Conductor rail for supplying power and a production method therefor

• US 6,547,050 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Schroder, Arno, Runte, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCarry, Jr., Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US09/806,660
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 191/22.R, 191/29, 191/30
• US Class Current: 191/22.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/302 composite

Abstract

The invention relates to a conductor rail for supplying power to current consumers. The inventive conductor rail is comprised of a base body (1) and of a slide surface (2a) which is connected to the base body (1) and which is made of an especially wear-resistant material. Connecting elements (5) extending over the length of the slide surface (2) are provided on the side of the part (2) which forms the slide surface (2a); said side pointing toward the base body (1). Each connecting element (5) together with an elongated narrow side (2b) of the slide surface part (2), forms a recess (3). The recess is at least partially filled with the material (6) of the base body (1).

Claims

1. Current rails for supply of current to current consumers comprising a base body (1) and a slide/contact surface (2a) joined to the base body (1) made of an especially wear-resistant material, whereby on the part forming the slide/contact surface (2a) facing the base body (1) connecting pieces (5) extending over the length of the slide/contact surface are provided, and characterized by the fact that a connecting piece (5) together with a long narrow side (2b) of the slide/contact surface (2) forms a recess (reverse protrusion) (3) on the outside edge of said connecting piece (5), which recess is at least partially filled by the material (6) of the base body (1).

2. A current rail according to claim 1 and characterized by the fact that the base body (1) exhibits a number of recesses (4) corresponding to the number of connecting pieces (5) into which the connecting pieces (5) are inserted and the walls of the recesses (4) are compressed by at least one deformation joining process at the surfaces of the corresponding connecting pieces (5).

3. A current rail according to claim 2 characterized by the fact that at least one of the connecting pieces (5) exhibits a back-cut (5a) and the recess (4) brought into contact with the corresponding connecting piece (5) whose back-cut (5a) grips around after the joining process.

4. A current rail according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the surface of the base body (1) exhibits at least segmentally grooving (7) in those areas that are pressed onto the surface of the connecting pieces (5) of the slide/contact surface part (2) during the joining process.

5. A current rail according to claim 4 and characterized by the fact that the base body (1) is made of aluminum, whereby prior to the joining process an oxide layer forms on the surface of the base body (1) and the grooving (7) is so contrived that in the joining process said oxidized layer is pulled off.

6. A current rail according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the recesses (4) in the base body (1) prior to the forming process are generally U-shaped.

7. A current rail according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the base body (1) exhibits at least one hollow space (13) extending over the length of the base body (1) which serves to increase the surface area of the base body (1).

8. A current rail according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the base body (1) exhibits at least one channel (13) extending over the length of the base body (1) in which there is at least segmentally heating or through which a heating or cooling agent flows.

9. A current rail according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the base body (1) is an extruded structure comprised of aluminum and the slide/contact surface part (2) is an extruded structure comprised of stainless steel.

10. A process for producing a current rail according to claim 1 characterized by the following steps:

a. in an initial process step the slide/contact surface part (2) is inserted by means of its connecting pieces (5) into the recesses (4) provided therefor, and

b. in a second process step using rollers the base body (1) and the slide/contact surface part (2) are compressed together in such a manner that an initial roller (R1) presses against the surface (2a) serving as the current collector surface and a second roller (R3) pressing base body (1), on the side of the base body facing away from the slide/contact surface (2), against the slide/contact part (2) is profiled in such a way that at least one of peripheral protrusions (10, 11, 12) protruding from the roller surfaces (9) presses the material of the base body behind at least one back-cut (5a) of a connecting piece (5) of the slide/contact piece (2), and

c. at the same time in or after the second process step b above, rollers (R4) compress the material (6) of the base body (1) laterally from the outside and press said material behind back-cuts (5a) of the recesses (reverse protrusions) (3) formed by the connecting pieces (5) of the slide/contact part (2).

11. A process for the production of a current rail according to claim 10 and characterized by the fact that in the side (8) of the base body (1) facing away from the slide/contact surface (2) a V-shaped notch is present for centering a profiled roller (R2) and that prior to the second process step b, the roller (R2) which its contact face (9) compresses the base body (1) and the slide/contact surface part (2) together.

12. A process for the production of a current rail according to claim 11 and characterized by the fact that when using a base body (1) made of aluminum, in which specific surface areas exhibit grooves (7), which come into contact with the connecting pieces (5) of the slide/contact surface (2), at least the oxide layer is pulled off in the region of the grooves (7) at the time of creating the V-shaped notch by the profiled roller (R2).