Device for Supplying a Consumer

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for supplying a consumer, the position of which initially cannot be exactly determined but later can be substantially stationarily fixed, with energy from a stationary supplier. The device includes a movable carriage or slide (2) connected to an arm (3). The arm (3) is movable between a first position (7) and a second position (8) and the arm (3) includes at least one plug part (4) for connection to an energy supply line (5) of the consumer. The plug part (4) is connected to the supplier by means of an energy supply line (6). A cover part (9), which is movable with the movement of the arm, is arranged on the arm (3). In the first position (7) of the arm (3), the cover part at least partially covers the plug part (4), and in the second position (8) of the arm (3), the cover part exposes the plug part (4) for connection to the energy supply line (5) of the consumer.

Claims

1. A device (1) for supplying a consumer, the position of which initially cannot be exactly determined but which can later be substantially stationarily fixed, with power from a stationary supplier, the device comprising a displaceable carriage or slide (2), an arm (3) connected to the carriage or slide (2), the arm (3) is moveable between a first position (7) and a second position (8) and the arm (3) includes at least one plug part (4) for connection to a power supply line (5) of the consumer, wherein the plug part (4) is connected to the supplier by way of a power supply line (6), and a cover part (9) arranged on the arm (3), the cover part (9) is moveable with the movement of the arm and which in the first position (7) of the arm (3) at least partially covers the plug part (4) and in the second position (8) of the arm (3) exposes the plug part (4) for connection to the consumer-side power supply line (5).

2. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the arm (3) in its second position (8) is so arranged that the plug part (4) is easily accessible to an operator disposed on a stationary base surface (31) relative to which the carriage or slide (2) is displaceable.

3. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cover part (9) includes a wall (14) directed away from the consumer and side walls (15, 16) which laterally adjoin the wall (14) and which face in the direction of the path of travel of the carriage or slide (2) and which cover the plug part (4) in the first position (7) of the arm (3).

4. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cover part (9) can be locked and unlocked in the first position (7) of the arm (3).

5. The device (1) according to claim 1 wherein the movement of the cover part (9) is coupled to the movement of the arm (3) between its first position (7) and its second position (8), in particular by a mechanical coupling between the cover part (9) and the arm (3).

6. The device (1) according to claim 1 wherein the arm (3) is pivotable between the first position (7) and the second position (8).

7. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein an axis about which the arm (3) is pivotable extends horizontally and parallel to a path of travel of the carriage or slide (2).

8. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the arm (3) in its second position (8) is arranged substantially horizontally at least at an angle of less than 30° relative to a horizontal.

9. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the arm (3) in its first position is arranged substantially vertically at least at an angle of greater than 60° with respect to a horizontal.

10. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the cover part (9) is in the form of a flap (13) pivotable on the arm (3) about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of the arm, wherein the axis is arranged at a spacing from the plug part (4) in a direction towards a free end of the arm (3).

11. The device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the arm (3) in a vertical position in its first position (7), the flap (13) is in a vertical pivotal position.

12. The device (1) according to claim 10, wherein in the second position (8) of the arm (3), the flap (13) is in a vertical pivotal position.

13. The device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the arm (3) and the flap (13) are of such a configuration that the flap (13) is supported on a stationary base surface (31) in the second position (8) of the arm (3).

14. The device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the wall (14) facing away from the consumer and the side walls (15, 16) of the flap (13), that adjoin the wall (14), are arranged substantially perpendicularly to the arm (3) in the second position (8) of the arm (3).

15. The device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the flap (13) is coupled to the arm (3) by a lever mechanism (17) in such a way that it is simultaneously also pivoted by the pivotal movement of the arm (3) between its first position (7) and its second position (8).

16. The device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the arm (3) is of a plate-shaped configuration and arranged on the arm (3) is a cable passage (20) which extends along the arm (3) and in which the at least one supplier-side power supply line (6) is arranged in the region of the arm (3), wherein the cable passage (20) is of a flexurally flexible configuration in the pivotal direction at least in the region of the pivotal connection of the arm (3) to the carriage or slide (2).

17. The device (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a housing (21) in a region of a free end of the arm (3), the supplier-side power supply line (6) is passed and is guided through the housing to the plug part (4) projecting on the housing (21) in the direction towards the consumer.

18. The device (1) according to claim 17, wherein the cover part (9) in the first position (7) of the arm (3) terminates with the housing (21) at a side directed away from the consumer, the sides facing in the direction of the path of travel of the carriage or slide (2) and the slide facing away from the carriage or slide (2) with the housing.

19. The device (1) according to claim 17, wherein the cover part (9) is in the form of a flap (13) and is mounted pivotably to the housing (21).

20. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the supplier-side power supply line (6) in a region between the stationary supplier and the carriage or slide (2) is laid in at least one energy guide chain (23) which has a first connection arranged stationarily relative to the supplier and a second connection (24) arranged at the carriage or slide (2), from which the power supply line (6) is guided by way of at least one cable passage (25) towards the moveable arm (3).

Description

[0037] An embodiment of the present invention is described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the drawing in which:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows an end view of a device for supplying a consumer, wherein the arm with the plug part, that is connected to the carriage or slide, is disposed in its second position, with its first position shown in broken line, and an intermediate position,

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the device for supplying a consumer as shown in FIG. 1, wherein the arm connected to the carriage or slide is in its second position, and

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the device for supplying a consumer as shown in FIG. 1, wherein the arm connected to the carriage or slide is in its first position.

[0041] As can be seen from the drawing the device 1 for supplying a consumer or load (not shown in the drawing), the position of which initially cannot be exactly determined but can later be substantially stationarily fixed includes a displaceable carriage or slide 2 connected to a pivotable arm 3. The arm has at least one plug part 4 for connection to a power supply line 5 of the consumer, wherein the plug part 4 is connected by way of a power supply line 6 to the stationary supplier (not shown in the drawing).

[0042] As can be seen in particular from FIG. 1. the arm connected to the carriage or slide 2 is pivotable between a first position 7 and a second position 8. Arranged on the arm 3 in the region of its free end is a cover part 9 which is pivotable with the pivotal movement of the arm 3 and the pivotal movement of which is coupled to the pivotal movement of the arm 3, more specifically in such a way that the cover part 9, in the first position 7 of the arm 3, at least partially covers the plug part 4, while in the second position 8 of the arm 3, the cover part 9 exposes the plug part 4 for connection to the consumer-side power supply line 5.

[0043] The carriage or slide 2 is displaceable perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1 in both directions. The axis about which the arm 3 connected to the carriage or slide 2 is pivotable is arranged parallel to the path of travel of the carriage or slide 2. As can also be seen from the drawing, the arm 3, in its first position 7, is arranged substantially vertically while in its second position 8, it is arranged substantially horizontally.

[0044] In the intermediate position of the pivotable arm 3 as shown in FIG. 1 the consumer-side power supply line 5 is not shown for the sake of clarity of the drawing.

[0045] In the embodiment being considered here, the arm 3 is pivotable by way of a hydraulic drive 10 which hingedly engages a hood-shaped cover 11 of the carriage or slide 2 and a forked leg 12 which is arranged on the arm 3 at its end region opposite to the free end.

[0046] The cover part 9 is in the form of a flap 13 which is pivotable on the arm 3 about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of the arm 3, wherein the axis is arranged at a spacing from the plug part 4 in a direction towards the free end of the arm 3. As can be seen from the drawing, the flap 13 has a substantially rectangular wall 14 facing away from the consumer and substantially rectangular side walls 15, 16 adjoining the wall 14 and facing in the direction of the path of travel of the carriage or slide 2. The flap can thus protect an endangered region in space which, as shown in the drawing, is a quay installation for a ship (consumer) to be docked there, away from the consumer and laterally, from the effects of a possible arc explosion in the connecting region between the plug part 4 and the consumer-side power supply line 5.

[0047] In the vertical position of the arm 3 in its first position, the flap 13 is also in its vertical pivotal position, wherein the wall 14 facing away from the consumer and the side surfaces 15, 16 of the flap 13, that face in the direction of the path of travel of the carriage or slide 2, also extend vertically. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 1, the flap 13 is coupled to the arm 3 by a lever mechanism 17 in such a way that it is also simultaneously pivoted by the pivotal movement of the arm 3 between its first position 7 and its second position 8. The lever mechanism 17 has a link rod 18 which is arranged in one of its end regions pivotably to the flap 13 and in its other end region pivotably to a lever arm 19 which is stationarily connected to the carriage or slide 2 and which faces away from the consumer.

[0048] As in particular FIGS. 2 and 3 show the arm 3 is of a plate-shaped configuration, wherein a respective cable passage 20 is disposed in the region of one of the two longitudinal sides of the plate-shaped arm 3, in which there is respectively arranged a region of the power supply line 6, towards the arm.

[0049] As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 2 and 3, the two cable passages 20 are of a flexurally flexible configuration in the pivotal direction of the arm 3.

[0050] Arranged in the region of the free end of the arm 3 is a housing 21 in which the cable passages 20 end and the region, arranged therein, of the power supply line 6 are guided to the plug part 4 projecting on the housing 21 in the direction towards the consumer.

[0051] The flap 13 is mounted pivotably to the housing 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the flap 13 terminates in the first position 7 of the arm 3 with the housing 21 at the side directed away from the consumer, the sides facing in the direction of the path of travel of the carriage or slide 2 and the side facing away from the carriage or slide 2, with the housing 21 without noticeable intermediate spaces occurring between the flap 13 and the housing 21 at those sides, through which hot gases occurring in the event of possible arc ignition being able to escape in the above-mentioned directions. Such hot gases which are produced by arc ignition can thus be diverted into an unendangered space, in the present example between the quay wall 22 and the ship (not shown in the drawing). It is to be noted that in this example the ship is spaced from the quay wall 22 by way of buffers (not shown in the drawing) to such a distance that the carriage or slide 2 and the guide device thereof are not contacted by the ship.

[0052] The supplier-side power supply line 6 is laid in the region between the stationary supplier and the carriage or slide 2 in an energy guide chain 23 which has a first connection arranged stationarily relative to the supplier (not shown in the drawing) and a second connection 24 arranged at the carriage or slide 2 and from which the power supply line 6 is passed towards the pivotable arm 3 by way of at least one cable passage 25. The energy guide chain 23 has a lower run 26 connected to the first connection and an upper run 27 connected to the second connection 24, the runs being connected together by way of a direction-changing region. The energy guide chain 23 is arranged in a guide channel 28 which also guides the carriage or slide 2 connected to the second connection 24, on rollers, along the path of travel of the carriage or slide. The guide channel is arranged stationarily on brackets 30 at the quay wall 22.

[0053] By virtue of the guide channel 28 which is laterally fixed to the quay wall 22 and has the carriage or slide 2 arranged thereon, the pivot axis of the arm 3 is relatively low in relation to the base surface 31 of the quay so that, in its second substantially horizontal position, the arm 3 with the plug part 4 is easily accessible for an operator on the quay. In the second position 8 of the arm 3 the flap 13 is supported with one or more support elements 32 on the base surface 31 of the quay. The plug part 4 can be connected to the consumer-side power supply line 5 by the operator and the connection can be locked by a locking mechanism 33. The consumer-side power supply line 5 can equally be released from the plug part 4 after conclusion of the power supply to the consumer in the second position 8 of the arm 3 by releasing the locking mechanism.

[0054] In addition provided on the arm 3 and the flap 13 is a locking device (not shown in the drawing), with which the flap 13 can be locked in the first position 7 of the arm 3 to the arm so that, in the event of an arc explosion between the plug part 4 and the consumer-side power supply line 5 connected to the plug part 4, the flap cannot be pivoted open by the pressure of the explosion.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0055] 1 device [0056] 2 slide [0057] 3 arm [0058] 4 plug part [0059] 5 power supply line [0060] 6 power supply line [0061] 7 first position [0062] 8 second position [0063] 9 cover part [0064] 10 hydraulic drive [0065] 11 cover [0066] 12 leg [0067] 13 flap [0068] 14 wall [0069] 15 side surface [0070] 16 side surface [0071] 17 lever mechanism [0072] 18 link rod [0073] 19 lever arm [0074] 20 cable passage [0075] 21 housing [0076] 22 quay wall [0077] 23 energy guide chain [0078] 24 second connection [0079] 25 cable passage [0080] 26 lower run [0081] 27 upper run [0082] 28 guide channel [0083] 29 roller [0084] 30 bracket [0085] 31 base surface [0086] 32 support element [0087] 33 locking mechanism