Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
  • B60L53/00—Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
  • B60L53/10—Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles characterised by the energy transfer between the charging station and the vehicle
  • B60L53/14—Conductive energy transfer
  • B60L53/16—Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
  • B60L5/00—Current collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles
  • B60L5/40—Current collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles for collecting current from lines in slotted conduits
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60M—POWER SUPPLY LINES, AND DEVICES ALONG RAILS, FOR ELECTRICALLY- PROPELLED VEHICLES
  • B60M1/00—Power supply lines for contact with collector on vehicle
  • B60M1/30—Power rails
  • B60M1/34—Power rails in slotted conduits
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
  • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
  • Y02T10/60—Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
  • Y02T10/70—Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
  • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
  • Y02T10/60—Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
  • Y02T10/7072—Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
  • Y02T90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02T90/10—Technologies relating to charging of electric vehicles
  • Y02T90/14—Plug-in electric vehicles

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a contact device mechanism for electrical feeding of road vehicles, in order to supply electric voltage to at least one electric motor which propels the vehicle, wherein the contact device is displaceable vertically and laterally and comprises at least one current collector.
• the present invention relates to a vehicle comprising such a contact device mechanism.
• WO 2010/140964 proposes one solution to the latter problem by feeding electric vehicles while driving. It discloses a system for electric propulsion of a vehicle along a road comprising electric conductors in the shape of conducting rails that may be put under voltage and located in longitudinal tracks or channels in the road. The vehicle is equipped with a current collector which during contact with the conducting rail allows for transfer of electric current between the conducting rail and the vehicle.
• the stretch of road carrying the conducting rails is divided into electrically separat- ed road sections oriented in series, whereby the conducting rails are only put under voltage when a vehicle with a current collector passes the relevant road section.
• a contact device acting as an extension between the vehicle and the conducting rails.
• a contact device is given in WO 201 1/123046, which is incorporated herein by reference.
• the contact device is adapted to co-act mechanically and electrically with an electric conductor put under voltage and located in a road section on which the vehicle is travelling, in order to supply electric voltage to the at least one electric motor which thereby propels the vehicle.
• the contact device compris- es a longitudinal arm, rotatable about two perpendicular rotational axes, which is attached to the underside of a vehicle and may be moved horizontally and/or lowered towards the track.
• Another disadvantage is that the lateral displacement of the arm changes the angle of the current collector in relation to the track, requiring that the current collector is attached to the current collector in a rotatable manner about two axes, similar to how the arm is attached to the vehicle. This leads to further complexity in the design of the contact device according to the prior art.
• US 4,227,595 discloses a current transmitting system for use with a self-propelled automatically steered electric vehicle including a pair of parallel, circularly arranged bus bars connected to a low-frequency A.C. power source, and a current collecting shoe slidable on and along each of the bus bars for transmitting the current carried by the bus bar to an electric device mounted in the vehicle.
• the current collector is mounted on a sliding rod.
• the current collector is intended to be more or less fixedly attached to the bus bars by means of an intricate connection and only minor lateral movement of the vehicle in relation to the bus bars is foreseen.
• the purpose of the present invention is to provide improved contact device mechanisms which facilitate displacement of contact devices.
• a mechanism for electrical feeding of road vehicles comprising a contact device adapted to co-act mechanically and electrically with a track comprising an electric conductor put under voltage and located in a road section on which the vehicle is travelling.
• a contact device adapted to co-act mechanically and electrically with a track comprising an electric conductor put under voltage and located in a road section on which the vehicle is travelling.
• This in order to supply electric voltage to at least one electric motor which propels the vehicle, either supplementing or replacing the propulsion provided by the existing vehicle engine as the vehicle travels on a an electrified road section, e.g. by the system of WO 2010/140964, which is incorporated herein by reference.
• the contact device is displaceable vertically and laterally and comprises at least one current collector, preferably in the shape of a sliding contact.
• the mechanism may be connected to an add-on motor assembly which in turn is connected to the vehicle, as described in WO 2013/141782, incorporated herein by reference.
• the mechanism further comprises a bar directly or indirectly attached to the vehicle and arranged substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the driving direction of the vehicle and a sliding device adapted to be displaced laterally on the sliding bar, wherein the current collector is connected to the sliding device by means of a contact arm which is displaceable vertically.
• the bar may be attached thereon, hence the indirect attachment to the vehicle.
• sliding device should be interpreted as a device which may be displaced on the bar, but not necessarily by a sliding motion. Instead any type of suitable translational motion along the bar is foreseen.
• the present invention proposes to mount the displacement mechanism on a substantially horizontally arranged bar which is attached or connected to a vehicle perpendicular to the vehicle's driving direction.
• a laterally displaceable device on the bar and connected to the contact arm, it is possible to reduce the length of the contact arm, since the contact arm will only be required to be moved vertically, towards and away from the track.
• the mechanism further comprises means for lateral displacement of the sliding device on the bar for actively controlling the position of the sliding device with respect to the vehicle.
• the length of the bar is substantially equal to the width of the vehicle and the sliding device is configured to be displaced along substantially the whole width of the vehicle. This will ensure that the current collector can reach the track in any position underneath the vehicle.
• the lateral displacement means comprises an electric motor, a hydraulic pump and/or a pneumatic pump.
• the electric motor may actuate the sliding device directly or indirectly via a wire which may or may not be guided inside a flexible tube.
• Other suitable means for displacing the sliding device in the lateral direction such as a gear system, rack and pinion or a linear actuator may also be considered.
• the mechanism further comprises means for vertical displacement of the contact arm.
• the vertical displacement means comprises an electric motor, a hydraulic pump and/or a pneumatic pump.
• the electric motor may actuate the contact arm directly or indirectly via a wire which may or may not be guided inside a flexible tube.
• Other suitable means for displacing the contact arm in the vertical direction such as a gear system, rack and pinion or a linear actuator may also be considered.
• the contact arm is flexible in the axial direction and adapted to be pressed against the track.
• the contact arm is arranged vertically such that the current collector is located substantially directly underneath the sliding device. This allows for even further reduction of the length of the contact arm and facilitates control of the movements thereof.
• the contact arm may be configured to dampen or compensate for vibrations, shocks and/or movements in the vertical direction caused by e.g. uneven road surface. Hence, the mechanism and contact device will be able to withstand such loads without risking damage.
• the bar is configured to be integrated into a bumper of the vehicle. Hence a compact and aesthetically pleasing design is achieved which does not considerably alter the appearance and dimensions of the vehicle.
• Fig. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a road section having tracks comprising electrical conductors.
• Fig. 2 illustrates a front view and view from above of a vehicle having a contact device mechanism according to the prior art.
• Fig. 3 illustrates a front view and view from above of a vehicle having a contact device mechanism according to the present invention.
• Fig. 4 illustrates a side view of a vehicle having a contact device mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 5 illustrates a side view of a vehicle having a contact device mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a road section 1 having tracks 2 located therein adjacent the road surface.
• the tracks 2 comprise at least one electrical conduc- tor, preferably two, which may be electrically insulated in all directions except upwards towards the road surface.
• two parallel tracks 2 are shown, but road sections 1 having more than two tracks 2 comprising electrical conductors, e.g. one for each driving lane of the road section 1 , are also contemplated.
• Also shown in Fig. 1 are low and high voltage cables 3, 4 for supplying electric voltage to the electrical conductors.
• a mechanism for a contact device 5 is illustrated in a front view and view from above.
• the contact device 5 is mounted on an elongate arm 6 which in turn is attached in a rotatable manner to the underside of a vehicle 7.
• a current collector is attached and configured to be brought into mechanical and electrical contact with the electrical conductors in the track 2 located in a road section 1 on which the vehicle 7 is traveling. Upon electrical contact with the conductors, the current collector feeds an electric motor which propels the vehicle 7.
• the elongate arm 6 comprising the contact device 5 may be moved laterally through rotation about a rotational axis perpendicular to the underside of the vehicle 7, and thus to the plane of the road section 1 , as shown by the arrow a in Fig. 2. Additionally, the contact device 5 may be lowered towards or raised away from the track 2 through rotation of the arm 6 about a horizontal axis of rotation perpendicular to the first rotational axis.
• the disadvantages of the elon- gate arm 6 are that it requires considerable free space underneath the vehicle 7 and that it is difficult to move quickly.
• the lateral displacement of the arm 6 changes the angle of the current collector in relation to the track 2, requiring that the current collector 8 of the contact device is attached to the arm 6 in a rotatable manner, similar to how the arm 6 is attached to the vehicle 7. This leads to further complexity in the design of the contact device 5 according to the prior art.
• a contact device 5 and mechanism Shown in Fig. 3 is a contact device 5 and mechanism according to the present invention.
• the mechanism comprises a sliding device 9 which is configured to be displaced along a bar 10 attached to the vehicle 7 and arranged substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the driving direction of the vehicle 7, as illustrated by the dashed arrow b in Fig. 3.
• the bar 10 may be incorporated into the front or rear bumper of the vehicle 7 to achieve a compact design which does not substantially alter the appearance and/or physical dimensions of the vehicle 7.
• the bar 10 may be attached or fastened to the vehicle 7 in any suitable manner which allows lateral displacement of the sliding device 9 along the bar 10.
• the bar 10 may be attached to the add-on motor assembly (not shown), which in turn is connected to the vehicle 7.
• lateral displacement means for the contact device 5 may be separated from vertical displacement means for the contact device 5. This allows for more rapid and controllable displacement of the contact device 5.
• Another advantage compared to the prior art is that a contact arm 6 connecting the sliding device 9 and the current collector 8 may be made much shorter, which further increases possible displacement speed and facilitates control of the contact device 5.
• the means for lateral and vertical displacement of the sliding device 9 and the contact arm 6, respectively may be any of an electric motor, a hydraulic pump and/or a pneumatic pump.
• the electric motor may actuate the sliding device 9 or contact arm 6 directly or indirectly via a wire which may or may not be guided inside a flexible tube for protection.
• Other suitable means for displacing the sliding device 9 or contact arm 6 in the lateral or vertical directions, respectively, may also be considered, such as a gear system, rack and pinion a linear actuator or any combination of the above.
• the bar 10 has a length which is substantially equal to the width of the vehicle 7, such that the sliding device 9 may be displaced along the whole width of the vehicle 7 in order to reach the track 2 in the road section 1.
• Fig. 4 illustrates the contact device mechanism in a side view, wherein the reduced length of the contact arm 6 is visualised.
• the current collector 8 may be brought into mechanical and electrical contact with the track 2 through lowering of the contact arm 6 as illustrated by dashed arrow c in Fig. 4.
• the significantly shorter contact arm 6 of the present invention requires less space and may be moved faster and with increased control than the prior art. Also, since the contact arm 6 is only moved in a vertical plane parallel to the driving direction of the vehicle 7, the current collector 8 does not require additional longitudinal alignment in relation to the track 2, as is the case with the prior art.
• Fig. 5 illustrates a second embodiment of a contact device mechanism according to the present invention.
• the contact arm 6 is flexible in the axial direction, i.e. along a longitudinal extension thereof. This enables the contact arm 6 to be arranged vertically, substantially directly underneath the sliding device 9.
• the flexible nature of the contact arm 6 allows it to dampen or compensate for vibrations or shocks experienced by the contact device 5, e.g. when the current collector 8 encounter objects or obstacles in the track 2 or when the vehicle 7 travels on an uneven road surface causing movement in the vertical direction.
• the advantage of this is an even more compact design which does not substantially protrude from the vehicle 7.
• the vertical displacement is made even simpler in that the cur- rent collector 8 and contact arm 6 may be lowered and raised without rotation of the contact arm 6 in the vertical plane parallel to the driving direction of the vehicle 7, as illustrated by dashed arrow d in Fig. 5.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Current-Collector Devices For Electrically Propelled Vehicles (AREA)
• Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=51023008

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2013
  • 2013-06-03 SE SE1350677A patent/SE537192C2/sv unknown
• 2014
  • 2014-05-27 WO PCT/SE2014/050644 patent/WO2014196912A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2014-05-27 EP EP14733741.4A patent/EP3003771A2/de not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (6)

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