TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a pick up device for modular self insulated supply line.

BACKGROUND ART

Patent EP-B-0761493 describes a modular supply line wherein ^■ each module comprises an elongated enclosure made of an insulating material defining an inner cavity which extends along a rectilinear direction. The insulating enclosure, in use, is adapted to be buried in a road surface with an upper portion thereof coplanar to the road surface itself. The inner cavity accommodates a flexible tape element provided with portions made of a ferromagnetic material adapted to interact with the magnetic field generated by the pick up device carried by a vehicle (such as a railway vehicle) which moves along the supply line.

The supply line further comprises a plurality of flat conductive elements carried by the upper portion of the enclosure, aligned along the rectilinear direction and substantially coplanar to the road surface.

In the absence of magnetic attraction coming from the pick up device, the belt element arranges itself, for the whole length of the module itself, in a rest position in which it is substantially rectilinear and not deformed and the conductive elements are not supplied and/or are connected to a negative reference potential (ground) . The supply line therefore automatically sets itself to an insulation state, in the absence of magnetic activation.

In the presence of magnetic attraction coming from the pick up device of the vehicle passing over the enclosure, the tape element portion affected by the magnetic field bends upwards, thus getting deformed approximately as a sinusoidal wave; such raised portion of the belt element implements a bridge electrical connection between a positive supply line inside the enclosure and at least one conductive element that is connected to the positive supply line. The conductive elements arranged on the sides of the element are connected to the reference potential (ground) .

The vehicle displacement with respect to the enclosure determines the displacement of the raised portion of the tape element along the inner cavity, thus allowing the sequential supply of the conductive elements .

In fact, the electrical vehicle is provided with a pick up device which determines the above magnetic attraction and which allows the live conductive element to be connected with a ^' sliding contact which provides the supply to the electrical vehicle.

The European patent EP-B-0993389 describes a pick up device adapted to couple with a supply line of the type described in document EP-B-0761493.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a pick up device which can be used with a line of the type described in document EP-B-0761493 which ensures a strong attraction force of the tape element.

The above object is achieved by the present invention as it relates to a pick up device for self insulated supply line wherein a flexible tape element provided with portions made of a ferromagnetic material is accommodated within an elongated cavity obtained in an insulating protective enclosure and is movable, subsequent to magnetic attraction, between a low standby position and a high activation position wherein a portion of the tape element forms an electric bridge for allowing the supply of at least one conductive element external to said enclosure and belonging to a plurality of conductive elements spaced from each other along the same enclosure which are supplied in a sequence subsequent to the displacement of the deformed portion of said tape element, said pick up device comprising an elongated enclosure along a longitudinal axis D accommodating magnetic attraction means and pick up means adapted to arrange in contact with said at least one flat conductive element, characterized in that said magnetic attraction means comprise: - a first and a second permanent magnet spaced (dl) from each other along said direction D and forming a first pair of side by side magnets arranged at a first end of said elongated enclosure with opposite polarities facing towards the same side of the enclosure facing said flat conductive elements; - a third and a fourth permanent magnet space from each other along said axis D and forming a second pair of side by side magnets arranged at a second end of said elongated enclosure with opposite polarities facing the same side of the enclosure facing said flat conductive elements; a fifth permanent magnet (25) which extends along said longitudinal axis D between the first (20a) and the second pair of magnets (20b) ; said pick up means comprising at least one elongated sliding contact carried by said enclosure and extending along said axis D between the first and the second pair of magnets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in the accompanying figures which show a preferred embodiment thereof, in which:

- figure 1 shows a side view of a pick up device implemented according to the present invention;

- figure 2 shows a top view of the pick up device in figure 1;

- figure 3 shows a bottom view of the pick up

device in figure 1 ;

- figure 4 shows a side view of the pick up device in figure 1 (the two side views are identical);

- figure 5 shows a view of the pick up device

according to plane V-V in figure 1;

- figure 6 shows a view of the pick up device

according to plane VI-VI in figure 2; and

- figure 7 shows a pick up device of the described in figures 1-6 used together with a modular self insulated supply line.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In the figures 1 to 6, reference numeral 1 indicates as a whole a pick up device for a self insulated supply line 2 (diagrammatically shown in figure 7).

The supply line 2 is of the known type, for example of the type described in document EP-B-0761493.

For this reason, the supply line 2 will be described diagrammatically.

In particular, the supply line 2 comprises a plurality of modules coupled to one another (a single module is shown for simplicity) . Each module comprises an elongated enclosure 3 made of an insulating material defining an inner cavity 5 which extends along a rectilinear direction D.

The insulating enclosure 3, in use, is adapted to be buried in a road surface 6 with an upper portion 3-up thereof coplanar to the road surface 6 itself.

The inner cavity 5 accommodates a flexible tape element 7 provided with portions made of a ferromagnetic material 8 adapted to interact with the magnetic field generated by the pick up device of a vehicle 9 (such as a railway vehicle which moves on rails, not shown) with the features that will be described hereafter.

The supply line 2 comprises a plurality of flat conductive elements 10 carried by the upper portion 3-up of enclosure 3, aligned along direction D and coplanar to the road surface 6.

In the absence of magnetic attraction, the belt element 7 arranges itself, for the whole length of the module itself, in a rest position in which it is substantially rectilinear and not deformed and the conductive elements 10 are not supplied and/or are connected to a negative reference potential (ground) .

In the presence of magnetic attraction coming from the pick up device of the vehicle passing over enclosure 3, the tape element portion 7 affected by the magnetic field bends upwards, thus getting deformed approximately as a sinusoidal wave; such raised portion 7-up of the belt element 7 implements a bridge electrical connection between a positive supply line inside enclosure 3 and at least one conductive element 10-p that is connected to the positive supply line 11. The conductive elements 10 arranged on the sides of element 10-p are connected to the reference potential (ground) .

The vehicle 9 displacement with respect to enclosure 3 determines the displacement of the raised portion 7-up of the tape element 7 along the inner cavity 5, thus allowing the sequential supply of the conductive elements 10.

In fact, the electrical vehicle 9 is provided with a pick up device 1 which determines the above magnetic attraction and which allows the live conductive element 10-p to be connected with a sliding contact which provides the supply to the electrical vehicle 9.

The pick up device 1 comprises an elongated parallelepiped enclosure 13 along a longitudinal axis D. Enclosure 13 is made of a non magnetic material, in particular a plastic material, and comprises a first upper shell 14 (shaped as a parallelepiped) and a second lower shell 15 (shaped as a parallelepiped) coupled to each other. In use, the upper shell 14 is adapted to be carried by a pantograph 16 (of the known type and therefore diagrammatically shown) which extends from a lower portion of the electrical vehicle 9 and the lower shell 15 is adapted to be facing the road surface 6 and the conductive elements 10.

Enclosure 13 accommodates:

- a first and a second permanent magnet 18, 19 spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis D by a distance dl and forming a first pair of side by side magnets 20a arranged at a first end 13a of enclosure 13;

- a third and a fourth permanent magnet 22, 23 spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis D by a distance d2 (with d2 = dl) and forming a second pair of side by side magnets 20b arranged at a second end 13b of enclosure 13;

- a fifth permanent magnet 25 (optional) which extends between the first pair 20a and the second pair 20b and develops along the longitudinal axis D.

The first, second, third and fourth magnets 18, 19, 22 and 23 are shaped as a parallelepiped with the larger side edges arranged crosswise the longitudinal axis D and the fifth magnet 25 is shaped as a parallelepiped with the larger side edges arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis D.

The parallelepiped magnets 18 and 19 (figure 1) have respective first flat faces 18f and 19f facing a same first side 13f of enclosure 13 and forming opposite polarities N and S; accordingly, magnets 18 and 19 (figure 1) have respective second flat faces 18g and 19g facing a same second side 13g opposite to the first one on which opposite polarities S and N are formed.

The parallelepiped magnets 22 and 23 (figure 1) have respective first flat faces 22f and 23f facing the first side 13f of enclosure 13 and forming opposite polarities N and S; accordingly, magnets 22 and 23 (figure 1) have respective second flat faces 22g and 23g facing the same second side 13g on which opposite polarities S and N are formed.

Each magnet 18, 19, 22 and 23 is accommodated inside a respective cavity (for description simplicity, such a cavity is not numbered) which has dimensions substantially corresponding to the magnet in order to allow a steady positioning of magnet 18, 19, 22 and 23 inside enclosure 13. Similar remarks apply to the fifth magnet 25.

Conveniently, the above-described permanent magnets 18, 19 and 22, 23 can be implemented with packs of side by side magnetic blocks (such as four blocks) .

Also the fifth magnet 25 may comprise a set of side by side magnetic blocks (such as twelve blocks) fixed onto a plate (not shown) made of a ferromagnetic material .

The cavities are formed by coupling shells 14 and 15 to each other; for this reason, in order to access the magnets, it is necessary to uncouple shells 14 and 15 from each other (the coupling/uncoupling between shells 14 and 15 is carried out by simple means, such as screws ) .

The lower shell 15 comprises a flat base rectangular wall 27 (figure 1) which externally defines face 13f and which covers faces 18f, 19f, 22f and 23f and magnet 25. The flat base wall 27 has - at the magnets - a constant thickness and is arranged, in use, facing the road surface 6 and the conductive elements 10.

Enclosure 13 forms a first and a second elongated lowered seats 30, 31 which open on the flat base wall 27 and are arranged at opposite sides of the fifth permanent magnet 25. Each lowered seat 30, 31 has a rectangular section with greater sides parallel to the longitudinal axis D. Seats 30, 31 further have the same dimensions .

Each seat 30, 31 accommodates a respective sliding contact 32, 33 which is carried by a respective spring damper device 34 (of the known type and thus not further detailed) and projects by a stretch of the lowered seat 30, 31 beyond the plane of face 13f (figure 1) .

The spring dampers 34 allow a limited relative movement along a direction H transversal to the longitudinal axis D.

The sliding contacts 30, 31 are shaped as a parallelepiped with greater sides parallel to the longitudinal axis D and are arranged on opposing sides of the fifth magnet 25 with respect to axis 5. The sliding contacts 32, 33 are made of a conductive metal material and are connected with respective electrical conductive cables (not shown for simplicity) which extend from the pick up device 1 to the electrical vehicle 9 and allow the supply of the engine of vehicle

9·

The flat base wall 27 (figure 3) has, on the face thereof facing the exterior of the pick up device, a rectangular section longitudinal groove 36 which extends along the flat base bottom wall 27 by the whole length of the same.

In use, the electrical vehicle 9 arranges itself above the electrical line 2 with the pick up device 1 facing the conductive elements 10. The pick up device 1 is lowered until the bottom wall 27 rests onto the road surface 6. In this position, magnets 18, 19 and 22, 23 considerably approach the tape element contained inside enclosure 3; the field lines extending between pole N and S of each pair of magnets 20a, 20b close through a respective portion 7-up-sx and 7-up-dx of the tape element which is lifted and bent, thus getting deformed as a wave. The use of two pairs of opposite magnets 20a, 20b allows the application of a symmetrical and strong traction force on both portions 7-up-sx and 7-up-dx, thus ensuring a complete closure of the above bridge connection.

The sliding contacts 32, 33 arrange themselves in contact with the conductive element lOp connected to the electrical line 11, thus allowing the supply of the engine of the electrical vehicle 9 which can move with respect to enclosure 3 under the thrust of its engine.

The variation of the relative position of vehicle 9 with respect to enclosure 3 makes a different portion of the tape element 7 get deformed upwards, and thus the conductive element that was first live is disconnected, and a conductive element 10 adjacent thereto is connected to line 11. Conductive elements 10 are thus supplied in a sequence subsequent to the displacement of the deformed portion of the tape element inside the enclosure . Due to the above arrangement, the live conductive element 10 is always covered by enclosure 13 which has such dimensions as to cover the conductive element supplied; the safety of the line is thus ensured and any accidental contact with the live conductive element 10 is prevented.

Should wall 27 get deteriorated by friction, it may be replaced by uncoupling the upper shell 14 from the lower 15 one and replacing the latter. Replacing the whole enclosure 13 therefore is not necessary.