System Adapted For One or More Electrically Propellable Vehicles (Cleansing Means)

• US 20130025991A1
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elways AB
• Original Assignee: Elways AB
• Inventors: Asplund, Gunnar
• Granted Patent: US 8,851,252 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 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/57 Charging stations without connection to power networks
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/36 Single contact pieces along the line for power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 8/12 specially adapted to grooved rails, flangeways, or like parts of the permanent way, e.g. level crossings or switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/30 in transportation, e.g. on roads, waterways or railways
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The present invention comprises a cleaning and/or cleansing means (41) related to a vehicle-related system for driving an electrically and by one or more batteries drivable vehicle (1) along a stretch of roadway, said system (S) is comprising: a one or more over an individual electric motor (5) or motors drivable vehicles (1), with the respective vehicles (1) exhibiting a control circuit (R1) controlling the power for creating a necessary power or speed control and wherein a necessary power can be provided i.a. primarily by a set of rechargeable batteries B allotted to the vehicle and b a plurality of road sections or portions (2a1, 2a) subdividing the stretch of the roadway, each roadway portion being allotted a track (51) and one or more electric stations (“s1”, III) so as to thereby charge the batteries (“B”) of the vehicle and/or supply necessary power and energy for driving the vehicle (1). A means (80) cleansing the track (51) from loose objects, such as sand, gravel, water, snow, and the like, and/or displaceable by solid obstacles (81), is rotatably fastened in its upper area (145) by means of a horizontally oriented axis (82) of rotation, so that the cleansing means (80) and said axis of rotation (82) are movably attached in vertical direction towards and away from a chassis, allotted to the vehicle, by a spring means (150). The means (80) is disposed with a forwardly directed edge portion (83) oriented in the direction of travel (“P”), said edge portion being allotted a point (83a), connected to or closely related to a track (51) and its contact surface (4a′).

Claims

1. A vehicle-related arm-shaped contact means ((4)) exposing a cleaning or cleansing means (80) related to an arrangement or system (“

S”

) for propelling an electrically, i.a. by one or several batteries or a set of batteries (“

II”

, B), propellable vehicle (1) along a stretch of a roadway (2) and its associated roadway sections or portions (2a1, 2a), comprising “

a”

a plurality of roadway portions (2a1, 2a) for subdividing the stretch of the roadway (2), wherein each one of these roadway portions is allotted one or more elongated tracks or slits (51, 52) having introduced therein current supplyable and under voltage placeable conductors (4a, 4b), connectable over a switch to one or more power sources (“

III”

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

s1”

), for thereby i.a. enabling charging of said set of batteries (“

II”

, B) related to the vehicle (1), but over the battery set up driving the vehicle (1) along the stretch of the roadway (2) and its roadway portion (2a1, 2a), and “

b”

one or more by means of an electric motor (5) or motors powerable vehicles (1), with each of the respective vehicles exhibiting a control circuit (100, “

R1”

) adapted for a necessary distribution of power, adapted for creating required power and/or speed control, wherein said vehicle (1) is, on its underneath side, provided with an up and down and sideways, counting across the direction of transportation of the vehicle, displaceable contact means ((4)), and with said elongated track or tracks and its conductors (4a, 4b) extending along the stretch of the roadway (2) and its roadway portions (2a1, 2a) and in which said contact means ((4)) is coordinated with a vehicle-related control equipment (100, 10) for creating an adaptation of the contact means ((4)) so as at least to offer a mechanical and electrical contact with said conductors (4a, 4b), wherein coordination between the conductors (4a, 4b), placed under voltage allotted to the roadway portion (2a1) and the contact means (4) of the vehicle (1) occurs via coordinated current collectors, such as in the form of contact springs, adapted for mechanical and electrical cooperation with respective ones of the conductors (4a, 4b), placed under voltage, the means (80) adapted for cleaning and/or cleansing the track (51) from loose obstacles (81) and/or yieldable means for solid obstacles, is rotatably fastened in its upper area by means of a horizontally oriented axis of rotation (82), that the cleansing means (80) and said axis of rotation (82) are movably disposed in a vertical direction, by using a resilient or spring shaped means (150), and that the means (80) is oriented in the direction of travel with a forwardly directed edge portion (83), said edge portion being allotted a point (83a), which may be connectably to and/or closely related to the track (51) and its contact surface (4a′

).

2. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the angular value of said point (83a) is chosen to fall within the angular field of 30°

to 60°

, such as around 45°

.

3. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the resilient member is dimensioned for a limited vertical force against the contact surface (4a′

).

4. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein said edge portion (83a) is allotted an angular value with regard to the track (51) so as to throw small obstacle and/or water in a direction from the track (51) on the basis of its speed along the track.

5. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein a lower flat surface area is somewhat bent upwardly from the track, beginning from its point (83a).

6. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the shape of the means (41, 41′

) is adapted to correspond to a current collector.

7. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the current collector is intended to run freely along a track (51, 52) oriented along the stretch of a roadway (2).

8. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the current collector is formed as a main portion, made of an electrically insulating material, wherein the lower surface, facing the contact surface (4a′

), which may be placed under voltage, or the bottom of the track, is made flat or at least substantially flat with a lower contact surface (144) shaped within said lower surface (142) and consisting of an electrically conductive material (143), and that the electrically conductive material is adapted to extend through the main portion (141) for forming at the upper surface (145) of said main portion one or more upper contact surfaces (146b) or connecting leads (146c).

9. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the main portion (141) is allotted a surface area spread out along the track (51) having a thickness corresponding to the width of the track and having the form of a parallelogram or a parallelepiped or connecting to the form of such.

10. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the upper (145) and lower (142) surfaces of the parallelepiped are adapted to be parallel.

11. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein two or more current collectors are, for an extension along the track, coordinated with one and the same contact surface (4a′

), which may be placed under voltage, and apart from this adapted for forming in parallel connected circuits.

12. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first main portion is allotted a parallelepipedic shaped which deviates from a parallelepipedic shape of a second main portion.

13. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein two or more lower contact surfaces (149, 149a) are disposed at said lower surface (142) of a main portion (141) and in contact with contact surfaces, which may be subjected to voltage, said contact surfaces are coordinated at the bottom of a canalization (30) and along its tracks.

14. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein spring means (150, 150′

) are adapted to urge the main portion and its lower contact surface or lower contact surfaces against the contact surface (4a′

), which may be placed under voltage, or the bottom of the track (51).

15. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein two or more current collectors or removers are oriented parallel and allotted each of two or more parallel tracks.

16. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the current collector or remover is, at least with its lower contact surface, made of or consisting of steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum and/or hard coals.

17. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the current collector or remover is allotted at least one lower contact surface and that the latter is shaped as a brush unit, consisting of steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum and/or hard coals.

18. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the contact surface (4a′

), which may be placed under voltage, is made of steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum and/or hard coals.

19. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lower contact surface (144, 149a, 149) is adapted to urge with a force of between 1 and 15 N/cm² towards the contact surface, which may be placed under voltage, or towards the bottom of the track.

20. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein said two or more contact surfaces, which may be placed under voltage, are coordinated to the bottom of respective tracks within a canalization (30).

21. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein said contact surface, which may be placed under voltage, are shaped as rails, strips, bands or the like, having an upper broad contact surface and a limited thickness.

22. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the canalization is to be shaped flexible and bendable to a roll as a unit.