CN210027452U - Rail joint monitoring devices and rail monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a rail joint monitoring devices and rail monitoring system. The steel rail joint monitoring device comprises a fracture conduction piece, a switch unit and a wireless communication unit. The crack conduction piece is used for being mechanically connected with the first steel rail and moves along with the first steel rail when the steel rail joint is broken. The first rail is one of two sections of rails connected by rail joints. The switch unit is matched with the position of the broken joint conducting piece and is used for being conducted when the broken joint conducting piece moves and touches. The wireless communication unit is electrically connected with the switch unit and used for sending signals to the track management system when the switch unit is conducted. Through setting up crack conduction spare, switch element and wireless communication unit near rail joint, when rail joint fracture, crack conduction spare touches the switch element along with the removal of first rail for the switch element switches on, has realized the accurate monitoring to rail joint crack.

Description

Rail joint monitoring devices and rail monitoring system

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a railway technology field especially relates to a rail joint monitoring devices and rail monitoring system.

Background

With the development of railway technology, steel rails are widely used on railways. The steel rail is welded in a thermite welding mode, and the welding quality is not high and the fatigue strength is poor. In order to prevent thermite welded rail joints from breaking, compromising driving safety, on heavy haul railways, a large number of rail joints are fitted with bump clamps. After the bulge clamping plate is installed, the steel rail joint is still easy to break; the steel rail joint is protected by the bulge clamping plate after being broken, so that the driving safety can not be endangered in a short time. However, realize the utility model discloses an in-process, the inventor discovers the rail joint fracture back of rail, because the existence of swell splint, can not show on the track obviously for rail joint's monitoring becomes a blind area of rail broken rail monitoring. With the gradual expansion of the broken joint, the risk of train derailment is higher and higher, and the problem that the broken joint cannot be accurately monitored exists in the conventional coping manner.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Based on this, it is necessary to provide a rail joint monitoring device and a rail monitoring system that can accurately monitor rail joint cracks in order to solve the problems of the conventional rail joint crack monitoring.

In order to achieve the above object, the embodiment of the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

on the one hand, the embodiment of the utility model provides a rail joint monitoring devices, include:

the fracture conduction piece is used for being mechanically connected with the first steel rail and moving along with the first steel rail when the steel rail joint is fractured; the first steel rail is one of two sections of steel rails connected through a steel rail joint;

the switch unit is matched with the position of the broken joint conducting piece and is used for conducting when the broken joint conducting piece moves and touches;

and the wireless communication unit is electrically connected with the switch unit and is used for sending signals to the track management system when the switch unit is switched on.

In one embodiment, the fracture conduction piece comprises a fixed seat and a transmission rod, the fixed seat is mechanically connected with the first end of the transmission rod, and the fixed seat is used for mechanically connecting the first steel rail;

the second end of the transmission rod is matched with the position of the switch unit.

In one embodiment, the switch unit is a microswitch, and the wireless communication unit comprises a SIM card communication module or a ZigBee communication module.

In one embodiment, the wireless communication device further comprises a power supply which is respectively electrically connected with the wireless communication unit and the switch unit.

In one embodiment, the wireless communication device further comprises a packaging box, wherein the wireless communication unit and the power supply are contained in the packaging box, and the packaging box is used for being mechanically connected to the second steel rail; the second rail is the other of the two sections of rails connected by the rail joint.

In one embodiment, the switching unit is arranged on an outer surface of the enclosure or for being arranged on the second rail.

In one embodiment, the switch unit is arranged on the second end of the transmission rod and is matched with the position of the positioning part on the packaging box or the second steel rail.

In one embodiment, the power supply further comprises a limiting member, wherein the limiting member is accommodated in the packaging box and used for limiting and fixing the power supply.

In one embodiment, the steel rail vehicle further comprises a flexible packaging shell, the fixed seat, the transmission rod and the packaging box are contained in a containing cavity of the flexible packaging shell, and the flexible packaging shell is used for being mechanically connected with the first steel rail and/or the second steel rail.

On the other hand, the embodiment of the utility model provides a rail monitoring system, including track management system and foretell rail joint monitoring devices.

Above-mentioned rail joint monitoring devices and rail monitoring system through set up crack conduction spare, switch element and wireless communication unit near rail joint, when rail joint breaks, the displacement of opposite direction will appear in the rail of rail joint both sides. When the steel rail joint is broken, the broken joint conducting piece touches the switch unit along with the movement of the first steel rail, so that the switch unit is conducted. The switch unit is turned on, so that the wireless communication unit automatically sends a signal to a track management system for monitoring the railway, and the track management system can give an early warning to the breakage condition of the steel rail joint. The problem of traditional rail joint broken joint monitoring existence has been overcome, has realized the accurate monitoring to rail joint broken joint, is convenient for in time inform the railway business to carry out the field processing.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a rail joint monitoring apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a second schematic diagram of a rail joint monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the circuit configuration of the rail joint monitoring apparatus according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a third embodiment of a rail joint monitoring apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a fourth schematic diagram of a rail joint monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a fifth schematic view of a rail joint monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a rail monitoring system according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the present application is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element and integrated therewith or intervening elements may be present, i.e., indirectly connected to the other element.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the description of the present application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Referring to fig. 1, in one embodiment, a rail joint monitoring device 100 includes a crack detector 12, a switch unit 14, and a wireless communication unit 16. The break conductor 12 is adapted to mechanically couple to the first rail 101 and move with the first rail 101 in the event of a break in the rail joint 110. The first rail 101 is one of two sections of rail connected by rail joint 110. The switch unit 14 is arranged in a position matching with the position of the break joint conductor 12 and is used for conducting when the break joint conductor 12 moves to touch. The wireless communication unit 16 is electrically connected to the switch unit 14, and is configured to send a signal to the track management system when the switch unit 14 is turned on.

The track management system is a computer system used by a railway monitoring center for carrying out daily monitoring, scheduling and other work of the railway. The break conductor 12 is a mechanical member that moves following the movement of the rail when the rail joint 110 breaks, and transmits the abnormal movement of the rail due to the breakage of the rail joint 110 to the switching unit 14. The switch unit 14 is a mechanical switch or an inductive switch driven by an external force. The wireless communication unit 16 is a wireless transmitting module or a wireless receiving and transmitting module with a conventional wireless communication function in the field, and the specific type can be selected according to the applied distance, the power consumption index requirement and the like

It will be appreciated that the break conductor 12 may be connected to one of the rails on both sides of the rail joint 110, i.e. the first rail 101, by welding, screwing, clipping or other connection fixing means, so that when the rail joint 110 breaks, the break conductor 12 effectively follows the connected first rail 101 to move and touch the switch unit 14 to automatically switch on the switch unit 14. The position between the switch unit 14 and the crack conduction member 12 can be flexibly set according to the driving mode of the switch unit 14, for example, for the switch unit 14 driven by external force pressing, the switch unit 14 can be installed on the path of the crack conduction member 12 moving along the first steel rail 101, so that the crack conduction member 12 effectively touches the driving member of the switch unit 14 when moving a certain distance along the first steel rail 101, and the switch unit 14 is conducted.

The switch unit 14 may be disposed directly or indirectly on the other rail segment on either side of the rail joint 110, i.e., the second rail 102, in a position opposite the position where the break conductor 12 is formed. Thus, when the rail joint 110 is broken, the two originally connected rails move in opposite directions, the crack conduction member 12 and the switch unit 14 move in opposite directions along the respective rails, and the crack conduction member 12 touches the driving member of the switch unit 14 during the moving process to turn on the switch unit 14. The switch unit 14 may also be disposed on the crack conduction member 12, such that during the movement of the crack conduction member 12, the switch unit 14 moves along with the crack conduction member 12, and the switch unit 14 can be turned on by touching the driving member with an external object that is stationary with respect to the ground. The switch unit 14 may be disposed on a location other than the rail, such as the ground or a sleeper, as long as it can be effectively touched by the fault conductor 12 to the driving member and conducted during the movement of the fault conductor 12. The wireless communication unit 16 may be disposed on any one of the rails on both sides of the rail joint 110, or may be disposed at a position other than the rail, such as on the ground or a tie, as long as a reliable electrical connection with the switching unit 14 is ensured.

Specifically, the break joint conductor 12 is arranged on the steel rail, and the switch unit 14 is matched with the break joint conductor 12 in a mutual cooperation mode; when the rail joint 110 is not broken, the fracture conduction piece 12 does not move, the relative distance between the fracture conduction piece 12 and the switch unit 14 is not changed, the fracture conduction piece 12 cannot touch the switch unit 14, the switch unit 14 keeps an open circuit state, and the wireless communication unit 16 keeps a power-off state. When the rail joint 110 is broken, the crack conduction member 12 will move along with the first rail 101, the distance between the crack conduction member 12 and the switch unit 14 is shortened, and the crack conduction member 12 will touch the switch unit 14. The switch unit 14 is switched from the open state to the closed conductive state after being touched by the broken joint conductor 12. The switch unit 14 is turned on, so that the wireless communication unit 16 is powered on, for example, a battery provided independently or a power supply connected from a contact network for supplying power to a railway is powered on, and the power-off state is changed into the power-on state to automatically transmit a signal, so as to transmit the signal to the track management system. After receiving the signal sent by the wireless communication unit 16 after being powered on, the track management system can know the on-site condition that the rail joint 110 is broken.

By arranging the crack detector 12, the switch unit 14 and the wireless communication unit 16 near the rail joint 110, the rail joint monitoring device 100 can generate displacement in opposite directions on the rails on both sides of the rail joint 110 when the rail joint 110 is broken. The crack conduction member 12 touches the switch unit 14 with the movement of the first rail 101, so that the switch unit 14 is turned on. The switch unit 14 being turned on will cause the wireless communication unit 16 to automatically send a signal to the track management system monitoring the railroad so that the track management system will provide an early warning of the rail joint 110 failure. The problem of the monitoring of the conventional rail joint 110 broken joint is solved, the accurate monitoring of the rail joint 110 broken joint is realized, and the rail joint is convenient to inform railway work timely to carry out field treatment.

Referring to fig. 2, in one embodiment, the break bar 12 includes a fixing base 122 and a transmission rod 124. The fixed seat 122 is mechanically connected to a first end of a transmission rod 124. The fixed seat 122 is used for mechanically connecting the first rail 101. The second end of the transmission rod 124 is arranged to match the position of the switch unit 14.

It is understood that the fixing base 122 is a mechanical connector, such as a cube or a sphere made of metal, plastic or ceramic. The fixing base 122 may be a solid connecting member or a hollow connecting member. The fixed seat 122 and the first end of the transmission rod 124 may be connected by a hinge, and the first end of the transmission rod 124 may also be directly welded to the fixed seat 122. The fixing base 122 may be, but is not limited to, connected to the first rail 101 by welding, screwing, or adhering with a high-strength adhesive. The drive link 124 is a length of metal, plastic or other rod-like member. The length, shape, material and the like of the transmission rod 124 can be determined according to the application environment and the conduction triggering manner of the switch unit 14.

Specifically, a first end of the transmission rod 124 is fixed to the first rail 101 through the fixing seat 122. A second end of the transmission rod 124 cooperates with the switch unit 14. For example, the second end of the transmission rod 124 is formed with a striking portion facing the first rail 101, and the switch unit 14 may be disposed opposite to the first rail 101 at a predetermined distance from the second end of the transmission rod 124. When the rail joint 110 is broken, the transmission rod 124 moves along with the first rail 101, the switch unit 14 is stationary relative to the ground or moves along with the second rail 102, and the relative movement directions of the two are opposite, so that the second end of the transmission rod 124 touches the switch unit 14, the switch unit 14 is conducted, and the broken joint monitoring of the rail joint 110 is realized.

Through the setting of above-mentioned fixing base 122 and transfer line 124, adopt transfer line 124 to realize the triggering of switch unit 14, the cost is lower and realize simply, and the power replacement cycle is longer, is convenient for extensively use in the not high region of monitoring requirement.

In one embodiment, the switch unit 14 is a microswitch. The wireless communication unit 16 includes a SIM card communication module or a ZigBee communication module.

It can be understood that the microswitch is a switch which acts on the action reed through the driving rod by mechanical external force to quickly connect or disconnect the fixed contact and the movable contact at the tail end of the action reed. The specific type of the micro switch can be selected according to the touch action travel, the type of the wireless communication unit 16, the installation environment and other requirements. The number of the micro switches can be one, or two or more, and when a plurality of micro switches are arranged, each micro switch can be connected with the wireless communication unit 16 in a parallel connection mode, so that when any micro switch is touched and conducted by the broken joint conducting piece 12, the wireless communication unit 16 can be powered on.

Any one of a traditional SIM card communication module and a ZigBee communication module can be adopted to realize the required signal sending function, the application cost is low, the reliability is good, and the flexible selection can be performed according to the communication distance and the signal receiving mode. In addition, LoRa communication module, Wi-Fi module and bluetooth module etc. also can provide required signal transmission function, can adopt the redundant setting mode with SIM card communication module or zigBee communication module, avoid a communication module trouble and directly lead to the problem of unable normal transmission signal to improve the signal transmission reliability greatly.

Through the application of the microswitch and the SIM card communication module (or the ZigBee communication module), the fracture monitoring and reporting of the steel rail joint 110 can be realized at low cost and reliably.

Referring to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the rail joint monitoring apparatus 100 further includes a power source 18. The power supply 18 is electrically connected to the wireless communication unit 16 and the switching unit 14, respectively.

Wherein the power source 18 may be a battery such as, but not limited to, a button cell battery, a single or double dry cell battery, or a single lithium cell battery. It is understood that the switch unit 14 can be connected to the positive power supply path or the negative power supply path of the power supply 18 and the wireless communication unit 16, so as to achieve the effect of switching the automatic control circuit from the open state to the conductive state. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the electrical connections between the power source 18, the wireless communication unit 16 and the switching unit 14 may be direct connections via wires or may be connections via circuitry provided on a common PCB board, so long as the required paths between the power source 18, the wireless communication unit 16 and the switching unit 14 are provided.

Specifically, when the rail joint 110 is not broken, the switching unit 14 is in an open state, and the path between the wireless communication unit 16 and the power supply 18 is disconnected, so that the power is turned off. After the rail joint 110 is broken, the switch unit 14 is switched from the open state to the closed conductive state under the touch of the fracture conductor 12, the path between the wireless communication unit 16 and the power source 18 is conducted by the switch unit 14, and the wireless communication unit 16 is switched to the power-on state to automatically send a signal to the track management system. In this way, the wireless communication unit 16 is powered on by turning on the power supply 18 when the microswitch is on, and is in a power-off state when the switch unit 14 is in an off state, and the consumption of the power supply 18 occurs only after the break occurs. Therefore, the power supply 18 is arranged to independently supply power to the wireless communication unit 16 on site, so that the power consumption and the monitoring cost are low, and the integrated packaging of the rail joint monitoring device 100 is facilitated.

Referring to FIG. 4, in one embodiment, the rail joint monitoring apparatus 100 further includes a housing 20. The wireless communication unit 16 and the power supply 18 are housed within an enclosure 20. The enclosure 20 is adapted to be mechanically coupled to the second rail 102. Second rail 102 is the other of the two sections of rail joined by rail joint 110.

The enclosure 20 may be a plastic box or other magnetic permeable box, and the size and shape of the enclosure 20 may be determined according to the size and shape of the power supply 18 and the wireless communication unit 16. The enclosure 20 may be, but is not limited to, fixed to the second rail 102 by welding, screwing, or adhering with a high-strength adhesive.

It can be understood that, after the wireless communication unit 16 and the power supply 18 are uniformly packaged by the packaging box 20, when the installation is needed on site, the installation and fixation of the wireless communication unit 16 and the power supply 18 can be completed only by connecting and fixing the packaging box 20 and the second rail 102. The enclosure 20 may also isolate the wireless communication unit 16 and the power supply 18 from the elements, thereby providing security for the wireless communication unit 16 and the power supply 18 and facilitating maintenance of the wireless communication unit 16 and the power supply 18.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the switch unit 14 is disposed on an outer surface of the enclosure 20, or for disposition on the second rail 102.

It will be appreciated that the particular position of the switch unit 14 on the enclosure 20 may be determined based on the position of the second end of the drive link 124. For example, the second end of the transmission rod 124 is formed with an impact portion facing in the direction of the first rail 101, and the switch unit 14 may be mounted on an outer surface of the enclosure 20 on a side facing away from the first rail 101 so as to be opposed to the second end of the transmission rod 124 at a set distance. Similarly, when the switch unit 14 is mounted on the second rail 102 during on-site installation, the position of the switch unit 14 on the second rail 102 may be either the rail bottom surface of the second rail 102 or either of the two side surfaces of the second rail 102, and the driving member of the switch unit 14 faces away from the first rail 101 side, so that the switch unit 14 is disposed opposite to the second end of the transmission rod 124 at a predetermined distance.

In particular, when the rail joint 110 breaks, the transmission rod 124 follows the first rail 101 and the switching unit 14 follows the second rail 102, both in opposite directions. When the second end of the transmission rod 124 touches the switch unit 14, the switch unit 14 is driven by external force to be conducted, so that the wireless communication unit 16 is powered on and automatically sends a signal to the track management system, and the gap monitoring of the rail joint 110 is realized.

Through the position arrangement of the switch unit 14, the switch unit 14 is located on one side of the second steel rail 102 in the practical application process, after the steel rail joint 110 is broken, the switch unit 14 moves opposite to the second end of the transmission rod 124, the collision sensitivity is higher, and the fracture monitoring precision is improved.

In one embodiment, the switch unit 14 is disposed on the second end of the transmission rod 124 and is positioned to match the position of the positioning portion on the enclosure 20 or the second rail 102.

The positioning part on the second rail 102 is an auxiliary member welded or bonded to the surface of the second rail 102 in advance. It will be appreciated that the switch unit 14 may also be mounted on the second end of the drive link 124 such that the switch unit 14 moves with the drive link 124 after the rail joint 110 breaks. The switch unit 14 is disposed in a position matching with the positioning portion on the enclosure 20 or the second rail 102, which means that the driving member of the switch unit 14 faces the enclosure 20 or the positioning portion and is located on a moving path of the enclosure 20 or the positioning portion moving along with the second rail 102.

As such, when the switch unit 14 is disposed at the second end of the drive link 124, the switch unit 14 moves with the drive link 124 away from the enclosure 20 or the second rail 102 after the rail joint 110 breaks. During the movement of the switch unit 14, the second end of the transmission rod 124 pushes the switch unit 14 to the positioning portion on the box or the second rail 102, so as to achieve the touch conduction of the switch unit 14, and improve the crack monitoring accuracy of the rail joint 110.

Referring to FIG. 5, in one embodiment, the rail joint monitoring device 100 further includes a limiting member 22. The limiting member 22 is accommodated in the packaging box 20 and is used for limiting and fixing the power supply 18.

It is understood that the stop 22 is an insulating structural member such as, but not limited to, a ceramic plate, a foam pad, or bakelite. The number of the limiting members 22 may be one, such as a ceramic board or a circuit formed with a battery mounting groove, and the number of the limiting members 22 may also be two or more, such as two quadrate bakelite, for limiting and fixing the power source 18 (such as a battery) in the enclosure 20. The shape of the retaining member 22 may be determined according to the type and specification of the power supply 18, the manner in which the power supply 18 is fixed in the enclosure 20, and the like.

The power supply 18 can be stably fixed in the enclosure 20 by the stopper 22, and the power supply 18 is prevented from being shaken in the enclosure 20 to be damaged or the wireless communication unit 16 from being damaged when an external force is applied to the enclosure 20 during transportation, when a train passes through a rail, or under other working conditions.

Referring to FIG. 6, in one embodiment, rail joint monitoring apparatus 100 further includes a flexible enclosure 24. The fixing base 122, the transmission rod 124 and the packaging box 20 are all accommodated in the accommodating cavity of the flexible packaging shell 24. The flexible enclosure 24 is used to mechanically couple the first rail 101 and/or the second rail 102.

It is understood that the flexible enclosure 24 is an integral enclosure made of a flexible magnetic permeable material, such as but not limited to an enclosure made of a polyurethane material, and can isolate the transmission rod 124, the enclosure 20, and the fixing base 122 from the external natural environment while not hindering the movement of the first rail 101 and the second rail 102 after the rail joint 110 is broken, thereby providing a safety protection effect for the transmission rod 124, the enclosure 20, the fixing base 122, and the like. The flexible enclosure 24 may be integrally connected to the rail formed by the first rail 101 and the second rail 102 or connected to the rail by riveting or screwing. On either of the first rail 101 and the second rail 102.

The flexible packaging casing 24 may be a fully enclosed flexible casing or a semi-enclosed flexible casing, for example, a casing with a window, which facilitates replacement of components inside the flexible packaging casing 24. The shape of the flexible enclosure 24 can be selected to accommodate the mounting brackets 122, the actuator rod 124, and the enclosure 20, as well as the mounting requirements on the rails. By providing the flexible enclosure 24, the reliability of the rail joint 110 monitoring device 100 may be improved.

Referring to fig. 7, in one embodiment, a rail monitoring system is also provided, including a rail management system 202 and the rail joint monitoring apparatus 100 described above.

It can be understood that the track management system 202 may have access to one rail joint 110 monitoring device 100, or may have access to a plurality of rail joint 110 monitoring devices 100, for example, when it is necessary to perform on-line rail joint 110 monitoring on a plurality of railways within a certain area, and when the rail joint 110 monitoring device 100 of each railway monitors that the rail joint 110 is broken, it may send a corresponding signal to the track management system 202 through the respective wireless communication unit 16, and notify the track management system 202.

For specific description of the rail joint monitoring device 100 in this embodiment, reference may be made to corresponding explanations in the above embodiments, and repeated descriptions are not repeated here. According to the steel rail monitoring system, the steel rail joint monitoring device 100 is applied, the problem of the conventional steel rail joint 110 broken joint monitoring is solved, the broken joint of the steel rail joint 110 is accurately monitored, and railway work is conveniently and timely informed to carry out field processing.

The technical features of the embodiments described above may be arbitrarily combined, and for the sake of brevity, all possible combinations of the technical features in the embodiments described above are not described, but should be considered as being within the scope of the present specification as long as there is no contradiction between the combinations of the technical features.

The above-mentioned embodiments only represent some embodiments of the present invention, and the description thereof is specific and detailed, but not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, several variations and modifications can be made, which are within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A rail joint monitoring device, comprising:

the fracture conduction piece is used for being mechanically connected with the first steel rail and moving along with the first steel rail when the steel rail joint is broken; the first steel rail is one of two sections of steel rails connected through the steel rail joint;

the switch unit is matched with the position of the broken joint conducting piece and is used for conducting when the broken joint conducting piece moves and touches;

and the wireless communication unit is electrically connected with the switch unit and is used for sending signals to the track management system when the switch unit is switched on.

2. A rail joint monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the break conductor comprises a mounting block and a drive rod, the mounting block being mechanically coupled to a first end of the drive rod, the mounting block being adapted to mechanically couple to the first rail;

and the second end of the transmission rod is matched with the switch unit in position.

3. The rail joint monitoring device of claim 2, wherein the switch unit is a micro switch, and the wireless communication unit comprises a SIM card communication module or a ZigBee communication module.

4. A rail joint monitoring apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a power supply electrically connected to the wireless communication unit and the switch unit respectively.

5. A rail joint monitoring apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an enclosure in which the wireless communication unit and the power supply are housed, the enclosure being adapted to be mechanically connected to a second rail; the second steel rail is the other one of the two sections of steel rails connected through the steel rail joint.

6. A rail joint monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the switch unit is provided on an outer surface of the enclosure or for location on the second rail.

7. A rail joint monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein the switch unit is provided at the second end of the actuator rod in a position matching the location of the enclosure or the location on the second rail.

8. The rail joint monitoring device of claim 5, further comprising a limiting member received in the package for limiting and fixing the power supply.

9. A rail joint monitoring device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a flexible enclosure, wherein the mounting block, the transmission rod and the enclosure are housed in a housing cavity of the flexible enclosure, and the flexible enclosure is configured to mechanically couple the first rail and/or the second rail.

10. A rail monitoring system comprising a rail management system and a rail joint monitoring apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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