ELECTROMAGNETIC SUCTION CUP AND POLE PLATE WITH CORROSION REDUCTION, AND APPLICATION TO LIGHT VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS
The electromagnetic suction cup and polar plate system with optimized ferritic stainless steel and magnetic design addresses structural complexity and conduction issues, ensuring reliable high-intensity current conduction and corrosion resistance for bicycle charging stations.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2023011733
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-24
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-10-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing bicycle fixing devices for charging stations are structurally complex and have unreliable electrical conduction for high-intensity charging currents, with connectors and conductive plates prone to degradation and poor contact surfaces.
An electromagnetic suction cup and polar plate system made of ferritic stainless steel with precise surface finishes and optimized magnetic circuit design, allowing direct electrical conduction without auxiliary means, ensuring robust magnetic attraction and corrosion resistance.
The system provides reliable, long-term electrical contact and simplified handling by eliminating the need for additional connectors, maintaining high-intensity current conduction despite adverse weather conditions.
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: ELECTROMAGNETIC SUCTION CUP AND POLE PLATE WITH REDUCED CORROSION, AND APPLICATION TO LIGHT VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to devices for immobilizing one or more shared light vehicles, for example bicycles, and more particularly relates to devices for fixing by electromagnetic suction cup and polar plate, specially adapted for securing one or more light vehicles with electrical propulsion or assistance, to a charging station which simultaneously ensures the charging of the accumulator battery(ies) of the light vehicle(s).
[0002] Document WO 2019 / 063948 A2 discloses a bicycle fixing device for immobilizing and storing bicycles at a charging station. The bicycles are fixed by male and female devices which fit into each other.
[0003] In this document, the male devices are equipped with a pole plate on the front face of a protruding boss, and the female devices are equipped with a permanent magnet electromagnetic suction cup housed in the bottom of the female housing. The pole plate is retained by magnetic attraction against the electromagnetic suction cup when the device is in a bicycle attachment state. The electromagnetic suction cup comprises a coil which, when supplied with electric current, creates a counter magnetic field neutralizing the magnetic field of the permanent magnet to uncouple the male and female devices and thus release the corresponding bicycle.
[0004] Furthermore, in this document, the male devices are equipped with spring-loaded electrical connectors, arranged protruding around the periphery of the boss, and the female devices are equipped with electrically conductive plates, arranged on the inner side faces of the female housing, and against which the electrical connectors come into contact when the device is in the bicycle attachment state. In this way, the charging current of the storage batteries can be conducted by the male and female devices themselves, which simultaneously ensure the attachment of the bicycle and the transmission of the charging current.
[0005] Such a fixing device is not entirely satisfactory, on the one hand because its structure is complex, on the other hand because the conduction of the electric charging current is not reliably ensured.
[0006] Indeed, the male and female devices are structures made complex by the presence of connectors equipped with springs to compensate for poor alignment between male devices and female devices, and by the presence of conductive plates which must be positioned correctly opposite the connectors.
[0007] Furthermore, the connectors and the conductive plates are less robust elements and have a necessarily limited contact surface, which makes it difficult and random to achieve satisfactory electrical contact for conducting relatively high intensity electrical charging currents. Statement of the invention
[0008] A problem proposed by the present invention is to design means for constituting a simpler fixing device, which avoids the addition of connectors and auxiliary electrical conduction plates, and which ensures better conduction of high intensity electrical charging currents.
[0009] At the same time, the invention aims to avoid the progressive degradation of the electrical conduction qualities of the fixing device, in particular during use in which the device is subjected to bad weather.
[0010] To achieve these and other objects, according to a first aspect, the invention provides an electromagnetic suction cup of the type comprising a main body with a contact end face against which a movable polar plate can come to bear along a front contact face, the main body comprising a magnetic circuit with two coplanar poles forming the contact end face, the magnetic circuit comprising a core having a first end forming the first pole and having a second end connected by a transverse bottom wall to a coaxial tubular portion surrounding the core and the free end of which forms the second pole, a magnetic excitation coil occupying an internal annular space between the core and the coaxial tubular portion of the magnetic circuit; furthermore, according to the invention: - the main body comprises, away from its contact end face, a means of electrical connection of suction cup, - the two poles are made of ferritic or martensitic stainless steel, preferably ferritic stainless steel, and are free of any surface layer resulting from an anti-corrosion treatment, - both poles have a roughness criterion Ra less than 0.8 pm, - the entire surface of the two poles has a flatness of less than 3 / 100 mm, preferably less than 2 / 100 mm.
[0011] An electromagnetic suction cup thus constituted makes it possible to obtain, and maintain over time despite bad weather, a satisfactory quality of contact, for conduct the charging electric currents by passing the electric currents directly through the contact surface between the electromagnetic pad and a movable pole plate. This eliminates the need for auxiliary electrical conduction means, and male and female embedding forms require less precision.
[0012] Preferably, the core, the bottom transverse wall and the coaxial tubular portion are made of said ferritic or martensitic stainless steel, preferably said ferritic stainless steel.
[0013] The production of these elements in a single material is simpler, and does not harm the magnetic attraction and electrical conduction properties of the electromagnetic suction cup.
[0014] Advantageously, the electromagnetic suction cup may comprise a permanent magnet, for example inserted between the second end of the core and the transverse bottom wall, thus forming an electromagnetic suction cup with current emission.
[0015] Such an electromagnetic suction cup with current emission makes it possible to ensure permanent fixing of a light vehicle in the absence of any consumption of electrical energy, the electrical energy being expended only to power the magnetic excitation coil and thus inhibit the fixing force of the light vehicle when a user wishes.
[0016] In the advantageous case of using a current-emitting electromagnetic suction cup equipped with a permanent magnet, but also in the case of a current-breaking electromagnetic suction cup without a permanent magnet, better properties for maintaining good electrical contact quality between the electromagnetic suction cup and the polar plate can be obtained by maximizing the magnetic attraction force of the polar plate by the electromagnetic suction cup. Indeed, a maximum attraction force improves the long-term preservation of good electrical contact between the electromagnetic suction cup and the movable polar plate during the stages of passage of the electric recharging current, stages during which heating produced by the electric recharging current tends to accelerate corrosion of the electrical contact surfaces.
[0017] To this end, the invention aims to significantly increase the magnetic force of the electromagnetic suction cup without having to increase the power supply to the magnetic excitation coil (for current-breaking suction cups), and without having to resort to a larger magnet or a higher remanent field which would lead to a high cost (for current-emitting suction cups).
[0018] This can be achieved by using one or more of the following features of the electromagnetic suction cup, aimed at optimizing the magnetic circuit: - the core, the bottom transverse wall and the permanent magnet may be assembled by an axial screw made of a non-magnetic material, advantageously of a non-magnetic steel, so as to reduce magnetic field leakage from the magnetic circuit, - the core forming the first pole may comprise a first polar surface restriction, produced in the form of a conical bore made from the first end of the core, or produced in the form of a short cylindrical bore made from the first end of the core and extended by a conical bore, having a base width L1 and a height H1, - the coaxial tubular portion may comprise, in the vicinity of its free end, a second polar surface restriction, produced in the form of an external chamfer from its free end, and having a height H2 and a width L2, - the dimensions L1, H1, L2,H2 polar surface restrictions can be chosen close to their value ensuring the obtaining of a maximum magnetic retaining force, so as to optimize the magnetic circuit.
[0019] A local restriction of the polar surface S of the first and / or second pole makes it possible to locally increase the magnetic induction generating the magnetic force of attraction between the poles and the movable polar plate, without however saturating the rest of the magnetic circuit. Indeed, the magnetic flux being equal to the product of the magnetic induction B multiplied by the surface S or cross-section crossed by the magnetic flux, and the magnetic flux being constant, any restriction of the surface S will contribute to the inversely proportional increase of the magnetic induction B. However, the magnetic force is proportional to the square of the magnetic induction B, multiplied by the surface S. Thus, any increase in the magnetic induction B increases the magnetic force significantly and this despite the reduction in the surface S, the effect of which is less due to the squaring of the magnetic induction B.
[0020] By reducing the polar surface of the first and / or second pole, one also contributes to reducing the residual air gaps between the poles and the polar plate.
[0021] According to a second aspect, the invention proposes a movable polar plate, shaped to come into abutment along a front contact face against a contact end face of an electromagnetic suction cup as defined above, and in which: - the movable polar plate comprises, away from its front contact face, a means of electrical connection of the polar plate, - the front contact face of the movable polar plate is made of said ferritic or martensitic stainless steel, preferably said ferritic stainless steel, and is free of any surface layer resulting from an anti-corrosion treatment, - the front contact face of the movable polar plate has a criterion of roughness Ra less than 0.8 pm, - the front contact face of the movable polar plate has a flatness of less than 3 / 100 mm, preferably less than 2 / 100 mm.
[0022] Such a mobile polar plate thus constituted makes it possible to obtain, and to maintain over time despite bad weather, a satisfactory quality of contact for conducting the electric recharging currents by passing the electric recharging current directly through the contact surface between an electromagnetic suction cup and the mobile polar plate.
[0023] Preferably, the movable polar plate is made of said ferritic or martensitic stainless steel, preferably of said ferritic stainless steel.
[0024] The production of the movable polar plate in a single material is simpler, and does not harm the magnetic attraction and electrical conduction properties of the movable polar plate.
[0025] The movable polar plate may advantageously comprise a fixing member connected to a rear face of the movable polar plate by a ball joint, preferably provided with an elastic return means.
[0026] According to a third aspect, the invention proposes a fixing and recharging device designed to fix and recharge one or more shared light vehicles, the device comprising: - a charging power supply designed to deliver an electric current for recharging accumulator batteries, - at least one of a first electromagnetic suction cup or a first movable polar plate as defined above, arranged and disposed on a receiving face of the fixing and recharging device to receive in support the other of the first electromagnetic suction cup or the first movable polar plate arranged on a first fixing face of a light vehicle, - each of said light vehicles having at least one movable polar plate as defined above arranged on a first fixing face, and at least one electromagnetic suction cup as defined above arranged on a second fixing face opposite the first fixing face, - the attachment of said light vehicle(s) to the attachment and recharging device being ensured by the magnetic attraction between said electromagnetic suction cups and said alternating mobile polar plates, - the conduction of the electric charging current between the charging power supply and the accumulator batteries of said light vehicle(s) being ensured through the series electric circuit constituted by said electromagnetic suction cups, said movable polar plates, said suction cup electrical connection means, said polar plate electrical connection means, and the first and second main drivers.
[0027] Preferably, to ensure good fixing of light vehicles, it can be provided that: - the fixing and recharging device comprises two first electromagnetic suction cups as defined above or two first movable polar plates as defined above, arranged and disposed on said receiving face to receive in support respectively two movable polar plates or two corresponding electromagnetic suction cups arranged on a first fixing face of a light vehicle, - each of said light vehicles having two corresponding movable polar plates as defined above arranged on a first fixing face, and two corresponding electromagnetic suction cups as defined above arranged on a second fixing face opposite the first fixing face.
[0028] Thanks to the good electrical conduction qualities of the fixing means constituted by the electromagnetic suction cups and the polar plates, the means for fixing light vehicles to a charging station can themselves constitute the electrical circuit for conducting the electric charging current of these light vehicles. This results in a simplification of handling of the fixing device for the user, because the user does not have to worry about connecting or disconnecting the elements constituting the electrical circuit for conducting the electric charging current between them: he simply has to manipulate the elements ensuring the fixing or the release of the holding of the light vehicle(s). This also results in a simplification of construction of the fixing device, since there is no need to provide additional means for conducting the electric charging current.
[0029] According to another aspect, the invention proposes to use an electromagnetic suction cup and / or a movable polar plate as defined above in a fixing and recharging device designed to fix and recharge one or more shared light vehicles. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, made in relation to the attached figures, among which:
[0031] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] is a front perspective view of an electro suction cup assembly magnetic - movable polar plate in fixing position, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a rear perspective view of the electro suction cup assembly magnetic - movable polar plate of [Fig.l];
[0033] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a sectional side view of the electromagnet suction cup assembly genetics - mobile polar plate of [Fig.l];
[0034] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is an exploded perspective view of the electro suction cup assembly magnetic - movable polar plate of [Fig.l];
[0035] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is an exploded sectional side view of the electromagnetic suction cup - movable pole plate assembly of [Fig.l];
[0036] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a sectional side view of a movable pole plate according to the invention associated with a ball joint; and
[0037] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] schematically illustrates a device for fixing and recharging according to the invention, associated with light bicycle-type vehicles. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0038] When identical reference numerals are used in several figures, embodiments or variants of the invention, these reference numerals designate identical or similar elements in each of the figures, embodiments or variants.
[0039] We first consider the electromagnetic suction cup 1, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, comprising a main body 2 with a contact end face 3 against which a movable polar plate 20 is held by magnetic attraction. The main body 2 comprises a magnetic circuit with two coplanar poles P1 and P2 which form the contact end face 3.
[0040] The magnetic circuit comprises a core 4 whose first end 5 forms the first pole P1 and whose second end 6 is connected by a transverse bottom wall 7 to a coaxial tubular portion 8 surrounding the core 4 and whose free end 9 forms the second pole P2. A magnetic excitation coil 10 occupies an internal annular space 11 between the core 4 and the coaxial tubular portion 8 of the magnetic circuit. The magnetic excitation coil 10 is powered by means of a power supply connector 12 comprising two electrical conductors each connected to a respective end of the coil winding.
[0041] As illustrated in [Fig. 3], the first pole PI comprises a first restriction 13 of its cross-section in the vicinity of its first end 5. This first restriction 13 of polar surface is produced in the form of a conical bore made from the first end 5 of the core 4, or produced in the form of a short cylindrical bore made from the first end 5 of the core 4 and extended by a conical bore.
[0042] As can be seen better in [Fig.5], the second pole P2 has a second restriction 14 of its cross-section in the vicinity of its free end 9. This second restriction 14 of polar surface is produced in the form of an external chamfer.
[0043] This reduces the polar surfaces of the poles PI and P2 intended to come into contact with the movable polar plate 20, which has the effect of increasing the magnetic retaining force of the movable polar plate 20 by the electromagnetic suction cup 1.
[0044] Another way to increase the magnetic retaining force is to optimize the magnetic circuit by an appropriate choice of certain dimensions. For this, the dimensions illustrated in [Fig. 5] are considered: the width L1 and the height H1 of the conical bore of the first polar surface restriction 13, the width L2 and the height H2 of the chamfer of the second polar surface restriction 14.
[0045] Although the reduction in the surface area of the poles P1 and P2 proves to be advantageous at first, since it causes an increase in the magnetic retaining force, there is a limit beyond which any further reduction in the surface area of these surfaces would be to the detriment of the magnetic retaining force, due to an increase in the reluctance of the magnetic circuit of the electromagnetic suction cup. This leads to seeking an optimal value for the surface area of the poles P1 and P2 for a given suction cup, by determining the optimal values of the width L2 of the chamfer of the second polar surface restriction 14 and of the width L1 of the conical bore of the first polar surface restriction 13.
[0046] The choice of the optimal values of L1, L2, H1 and H2 can be carried out by comparative tests of measurement of magnetic retaining force, for a given electrical power of magnetic excitation coil 10, and for different forms of magnetic circuit by varying the parameters L1, L2, H1 and H2.
[0047] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 to 5, the electromagnetic suction cup 1 comprises a permanent magnet 15, inserted between the second end 6 of the core 4 and the bottom transverse wall 7, thus forming a current-emitting electromagnetic suction cup. The core 4, the bottom transverse wall 7 and the permanent magnet 15 are secured by an axial screw 16 made of non-magnetic material, for example non-magnetic steel.
[0048] As can be seen in [Fig. 5], the axial screw 16 has a tapped hole constituting an electrical connection means for the suction cup 17 for the passage of an electric charging current: an electrical conductor can be connected to the main body 2 of the electromagnetic suction cup 1, the end of which is provided with a terminal pressed against the external face of the transverse bottom wall 7 by a screw which is engaged in the tapped hole constituting the electrical connection means for the suction cup 17.
[0049] As seen in Figures 1 and 5, the main body 2 comprises, away from the contact end face 3, suction cup fixing means 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the suction cup fixing means 18 comprise three tapped holes opening onto the external face of the transverse bottom wall 7, and capable of receiving fixing screws.
[0050] According to the present invention, the two poles PI and P2 are made of a steel inferritic or martensitic oxidizable steel, preferably made of a ferritic stainless steel. In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the core 4, the transverse wall 7 and the coaxial tubular portion 8 are made of the same ferritic or martensitic stainless steel, preferably made of the same ferritic stainless steel. In this way, the steel constituting the magnetic circuit has both corrosion resistance properties and satisfactory magnetic properties. The corrosion resistance of the steel chosen makes it possible to constitute the contact surfaces of the two poles PI and P2 with the steel itself constituting the magnetic circuit, without it being necessary to treat the contact surfaces with an anti-corrosion treatment. Such an anti-corrosion treatment itself produces a surface layer which resists corrosion, but which does not have good magnetic properties.In other words, the use of such steel makes it possible to avoid the presence of the corrosion-resistant surface layer, which layer necessarily constitutes an air gap which reduces the magnetic retaining force of the polar plate 20 by the electromagnetic suction cup 1.
[0051] According to the invention, the contact surfaces of the two poles PI and P2 have a roughness criterion Ra of less than 0.8 pm, and all of the contact surfaces of the two poles PI and P2 have a flatness of less than 3 / 100 mm, preferably less than 2 / 100 mm.
[0052] We then consider the movable polar plate 20 as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5. This polar plate 20 comprises a front contact face 21 and an opposite rear face 22.
[0053] The front contact face 21 of the movable polar plate 20 is made of said ferritic or martensitic stainless steel used for the electromagnetic suction cup 1, preferably of said ferritic stainless steel. Preferably, the movable polar plate 20 is made entirely of said ferritic or martensitic stainless steel used for the electromagnetic suction cup 1, preferably of said ferritic stainless steel.
[0054] Furthermore, the front contact face 21 of the movable polar plate 20 has a roughness criterion Ra of less than 0.8 pm, and has a flatness of less than 3 / 100 mm, preferably less than 2 / 100 mm.
[0055] The rear face 22 of the movable polar plate 20 comprises plate fixing means 23. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the plate fixing means 23 comprise three tapped holes opening onto the rear face of the movable polar plate 20, and capable of receiving fixing screws.
[0056] In the preferred embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 6], the plate fixing means 23 further comprise a plate fixing member 24 in the form of a threaded rod having a head 25 in the form of a spherical crown engaged in a housing 26 secured to the movable polar plate 20, with an elastic return means such as a compression spring 27 pushing the head 25 away from the movable polar plate 20. In this way, the plate fixing member 24 is connected to the rear face 22 of the movable polar plate 20 by a ball joint comprising an elastic return means 27.
[0057] As seen in Figures 2 to 4, the rear face 22 of the movable polar plate 20 comprises electrical plate connection means 28 for the passage of an electric recharging current. In the embodiment illustrated in these figures, the electrical plate connection means 28 comprise a tapped hole: an electrical conductor can be connected to the movable polar plate 20, the end of which is provided with a terminal pressed against the rear face 22 of the movable polar plate 20 by a screw which is engaged in the tapped hole constituting the electrical plate connection means 28.
[0058] [Fig. 7] schematically illustrates a fixing and recharging device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention, shaped to fix and recharge one or more light shared vehicles such as bicycles. In [Fig. 7], the fixing and recharging of three bicycles 50a, 50b and 50c is illustrated by way of example. Naturally, the fixing and recharging device 30 can be applied to a different number of bicycles, and to other types of light vehicles such as scooters, tricycles or even four-wheeled vehicles.
[0059] This fixing and recharging device 30 comprises a recharging power supply 31, shaped to deliver an electric current for recharging accumulator batteries, and comprises a receiving face 32 having two fixing means 33 and 34, spaced from each other and arranged to come into correspondence with complementary fixing means 35 and 36 provided on a first fixing face 37 of a first light vehicle 50a. The first light vehicle 50a comprises, on a second fixing face 38 opposite the first fixing face 37, two fixing means 39 and 40, of the same type as the fixing means 33 and 34 of the recharging station 31, and having the same spacing as the two fixing means 33 and 34. The other light vehicles are structured in a similar manner, with fixing means 33 and 34 and complementary fixing means 35 and 36.
[0060] The fixing means 33 and 34 as well as the fixing means 39 and 40 may consist either of an electromagnetic suction cup 1 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, or of a movable polar plate 20 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6. The complementary fixing means 35 and 36 must consist of complementary elements, i.e. of a movable polar plate 20 if the fixing means 33, 34, 39 and 40 consist of an electromagnetic suction cup 1, or of an electromagnetic suction cup 1 if the fixing means 33, 34, 39 and 40 consist of a movable polar plate 20.
[0061] The attachment of the first light vehicle 50a to the attachment and recharging device 30 is ensured by the magnetic attraction between the electromagnetic suction cups and the corresponding movable polar plates constituting respectively the attachment means 33 and 34 and the complementary attachment means 35 and 36 facing each other. The magnetic attraction is produced by the permanent magnets present in the electromagnetic suction cups. It is sufficient to approach the first light vehicle 50a by matching the respective attachment means to ensure the attachment of this first light vehicle 50a to the attachment and recharging device 30.
[0062] It is then sufficient to approach a second light vehicle 50b by matching the respective fixing means to ensure the fixing of this second light vehicle 50b to the first light vehicle 50a, and so on for a third light vehicle 50c.
[0063] The removal of the last light vehicle from the stack of vehicles can then be carried out by powering the magnetic excitation coils of the corresponding electromagnetic suction cups, to inhibit the magnetic retaining force. The power supply of the magnetic excitation coils is carried out by electrical control conductors 41a and 41b connecting the coil power connectors 12 of said electromagnetic suction cups to a control member 41 in the fixing and recharging device 30.
[0064] Since the electromagnetic suction cups 1 and the movable polar plates 20 according to the invention are structured so as to be able to correctly conduct an electric charging current, the conduction of the electric charging currents between the charging power supply 31 and the accumulator batteries of the light vehicles 50a, 50b and 50c is ensured through the series electrical circuit constituted by said electromagnetic suction cups 1, said movable polar plates 20, the suction cup electrical connection means 17, the polar plate electrical connection means 28, and main conductors 31a and 31b.
[0065] For example, for a direct current supply delivered by the charging power supply 31, the positive pole of the charging power supply 31 can be connected to the positive pole of the storage battery of the first light vehicle 50a via a first main conductor 31a and the fixing means 34 and 36, while the negative pole of the charging power supply 31 can be connected to the negative pole of the storage battery of the first light vehicle 50a via a second main conductor 31b and the fixing means 33 and 35.
[0066] For recharging the second light vehicle 50b, the recharging current coming from the positive pole of the recharging power supply 31 can pass through the fixing means 36 and 40 of the first light vehicle 50a, then return to the negative pole of the charging power supply 31 by passing through the fixing means 39 and 35 of the first light vehicle. 50a, and so on for the third light vehicle 50c. The storage batteries of the light vehicles are thus connected in parallel to the charging power supply 31.
[0067] It will be understood that, during recharging, high-intensity recharging currents can pass through the contacts between the electromagnetic suction cups 1 and the movable polar plates 20. For example, during simultaneous recharging of the three light vehicles 50a, 50b and 50c, the contacts between the fixing means 34 and 36, and the contacts between the fixing means 35 and 33 on the other hand, are traversed by all the recharging currents of the three vehicles. The means proposed by the present invention make it possible to correctly conduct such high-intensity recharging currents.
[0068] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variations and generalizations contained within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
Claims
1. Electromagnetic suction cup (1) of the type comprising a main body (2) with a contact end face (3) against which a movable polar plate (20) can come to bear along a front contact face (21), the main body (2) comprising a magnetic circuit with two coplanar poles (PI, P2) forming the contact end face (3), the magnetic circuit comprising a core (4) having a first end (5) forming the first pole (PI) and having a second end (6) connected by a transverse bottom wall (7) to a coaxial tubular portion (8) surrounding the core (4) and the free end (9) of which forms the second pole (P2), a magnetic excitation coil (10) occupying an internal annular space (11) between the core (4) and the coaxial tubular portion (8) of the magnetic circuit, characterized in that: - the main body (2) comprises, away from its contact end face (3),a suction cup electrical connection means (17), - the two poles (PI, P2) are made of a ferritic or martensitic stainless steel, preferably a ferritic stainless steel, and are devoid of any surface layer resulting from an anti-corrosion treatment, - the two poles (PI, P2) have a roughness criterion Ra of less than 0.8 pm, - all of the surfaces of the two poles (PI, P2) have a flatness of less than 3 / 100 mm, preferably less than 2 / 100 mm.,
2. Electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to claim 1, wherein the core (4), the bottom transverse wall (7) and the coaxial tubular portion (8) are made of said ferritic or martensitic stainless steel, preferably said ferritic stainless steel.
3. Electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, comprising a permanent magnet (15) inserted between the second end (6) of the core (4) and the transverse bottom wall (7), thus forming a current-emitting electromagnetic suction cup.
4. Electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to claim 3, in which the core (4), the bottom transverse wall (7) and the permanent magnet (15) are assembled by an axial screw (16) made of non-magnetic material, advantageously made of non-magnetic steel.
5. Electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to any one of the claims- indications 1 to 4, in which the core (4) forming the first pole (PI) comprises a first restriction (13) of polar surface, produced in the form of a conical bore made from the first end (5) of the core (4), having a base width (Ll) and a height (Hl).
6. Electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the core (4) forming the first pole (PI) comprises a first restriction (13), produced in the form of a short cylindrical bore made from the first end (5) of the core (4) and extended by a conical bore, having a base width (Ll) and a height (Hl).
7. Electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the coaxial tubular portion (8) comprises, in the vicinity of its free end (9), a second restriction (14) of polar surface, produced in the form of an external chamfer from its free end (9), and having a height (H2) and a width (L2).
8. Electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to one of claims 5 or 6 taken in combination with claim 7, characterized in that the dimensions (L1, H1; L2, H2) of the polar surface restrictions (13; 14) are chosen close to their value ensuring the obtaining of a maximum magnetic retaining force.
9. Movable polar plate (20) shaped to bear along a front contact face (21) against a contact end face (3) of an electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which: - the movable polar plate (20) comprises, away from its front contact face (21), a polar plate electrical connection means (28), - the front contact face (21) of the movable polar plate (20) is made of said ferritic or martensitic stainless steel, preferably said ferritic stainless steel, and is devoid of any surface layer resulting from an anti-corrosion treatment, - the front contact face (21) of the movable polar plate (20) has a roughness criterion Ra of less than 0.8 pm, - the front contact face (21) of the movable polar plate (20) has a flatness of less than 3 / 100 mm, preferably less than 2 / 100 mm.
10. Movable polar plate (20) according to claim 9, constituted by said ferritic or martensitic stainless steel, preferably by said ferritic stainless steel.
11. Movable polar plate (20) according to one of claims 9 or 10, comprising a fixing member (24) connected to a rear face (22) of the movable polar plate (20) by a ball joint (25, 26).
12. Movable pole plate (20) according to claim 11, in which the ball joint (25, 26) is provided with an elastic return means (27).
13. Fixing and recharging device (30) shaped to fix and recharge one or more light vehicles (50a, 50b, 50c) in sharing, the device comprising: - a recharging power supply (31) shaped to deliver an electric current for recharging accumulator batteries, - at least one of a first electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or a first movable polar plate (20) according to any one of claims 9 to 12, arranged and arranged on a receiving face (32) of the fixing and recharging device (30) to receive in support the other of the first electromagnetic suction cup (1) or the first movable polar plate (20) arranged on a first fixing face (37) of a light vehicle (50a), - each of said light vehicles (50a, 50b, 50c) having at least one movable polar plate (20) according to any one of claims 9 to 12 arranged on a first fixing face (37),and at least one electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 arranged on a second fixing face (38) opposite the first fixing face (37), - the fixing of said light vehicle(s) (50a, 50b, 50c) to the fixing and recharging device (30) being ensured by the magnetic attraction between said electromagnetic suction cups (1) and said alternating movable polar plates (20), - the conduction of the electric recharging current between the recharging power supply (31) and the storage batteries of said light vehicle(s) (50a, 50b, 50c) being ensured through the series electric circuit constituted by said electromagnetic suction cups (1), said movable polar plates (20), said suction cup electrical connection means (17), said polar plate electrical connection means (28), and first and second main conductors (31a, 31b).,
14. A fixing and recharging device according to claim 13, in which : - the fixing and recharging device (30) comprises two first electromagnetic suction cups (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or two first movable polar plates (20) according to any one of claims 9 to 12, arranged and arranged on said receiving face (32) to receive in support respectively two movable polar plates (20) or two corresponding electromagnetic suction cups (1) arranged on a first fixing face (37) of a light vehicle (50a), - each of said light vehicles (50a, 50b, 50c) having two corresponding movable polar plates (20) according to any one of claims 9 to 12 arranged on a first fixing face (37), and two corresponding electromagnetic suction cups (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 arranged on a second fixing face (38) opposite the first fixing face (37).
15. Use of an electromagnetic suction cup (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and / or a movable polar plate (20) according to any one of claims 9 to 12 in a fixing and recharging device (30) designed to fix and recharge one or more light vehicles (50a, 50b, 50c) in sharing.