DRIVE UNIT FOR A SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE, SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE, SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES, AND TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Abstract

A drive unit for a self-driving vehicle of an elevated-track-type support structure. The drive unit has at least one electric motor for moving the drive unit along the support structure, the at least one electric motor being able to be at least indirectly driven indirectly with the aid of a first energy supply, and the first energy supply having at least one contact element, which is developed to interact with an electrical conductor immovably situated on the support structure.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A drive unit for a self-driving vehicle of an elevated-track-type support structure, the drive unit comprising: at least one electric motor configured to move the drive unit along the support structure, the at least one electric motor being configured to be at least indirectly driven using a first energy supply, the first energy supply having at least one contact element which is configured to interact with an electrical conductor immovably situated on the support structure; at least one battery disposed inside the drive unit and installed between the at least one electric motor and the at least one contact element of the first energy supply, and/or a second energy supply configured to drive the at least one electric motor, the second energy supply including at least one battery situated inside the drive unit, and the at least one electric motor is configured to be brought into direct contact with the at least one contact element of the first energy supply and with the at least one battery of the second energy supply.

13. The drive unit as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one battery is rechargeable using a charging device, the charging device being configured to interact at least indirectly with the electrical conductor on the support structure.

14. The drive unit as recited in claim 12, wherein the first energy supply and the second energy supply interact with different electric motors, the electric motors interacting with different drive elements of the drive unit, and the electric motors are coupled with separate batteries and charging devices.

15. The drive unit as recited in claim 12, further comprising: a detector configured to detect a presence of the electrical conductor on the support structure at least indirectly.

16. The drive unit as recited in claim 12, further comprising: a switch configured to switch the at least one electric motor as needed to an active connection with at least one of the first and second energy supplies.

17. The drive unit as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one contact element of the first energy supply is a mechanical current collector.

18. The drive unit as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one contact element of the first energy supply is a contact element operating as a contact element for inductive energy transmission.

19. A self-driving vehicle, comprising: a drive unit for a self-driving vehicle of an elevated-track-type support structure, the drive unit including: at least one electric motor configured to move the drive unit along the support structure, the at least one electric motor being configured to be at least indirectly driven using a first energy supply, the first energy supply having at least one contact element which is configured to interact with an electrical conductor immovably situated on the support structure, and at least one battery disposed inside the drive unit and installed between the at least one electric motor and the at least one contact element of the first energy supply, and/or a second energy supply configured to drive the at least one electric motor, the second energy supply including at least one battery situated inside the drive unit, and the at least one electric motor is configured to be brought into direct contact with the at least one contact element of the first energy supply and with the at least one battery of the second energy supply, and a gondola, which is at least indirectly connected to the drive unit, configured to transport persons or freight.

20. A support structure for a drive unit for a self-driving vehicle of the support structure, the drive unit including: at least one electric motor configured to move the drive unit along the support structure, the at least one electric motor being configured to be at least indirectly driven using a first energy supply, the first energy supply having at least one contact element which is configured to interact with an electrical conductor immovably situated on the support structure, at least one battery disposed inside the drive unit and installed between the at least one electric motor and the at least one contact element of the first energy supply, and/or a second energy supply configured to drive the at least one electric motor, the second energy supply including at least one battery situated inside the drive unit, and the at least one electric motor is configured to be brought into direct contact with the at least one contact element of the first energy supply and with the at least one battery of the second energy supply, the support structure comprising: a support device in the form of at least one support rail or a support cable for establishing a driving route or a route section along which the drive unit is movable; an electrical conductor at least regionally situated on the support device, which interacts with the contact element of the first energy supply of the drive unit; wherein the driving route includes at least one route section where no electrical conductor is provided.

21. The support structure as recited in claim 20, further comprising: identifiers for marking route sections that include an electrical conductor and/or route sections that do not include an electrical conductor, the identifiers being provided along the driving route or the route section, and the identifiers being detectable by a detector of the drive unit.

22. A transport system, comprising: a support structure for a drive unit for a self-driving vehicle of the support structure, the support structure including a support device in the form of at least one support rail or a support cable for establishing a driving route or a route section along which the drive unit is movable, and an electrical conductor at least regionally situated on the support device, which interacts with a contact element of the first energy supply of the drive unit, wherein the driving route includes at least one route section where no electrical conductor is provided; at least one drive unit including: at least one electric motor configured to move the drive unit along the support structure, the at least one electric motor being configured to be at least indirectly driven using a first energy supply, the first energy supply having the contact element which is configured to interact with the electrical conductor immovably situated on the support structure, at least one battery disposed inside the drive unit and installed between the at least one electric motor and the at least one contact element of the first energy supply, and/or a second energy supply configured to drive the at least one electric motor, the second energy supply including at least one battery situated inside the drive unit, and the at least one electric motor is configured to be brought into direct contact with the at least one contact element of the first energy supply and with the at least one battery of the second energy supply; wherein identifiers are situated along the driving route or the route section, and/or a detector is situated or developed on the drive unit in such a way that a steady supply of energy to the at least one electric motor of the drive unit is provided by at least one of the first and second energy supplies.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a simplified cross-section in the region of a support structure of a transport system, which has two driving routes for self-driving vehicles having gondolas, the driving routes extending parallel to one another.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows simplified top view of a subregion of a route network of the transport system, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 3 through FIG. 5 shows in simplified representations in each case, differently developed drive units for a self-driving vehicle having two separate energy supplies for driving the drive units or the self-driving vehicles, according to example embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Identical elements or elements having an identical function have been provided with matching reference numerals in the figures.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a subregion of a transport system 1000 for self-driving vehicles 10. Transport system 1000 has an elevated track-type support structure 100, which has two pillars 101, 102 in the illustrated section of transport system 1000, which are anchored to the ground and connected to each other by a cross beam 103 by way of example. Two support rails 104, 105 situated parallel and perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 1, for instance, are provided as carrier elements in the region of transverse beam 103, the support rails forming two driving routes 110, 111 situated next to each other for self-driving vehicles 10.

[0024] In addition, it is pointed out that instead of support rails 104, 105, it is also possible to provide permanently positioned support cables or similar elements along which self-driving vehicles 10 are able to be moved.

[0025] Situated within the cross-section of support rail 104, 105 is a drive unit 12 of self-driving vehicle 10, on whose underside a support arm 14, which is connected to a gondola 16, extends by way of example. For instance, gondolas 16 are shown, which are used for the transport of passengers. Within the framework of the present invention, it is naturally also possible to develop self-driving vehicles 10 or to provide them with gondolas 16 in such a way that they are suitable for transporting freight.

[0026] Also situated within the cross-section of support rails 104, 105, e.g., at the level of drive unit 12 of self-driving vehicle 10, is an electrical conductor in the form of a conductor rail 18. A conductor rail 18 describes a current-conducting element having a rectangular cross-section, in particular. Instead of an electrical conductor rail 18, the framework of the present invention naturally also includes a development of the electrical conductor in the form of an electric cable or a similar embodiment. It is only important that conductor rail 18 is part of a first energy supply 20, which constitutes an external energy supply for self-driving vehicle 10.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows in greatly simplified form a cutaway of a route network of transport system 1000, which has three route sections 50, 51 and 52 including support rails (not depicted in detail). While the two route sections 51 and 53 have

a straight development and form a single driving lane for self-driving vehicles 10, route section 52 is developed in the shape of a 90° arc. Essential is only that conductor rails 18 are provided on the two route sections 51 and 53 so that an energy supply of self-driving vehicles 10 via drive unit 12 is possible. In contrast, no conductor rail 18 or similar element of first energy supply 20 is provided in arc-shaped route section 52.

[0028] In addition, it can be gathered from FIG. 2 that identification means 55 (i.e., identifier(s)) are situated in the transition region from the two route sections 51 and 53 to route section 52, just before the respective route section 51, 53 ends, the identification means being detectable by detection means (i.e., detector(s)) 56 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and disposed in the region of drive unit 12 of self-driving vehicle 10. Identification means 55 and/or detection means 56 make it possible to detect (middle) route section 52 where no conductor rail 18 is provided or to infer an approach of this section before self-driving vehicle 10 reaches the region of route section 52.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of drive unit 12 for self-driving vehicle 10. By way of example, drive unit 12 has a housing 22 in which an electric motor 24 used for driving self-driving vehicle 10 is situated. Via a gear unit 26, for example, electric motor 24 acts on at least one output shaft 28 which, for example, is at least indirectly connected to drive elements 30 in the form of drive rollers or similar devices, drive elements 30 being used to move self-driving vehicle 10 along support rails 104, 105 or along route sections 51 to 53. In addition, a current collector 32 can be seen, which is part of first energy supply 20, it being possible to move current collector 32 with the aid of an actuator 34 in the direction of double arrow 36 in order to bring it into mechanical and electrically conductive contact with conductor rail 18 or to separate it from conductor rail 18.

[0030] It should also be mentioned that it lies within the framework of the present invention to bring current collector 32 into contact with conductor rail 18 even without the aid of an actuator 34. For this purpose, for instance, a spring element may press current collector 32 in the direction of conductor rail 18 and a contact is always established if conductor rail 18 has a sufficiently low clearance. If no conductor rail 18 is provided, current collector 32 thus is free and has sufficient clearance from the support rail. It is then possible to provide a type of ramp for current collector 32 in the transition region to a conductor rail 18, for example, which compresses the spring element in order to subsequently allow contact to be established with conductor rail 18.

[0031] Contact between current collector 32 and conductor rail 18 always takes place in route sections 51, 53 in which transport system 1000 is equipped with conductor rails 18. On the other hand, outside such route sections 51, 53, that is, in regions where transport system 1000 or support structure 100 has no conductor rail 18, current collector 32 is preferably disposed in the position shown in FIG. 3, in which no active connection with conductor rail 18 is present.

[0032] It may be provided that electric motor 24 is directly supplied with energy via current collector 32 and conductor rail 18 of first energy supply 20, particularly in that current collector 32 is (directly) connected to electric motor 24, possibly with an interposed connection of electrical or electronic devices (not shown), which is indicated by connection 33 shown in the form of a dashed line.

[0033] In addition, drive unit 12 has within housing 22 a second energy supply 40, which allows drive unit 12 or self-driving vehicle 10 to be operated independently of first energy supply 20. Second energy supply 40, for instance, includes a charging system having a charging device 42, which is able to be brought into contact with conductor rail 18 via current collector 32 and used to charge battery 44. Similar to current collector 32, drive unit 12, battery 44 is in turn connected to electric motor 24 in a manner similar to current collector 32.

[0034] Second energy supply 40 allows for a supply of energy to self-driving vehicle 12 or electric motor 24 in the region of route sections 52 where no conductor rail 18 is provided. Because battery 44 is recharged via charging device 42 and conductor rail 18 in regions where conductor rails 18 are available, the operational readiness of second energy supply 40 is ensured at all times. A switch from first energy supply 20 to second energy supply 40 is implemented with the aid of control means (not shown), in particular when detecting route sections 52 where no conductor rails 18 are available. Such a detection particularly takes place with the aid of the mentioned identification means 55 and detection means 56.

[0035] Instead of a direct connection 33, it is also possible that electric motor 24 is always and exclusively connected to battery 44 so that an energy supply of electric motor 24 is always implemented from battery 44 or second energy supply 40. This is illustrated by dashed connection 33a. Battery 44 thus serves as a buffer.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a drive unit 12a, which differs from drive unit 12 according to FIG. 3 in that instead of a current collector 32 as a contact element to conductor rail 18, an induction element in the form of an induction loop 46 is provided. Induction loop 46 allows for a contact-free energy transmission to conductor rail 18, which in this case is likewise developed to enable an energy transmission via the inductive route.

[0037] A drive unit 12b is finally shown in FIG. 5, which differs from drive unit 12a in that the two energy supplies 20 and 40 are developed for driving separate electric motors 47, 48 in each case, e.g., two electric motors 47, 48, which interact with different drive shafts 28 and drive elements 30 with the aid of an individual gear unit 26 in each case. The two electric motors 47, 48 are operated or supplied with energy via separate batteries 49, 49a using a separate charging device 42, 42a. Both charging devices 42, 42a of drive unit 12b are coupled with a shared induction loop 46 for the energy transmission from conductor rail 18.

[0038] It is of course also possible to provide a mechanical energy transmission from conductor rail 18 to drive element 12b, according to drive unit 12.

[0039] In addition, it should be mentioned that above-described energy supplies 20, 40 were particularly described within the framework of driving self-driving vehicles 10. It is of course understood that energy supplies 20, 40 also make it possible to enable other or additional functions of self-driving vehicles 10, e.g., to carry out braking operations, to supply heating devices in gondola 16 with energy or to supply energy to communications modules, illumination units or other devices.

[0040] Self-driving vehicles 10 or drive units 12, 12a, 12b as described above are able to be modified in many ways without deviating from the present invention.