Arrangement for Providing Vehicles with Energy Comprising Magnetizable Material

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for providing vehicles with energy by magnetic induction. The apparatus has a primary side electric conductor and a field shaping layer. The invention also relates to a composite layer for shaping magnetic field lines of an electromagnetic field generated by an electric conductor. The composite layer includes a continuous supporting layer and a plurality of elements made of magnetizable material. Finally, the invention relates to a method of generating an apparatus for providing vehicles with energy by magnetic induction.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for providing vehicles with energy by magnetic induction, wherein the apparatus comprises:
 a primary side electric conductor configured to generate an electromagnetic field while an alternating electric current flows through the conductor and   a field shaping layer comprising magnetizable material configured to shape magnetic field lines of the electromagnetic field,   wherein the field shaping layer comprises a plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material fixed to a continuous supporting layer made of electrically conducting material that is non-magnetic, wherein neighboring elements are positioned at a distance to each other and wherein the continuous supporting layer is arranged—if viewed from the primary side electric conductor—behind the field shaping layer,   wherein the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material is arranged in rows and columns with gaps in between each pair of neighboring elements in the rows and in the columns, so that the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material occupies a magnetizable fraction of a total area of the field shaping layer which magnetizable fraction does not include the gaps, so that only an area of the continuous supporting layer equal to a size of the magnetizable fraction of the total area of the field shaping layer is covered by the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material and so that a remaining part of a total area of the continuous supporting layer is not covered by the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material;   wherein the size of the magnetizable fraction of the total area of the field shaping layer is not greater than 89 percent and not smaller than 81 percent of the total area of the continuous supporting layer.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between two neighboring elements is smaller than an extension of the neighboring elements in a direction across the distance. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of an area within the field shaping layer occupied by the elements made of magnetizable material on one hand to a total area of the field shaping layer, including regions within the field shaping layer free of magnetizable material, on the other hand is at least 70% and is not greater than 97%. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the elements are in the shape of tiles. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the elements are evenly distributed over an extension of the field shaping layer in a longitudinal direction of the layer or in a lateral direction of the layer. 
     
     
         6 . A composite layer for shaping magnetic field lines of an electromagnetic field generated by an electric conductor, wherein the composite layer comprises:
 a continuous supporting layer made of electrically conducting material that is non-magnetic and   a field shaping layer comprising a plurality of elements made of magnetizable material,   wherein the elements are positioned at a distance to each other and are fixed to the continuous supporting layer, wherein neighboring elements are positioned at a distance to each other;   wherein the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material is arranged in rows and columns with gaps in between each pair of neighboring elements in the rows and in the columns, so that the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material occupies a magnetizable fraction of a total area of the field shaping layer which magnetizable fraction does not include the gaps, so that only an area of the continuous supporting layer equal to a size of the magnetizable fraction of the total area of the field shaping layer is covered by the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material and so that a remaining part of a total area of the continuous supporting layer is not covered by the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material;   wherein the size of the magnetizable fraction of the total area of the field shaping layer is not greater than 89 percent and not smaller than 81 percent of the total area of the continuous supporting layer.   
     
     
         7 . The composite layer of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of elements made of magnetizable material are arranged so as to form a magnetic layer and wherein a ratio of an area within the magnetic layer occupied by the elements made of magnetizable material on one hand to a total area of the magnetic layer, including regions within the magnetic layer free of magnetizable material, on the other hand is at least 70% and is not greater than 97%. 
     
     
         8 . The composite layer of  claim 6 , wherein the elements are in the shape of tiles. 
     
     
         9 . The composite layer of  claim 6 , wherein the elements are evenly distributed over an extension of a field shaping layer in a longitudinal direction of the layer or in a lateral direction of the layer. 
     
     
         10 . The composite layer of  claim 6 , wherein the continuous supporting layer is made of an electrically conducting material. 
     
     
         11 . A method of generating an apparatus for providing vehicles with energy by magnetic induction, wherein:
 a primary side electric conductor, adapted to generate an electromagnetic field while an alternating electric current flows through the conductor arrangement, is provided and   a field shaping layer, comprising a plurality of elements made of magnetizable material adapted to shape magnetic field lines of the electromagnetic field, is arranged in an ambience of the conductor arrangement, wherein neighboring elements of the plurality of elements are positioned at a distance to each other;   wherein the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material is arranged in rows and columns with gaps in between each pair of neighboring elements in the rows and in the columns, so that the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material occupies a magnetizable fraction of a total area of the field shaping layer which magnetizable fraction does not include the gaps, so that only an area of the continuous supporting layer equal to a size of the magnetizable fraction of the total area of the field shaping layer is covered by the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material and so that a remaining part of a total area of the continuous supporting layer is not covered by the plurality of elements made of the magnetizable material;   wherein the size of the magnetizable fraction of the total area of the field shaping layer is not greater than 89 percent and not smaller than 81 percent of the total area of the continuous supporting layer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a ratio of an area within the field shaping layer occupied by the elements made of magnetizable material on one hand to a total area of the field shaping layer, including regions within the field shaping layer free of magnetizable material, is at least 70% and is not greater than 97%. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the field shaping layer is constituted as a composite layer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein neighboring elements are positioned at a distance to each other which is smaller than an extension of the neighboring elements in a direction across the distance. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the elements are evenly distributed over an extension of the field shaping layer in a longitudinal direction of the layer or in a lateral direction of the layer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a composite layer comprising the continuous supporting layer and the elements, the composite layer being wound in the form of a coil or being folded in sections on top of each other, is provided to and placed at a part of a target area on site and is unwound or unfolded so that it occupies the target area.