TRANSPORT SYSTEM CAPABLE OF RECHARGING VEHICLES WHILE IN MOTION

• US 20110266108A1
• Filed: 11/11/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hiromasa Kitaguchi
• Original Assignee: Hiromasa Kitaguchi
• Inventors: Kitaguchi, Hiromasa
• Application Number:
  US13/143,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20110266108A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 191/22.C
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/42 for collecting current from individual contact pieces connected to the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/106 by track-mounted magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle transportation system uses a single-rail system which involves laying rails that carry current on roads, where only the rails that are passed by vehicles carry current, so that storage-cell-powered vehicles can drive using the electricity received from the rail and recharge themselves as they travel. The system releases earth leakage current by grounding to ensure safety even during rain.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle transportation system that allows for recharging of vehicles while traveling, wherein said electric vehicle transportation system uses electric rails whose structure is such that:

Top rails each made of a non-magnetic material being a good conductor offering conductive property are installed on a long, groove-shaped rail made of an insulation material, with the rails forming the shape of an enclosure;

a conductive strip which is a good conductor that can be attracted to a magnet in the enclosure on the vehicle entry side of the top rail is connected to a flexible wire, with an insulated grounding strip attached to the bottom side of the wire; and

the grounding strip is used to cause a grounding wire installed/passing at the bottom area to contact a terminal connected to the top rail in order to ground the top rail;

wherein, as the magnet installed on the vehicle passes by the conductive strip, the conductive strip is attracted and the grounding point of the top rail is shielded so that the conductive strip connects to the top rail and the current is carried between the two, upon which the solenoid coil generates attraction force to retain the conductive strip via a retention plate, and as the magnet moves toward the exit side of the top rail, a shield plate is attracted and consequently the solenoid coil circuit is turned off and the retention plate separates the conductive strip from the top rail to cut off the energization, as a result of which the top rail is connected to the ground to release earth leakage current and thereby ensure safety.

2. An electric vehicle transportation system that allows for recharging of vehicles while traveling, wherein, in order to electrically demonstrate the function under claim 1, said electric vehicle transportation system uses electric rails that are equipped with:

a circuit in the enclosure on the vehicle entry side where the magnetic force of an external magnet or other detection target is detected by a detection device constituted by a hall element or proximity sensor, upon which the connection between the top rail made of a conductive material and the ground is cut off by a main switch according to a command from a control element, while the top rail is connected to a wire via the main switch to carry current between the two so that this condition will be retained electrically even after the detection target moves away; and

a circuit where the retention circuit on the entry side is cut off by a detection device that reacts when the detection target reaches the exit side so as to cut off the energization between the wire and top rail and, if the retention circuit is not cut off within a specified time because the vehicle has changed lanes or stopped or otherwise failed to pass the exit side, a timer is used to cut off the retention circuit to turn off the energization and allow the top rail to be connected to the grounding point.

3. An electric vehicle transportation system that allows for recharging of vehicles while traveling, wherein said electric vehicle transportation system is such that:

Top rails each made of a conductive material are installed on an insulated, long groove-shaped rail by insulating the connections between rails;

a hall element or proximity sensor is built into the enclosure, along with a wire, grounding point, and control element including a timer;

a main switch that actuates according to a command from the control element is housed in the enclosure, where the main switch is capable of switching between a mode where the top rail and wire are connected and a mode where the top rail and the grounding point are connected;

the first rail is connected to one electrical phase, while the next rail is connected to the opposite phase, with each phase having a fixed phase that cannot be changed to the opposite phase;

wherein structurally the rails are arranged in such a way that, in the case of direct current, for example, the positive phase and negative phase are alternated and the power to each rail is cut off as the rail is passed by the vehicle, and that the length of the rail plus insulation materials matches the pitch between the front and rear power collectors installed on the vehicle so that the two front and rear power collectors are used to pick up electricity from the rails and supply it to the vehicle, and also that these rails can be used as guides for automatic driving of vehicles, as well.

4. An electric vehicle transportation system according to claim 3, wherein the power collectors are designed to accommodate the top surface of the rail positioned flush with the road surface, and wherein a rail detector is used to guide a brush to a position over the rail and then a probe is used to detect the rail and allow the brush over the rail to contact the rail so as to take electricity into the vehicle to be supplied to the driving motor and recharge it.

5. An electric vehicle transportation system that allows for recharging of vehicles while traveling, wherein said electric vehicle transportation system is such that:

Top rails each made of a conductive material are arranged alternately with rails on a grounding side, via insulation materials, in the moving direction of the vehicle;

a proximity sensor that detects an approaching vehicle is positioned between the top rail and wire, along with a main switch that controls the electrical connection between the top rail and wire according to a command received from a control element;

the rail on the grounding side is connected to a wire on the grounding side, where the aforementioned main switch, proximity sensor or any other control component is not required and not connected to the rail on the grounding side; and

one of the two power collectors positioned at the front and rear of the vehicle connects electrically to the aforementioned top rail, while the other power collector contacts the aforementioned rail on the grounding side.