Slip ring assembly

• US 4,576,085 A
• Filed: 09/26/1984
• Issued: 03/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics Land Systems Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: LeBlanc, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BENTLEY, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US06/654,713
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 89/36.13, 89/41.02, 339/5 P, 339/258 R, 339/5 R, 339/5 M, 339/6 R, 339/8 R
• US Class Current: 89/36.13
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 27/18 for gun turrets F41A27/08 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein relates to an armored vehicle having a rotatable coupola or turret for rotating a weapons system to the target. The turret includes a depending cage for housing personnel which operates the various electrical and manual equipment within the turret. A slip ring assembly having a low profile is provided at the bottom of this turret cage for transmitting electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic power from stationary sources within the vehicle body to the various equipment to be operated within the turret. This system includes a slip ring platter fixed to the vehicle body portion and having a number of concentric grooves for electrical communication with the stationary source.

Claims

1. An armored vehicle comprising:

a turret assembly;

a vehicle body;

said turret assembly being supported by and rotatable relative to said vehicle body and including a cage having a cage floor;

an electrical source and a source of pressurized fluid in said vehicle body;

terminals for electrical equipment in said turret assembly;

a slip ring assembly located in the center of said cage floor for electrically connecting said terminals in said turret assembly to said electrical source in said vehicle body;

said slip ring assembly including,

a. a planar disk carried by said vehicle body and having concentric electrical conductive grooves insulated from one another, at least some of said grooves being connected to said electrical source;

b. a circular platter member fixed to said turret assembly and rotatable therewith and having a depending skirt circumferentially surrounding the periphery of said planar disk;

c. bearing means between said periphery of said planar disk and said skirt of said platter member for allowing relative rotational movement therebetween;

d. said platter member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cavities formed therein offset from the center of said platter member and in vertical alignment with said electrical conductive grooves of said planar disk;

e. plug-in type brush means removably located in said cavities of said platter member for engaging said electrical conductive grooves, said brush means being formed of electrically conductive material and connected to said electrical equipment in said turret assembly to conduct electricity from said electrical source to said planar disk and to said electrical equipment as said brush means is rotated about the surface of said planar disk;

f. said planar disk and said platter member each having a centrally located opening formed therein;

g. a coupling located in said centrally located opening in said planar disk and said platter member for delivering pressurized fluid from said source of pressurized fluid to said turret assembly; and

h. an ammunition box for holding ammunition employed by said turret assembly and extending diametrically through the center of said cage floor over said slip ring assembly.

2. An armored vehicle comprising:

a turret assembly;

a vehicle body;

said turret assembly being supported by and rotatable relative to said vehicle body;

an electrical source and a hydraulic source in said vehicle body;

hydraulic equipment located within said turret assembly;

terminals for electrical equipment in said turret assembly;

a slip ring assembly for electrically connecting said terminals in said turret assembly to said electrical source in said vehicle body;

said slip ring assembly including;

a. a planar disk carried by said vehicle body and having concentric electrical conductive grooves insulated from one another, at least some of said grooves being connected to said electrical source;

b. a circular platter member fixed to said turret assembly and rotatable therewith and having a depending skirt circumferentially surrounding the periphery of said planar disk;

c. bearing means between said periphery of said planar disk and said skirt of said platter member for allowing relative rotational movement therebetween;

d. said platter member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced cavities formed therein offset from the center of said platter member and in vertical alignment with said electrical conductive grooves of said planar disk;

e. plug-in type brush means removably located in said cavities of said platter member for engaging said electrical conductive grooves, said brush means being formed of electrically conductive material and connected to said electrical equipment in said turret assembly to conduct electricity from said electrical source to said planar disk and to said electrical equipment as said brush means is rotated about the surface of said planar disk;

f. said planar disk and said platter member each having a centrally located opening formed therein; and

g. a hydraulic coupling located in said centrally located opening in said planar disk and said platter member for delivering hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic source to said hydraulic equipment located within said turret assembly.