Current collector shoe with rapid retraction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10857890-B2
Application number	US-201815962034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2018
Priority date	Apr 25, 2017
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a shoe ( 10 ) on an electrical power supply track for an electric railway vehicle, the shoe ( 10 ) comprising:
a power supply flange ( 12 ) movable between a retracted position and a deployed position; an actuator ( 11 ) able to move the flange between the retracted and deployed positions; and a mechanical system ( 13 ) connecting the flange to the actuator;

characterized in that the actuator ( 11 ):
has a movement speed such that it is able to move the flange ( 12 ) between its retracted and deployed positions in a time period shorter than or equal to 1 second, and preferably shorter than or equal to 0.5 seconds; and
has a number of operating cycles before failure greater than or equal to 2,500,000.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A current collector shoe on an electrical power supply track for an electric railway vehicle, the shoe comprising:
a flange able to be placed in sliding contact with said power supply track, said flange being movable between a retracted position and a deployed position;
an actuator able to move the flange between the retracted and deployed positions; and
a mechanical system connecting the flange to the actuator in order to convert a movement of the actuator into a movement of the flange;
wherein the actuator:
has a movement speed that is able to move the flange between its retracted and deployed positions in a time period shorter than or equal to 1 second;
has a number of operating cycles before failure greater than or equal to 2,500,000; and
comprises an electric brushless motor.

2. The shoe according to claim 1 , further comprising an antenna for radio reception of a movement order of the flange.

3. The shoe according to claim 2 , wherein the antenna is arranged in the flange.

4. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical system comprises a set of elements for converting a horizontal movement of an actuating member of the actuator into a vertical movement of the flange.

5. The shoe according to claim 4 , wherein said assembly comprises at least one piston cylinder.

6. The shoe according to claim 5 , wherein each piston cylinder includes a spring stressing the flange toward its deployed position.

7. A railway vehicle comprising at least one shoe according to claim 1 .

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the vehicle is a train.

9. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a movement speed that is able to move the flange between its retracted and deployed positions in a time period that is shorter than or equal to 0.5 seconds.

Assignees

• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Duprat Patrick
• Formenti Leonardo

Classifications

• B60L50/53

  in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines · CPC title

• B60L5/30

  using springs · CPC title

• B60L5/38 Primary

  for collecting current from conductor rails (B60L5/40 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60L5/08

  Structure of the sliding shoes or their carrying means · CPC title

• B60L2200/26

  Rail vehicles · CPC title