Cable Bearing Arrangement and Method of Installing a Cable Bearing Arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a cable bearing arrangement for a winding structure of system for inductive power transfer, wherein the winding structure has at least a first cable, wherein the cable bearing arrangement comprises or provides at least one cable guiding means for holding at least the first cable, wherein the cable bearing arrangement is provided by a cable chain, wherein the cable chain can adopt an unrolled state and a rolled-up state and a method of installing a cable bearing arrangement.

Claims

1. A cable bearing arrangement for a winding structure of a system for inductive power transfer, the cable bearing arrangement comprising: a cable bearing arrangement for a primary winding structure of the system for inductive power transfer which produces the alternating electromagnetic field or for a secondary winding structure of the system for inductive power transfer which receives the alternating electromagnetic field, wherein the winding structure has at least a first cable, wherein the cable bearing arrangement comprises or provides at least one cable guiding means for holding at least the first cable, wherein the cable guiding means is designed and/or arranged such that a desired geometry of at least the first cable is provided, wherein a desired layout of the primary or secondary winding structure is provided by at least the first cable being arranged in the desired geometry, wherein the cable bearing arrangement is provided by a cable chain, wherein the cable chain is capable of adopting an unrolled state and a rolled-up state.

2. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cable bearing element comprises a plurality of cable chain elements, wherein the cable chain elements are pivotally connected to each other, wherein a lower limit of a pivot angle between two connected cable chain elements is chosen such that a bend radius of at least the first cable is larger than or equal to a minimum bend radius when at least the first cable is arranged in the two connected chain elements.

3. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cable guiding means is adapted such that at least one section of a first cable extends from a first longitudinal side of the cable bearing arrangement to a second longitudinal side of the cable bearing arrangement.

4. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the at least one cable guiding means is adapted such that the at least first cable is guidable with a meandering course.

5. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the at least one cable guiding means is adapted such that at least the first cable is guidable along a course such that at least one section of the first cable provides at least one complete loop.

6. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the first cable provides at least two complete loops.

7. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cable guiding means is adapted to carry multiple cables, wherein the cable guiding elements are adapted such that the cables are guidable at different heights.

8. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a cable chain element comprises or provides at least one crossbar, wherein the cable guiding means are provided by or attached to the at least one crossbar.

9. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cable guiding means comprises a clamp.

10. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cable guiding means allows a movable mounting of the cable.

11. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cable bearing arrangement is made of non-metallic material.

12. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cable bearing arrangement has or provides at least one void.

13. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cable bearing arrangement comprises at least one magnetic flux guiding element.

14. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cable bearing arrangement comprises at least one magnetic shielding element.

15. The cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cable bearing arrangement comprises at least one spacer element.

16. A method of installing a winding structure of a system for inductive power transfer, the method comprising: providing a cable bearing arrangement according to claim 1; mounting at least a first cable to the cable bearing arrangement; and arranging the cable bearing arrangement on a ground.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising moving the cable bearing arrangement to the rolled-up state after at least the first cable is mounted to the cable bearing arrangement, and moving the cable bearing arrangement to the unrolled state before or during arranging the cable bearing arrangement on the ground.

Description

[0074] The invention will be described with reference to the attached figures. The figures show

[0075] FIG. 1 a perspective view on a cable bearing arrangement according to the invention, and

[0076] FIG. 2A a perspective view on the cable clamp in a first embodiment, and

[0077] FIG. 2B a perspective view on a cable clamp in a second embodiment.

[0078] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cable bearing arrangement 1 according to the invention. The cable bearing arrangement 1 is designed as a cable chain, wherein the cable chain comprises multiple segments which are pivotally connected to one another. Further, the cable chain comprises crossbars 2 which extend from a first, left sidewall 3 to a second, right sidewall 4.

[0079] FIG. 1 shows that the cable bearing arrangement 1 during an installation of the cable bearing arrangement 1 under a pavement material 5. In particular, a two portions of the cable bearing arrangement 1 are in an unrolled state and a connecting portion of the cable bearing arrangement 1 is in a rolled up or folded state. The unrolled portion of the cable bearing arrangement 1 which is arranged under the pavement material 5 with respect to a vertical direction z is readily installed. The remaining unrolled section on the pavement material 5 and the bent section are not readily installed. These sections are installed by unrolling these sections along a direction oriented against a longitudinal direction x.

[0080] Further shown is a coordinate system of the cable bearing arrangement 1. Indicated is the longitudinal direction x along which a longitudinal axis of the cable bearing arrangement 1 extends in an unrolled state. Further indicated is a lateral axis y along which a lateral axis of the cable bearing arrangement 1 extends in an unrolled state. Further indicated is the vertical axis z along which a vertical axis of the cable bearing arrangement 1 extends in an unrolled state. It is shown that a portion of the cable bearing arrangement 1 is bent around an axis which is parallel to the lateral axis y.

[0081] Further shown are a first cable C1, a second cable C2 and a third cable C3, wherein each cable comprises an electric line which provides one of three phases of a multiphase structure. The first cable C1 is indicated with a solid line. The second cable C2 is indicated with a dashed line. The first cable C3 is indicated with a dotted line.

[0082] It is shown that all cables C1, C2, C3 are arranged in an inner volume of the cable chain, in particular in a volume between the sidewalls 3, 4. Further shown is that at the free end of the bent section of the cable chain 1, the cables C1, C2, C3 extend from outside into said inner volume Thus, cables C1, C2, C3 can be connected to a current or voltage source, in particular to a converter. In the inner volume, the cables C1, C2, C3 have a meandering course. In particular, each cable C1, C2, C3 extends along the longitudinal axis x in a serpentine manner. Corresponding sections of the cables C1, C2, C3 are displaced with a predetermined distance which generates a desired phase shift if an alternating current with a predetermined phase shift is supplied to the respective cables C1, C2, C3.

[0083] Further shown is that the unrolled section of the cable chain 1 is arranged on pavement material 5. Further shown are clamps 6 for clamping the cable sections of the cables C1, C2, C3 to a crossbar 2, in particular to a bottom side of the crossbars 2. It is shown that not all crossbars 2 have clamps 6 attached to it.

[0084] Further shown is that ferrite elements 7 are attached to the outer surfaces of the sidewalls of the segments of the cable chain 1, wherein only one ferrite element 7 is referenced with a reference numeral. Further shown are spacer elements 8 which are attached to an edge section of the sidewalls of the segments of the cable chain 1 via a hinge. If the edge section is oriented downwards with respect to the vertical direction z, the spacer elements 8 will fold out due to gravity.

[0085] Further shown are further ferrite elements 9 which provide a plate-like structure under the installed section of the cable chain. Further shown is an aluminum plate 10 which is arranged under the installed section of the cable chain and under the plate-like ferrite structure.

[0086] By using the spacer elements 8, a desired distance between the aluminium plate 10 and the cables C1, C2, C3 in the installed section of the cable bearing arrangement 1 can be provided, e.g. a distance larger than 0.0 m and up to 0.15 m.

[0087] The shown cable bearing arrangement 1 can be made of non-metallic material, in particular plastic.

[0088] Further shown is that crossbars 2 provide or have voids. Further, voids are provided between sidewalls 3, 4 of the cable chain.

[0089] FIG. 2A shows a perspective view on a cable clamp 6 in a first embodiment. Shown is a crossbar 2 to which ring-like clamps 6 are attached. Cables C extend through the volume enclosed by the ring-like clamps 6. A radius of the inner volume of the ring-like elements 6 can be smaller than, equal to or larger, in particular slightly larger, than an outer diameter of the cables C. If the diameter is equal to or (slightly) larger than the outer diameter of the cables C, the cables C are movably connected to the crossbar 2.

[0090] FIG. 2B shows a perspective view on a clamp another embodiment. Shown as a cable C which extends through an inner volume of a hollow-cylinder-like clamp 6. The cylinder-like clamp 6 can be hinged in order to arrange the cable C in the inner volume. Then the cylinder-like clamp 6 can be closed in order to fix the cable C.