US2019225104A1PendingUtilityA1

Energy transmission and control system and communications device

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Assignee: CONDUCTIX INCPriority: Jan 25, 2018Filed: Jan 25, 2019Published: Jul 25, 2019
Est. expiryJan 25, 2038(~11.5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Martin BlairRoland LawsonMichael Andrew Dierks
B60L 50/53B60L 53/18B60L 53/16H01R 13/665B66C 13/12B61L 15/0036H04B 3/54Y02T90/14Y02T10/7072Y02T10/70
45
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Claims

Abstract

An energy transmission and control system includes a power supply, a conductive support to electrically couple to the power supply, and a vehicle to electrically couple to the conductive support to receive electrical energy from the power supply. The conductive support can be configured to support the vehicle for travel along the conductive support and to transmit the electrical energy from the power supply to the vehicle. The electrical circuit can be configured to transmit a communications signal at a low frequency of about five hundred kilohertz or less. The vehicle can include a translating contact for electrically coupling the vehicle to the conductive support, a switch for selectively transmitting the electrical energy from the power supply to an electrically powered element or subsystem, and a controller to receive the communications signal and operate the switch to selectively transmit the electrical energy to the electrically powered element or subsystem.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An energy transmission and control system comprising:
 a power supply to supply electrical energy;   a conductive support to electrically couple to the power supply to transmit the electrical energy from the power supply; and   a vehicle to electrically couple to the conductive support to receive the electrical energy supplied from the power supply, the conductive support configured to support the vehicle for travel along the conductive support and to transmit the electrical energy from the power supply to the vehicle along the conductive support as part of an electrical circuit established between the power supply and the vehicle through the conductive support, the electrical circuit configured to transmit a communications signal at a low frequency of about five hundred kilohertz (500 kHz) or less, the vehicle including:
 a translating contact for electrically coupling the vehicle to the conductive support, 
 a switch for selectively transmitting the electrical energy from the power supply to at least one of a plurality of discrete electrically powered elements or subsystems of the vehicle, and 
 a controller operatively coupled to the switch and configured to receive the communications signal transmitted through the conductive support and to operate the switch to selectively transmit the electrical energy from the power supply to the at least one of the plurality of discrete electrically powered elements or subsystems of the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The energy transmission and control system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the conductive support comprises at least one of a conductive rail, a conductor bar, a reel, a slip ring, or a cable with a reduced number of conductors. 
     
     
         3 . The energy transmission and control system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is electrically coupled with the conductive support through physical contact with the conductive support. 
     
     
         4 . The energy transmission and control system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is electrically coupled with the conductive support through capacitive coupling. 
     
     
         5 . The energy transmission and control system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the translating contact comprises at least one of a sliding collector shoe, or a rolling collector. 
     
     
         6 . The energy transmission and control system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the communications signal is transmitted at a low frequency of between about 100 kilohertz (100 kHz) and about five hundred kilohertz (500 kHz). 
     
     
         7 . The energy transmission and control system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the controller operatively configures the vehicle as a slave device to at least one master device. 
     
     
         8 . The energy transmission and control system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of a plurality of discrete electrically powered elements or subsystems comprises an electric motor. 
     
     
         9 . The energy transmission and control system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a master relay coupled to the switch. 
     
     
         10 . A vehicle comprising:
 a translating contact to electrically couple to a conductive support to receive electrical energy supplied from a power supply electrically coupled to the conductive support, the conductive support configured to support a vehicle for travel along the conductive support and to transmit the electrical energy from the power supply to the vehicle along the conductive support as part of an electrical circuit established between the power supply and the vehicle through the conductive support, the electrical circuit configured to transmit a communications signal at a low frequency of about five hundred kilohertz (500 kHz) or less;   a switch for selectively transmitting the electrical energy from the power supply to at least one of a plurality of discrete electrically powered elements or subsystems of the vehicle; and   a controller operatively coupled to the switch and configured to receive the communications signal transmitted through the conductive support and to operate the switch to selectively transmit the electrical energy from the power supply to the at least one of the plurality of discrete electrically powered elements or subsystems of the vehicle.   
     
     
         11 . The vehicle as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the conductive support comprises at least one of a conductive rail, a conductor bar, a reel, a slip ring, or a cable with a reduced number of conductors. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the translating contact is to electrically couple with the conductive support through physical contact with the conductive support. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the translating contact is to electrically couple with the conductive support through capacitive coupling. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the translating contact comprises at least one of a sliding collector shoe, or a rolling collector. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the communications signal is transmitted at a low frequency of between about 100 kilohertz (100 kHz) and about five hundred kilohertz (500 kHz). 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the controller operatively configures the vehicle as a slave device to at least one master device. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the at least one of a plurality of discrete electrically powered elements or subsystems comprises an electric motor. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising a master relay coupled to the switch. 
     
     
         19 . A communications device comprising:
 a power supply to electrically couple to a conductive support to receive electrical energy, the conductive support configured to support a vehicle for travel along the conductive support and to transmit the electrical energy from the power supply to the vehicle along the conductive support as part of an electrical circuit established between the power supply and the vehicle through the conductive support, the electrical circuit configured to transmit a communications signal at a low frequency of about five hundred kilohertz (500 kHz) or less;   a switch for selectively transmitting the electrical energy from the power supply to at least one of a plurality of discrete electrically powered elements or subsystems of the vehicle; and   a controller operatively coupled to the switch and configured to receive the communications signal transmitted through the conductive support and to operate the switch to selectively transmit the electrical energy from the power supply to the at least one of the plurality of discrete electrically powered elements or subsystems of the vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . The communications device as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the conductive support comprises at least one of a conductive rail, a conductor bar, a reel, a slip ring, or a cable with a reduced number of conductors. 
     
     
         21 . The communications device as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the communications signal is transmitted at a low frequency of between about 100 kilohertz (100 kHz) and about five hundred kilohertz (500 kHz). 
     
     
         22 . The communications device as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the controller operatively configures the communications device as a slave device to at least one master device. 
     
     
         23 . The communications device as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the at least one of a plurality of discrete electrically powered elements or subsystems comprises an electric motor. 
     
     
         24 . The communications device as recited in  claim 19 , further comprising a master relay coupled to the switch.

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