The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 30, 1995
Applicant:
Inventors:
August Heckmann, Weinheim, DE;
Erich Minderlein, Vellmar, DE;
Assignee:
ABB Patent GmbH, Mannheim, DE;
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B61K / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
33 / ; 335231 ;
Abstract
A configuration for detecting gaps in a conductor rail for electric rail vehicles being fed through conductor rails, includes a proximity switch. A component of a current collector can be pressed against an activation element of the proximity switch if a gap in the conductor rail is present so that a conductor-rail gap signal can be produced in conjunction with an evaluation device, when there is an interrupted conductor rail. Alternatively, a proximity sensor can be used instead of a proximity switch. The proximity sensor can also detect a conductor rail directly without components of the current collector being involved in the detection.