Method for testing whether a current collector is in contact, and current collector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11014453-B2
Application number	US-201816643652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2018
Priority date	Sep 1, 2017
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A method for testing whether a current collector of a vehicle, which is preferably not rail-bound and is driven by an electric motor, is in contact with a contact wire of an overhead line which extends in a direction of travel. The current collector, which can be moved along a vertical direction, has a carrier element and a contact strip, resiliently mounted on the carrier element by a primary spring element. The contact strip, upon contacting the contact wire, is deflected relative to the carrier element counter to the vertical direction out of a resting position, wherein the deflection is detected by a sensor unit and it is determined whether the contact strip is in contact with the contact wire. There is also described a corresponding current collector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for testing whether a current collector of a vehicle is in contact with a contact wire of an overhead line extending in a direction of travel, wherein the current collector is movable in, and counter to, a vertical direction, the method comprising:
providing the current collector with a carrier element and a contact strip for contacting the contact wire resiliently mounted on the carrier element by way of at least one primary spring element, and providing the current collector with a sensor unit;
wherein, upon contacting the contact wire, the contact strip is subject to a deflection out of a rest position counter to the vertical direction relative to the carrier element;
detecting the deflection with the sensor unit of the current collector and, dependent upon the deflection, determining whether the contact strip is in contact with the contact wire.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises a magnet element and a magnetic sensor element which are displaceable relative to one another during the deflection.

3. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises detecting a deflection of the primary spring element in or counter to the vertical direction.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises detecting an inclination of the contact strip relative to the carrier element about an inclination axis extending in the direction of travel.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one primary spring element is one of two primary spring elements, and the contact strip is resiliently mounted on the carrier element by the two primary spring elements spaced apart from one another.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the primary spring elements are configured such that when the contact strip makes contact with the contact wire, the primary spring elements are deflected counter to the vertical direction, and the detecting step comprises detecting the deflection of the primary spring elements.

7. The method according to claim 2 , which comprises arranging the magnet element and the magnetic sensor element distributed on the contact strip and on the carrier element and for detecting the deflection of the contact strip relative to the carrier element, determining the deflection of the primary spring element in dependence on a magnetic field of the magnet element detected by the magnetic sensor element.

8. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises detecting, by way of the sensor unit, an inclination of the contact strip relative to the carrier element and/or dependent upon the inclination of the contact strip and the deflection of the primary spring element, a contacting point of the contact wire on the contact strip.

9. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises providing a limiter element with end regions protruding laterally beyond the contact strip and being supported by at least one secondary spring element, and detecting the deflection of the contact strip and of the limiter element relative to the carrier element.

10. The method according to claim 9 , which comprises detecting a deflection of the secondary spring element in and counter to the vertical direction and/or an inclination of the contact strip relative to the carrier element about an inclination axis extending in the direction of travel.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the sensor unit comprises a magnet element and a magnetic sensor element which are displaceable relative to one another during the deflection, and the method further comprises arranging the magnet element and the magnetic sensor element distributed on the limiter element and on the carrier element and for detecting the deflection and/or the inclination, and determining the deflection of the secondary spring element and/or the inclination of the contact strip relative to the carrier element in dependence on a magnetic field of the magnet element detected by the magnetic sensor element.

12. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises determining a contact force with which the contact wire contacts the contact strip by way of the sensor unit, dependent upon the deflection.

13. A current collector of a vehicle for contacting a contact wire of an overhead line that extends in a direction of travel, the current collector comprising:
a carrier element movably mounted for movement in, and counter to, a vertical direction;
a contact strip for contacting the contact wire;
at least one primary spring element resiliently mounting said contact strip on said carrier element, enabling said contact strip, on contacting the contact wire, to be deflected out of a rest position relative to said carrier element; and
a sensor unit for detecting a deflection of said contact strip relative to said carrier element, thus enabling an evaluation, in dependence on the deflection, whether or not said contact strip is in contact with the contact wire of the overhead line.

14. The current collector according to claim 13 , wherein said sensor unit comprises a magnet element and a magnetic sensor element.

15. The current collector according to claim 14 , wherein said magnetic sensor element is a magnetoresistive sensor element.

16. The current collector according to claim 14 , wherein said magnet element and said magnetic sensor element are arranged distributed on said contact strip and on said carrier element.

17. The current collector according to claim 14 , wherein said magnet element and said magnetic sensor element are mounted for movement away from one another when the deflection between said contact strip and said carrier element decreases.

18. The current collector according to claim 13 , which comprises a limiter element on said contact strip and at least one secondary spring element resiliently mounting said limiter element on said contact strip.

19. The current collector according to claim 18 , wherein said sensor unit comprises a magnet element and a magnetic sensor element, and wherein said magnet element and said magnetic sensor element are arranged distributed on said limiter element and on said carrier element.

20. The current collector according to claim 13 , wherein at least two sensor units are arranged for measuring the deflection and/or an inclination at two mutually different sites.

Assignees

• Siemens Mobility GmbH

Inventors

• Stark Thomas
• Buehs Florian

Classifications

• B60L5/30

  using springs · CPC title

• B60L5/20 Primary

  Details of contact bow · CPC title

• G01R31/006

  on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks (testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00) · CPC title

• B60L3/12 Primary

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• G01D5/14

  influencing the magnitude of a current or voltage · CPC title