface, the at least one conductor being arranged such that electromagnetic field lines generated by the at least one conductor are generally parallel to the plane of the surface within the active area, and the secondary device having at least one electrical conductor,

• wherein the active area has a perimeter large enough to surround the conductor of the at least one secondary device in any orientation thereof substantially parallel to the surface of the primary unit within the active area and wherein flux lines of the electromagnetic field link with the conductor of the secondary device when the device is placed on or in proximity to the active area in a predetermined orientation.

A primary unit for transferring power in a non-conductive manner to at least one secondary device including at least one electrical conductor, the primary unit having a substantially laminar surface with at least one electrical conductor that generates an electromagnetic field when a current flows therethrough and having an active area defined within a perimeter of the surface, the at least one conductor of the primary unit being arranged such that electromagnetic field lines generated by the at least one conductor of the primary unit are substantially parallel to a plane of the surface within the active area, and wherein the active area has a perimeter large enough to surround the conductor of the at least one secondary device in any orientation thereof substantially parallel to the surface of the primary unit in the active area.

A method of transferring power in a non-conductive manner from a primary unit to a secondary device, the primary unit having a substantially laminar surface with at least one electrical conductor that generates an electromagnetic field when a current flows therethrough and having an active area defined within a perimeter of the surface, the at least one conductor being arranged such that electromagnetic field lines generated by the at least one conductor are substantially parallel to the plane of the surface within the active area, and the secondary device having at least one electrical conductor, wherein the active area has a perimeter large enough to surround the conductor of the at least one secondary device in any orientation thereof substantially parallel to the surface of the primary unit within the active area and wherein flux lines of the electromagnetic field link with the conductor of the secondary device when this is placed on or in proximity to the active area.