EP4013657B1 - Automatic air coupling for a rail vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic air clutch for a rail vehicle, the rail vehicle being in particular in the form of a goods wagon, in particular according to the preamble of claim 1.

Automatic air couplings are conventionally used in rail vehicles intended for passenger transport and are part of the automatic train coupling there. The automatic air coupling serves to couple the main air line between the individual rail vehicles of a train, that is to say between the individual carriages, with carriages being understood to mean both railcars and pulled/pushed carriages. The necessary air pressure must be built up in the train's main brake pipe in order to release the brakes of all coupled rail vehicles. Conversely, if the air pressure in the main air line falls, the respective rail vehicle is braked.

In passenger transport, the air coupling is automatically actuated when two automatic train couplings are driven against each other and a secure mechanical connection is established between the train couplings. As a rule, the mouthpiece of the respective air coupling is positioned in the middle at the upper edge of the front plate and a flow channel for the compressed air, in which a valve is arranged, is connected to the mouthpiece. The flow channel ends on the other side of the valve, seen from the mouthpiece, in a compressed air connector to which a compressed air hose or a compressed air pipe of the relevant rail vehicle can be connected in order to establish the connection to the brakes or to the other end of the rail vehicle and the air coupling provided there.

The valve in the flow channel is actuated mechanically by the so-called coupling lock, more precisely by its main bolt, which is rotated by a so-called frog connected to it in a rotationally fixed manner when the train couplings are moved against one another. The mechanical interlocking between the two train couplings is established with the frogs of both couplings and corresponding coupling eyes, into which the projections of the frogs engage. Uncoupling is also done by twisting the frogs and thus the coupling lock and the main bolt.

Generic automatic air couplings have an extension of the coupling lock or the main bolt, wherein the extension in the form of a shaft can be connected to the coupling lock or the main bolt in a rotationally fixed manner and is provided with a cam which, when the shaft is rotated, opens the valve in the sense of opening the flow channel activated during the coupling process. During the decoupling process, the cam is turned back accordingly with the shaft and releases the valve, which is then closed by the force of a spring accumulator and blocks the flow channel.

The position of the valve or of a valve body of the valve, which works together with a valve seat, is therefore dependent on the position of the clutch lock. In the ready-to-couple position, the valve keeps the flow channel and thus the main air line closed. In the coupled position, the valve keeps the flow channel and thus the main air line open.

When coupling, the mouthpieces of both air couplings meet and are pressed together airtight. At the same time, the coupling lock or its main bolt rotates into the coupled position and opens the valve, as explained.

If the coupling breaks, that is, if the train couplings unintentionally move apart, although the main pin is in the locked position, the position of the cam also remains unchanged compared to the coupled state. The valve remains open and the main air line can be vented. The drop in pressure leads to emergency braking of the rail vehicle as the brakes are applied.

Such automatic air couplings are not conventionally used in freight wagons. Instead, simple pipe sections are coupled here via front-side seals in order to connect the main air line of two rail vehicles to one another. This makes it possible to design such couplings and the entire main air lines with a particularly large flow cross section. The great length of trains with freight wagons is remarkable. In the event of a clutch failure, the pressure drop in the main air line must spread from the point of failure from vehicle to vehicle in order to brake all vehicles together. High demands are therefore placed on the propagation speed, also known as the penetration speed. In particular, a minimum penetration speed of 250 meters per second is specified according to railway standards.

A disadvantage of the air couplings for freight cars is the effort required to operate them. At the same time, however, these air couplings are designed to be extremely robust. The automatic air couplings of rail vehicles for passenger transport, on the other hand, are conventionally less robust and, for example, are susceptible to foreign bodies hitting from above, such as pieces of bulk material, as is the case with rail vehicles for freight transport. Furthermore, due to the more complex line routing, there are greater pressure losses.

DE 669 444 A discloses an automatic clutch for vehicles, in which the flow channel between the mouthpiece and the compressed air connection has a fork in which a valve is installed, the drive from a inner peripheral wall of the housing is completely surrounded, the inner peripheral wall in turn being completely surrounded by an outer peripheral wall to form the flow channel.

DE 10 2016 104 188 A1 discloses a device for activating at least one functional component of an automatic central buffer coupling, a shaft that can be rotated about an axis of rotation being provided with three cams, the first and second cams actuating valve arrangements and the third cam acting on the tappet of a position detection device and acting on it with its cam contour depending on the twisted position, more or less pushed into the housing of the position detection device. There can also be two corresponding mechanical position detection devices associated with the same cam.

U.S. 4,892,204 A discloses a control device for a railway vehicle coupling with a metal detector arranged in the upper front of a face plate for detecting a metal coupling hook when it is inserted into the face plate.

The present invention is based on the object of specifying an automatic air coupling for a rail vehicle, the automatic air coupling being easy to operate, at the same time having a robust design and in particular also meeting the requirements of air couplings for rail vehicles in the form of freight cars.

The object of the invention is achieved by an automatic air clutch having the features of claim 1. The dependent claims describe advantageous and particularly expedient refinements of the invention and an automatic train coupling with an automatic air coupling according to the invention.

The automatic air coupling for a rail vehicle according to the present invention, wherein the rail vehicle is designed in particular in the form of a freight car, has a mouthpiece for coupling the air coupling to an opposite air coupling in accordance with the generic design explained at the beginning, and also a compressed air connection for connecting the air coupling to a Rail vehicle compressed air system and a flow channel which connects the mouthpiece to the compressed air nozzle in a compressed air manner. A valve, which comprises a valve body and a valve seat, is arranged in the flow channel. The valve body can be moved between an open position, in which it at least largely or completely releases the flow channel, and a closed position, in which it shuts off the flow channel in a pressure-tight manner. In this way, in particular, a main air line, of which the flow channel forms a part, is blocked accordingly.

The valve is assigned a valve drive which acts on the valve body at least indirectly in order to move it from the open position to the closed position and/or from the closed position to the open position, ie to actuate it accordingly. For example, the valve drive actively brings the valve body into the open position, whereas the valve body is moved into the closed position by the force of a spring accumulator, for example a compression spring. However, it is also conceivable that the valve drive actively brings the valve body into the closed position and the valve body is brought into the open position by the force of a spring accumulator. Finally, it is conceivable that the valve drive actively brings about both movements, ie moving the valve body from the open position to the closed position and vice versa.

The valve drive comprises a shaft which can be rotated about an axis of rotation and which is designed for non-rotatable connection to a rail vehicle coupling lock, in particular its main bolt, or which is formed by the rail vehicle coupling lock or its main bolt. The rotatable shaft is provided with at least one cam, which may be integral with the shaft or non-rotatably mounted on the shaft. The at least one cam acts at least indirectly on the valve body to actuate it.

According to the invention, at least one position sensor is provided in the area of the cam, which at least indirectly detects a twisted position of the cam. The at least one position sensor is designed as a non-contact sensor.

The at least one position sensor preferably has a mounting surface which is opposite the cam radially and at a distance with respect to the axis of rotation.

According to the invention, it is thus possible to determine with certainty whether the cam is in a position in which the valve body occupies the open position or in a position in which the valve body occupies the closed position or, if necessary, an intermediate position. It can also be determined with certainty whether turning the main pin of the coupling lock causes the desired turning of the cam and thus the valve is actuated as desired.

By positioning the at least one position sensor directly in the area of the cam, for example in a common plane, in particular a horizontal plane, with the cam, the application described at the outset, particularly in the case of a freight car, is also taken into account, in which a foreign body, for example bulk material, hits the air coupling from above falls and can jam the cam and/or damage the cam or its connection to the shaft. Thus, situations are conceivable in which the shaft or the coupling lock or main pin to which the shaft is connected is rotated, but the cam does not follow this rotational movement, which was previously not or not immediately detectable. The present invention thus increases the operational reliability of the air clutch.

The arrangement of the at least one position sensor in the area of the cam also enables a particularly favorable space-optimized design and good accessibility to the at least one position sensor.

In contrast to conventional sensors that work together with cams and scan the contour of the cam mechanically, which is the conventional purpose of such a cam, the solution according to the invention dispenses with this mechanical scanning, but retains the idea of the cam. The non-contact juxtaposition of the at least one position sensor to the cam not only avoids the necessary mechanics and thus creates an extremely robust embodiment, but all unfavorable restoring forces on the valve drive are avoided.

According to the invention, the air clutch includes a housing which forms the flow channel and at the same time encloses the cam on its outer circumference, at least in the circumferential direction of the axis of rotation.

The at least one position sensor is carried by the housing, for example held in a bore in the housing. In particular, the at least one position sensor is inserted through the bore in the housing and screwed there or fastened in some other way. Separate carrying and fastening devices for the individual sensors on the clutch and complex alignment of the sensors with respect to the clutch actuation can thus be dispensed with. The arrangement of the receiving devices for the sensors on the housing also enables them to be positioned as precisely as possible in relation to one another and in relation to the cams.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the flow channel extends at least in sections in an arcuate manner in the circumferential direction and/or tangential direction to the axis of rotation.

The mouthpiece and/or the compressed air connection piece can, for example, extend in the radial direction to the axis of rotation, i.e. the compressed air flow into or out of the mouthpiece first takes place in the radial direction, then the compressed air flows through the flow channel in the circumferential direction and/or Tangential direction and then the compressed air flows in the compressed air connection again in the radial direction, each related to the axis of rotation.

It is particularly favorable if the housing covers the cam and, in particular, the shaft at the end face relative to the axis of rotation. This protects the cam and in particular the shaft from falling foreign objects, such as bulk material. Additional shielding plates can advantageously be dispensed with.

The position sensor is designed, for example, as an inductive sensor or as a capacitive sensor. However, other position sensors can also be considered, for example in the form of an optical sensor or a Hall sensor.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the shaft is provided with at least two cams positioned distributed over the circumference, of which the first cam is arranged to actuate the valve body and the second cam is designed as a position transmitter for the position sensor. The second cam should then rotate together with the first cam and is accordingly at least indirectly non-rotatably connected to the first cam or designed in one piece with it.

In a particularly favorable design of the invention, the housing has an outer peripheral wall and an inner peripheral wall, seen in a radial section through the axis of rotation. The inner peripheral wall separates a cam space, in which the at least one cam is positioned, from the flow channel. The outer peripheral wall delimits the flow channel and the cam space on the respective radially outer side, based on the Axis of rotation, wherein the at least one position sensor is preferably arranged on a wall section of the outer peripheral wall which is diametrically opposite the inner peripheral wall with respect to the axis of rotation.

An automatic train coupling according to the invention for a rail vehicle, which in turn is designed in particular in the form of a freight car, has at least one end plate which encloses mechanical coupling components such as a funnel and a cone. According to the invention, an air coupling of the type shown is provided, with the mouthpiece preferably protruding from an end face of the end plate.

The automatic train coupling has in particular the components described at the outset, such as a frog, at least one coupling eyelet, a coupling lock and/or a main bolt, with the shaft of the air coupling being able to be connected thereto, as explained.

The invention will be explained below using an exemplary embodiment and the figures as an example.

Figur 1

einen Radialschnitt durch die Drehachse einer erfindungsgemäß ausgeführten automatischen Luftkupplung;

Figur 2

eine dreidimensionale Draufsicht auf eine automatische Zugkupplung mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Luftkupplung, die entsprechend der Luftkupplung aus der Figur 1 ausgeführt ist.

Show it:

figure 1

a radial section through the axis of rotation of an automatic air clutch designed according to the invention;

figure 2

a three-dimensional plan view of an automatic train coupling with an air coupling according to the invention, which corresponds to the air coupling from the figure 1 is executed.

In the figure 1 an automatic air clutch according to the invention for a rail vehicle, preferably in the form of a goods wagon, is shown, the view showing a radial section through the axis of rotation 6 of the valve drive 5 .

The air coupling has a mouthpiece 1 with which the air coupling can be coupled to a diametrically opposed air coupling, in particular to a diametrically opposed mouthpiece. The mouthpiece 1 protrudes, for example, from or beyond a front plate 11 of a train coupling, as indicated by the dashed lines. For example, the mouthpiece 1 has a sleeve 1.1, which can be displaced or deformed in the coupling direction, so that the free end of the mouthpiece 1 is moved back when two vehicles are coupled, i.e. when the two end plates 11 are moved towards one another and placed against one another. in particular, until it is flush with the end face of the end plate 11. For example, the free end of the mouthpiece 1 is formed by a sleeve 1.2 with a sealing ring 1.3, the sleeve 1.2 correspondingly resting against a sleeve of the counter-coupling designed in the opposite manner. The sleeve 1.2 can be pushed onto the sleeve 1.1, for example in the form of a rubber tube, and subjected to an axial force by the illustrated compression spring 1.4 in the sense of an extension.

A flow channel 3 adjoins the mouthpiece 1 in the flow direction of the compressed air when compressed air is supplied via the mouthpiece 1 , the end of which facing away from the mouthpiece 1 opens into a compressed air connection piece 2 . For example, a pipeline 12 or a hose can be connected to the compressed air connection piece 2 in order to connect the air coupling to the compressed air system or the main air line of the rail vehicle.

In the area of the end of the flow channel 3 with the compressed air connection piece 2, a valve 4 is arranged, which includes a valve body 4.1 and a valve seat 4.2. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the valve seat 4.2 is provided in the region of the connection of the compressed air connection piece 2. The valve body 4.1 is shown in its open position, in which it is held by the force of the compression spring 13. To bring the valve body 4.1 into its closed position, the valve body 4.1 must be moved across the width of the flow channel 3 until it strikes the valve seat 4.2.

The movement of the valve body 4.1 into its closed position is brought about by the cam 5.2, which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a shaft 5.1. The shaft 5.1 is in turn connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a main bolt of a coupling lock (not shown here) or to another suitable component of the coupling lock. When the train coupling is locked and the main bolt or the other component of the coupling lock is actuated accordingly, the shaft 5.1 is rotated so that the cam 5.2 acts on the valve body 4.1 on the side facing away from the valve seat 4.2 and moves the valve body 4.1 in the direction of the valve seat 4.2.

On the shaft 5.1 of the valve drive 5, another cam 5.3 is provided, which rotates together with the first cam 5.2. This additional cam 5.3 serves as a transmitter for the non-contact position sensor 7.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the cam 5.3 is directly opposite the position sensor 7 in the axial direction of the position sensor 7 or in the radial direction to the axis of rotation 6 of the shaft 5.1 with its detection surface 7.1 when the shaft 5.1 is in the position that corresponds to an open clutch state, i.e. in the the cam 5.2 does not attack the valve body 4.1. If, on the other hand, the clutch is closed and the shaft 5.1 has been rotated so that the valve body 4.1 has moved into its closed position, the distance between the second cam 5.3 or the surface of the component forming the cams 5.2, 5.3, in particular the metallic component, is on the Shaft 5.1 larger, which can be detected by the position sensor 7. It can thus be reliably determined whether the cam 5.2 or the component 5.2 forming the cam has been rotated into a position in which the cam 5.2 holds the valve body 4.1 in the closed position.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, a second non-contact position sensor 7' is provided, which enables redundant monitoring of the position of the cam 5.2 of the valve drive 5. The second position sensor 7 'detects whether the Cam 5.2 has approached its detection surface 7.1' and is in its closed position. Accordingly, the signal from the two position sensors 7, 7' is always in opposite directions, i.e. when the position sensor 7 detects a nearby component, the valve drive 5 or the valve body 4.1 is in the open position, and when the position sensor 7' detects a nearby component, the valve drive 5 or the valve body 4.1 is in the closed position. A particularly reliable monitoring of the position can thus be achieved.

The air clutch has a housing 8 which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, comprises an outer peripheral wall 8.1 and an inner peripheral wall 8.2. The inner circumferential wall 8.2 separates a space from the flow channel 3 in which the valve drive 5 or the cams 5.2, 5.3 are arranged, here referred to as the cam space 10. The outer peripheral wall 8.1 is the outer wall of the housing 8 and closes off the flow channel 3 and the cam space 10 radially on the outside, in relation to the axis of rotation 6. As can be seen, the position sensors 7, 7' are positioned in that section of the outer peripheral wall 8.1 which the inner peripheral wall 8.2 diametrically opposite. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the position sensors 7, 7' are screwed into bores 9 in the outer peripheral wall 8.1 and in particular protrude into the space with the valve drive 5 or the cams 5.2, 5.3. The housing of the position sensor 7 and/or the position sensor 7' is preferably cylindrical or circular-cylindrical, at least in the section inserted through the outer peripheral wall 8.1. The detection area 7.1 and/7.1' can be circular, for example.

The flow channel 3 is designed to be flow-optimized. This preferably has a free flow cross section for the compressed air with a minimum width of 20 mm, preferably 30 mm or 31.75 mm. The free flow cross section can, for example, be at least essentially in the form of a circular area. The same applies to the mouthpiece 1 and the compressed air nozzle 2, with respect to the Minimum width also for the valve 4 when the valve body 4.1 is in the open position.

Due to the streamlined design, breakdown speeds of 250 m/s and more can be achieved in a main air line that extends over several rail vehicles with automatic air couplings according to the invention and accordingly through the air couplings.

As shown, both the mouthpiece 1 and the compressed air connection piece 2 are advantageously aligned radially to the axis of rotation 6 in terms of their flow direction. The flow channel 3 advantageously extends at least in sections or overall in an arc shape in the circumferential direction and/or tangential direction to the axis of rotation 6.

How to get out of the particular figure 2 can see, in which an automatic train coupling is shown with an end plate 11, the automatic air coupling according to the invention is preferably positioned in the upper central area in the end plate 11 or above the end plate 11. The cam space 10 (see the figure 1 ) preferably also covered by the housing 8 on the face side relative to the axis of rotation 6, so that no foreign bodies can penetrate into the housing 8 from above and damage the function of the cams 5.2, 5.3 or the position sensors 7, 7'.

The housing design also ensures reliable protection against dirt, snow and ice.

Reference List

1

mouthpiece

1.1

sleeve

1.2

sleeve

1.3

sealing ring

1.4

compression spring

2

compressed air connection

3

flow channel

4

Valve

4.1

valve body

4.2

valve seat

5

valve drive

5.1

Wave

5.2

cam

5.3

cam

6

axis of rotation

7, 7`

position sensor

7.1, 7.1'

detection area

8th

Housing

8.1

outer peripheral wall

8.2

inner peripheral wall

9

drilling

10

cam room

11

faceplate

12

pipeline

13

compression spring

Claims (9)

1. Automatic air coupling for a rail vehicle, in particular in the form of a goods wagon,

   having a mouthpiece (1) for coupling the air coupling to an opposite air coupling;

   having a compressed-air connector (2) for connecting the air coupling to a rail vehicle compressed-air system; having a flow channel (3) which connects the mouthpiece (1) to the compressed-air connector (2) so as to conduct compressed air;

   having a valve (4) which is arranged in the flow channel (3) and which has a valve body (4.1) and a valve seat (4.2), wherein the valve body (4.1) is movable between an open position, in which it at least largely or completely exposes the flow channel (3), and a closed position, in which it shuts off the flow channel (3) in a pressure-tight manner;

   having a valve drive (5) which acts at least indirectly on the valve body (4.1) in order to actuate the latter from the open position into the closed position and/or from the closed position into the open position; wherein the valve drive (5) comprises a shaft (5.1) which is rotatable about an axis of rotation (6), which is designed for non-rotatable connection to a rail vehicle coupling lock or is formed by a rail vehicle coupling lock and is provided with at least one cam (5.2), which acts at least indirectly on the valve body (4.1) to actuate the latter; wherein

   at least one position sensor (7), which detects a rotational position of the cam (5.2) at least indirectly, is provided in the region of the cam (5.2);

   characterized in that

   the at least one position sensor (7) is designed as a non-contact sensor and the air coupling comprises a housing (8), which forms the flow channel (3) and encloses the cam (5.2) over its external extent, at least in the circumferential direction relative to the axis of rotation (6), wherein the at least one position sensor (7) is carried by the housing (8).
2. Automatic air coupling according to Claim 1, characterized in that the at least one position sensor (7) has a detection surface (7.1, 7.1') which is located radially opposite the cam (5.2) at a distance with respect to the axis of rotation (6).
3. Automatic air coupling according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one position sensor (7) is held in a hole (9) in the housing (8).
4. Automatic air coupling according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, at least in some sections, the flow channel (3) extends in the shape of an arc in the circumferential direction and/or in a tangential direction relative to the axis of rotation (6).
5. Automatic air coupling according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the housing (8) covers the cam (5.2) and in particular the shaft (5.1) at the front relative to the axis of rotation (6).
6. Automatic air coupling according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the position sensor (7) is designed as an inductive sensor or capacitive sensor.
7. Automatic air coupling according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the shaft (5.1) is provided with at least two cams (5.2, 5.3) positioned so as to be distributed over the circumference, of which the first is arranged to actuate the valve body (4.1) and the second (5.3), co-rotationally connected to the first cam (5.2), forms a position transmitter for the position sensor (7).
8. Automatic air coupling according to one of Claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, viewed in a radial section through the axis of rotation (6), the housing (8) has an outer circumferential wall (8.1) and an inner circumferential wall (8.2), the inner circumferential wall (8.2) separates a cam chamber (10) in which the at least one cam (5.2, 5.3) is positioned from the flow channel (3), and the outer circumferential wall (8.1) delimits the flow channel (3) and the cam chamber (10) on the respective radially outer side, wherein the at least one position sensor (7) is arranged in or on a wall section of the outer circumferential wall (8.1) which is diametrically opposite the inner circumferential wall (8.2) in relation to the axis of rotation (6).
9. Automatic train coupling for a rail vehicle, in particular in the form of a goods wagon, having a front plate (11) which encloses mechanical coupling components such as a funnel and a cone, and having an air coupling according to one of Claims 1 to 8.

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