Contact member for current collector

Abstract

A contact member (100) for a current collector (200) of an electric road vehicle (10), the contact member (100) being configured to be attached to a first end (204) of an arm (202) of the current collector (200), the contact member (100) comprising: a support structure (102); and a conductive pick-up (104) having braided strips (106, 108), the conductive pick-up (104) being attached to the support structure (102).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to power supply to electric vehicles, and more particularly to a contact member for a current collector for an electric vehicle, a current collector for an electric vehicle, and an electric vehicle comprising a current collector. [Background technology]

[0002] Electric vehicles are becoming more and more common as traditional fuel-powered vehicles are phased out. Electric vehicles generally offer benefits in terms of reducing the environmental impact of driving and the logistics involved. However, the transition of road transportation of both people and goods from traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles places great demands on the infrastructure to power the electric vehicles.

[0003] The number of charging stations capable of charging electric vehicles is increasing. However, charging an electric vehicle at a charging station takes a relatively long time and may not be a practical option, for example for transportation vehicles. An emerging alternative or complement to charging stations is electric roadway tracks that can provide power while the vehicle is moving. This offers benefits such as reducing the size of the vehicle's battery, reducing the need to stop at a charging station to recharge the battery, and improving the range of the electric vehicle.

[0004] Conductive power transfer from the electric road track to the electric vehicle requires a current collector on the vehicle to be placed in contact with the electric road track to establish an electrical connection with the electric road track. However, the relative movement between the current collector and the electric road track and the friction between the two cause certain problems involving wear. Therefore, manufacturers of devices that supply power from the electric road track to the vehicle are constantly striving to improve the reliability and durability of the interface between the electric road track and the electric vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle with a contact member, current collector and current collector that reduces some of the problems in the prior art solutions.

[0006] More specifically, in accordance with the teachings herein, there is provided a contact member for a current collector of an electric road vehicle, the contact member configured to be attached to a first end of an arm of the current collector, the contact member comprising a support structure and a conductive pick-up with a braided strip and attached to the support structure and configured to establish contact with an electric road track for conductively picking up power from the electric road track.

[0007] The braided strip may have a widthwise extension relative to the electric road track along which the conductive pick-up is configured to conductively pick up power, facilitating control to maintain conductive contact between the contact members and the electric road track as the vehicle moves along the electric road track, so that part of the eventual deviation of the vehicle from a path defined by an extension of the electric road track may be compensated for by the widthwise extension of the braided strip.

[0008] The conductive pick-up may comprise a stack of a plurality of braided strips, the stack may comprise between 1 and 14 braided strips disposed within the stack.

[0009] A first braided strip of the braided strips in the stack may be formed from a first conductive material, and a second braided strip of the braided strips in the stack may be formed from a second conductive material. The first conductive material may be copper, and the second conductive material may be stainless steel. Arranging the braided strips in the stack formed from different conductive materials is beneficial in terms of improving the wear resistance of the contact member while maintaining the desired conductive properties of the contact member. Thus, the braided strips may further be arranged in an alternating manner. The alternating arrangement of the first braided strip and the second braided strip may provide a contact member that provides a sufficiently low electrical resistance, and therefore a high electrical conductivity, while having high durability and improved wear resistance.

[0010] The layers of the stack may be offset relative to one another in a direction parallel to the electric road track on which the conductive pick-up is configured to conductively pick up power, and each layer of the stack may comprise one of a plurality of braided strips. The offset arrangement of the layers of the stack, each layer preferably comprising a braided strip, facilitates contact between each of the layers and the electric road track. Thus, wear is distributed to each of the layers of the stack, while the surface area of ​​contact between the contact members and the electric road track is increased.

[0011] The threads in the braided strip of the conductive pick-up may comprise a composite material including metal and graphene, the metal / graphene composite providing high electrical conductivity, high wear resistance and low weight.

[0012] The braided strip of the conductive pick-up may comprise threads formed from a first conductive material and threads formed from a second conductive material. Braiding / intertwining threads of different conductive materials to form the braided strip makes it easier to tailor the desired properties of the braided strip.

[0013] The first conductive material may include stainless steel and the second conductive material may include one or more of copper and aluminum.

[0014] A first braided strip may be disposed as the outermost of the braided strips. The braided strip may be formed from a conductive material, including stainless steel, to provide high wear resistance and durability. The outermost braided strip is the strip disposed first relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle, i.e., the braided strip that encounters the least amount of dirt, pebbles, and any other debris that may be present on the electric roadway track. Providing a conductive pick-up with a highly durable first braided strip disposed outermost facilitates providing a contact member that wears evenly and has improved overall durability.

[0015] The support structure may comprise a resilient member, and the conductive pickups may be attached to the resilient member, which facilitates the establishment of a uniform contact pressure on the electric roadway track by the conductive pickups, so that wear can be distributed evenly across the conductive pickups and electrical conductivity is improved as the contact area increases.

[0016] The resilient member may be formed from a spring. The spring steel may include steel and / or stainless steel.

[0017] The elastic member may comprise a number of tongues, the conductive pick-ups being attached to the tips of the tongues, which can move elastically and independently of one another, thus allowing the conductive pick-ups to conform to the shape of the electric road track, so that the force from the conductive pick-ups to the electric road track is uniform across the contacts, reducing and distributing wear, while providing good electrical conduction due to the large contact surface area.

[0018] The thickness of the conductive pick-up may be in the range of 2mm to 70mm.

[0019] The thickness of each layer in the laminate may be in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm.

[0020] The height of the conductive pick-up may be in the range of 10mm to 70mm.

[0021] The contact member may further comprise a removable attachment element configured to removably attach the braided strip to the support structure such that the braided strip can be easily replaced, for example when worn.

[0022] In a second aspect, there is provided a current collector comprising a contact member according to the first aspect.

[0023] In a third aspect there is provided an electric road vehicle comprising a current collector according to the second aspect, said current collector being mounted to a chassis of said electric road vehicle.

[0024] In general, all terms used in the claims should be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the art unless otherwise defined herein. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all references to a / an / the [element, device, component, means, step, etc.] should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of said element, said device, said part, said means, said step, etc. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless expressly stated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] The above and additional aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals will be used for similar elements, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 discloses a side view of a vehicle equipped with a current collector. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 discloses a front view of the current collector. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 discloses a perspective view of a conductive pick-up. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 discloses a front view of the contact member. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 discloses a side view of a current collector positioned in contact with an electric roadway track. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 discloses a side view of a current collector positioned in contact with an electric roadway track. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 discloses a rear view of a current collector positioned in contact with an electric roadway track. Detailed Description of the Drawings

[0026] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0027] 1 discloses an electric vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 is shown as a car, although the teachings herein may be applied to trucks, buses, and other vehicles. The vehicle 10 travels on a roadway provided with an electric roadway track 20 that is configured to conductively power the vehicle 10.

[0028] The vehicle 10 is provided with a current collector 200 in accordance with the teachings herein that is mounted to the chassis 12 of the vehicle 10. However, the current collector 200 may be mounted elsewhere on the vehicle 10, i.e., not directly to the chassis 12.

[0029] Although the vehicle 10 is shown provided with three current collectors 200, any number of current collectors 200 may be attached to the vehicle 10. As the vehicle 10 travels in a forward direction along the longitudinal direction R of the electric road track 20, the contact members 100 slide against the electric road track 20 to conductively supply power to the vehicle 10. Each of the current collectors 200 includes a contact member 100 configured to contact the electric road track 20.

[0030] Fig. 2 shows the current collector 200 from the front, i.e. from the side of the current collector 200 that is arranged facing the electric road track 20 and in the direction in which the vehicle 10 moves. The current collector 200 comprises a contact member 100 configured to be attached to a first end 204 of an arm 202 of the current collector 200. The embodiment shown in Fig. 2 comprises two arms 202 between which the contact member 100 extends in a width direction T relative to the electric road track 20. The arms 202 are pivotable relative to the vehicle 10 to which the current collector 200 is attached, allowing the contact member 100 to be raised or lowered depending on whether the vehicle 10 is traveling on the electric road track 20 or not.

[0031] The contact member 100 is configured to be in conductive contact with the electric road track 20 when the vehicle 10 moves along the track 20. Thus, the contact member 100 is subject to friction and wear caused by interaction with the electric road track 20. The contact member 100 preferably achieves a large contact area between the electric road track 20, particularly the contact line (not shown) of the electric road track 20, and the contact member 100 to facilitate electrical conduction with low resistance for power transmission. To achieve a large contact area, the contact member 100 needs to be pressed against the electric road track 20 with a certain force, which will inevitably cause increased friction and increased wear, so these two factors are to some extent mutually opposed.

[0032] The contact member 100 disclosed herein comprises a support structure 102. The support structure 102 is configured to support a conductive pickup 104 mounted thereon, which in turn is configured to be part of the contact member 100 arranged to contact and draw power from the electric roadway track 20. The conductive pickup 104 is thus connected to the vehicle 10, specifically to the electric system of the vehicle 10, via one or more conductive elements, such as, for example, conductive wires. The transmission and provision of power from the current collector 200 to the battery of the vehicle 10 can be achieved by many methods realized by those skilled in the art and is not particularly important for the teachings herein. Therefore, it will not be further detailed in the present disclosure.

[0033] The conductive pick-up 104 comprises braided strips 106, 108. The braided strips 106, 108 allow the pick-up 104 to have the required flexibility while facilitating the provision of a sufficiently high wear resistance. The braided strips 106, 108 and / or the conductive pick-up 104 may further be removably attached to the support structure 102 so that the braided strips 106, 108 can be replaced when worn. Preferably, the ends of the braided strips 106, 108 are connected directly or indirectly to the vehicle 10, and in particular to the electrical system of the vehicle 10, via one or more conductive elements 110, such as, for example, one or more conductive wires.

[0034] The braided strips 106, 108 may further be configured to extend substantially in a transverse direction T relative to the longitudinal direction R of the electric road track 20, as visualized in FIG. 2. This provides some room for the vehicle 10 to maneuver in the width direction as it moves along the electric road track 20 while the conductive pickups 104 maintain contact with the electric road track 20. Furthermore, since it is natural for the vehicle 10 to deviate to some extent from the longitudinal direction R of the electric road track 20 as it moves along the electric road track 20, the extension in the width direction T of the conductive pickups 104 facilitates providing a larger surface on the pickups 104 over which wear is distributed, thus providing improved durability.

[0035] The braided strip 106, 108 of the conductive pickup 104 may further include a first plurality of threads 116 formed from a first conductive material and a second plurality of threads 118 formed from a second conductive material. The first plurality of threads 116 of the first conductive material and the second plurality of threads 118 of the second conductive material may be woven such that the two types of threads 116, 118 are intertwined. The first conductive material is copper and / or aluminum and / or respective alloys containing copper and / or aluminum, and the second conductive material is stainless steel. Copper and aluminum provide high electrical conductivity while being less wear-resistant, whereas stainless steel is the opposite. The combination of the two types of threads 116, 118 in a braided fashion provides the desired electrical conductivity as well as the desired durability.

[0036] In one embodiment, the threads 120 of the braided strips 106, 108 of the conductive pickup 104 include a composite material including metal and graphene. The metal may be, for example, copper (or a copper alloy), aluminum (or an aluminum alloy), and / or stainless steel. The graphene-metal composite provides tailored and improved electrical conductivity and increased wear resistance.

[0037] Each braided strip 106 , 108 is preferably arranged such that the threads 116 , 118 , 120 of the braided strip 106 , 108 extend substantially in a width direction T relative to a length direction R of the electric roadway track 20 .

[0038] 3, there is shown a conductive pickup 104 that includes a stack of multiple braided strips 106, 108. The stack may include from 1 to 14 braided strips 106, 108, with each braided strip 106, 108 forming a layer in the stack.

[0039] 3 may include a first braided strip 106 formed from a first conductive material and a second braided strip 108 formed from a second conductive material. The first conductive material may be stainless steel and the second conductive material may be copper and / or aluminum (or an alloy including copper and / or aluminum).

[0040] Alternatively, each strip 106, 108 may be fabricated from braided threads of different and / or composite materials, as described in conjunction with FIG. 2 above.

[0041] 3, the thickness T1 of the conductive pickup 104 may range from 2 mm to 70 mm. For example, in applications where the conductive pickup 104 is subject to significant wear, such as in mining or other applications for large vehicles 10, it may be beneficial to have a larger thickness T1, i.e., between 50 mm and 70 mm, to increase the amount of wear the conductive pickup 104 can withstand before requiring replacement. In contrast, for a typical car, the thickness T1 may be between 2 mm and 10 mm to provide sufficient durability while not consuming too much of the available space under the vehicle 10.

[0042] Each layer of the stack, i.e., braided strip 106, 108, may have a thickness T2 in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm. The thickness T1 of the conductive pick-up 104 is preferably substantially equal to the sum of the respective thicknesses T2 of each braided strip 106, 108.

[0043] Additionally, the height H of the conductive pickup 104 may be in the range of 10 mm to 70 mm. Similarly, with respect to the thickness T1, an increase in the height H provides the conductive pickup 104 withstands more wear, but at the cost of taking up more space under the vehicle 10. Thus, in vehicle applications where more wear is expected, such as trucks or buses, a conductive pickup 104 having a height between 50 mm and 70 mm may be provided, while a typical personal transportation vehicle, such as a car, may be provided with a conductive pickup 104 having a height between 10 mm and 30 mm.

[0044] The length L of the conductive pick-up 104 may be in the range of 20 cm to 100 cm.

[0045] The conductive pick-up 104 in FIG. 3 has two layers, each with a respective braided strip 106, 108, although the conductive pick-up 104 may have three or more layers, each with a braided strip.

[0046] 4 shows a contact member 100 comprising a support structure 102 on which a conductive pickup 104 is mounted. The contact member 100 is shown from the front side, i.e. the side intended to face the electric roadway track 20 and in the direction of travel of the vehicle 10. The conductive pickup 104 comprises a braided strip 106, 108 or a stack of braided strips 106, 108. The illustrated support structure 102 further comprises a resilient member 112, which facilitates resiliently providing a more uniform application of force between the conductive pickup 104 and the electric roadway track 20. The resilient member 112 may be manufactured from a sheet material of spring steel, for example. The spring steel may be formed from normal steel or stainless steel.

[0047] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 112 is provided with a tongue 114 on which the conductive pickup 104 is attached. Having the conductive pickup 104 attached to the tongue 114 can improve the elastic properties of the conductive pickup 104 and its ability to follow the contour of the electric road track 20. Each tongue 114 is separated from the adjacent tongue 114, and therefore the tongues 114 can move somewhat independently of each other, facilitating an improved ability of the conductive pickup 104 to conform to the contour of the electric road track 20. The conductive pickup 104 is preferably attached to the tip 114a of the tongue 114. Thus, a larger contact surface area is achieved between the conductive pickup 104 and the electric road track 20, distributing the forces and friction over a larger surface area and improving electrical conduction.

[0048] 4, the braided strips 106, 108 may be attached to the support structure 102 by removable attachment elements 122. The removable attachment elements 122 may be, for example, fasteners such as screws and / or nuts, or another type of fastener suitable for attaching the braided strips 106, 108 to the support structure 102.

[0049] 5 shows a side view of a current collector 200 in contact with an electric road track 20. The current collector 200, or at least the arm 202 of the current collector 200, may be pivotally moveable relative to the vehicle 10 to move the contact member 100 into and out of contact with the electric road track 20, as indicated by the curved arrow in FIG.

[0050] 5, the layers of the laminate, i.e., braided strips 106, 108, may be disposed offset relative to one another in a direction parallel to the electric roadway track 20, i.e., in the longitudinal direction R. It is preferred that the tips of the braided strips 106, 108 are disposed at the same horizontal level, i.e., such that each of the braided strips 106, 108 is disposed in contact with the electric roadway track 20 when the current collector 200 of the vehicle 10 draws power from the electric roadway track 20.

[0051] The offset braided strips 106, 108 may be offset in a longitudinal direction V of the current collector 200, i.e., radially relative to the pivot axis of the current collector 200. Because the contact member 100 is configured to be positioned at an angle to the electric road track 20 when drawing power therefrom, the offset in the direction V is such that each of the braided strips 106, 108 contacts the electric road track 20 when the current collector 200 is positioned at an angle to the electric road track 20 when drawing power therefrom.

[0052] Fig. 5 shows a contact member 100 with a pickup 104 having two layers, i.e. two braided strips 108. However, as shown in Fig. 6, the pickup 104 may be provided with three or more layers, i.e. three or more braided strips 106, 108, which may be offset as described in relation to Fig. 5.

[0053] Further, and applicable to all embodiments disclosed herein, the outermost layer in the stack of the braided strips 106, 108 may be a first braided strip 106 comprising a first conductive material comprising stainless steel. In the context of the present disclosure, the outermost braided strip 106 should be considered as the braided strip that is disposed furthest from the support structure 102 and / or the braided strip that is disposed first in the direction of travel of the electric vehicle 10. In Figs. 5 and 6, the direction of travel of the vehicle 10 is to the left in the figures, which is also preferably the forward direction of the vehicle 10. As a result, the outermost braided strip 106 is the braided strip 106 that is the first to encounter any dirt or debris that may be located on the electric roadway track 20. Having the outermost braided strip in the conductive pickup 104 formed from a material comprising stainless steel improves the ability of the conductive pickup 104 to withstand such conditions. Stainless steel provides greater durability than copper or aluminum, which are softer materials.

[0054] Further, the plurality of braided strips 106, 108 in the stack may comprise at least one first braided strip 106 and at least one second braided strip 108, which may be arranged in an alternating manner, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Thus, the conductive pickup 104 comprises a plurality of braided strips 106, 108, where every other braided strip is a first braided strip 106 comprising stainless steel, and every other braided strip is a second braided strip comprising copper or aluminum. While the above is a preferred arrangement, other arrangements are contemplated. For example, the outermost braided strip is a first braided strip 106 comprising a first conductive material comprising stainless steel. Then, every third or fourth braided strip may be a braided strip 106, and the remaining braided strips in the stack may be a second braided strip 108 comprising a second conductive material comprising copper and / or aluminum.

[0055] 7 shows a front view of a current collector 200 comprising a contact member 100 provided with a resilient member 112. As shown, the resilient member 112 allows the contact member 100, and in particular the conductive pickup 104, to bend upon contact with the electrical road track 20. The resilience provided by the resilient member 112 facilitates establishing a reliable and substantial contact between the conductive pickup 104 and the electrical road track 20.

[0056] The elastic member 112 shown in FIG. 7 does not have a tongue 114, but may have multiple tongues 114 as shown in FIG. 4, whereby the conductive pickups 104 are preferably attached to the tips 114a of the multiple tongues 114.

[0057] The braided strips 106, 108 preferably have an extension in a width direction T relative to the electrical road track 20 along which the conductive pickups 104 are configured to conductively pick up power, and the extension of the braided strips 106, 108 is preferably greater than the width of the electrical road track 20.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is by no means limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. In addition, variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

Claims

1. A contact member (100) for a current collector (200) of an electric road vehicle (10), the contact member (100) being configured to be attached to a first end (204) of an arm (202) of the current collector (200), comprising: A support structure (102); a conductive pickup (104) having braided strips (106, 108) and attached to the support structure (102), the conductive pickup (104) configured to establish contact with an electric road track (20) and conductively pick up power from the electric road track (20); A contact member (100) comprising:

2. the braided strip (106, 108) has a widthwise extension relative to the electric roadway track (20) over which the conductive pickup (104) is configured to conductively pick up power; The contact member (100) of claim 1.

3. The conductive pickup (104) comprises a stack of multiple braided strips (106, 108). A contact member (100) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a first braided strip (106) of the braided strips (106, 108) in the stack is formed from a first conductive material and a second braided strip (108) of the braided strips (106, 108) in the stack is formed from a second conductive material; The contact member (100) of claim 3.

5. The layers of the stack are offset relative to one another in a direction parallel to the electric roadway track (20) on which the conductive pickups (104) are configured to conductively pick up power, and each layer of the stack comprises one of a plurality of braided strips (106, 108). A contact member (100) according to claim 3 or 4.

6. the threads in the braided strip (106, 108) of the conductive pickup (104) comprise a composite material including metal and graphene; A contact member (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. The braided strip (106, 108) of the conductive pickup (104) comprises threads formed from a first conductive material and threads formed from a second conductive material. A contact member (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. the first conductive material includes stainless steel and the second conductive material includes one or more of copper and aluminum; A contact member (100) according to claim 4 or 7.

9. The first braided strip (106) is disposed on the outermost side of the plurality of braided strips (106, 108). A contact member (100) according to claim 8 when dependent on claim 4.

10. The support structure (102) comprises a resilient member (112); The conductive pickup (104) is attached to the elastic member. A contact member (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

11. The elastic member (112) is formed from spring steel. The contact member (100) of claim 10.

12. The elastic member (112) comprises a plurality of tongues, The conductive pickups (104) are attached to the tips of the tongues. A contact member (100) according to claim 10 or 11.

13. The thickness (T1) of the conductive pickup (104) is in the range of 2 mm to 70 mm. A contact member (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. The thickness (T2) of each layer in the laminate is within the range of 1 mm to 10 mm; The contact member (100) of claim 3.

15. The height (H) of the conductive pickup (104) is in the range of 10 mm to 70 mm. A contact member (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

16. a removable attachment element (122) configured to removably attach the braided strip (100) to the support structure (102); The contact member (100) of any one of claims 1-15, further comprising:

17. A current collector (200) comprising a contact member (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. An electric vehicle (10) comprising a current collector (200) according to claim 17, The current collector (200) is attached to a chassis (12) of the electric vehicle (10). An electric vehicle (10).

Images