Current collector device for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11712969-B2
Application number	US-201616348288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2016
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

The present invention relates to a current collector device (420) arranged mounting on a vehicle (100) to transmit electric power between current conductors (140) located in the surface of a road (110) and the vehicle (100). The current collector device (420) comprises, a first and second elongated current collector arm (150a, 150b) that are in operable connection with a base (170), the first and second elongated current collector arms (150a, 150b) are spaced apart from each other, and a first and second current collector pick-up heads (161, 162) are attached to the first and second elongated current collector arms (150a, 150b), respectively, and the elongated current collector arms (150a, 150b) are made of conducting material and arranged to conduct electrical current from conductors (140) located in the 10 surface of a road (110) and the vehicle (100).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A current collector device arranged for mounting on a vehicle to transmit electric power between current conductors located in the surface of a road and the vehicle, wherein the current collector device comprises:
a base for connecting the current collector device to the vehicle;
a first elongated current collector arm that is in operable connection with the base, and a second elongated current collector arm that is in operable connection with the base;
wherein the first elongated current collector arm and the second elongated current collector arm are spaced apart from each other;
a first current collector pick-up head attached to the first elongated current collector arm distally from the base; and
a second current collector pick-up head attached to the second elongated current collector arm distally from the base, wherein the first current collector pick-up head and the first elongated current collector arm are electrically separated from the second current collector pick-up head and the second elongated current collector arm;
wherein the elongated current collector arms are entirely made of an electrically conducting material and arranged to conduct electrical current from conductors located in the surface of a road and the vehicle, and
wherein the first elongated current collector arm and the second elongated current collector arm are arranged to be controllable for vertical and transverse displacement relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle separately, and the current collector device further comprises at least one actuator arranged to effect a vertical and transverse displacement of the first current collector pick-up head and the second current collector pick-up head separately.

2. A current collector device according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated current collector arms are parallel.

3. A current collector device according to claim 1 , wherein the first current collector pick-up head is formed integrally with the first elongated current collector arm, and wherein the second current collector pick-up head is formed integrally with the second elongated current collector arm.

4. A current collector device according to claim 1 , wherein the first current collector pick-up head and second current collector pick-up head are formed as a single unit.

5. A current collector device according to claim 4 , wherein the first or second current collector pick-up head comprises at least one isolating element arranged to galvanically isolate the first elongated current collector arm and the second elongated current collector arm.

6. A current collector device according to claim 1 , further comprising a stabilizing structure extending between the first elongated current collector arm and the second current collector arm.

7. A current collector device according to claim 6 , wherein the stabilizing structure comprises at least one isolating element arranged to galvanically isolate the first elongated current collector arm and the second elongated current collector arm.

8. A current collector device according to claim 1 , wherein the first elongated current collector arm and the second elongated current collector arm comprises aluminum.

9. A current collector device according to claim 1 , wherein the first elongated current collector arm and the second elongated current collector arm are coated with a non-conductive coating.

10. A current collector device according to claim 1 , wherein the first elongated current collector arm and the second elongated current collector arm are arranged to be controllable for vertical and transverse displacement relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle together, and the current collector device further comprises at least one actuator arranged to effect a vertical or transverse displacement of the first current collector pick-up head and the second current collector pick-up head.

11. A vehicle comprising a current collector device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Öhman Mikaela
• Engström Sten

Classifications

• B60L5/38 Primary

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

• B60L5/00

  Current collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles (current collectors in general H01R41/00) · CPC title

• B60L5/04

  using rollers or sliding shoes in contact with trolley wire (B60L5/40 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60L5/18

  using bow-type collectors in contact with trolley wire · CPC title

• B60L2200/40

  Working vehicles · CPC title