Non-rail-bound vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346361-B2
Application number	US-201214122865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2012
Priority date	May 27, 2011
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A non-rail bound vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle or a bus, has a current collector for feeding electrical energy from a two-pole overhead line. The contact wires of the overhead line are configured as forward and return conductors, and each can be contacted by at least one contact strip of the current collector. Due to the fact that the current collector is provided with two support extension arms, which are tiltably and rotatably hinged to both the vehicle and a rocker bearing the contact strips such that the rocker can be both raised and lowered and also can be moved transversely to the direction of travel, the current collector can be safely coupled to and decoupled from the contact wires, even at higher driving speeds of the vehicle. Furthermore, lateral inaccuracies with respect to a lane while steering the vehicle can be permanently compensated for by the current collector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A non-rail-bound vehicle, comprising:
a current collector for feeding in electrical energy from a two-pole overhead conductor, said current collector having sliding shoes for contacting contact wires of the two-pole overhead conductor being forward and return conductors, each of the conductors being contacted by at least one of said sliding shoes, said current collector having a rocker and two support booms, said sliding shoes mounted on said rocker, each of said support booms being articulated, on the vehicle and on said rocker, so that said two support booms can tilt about a horizontal axis such that said rocker can be both raised and lowered vertically and pivot about vertical axes such that said rocker can be moved at an angle to a direction of travel; and
a positioning drive for adjusting a pivoting movement of said support booms.

2. The non-rail-bound vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein said current collector has a positioning boom which is articulated both on the vehicle and on said rocker, such that said positioning boom can tilt and pivot parallel to said support booms, and at a vehicle end said positioning boom is coupled to said positioning drive such that said positioning drive can pivot said positioning boom, and with it said rocker, sideways.

3. The non-rail-bound vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein said support booms and said positioning boom from the vehicle to a lowered said rocker point in the direction of travel, and when said rocker is contacting the contact wires said support booms and said positioning boom enclose an acute angle with the direction of travel.

4. The non-rail-bound vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said rocker has for each of the contact wires two said sliding shoes disposed one behind the other in the direction of travel, said sliding shoes are aligned across the direction of travel and have a planned working range for sliding along the contact wires.

5. The non-rail-bound vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a driver's cab; and
a load body, said current collector is articulated onto the vehicle in a transitional area from said driver's cab to said load body.

6. The non-rail-bound vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising elevating springs, each of said support booms is coupled to one of said elevating springs, a restoring force of said elevating springs raises said rocker and presses said sliding shoes against the contact wires.

7. The non-rail-bound vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a position sensor for detecting an actual position of the vehicle relative to the contact wires.

8. The non-rail-bound vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising a regulation facility configured to determine a set point variable for said rocker from a comparison of the actual position of the vehicle as detected and a predefined target position, relative to the contact wires, which would maintain contact with the contact wires correctly within a working range of said sliding shoes, and to actuate said positioning drive in accordance with a set point variable which has been determined.

9. The non-rail-bound vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein said regulation facility is configured to actuate said positioning drive such that, by a to-and-fro pivoting movement of said rocker, said sliding shoes are worn down uniformly across their working range.

10. The non-rail-bound vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the non-rail-bound vehicle is selected from the group consisting of trucks and buses.

Assignees

• Francke Juergen
• Gerstenberg Frank
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Francke Juergen
• Gerstenberg Frank

Classifications

• B60L2240/12

  Speed · CPC title

• B60L2200/26

  Rail vehicles · CPC title

• B60L5/19

  using arrangements for effecting collector movement transverse to the direction of vehicle motion · CPC title

• B60L5/36

  with means for collecting current simultaneously from more than one conductor, e.g. from more than one phase · CPC title

• B60L5/08

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