EP3407995B1 - Circuit arrangement for a model car racing track - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for a model car racing track according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a model car racing track with such a circuit arrangement and a track element for such a model car racing track.

A model car racing track, also called slot car track or slot track (from English "slot" for slot), is a technical device with which electrically driven model cars are driven in a guided manner.

The model car racetrack has a carriageway that can be constructed, for example, from a plurality of carriageway elements that can be plugged together. The roadway generally has at least two lanes, each of which has a slot for guiding a model car and two busbars for supplying power to the electric drive of the model cars movable along the respective lane. Pantographs of the respective model cars are in contact with the respective busbar to ensure the transmission of electrical energy. The speed and braking behavior of the respective model car can be controlled with one hand controller each.

A power supply unit rectifies an AC supply voltage and provides an electrical DC voltage. One of the busbars of each track is designed as a plus busbar, while the other busbar is designed as a minus busbar. To control the respective speed of the model cars, the handheld controllers each have a vehicle speed controller with e.g. a variable ohmic resistance. The respective vehicle speed controllers for controlling the speed of the two model cars are either connected to the minus supply connection or the plus supply connection of the power supply.

From the US 2006/0196384 A1 A model car racing track is known in which a plurality of model cars can drive on the same lane. For this purpose, several parallel busbars are provided, a special pantograph of the model cars being designed for the selection of specific busbars. An electrical DC voltage is used as the supply voltage for the model cars, the vehicle speed controllers being connected between a positive connection of a power supply unit and the respective busbars. Furthermore, a pit stop module is provided in the model car racing track according to the aforementioned document.

However, this type of connection does not provide a constant supply voltage for the operation of an electrical consumer which is arranged at a selected position of the roadway. Such a consumer may e.g. a pit stop module for a pit stop or an electric lap counter. Rather, in order to provide an electrical supply voltage for operating such an electrical consumer, it is necessary to supply it from a further voltage source, such as e.g. a battery to supply electrical energy. However, this can lead to unwanted interruptions in operation due to the depletion of the battery, which can result in the game being aborted.

From the US 3,432,166 is a model car racing track with two electrified tracks for toy cars. First and second conductors for the power supply of the toy cars are assigned to each track.

The invention is therefore based on the object of showing a way in which the supply of such an electrical consumer with electrical energy can be made more reliable.

This object is achieved by a circuit arrangement of the above. Kind with the features characterized in claim 1 solved. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the further claims.

For this purpose, in a circuit arrangement for a model racing track with at least two tracks for model cars, each track being assigned a plus power rail and a minus power rail, it is provided that a first vehicle speed controller is located between a plus supply connection and the plus power rail of the first track and a second vehicle speed controller is connected between a minus supply connection and the minus busbar of the second track.

This has the advantage that one of the two plus busbars and the two minus busbars directly, i.e. without the interposition of an ohmic resistor, is connected in an electrically conductive manner to the respective positive supply connection or negative supply connection. Thus, these two busbars, i.e. the minus busbar of the first track and the plus busbar of the second track, a constant DC supply voltage ready, which can be used as a supply voltage for such an electrical consumer. This allows batteries to be dispensed with as an energy source and thus ensures an uninterrupted supply of such electrical consumers with electrical energy.

According to a preferred embodiment, the plus supply connection is electrically conductively connected to the plus busbar of the second track and the minus supply connection is electrically conductively connected to the minus busbar of the first track. A circuit arrangement for operating a model racing track with a particularly simple structure without digital technology is provided, the model cars of which have DC motors as drives and the driving speed of which can be controlled via the voltage level.

According to a preferred embodiment, an electrical consumer is between the minus busbar of the first track and the plus busbar of the second track switched. This allows such an electrical consumer, such as a pit stop module for a pit stop or an electrical lap counter, to be arranged at any position along the route and to be supplied with electrical energy.

According to a preferred embodiment, the plus supply connection and the minus supply voltage connection are assigned to a power supply unit. The power supply unit is designed for connection to an on-site power supply network and converts an AC voltage of e.g. 230 V at 50 Hz into an electrical direct voltage of low level, such as a low voltage or safety extra low voltage (SELV) of e.g. a maximum of 60 volts in order to reduce the potential danger from excessive electrical voltages. With such an electrical DC voltage, protection against contact can be dispensed with entirely, because DC electrical voltages of this level apply e.g. harmless for children. The power supply can be a transformer power supply or a switching power supply.

According to a preferred embodiment, between the plus track of the first track and the plus track of the second track, the minus track of the second track and between the minus track of the first track and the minus track of the second track is the plus track of the first track arranged. This arrangement of the busbars ensures that the busbars of both tracks have the same arrangement, so that model cars with DC motors move in the same direction of travel due to the same polarity. It is therefore not necessary to provide the model cars with a direction change switch to be operated or a reverse polarity protection circuit. Thus, the model cars can have a particularly simple structure.

The invention also includes such a circuit arrangement and a roadway element for forming a roadway for such a model car racing track with at least one plus consumer connection and one minus consumer connection for connecting an electrical consumer.

Fig.1

in schematischer Darstellung eine bevorzugte Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Modellautorennbahn.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. This shows in

Fig.1

a preferred embodiment of a model car racing track according to the invention in a schematic representation.

In Fig. 1 is a model car race track 2, also called slot car track or slot track (from English slot for "slot") shown.

The model car racetrack 2 has a carriageway constructed from a plurality of carriageway elements 4 which can be plugged together in the axial direction and which in the present exemplary embodiment has a first track 6a and a second track 6b for each model car 10a, 10b. Is shown in Fig. 1 only one carriageway element 4, and the two model cars 10a, 10b each have a DC motor as the drive, which in Fig. 1 are each symbolized by an ohmic resistance.

Each track, namely the first track 6a and the second track 6b, has a plus busbar 14a +, 14b + and a minus busbar 14a, 14b-. The positive busbars 14a +, 14b + and the minus busbars 14a, 14b- are pressed into depressions in the roadway element 4. Furthermore, the plus busbars 14a +, 14b + and minus busbars 14a, 14b- in the present exemplary embodiment are each formed in one piece and of the same material and are made of a magnetic material. Thus, the respective model cars 10a, 10b can be guided by magnetic force with a permanent magnet (not shown) which interacts with the respective plus busbars 14a +, 14b + and minus busbars 14a, 14b-.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the first track 6a is assigned to the first model car 10a and the second track 6b to the second model car 10b. That is, it is not provided in the present exemplary embodiment that, for example, the first model car 10a changes from the first lane 6a to the second lane 6b in a switch section of the roadway, for example to a corresponding control signal out. In other words, the model car racing track 2 is designed in the present exemplary embodiment in the same direction.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a circuit arrangement 8 assigned to the model car racing track 2 has a power supply unit 16, e.g. a transformer or a switching power supply, on and for the first model car 10a a first vehicle speed controller 18a and for the second model car 10b a second vehicle speed controller 18b. The first vehicle speed controller 18a and the second vehicle speed controller 18b can be used as a manual controller with a potentiometer or as semiconductor circuits with e.g. a MOSFET and connected to the power supply unit 16 via lines, or hand controllers (not shown) are provided which wirelessly transmit control signals to the first vehicle speed controller 18a and the second vehicle speed controller 18b, which then control the respective voltage level of the DC electrical voltage and thus the vehicle speed of the respective model car 10a, 10b change.

The power supply 16 is designed to supply an AC voltage of e.g. 230 V at 50 Hz into a low-level electrical DC voltage, such as a low voltage or low safety voltage of e.g. maximum 60 volts to convert. The DC electrical voltage is provided at a plus supply connection 20 and a minus supply connection 22 of the power supply 16.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the first vehicle speed controller 18a is connected between the plus supply connection 20 of the power supply unit 16 and the plus busbar 14a + of the first track 6a. Furthermore, the second vehicle speed controller 18b is connected between the minus supply connection 22 of the power supply unit 16 and the minus busbar 14b- of the second track 6b. Thus, the first vehicle speed controller 18a is electrically conductively connected to the plus supply connection 20 and the second vehicle speed controller 18b is connected to the minus supply connection 22 of the power supply unit 16.

Furthermore, in the present exemplary embodiment, the plus supply connection 20 of the power supply 16 with the plus busbar 14b + the second track 6b electrically conductive and the minus supply connection 22 of the power supply unit 16 is electrically conductively connected to the minus busbar 14a of the first track 6a.

Furthermore, in the present exemplary embodiment, between the positive busbar 14a + the first track 6a and the plus busbar 14b + the second track 6b, the minus busbar 14b- the second track 6b and between the minus busbar 14a - the first track 6a and the minus - Busbar 14b- the second track 6b, the plus busbar 14a + the first track 6a arranged. Thus, the polarities of the plus busbars 14a +, 14b + and the minus busbars 14a, 14b- alternate in a direction transverse to the main direction of extension or axial direction of the carriageway in the direction of travel of the model cars 10a, 10b. This arrangement of the plus busbars 14a +, 14b + and the minus busbars 14a, 14b- ensures that the plus busbar 14a + and the minus busbar 14a of the first track 6a and the plus busbar 14b + and the minus- Busbar 14b- of the second track 6b have the same arrangement, so that the two model cars 10a, 10b move in the same direction of travel.

In addition to the two model cars 10a, 10b, a further electrical consumer 12 is provided. The electrical consumer 12 can e.g. an electrical lap counter or a pit stop module for a pit stop that requires an electrical DC voltage as the supply voltage.

With the electric lap counter, the number of laps completed on a ring-shaped or closed lane for each of the two model cars 10a, 10b can be recorded, while pit stops can be simulated with the pit stop module, during which in "real" car races e.g. the tires are changed or the tank is refilled.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the electrical consumer 12 is connected between the minus busbar 14a of the first track 6a and the plus busbar 14b + of the second track 6b, this arrangement on the plus busbar 14b + and minus busbar 14a due to their direct connection with the power supply 16, ie without the interposition of the first vehicle speed controller 18a and the second vehicle speed controller 18b, provides a constant DC voltage as the electrical supply voltage.

In order to be able to easily make electrical contact with the electrical load 12, the roadway element 4 has a plus load connection 24 and a minus load connection 26. This can be designed as a plug-in contact with reverse polarity protection in order to enable a particularly simple connection of the electrical consumer 12.

The circuit arrangement 8 thus provides a constant direct current supply voltage which can be used as the supply voltage for the further electrical consumer 12. In the case of such consumers, this allows batteries to be dispensed with as an energy source and thus ensures an uninterrupted supply of electrical energy to the electrical consumer 12.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

2

Model car racing track

4

pavement member

6a

first track

6b

second track

8th

circuitry

10a

model car

10b

model car

12

electrical consumer

14a +

Plus busbar

14a-

Minus busbar

14b +

Plus busbar

14b-

Minus busbar

16

power adapter

18a

first vehicle speed controller

18b

second vehicle speed controller

20

Plus supply connection

22

Minus supply connection

24

Plus consumer connection

26

Minus consumer connection

Claims (10)

1. Circuit arrangement (8) for a model car racing track (2) comprising at least two tracks (6a, 6b) for model cars (10a, 10b), wherein a positive busbar (14a+, 14b+) and a negative busbar (14a-, 14b-) are in each case assigned to each track (6a, 6b),
   characterised in that
   a first driving speed controller (18a) is connected between a positive supply terminal (20) and the positive busbar (14a+) of the first track (6a) and a second driving speed controller (18b) is connected between a negative supply terminal (22) and the negative busbar (14b-) of the second track (6b).
2. Circuit arrangement (8) according to claim 1, characterised in that the positive supply terminal (20) is connected in an electrically conductive manner with the positive busbar (14b+) of the second track (6b) and the negative supply terminal (22) is connected in an electrically conductive manner with the negative busbar (14a-) of the first track (6a).
3. Circuit arrangement (8) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an electrical consumer (12) is connected between the negative busbar (14a-) of the first track (6a) and the positive busbar (14b+) of the second track (6b).
4. Circuit arrangement (8) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the positive supply terminal (20) and the negative supply terminal (22) are assigned to a power supply unit (16).
5. Circuit arrangement (8) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the negative busbar (14b-) of the second track (6b) is arranged between the positive busbar (14a+) of the first track (6a) and the positive busbar (14b+) of the second track (6b) and the positive busbar (14a+) of the first track (6a) is arranged between the negative busbar (14a-) of the first track (6a) and the negative busbar (14b-) of the second track (6b).
6. Model car racing track (2) comprising at least two tracks (6a, 6b) for model cars (10a, 10b), wherein each track (6a, 6b) is assigned a positive busbar (14a+, 14b+) and a negative busbar (14a-, 14b-), characterised by a circuit arrangement (8) according to one of the preceding claims.
7. Model car racing track (2) according to claim 6, characterised in that an electrical consumer (12) is connected between the negative busbar (14a-) of the first track (6a) and the positive busbar (14b+) of the second track (6b).
8. Model car racing track (2) according to claim 6 or 7, characterised by a track element (4) with a positive consumer terminal (24) and a negative consumer terminal (26) to which the electrical consumer (12) is connected.
9. Model car racing track (2) according to claim 6, 7 or 8, characterised in that the electrical consumer (12) is designed as an electrical lap counter or as a pit stop module.
10. Track element (4) in combination with a model car racing track (2) according to one of the claims 6 to 9, characterised in that the track element (4) has at least one positive consumer terminal (24) and one negative consumer terminal (26) for connection of the electrical consumer (12).

Images