Slidable current collector and method for contacting conductor rail

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12413035-B2
Application number	US-202217578072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2022
Priority date	Jan 18, 2022
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A slidable current collector has an array of terminals with carbon brushes for contacting conductor rails to deliver electrical power to a moving work machine. The terminals have upper sections with a conductive post, lower sections that include a reservoir of liquid metal, and bladders that connect the upper sections with the lower sections. Magnets surround outer shells of the terminals. Fluid above a threshold pressure fed into the bladders holds the upper sections apart from the lower sections and forces the magnets away from the conductor rails. Fluid below the threshold pressure allows the magnets to clamp the terminals to the conductor, lowers the conductive post into the liquid metal, and urges the carbon brushes against the conductor rails. The bladders provide a fluid suspension distributed across the array of terminals, enabling consistent electrical contact and wear for the carbon brushes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A terminal for an electric current collector, comprising:
a lower section comprising a carbon brush, a reservoir, and a conductive fluid within the reservoir, the reservoir and the conductive fluid being disposed about a central axis of the carbon brush, the carbon brush being electrically connected with the conductive fluid;
an upper section comprising a post, the post being hollow and defining at least an upper chamber along the central axis; and
a bridging section comprising a bladder and an insulative fluid within the bladder, the bladder being pliable, connecting the lower section with the upper section, and extending radially around the central axis.

2. The terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a body radially surrounding at least the lower section and the bridging section, the body including a shoulder and a neck, the neck contacting the post of the upper section.

3. The terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a body contacting the post of the upper section; and
a magnet contacting the body, the magnet radially surrounding the central axis, the lower section, and the body.

4. The terminal of claim 1 , further comprising a cap having a passageway in fluid communication with the upper chamber.

5. The terminal of claim 1 , wherein the upper section and the lower section are positioned along the central axis such that the insulative fluid within the bridging section is between the post of the upper section and the conductive fluid of the lower section.

6. The terminal of claim 1 , wherein the upper section and the lower section are positioned along the central axis such that at least a portion of the post of the upper section contacts the conductive fluid of the lower section.

7. The terminal of claim 1 , further comprising bearings within the lower section configured to enable movement of the carbon brush about the central axis.

8. The terminal of claim 1 , further comprising:
a piston within the lower section; and
a rod secured to the piston and extending through the upper chamber, the rod including a head positioned to limit movement of the upper section away from the lower section along the central axis.

9. The terminal of claim 1 , wherein the upper section is attached to the lower section by the bladder.

10. The terminal of claim 1 , wherein the carbon brush is divided into sections, pairs of the sections being separated by a lateral gap, at least two of the sections having a different composition.

11. An electric current collector for sliding in a direction along a power rail, comprising:
a frame having a substrate with a top surface and an underside;
a busbar positioned on the top surface; and
a first terminal and a second terminal aligned in a column along the direction and mounted between the top surface and the underside, the busbar electrically connecting the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal respectively comprises:
a carbon brush, a piston, a reservoir, and a conductive fluid within the reservoir, the carbon brush being aligned and electrically connected with the piston along a central axis, the conductive fluid radially surrounding and contacting at least a portion of the piston along the central axis;
an upper section comprising a post, the post being hollow and defining at least an upper chamber configured to loosely receive the piston along the central axis; and
a fluid suspension comprising an insulative fluid within a pliable bladder, the fluid suspension connecting the reservoir with the post and enabling movement of the carbon brush along the central axis.

12. The electric current collector of claim 11 , further comprising:
an angled inner side and an angled outer side on opposite sides of the substrate, the angled inner side having a first face on the underside inclined toward the column, the angled outer side having a second face on the underside inclined toward the column; and
an inner bumper on the underside between the column and the angled inner side, the inner bumper having a first wall inclined toward the column.

13. The electric current collector of claim 12 , further comprising:
an inner flange adjacent the angled inner side;
an outer flange adjacent the angled outer side, wherein the inner flange and the outer flange are lower than substrate along the central axis.

14. The electric current collector of claim 11 , further comprising tubes connecting the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal respectively include a cap having a passageway in fluid communication with the upper chamber.

15. The electric current collector of claim 11 , wherein the first terminal and the second terminal respectively further comprise:
a body contacting the post; and
a magnet contacting the body, the magnet radially surrounding the central axis and the body.

16. A method, comprising:
touching an electrical contact of a slidable terminal on a rail surface;
clamping the slidable terminal to the rail surface using, at least in part, an attractive force between a magnet surrounding a body of the slidable terminal and the rail surface; and
applying a downward force along a central axis between the electrical contact and the rail surface, the applying comprising:
directing a fluid through an upper section of the slidable terminal and into a region confined by an airbag, the airbag coupling the upper section and a lower section of the slidable terminal and being positioned radially around the central axis, and
adjusting pressure for the fluid to a first pressure level within the region; and sliding the electrical contact across the rail surface.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first pressure level positions a post of the upper section within a liquid metal of the lower section.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
adjusting the pressure for the fluid to a second pressure level, wherein the second pressure level expands the region confined by the airbag and positions the post apart from the liquid metal.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second pressure level generates an upward force on the body greater than the attractive force to overcome the clamping.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
moving the electrical contact angularly with bearings about the central axis during the sliding.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment Llc

Inventors

• Strashny Igor
• Rajesh Roopa

Classifications

• B60L5/08

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

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• B60L5/16

  Devices for lifting and resetting the collector (B60L5/34 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60L5/10

  Devices preventing the collector from jumping off · CPC title

• B60L2200/40

  Working vehicles · CPC title