Vehicle guidance track system

• US 5,297,484 A
• Filed: 07/03/1991
• Issued: 03/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Train Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Train Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Wilson, Eric F., Piserchia, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rutherford, Kevin D.
• Application Number:
  US07/725,293
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 105/1.5, 104/DIG. 1, 104/295, 446/446, 446/447, 446/455, 446/467, 191/22 C, 191/29 R, 191/45 R, 191/49, 246/187 A, 246/187 B, 246/473 R, 238/10 R, 238/10 F, 238/10 E
• US Class Current: 105/1.5
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/00 Model railways propulsion by special interaction between vehicle and track A63H18/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 104/01 Toy railroad

Abstract

The present invention relates to a guidance track for an electric vehicle. The guidance track preferably includes one or more grooves formed within a dielectric material. The wheels of the vehicle fit, at least in part, in the grooves which are configured to accept the wheels of both powered and unpowered cars in the vehicle. The grooves guide and direct the vehicle as the wheels travel through the grooves.

Claims

1. A guidance track system for a vehicle having at least two wheels on which said vehicle travels, said guidance track system comprising:

a generally planar uniform material having a top surface;

at least two grooves in said top surface, each of said two grooves having means for receiving at least a portion of a respective wheel and means for guiding said respective wheels such that said vehicle progresses along said guidance track in the direction of said groove;

each of said grooves including two generally oppositely facing side walls for guiding said portion of said wheel therein, and wherein said side walls are formed by said uniform material;

wherein said means for receiving comprise a cavity at least partly defined by said side walls;

said means for guiding comprising said side walls, and wherein said side walls are operative to exert directive forces on a respective wheel;

wherein each of said wheels has a flange portion which is received by said cavity;

wherein said directive forces are exerted on said flange portion;

wherein each of said wheels further has a contact portion which rides at least one of on or above said top surface;

further comprising a respective conductive surface on said top surface, each being adjacent to at least a portion of a respective one of said two grooves, and wherein said contact portion of said wheels engages in electrical connection with a respective conductive surface;

further comprising means for providing a voltage across said respective conductive surfaces;

wherein said contact portion on said at least one wheel electrically couples said voltage on said conductive surfaces to an electric motor in said vehicle to power said vehicle along said track;

said material comprising a dielectric substrate, and wherein said conductive surfaces comprise metal which is fixedly attached to said top surface; and

wherein said metal comprises a layer of at least one of a conductive thin film, a photo-etched material and deposited metal.

2. The guidance track system of claim 1, wherein each of said grooves includes a bottom wall, and wherein said side walls of each groove are perpendicular to said bottom wall thereof.

3. The guidance track system of claim 2, further comprising an auxiliary conductive surface for forming an electrical circuit between at least one of said wheels and a respective conductive surface to control a peripheral device on said track.

4. The guidance track system of claim 3, wherein said auxiliary surface is positioned on at least one of the top surface, bottom wall and side walls.

5. The guidance track system of claim 2, wherein at least one of said flange portion and contact portion rotate in physical contact with said bottom wall and top surface, respectively.

6. The guidance track system of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary conductive surface for forming an electrical circuit between at least one of said wheels and a respective conductive surface to control a peripheral device on said track.

7. The guidance track system of claim 6, wherein said auxiliary surface is positioned on at least one of the top surface and side walls.

8. The guidance track system of claim 1, further comprising a peripheral device for simulating a predetermined environment.

9. The guidance track system of claim 8, said peripheral device comprising at least one from the group of a tree, bush, and gate.

10. The guidance track system of claim 1, said system further comprising power supply means for delivering power to said system.

11. The guidance track system of claim 10, means being fabricated on said dielectric substrate.

12. The guidance track system of claim 1, wherein said dielectric substrate comprises at least one of the group of wood, plastic or glass.

13. A guidance track system for an electric powered vehicle having a plurality of wheels on which said vehicle travels, said guidance track system comprising:

a generally planar material having a top surface;

plural substantially parallel grooves formed in said material and open at said top surface, each of said grooves having two generally oppositely facing side walls comprising said material to exert directive forces directly on at least a portion of a respective wheel for guiding said wheel such that said vehicle progresses along said guidance track in the direction of said grooves;

conductive surface means on said top surface of said material in proximate relation to at least one of said grooves and means for providing an electric potential in said conductive surface means;

at least one of said wheels being operative to electrically couple power from said conductive surface means to said vehicles in order to power said vehicle along said guidance track, said material comprising a dielectric substrate, and said conductive surface comprising at least one of a conductive thin film, photo-etching and metal deposition.

14. The guidance track system of claim 13, each of said grooves further comprising a bottom wall.

15. The guidance track system of claim 14, each of said plurality of wheels having a flange portion, said bottom and side walls of each respective groove forming a cavity for receiving said flange portion, and wherein said side walls are operative to exert directive forces on said flange portion as said wheels progress through said grooves.

16. The guidance track system of claim 15, said conductive surface being on said top surfaces, and wherein said at least one wheel operatively to electrically couple power comprises an electrically conductive contact portion which engages in electrically conductive relation with said conductive surface in order to power said vehicle.

17. The guidance track system of claim 13, said guidance track comprising means for facilitating the regrooving of at least one of said wheels on said vehicle in the event at least one of said wheels becomes misaligned.

18. The guidance track system of claim 17, said means for facilitating comprising said top surface in combination with said grooves whereby said misaligned wheel will slide or roll across said top surface in a direction lateral to the direction of said grooves such that said misaligned wheel returns within its respective groove as said vehicle progresses along the track.

19. The guidance track system of claim 13, further comprising circuitry formed in said dielectric substrate said circuitry being operative in connection with said guidance track system.

20. The guidance track system of claim 19, wherein said circuitry comprises said means for providing an electric potential.

21. The guidance track system of claim 13, wherein said at least one of said wheels operative to electrically couple power comprises an electrically conductive material.

22. A guidance track system for an electric powered vehicle having at least one wheel on which said vehicle travels, said guidance track system comprising:

a generally planar material having a top surface;

at least one groove formed in said top surface, said at least one groove having means for receiving at least a portion of said at least one wheel and means for guiding said at least one wheel such that said vehicle progresses along said guidance track system in the direction of said at least one groove;

conductive surface means in proximate relation to said at least one groove for engaging in electrical contact with said at least one wheel; and

track controller means for controlling the operation of said vehicle based on electrical information transmitted bi-directionally between said track controller and said vehicle along said conductive surface means.

23. The guidance track system of claim 22, said track controller comprising a digital computer for at least one of sending and receiving digital information along said conductive surface means with respect to a second digital computer in said vehicle.

24. The guidance track system of claim 22, wherein said system comprises two grooves which are substantially parallel.

25. A guidance track system for an electric powered vehicle having at least one wheel on which said vehicle travels, said guidance track system comprising:

a generally planar material having a top surface;

at least one groove formed in said top surface, said at least one groove having means for receiving at least a portion of said at least one wheel and means for guiding said at least one wheel such that said vehicle progresses along said guidance track system in the direction of said at least one groove;

conductive surface means in proximate relation to said at least one groove for engaging in electrical contact with said at least one wheel;

track controller means for controlling the operation of said vehicle based on electrical information transmitted between said track controller means and said vehicle along said conductive surface means, said track controller means comprising a digital computer for at least one of sending and receiving digital information along said conductive surface means with respect to a second digital computer in said vehicle;

said conductive surface means providing a predetermined electric potential to power said vehicle about said track system, and wherein said digital information is communicated by way of modulating said predetermined electric potential.

26. The guidance track system of claim 25, said modulating comprising amplitude modulating.

27. A guidance track system for an electric powered vehicle having a plurality of wheels on which said vehicle travels, said guidance track system comprising:

a generally planar uniform material having a top surface;

plural substantially parallel grooves formed in said top surface, each of said grooves having two generally oppositely facing side walls formed by said uniform material for guiding at least one of said wheels such that said vehicle progresses along said guidance track in the direction of said grooves;

conductive surface means in proximate relation to at least one of said grooves and means for providing an electric potential to said conductive surface means;

wherein at least one of said wheels will be operative to electrically couple power from said conductive surface means to said vehicle in order to power said vehicle along said guidance track;

means for facilitating the regrooving of said wheels on said vehicle in the event one of said wheels becomes misaligned; and

said means for facilitating comprising directive traces on said top surface in proximate relation to a portion of at least one of said grooves, and wherein said directive traces form plural channels which tend to direct a flange portion of said misaligned wheel towards its respective groove as said flange portion travels across said directive traces.

28. A method for manufacturing a guidance track system for a vehicle having one or more wheels on said vehicle travels, comprising the steps of:

preselecting a generally planar non-conductive substrate having top and bottom surfaces, each of said top and bottom surfaces comprising a conductive layer;

machining one or more grooves in the top surface of said substrate so as to form one or more grooves in said substrate in which at least a portion of said one or more wheels can rotate therethrough, said machining comprising at least partly separating said conductive layer of said top surface into plural electrically separated portions, whereby said plural portions are defined at least in part by boundaries created by said one or more grooves;

further comprising the step of providing coupling means for coupling a power supply output to plural portions of said conductive layer of said top surface;

said providing step comprising using a plated through hole in said substrate to form an electrical connection between said bottom surface and at least one of said plural portions of said top surface.

29. A guidance track system for a vehicle having at least one wheel on which said vehicle travels, said guidance track system comprising:

a generally planar material having a top surface;

at least one groove formed in said top surface, said at least one groove having means for receiving at least a portion of said at least one wheel and means for guiding said at least one wheel such that said vehicle progresses along said guidance track in the direction of said at least one groove;

a conductive surface on said generally planar material adjacent to said at least one groove for providing a voltage to said vehicle; and

wherein said conductive surface comprises a metal layer on the top of said surface above said groove and comprising at least one of a conductive thin film, photo-etched material and deposited metal.

30. The guidance track system of claim 29, wherein said material comprises a dielectric substrate.