ROAD-GUIDED MOTOR VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR RAISING THE PANTOGRAPH OF A POWER COLLECTOR OF A ROAD-GUIDED MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A road-guided motor vehicle includes a power collector for an overhead line and an actuator arrangement. The power collector is controlled by the actuator arrangement from a first, pantograph-lowered into a second, pantograph-raised position or vice versa. The power collector is assigned a sensor arrangement having a data connection to a control unit of the actuator arrangement. The control unit is configured such that a contact pressure of power collector against overhead line is detected or determined using sensor arrangement data, a memory with spatially resolved contact pressures for the power collector and a position ascertaining unit. At a motor vehicle position determined by the position ascertaining unit, an associated contact pressure is read out from the memory and automatically set by the control unit or signaled to a motor vehicle driver. A method for raising a power collector pantograph onto an overhead line is also provided.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A road-guided motor vehicle, comprising: a pantograph having at least one power collector for at least one overhead line; at least one actuator arrangement controlling said at least one power collector from a first pantograph-lowered position into a second pantograph-raised position or vice versa; a control device for said at least one actuator arrangement; at least one sensor system associated with said at least one power collector, said at least one sensor system having a data connection to said control device; said control device configured to detect or determine a contact pressure of said at least one power collector at the at least one overhead line by using data of said at least one sensor system, a storage device with spatially resolved contact pressures for said at least one power collector and a position determination unit; and said control device reading out from said storage device and automatically setting or signaling to a motor vehicle driver an associated contact pressure at a position of the motor vehicle determined by said position determination unit.

12. The road-guided motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the motor vehicle is configured to set a previously defined contact pressure for a position, upon contact pressures being absent in said storage device.

13. The road-guided motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the previously defined contact pressure is a minimum permissible contact pressure.

14. The road-guided motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the previously defined contact pressure is an average permissible contact pressure.

15. The road-guided motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the motor vehicle is configured to detect errors during contacting between said at least one power collector and the at least one overhead line in a spatially resolved manner, and a contact pressure counteracting the error is written into said at least one storage device.

16. The road-guided motor vehicle according to claim 11, which further comprises a control center, and an air interface configured to at least one of transfer updated contact pressures to at least one of said control center or other motor vehicles or receive and store updated contact pressures from at least one of said control center or other motor vehicles.

17. A method for raising a pantograph of a power collector of a road-guided motor vehicle at an overhead line, the method comprising: determining a position of the motor vehicle; storing contact pressures for the determined position; and using a control device to actuate an actuator arrangement, for automatically setting the stored contact pressure or signaling the stored contact pressure.

18. The method according to claim 17, which further comprises setting a previously defined contact pressure upon an absence of contact pressures for a position.

19. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises using a minimum permissible contact pressure as the previously defined contact pressure.

20. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises using an average permissible contact pressure as the previously defined contact pressure.

Description

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a road-guided motor vehicle with power collectors for overhead lines and

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for controlling a power collector.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a road-guided motor vehicle 1 with two power collectors 2 for making contact with overhead lines 3, wherein in FIG. 1 the power collector 2 is shown in a pantograph-raised position. If no overhead lines 3 are available, for instance, the power collectors 2 are moved into a retracted, pantograph-lowered position.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for controlling at least one power collector 2. The apparatus has at least one actuator arrangement 4, by means of which the power collector 2 can be moved from the pantograph-lowered position shown into a second pantograph-raised position and vice versa, for instance by the power collector 2 being pivotable upward about an angle α. Depending on the position of the overhead line 3 and the angle α, a specific contact pressure is adjusted between the power collector 2 and overhead line. In addition or alternatively, the actuator arrangement 4 can be embodied so as to displace the power collector 2 in the Y-direction and/or X-direction.

[0028] Alternatively or in addition, the actuator arrangement 4 can also be an air spring system which raises or lowers the entire vehicle. Here the contact pressure can be controlled by the degree of raising. Here provision can be made for the power collector 2 to be folded up or down by means of a first actuator arrangement 4, the actual pantograph-raising process nevertheless only takes place by means of the air spring system as a second actuator arrangement 4. It is also possible for the pantograph-raising to already take place by folding up the power collector 2, wherein the contact pressure is then controlled or set by the air spring system.

[0029] Furthermore, the apparatus has a sensor system 5, which is arranged on the power collector 2, wherein the sensor system 5 transfers its data D to a control device 6 that controls the actuator arrangement 4. The sensor system 5 is embodied for instance as a pressure or force sensor or as an acceleration sensor, wherein the control device 6 is embodied so as to detect or determine a contact pressure between power collector 2 and overhead line 3 from the data D.

[0030] The control device 6 is further connected to a storage device 7, a position determination unit 8 and a further control device 9 with an air interface 10. The control device 9 and the air interface 10 together form a communication module, in order to communicate with a control center and/or other motor vehicles. Contact pressures between the at least one power collector 2 and the at least one overhead line 3 are stored in the storage device 7 in a spatially resolved manner. The spatially resolved contact pressures can be received in advance for instance by a measuring motor vehicle, and stored in the storage device 7, where these are then available for controlling the actuator arrangement 4. Here the contact pressure at sections with a large bumps in the road, potholes etc. is increased compared with flat sections of road.

[0031] During the journey the position determination unit 8 determines the current position of the motor vehicle 1 and transfers this to the control device 6. This now determines for instance on the basis of the data in the storage device 7 and/or by means of further sensor systems whether an overhead line 3 is available. If an overhead line 3 is available, the control device 6 reads out the associated contact pressure and sets this by means of the actuator arrangement 4, wherein the set contact pressure is checked by the sensor system 5. If a break in contact then occurs between the power collector 2 and the overhead line 3, this is stored in a spatially resolved manner and the future contact pressure is increased. The increase in the contact pressure is preferably carried out here gradually. This information can then also be made available to the control center 11 and/or other motor vehicles by way of the control device 9 and the air interface 10, so that other motor vehicles adjust their contact pressure at this position. Similarly, the motor vehicle 1 can receive and store adjusted or updated contact pressures from the control center 11 and/or other motor vehicles.

[0032] Previously defined contact pressures can be used at positions where there are still no empirically determined contact pressures in the storage device 7. This can be a minimum, maximum or an average contact pressure, for instance. If a maximum contact pressure is selected, for instance, this can be reduced until a break in contact occurs. This can also take place during the contact process. The pantograph-raising process can then be repeated with the next higher contact pressure. If the quality of the roadway deteriorates, during the next journey it may result in a break in contact and the contact pressure being further increased. A self-learning system which learns the optimal contact pressures is therefore made available.

[0033] The control center 11 can conclude the quality of the roadway and/or the overhead line 3 from the data of the motor vehicles 1 by way of the contact pressures and if necessary, trigger repair orders.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0034] 1 motor vehicle [0035] 2 power collector [0036] 3 overhead line [0037] 4 actuator arrangement [0038] 5 sensor system [0039] 6 control device [0040] 7 storage device [0041] 8 position determination unit [0042] 9 control device [0043] 10 air interface [0044] 11 control center