Guideway and vehicle for transportation system
OwnerMilan Novacekinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The guideway-based transportation system includes a guideway and a mating vehicle. The guideway includes a main guideway section that may branch at a branch point into two separate branch sections. The guideway has a suitable geometry to support and guide the vehicle at any speed reasonably associated with such a transportation system. The vehicle includes both support and guide wheels to support the weight of the vehicle and to maintain contact between the vehicle and the guideway as it moves along the guideway, and may optionally include a switching wheel assembly for switching the path of travel of the vehicle from the main guideway section to either of the branch sections.
Claims23
A vehicle bogie to which a passenger or freight holding structure is mounted, the vehicle bogie matable with a transportation system guideway having a central raised platform and lateral side walls, the vehicle bogie comprising:
- a support frame;
- at least one support wheel rotatably connected to the support frame about a first rotational axis, the support wheel adapted to contact a running surface of the central raised platform of the guideway for supporting the vehicle bogie on the guideway;
- and
- at least one guide wheel rotatably connected to the support frame about a second rotational axis, the guide wheel spaced outward from the support wheel and adapted to contact a first lateral running surface of the lateral sidewall.
A guideway of a transportation system, comprising:
- a floor;
- a centrally disposed raised platform extending away from the floor, the platform defining a top running surface and two side switching surfaces;
- at least one lateral side stabilizing wall spaced-apart from the raised platform and extending away from the floor, the stabilizing wall defining a substantially planar guide running surface.
A transportation system comprising:
- a guideway including a floor, a centrally disposed raised platform extending away from the floor, the platform defining a top running surface and two side switching surfaces, and at least one lateral side stabilizing wall spaced-apart from the raised platform and extending away from the floor, the stabilizing wall defining a substantially planar guide surface;
- and
- a vehicle including a bogie having a support frame, at least one support wheel rotatably connected to the support frame that contacts the top running surface, at least one guide wheel rotatably connected to the support frame that contacts the guide surface, and a switching wheel assembly, the switching wheel assembly including a main pivot arm and switch wheels carried at the ends of the main pivot arm, either one of the switch wheels engaging against one of the side switching surfaces.
A guideway of a transportation system, comprising:
- a first guideway section including a first floor, a first centrally disposed raised platform extending away from the first floor, the first platform defining a first top running surface and two first side switching surfaces, and two first lateral side stabilizing walls extending away from the first floor on both sides of the first raised platform, the first stabilizing wall defining a substantially planar guide surface;
- and
- a second guideway section connected adjacent the first guideway section, the second guideway section including a second floor connected to the first floor, a second centrally disposed raised platform contiguously connected with the first centrally disposed raised platform, the second raised platform extending away from the second floor and defining a second top running surface and two second side switching surfaces, and a second side stabilizing wall extending away from the second floor on one side of the second raised platform, the second stabilizing wall defining a substantially planar guide surface,
- wherein the first and second running surfaces and the first and second side switching surfaces are connected such as to form contiguously planar running surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.