EP3544707A1

EP3544707A1 - Model car racetrack

Info

Publication number: EP3544707A1
Application number: EP17801596.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Christian Koker; Christian Rathge
Original assignee: Stadlbauer Marketing und Vertrieb GmbH
Current assignee: Carrera Toys GmbH
Priority date: 2016-11-22
Filing date: 2017-11-21
Publication date: 2019-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2037-11-21
Also published as: CN109982762A; WO2018095568A1; EP3544707B1; CN109982762B; US20190270025A1; DE202016007185U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a model car racetrack (2), comprising at least one model car (10) which is guided along a lane (6a, 6b), a roadway (4) which defines the lane (6a, 6b), wherein the roadway (4) has at least one busbar (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) which extends in the direction of the lane (6a, 6b), and a transformer arrangement (16) comprising a primary element (18) and a secondary element (20) for contact-free energy transmission from the roadway (4) to the model car (10), wherein the busbar (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) is the primary element (18) of the transformer arrangement (16) and the model car (10) comprises the secondary element (20) of the transformer arrangement (16) for coupling in the electromagnetic field which is produced by the primary element (18).

Description

Model car racing track

The invention relates to a model car racing track according to the preamble of claim 1.

A model car racecourse, also slotcar or slot (slot) is a technical device used to drive electrically driven model cars on a track, with a guide keel on the model car engaging a slot on the track.

The Modellautorennbahn has a roadway, which can be constructed, for example, from a plurality of zusammensteckbarer roadway parts. The roadway may have two lanes each having a slot for guiding each of a model car and two busbars for powering the electric drive of the model vehicles movable along the respective lane. Current collectors of the respective model cars are in contact with the respective busbar in order to ensure transmission of electrical energy. With one hand controller each speed and braking behavior of the respective model car can be controlled. However, when cornering, for example, due to centrifugal forces acting on the model cars, it may happen that the contact between the Power bus and the pantograph of the model car is interrupted, with the result that the power supply of the electric drive of the model car is interrupted and the model car loses speed. The invention is therefore based on the object to show a way how an uninterrupted supply of model cars such a model car racing track can be ensured with electrical energy.

This object is achieved by a model autodrom of the o.g. Art solved with the features characterized in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the further claims.

For this purpose, in a model car raceway of the aforementioned type, a transformer arrangement is provided with a primary element and a secondary element for non-contact energy transfer from the roadway to the model car, the primary element of the transformer arrangement being the busbar and the model car being the secondary element of the transformer arrangement for coupling in from that generated by the primary element having electromagnetic field. In other words, the model car raceway has an air transformer arrangement for non-contact energy transmission, wherein the primary element performs the function of a primary coil or winding and the secondary element assumes the function of a secondary coil or winding. This has the advantage that there can be no temporary interruption of an electrical contact between a busbar and a current collector and thus no interruption of the supply of electrical energy. Furthermore, an unchanged roadway can be used with a particularly simple structure, in which the busbars are designed as in the driving direction or track extending conductor. In addition to the transmission of operating energy, control signals, for example for accelerating or decelerating the model car, can also be transmitted with the transformer arrangement, for example by modulating these control signals with a higher frequency and filtering them out again on the model-car side. According to a preferred embodiment, a rotation vector of the electromagnetic field generated by the primary element substantially points in the direction of the track. The busbar formed in the direction of the track as an elongate conductor forms a magnetic field whose field lines have the shape of closed, concentric circles or ellipses around the busbar. A rotation vector of the magnetic field, which is perpendicular to the concentric circles, then points in the direction of the track. By "substantially" is understood within normal manufacturing tolerances. Thus, an unchanged roadway can be used with a particularly simple structure, in which the busbars are formed as in driving or lane extending conductor. Production-technically complicated lanes with integrated coil elements are not required. According to a further preferred embodiment, the secondary element has a main extension direction which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the track.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the secondary element has one or a plurality of turns, wherein the one or the plurality of turns defines a screw vector which extends substantially perpendicular to the direction of the track. The plurality of turns define a main direction of extension of the secondary element in the helical direction of the secondary element. Thus, the secondary element may have a different orientation than the primary element, which allows a space-saving arrangement in the model car.

According to a further preferred embodiment, at least one second track is provided with at least one second busbar along which a second model car is track guided, wherein the first busbar is acted upon by an electrical current having a first frequency and the second busbar with a second electric current a second frequency is applied, wherein the first frequency is different from the second frequency. So be mutual influences by inductive coupling of electrical energy avoided or at least reduced.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the second frequency is at least one and a half times the first frequency. Thus, a mutual influence can be reduced by inductive coupling of electrical energy particularly effective.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the first frequency is 400 kHz and the second frequency is 600 kHz. By selecting these frequencies, on the one hand, a particularly effective energy transfer can be achieved and, on the other hand, a slight disruption of other electrotechnical or electronic devices in the vicinity of the model car race track can be achieved. According to a further preferred embodiment, the at least one roadway has two busbars extending parallel in the direction of the track. Even so, an unchanged lane can be used with a particularly simple structure, in which the busbars are formed as in driving or lane extending conductor.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the two bus bars are electrically connected in parallel. Thus, a doubled conductor cross-section is provided, so that the busbar elements can be charged with a double current. Further, in the case of an interruption of one of the two busbar elements, the other busbar element is still traversed by electric current. Thus, the security of supply of a model car is increased with electrical energy.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the two busbar elements are electrically connected in series. Thus, the two busbar elements form a double loop, which further improves the energy transfer efficiency. The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. This shows in

1 shows a schematic sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a model car racing track according to the invention,

Fig. 2 in a schematic representation of a transformer arrangement which in the in

FIG. 3 shows a top-side view of the first carrier element shown in FIG. 2, FIG.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the second shown in Fig. 2

5 shows an operating scenario of the model car racing track shown in FIG. 1, FIG.

6 shows a first interconnection variant of busbars of a two-lane roadway, FIG. 7 shows a second interconnection variant of busbars of a two-lane roadway, and a further exemplary embodiment of a model car raceway according to the invention with a carriageway having a busbar for each lane of the plurality of lanes.

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

The model car racing track 2 has a roadway 4 constructed from a plurality of roadway parts which can be joined together, with two tracks 6a, 6b for one model car 10 in the present exemplary embodiment. Only a model car 10 is shown in FIG. 1. In the present exemplary embodiment, the roadway 4 has a respective recess 8a, 8b assigned to each track 6a, 6b, which is arranged centrally with respect to the track and into which a guide element 30, such as a guide pin or guide key, of the model car 10 can engage and so on Guiding the model car 10 along the respective track, here the track 6a causes.

Furthermore, in the present exemplary embodiment, the roadway 4 has in each case two busbars 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d which are arranged on both sides of the respective recess 8a, 8b and which are assigned to the first track 6a or the second track 6b. The first and second busbars 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d have a cross-sectionally U-shaped profile in the present exemplary embodiment and are pressed into further depressions of the roadway 4. Notwithstanding the present embodiment, the first and second busbars 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d may also have a different profile in cross section.

The busbars 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d are each formed in one piece and of uniform material. Further, the bus bars 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d are made of a magnetic material. Thus, the model car 10 with a permanent magnet (not shown) interacting with the bus bars 14a, 14b can be held in the track 6a by magnetic force.

As will be explained later, the two pairs of busbars 14a, 14b and 14c, 14d form a primary element 18 of a transformer arrangement 16 for contactless energy transmission to the model car 10.

The transformer assembly 16 for non-contact power transmission to the model car 10 further includes a model 20 associated with the model car 10 for coupling an electromagnetic field, which is generated with the primary element 18.

The secondary element 20 is a coil arrangement 22 in the present exemplary embodiment. In addition to the transmission of operating energy, control signals, for example for accelerating or decelerating the model car 10, can also be transmitted with the transformer arrangement 16, for example by modulating these control signals with a higher frequency and filtering them out again on the model-car side.

Reference is now additionally made to FIG. 2 which, for reasons of simplicity, shows only the first track 6a of the two tracks 6a, 6b. However, the following description also applies analogously to the second track 6b with the recess 8b and the busbars 14c, 14d.

FIG. 2 shows that both the depression 8a and the two busbars 14a, 14b each have a main extension direction H pointing in the direction of travel along the track 6a, in whose direction their dimensions are significantly greater than in the direction of the other extension directions.

Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows that the coil arrangement 22 has a carrier 12. In the present exemplary embodiment, the carrier 12 has a first carrier element 24a and a second carrier element 24b and a ferrite core 26 arranged between the first carrier element 24a and the second carrier element 24b.

The first carrier element 24a and the second carrier element 24b are printed circuit boards in the present exemplary embodiment. The printed circuit boards have a flat basic shape, in the present embodiment, a cuboidal basic shape, each with an upper side and an upper side opposite the underside. They each consist of an electrically insulating material and conductor tracks arranged thereon. As an insulating material, e.g. fiber reinforced plastic common. The traces are used e.g. etched from a thin layer of copper previously applied to the insulating material.

Conductor tracks on the upper side of the first carrier element 24a in the present exemplary embodiment form a plurality of first coil sections 28a, while further strip conductors on the underside of the second carrier element 24b form a plurality of second coil sections 28b in the present embodiment. In each case one of the first coil sections 28a and the second coil sections 28b each forms a coil winding of the coil arrangement 20. For this connection lines (not shown) are provided which extend through the first support member 24a and the second support member 24b and the respective first coil sections 28a with the respective second coil sections 28b electrically conductively connect. Thus, in the present embodiment, the coil sections 28a, 28b form three coil windings. But it can also be provided five to eight coil windings.

Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows that on an underside of the first carrier element 24a the ferrite core 26 is arranged with its upper side and on the underside of the ferrite core 26 an upper side of the second carrier element 24b.

The ferrite core 26 is a component made of ferrite, which as the core of the coil assembly 22 increases its inductance or the magnetic field. By ferrites are meant materials which are electrically poor or non-conductive ferrimagnetic ceramic materials of the iron oxide hematite (Fe ₂ O ₃ ), magnetite (Fe ₃ O ₄ ) and / or other metal oxides. Depending on the composition, ferrites are hard magnetic or soft magnetic.

The coil windings formed by the respective first coil sections 28a and second coil sections 28b have a screw vector S which, as shown in FIG. 2, lies substantially in the plane of the carrier 12 and describes the helical formation of the coil windings of the coil arrangement 22.

It can also be seen that the screw vector S is arranged substantially at right angles to the main extension direction H of the busbars 14a, 14b.

Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows that the carrier 12 has a first extension direction I, a second extension direction II and a third extension direction III. In the present exemplary embodiment, the first extension direction I extends in the height direction Z between the first carrier element 24a and the second carrier element 24b. At right angles to the first direction of extension I extends the second direction of extent II in the direction of the screw vector S or in the width direction Y. Further extends at right angles to the first direction of extension I and the second extension direction II, the third extension direction III in the direction of the main extension direction H or in the depth direction X. The carrier 12, the first carrier element 24a, the second carrier element 24b and the ferrite core 26 in the present embodiment in the direction of the second extension direction II and the third extension direction III each have significantly larger dimensions than in the direction of the first extension direction I. In other words, they each have a cuboid, in particular a plate-shaped basic shape.

Reference is now additionally made to FIGS. 3 and 4.

Figs. 3 and 4 show that the first coil portions 28a and the second coil portions 28b have an elongated shape, i. their respective dimensions in the direction of the third extension direction III are greater than in the direction of the second extension direction II. Furthermore, the first coil sections 28a and the second coil sections 28b extend at an angle to the second extension direction II, which is not at right angles. In the present exemplary embodiment, the first coil sections 28a and the second coil sections 28b extend at an angle of 75 ° to 85 ° or 95 ° to 110 ° to the second extension direction II.

Thus, a particularly compact and at the same time little space-consuming coil arrangement 22 is provided. Further, by the respective planar configuration of the first coil sections 28a and second coil section 28b on the upper or. Bottom of the carrier 12 simplifies the manufacture of the coil assembly 22, as this planar or thick film techniques can be used. 5, the operation of the model car raceway 2 will be explained, with only the first bus bar 14a of the two bus bars 14a, 14b of the first track 6a shown for the sake of simplicity of the primary element 18.

In operation, the busbar 14a is traversed by an alternating current having a frequency of 400 kHz. A magnetic field M is formed around the busbar 14a with concentric field lines extending in the form of the busbar 14a. The course of the field lines can be described by a rotation vector R which is perpendicular to the plane described by the field lines.

The field lines pass through the secondary element 20 and the coil assembly 22 and generate by induction an electrical voltage in the secondary element 20. The voltage induced in the secondary element 20 electrical voltage can then be used to supply an electric drive of the model car 10, so that the model car 10 in through the main extension direction H of the recess 8a and the busbar 14a predetermined direction of travel F can move. Thus, the direction of travel F and the rotation vector R are substantially at a right angle to each other. By "substantially" is understood within normal manufacturing tolerances.

A regulation of the speed of the model car 10 can be effected by a change in the current intensity of the electric current flowing through the busbars 14a, 14b.

Due to the contactless transmission of electrical energy contact interruptions, as in the prior art, can be avoided and it no longer comes to interrupting the supply of electrical energy. Besides the first track 6a shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the second track 6b is provided for a second model car (not shown) having the same construction as the first track 6a. However, in order to avoid as much as possible interference between two model cars 10 and thus disturbances in the transmission of energy, the busbars 14c, 14d of the second track 6b flows through an electric current having a frequency which is at least one and a half times as high as the first frequency. In the present embodiment, the second frequency is 600 kHz. Reference is now additionally made to FIGS. 6 and 7, which show connection variants of the two busbar pairs 14a, 14b and 14c, 14d by way of example with reference to the first track 6a of the two tracks 6a, 6b of the roadway 4. FIG. 6 shows a first interconnection variant in which the two busbars 14a, 14b of the first track 6a are electrically connected in parallel. Thus, the double conductor cross-section of the two busbars 14a, 14b can be used, so that a doubling of the current intensity is possible, with which the busbars 14a, 14b are acted upon.

FIG. 7 shows a second connection variant in which the two busbars 14a, 14b of the first track 6a are electrically connected in series. Thus, the two bus bars 14a, 14b form a double conductor loop, so that the efficiency of energy transfer is improved.

Reference is now made to FIG. 8.

Shown is a second embodiment of a roadway 4 'which, unlike the roadway 4 shown in Fig. 1 only two recesses 8a, 8b, in each of which a further embodiment of a busbar 14a', 14b 'is used.

The structure of the bus bars 14a ', 14b' according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to the bus bar 14b 'associated with the second track 6b.

The busbar 14b 'has a U-shaped profile with a groove bottom 32 and two adjoining the groove bottom 32 flanges 34 which extend parallel in the present embodiment. Each of the flanges 34 is followed by a respective tongue 36, which extends in the plane of the surface of the lane 4 '. The busbars 14a ', 14b' according to this embodiment are each formed in one piece and of uniform material. Further, the bus bars 14a ', 14b' according to this embodiment are made of a magnetic material. Thus, here too, the model car 10 with a permanent magnet (not shown) which interacts with the busbar 14a 'can be held in the track 6a by magnetic force. In particular, the two tongues 36 provide an enlarged contact surface for the magnetic force, so that a reduced magnet can be inserted into the model car 10, which takes up less installation space.

Further, the two bus bars 14a ', 14b' are inserted into the respective recesses 8a, 8b such that the U-shaped bus bars 14a ', 14b' open upwardly, so that the guide member 30, such as the guide member 30, e.g. a pin of the model car 10, in which U-shaped busbar 14a 'can engage so as to guide model car 10 along the track 6a defined by the recess 8a. Thus, this lane 4 'a particularly simple structure with only one, in the present embodiment, centrally located busbar 14a', 14b 'for each of the tracks 6a, 6b, wherein the busbars 14a', 14b 'each have a dual function, namely as a busbar and as a guide groove for a model car.

Claims

claims:

A model car racing track (2) comprising at least one model car (10) guided along a track (6a, 6b) and a roadway (4) defining the track (6a, 6b),

the track (4) having at least one bus bar (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) extending in the direction of the track (6a, 6b),

g e k e n c i n e s

by a transformer arrangement (16) having a primary element (18) and a secondary element (20) for non-contact energy transmission from the roadway (4) to the model car (10), the busbar (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) forming the primary element (18 ) of the transformer assembly (16) and the model car (10) comprises the secondary element (20) of the transformer assembly (16) for coupling in the electromagnetic field generated by the primary element (18).

Second model car raceway (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a rotation vector (R) of the primary element (18) generated by the electromagnetic field substantially in the direction of the track (6a, 6b).

3. model car raceway (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the secondary element (20) has a main extension direction (H), which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the track (6a, 6b).

Model car racing track (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the secondary element (20) has one or a plurality of turns, wherein the one or more turns define a helical vector (S) which is substantially rectangular to the direction of the track (6a, 6b) extend.

5. Modellautorennbahn (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one second track (6b) with at least one second busbar (14c, 14d) is provided, along which a second model car is track-guided, wherein the first busbar with an electrical current is applied to a first frequency and the second bus bar (14c, 14d) is acted upon by a second electrical current having a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is different from the second frequency.

6. Modellautorennbahn (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the second frequency is at least one and a half times the first frequency.

Model car racing track (10) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the first frequency is 400 kHz and the second frequency is 600 kHz.

8. model car racing track (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one track (6a, 6b) has two parallel in the direction of the track (6a, 6b) extending busbars (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) ,

9. Model car raceway (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the two busbars (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) of a track are electrically connected in parallel.

10. model car raceway (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the two busbars (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) of a track are electrically connected in series.