WO2000076800A1

WO2000076800A1 - System for producing a mechanical or electrical link between an element on the ground and a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2000076800A1
Application number: PCT/FR2000/001517
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frédéric MENIERE; Franck Albin
Original assignee: Meniere Frederic; Franck Albin
Priority date: 1999-06-11
Filing date: 2000-05-31
Publication date: 2000-12-21
Also published as: AU5411300A; FR2794695A1; FR2794695B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for producing a mechanical or electrical link between an element fixed on the ground and a mobile vehicle. The invention aims at eliminating the repetitive and dangerous operation which consists in electrically connecting an electric vehicle to an electrical system through an electric connection or a connector when the batteries need to be charged. The invention is characterised in that it essentially comprises two matching mechanical parts. The first part is a sliding surface fixed on the ground comprising first a centring zone and then a rectilinear zone wherein the electric contacts occur. The second part is a T-shaped shoe fixed beneath the vehicle, whereof the base mechanically matches the rectilinear sliding surface, whereon the vehicle can be supported. The electric contacts take place between a bar located at the base of the sliding surface and a part located in the shoe base, and on the main support parts for the shoe on the sliding surface. The inventive device is particularly designed for recharging batteries on an electric go-kart.

Description

SYSTEM FOR CREATING A MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL LINK BETWEEN A GROUND PART AND A VEHICLE

As is known, all vehicles powered by electrical energy and carrying batteries which supply the electric motor or motors which drive it, need to be connected to a source of electric energy in order to recharge them. batteries.

The electrical connections commonly used are sockets that are plugged in to recharge the batteries and that are disconnected when you want to use the vehicle independently. This connection involves repetitive and systematic manipulation of the grip by a third person.

The present invention aims to eliminate this manipulation, by providing an electrical connection between the mobile vehicle and the ground, as soon as the vehicle enters a charging zone.

The invention essentially consists of two complementary parts of the male / female type. The first part, the slide, is fixed to the ground and constitutes the charging area. A second part, the pad, is fixed to the vehicle and constitutes the interface between the slide and the vehicle. Each of the two parts provides firstly a guiding function and secondly an electrical connection function. The slide fixed to the ground consists of two successive zones:

-A centering slide made up of an assembly of rectangular parallelepipeds, or triangles, possibly bizotated on the external sides of the slide, with stiff fronts on the internal sides of the slide, whose entry is wide and low, without however exceeding the width of the vehicle for which it is provided or exceed the ground clearance of the vehicle for which it is provided and whose thickness with respect to the ground gradually increases while its internal width between the stiff edges decreases. The material used is a non-deformable, smooth, solid or hollow material. -A refill slide consisting of an assembly of rectangular parallelepipeds forming a rectilinear, or slightly curvilinear slide, with stiff internal sides, of constant depth and width, characterized in that it consists of a central part which represents the main part of the slide in that it constitutes in itself the groove and the sides of the slide, and of two parts located on either side of the central part which constitute a support zone and / or electrical contact for the vehicle. The material used in the central position of the slide is a non-deformable, non-conductive and smooth material. The material used on either side of the central part of the refill slide is a non-deformable material, solid or hollow, conductive and smooth. At the bottom of the central part of the charging slide is fixed a conductive metal bar, the section of which is not necessarily rectangular, embossed at each of its ends so that it does not have a sharp angle on its thickness. The purpose of the pad fixed to the vehicle is to guide the vehicle, to support the weight of the vehicle and to ensure electrical contacts by interacting with the centering and recharging slides. It consists of a connection plate on which are fixed, oriented downwards, a cylinder, the section of which is not necessarily circular, the diameter of which is slightly less than the internal width of the refill slide in order to be able be guided by it, and two wear parts which constitute a support and / or electrical contact area for the vehicle. The material used for the connection plate and the cylinder is a non-deformable, non-conductive and smooth material. The material used for the wearing parts is a conductive and smooth material. The cylinder fixed under the connection plate is split parallel to the main direction of movement of the vehicle to a thickness such that the conductive metal bar fixed to the bottom of the slide can engage there. In order to allow an angle of a few degrees between the conductive metal bar fixed to the bottom of the slide and the main direction of movement of the vehicle, the slot widens into double opposite funnels centered in the center of the cylinder. The cylinder fixed under the connection plate is drilled or machined so that a conductive part can be held by a spring in the slot so that this part can enter and be kept in electrical contact with the fixed conductive metal bar at the bottom of the charging slide.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

FIG. 1 represents, in the front, right and top views, the recharging zone constituted by the centering and recharging slides.

FIG. 2 represents, in the front, left, top and bottom views, the pad fixed to the vehicle. FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically, in the front, left and above views, the positioning of the shoe with respect to the directional carrier system of the vehicle (front axle steering).

Figure 4 shows, in the front view, the electrical contacts between the charging slide and the pad. FIG. 5 represents, in the front and top views, an example of recharging a vehicle by the invention.

With reference to these drawings, the device can be produced as follows: The guiding function is provided by a system of the male / female type.

On the ground is fixed a slide (figure 1). The entry of this slide (1) (then called centering slide), is wide and low, without however exceeding the width of the vehicle for which it is intended nor exceeding, in thickness, the ground clearance of the vehicle for which it is intended. As one advances on the said centering slide, its depth increases while its internal width decreases until it reaches certain values, those of the refill slide. Beyond the centering slide, the refill slide (2; 3; 4) is of constant depth and width and consists of a central part (2) which represents the main part of the slide in this sense that it has the groove and the inner sides, and two parts located on either side (3) of the central part (2) which constitute a support area and / or electrical contact for the vehicle. It is in this charging slide (2; 3; 4) that the electrical contacts will be made with the mobile vehicle.

The centering slide (1) consists of an assembly of rectangular parallelepipeds or triangular parallelepipeds, possibly bizotated on the outer flanks of the slide, with steep fronts on the internal flanks of the slide.

The refill slide (2; 3; 4) consists of an assembly of rectangular parallelepipeds.

On the vehicle is fixed a T-shaped shoe (Figure 2) whose foot (7) oriented downwards is mechanically complementary to the slide fixed to the ground. Therefore, by standing in front of the centering slide, the vehicle is guided by the slide.

To facilitate guidance, said pad fixed to the vehicle can be positioned not far from the directional carrier system (5) of the vehicle (Figure 3). On the ground, said slide becomes thick enough (or said pad can be fixed low enough) so that the vehicle, once engaged, no longer rests on its directional carrier system but partially or totally on its pad

(figure 4). Throughout the charging slide, the vehicle is thus positioned transversely very precisely. It can then be driven either by its own propulsion system with an electric motor, or by another means.

The T-shaped shoe (Figure 2) consists of a connecting plate (6) (the bar of the T) on which are fixed a centering cylinder (7) (the foot of the T) oriented downwards, and parts wear (8) which will support the support of the vehicle on the slide.

The connecting plate allows the shoe to be fixed on the vehicle and is thick enough to support the weight of the vehicle. The centering cylinder (7) is the part that will come into contact with the steep inner sides of the centering slide to center the vehicle.

The wearing parts (8) are the parts on which the vehicle will rest and / or on which electrical contacts will be made.

The electrical connection function (Figure 4) is ensured by sliding contacts, one of which is located in the charging slide (contact no.1), the others being outside the groove of the charging slide ( contact n ° 2). The electrical contact No. 1 is made between a conductive metal bar (4) fixed in the slide and a conductive part (9) located in the foot of said T-shaped shoe fixed to the vehicle.

The conductive metal bar (4) is installed at the bottom of the slide over the entire length of the charging slide (2; 3; 4). In the centering slide (1), there is no conductive metal bar, contact cannot be made until the vehicle is perfectly guided.

The conductive metal bar (4) is bizotated at each of its ends so that it does not have a sharp angle on its thickness. She is less wide that said slide is only wide and is less thick than said slide is deep.

In order to be complementary to the conductive metal bar (4), the cylinder (7) of said T-pad fixed to the vehicle is split in its middle parallel to the main direction of movement of the vehicle. This slot is wider than the conductive metal bar (4) fixed to the bottom of the slide is not wide so that they are mechanically complementary. In addition, the slot is machined horizontally in double opposite funnels, centered in the center of the cylinder (7), so that it allows an angle of a few degrees between the charging slide and the main direction of movement of the vehicle.

The shoe being thus embedded, the electrical connection will be made between the conductive metal bar (4) fixed to the charging slide, and a conductive part (9) secured to the vehicle, one end of which is located in the slot of the cylinder (7). In order to receive the conductive part (9), the cylinder (7) of the shoe is pierced, partially from top to bottom, so that the conductive part (9) protrudes into the slot but not beyond the cylinder. Therefore, only the conductive metal bar (4) fixed to the bottom of the slide can come into contact with the conductive part (9). In order to maintain sufficient pressure on the electrical contact No. 1, a spring (10) is mounted in the cylinder exerting a force towards the ground on the conductive part (9).

The electrical contact No. 2 is made between the conductive parts (3) located on either side of the central part (2) of the slide and the wear parts (8) located on the T-shaped shoe (Figure 2 ), under the connecting plate (6), on either side of the split cylinder (7). By resting on the T-shaped shoe (Figure 2), therefore on the conductive wear parts (8), the vehicle will transmit a vertical force exerting sufficient pressure for electrical contact No. 2.

To summarize (Figure 5), the operating principle of the invention is as follows:

The vehicle engages in the centering slide (Figure 1). The T-shaped shoe (Figure 2) fixed to the vehicle, will be guided by the throttling of the centering slide (1) then will engage in the charging slide (2; 3; 4). The vehicle is thus positioned very precisely transversely.

The mechanical connection is thus formed.

As the vehicle continues to move forward, the conductive metal bar (4) fixed to the bottom of the charging slide becomes thick, engages in the slot in the pad and comes into contact (contact no.1 ) with the conductive part (9) located in the shoe. At the same time, the conductive parts (8) located under the connection plate (6) of the shoe will come into contact (contact n ° 2) with the conductive parts (3) located on either side of the central part. (2) of the slide.

The electrical connection is thus formed by these two contacts.

By way of nonlimiting example, the slide will have an overall width of 60 cm, an interior width of 7 cm, a thickness of 4 cm; a total length of 2 m, the skate will have a width of 30 cm, a thickness of 4 cm.

The device according to the invention is particularly intended for recharging the batteries of an electric kart. According to variants not illustrated, the system can have the following characteristics:

The conductive metal bar (4) fixed in the slide can be of a non-rectangular section. The conductive part (9) one end of which is located in the slot in the foot

(7) of the pad fixed to the vehicle, may have freedom of vertical or oblique translation.

When the vehicle engages in the charging slide, the slide is of reduced thickness. This thickness increases as the vehicle advances. The vehicle is then guided and possibly carried by the slide. It is also possible that the slide is of constant thickness and that the ground hollows around it as one enters the recharge slide.

The T-shaped shoe can be of different geometry. In the above description, the foot of the T allows the vehicle to be guided in the slide; The T bar serves as a support if the vehicle rests totally or partially on the slide. The variant consists of a shoe where the foot of the T (the cylinder) serves as both a guide and a support. For this, said foot of the T must be high enough, or the slide shallow, for the vehicle to rest at the bottom of the slide, on either side of the conductive metal bar.

The foot of the T-shaped shoe (the cylinder (7)) can also have a section other than circular.

The electrical contact No. 2 is described as being double, symmetrical with respect to the central part of the slide. It can also be offset and or be simple.

The refill slide can be slightly curved rather than straight.

Claims

- 1 - Mechanical and electrical connection systems between the ground and a mobile vehicle characterized in that they comprise a slide fixed to the ground and a shoe fixed to the vehicle, mechanically complementary, and making electrical contacts at the bottom of the slide and on the parts outside the groove of the slide.

-2-Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the slide (Figure 1) fixed to the ground consists of a first zone, the centering slide (1), consisting of an assembly of rectangular parallelepipeds, or triangles, possibly bent on the outer sides of the slide, with stiff fronts on the inner sides of the slide, the entry of which is wide and low, without however exceeding the width of the vehicle for which it is intended or exceeding the ground clearance of the vehicle for which it is provided and of which, as and when, the thickness relative to the ground increases while its internal width between the steep fronts decreases, and for which the material used is a non-deformable, smooth, solid or hollow material.

-3 -Device according to claims 1 & 2 characterized in that the slide (Figure 1) fixed to the ground consists of a second zone, the refill slide (2; 3; 4), consisting of an assembly of rectangular parallelepipeds forming a rectilinear, or slightly curvilinear slide, with stiff inner sides, of constant depth and width, composed of a central part (2) for which the material used is a non-deformable, non-conductive, smooth, solid or hollow material representing the main part of the slide in that it has in itself the groove and the sides, and two parts (3) located on either side of the central part (2) for which the material used is a non-deformable material, solid or hollow, conductive and smooth, and which constitute a support area and / or electrical contacts for the vehicle.

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-4- Device according to claim 3 characterized in that a conductive metal bar (4), whose section is not necessarily rectangular, is fixed to the bottom of the central part of the slide (2) and that this metal bar is embossed at each of its ends so that it has no sharp angle on its thickness.

-5- Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the pad fixed to the vehicle consists of a connecting plate (6) on which are fixed, oriented downward, a cylinder, whose section is not necessarily 15 circular, for which the material used is a non-deformable, non-conductive and smooth material, the width of which is slightly less than the width of the slide (2) so that it can be guided by it, and two flat parts (8) for which the material used is a conductive and smooth material, which constitute a support area and / or electrical contacts for the vehicle. 0

-6- Device according to claim 5 characterized in that the cylinder (7) fixed under the connecting plate is split parallel to the main direction of movement of the vehicle over a thickness such that the conductive metal bar fixed to the bottom of the slide can engage.

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-7- Device according to claim 6 characterized in that the slot in the cylinder (7) s' widened in double opposite funnels, centered in the center of the cylinder (7), so that it allows an angle of a few degrees between the conductive metal bar fixed to the bottom of the slide and the main direction of movement of the vehicle.

-8- Device according to claims 4,5 & 6 characterized in that the cylinder (7) fixed under the connecting plate is drilled or machined, so that a conductive part can be maintained in the machining by a spring (10), as far as the slot so that this conductive part can be maintained in electrical contact with the conductive metal bar (4) fixed to the bottom of the charging slide.

-9- Device according to claims 2 & 3 characterized in that the refill slide (2; 3; 4) consists of a central part (2) for which the material used is a non-deformable, non-conductive, smooth material , solid or hollow, which represents the main part of the slide in the sense that it comprises the groove, the sides of the slide and a part of the support zones of the vehicle, and of a part located next to the part central (2) for which the material used is a non-deformable, conductive, smooth, solid or hollow material, and which constitutes another support and / or electrical contact area for the vehicle.

-10- Device according to claims 5,6,7 & 8 characterized in that the cylinder (7) is of sufficient thickness for it to come into contact with the bottom of the slide so that the vehicle rests partially or totally on this cylinder (7)