Track assembly with electrical connection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11332086-B2
Application number	US-201916691768-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2019
Priority date	Nov 22, 2019
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle track assembly includes a conductive rail coupled to the track assembly. The conductive rail includes an electrically insulative substrate and one or more conductive strips attached to the substrate. The vehicle track assembly further includes a track-mounted component electrically coupled to the conductive rail. The track-mounted component includes a cantilevered biasing member and one or more electrical contacts. The cantilevered biasing member biases the one or more electrical contacts toward the one or more conductive strips to maintain an electrical connection between the one or more electrical contacts and the one or more conductive strips as the track-mounted component is moved along the conductive rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle track assembly comprising:
a conductive rail coupled to the track assembly, the conductive rail comprising an electrically insulative substrate and one or more conductive strips attached to the substrate; and
a track-mounted component electrically coupled to the conductive rail, the track-mounted component comprising a cantilevered biasing member and one or more electrical contacts, wherein the cantilevered biasing member biases the one or more electrical contacts toward the one or more conductive strips to maintain an electrical connection between the one or more electrical contacts and the one or more conductive strips as the track-mounted component is moved along the conductive rail, and wherein the conductive rail provides electrical power to a motor, and wherein the cantilevered biasing member is integrally formed with a motor housing.

2. The vehicle track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cantilevered biasing member comprises an electrically insulative material.

3. The vehicle track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical contacts are removably coupled to the motor.

4. The vehicle track assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more conductive strips transmits a data signal.

5. The vehicle track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical contacts comprise a rounded tip.

6. The vehicle track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cantilevered biasing member comprises a plurality of cantilevered biasing members each corresponding to one of the one or more electrical contacts.

7. The vehicle track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cantilevered biasing member comprises a plurality of prongs wherein each of the plurality of prongs is associated with one of the one or more electrical contacts.

8. The vehicle track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical contacts further comprise an annular collar coupled to the cantilevered biasing member.

9. The vehicle track assembly of claim 1 , wherein the conductive rail extends along the entire length of the track assembly.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrical contacts provides electrical power to the track-mounted component and another of the one or more electrical contacts provides a data signal to the track-mounted component.

11. A track assembly comprising:
a track;
a conductive rail coupled to the track, the conductive rail comprising an electrically insulative substrate and one or more conductive strips positioned on the substrate;
a motor assembly coupled to the track and configured to move in a direction parallel to the track, the motor assembly comprising:
a motor;
a housing coupled to the motor;
a cantilevered biasing member coupled to the housing and extending parallel to the conductive rail; and
one or more electrical contacts coupled to the cantilevered biasing member and electrically coupled to the motor;

wherein the cantilevered biasing member is configured to bias the one or more electrical contacts toward the one or more conductive strips to maintain an electrical connection between the one or more electrical contacts and the one or more conductive strips such that the one or more electrical contacts may provide an electrical connection between the one or more conducive strips and the motor as the motor assembly is moved along the track, and wherein the cantilevered biasing member is integrally formed with the housing.

12. The track assembly of claim 11 , wherein the housing comprises an electrically insulative material.

13. The track assembly of claim 11 , wherein the motor assembly further comprises a motor connector such that the one or more electrical contacts are removably coupled to the motor.

14. A vehicle track assembly comprising:
a conductive rail coupled to the track assembly, the conductive rail comprising an electrically insulative substrate and one or more conductive strips attached to the substrate; and
a track-mounted component electrically coupled to the conductive rail, the track-mounted component comprising a cantilevered biasing member and one or more electrical contacts, wherein the cantilevered biasing member biases the one or more electrical contacts toward the one or more conductive strips to maintain an electrical connection between the one or more electrical contacts and the one or more conductive strips as the track-mounted component is moved along the conductive rail, and wherein the one or more electrical contacts further comprise an annular collar coupled to the cantilevered biasing member.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Caldwell Robert Clayton
• Chieu Cung K
• Kish Joseph Michael
• Aktas Macit
• Scott Glenn
• Kurlonko Ray

Classifications

• H01R33/88

  adapted for simultaneous co-operation with two or more identical counterparts · CPC title

• H02K13/003

  Structural associations of slip-rings · CPC title

• B60R16/02

  electric {constitutive elements} · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H02K5/225 Primary

  Terminal boxes or connection arrangements (specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132) · CPC title