A current collector and a conductor line system having such a current collector. The current collector has a holder and a carbon brush arranged in carbon brush support movable relative to holder in a feed direction from and to the conductor line. The carbon brush is movable in a feed direction from and to conductor line. A better and reliable guiding of the carbon brush on the conductor line and simpler design of the current collector, uses a current collector in which the carbon brush is additionally movable in a transverse direction running essentially across the longitudinal direction, a spring element being provided between the carbon brush and holder.

A current collector and a conductor line system having such a current collector. The current collector has a holder and a carbon brush arranged in carbon brush support movable relative to holder in a feed direction from and to the conductor line. The carbon brush is movable in a feed direction from and to conductor line. A better and reliable guiding of the carbon brush on the conductor line and simpler design of the current collector, uses a current collector in which the carbon brush is additionally movable in a transverse direction running essentially across the longitudinal direction, a spring element being provided between the carbon brush and holder.

During travel of the electric vehicle, the charging arm is extended in the vehicle width direction, a positive electrode overhead line of the power supply device and a positive electrode power reception unit of the charging arm are brought into contact at the same time that a negative electrode overhead line of the power supply device and a negative electrode power reception unit of the charging arm are brought into contact, and a power storage device for driving the electric vehicle is charged. A charging head that is the tip section of the charging arm is held within a V-shaped groove to which the positive electrode overhead line and the negative electrode overhead line are attached, thereby minimizing the loss of contact even if the charging arm shakes in the vertical direction as a result of the condition of the road surface, brake operation, or the like.

During travel of the electric vehicle, the charging arm is extended in the vehicle width direction, a positive electrode overhead line of the power supply device and a positive electrode power reception unit of the charging arm are brought into contact at the same time that a negative electrode overhead line of the power supply device and a negative electrode power reception unit of the charging arm are brought into contact, and a power storage device for driving the electric vehicle is charged. A charging head that is the tip section of the charging arm is held within a V-shaped groove to which the positive electrode overhead line and the negative electrode overhead line are attached, thereby minimizing the loss of contact even if the charging arm shakes in the vertical direction as a result of the condition of the road surface, brake operation, or the like.

A slidable current collector has an array of terminals with carbon brushes for contacting conductor rails to deliver electrical power to a moving work machine. The terminals have upper sections with a conductive post, lower sections that include a reservoir of liquid metal, and bladders that connect the upper sections with the lower sections. Magnets surround outer shells of the terminals. Fluid above a threshold pressure fed into the bladders holds the upper sections apart from the lower sections and forces the magnets away from the conductor rails. Fluid below the threshold pressure allows the magnets to clamp the terminals to the conductor, lowers the conductive post into the liquid metal, and urges the carbon brushes against the conductor rails. The bladders provide a fluid suspension distributed across the array of terminals, enabling consistent electrical contact and wear for the carbon brushes.

A slidable current collector has an array of terminals with carbon brushes for contacting conductor rails to deliver electrical power to a moving work machine. The terminals have upper sections with a conductive post, lower sections that include a reservoir of liquid metal, and bladders that connect the upper sections with the lower sections. Magnets surround outer shells of the terminals. Fluid above a threshold pressure fed into the bladders holds the upper sections apart from the lower sections and forces the magnets away from the conductor rails. Fluid below the threshold pressure allows the magnets to clamp the terminals to the conductor, lowers the conductive post into the liquid metal, and urges the carbon brushes against the conductor rails. The bladders provide a fluid suspension distributed across the array of terminals, enabling consistent electrical contact and wear for the carbon brushes.

Battery powered quadrotors or drones have a limited operation time. To extend operation time, a powered tether can be used. This tether provides power to the drone allowing it to stay up indefinitely. Most tethered drones are captured to the base station. The tether can reel in and out as the drone moves, but the drone can't go higher or further than the maximum length of the tether. If the tether can be automatically disconnected, the drone could fly off for some remote mission, assuming the drone had an onboard power source such as rechargeable batteries. The present invention relates to a self-powered drone tether that comprises a rechargeable drone in flight which is referred to as the rechargeable drone, a drone that carries a powered tether which is referred to as the tether drone, a coupling mechanism between the rechargeable drone and the tether drone, and a base station with a powered tether and tether deployment system.

The invention relates to a shoe (10) on an electrical power supply track for an electric railway vehicle, the shoe (10) comprising: a power supply flange (12) movable between a retracted position and a deployed position; an actuator (11) able to move the flange between the retracted and deployed positions; and a mechanical system (13) connecting the flange to the actuator;
characterized in that the actuator (11): has a movement speed such that it is able to move the flange (12) between its retracted and deployed positions in a time period shorter than or equal to 1 second, and preferably shorter than or equal to 0.5 seconds; and has a number of operating cycles before failure greater than or equal to 2,500,000.

The invention relates to a shoe (10) on an electrical power supply track for an electric railway vehicle, the shoe (10) comprising: a power supply flange (12) movable between a retracted position and a deployed position; an actuator (11) able to move the flange between the retracted and deployed positions; and a mechanical system (13) connecting the flange to the actuator;
characterized in that the actuator (11): has a movement speed such that it is able to move the flange (12) between its retracted and deployed positions in a time period shorter than or equal to 1 second, and preferably shorter than or equal to 0.5 seconds; and has a number of operating cycles before failure greater than or equal to 2,500,000.

A monitor device is provided with an imaging device that shoots an overhead line and a current collector, and a controller that processes an image. The controller includes a day or night determination processing section, and an image processing section that switches a parameter for recognizing the overhead line and the current collector in the image by executing image processing different in the daylight and at night based upon the result of the day or night determination. Further, there are provided reference photographic subjects to be shot by the imaging device in positions different from the overhead line and the current collector in an image area to be shot, and the day or night determination processing section performs the determination of day or night based upon a luminance average value of the reference photographic subjects inputted into an image input section.