Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
  • H01R43/26—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63J—AUXILIARIES ON VESSELS
  • B63J3/00—Driving of auxiliaries
  • B63J3/04—Driving of auxiliaries from power plant other than propulsion power plant
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
  • H01R13/629—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances
  • H01R13/62933—Comprising exclusively pivoting lever
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63J—AUXILIARIES ON VESSELS
  • B63J3/00—Driving of auxiliaries
  • B63J3/04—Driving of auxiliaries from power plant other than propulsion power plant
  • B63J2003/043—Driving of auxiliaries from power plant other than propulsion power plant using shore connectors for electric power supply from shore-borne mains, or other electric energy sources external to the vessel, e.g. for docked, or moored vessels

Definitions

• TITLE System for handling and coupling electrical cables
• the present invention relates to a system for handling electrical cables equipped with at least one first electrical connector and connecting said first electrical connector to a at least one second compatible electrical connector.
• US2016009530A1 describes a device for automatically connecting a vehicle to an electric power supply.
• US5478249A describes a electrical connection device comprising two connection elements of which one is mobile, and which are arranged to be capable of mutually coupling and uncoupling by rotation of the mobile element in the other element and to connect or reciprocally separate the opposing contacts with which they are provided.
• US2010218710A1 describes an invention relates to a ship that is to be coupled electrically to a terminal, and also to a method and a device for connecting an electrical power line between a ship and a terminal.
• US2013220198A1 describes a hatch for an outer wall or skin of a ship includes a guide device for guiding a flexible electrical line through the hatch to provide the ship with electrical power. A ship having such a hatch is also provided.
• the system comprises:
• an arm comprising a connector holder for holding the at least one first electrical connector connected to the cable, said arm being rotatable between a receiving position and a connecting position, to bring said at least one first electrical connector through a structure from one side to another side, through an opening in said structure, - means for rotating said arm around a pivot point, and
• the structure can hold a sheltered environment on the inside for performing the connection of the first electrical connector to the second electrical connector.
• a hatch can be changeable between a condition as a guide for guiding the first electrical connector to a condition as a cover for the opening.
• the structure can be a hull of a ship.
• the first electrical connectors on the cables can be arranged in a connector frame that is compatible with a connector holder on the arm.
• the arm can comprise a cable guide to guide said cables and to provide the required bending radius for the cables as the arm rotates.
• the second electrical connectors can be arranged facing down.
• the means for rotating the arm can comprises an electrical motor.
• the first electrical connectors can be covered by a connector cover that can be opened on the inside of the structure, before the first electrical connectors are connected to the second electrical connectors.
• the method can comprise the step of activating a fixing mechanism in the connector holder on the arm for fixing the first electrical connector to the connector holder.
• the method can comprise the step of activating a mechanism for opening a connector cover on the inside of the structure, before the first electrical connectors are connected to the second electrical connectors.
• the unit can be a vessel at quay.
• the structure can be a hull on a vessel.
• Figure 1 and 2 shows the system mounted inside the hull of a vessel
• Figure 3-6 (a and b) shows in sequence connection of cables
• the invention relates to a system 10 and a method for connecting power cables.
• One application of the invention is for coupling shore power to a ship at quay. This application will be used for explaining possible embodiments of the invention, but should not be considered limiting for the scope of the invention. Other possible applications of the invention can be but are not limited to autonomous handling, connection and disconnection of electrical power to movable and portable units.
• Such movable units might be cars, trains or any other movable unit that requires electrical power.
• FIG. 1 shows one possible embodiment of the system 10.
• the system 10 comprises an arm 20 placed on an inside 36 of a structure 30 in this case a ship hull 30’.
• the arm 20 is rotatable between a receiving position for receiving a one or more first electrical connector 14 and a connecting position for connecting said one or more first electrical connector 14 to a one or more second electrical connector 12.
• the arm 20 comprises a cable guide 22 for supporting the cable 18 and maintaining an adequate bending radius on the cable 18 as the arm 20 rotates around a pivot point 26.
• the arm further comprises a connector holder 34 for holding a one or more first electrical connector 14.
• the system 10 further comprises a hatch 28 the hatch 28 is changeable between a condition as a guide for guiding the first electrical connector 14 into the connector holder 34 and to a condition as a cover for an opening 32 in the structure 30.
• the opening 32 can be on the side of the ship that is facing the quay.
• the opening 32 can also be on a horizontal surface through a deck on a ship for instance.
• the first electrical connectors 14 are also equipped with a connector frame 16 in the embodiment showed in the figures.
• the purpose of the connector frame 16 is to fix several first electrical connectors 14 to each other when more than one cable 18 is needed for the application.
• Another purpose for the connector frame 16 is to act as an adapter between first electrical connectors 14 and the connector holder 34 on the arm 20.
• One of the advantages with using a connector frame 16 is that the system 10 can otherwise be the same for most applications.
• the same arm 20 and connector holder 34 can be used whether there are one or four first electrical connectors 14 or in principle any other number of first electrical connectors 14.
• the connector frame 16 can be the same if the number of first electrical connectors 14 change, there will only be some empty slots in the connector frame 16. For applications where the first electrical connectors 14 have different shape the only component that will have to be produced different is the connector frame 16. This way the rest of the system 10 can stay the same for most application by using the connector frame 16 as an adapter for different first electrical connectors 14 and number of first electrical connectors 14.
• the second electrical connectors 12 will have to be mateable with the first electrical connectors, most types of second electrical connectors 12 can be integrated with the system.
• the flexibility of using an adapter is an advantage from a manufacturing and economic standpoint.
• the first electrical connector frame 16 can further be built out to comprise a connector cover 24 that will cover the electrical contacts on the first electrical connector.
• a connector cover should be possible to open and at the same time the connector cover 24 should remain attached to the first electrical connector frame 16.
• One possible embodiment of the connector cover 24 is that it is hinged or pivotable on one of the sides.
• the connector cover 24 and the connector holder 34 can be equipped with a mating mechanism that will open the connector cover 24 as the arm 20 rotates.
• the connector cover 24 will then stay on as long as the first electrical connectors 14 are on the outside 38 of the structure 30 and will open up on the inside 36 of the structure 30 before the first electrical connectors 14 are too close to the second electrical connectors 12.
• the first electrical connectors 12 will then stay dry and clean.
• the mechanism for opening the connector cover 24 can for instance be a pin inside the connector holder 34 protruding into a hole or groove in the connector cover 24 to engage the connector cover 24 and then the pin moves sideway to open the connector cover 24 as the arm 20 rotate
• the arm 20 can in different embodiments take a number of forms.
• the arm comprises two sides connected by a central part. The two sides are connected to a shaft through what is the pivot point 26 of the arm 20.
• the connector holder 34 is integrated in the arm 20.
• the connector holder 34 can comprise a locking mechanism that is initiated when the first electrical connector 14 with or without a connector frame 16 is in place inside the connector holder 34.
• One possible embodiment of such a mechanism can be one or more screws driven by electrical motors that pushes one or more side panels inside the connector holder 34 in against the connector frame 16 or against the first electrical connector 14 if not equipped with a connector frame 16.
• the support structure for the second electrical connectors 12 or the connector frame 16 are slightly flexible to accommodate for the slight change in angle on the first electrical connectors 14 as they slide a distance into the second electrical connectors 12.
• Figure 2 shows the same embodiment as in figure 1 but from a different angel.
• Figure 3-6 shows the connecting of shore power in sequence from two different angels (a and b).
• the hatch 28 (not seen in figure 3-6) is opened up to a condition as a guide for guiding the first electrical connector and the arm 20 is swung out so it is in the receiving position protrudes out through the opening 32 in the hull 30’ (which is not showed in figure 3-6).
• the cable 18 is lowered down towards the first electrical connector holder 34 on the arm 20.
• Zinus Port power comprises a tall mast for deployment on quays and further comprises horizontal telescopic extendable arm. From the extended end of the arm power cables can be lowered down. When a ship that will hook up to shore power approaches the arm can be extended to the side of the ship or to above the deck, depending on the placement of the connection points for shore power on the ship. And then the cables can be lowered down from the extended arm. If the ship is equipped with the System 10 the cables with first electrical connectors can be lowed straight down to the hatch 28 for connection on the inside of the hull 30’ of the ship.
• the system can be equipped with logic and sensor for initiating the different operations.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
• Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2019
  • 2019-05-29 NO NO20190657A patent/NO344931B1/no unknown
• 2020
  • 2020-05-27 EP EP20814196.0A patent/EP3977571B1/de active Active
  • 2020-05-27 DE DE112020002581.0T patent/DE112020002581T5/de active Pending
  • 2020-05-27 WO PCT/NO2020/050137 patent/WO2020242320A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2020-05-27 GB GB2117103.8A patent/GB2599264B/en active Active

Patent Citations (1)

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