Deployable power rail connector for electric machine and method
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsKurt L. Winckler, Igor Strashny
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power rail connector for an electric power system in an electric machine includes a linkage having a lower link and an upper link, and a rail contactor coupled to the lower link and including electrical contacts positioned to electrically connect to a power rail. The linkage includes a fold joint, a lift joint, and a pivot, and is adjustable from an extended, current-collecting configuration to a collapsed configuration via rotation of the lower link relative to the upper link and rotation of the upper link relative to the pivot. Related machinery and methodology is also disclosed.
Claims19
A power rail connector for an electric power system in a machine comprising:
- a linkage including a lower link, an upper link, a fold joint connecting the lower link to the upper link, a fold actuator coupled between the upper link and the lower link, a pivot, a lift joint connecting the pivot to the upper link, and a lift actuator coupled between the pivot and the upper link;
- a rail contactor coupled to the lower link and including electrical contacts positioned to electrically connect to a power rail;
- the fold joint defining a horizontally extending fold axis, the lift joint defining a horizontally extending lift axis, and the pivot defining a vertically extending pivot axis;
- and
- the linkage is adjustable from an extended, current-collecting configuration to a collapsed configuration via rotation of the lower link relative to the upper link about the fold axis and rotation of the upper link relative to the pivot about the lift axis.
An electric machine comprising:
- a frame having a front frame end and a back frame end;
- ground-engaging propulsion elements coupled to the frame;
- an electric power system including an electric motor, and a power rail connector including a support arm having an inboard arm end coupled to the frame, and an outboard arm end, and a linkage supported on the outboard arm end;
- the linkage including a lower link, an upper link, a fold joint connecting the lower link to the upper link and defining a fold axis, a pivot defining a pivot axis, a lift joint connecting the pivot to the upper link and defining a lift axis, and a rail contactor coupled to the lower link;
- the support arm is movable from a stowed position relative to the frame, to a service position at which the outboard arm end is spaced laterally outward of the frame;
- and
- the linkage is adjustable from an extended, current-collecting configuration to a collapsed configuration via rotation of the lower link relative to the upper link about the fold axis and rotation of the upper link relative to the pivot about the lift axis.
A method of operating a machine comprising:
- moving a support arm coupled to a frame in a machine from a stowed position to a service position extending outboard from the frame;
- adjusting a linkage of a power rail connector from a collapsed configuration to an extended, current collecting configuration via unfolding the linkage at a fold joint, and lowering the linkage at a lift joint;
- aligning a rail contactor laterally with a power rail, based on an at least one of an angular orientation of the linkage relative to the support arm or a lateral position of the support arm relative to the frame;
- and
- contacting the rail contactor to the power rail to electrically connect an electric power system of the machine to the power rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.