Guidance system for guiding trackless vehicles along a path defined by an A-C energized conductor
First Claim
1. Guidance system for guiding a trackless vehicle to operate on a surface (3) along a path defined by a guide conductor (4) located on or in the surface and having an a-c flowing therein and an a-c field thereabout, comprisingat least two horizontal coils (11, 12) located on the vehicle and having a common horizontal winding axis (18), positioned symmetrically with respect to a vertical longitudinal central plane of symmetry (1) between the wheels of the vehicle (2);
- and two auxiliary coils (13,
14) respectively located adjacent the horizontal coils (11,
12) and symmetrical with respect to said longitudinal plane of symmetry, and having winding axes (15,
16) located at least approximately in a common vertical plane transverse to said longitudinal plane, each coil including an acute angle (α
), open towards a conductor (4) with said longitudinal plane of symmetry (1).
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pair of main coils are arranged with their axes horizontally located, for example between the wheels, and symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle; a pair of auxiliary coils are located adjacent the horizontal coils, symmetrical with respect to said plane and having axes located at least approximately in a common vertical plane transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the vehicle, the coils including with said longitudinal plane an acute angle to open outwardly in the downward direction towards the conductor, preferably in the range of between 10° to 45°, for example about 20°. The main coils are differentially connected, the auxiliary coils are additively connected, and the output signals are divided to form a proportional ratio which forms the error signal indicative of deviation of said longitudinal plane of symmetry, at the location of the coils, from the conductor.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. Guidance system for guiding a trackless vehicle to operate on a surface (3) along a path defined by a guide conductor (4) located on or in the surface and having an a-c flowing therein and an a-c field thereabout, comprising
at least two horizontal coils (11, 12) located on the vehicle and having a common horizontal winding axis (18), positioned symmetrically with respect to a vertical longitudinal central plane of symmetry (1) between the wheels of the vehicle (2); and two auxiliary coils (13,
14) respectively located adjacent the horizontal coils (11,
12) and symmetrical with respect to said longitudinal plane of symmetry, and having winding axes (15,
16) located at least approximately in a common vertical plane transverse to said longitudinal plane, each coil including an acute angle (α
), open towards a conductor (4) with said longitudinal plane of symmetry (1).- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Specification