System Adapted for One or More Vehicles, Which May be Driven Forward Electrically

• US 20120067684A1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elways AB
• Original Assignee: Elways AB
• Inventors: Asplund, Gunnar
• Granted Patent: US 8,794,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 191/22.C
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/40 for collecting current from lines in slotted conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/16 using ac induction motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/34 in slotted conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 3/04 Arrangements for cutting in and out of individual track sections by passage of the vehicle B60M1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 41/02 Devices for interrupted current collection, e.g. distributor electrically-operated selector switches H01H67/00
• 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

The present invention has its application to a system for driving an electric and by one or more batteries powered vehicle along a roadway, comprising “a” one or more vehicles, which may be driven by an individual electric motor or motors and where in the respective vehicles exhibit a power-controlling control circuit for creating the necessary power and/or speed control and wherein required power i.a. can be provided primarily by a chargeable can be provided primarily by a chargeable battery set associated with the vehicle and “b” a plurality of road sections road portions divisible for the roadway, each being allotted one or more vehicle external electric stations for charging the battery set thereby and/or for supplying necessary power and energy for driving the vehicle. The underneath side of the mentioned vehicle is provided with a contact means displaceably positioned up and down and sideways, counted in the direction of transportation. Said roadway and its road sections or portions exhibits an elongated track or groove, each road section is supporting two rails in the groove and disposed under the driving path of the road section or portion. The rails being supplied with current and voltage. Said contact means is coordinated with a control equipment for creating simple adaptation of the contact means for registering the contact means for mechanical and electrical contact against said two rails.

Claims

1. A system (“

S”

) adapted for driving or propelling a vehicle (1), powered i.a. by one or more batteries or a battery set, along a roadway and its allotted road sections or portions, comprising “

a”

a plurality of road sections or portions (2a1, 2a2) for subdividing the roadway (2), wherein said roadway and each one of these road sections or portions are allotted one or more elongated tracks or slits (51, 52) having electric conductors (4a, 4b) for voltage and current supply introduced therein and being connectable, over a switch, to one or more vehicle-external power sources (“

III”

), such as an vehicle-external electric station (“

s1”

), so as to thereby i.a. be able to charge said battery set belonging to said vehicle, but primarily driving the vehicle (1) along the roadway (2) and its road sections or portions and “

b”

one or more driveable or propellable vehicles (1) which may be driven by means of an individual electric motor (5) or motors, with the respective vehicle (1) exhibiting a control circuit (100, “

R1”

) controlling necessary power and adapted for creating necessary power control and/or speed control, with said vehicle (1) being provided on its underneath side with up and down and sideways, counting crosswise in the conveyance direction of the vehicle, displaceable contact means (4), wherein said elongated tracks or slits extend along the roadway (2) and the road sections or portions and wherein said contact means (4) are coordinated with a vehicle-related control equipment (100, 10) for creating adaptation of the contact means (4) for at least offering a mechanical and electrical contact against said conductors (4a, 4b), wherein coordination between conductors (4a, 4b) under voltage, belonging to the road section or portion (2a1), and the contact means (4) of the vehicle (1) occurs over coordinated collectors, such as in the form of contact springs (4′

, 4″

), adapted for mechanical and electrical cooperation with respective ones of the voltage-powered conductors (4a, 4b), characterized in that each road section or portion is selected to a length exceeding the length of the vehicle, that a selected road section or portion (2a1), that is supporting the vehicle (1), is, with its at least two electric conductors (4a′

, 4b′

), subject to a chosen voltage and current from its external electric power source (“

III”

, 42), said two conductors are adapted to feed, over allotted contact means (4), its two adjacently oriented contacts related to said vehicle, the battery set and/or the motor (5) of the vehicle, via a vehicle external switch (43a), allotted to said road section or portion (2a1), whereas an adjacently oriented and a succeeding road section or portion (2a2), with its at least two electric conductors (4′

a, 4b′

), is, via its vehicle externa switch (44a), not subject to any voltage or current, and during time sequences or slots when said succeeding road section or portion is not subject to expose voltage or current said succeeding road section or portion is caused to be tested and controlled with regard to its intact condition and thereafter, if found in an intact condition, is to be provided with its DC or AC supply voltage, from its external electric source (“

III”

, 42) or another external source of power, from its switch (44a) allotted to said succeeding road section or portion (2a2) solely during time sequence or slot when said vehicle (1) is passing this road section or portion (2a2) and that each road section or portion, with its at least two conductors, is adapted to be allotted the same two-phase supply voltage, via its related switch.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a switching or coupling means (43a, 44a) is to be related to each or to solely selected road sections or portions (2a1, 2a2) and its electric conductors (4a, 4b), wherein such coupling means (44a) is to be related to a road section or portion (2a2) lying ahead of a road portion (2a1) supporting the vehicle (1) with its conductors (4a′

, 4b′

) still not set under voltage and wherein said coupling means (44a) is to be adapted, over a go-ahead signal initiated by a testing and/or supervising circuit (140) when sensing of an intact condition of the road section or portion, to activate the switching means (44a) for providing a supply voltage to its conductor (4a, 4b).

3. A system in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the testing and/or supervising circuit (140) is adapted to check, by using a remote-controlled signal (radio signal) from the vehicle (1), on the one hand that the forwardly lying road section or portion (2a2) with its conductors (4a, 4b) is in its intact position, on the other hand to register an identity allotted to the vehicle and/or its driver and thirdly to activate the coupling means (44a) for providing a supply voltage to its conductor (4a, 4b).

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that one single contact means (4), with at least two contacts, is allotted to the front portion of the vehicle.

5. A system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more electric stations (“

s1”

) for one or more road sections or portions (2a2) are activated solely during time periods or slots when the coupling means (44a) allotted to the station (“

s1”

) senses, over a sensor, the presence of a vehicle (1) belonging to the system.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that road sections or portions having conductors (4a, 4b), which may be provided with current or voltage, are primarily allotted to adjacently coordinated road sections or portions.

7. A system in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that said conductors, which may be provided with current and voltage, are adapted to the power transmission that is required for power feeding the battery set during the time period or slot when it is to drive the electric motor (5) with an instantaneous high load.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said track and a cavity (30) allotted to the track are adapted to support an electrically conductive cable adapted for heat dissipation or radiation and having an adapted resistor facility related thereto.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said contact means (4) is allotted the form two or more current collectors, such as in the form of sliding contacts.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said contact means (4) is allotted the form two or more current collectors, such as in the form of rotatable wheels.

11. A system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that to said vehicle (1) and to closely disposed contact means (4) are allotted a cleaning and/or cleansing means (81) adapted to its corresponding track and its cavity.

12. A switching arrangement adaptable to a system (“

S”

) intended for the conveyance of an electrically, i.e. by one or more batteries or battery set, driveable and/or conveyable vehicle (1) along a roadway and its road sections or portions, according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 11, comprising “

a”

a plurality of road sections or portions (2a1, 2a2) to subdivide the roadway (2), wherein said roadway and each one of these road sections or portions are allotted one elongated track or slit (51, 52) with therein positioned at least two electrical insulated and electrical conductors (4a, 4b), which may be supplied with current and placed under voltage over a switch to one or more sources of energy (“

III”

) external to the vehicle, such as electric stations (“

s1”

), so as thereby to be able to i.a. charge a battery set belonging to the vehicle but primarily and over the battery set to drive or propell the vehicle (1) along the roadway (2) and its road sections or portions, and “

b”

one or more vehicles (1), which may be driven by an individual electric motor (5) or motors, wherein the respective vehicle (1) exhibits a control circuit (100, “

R1”

) controlling the necessary power adapted for creating a necessary power and/or speed control, wherein said vehicle (1) is provided, on its bottom side, with an up and down as well as sideways, crosswise of the direction of transportation of the vehicle counted, displaceable contact means (4), and wherein said elongated track or slit (51, 52) extends along the roadway (2) and the road sections or portions, with said contact means (4) being coordinated with a control equipment (100, 10) related to the vehicle for creating an adaptation of the contact means (4) so as at least to offer mechanical and electrical contact to said conductors (4a, 4b), wherein coordination between conductors (4a, 4b), placed under voltage and belonging to the road section or portion (2a1), is carried out by coordinated current collectors, as in the form of contact springs (4′

, 4″

) adapted for mechanical and electrical cooperation with the respective ones of the conductors (4a, 4b) set under voltage, characterized in that a road section or portion (2a1), supporting the vehicle (1) itself, is to be feeded over its conductors (4a, 4b), its switch (43a) and its external source of electric energy (“

III”

, 42) the battery set and/or the motor (5) of the vehicle via said switch (43a) allotted to said road section or portion (2a1), whereas a succeeding and adjacent road section or portion (2a2), as being in front, is to be tested and controlled as to its electric conductors (4a, 4b) with regard to its intact road section or portion criteria and thereafter, if found in an intact state, be provided with its supply voltage from its external electric source of power (“

III”

, 42) via an activiation of its switch (44a) allotted to said succeeding road section or portion (2a2) solely during the time period or slot when said vehicle (1) passes along this succeeding road portion (2a2) and that each road section or portion, with its at least two conductors, is be allotted the same supply voltage.

13. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that a switching means (43a, 44a) is to be related to each or solely to selected road sections or portions (2a1, 2a2) and their electric conductors (4a, 4b), wherein such a switching means (44a) is to be related to a succeeding road portion (2a2) with its conductors (4a′

, 4b′

) not yet set under voltage, wherein such switching means (44) is to be adapted, via an all clear signal initiated by a testing or supervising circuit after sensing an intact road portion, to activate the switching means (44a) for providing a supply voltage to its conductors (4a, 4b).

14. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that the testing or supervising circuit is adapted on the one hand on the basis of receiving a remote controlled signal (radio signal) from the vehicle (1) to check that the forwardly lying road section or portion (2a2) with its conductors (4a′

, 4b′

) is intact, on the other hand to register an identity allotted to the vehicle as well as to activate the switching means (44a) for providing supply voltage to its conductors.

15. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that one single contact means (4) is allotted at least two contacts and arranged to the front portion of the vehicle.

16. A switching arrangement in accordance with any one of the preceding claims 12-15, respectively, characterized in that one or more electric stations (“

s1”

, “

s2”

) for one or more road sections or portions (2a1, 2a2) are to be activated solely during the time portions or slots when a connecting means (44a) allotted to its station (“

s1”

) senses, over a sensor, the presence of a vehicle (1) allotted to the system.

17. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that the road section or portion is with its current suppliable and voltage applicable conductors primarily allotted to coordinated road sections or portions.

18. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12 or 17, characterized in that said current suppliable and voltage applicable conductors are adapted to transfer power, which is required for power feeding the battery set during the time periods or slots when it is to drive the electric motor (5) at instantaneous high load.

19. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that said track and a cavity (30) allotted to the track is mutually adapted to support an electrically conductive cable adapted for heat delivery and radiation and allotted an adapted electric resistance for an adapted heat radiation.

20. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that said contact means (4) is allotted the shape of two or more current collectors, such as brush units.

21. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that said contact means (4) is allotted the shape of two or more current collectors, such as rotatable wheels.

22. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that to said vehicle (1) and adjacent to said contact means (4) is a cleaning and/or cleansing means (81) disposed for a cooperation with its track, its cavity and/or its conducors.

23. A switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that a first roadway with its road sections or portions and their tracks for maintenance and voltage is positioned close (end-to-end) to a second roadway with its road sections or portions and their tracs for maintenance and voltage, and wherein road sections or portions related rails are fed separately during different time periods and slots, each over its switching means that may be activated to be connected to one and the same electric source (42) of power external to the vehicle.