System Adapted For One or More Electrically Propellable Vehicles (A Snow Plough Arrangement)

• US 20130025168A1
• 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 8,875,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 37/207
• 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 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/34 in slotted conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/36 Single contact pieces along the line for power supply
• 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: H01R 41/02 Devices for interrupted current collection, e.g. distributor electrically-operated selector switches H01H67/00
• 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

Abstract

The present invention comprises a snow plough arrangement (41, 14′) adapted to a vehicle-related system for driving an electrically driven vehicle (1) along a stretch of road, said adapted system (5) comprising: “a” one or more over an individual electric motor (5) or motors drivable vehicles (1), and “b” a plurality of road sections (2a1, 2a) subdividing the stretch of road, each road section being allotted a track (51). Said snow plough arrangement (241) is in the form of a yieldable means (80) cleansing a track (51) of loose obstacles, such as snow, ice, water, sand, gravel and the like, and being foldable away, by rotatably fastened in its upper area (145) over a horizontally disposed axis of rotation (82) so that the cleansing means (80) and said axis of rotation (82) are movably fastened in vertical direction towards and away from an allotted chassis over a resilient means (150). The arrangement (241) and/or said means (80) are, in a direction disposed in the direction of motion, provided with a forwardly directed edge portion (83), said edge portion being allotted a point (83a), which may be connected to or adjacent arranged to the track (51) and its conductor (4a) or the bottom of the track.

Claims

1. A vehicle-related snow plough arrangement, related to arm-shaped contact means, adapted 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 (2a, 2b), comprising “

a”

a plurality of roadway portions (2a1) for subdividing the stretch of the roadway (2), wherein each one of these road 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 a 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 roadway (2) and its roadway portion (2a1), 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 necessary distribution of power, adapted for creating a 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 road and its roadway (2) 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 to at least 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 connectors, 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 said snow plough arrangement is designed as a cleansing means (241, 80), cleansing one track or parallel tracks from loose obstacles, such as ice, snow, water, sand, gravel, and the like, that said means (241, 80) is yielding to solid obstacles (81), said means is rotatably attached in its upper area over a horizontally disposed axis of rotation (82), that the cleansing means and said axis or rotation (82) are movably disposed in a vertical direction towards and away from an allotted chassis over a resilient or spring means (150), and that said means (241, 80) is, in the direction of motion, provided with a forwardly directed edge portion (83), said edge portion being allotted to a point (83a), which may be connected to or arranged adjacently to the bottom of the track and/or its conductor surface (144).

2. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the angular value of the 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 forming a limited vertical force against the bottom of the track and/or the conductor surface (4a′

).

4. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein said edge point or portion (83a) is allotted an angular value with regard to the track (51), so as in consequence with its speed along the track to throw snow, ice, water and/or other obstacles in a direction upwards and away from the track (51).

5. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein a lower flat surface area (142a) is somewhat bent upwards in a direction from the track (51) and its bottom in connection with its point (83a).

6. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the shape is adapted to connect to a current collector.

7. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the current collector is intended to run freely along the track (51) disposed in the direction of the roadway.

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

), which may be subjected to voltage being made flat or at least essentially flat with a lower contact surface (144) shaped in said lower surface and consisting of an electrically conductive material, with said electrically conductive material (143) being adapted to extend through the main portion for forming to the upper surface (145) of the main portion one or more upper contact surfaces (pads) or connecting conductors or wires.

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

10. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein end lower and upper surfaces of the parallelepiped are adapted to be mutually parallel.

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

), which may be subjected to voltage, and apart from this adapted to form circuits connected in parallel between the upper and lower surfaces of the parallelepiped.

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

13. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, respectively, wherein said lower surface of the main portion are shaped two or more lower contact surfaces (149a, 149).

14. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein a resilient member (150) is adapted to urge the snow plough arrangement, its main portion and its lower contact surface or lower contact surfaces, against the bottom of the conductor surface (4a′

), which may be subjected to voltage.

15. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein two or more current collectors are disposed parallel and are allotted to individual ones of two or more parallel tracks and that the arrangement is adapted to run along its track.

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

17. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the current collector 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 conductor surface (4a′

), which may be subjected to voltage, is structured of steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum and/or hard coals.

19. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the snow plough arrangement and/or its lower contact surface is adapted to push against the bottom of the track with a force of between 1 and 15 N/cm² and/or said conductor surface (4a′

), subjected to voltage.

20. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein said two or more conductor surfaces, which may be subjected to voltage, are coordinated to the bottoms of their respective tracks within a canalization.

21. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein said conductor surfaces (4a′

), which may be subjected to voltage, are shaped as rails having an upper broad contact surface and a limited thickness.

22. Cleansing means in accordance with claim 1, wherein the canalization (30) is as a unit flexible and bendable to a roll.