U.S. patent application number 13/237964 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-29 for train rail and train tracks.
This patent application is currently assigned to FOXSEMICON INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY, INC.. Invention is credited to KUO-CHENG CHANG.
Application Number | 20120074239 13/237964 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45869660 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120074239 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHANG; KUO-CHENG |
March 29, 2012 |
TRAIN RAIL AND TRAIN TRACKS
Abstract
A train rail includes an upper rail head, a lower rail head, a
web, and at least one piezoelectric plate. The lower rail head is
substantially parallel to the upper rail head. The web
perpendicularly connects the upper rail head to the lower rail
head. The at least one piezoelectric plate is positioned in the
train rail and configured for producing electric power under
pressure.
Inventors: |
CHANG; KUO-CHENG; (Chu-Nan,
TW) |
Assignee: |
FOXSEMICON INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY,
INC.
Chu-Nan
TW
|
Family ID: |
45869660 |
Appl. No.: |
13/237964 |
Filed: |
September 21, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
238/122 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01B 5/02 20130101; H02N
2/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
238/122 |
International
Class: |
E01B 5/02 20060101
E01B005/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 24, 2010 |
TW |
099132408 |
Claims
1. A train rail comprising: an upper rail head; a lower rail head
substantially parallel to the upper rail head; a web
perpendicularly connecting the upper rail head to the lower rail
head; and at least one piezoelectric plate positioned in the train
rail and configured for producing electric power under
pressure.
2. The train rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one
piezoelectric plate comprises a first piezoelectric plate and a
second piezoelectric plate, the first piezoelectric plate is
arranged within the upper rail head, and the second piezoelectric
plate is arranged within the lower rail head.
3. The train rail as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upper rail
head defines a first receiving groove, the lower rail head defines
a second receiving groove, the first piezoelectric plate is
received in the first receiving groove, and the second
piezoelectric plate is received in the second receiving groove.
4. The train rail as claimed in claim 3, wherein the length
direction of the first receiving groove coincides with the length
direction of the train rail, and the length direction of the second
receiving groove coincides with the length direction of the train
rail.
5. The train rail as claimed in claim 3, wherein the depth of the
first piezoelectric plate is less than half of the depth of the
upper rail head, and the depth of the second piezoelectric plate is
less than half of the depth of the lower rail head.
6. The train rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one
piezoelectric plate comprises two piezoelectric plates arranged at
opposite sides of the web, the piezoelectric plates being
perpendicular to the upper rail head and the lower rail head.
7. The train rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one
piezoelectric plate comprises one piezoelectric plates arranged at
the lower rail head and is exposed at the lower rail head.
8. The train rail as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one
piezoelectric plate is made of a material selected from the group
consisting of organic piezoelectric material, inorganic
piezoelectric material, and compound piezoelectric material.
9. A train track comprising: two train rails parallel to each other
and laterally spaced apart one from the other, each train rail
comprising: an upper rail head; a lower rail head substantially
parallel to the upper rail head; a web perpendicularly connecting
the upper rail head to the lower rail head; and at least one
piezoelectric plate positioned in the train rail and configured for
producing electric power under pressure; and a plurality of ties
parallel to each other and arranged between the two train rails,
each tie being perpendicular to the two train rails.
10. The train track as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one
piezoelectric plate comprises a first piezoelectric plate and a
second piezoelectric plate, the first piezoelectric plate is
arranged within the upper rail head, and the second piezoelectric
plate is arranged within the lower rail head.
11. The train track as claimed in claim 10, wherein the upper rail
head defines a first receiving groove, the lower rail head defines
a second receiving groove, the first piezoelectric plate is
received in the first receiving groove, and the second
piezoelectric plate is received in the second receiving groove.
12. The train track as claimed in claim 11, wherein the length
direction of the first receiving groove coincides with the length
direction of the train rail, and the length direction of the second
receiving groove coincides with the length direction of the train
rail.
13. The train track as claimed in claim 11, wherein the depth of
the first piezoelectric plate is less than half of the depth of the
upper rail head, and the depth of the second piezoelectric plate is
less than half of the depth of the lower rail head.
14. The train track as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one
piezoelectric plate comprises two piezoelectric plates arranged at
opposite sides of the web, the piezoelectric plates being
perpendicular to the upper rail head and the lower rail head.
15. The train track as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one
piezoelectric plate comprises one piezoelectric plates arranged at
the lower rail head and is exposed at the lower rail head.
16. The train track as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one
piezoelectric plate is made of a material selected from the group
consisting of organic piezoelectric material, inorganic
piezoelectric material, and compound piezoelectric material.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a rail used for train
tracks and train tracks having the same.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Train tracks usually consist of pairs of rails connected end
to end. Many modern trains are powered by electricity supplied by
overhead wires or additional rails and are guided by many
electronic devices along the tracks, such as indicator lights all
adding up to tremendous amount of electricity being used.
[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a train rail and train
tracks having the same, which can overcome or at least alleviate
the above-mentioned problems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a train track including two
train rails, according to a first exemplary embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of one rail of FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of another rail, according to a
second exemplary embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of yet another rail, according to
a third exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] Referring to FIG. 1, a train track 100, according to a first
exemplary embodiment, includes two train rails 10 and a number of
ties 20. The two train rails 10 are laterally spaced apart one from
the other by a distance sufficient to establish the desired gauge
of the train track 100. The ties 20 are parallel to each other and
arranged between the two train rails 10. Each tie 20 is
perpendicular to the two train rails 10.
[0011] Referring to FIG. 2, the train rails 10 are approximately
I-shaped in cross-section. Each train rail 10 includes an upper
rail head 12, a lower rail head 14, a web 16 connecting the upper
rail head 12 to the lower rail head 16, a first piezoelectric plate
17, and a second piezoelectric plate 18.
[0012] The upper rail head 12 has an upper curved surface 120 to
engage with the wheels of a train (not shown) and defines a first
receiving groove 122. The first receiving groove 122 is arranged
within the upper rail head 12 and the length direction of the first
receiving groove 122 coincides with the length direction of the
train rail 10. The first piezoelectric plate 17 is received in the
first receiving groove 122. The depth of the first piezoelectric
plate 17 is less than half of the depth of the upper rail head
12.
[0013] The lower rail head 14 is substantially parallel to the
upper rail head 12. The lower rail head 14 defines a second
receiving groove 142. The second receiving groove 142 is arranged
within the upper rail head 12 and the length direction of the
second receiving groove 142 coincides with the length direction of
the train rail 10. The second piezoelectric plate 18 is received in
the second receiving groove 142. The depth of the second
piezoelectric plate 18 is less than half of the depth of the lower
rail head 14.
[0014] Wires (not shown) connected to the first piezoelectric plate
17 and the second piezoelectric plate 18 extend through the train
rails 10 to connect electronic devices or a storage battery on the
train track 100. Each of the first piezoelectric plate 17 and the
piezoelectric plate 18 is made of piezoelectric material, such as
organic piezoelectric material, inorganic piezoelectric material,
or compound piezoelectric material. In this embodiment, the organic
piezoelectric material may be polyvinylidene fluoride. The
inorganic piezoelectric material may be piezotransistor or
piezoceramics. The piezotransistor includes quartz crystal, lithium
gallium oxide, lithium germinate, lithium niobate and lithium
tantalite. The piezoceramics includes barium titanate, barium
zirconate titanate, modified barium zirconate titanate, and
modified lead titanate. The compound piezoelectric material
includes a polymer base, organic piezoelectric material and
inorganic piezoelectric material. The organic piezoelectric
material and the inorganic piezoelectric material are embedded in
the polymer base.
[0015] Pressure on the train rails 10 from passing trains will be
applied to the first piezoelectric plate 17 and the piezoelectric
plate 18. Then, the two piezoelectric plates 17 and 18 transform
the mechanical energy to electric energy. The two piezoelectric
plates 17 and 18 will transmit the electric power to the electronic
devices and/or the storage battery on the train track 100. Thus,
the pressure of the trains can provide additional electric energy
for charging the battery and/or powering the electronic devices on
the train track 100, achieving good energy conservation.
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 2-3, a train rail 30, according to a
second exemplary embodiment, is shown. The differences between the
train rail 30 of this embodiment and the train rail 10 of the first
embodiment are: the first and second receiving grooves are omitted,
and two piezoelectric plates 32 are arranged at opposite sides of
the web 36 perpendicular to the upper and lower rail heads.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 2-4, a train rail 40, according to a
third exemplary embodiment, is shown. The differences between the
train rail 40 of this embodiment and the train rail 10 of the first
embodiment are: the first receiving groove is omitted, the second
receiving groove 442 is exposed at the lower rail head 44, and the
second piezoelectric plate 48 is received in the second receiving
groove 442 and is exposed at the lower rail head 44.
[0018] The advantages of the second and third embodiments are
similar to those of the first embodiment.
[0019] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been
set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of
the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is
illustrative only, and changes may be made in details, especially
in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the
principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the
broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
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