Current collector for a rail vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12280677-B2
Application number	US-202017638577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2020
Priority date	Aug 27, 2019
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

A current collector for a rail vehicle intended for international transport includes a support bringing two contact strips into electrically conductive contact with a contact wire on the roof of the rail vehicle. Each contact strip has a first length and a contact strip extension at each end. Each contact strip extension is rotatably mounted and connected to a respective end of the contact strip. In a first position the contact strip extensions are hinged inwards, such that a resulting total length of the contact strip with the associated contact strip extensions corresponds to the first length of the contact strip. In a second position, the contact strip extensions are hinged outwards, such that the resulting total length of the contact strip with the associated contact strip extensions corresponds to a second length of the contact strip which is greater than the first length.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A current collector for a rail vehicle intended for cross-border transport, the current collector comprising:
two contact strips each having a first length, ends and contact strip extensions;
each of said contact strip extensions being connected to a respective one of said ends and being rotatably mounted about a vertical axis at said respective one of said ends;
a support configured to orient said two contact strips on a roof of the rail vehicle transversely relative to a direction of travel of the rail vehicle and said support configured to bring said two contact strips into electrically conductive contact with a contact wire;
in a first position, said contact strip extensions each being rotated about a respective vertical axis relative to a respective contact strip resulting in a total length of said contact strip with said respective contact strip extensions corresponding to said first length of said contact strip; and
in a second position, said contact strip extensions each being rotated about a respective vertical axis relative to a respective contact strip resulting in a total length of said contact strip with said respective contact strip extensions corresponding to a second length being greater than said first length.

2. The current collector according to claim 1 , wherein each of said contact strip extensions has one end with a respective horn, said horns functioning to maintain consistent contact with overhead power lines when said contact strips are extended in said second position of said contact strip extensions.

3. The current collector according to claim 1 , which further comprises cylinders each configured to rotate a respective one of said contact strip extensions, each of said cylinders having a first side connected to said support and a second side connected to a respective one of said contact strip extensions.

4. The current collector according to claim 3 , wherein said cylinders are hydraulic cylinders or compressed-air cylinders.

5. The current collector according to claim 1 , wherein said two contact strips are mounted parallel to one another and at a predetermined distance from one another on said support.

6. The current collector according to claim 1 , wherein said support orients and brings said two contact strips into electrically conductive contact with the contact wire being disposed along the direction of travel of the rail vehicle to implement current draw from the contact wire to said contact strips.

7. The current collector according to claim 1 , which further comprises conductive layers or graphite layers associated with said contact strips and said contact strip extensions, said conductive layers or graphite layers being disposed in a common plane to ensure a power draw from the contact wire without problems in said first position and in said second position.

8. The current collector according to claim 1 , wherein each of said contact strip extensions has one end with a respective horn, and said two contact strips having said first length are connected to one another at said respective ends of said two contact strips by respective connections implementing functionality of said horns to maintain consistent contact with overhead power lines.

9. The current collector according to claim 1 , wherein:
in said first position, said contact strip extensions are disposed parallel to said respective contact strips resulting in said total length of said contact strip with said respective contact strip extensions corresponding to said first length of said contact strip; and
in said second position, said contact strip extensions are disposed parallel to said respective contact strips resulting in said total length of said contact strip with said respective contact strip extensions corresponding to said second length being greater than said first length.

Assignees

• Siemens Mobility GmbH

Inventors

• Plabst Roland
• Wendler Dieter

Classifications

• B60L5/08

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

• B60L5/24

  Pantographs · CPC title

• B60L5/085

  with carbon contact members · CPC title

• B60L5/205

  with carbon contact members · CPC title

• B60L5/18

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