System adapted for one or more vehicles, which may be driven forward electrically

• US 8,794,410 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elways AB
• Original Assignee: Elways AB
• Inventors: Asplund, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCARRY JR, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US13/322,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20120067684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 191/2, 191/3, 191/14, 191 22 R- 25, 191/22.C, 104/139, 104/140, 104/142, 104/146
• US Class Current: 191/22.C
• 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 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/16 using ac induction motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/34 in slotted conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 3/04 Arrangements for cutting in and out of individual track sections by passage of the vehicle B60M1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 41/02 Devices for interrupted current collection, e.g. distributor electrically-operated selector switches H01H67/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The present invention has its application to a system for driving an electric and by one or more batteries powered vehicle along a roadway, comprising “a” one or more vehicles, which may be driven by an individual electric motor or motors and where in the respective vehicles exhibit a power-controlling control circuit for creating the necessary power and/or speed control and wherein required power i.a. can be provided primarily by a chargeable can be provided primarily by a chargeable battery set associated with the vehicle and “b” a plurality of road sections road portions divisible for the roadway, each being allotted one or more vehicle external electric stations for charging the battery set thereby and/or for supplying necessary power and energy for driving the vehicle. The underneath side of the mentioned vehicle is provided with a contact means displaceably positioned up and down and sideways, counted in the direction of transportation. Said roadway and its road sections or portions exhibits an elongated track or groove, each road section is supporting two rails in the groove and disposed under the driving path of the road section or portion. The rails being supplied with current and voltage. Said contact means is coordinated with a control equipment for creating simple adaptation of the contact means for registering the contact means for mechanical and electrical contact against said two rails.

Claims

1. A system adapted for driving or propelling a vehicle powered by one or more batteries or a battery set along a roadway, comprising a plurality of road sections or portions, comprising:

a plurality of roadway sections for subdividing the roadway into said roadway sections, wherein said roadway and each one of these road sections or portions comprise one or more elongated canalization, said canalization comprising a groove having at least two electric conductors introduced along said canalization and its groove and being connectable over a switch to one or more vehicle-external electrical power sources, including a vehicle-external electric station, so as thereby to be able to charge said battery set belonging to said vehicle, but primarily driving the vehicle along the roadway and its roadway sections; and

one or more driveable or propellable vehicles which may be driven by means of an individual electric motor or motors, with the respective vehicle exhibiting a control circuit controlling necessary power and adapted for creating necessary power control and/or speed control, said vehicle being provided on its underneath side with contact means comprising current collectors which are displaceable up and down and sideways in relation to the conveyance direction of the vehicle,

wherein said elongated groove extends along the roadway and the roadway sections and wherein said contact means is coordinated with vehicle-related control equipment for creating adaptation of the contact means for at least offering a mechanical and electrical contact against said track related conductors,

wherein coordination between a conductor under voltage, belonging to a roadway section, and the contact means of the vehicle, occurs over coordinated current collectors adapted for mechanical and electrical cooperation with respective ones of the voltage-powered conductors, whereby each roadway section, that supports the vehicle, is, with the at least two electric conductors, subject to a chosen voltage and current from the vehicle external electric power source, said two conductors being adapted to feed, over the contact means, the two adjacently oriented contacts related to said vehicle, the battery set and/or the motor of the vehicle, via a vehicle external switch allotted to said roadway section, whereas an adjacently positioned and a succeeding roadway section, with the at least two electric conductors, is via the vehicle external switch not subject to any voltage or current, and during time sequences or time slots when said succeeding roadway section is not subject to exposed voltage or current, said succeeding roadway section is adapted to be tested and controlled with regard to its intact condition, and, if found in intact condition, is adapted to be provided with a DC or AC supply voltage from the vehicle external electric power source or another external or internal source of power, from the switch allotted to said succeeding roadway section solely during a time sequence or time slot when said vehicle passes said succeeding roadway section,

wherein each roadway section, comprising the groove is formed for supporting at least two conductors and is adapted to receive the same two-phase supply voltage via the related switch,

wherein at least one electric power supplying conductor is adapted to extend along a groove formed in an electrically insulated canalization and comprising side and bottom surfaces at right angles to each other, said conductor being attached to the inner surface or bottom wall section of said groove, wherein an upper open part of said groove in said canalization is positioned in a plane coordinated with an upper plane of the roadway and the roadway sections,

wherein said electric power supplying conductor is attached to a horizontal bottom section of said groove and a further conductor is attached to the upper opening of the groove and connected to ground potential and wherein said opening is adapted to receive said vehicle related contact means and a means for cleansing or cleaning the groove and the horizontally oriented conductor from particles, and

wherein the system further comprises a testing and/or supervising circuit adapted firstly to check, by using a remote-controlled radio signal from the vehicle, whether a forwardly lying roadway section with its conductors is in its intact condition, secondly to register an identity allotted to the vehicle and/or its driver and thirdly to activate a coupling means for providing a supply voltage to its conductor.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said insulated canalization includes two grooves formed with their inner surfaces at right angles and each comprising an upper opening.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first electrically insulated groove comprising parallel side sections is oriented parallel to a second electrically insulated groove, each having an electric power supplying conductor attached to a groove related side surface.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the groove in said canalization comprises at least two conductors distributed on opposing or averted side surfaces of the upwardly opened groove, said opening being formed as a slit along the roadway or the roadway sections, and/or a conductor at the horizontal bottom section of said open groove.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said canalization and its groove allotted to a track are adapted to support an electrically conductive cable adapted for heat dissipation or radiation and having an adapted resistor facility related thereto.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said contact means comprises a cleaning and/or cleansing means adapted to the corresponding groove in said canalization.