EP2540363A1 - Coupling device for a car and rail-bound car with the coupling device - Google Patents

Abstract

The coupling device (11) has a coupling body (12) and a bearing (14), where a carriage vertical axis (6) is pivotally mounted with the coupling body. A drawbar (13) is provided, through which the coupling body is attached on the bearing to keep a distance from the bearing. One among contact ridges (26, 27) is magnetized such that two of carriages (1) are coupled by magnetic attraction at a contact of one contact ridge of one carriage with another contact of another contact ridge of another carriage.

Description

The invention relates to a coupling device for a carriage and a carriage, which has the coupling device and is rail-guided.

At the coupling of rail-mounted cars, especially cars of a toy train, high demands are made in terms of kinematics and handling. A coupling constructed of permanent magnets is known, the coupling halves of which are attached to one of the carriages, with two oppositely arranged permanent magnets with unequal magnetic poles facing one another, so that the coupling of the carriages is accomplished by a magnetic attraction of the two coupling halves at their contact. The disadvantage here, however, is that when coupling the car is to pay attention to a correspondingly unequal Magnetpolpaarung, whereby the flexibility is impaired when putting together a wagon train. Furthermore, the magnetic coupling has a low lateral mobility, whereby the passage of the wagon train through narrow curves is only possible to a limited extent.

It is desirable that the magnetic coupling halves are identical and thus compatible, so that the car can be coupled together regardless of their direction of travel orientation. Further, it is desirable that steep curves, in particular S-curves, and ramps with a high pitch are manageable with the wagon train. Moreover, when using the magnetic coupling in the toy train, it is desirable that the magnetic coupling is child-friendly and correspondingly simple in its operation. The magnetic coupling should be designed so that no parts of it that can be swallowed by a child, for example, or have sharp broken edges at which a child could injure themselves.

The object of the invention is to provide a coupling device for a car and the car, which is rail-guided and has the coupling device, wherein the coupling device is simple in construction and handling, and a safe coupling of the car especially when driving through tight turns and steep Ramps allowed.

The object is solved with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments thereof are given in the further claims.

The coupling device according to the invention for a carriage for coupling two of the carriages comprises a coupling body, a bearing, with which the coupling body is pivotably mounted about a Wagenhochachse, and a drawbar, via which the coupling body is attached to the bearing and held at a distance from the camp, wherein the coupling body has on its side facing away from the bearing at least two, in each case in a direction parallel to the car vertical axis and adjacent, convex contact backs whose curvature diameter is greater than the extension of the contact back in Wagenhochachsenrichtung and of which at least one of the contact back is magnetized such that two of the carriages can be coupled to the contact back of the second carriage by magnetic attraction when the contact bridge of the first carriage contacts the contact bridge. According to the invention, the carriage on the coupling device and is rail-guided.

It is preferred that the projections of the contact backs in Wagenquerachsenrichtung are uniform and congruent. The contact backs are preferably raised. As an alternative to this, the side of the coupling body facing away from the bearing has a convex contact surface into which the contact backs are integrated such that the contact backs lie flat in the contact surface. That is, the contact surface is barrel-shaped curved about the car transverse axis, wherein the contact backs are defined by the magnetization at the contact surface. Preferred dimensions is attached to the Contact vertices each formed a magnetic pole, whereby two of the carriage can be coupled by the magnetic attraction in the contact of the contact back of the first carriage with the contact back of the second carriage.

It is preferred that the contact surface is a surface segment of a straight circular cylinder whose axis is perpendicular to the car vertical axis. The contact surface is preferably formed smooth with their contact backs, so that two coupling devices coupled to one another can be unrolled at their contact surfaces and / or can be displaced relative to one another in car vertical axis directions.

The coupling body preferably has two contact backs and is preferably designed as a bar magnet whose first magnetic pole is located on one of the contact backs and whose second magnetic pole is located on the other contact back. The magnetic poles are arranged at the end-side longitudinal ends of the bar magnet, wherein preferably the contact backs can coincide with an end-side boundary edge of the contact surface.

The coupling body preferably has alternatively two contact backs, which are each made of a ferromagnetic material and ferromagnetically insulated from each other, wherein one of the contact backs magnetized and the other contact back is unmagnetized. In this case, the coupling body preferably has an intermediate region, which is arranged between the contact backs and made of a non-ferromagnetic material, in particular plastic or aluminum, whereby the contact backs are magnetically isolated from one another with the intermediate region. Further, preferably both contact backs are made of a ferromagnetic material and magnetized, wherein the two contact backs are ferromagnetically insulated from each other and the arrangement of the magnetic poles on the contact back is in opposite directions to each other.

Preferably, the bearing is arranged such that the coupling body is pivotable about the Wagenquerächse. In this case, preferably, the bearing has a bearing ring and a bearing pin, which attached to the carriage extends through the bearing ring with such a large game that the bearing ring for tilting the coupling body on the bearing pin is tilted. Preferably, the bearing further comprises a recess in the carriage, which is dimensioned such that the bearing ring is inserted with such a large clearance in the recess, that the bearing ring for pivoting the coupling body on the bearing pin is tilted. The bearing ring preferably has a circular cross-section. Thus, the bearing ring is preferably formed toroidal.

In addition, it is preferable that the car is a toy railway car. It is also preferred that the carriage is provided in a conveyor technology device, for example in a carriage-based transport system for a high-bay warehouse.

With the coupling device, the mobility of two coupled to the coupling device car is defined. In particular, with the coupling device, a rotation about the car vertical axis and a rotation about the car transverse axis is made possible. When cornering the car causes it to shear their longitudinal ends and move the opposite longitudinal ends of the car laterally to each other. When passing through the carts of valleys and mountains with large slopes, the two opposite longitudinal ends move in vertical direction as they pass through the valley bottoms and the hilltops. In particular, the coupling device is advantageously mounted on toy rail car because high demands are placed on the mobility of coupled with the coupling device carriages in a toy train due to the relatively tight bends and steep gradients.

The coupling body, the drawbar and the bearing ring are preferably integrally formed. As a result, the coupling device has few components, whereby the coupling device is easy to handle and inexpensive to manufacture. In addition, the coupling device is thus easy to set up suitable for children, as about individual small components that could possibly be swallowed, are not provided in the coupling device. Rather, the coupling device is robustly equipped, so that the coupling device can meet increased requirements in terms of stability as a toy.

The coupling body preferably has neodymium, which is magnetized transversely to the direction of travel of the carriage. For example, the carriage is provided with the coupling device at its two longitudinal ends, i. back and front, provided. Seen in the direction of travel, for example, in the case of the front coupling device, the north pole is on the left and the south pole on the right, and on the rear coupling device, the south pole on the left and the north pole on the right. If two of the carriages are pushed together and the coupling devices are brought into mutual contact with their contact backs, north poles and south poles face each other, as a result of which the two coupling devices are magnetically attracted. If one of the carriages is rotated by 180 ° about its vertical axis, the north poles and south poles face each other again at the two mutually facing coupling devices, so that orientation of the carriages in the direction of travel does not occur when the carriages are coupled together.

Two coupled by means of the coupling devices car are rotatable by means of bearings around the car's vertical axis. The fact that the pairs adjacent contact backs are rolled together, a vertical pivoting of the car is possible. By the contact backs of a coupling device are vertically displaced on the contact back of the other coupling device, the car are vertically displaceable. This vertical displacement of the Carriage is supported by the fact that the bearings are pivotable about the car transverse axis. At the contact surfaces, the adjacent coupling devices are transversely displaceable, which in addition to the rotation of the bearing about the car vertical axis a horizontal displacement of the car is mutually possible.

The bearing clearance is preferably chosen such that in the uncoupled state, the coupling device remains largely horizontal on the car. Preferred dimensions of the recess is dimensioned such that the rotation of the bearing is limited to the carriage axis, so that the longitudinal ends of the coupling body can not reach the central axis of the car. This is advantageous when coupling two carriages, since first the longitudinal ends of the coupling body approach one of the longitudinal ends and then, after the carriages are pushed together, the longitudinal ends of the other side of the coupling bodies approximate.

• Figur 1 eine perspektivische Explosionsdarstellung des Wagens mit der Kupplungsvorrichtung und
• Figuren 2 und 3 einen Kupplungsvorgang von zwei der Wagen.

In the following, a preferred embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention and the carriage according to the invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. It shows:

• FIG. 1 an exploded perspective view of the carriage with the coupling device and
• FIGS. 2 and 3 a coupling process of two of the car.

Like it out FIGS. 1 to 3 it can be seen, a carriage 1 has a chassis block 2, on the top of a chassis plate 3 is arranged. The chassis block 2 is elongated, wherein the chassis plate 3 is flush with the chassis block 2. In the region of the longitudinal ends of the chassis block 2 in each case a wheel axle 4 with wheels 5 is arranged. In FIG. 1 is for the left end of the car a car axle 6, a car longitudinal axis 7 and a car transverse axis 8 located. Between the end of the car 9 and the wheel axle 4 adjacent to it, the chassis block 2 has a projection 10.

The carriage 1 is provided at the longitudinal end of the carriage 9 with a first coupling device 11 and at the end of the carriage 9 remote from the end of the carriage equipped with a second coupling device. The first coupling device 11 and the second coupling device are designed basically identical. The coupling device 11 has a coupling body 12, a drawbar 13 and a bearing 14. The coupling body 12 is elongate and extends with its longitudinal axis parallel to the car transverse axis 8. Center of the coupling body 12 is the chassis block 2 facing the drawbar 13 is secured to the turn a bearing ring 15 of the bearing 14 is attached. With the drawbar 13, the coupling body 12 is held at a distance from the bearing ring 15. The axis of symmetry of the bearing ring 15 is substantially parallel to the car vertical axis 6, wherein the bearing ring 15 has a circular cross-section. The coupling body 12, the drawbar 13 and the bearing ring 15 are made in one piece.

In the supernatant 10 of the chassis block 2 at the carriage longitudinal end 9, a recess 16 is formed, in which the bearing ring 15 is used. At the bottom of the recess 16, a hole 17 is provided in the chassis block 2, through which a bearing pin 18 is inserted and which is held in the chassis plate 3, wherein the bearing pin 18 extends through the bearing ring 15 itself. The bearing pin 18 has a head 19 for horizontal support on the chassis block 2 and a step 20 which is arranged such that on the step 20, the chassis plate 3 is applied.

The bearing ring 15 is located in a horizontal plane in the recess 16, wherein the bearing pin 18 with its longitudinal direction parallel to the vehicle vertical axis 6 with the bearing ring 15 is engaged. In the vertical direction of the bearing ring 15 is supported in the recess 16, wherein the bearing ring 15 to the Wagenhochachse 6 is rotatably mounted. The clearance between the bearing ring 15 and the bearing pin 18 and between the bearing ring 15 and the recess 16 is selected such that sufficient for the coupling pivotal movement of the coupling device 11 is made possible to the car transverse axis 8. Characterized in that the bearing ring 15 with a circular cross-section, ie, toroidal, is formed, a possible tilting of the bearing ring 15 during pivoting of the coupling body 11 is prevented by the car transverse axis 8.

The recess 16 is delimited at the longitudinal end of the carriage 9 by material of the chassis block 2, wherein the recess 16 is formed in the chassis block 2 such that in extreme Verschwenklagen the coupling device 11, the drawbar 13 is applied to the chassis block 2 accordingly.

At the side facing away from the bearing 14 of the coupling body 12, this has a contact surface 21, which is convexly cylindrical. The axis of symmetry of the contact surface 21, when the coupling device 11 is aligned pointing in the carriage longitudinal axis 7, parallel to the car transverse axis 8. The contact surface 21 is bounded above by an upper edge 22 and below by a lower edge 23, wherein the upper edge 22 and the lower edge 23 the Define vertical extent of the contact surface 21. The curvature diameter of the contact surface 21 is smaller than the vertical extent thereof.

Characterized in that the coupling body 12 is formed elongated, it has a first end face 24 and a second end face 25. In the region of the first end face 24, a first contact spine 26 is formed, and in the region of the second end face 25, a second contact spine 27 is formed. The contact edges 26, 27 are formed flat with the contact surface 21. Between the contact spines 26, 27, an intermediate region 28 of the contact surface 21 is located.

The coupling body 12 is formed as a bar magnet, wherein on the first end face 24 of the north pole 29 and on the second end face 25 of the south pole 30 is settled. By the settlement of the poles 29, 30 at the end faces 24, 25 of the coupling body 12, the position of the contact back 26, 27 is defined.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 is the coupling of two carriages 1 and 1 'shown, which are each equipped with the coupling device 11. The carriage 1 'is identical to the carriage 1, wherein for the carriage 1, a rear coupling device 11 and for the carriage 1' is provided a front coupling device, when in FIGS. 2 and 3 the direction of travel runs from right to left. In the coupling device 11 of the carriage 1, the north pole 29 is in FIGS. 2 and 3 seen above and south pole 30 below. Similarly, for the coupling device of the carriage 1 ', the north pole 29 is arranged at the bottom and the south pole 30 at the top.

When pushing the carriage 1 and 1 ', the adjacent unequal poles 29, 30 attract, wherein, as shown in FIG FIG. 2 the first end face 24 with its north pole 29 touches the coupling device of the carriage 1 '. Upon further pushing together of the carriages 1, 1 ', the second end face 25 approaches the coupling device of the carriage 1', so that finally the second end face 25 is also in touching contact with the coupling device of the carriage 1 '. Both coupling devices of the carriages 1 and 1 'magnetically attract, wherein, as shown in FIG FIG. 3 is shown, the coupling devices in the coupling state.

In FIG. 2 is the coupling device 11 in the one extreme luffing position, the drawbar 13 abuts the chassis block 12. The extreme Verschwenklage is chosen such that when you push the car 1 and 1 'find the front sides of the two facing coupling devices and thus the in FIG. 2 shown state in the in FIG. 3 shown state is over.

The vertical dimension of the contact surface 21 is selected by the position of the upper edge 22 and the lower edge 23 such that there is always contact between the coupling devices for the imaginary or expected ascent and descent of the carriage 1 and 1 '. In the dome state, the contact surfaces of the coupling bodies of the coupling devices of the carriages 1 and 1 'have a contact line. Characterized in that the curvature diameter of the contact surface 21 is greater than the distance between the upper edge 22 and the lower edge 23, the contact line adjacent settled areas of the contact surface 21 of the carriage 1 are arranged comparatively close to their opposite areas of the contact surface of the carriage 1 ', whereby the magnetic attraction between the coupling bodies is strong.

The contact surface 21 is smooth, so that a mutual slippage in both the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction of the abutting contact surfaces is possible. Thus, for example, when driving over a dome of the carriage 1 and 1 ', the coupling device 11 of the carriage 1 with respect to the coupling device of the carriage 1' are height-shifted, the contact between the contact surfaces is always maintained.

According to another embodiment, the intermediate portion 28 may be made of a non-ferromagnetic material, such as plastic, wherein the coupling body 12 is made on the end faces 24, 25 of a magnetic material. In this case, the magnetization of the end faces 24, 25 to be selected such that at opposite coupling devices, as in FIGS. 2 and 3 is shown, each unequal poles face each other. According to a further embodiment, one of the end faces 24, 25 may be made of a magnetized material, the other of the end faces 24, 25 being made of a ferromagnetic material. In the two other embodiments, it is also achieved that a magnetic attraction of two opposite coupling devices of the car 1 and 1 'is present. According to a further embodiment, it is conceivable that the intermediate region 28 is recessed, so that the contact backs 26, 27 are raised.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

dare

2

chassis block

3

chassis plate

4

wheel axle

5

wheel

6

Dare vertical axis

7

car longitudinal axis

8th

Dare transverse axis

9

Car longitudinal end

10

Got over

11

coupling device

12

clutch body

13

shaft

14

camp

15

bearing ring

16

recess

17

hole

18

bearing bolt

19

head

20

step

21

contact area

22

top edge

23

lower edge

24

first end face

25

second end face

26

first contact back

27

second contact back

28

intermediate area

29

North Pole

30

South Pole

Claims (15)

Coupling device for a carriage (1) for coupling two of the carriages (1, 1 '), with a coupling body (12), a bearing (14) with which the coupling body (12) is pivotably mounted about a carriage vertical axis (6), and a drawbar (13), via which the coupling body (12) is fastened to the bearing (14) and held at a distance from the bearing (6), wherein the coupling body (12) at its side facing away from the bearing (14) at least two, each having a plane parallel to the carriage vertical axis (6) and having adjacent, convex contact ridges (26, 27) whose curvature diameters are greater than the extent of the contact ridges (26, 27) in the vehicle vertical axis direction and of which at least one of the contact ridges (26, 27 ) is magnetized so that two of the carriages (1) can be coupled to the contact backs of the second carriage (1 ') by magnetic attraction when the contact backs (26, 27) of the first carriage (1) touch. Coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the projections of the contact backs (26, 27) in the transverse direction of the carriage are uniform and congruent. Coupling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact edges (26, 27) are raised. Coupling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bearing (14) facing away from the coupling body (12) has a convex contact surface (21) into which the contact edges (26, 27) are integrated such that the contact back (26, 27). lie flat in the contact surface (26, 27). A coupling device according to claim 4, wherein the contact surface (21) is a surface segment of a right circular cylinder whose axis is perpendicular to the carriage vertical axis (6). Coupling device according to claim 5, wherein the contact surface (21) with its contact backs (26, 27) is smooth, so that two mutually coupled coupling devices (11) at their contact surfaces (21) unrollable and / or verschluttable in Wagenhochächsenrichtung against each other. Coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the coupling body (12) has two contact backs (26, 27) and is designed as a bar magnet, the first magnetic pole on one of the contact back (26) and the second magnetic pole on the other contact back (27) is settled. Coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the coupling body (12) has two contact bridges (26, 27) each made of a ferromagnetic material and ferromagnetically insulated from each other, wherein one of the contact back (26) magnetized and the other contact back (27) is unmagnetized or both contact spines (26, 27) are magnetized opposite. Coupling device according to claim 8, wherein the coupling body (12) has an intermediate region (28) which is arranged between the contact backs (26, 27) and made of a non-ferromagnetic material, whereby with the intermediate region (28) the contact backs (26, 27) are magnetically isolated from each other. Coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the bearing (14) is arranged such that the coupling body (12) about the carriage transverse axis (8) is pivotable. Coupling device according to claim 10, wherein the bearing (14) has a bearing ring (15) and a bearing pin (18) attached to the carriage (1) extends through the bearing ring (15) with such a large clearance that the bearing ring (15) for pivoting the coupling body (12) on the bearing pin (18) is tiltable. Coupling device according to claim 11, wherein the bearing (14) has a recess (16) in the carriage (1) dimensioned such that the bearing ring (15) can be inserted into the recess (16) with such a large clearance the bearing ring (15) for pivoting the coupling body (12) on the bearing pin (18) is tilted. Coupling device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the bearing ring has a circular cross-section. Cart with a coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the carriage is rail-guided. A cart according to claim 14, wherein the cart is a toy railcar.

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