Claims:We Claim:

1. A power collector unit (10) for electric vehicles, the power collector unit (10) fitted to a chassis (15) of the vehicle and electrically connected to a battery of the vehicle, the power collector unit (10) comprising:
a collector shoe (25) at a base of the power collector unit (10) and adapted to be in proximity to a road (17), the collector shoe (25) comprising:
a magnet (30) disposed along a width of the collector shoe (25) at a first end (35) of a bottom portion (40) of the collector shoe (25) and having a linear cavity (45);
a first contact element (50) disposed in the linear cavity (45) of the magnet (30) and electrically connected to a positive terminal of the battery; and
a second contact element (55) disposed along the width of the collector shoe (25) at a second end (60) of the bottom portion (40) of the collector shoe (25), the second contact element (55) connected to a negative terminal of the battery, wherein the width of the collector shoe (25) is perpendicular to a length of the road (17); and
a linking arm (65) connecting the collector shoe (25) to the chassis (15) of the vehicle,
wherein in use, the magnet (30) in the collector shoe (25) is adapted to attract a first power line (70) from the road (17) to facilitate contact between the first power line (70) and the first contact element (50) in the collector shoe (25), and the second contact element (55) is adapted to contact a second power line (80) on the road (17).

2. The power collector unit (10) for electric vehicles as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising a projection (85) disposed along a width of the collector shoe (25) and between the first end (35) and the second end (60) of the bottom portion (40) of the collector shoe (25), and extending from the bottom portion (40) of the collector shoe (25) towards a surface of the road (17), to force the first power line (70) in a downward direction to prevent contact with the second contact element (55).

3. The power collector unit (10) for electric vehicles as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the projection (85) is composed of an insulating material.

4. The power collector unit (10) for electric vehicles as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the second contact element (55) is a roller, adapted to roll on the surface of the road (17).

5. The power collector unit (10) for electric vehicles as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising a dampener (90) disposed between the collector shoe (25) and the linking arm (65), for enabling dampening of shocks transferred from the road (17).

6. The power collector unit (10) for electric vehicles as claimed in Claim 5, further comprising a support link (94) further connecting the collector shoe (25) and the linking arm (65), to enable load distribution between the dampener (90) and the support link (94).

7. The power collector unit (10) for electric vehicles as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising a guide control unit (96) connected to the linking arm (65), the guide control unit (96) capable of sliding on a guide rod (98) in the chassis (15) of the vehicle, horizontally and in a direction perpendicular to a length of the vehicle.

8. A power feeder unit (200) built in a road (17) for enabling power extraction by electric vehicles, the power feeder unit (200) comprising:
a bed (205) disposed in a channel (75) in the road (17) and extending along a length of the road (17);
a plurality of recesses (210) disposed downward from a surface of the bed (205) and extending along the length of the road (17), the plurality of recesses (210) individually orientated along a width (215) of the road (17) and each of the plurality of recesses (210) adapted to contain a first power line (70) extending along the length of the road (17);
a plurality of cavities (220), wherein each cavity within a plurality of cavities (220) associated with each recess within the plurality of recesses (210), each cavity within the plurality of cavities (220) comprising a resilient member (225) that imparts a pulling force on the first power line (70) and adapted to retain the first power line (70) at a bottom portion of the recess;
a plurality of pads (230) disposed on the bed (205), each pad within the plurality of pads (230) alternating with each recess, each pad extending along the length of the road (17) and adapted to contain a second power line (80) extending along the length of the road (17);
wherein in use, the first power line (70) is adapted to be attracted by a power collector unit (10) in the vehicle to facilitate contact between the first power line (70) and a first contact element (50) in the power collector unit (10), and the second power line (80) is adapted to contact a second contact element (55) in the power collector unit (10).

9. The power feeder unit (200) as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the bed (205) is composed of insulating material.

10. The power feeder unit (200) as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the resilient member (225) is a spring.

11. A power system (300) for charging an electric vehicle on road (17), the system (300) comprising:
a power feeder unit (200), the power feeder unit (200) comprising:
a bed (205) disposed in a channel (75) in the road (17) and extending along a length of the road (17);
a plurality of recesses (210) disposed downward from a surface of the bed (205) and extending along the length of the road (17), the plurality of recesses (210) individually orientated along a width (215) of the road (17) and each of the plurality of recesses (210) adapted to contain a first power line (70) extending along the length of the road (17);
a plurality of cavities (220), wherein each cavity (45) within a plurality of cavities (220) associated with each recess within the plurality of recesses (210), each cavity within the plurality of cavities (220) comprising a resilient member (225) that imparts a pulling force on the first power line (70) and adapted to retain the first power line (70) at a bottom portion of the recess;
a plurality of pads (230) disposed on the bed (205), each pad within the plurality of pads (230) alternating with each recess, each pad extending along the length of the road (17) and adapted to contain a second power line (80) extending along the length of the road (17);
a power collector unit (10) fitted to a chassis (15) of the vehicle and electrically connected to a battery of the vehicle, the power collector unit (10) comprising:
a collector shoe (25) at a base of the power collector unit (10) and adapted to be in proximity to the road (17), the collector shoe (25) comprising:
a magnet (30) disposed along a width of the collector shoe (25) at a first end (35) of a bottom portion (40) of the collector shoe (25) and having a linear cavity (45);
a first contact element (50) disposed in the linear cavity (45) of the magnet (30) and electrically connected to a positive terminal of the battery; and
a second contact element (55) disposed along the width of the collector shoe (25) at a second end (60) of the bottom portion (40) of the collector shoe (25), the second contact element (55) connected to a negative terminal of the battery, wherein the width of the collector shoe (25) is perpendicular to a length of the road (17); and
a linking arm (65) connecting the collector shoe (25) to the chassis (15) of the vehicle.
, Description:Complete Specification:

The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of the invention
[0001] This invention relates to a power collector unit and a power feeder unit for use with electric vehicles on the road.

Background of the invention
[0002] With electric vehicles gaining prominence by leaps and bounds, the infrastructure and the ecosystem supporting these vehicles have to be improved as well. Charging stations enable batteries to be charged, but the distance between charging stations influence when vehicles need to be charged and the associated downtime of the vehicles. On-road charging systems, i.e. charging of the electric vehicle during driving provide the benefit of not stopping for charging separately. The battery keeps charging continuously on the run. US2012/0067684 discloses an on-road charging system where the conductor from the vehicle is inserted into a channel in the road for charging. This methodology can pose disadvantages in terms of the vehicle getting stuck on the road in case of issues with the conductor failing to retract and steerability of the vehicle.

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 shows a front elevation view of a power collector unit for electrical vehicles with a front cross-section of a power feeder unit;

[0004] Figure 2 shows a side elevation view of the power collector unit for electrical vehicles in a first position with a side cross-section of the power feeder unit;

[0005] Figure 3 shows an isometric sectional view of a road with channels; and

[0006] Figure 4 shows a side elevation view of the power collector unit for electrical vehicles in a second position with a side cross-section of the power feeder unit.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0007] Figure 1 shows a front elevation view of a power collector unit 10 for electric vehicles with a front cross-section of a power feeder unit 200. Figure 2 shows a side elevation view of the power collector unit 10 for electrical vehicles in a first position with a side cross-section of the power feeder unit 200. According to an aspect of the instant invention, the power collector unit 10 is described below. The power collector unit 10 is fitted to a chassis 15 of the vehicle (not shown in the Figures) and electrically connected to a battery of the vehicle. When in use, i.e, when the electric vehicle is driven on a road 17 having power feeding infrastructure, the power collector unit 10 is connected to the electric power grid and charges the battery of the vehicle which will be described hereinafter. As illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the power collector unit 10 comprises a collector shoe 25 at a base of the power collector unit 10 and adapted to be in proximity to the road 17. Base, in this context, refers to the normal dictionary meaning, which is the lowest part of something. The collector shoe 25 comprises a magnet 30 disposed along a width of the collector shoe 25 at a first end 35 of a bottom portion 40 of the collector shoe 25 and having a linear cavity. The width of the collector shoe 25 is perpendicular to a length of the road 17. To elaborate, the width of the collector shoe 25 is orientated horizontally and perpendicularly to the length of the road 17. In other words, the width of the collector shoe 25 is orientated along the width of the road 17. The width of the collector shoe 25 is what is seen in Figure 1. The first end 35 of the collector shoe 25 is the end that is directed towards the front of the vehicle. The first end 35 can have a bottom portion and an upper portion also, which can be easily understood. The magnet 30 extends along the width of the collector shoe 25, which means that the magnet 30 is almost as long as the width of the collector shoe 25, seen from the front or the back of the vehicle. The magnet has a cavity 45 that is linear or extends width-wise as described earlier. The cavity 45 faces downward. The collector shoe 25 further comprises a first contact element 50 disposed in the linear cavity 45 of the magnet 30 and electrically connected to a positive terminal of the battery. The positive terminal of the battery is not shown in the Figures. The first contact element 50 is connected by a wire or cable running to the battery of the vehicle to establish the electrical connection. In another alternate arrangement, the magnet 30 can have two separate magnetic elements with a space in between that is occupied by the first contact element 50. In this alternate arrangement, there is a linear spacing between the pieces of the magnet 30.

[0008] The collector shoe 25 further comprises a second contact element 55 disposed along the width of the collector shoe 25 at a second end 60 of the bottom portion 40 of the collector shoe 25, the second contact element 55 connected to a negative terminal of the battery, wherein the width of the collector shoe 25 is perpendicular to a length of the road 17. The second contact element 50 is connected by a wire or cable running to the battery of the vehicle to establish the electrical connection. The power collector unit 10 further comprises a linking arm 65 connecting the collector shoe 25 to the chassis 15 of the vehicle. The linking arm 65 acts as a support structure between the collector shoe 25 and the chassis 15. The linking arm is linear in structure and is connected to both the collector shoe 25 and the chassis 15.

[0009] When in use, i.e., when the vehicle is driven on the road 17, the magnet 30 in the collector shoe 25 is adapted to attract a first power line 70 from the road 17 to facilitate contact between the first power line 70 and the first contact element 50 in the collector shoe 25, and the second contact element 55 is adapted to contact a second power line 80 on the road 17. The channel 75 in the road 17 contains the power infrastructure for the working of the power collector unit 10. This will be further described hereinafter.

[0010] The power collector unit 10 further comprises a projection 85 disposed along a width of the collector shoe 25 and between the first end 35 and the second end 60 of the bottom portion 40 of the collector shoe 25, and extending from the bottom portion 40 of the collector shoe 25 towards a surface of the road 17, to force the first power line 70 in a downward direction to prevent contact with the second contact element 55. The purpose of having the projection in place is to prevent the shorting of the first power line 70 and the second power line 80. The projection extends throughout the width of the collector shoe 25, wherein the width of the collector shoe 25 has been described earlier. The projection 85 can be in the shape of a wedge or any similar shape. It is evident from Figure 2 that, by virtue of the shape of the projection 85, a downward force is imparted by the projection 85 on the first power line 70. This will be described further hereinafter. The projection 85 is composed of an insulating material such as wood, plastic or any other insulating material as well.

[0011] The second contact element 55 is a roller that is adapted to roll on the surface of the road 17. This is illustrated in Figure 2. More specifically, the second contact element 55 is adapted to roll over the second power line 80 which serves as the return line or negative in the electrical system. In an alternate arrangement, the second contact element 55 can also be a slider that slides on the surface of the road 17. The first power line 70 is connected to the positive or phase of the electric grid and the second power line 80 is connected to the negative or neutral of the electric grid. The power collector unit 10 further comprises a dampener 90 disposed between the collector shoe 25 and the linking arm 65 for enabling dampening of shocks transferred from the road 17. The dampener 90 can be a spring or any similar element. The dampener 90 is fitted between the collector shoe 25 and the linking arm 65 in such a way that the dampener 90 separates the collector shoe 25 and the linking arm 65 with a gap 92 or an interval 92. The dampener 90 along with the gap 92 serves to absorb or dampen shocks created by road bumps or road undulations such that the collector shoe 25 or the linking arm 65 or any other component of the power collector unit 10 is not damaged.

[0012] The power collector unit 10 further comprises a support link 94 further connecting the collector shoe 25 and the linking arm 65 to enable load distribution between the dampener 90 and the support link 94. Without the support link 94, the dampener 90 will be eccentrically loaded, which can cause the failure or breakage of the dampener 90. The power collector unit 10 further comprises a guide control unit 96 connected to the linking arm 65 at a chassis end of the linking arm 65. The guide control unit 96 is capable of sliding on a guide rod 98 in the chassis 15 of the vehicle, horizontally and in a direction perpendicular to a length of the car. The guide rod 98 is parallel to an axle of the car, which can be understood by a person skilled in the art. The movement of the guide control unit 96 on the guide rod 98 can be controlled by an electronic control unit or any other processor in the car. The movement of the guide control unit 96 is to position the power collector unit 10 on the channel 75 of the road 17 for extracting power, irrespective of the position of the car over the channel 75 on the road 17. In other words, this is to accommodate the sideways movements of the car for power extraction by the power collector unit 10. A camera in the front of the car can capture images of the road ahead, which can be transferred to a processing unit for assessing the position of the car in the lane and the position and the width of the power feeder unit 200 in the lane and control the guide control unit 96 accordingly for uninterrupted power collection by the power collector unit 10.

[0013] In the instant specification, the term “unit” refers to a sub-system or a combination of components arranged to work in a defined way.

[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, the power feeder unit 200 is described below. The power feeder unit 200 is built in the road 17 for enabling power extraction by electric vehicles, which is described hereinafter. The power feeder unit 200 comprises a bed 205 disposed in the channel 75 in the road 17 and extending along the length of the road 17. The power feeder unit 200 further comprises a plurality of recesses 210 disposed downwards from a surface of the bed 205 and extending along the length of the road 17, wherein the plurality of recesses 210 are individually orientated along a width 215 of the road 17 and each of the plurality of recesses 210 is adapted to contain a first power line 70 extending along the length of the road 17. The bed 205 is composed of insulating material to prevent any leakage or shorting of electricity. The channel 75 can be a pit dug in the road 17 and extending lengthwise and in the road 17. The bed 205 can be laid or placed in the channel 75 with some support at a bottom of the bed 205. In Figure 2, it is evident that the bed 205 has a vent 206 at an interval of 1 metre each along the length of the road. The lower end of the vent 206 opens out into the channel 75. The purpose of the vents is for drainage of water or other fluids, so that the working of the power feeder unit 200 is not affected by water or the fluid. The channel 75 also serves to drain the water or fluid from the top of the road 17.

[0015] The power feeder unit 200 further comprises a plurality of cavities 220, wherein each cavity within the plurality of cavities 220 is associated with each recess within the plurality of recesses 210. Each cavity within the plurality of cavities 220 comprises a resilient member 225 that imparts a pulling force on the first power line 70 and adapted to retain the first power line 70 at a bottom portion of each recess. In a particular channel and bed, the number of recesses and the number of cavities are the same across a section along the width 215 of the road 17. For example, if there are 4 recesses, there are 4 cavities and if there are 5 recesses, there are 5 cavities across the section along the width 215 of the road 17. The recesses run continuously along the length of the road carrying the first power line 70, whereas the cavities are intermittently placed at an interval of 3 meters along the length of the road. 3 meters is just an exemplary arrangement and can be placed at other intervals such as 2 meters or 4 meters or any similar dimension. The cavities are cylindrical or cuboidal and contains the resilient member 225 inside. The resilient member 225 in each cavity is connected to the first power line 70 by a cord or similar element that can accommodate repeated tensile forces acting on the same, such as a pulling force both by the first power line 70 and the resilient member 225. The resilient member 225 is a spring and more specifically, a tension spring. The working of the above mentioned arrangement will be described hereinafter.

[0016] The first power line 70 is a conventional electrical cable, and additionally having a cladding that is magnetic in nature. The cladding can be an iron cladding or anything similar. The cladding provides magnetic capabilities to the first power line 70 and enables the first power line 70 to be attracted and pulled up by the magnet 30 in the power collector unit 10. The power feeder unit 200 further comprises a plurality of pads 230 disposed on the bed 205, each pad within the plurality of pads 230 alternating with each recess, each pad extending along the length of the road 17 and adapted to contain the second power line 80 extending along the length of the road. The pad is a small depression or relief on the surface of the bed that can hold the second power line 80 running on the road. To visualize, the plurality of recesses 210, the first power line 70, the plurality of pads 230 and the second power line 80 are all parallel to the length of the road and run continuously along the length of the road. As described earlier, the cavities are intermittently located at defined intervals. When in use, the first power line 70 is adapted to be attracted by the power collector unit 10 in the vehicle to facilitate contact between the first power line 70 and the first contact element 50 in the power collector unit 10 and the second power line 80 is adapted to contact the second contact element 55 in the power collector unit 10.
[0017] According to one exemplary arrangement of the channels, one channel 75 is provided for one lane of the road 17. Therefore, the number of channels 75 is dependent on the number of lanes in the road 17. In another exemplary arrangement, the number of channels 75 can also be two for one lane of the road 17. According to one exemplary arrangement, the number of recesses and cavities along one channel 75 can be four. In another exemplary arrangement, the number of recesses and cavities along one channel 75 can be five. The number of recesses and cavities can also be any other number, depending on the size of the road, size of the lane and governmental regulations in place. The reasons can be others as well.

[0018] According to another aspect of the invention, a power system 300 for charging an electric vehicle on the road 17 is disclosed. The power system 300 is an aggregation of the power collector unit 10 and the power feeder unit 200. The power system 300 comprises the power feeder unit 200 and the power collector unit 10. The power feeder unit 200 comprises a bed 205 disposed in a channel 75 in the road 17 and extending along a length of the road 17, a plurality of recesses 210 disposed downward from a surface of the bed 205 and extending along the length of the road 17, the plurality of recesses 210 individually orientated along a width 215 of the road 17 and each of the plurality of recesses 210 adapted to contain a first power line 70 extending along the length of the road 17, a plurality of cavities 220, wherein each cavity within a plurality of cavities 220 associated with each recess within the plurality of recesses 210, each cavity within the plurality of cavities 220 comprising a resilient member 225 that imparts a pulling force on the first power line 70 and adapted to retain the first power line 70 at the bottom portion of the recess, a plurality of pads 230 disposed on the bed 205, each pad within the plurality of pads 230 alternating with each recess, each pad extending along the length of the road 17 and adapted to contain a second power line 80 extending along the length of the road 17. The power collector unit 10 is fitted to a chassis 15 of the vehicle and electrically connected to a battery of the vehicle, the power collecting unit 10 comprising a collector shoe 25 at a base of the power collector unit 10 and adapted to be in proximity to the road 17, the collector shoe 25 comprising a magnet 30 disposed along a width of the collector shoe 25 at a first end 35 of a bottom portion 40 of the collector shoe 25 and having a linear cavity 45, a first contact element 50 disposed in the linear cavity 45 of the magnet 30 and electrically connected to a positive terminal of the battery, and a second contact element 55 disposed along the width of the collector shoe 25 at a second end 60 of the bottom portion 40 of the collector shoe 25, the second contact element 55 connected to a negative terminal of the battery, wherein the width of the collector shoe 25 is perpendicular to a length of the road 17. The power collector unit 10 further comprises a linking arm 65 connecting the collector shoe 25 to the chassis 15 of the vehicle.

[0019] Figure 3 shows an isometric sectional view of the road 17 with channels 75. Figure 3 shows a two lane road, which is for illustrative purposes. There can be more than 2 channels in the road 17 a well. Figure 4 shows a side elevation view of the power collector unit 10 for electrical vehicles in a second position with a cross-section of the power feeder unit 200. The first position in Figure 2 is when the power collector unit 10 is directly above one of the recesses. The second position in Figure 4 is when the power collector unit 10 is between and above two successive recesses.

[0020] The method of working of the power collector unit 10 and the power feeder unit 200 is described hereinafter. The first power line 70 and the second power line 80 is connected to the central power grid of the country or state or corporation or municipality. So, the first power line 70 and the second power line 80 supplies power to the electric vehicles using the power feeder unit 200. The power collector unit can be retrofitted to electric vehicles or can be integrated during manufacture of the electric vehicles. Electric vehicles here can be cars, trucks, buses and any other three wheelers or four wheelers using electric motors for moving. As described above, the first power line 70 is held at the bottom of the plurality of recesses 210 and is pulled up whenever required by the electric vehicle. This provides the advantage of placing the live electric cable under the road 17 and pulling up and using the same only when required by the electric vehicle.

[0021] As the electric vehicle is being driven in the road 17, either by a human or autonomously, the power collector unit 10 moves over the power feeder unit 200, and specifically over a recess and a pad, for connecting to the electric grid. It has been explained earlier that the pad and recess are alternating and as the vehicle sways to the left or right, the contact can be changed to the next pad or recess. If the vehicle is changing lanes, then the power collector unit 10 comes over the power feeder unit 200 in the next or changed lane. In the brief period of time, the battery of the vehicle will not be charged as the power collector unit 10 is not in contact with any power feeder unit 200. And when the vehicle comes into the next lane, the charging of the battery begins again with the power collector unit 10 over the power feeder unit 200. So, as the power collector unit 10 is above one of the recesses according to the first position as in Figure 2, the magnet 30 attracts and pulls the first power line 70 because of the magnetic material cladding. The force due to the magnetic attraction of the first power line 70 at that point exceeds the spring force of the resilient member 225 and therefore the first power line 70 is pulled up towards the magnet 30, where contact is made between the collector shoe 25 and the first power line 70 for power transfer. As the vehicle keeps going, the first power line 70 below the position of the power collector unit 10 is pulled up due to the magnetic force and makes contact with the collector shoe 25. Once the power collector unit 10 has moved forward from the point of contact, the first power line 70 is pulled down again by the force of the resilient member 225.

[0022] Hence, as the vehicle keeps moving forward, there is a continuous contact between the collector shoe 25 and the first power line 70. To visualize, the first power line 70 pops up over the surface of the bed wherever the power collector unit 10 is and transfer power to the same. Figure 4 shows the second position, when the power collector unit 10 is above and between two recesses. So, the advantage provided by the resilient members 225 is to keep the first power line 70 at the bottom of the recesses. The second contact element 55 provides the return path for the electricity.

[0023] The advantage of this arrangement is that the power lines are held firmly under the surface of the road or bed and is pulled up only when required, improving safety of the power system 300.

[0024] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this invention. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.