SYSTEM FOR ELECTRICALLY FEEDING AT LEAST ONE ELECTRICALLY POWERED VEHICLE

Abstract

System for electrically feeding electrically powered vehicles comprising at least one suspended elongated slotted element having electric conductor(s) arranged in slot(s) and at least one current collector co-acting with the slotted element. The current collector(s) comprises contact element(s) and collector arm(s) supporting the contact element(s) at its first end and is adapted to connect to an electrically powered vehicle with its second end. The collector arm(s) is formed by at least two serially arranged arm segments. A first arm segment is provided with forcing means arranged to, when the first arm segment is within a working distance from the slotted element, provide a force towards the slotted element such that the contact element connects with the corresponding electric conductor. The second arm segment is provided with at least one actuator acting on the second arm segment to displace the first arm segment to a position within the working distance.

Claims

1.-18. (canceled)

19. System for electrically feeding at least one electrically powered vehicle, comprising at least one suspended elongated slotted element extending along a road section on which the at least one vehicle is adapted to travel, and at least one current collector being adapted to co-act with said at least one elongated slotted element, said elongated slotted element comprising at least one electric conductor arranged in at least one slot in said elongated slotted element and being adapted to be electrically energized, said current collector comprising: at least one contact element being adapted to connect mechanically and electrically with a corresponding electric conductor of said elongated slotted element, and at least one collector arm supporting at least one contact element at its first end and being adapted to directly or indirectly connect to an electrically powered vehicle with its second end, wherein at least one collector arm is formed by at least two serially arranged arm segments comprising first and second arm segments being directly or indirectly connected to each other, wherein said first arm segment comprises said first end of the collector arm, said first arm segment being provided with forcing means arranged to, when said first arm segment is within a working distance from the elongated slotted element, provide a force towards the elongated slotted element such that the at least one contact element connects with the corresponding electric conductor, wherein said second arm segment is provided with at least one actuator configured to act on the second arm segment to displace the first arm segment to a position within said working distance.

20. System according to claim 19, wherein said first arm segment and said forcing means are configured such that displacement thereof is faster than displacement of the second arm segment by means of the at least one actuator.

21. System according to claim 19, wherein said first arm segment has a smaller moving mass and/or shorter length than the second arm segment.

22. System according to claim 19, wherein said forcing means is configured to provide a stronger force and/or shorter response time than said at least one actuator.

23. System according to claim 19, wherein said forcing means is configured to provide said force being above a predetermined threshold value when said first arm segment is within a working distance from the elongated slotted element.

24. System according to claim 19, wherein said forcing means comprises a resilient element providing a resilient force towards said corresponding electric conductor.

25. System according to claim 19, wherein said forcing means is formed by said first arm segment being at least partly formed from a resilient material.

26. System according to claim 19, wherein said forcing means comprises actuating means configured to provide said force.

27. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said first arm segment is directly or indirectly connected to the second arm segment by means of at least one rotational joint.

28. System according to claim 19, wherein said second arm segment comprises or is connected to at least one rotational joint for directly or indirectly rotationally connecting the second arm segment to a vehicle.

29. System according to claim 28, wherein said at least one actuator is configured to rotate the second arm segment around a rotational axis defined by the rotational joint.

30. System according to claim 19, wherein said second arm segment is a telescopic arm directly or indirectly connectable to a vehicle.

31. System according to claim 30, wherein said at least one actuator is configured to extend and withdraw the telescopic arm.

32. System according to claim 19, further comprising a sliding device arranged between said first and second arm segments, said sliding device being configured to allow lateral movement of the first arm segment relative the second arm segment.

33. System according to claim 19, further comprising a sliding device arranged at the second end of the collector arm to allow lateral movement of the collector arm relative a vehicle.

34. System according to claim 32, wherein said at least one actuator comprises an additional actuator co-acting with the sliding device to actuate said lateral movement.

35. System according to claim 19, further comprising an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to control the at least one actuator of the second arm segment to displace the first arm segment to a position within the working distance.

36. Method for electrically feeding at least one electrically powered vehicle using a system according to claim 19, said method comprising: controlling the at least one actuator of said second arm segment to displace the first arm segment to a position within said working distance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Above discussed and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail using the appended drawings, which show presently preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view illustration of an embodiment of the system according to the invention along with an electrically powered vehicle;

[0029] FIGS. 2a-2c show side view illustrations of the embodiment in FIG. 1 in three different states;

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view illustration of another embodiment of the system (shown without the slotted element);

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the embodiment in FIG. 3;

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the embodiment in FIG. 3 (shown with the slotted element), and

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a front view of yet another embodiment of the system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view illustration of an embodiment of the system according to the invention along with an electrically powered mining vehicle 1. The system comprises an elongated slotted element 2 being suspended from the ceiling of the mining tunnel and extends along the roadway 3 on which the vehicle 1 travels. A current collector 4 is adapted to co-act with the elongated slotted element. The elongated slotted element comprises two electric conductors 5 (only one can be seen in the cross-section of the slotted element) arranged in a respective slot in the elongated slotted element. The electric conductors are electrically energized. The current collector comprises two contact elements 7 (only one can be seen) attached to the collector arm 8. The contact elements connect mechanically and electrically with the electric conductors 5 by extending into the top of the slots 6 (where the electric conductors are provided). The collector arm 8 supports the contact elements at its first end 8 and connects to the electrically powered vehicle with its second end 8. The collector arm is formed by first and second serially arranged arm segments 8a, 8b being connected to each other. The first arm segment 8a comprises the first end 8 of the collector arm. The first arm segment 8a is formed by four parallel arm elements (only two are seen in the figure) connected to the second arm segment by means of rotational joints at both ends to allow rotation of the arm elements in parallel vertical planes. The first arm segment is provided with forcing means 9 in the form of a spiral torsional spring arranged to, when the first arm segment 8a is within a working distance 10 from the elongated slotted element, provide a force towards the elongated slotted element such that the contact elements 7 connect with the corresponding electric conductors 5. The spiral torsional spring 9 acts on two of arm elements (only one is seen, to the right in the figure) to provide rotation around the rotational axis defined by the rotational joint. The second arm segment 8b comprises the second end 8 of the collector arm and is connected via a rotational/hinge joint 12 (see FIG. 2a) to the vehicle 1 to rotate in a vertical plane. The second arm segment 8b is provided with at least one actuator 11 in the form of an electric motor configured to rotate/pivot the second arm segment around the rotational axis defined by the rotational/hinge joint to displace the first arm segment 8a to a position within said working distance.

[0035] FIGS. 2a-2c show side view illustrations of the embodiment in FIG. 1 in three different states. FIG. 2a corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 1 where the lower ends of the arm elements of the first arm segment 8a are disposed at an initial distance 10 from the slotted element, which distance 10 is shorter than the working distance 10 which means that the spiral torsional spring forces the contact elements with sufficient force against the conductors. In FIG. 2b, the vehicle has driven into a recess/depression in the road surface which means that the distance between the vehicle and the slotted element has increased. The first arm segment is however still within the working distance 10 which means that the spiral torsional spring still provides sufficient force to keep the contact elements in contact with the conductors even though the actuator 11 has not yet responded by rotating the first arm segment counter clockwise back to the initial position at distance 10. In FIG. 2c, the vehicle has driven up on a bump/elevation on the road surface. The distance is now even shorter than in FIG. 2a, so the contact elements remain in contact with the conductors. If the distance is maintained as shown in FIG. 2b or 2c, the ECU will control the actuator 11 to adjust the second arm segment 8b such that the lower ends of the arm elements of the first arm segment 8a are disposed at the initial distance 10 from the slotted element to allow further movement up/downwards from this state.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view illustration of another embodiment of the system (shown without the slotted element). FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the same embodiment. The contact elements and first arm segments correspond to those shown in FIGS. 1-2, but the system differs in that the second arm segment 108b is telescopic and pivotable rather than being only pivotable as in FIGS. 1-2. A further difference is that the first end of the collector arm is provided with a guiding element 116 having a laterally extending body provided with a recess having a width corresponding to that of said slotted element. Further, as can be seen in FIG. 4, the first arm segment is connected to the second arm segment via a sliding device 114. The hinge joints of the four parallel arm elements are attached to the slide 114 which slides on parallel rods of the lower part of the sliding device (which is connected via a hinge joint to the second arm segment 108b as can be seen in FIG. 3). The forcing means (spiral torsional spring) 9 acts to rotate on the rod 114 to rotate/force the first arm segment upwards towards the slotted element. An actuator/motor 115 rotates the other rod to displace the slide 114 laterally.

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the embodiment in FIGS. 3-4. In this figure, the slotted element is also shown. In the illustrated state, the contact elements are not yet in contact with the conductors in the slotted element. The ECU controls the motor 115 to displace slide 114 laterally to attempt to align the contact elements with the conductors. Due to the upwards force provided by the spiral torsional spring 9, once the contact elements are aligned laterally with the conductors, the guiding element will slide onto the slotted element and the contact elements will be forced into mechanical and electrical contact with the conductors.

[0038] FIG. 6 shows a front view of yet another embodiment of the system according to the invention. This embodiment corresponds to that shown in FIGS. 3-5 with the only difference being that the sliding device 214 is instead place at the second end of the collector arm, which is connected via a hinge joint to the slide of the sliding device. The first and second arm segments are connected to each other via a hinge joint too.

[0039] It is understood that the embodiment in FIGS. 1-2 is also preferably provided with a sliding device as shown in FIG. 5 or 6.

[0040] The description above and the appended drawings are to be considered as non-limiting examples of the invention. The person skilled in the art realizes that several changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, lateral displacement of the contact elements does not necessarily require a sliding device, but may be achieved by rotating the collector arm in the lateral direction, for instance by means of a ball joint at the second end of the collector arm. Furthermore, the slotted element and current collector does not need to comprise two conductors/contact elements, but may comprise only one conductor/contact element (supplemented with a ground contact) or three or more conductors/contact elements.