A switch for vehicles
AssigneeHyperloop Technologies, Inc.
InventorsTim LAMBERT, Niedziela KORNEL
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A switch for vehicles is provided. In particular, a switch for a levitation rail for a vehicle is provided. The switch comprises: a straight rail; a curved rail, curving away from the straight rail, the straight rail and the curved rail comprising magnetic material to magnetically interact with a motor of the vehicle; and a magnetic gap between the straight rail and the curved rail, the magnetic gap comprising a region, at which the straight rail and the curved rail meet, of lower magnetic permeability relative to the straight rail and the curved rail.
Claims20
A switch for a levitation rail for a vehicle, the switch comprising:
- a straight rail;
- a curved rail, curving away from the straight rail, the straight rail and the curved rail comprising magnetic material to magnetically interact with a motor of the vehicle;
- and
- a magnetic gap between the straight rail and the curved rail, the magnetic gap comprising a region, at which the straight rail and the curved rail meet, of lower magnetic permeability relative to the straight rail and the curved rail.
A vehicle comprising:
- a body;
- at least one levitation actuator attached to the body, the at least one levitation actuator to interact with a rail that includes a straight rail and a curved rail and a magnetic gap between the straight rail and the curved rail, the magnetic gap being of lower magnetic permeability relative to the straight rail and the curved rail;
- and
- at least one guidance actuator to interact with a guidance rail located at a same side of the straight rail from which the curved rail extends, the at least one guidance actuator controllable to guide the body along the straight rail or the curved rail.
An electromagnetic guidance system comprising:
- at least one rail;
- and
- a vehicle comprising at least one ski and one or more electromagnetic actuators attached to the at least one ski, such that a force is generated between the at least one electromagnetic actuator and the at least one rail;
- wherein:
- the rail is one or more of flat, curved, and twisted;
- and
- the one or more electromagnetic actuators are positioned such that the one or more electromagnetic actuators are tangent to tightly curved rail surfaces, minimally curved rail surfaces, and straight rail surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.