RU138839U1 - COUPLING DEVICE AND RAIL VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A coupling device for connecting a movable unit of a rail vehicle to another movable unit, comprising a connecting rod movably mounted at its proximal end on the mobile unit and having an extended state in which the connecting rod protrudes from the mobile unit and the retracted state in which it is folded and removed in the storage area available to the movable unit, and the hitch head attached to the distal end of the connecting rod, and the connecting rod contains hydraulic s amortizator.2. The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting rod comprises a first section and a second section attached to the first section by articulation. The coupling device according to claim 2, wherein the articulation has a vertical axis of rotation. The coupler according to claim 3, wherein the articulation comprises centering means holding the first section and the second section in a position in which they form an angle of 180 ° relative to each other. The coupling device according to claim 4, wherein the proximal end of the first section is mounted by means of the proximal articulation on a support structure mounted in the storage area, the proximal articulation comprising a ball joint or cylindrical joint with a vertical axis of rotation, and a hydraulic shock absorber located in the first section. The coupling device according to claim 5, wherein the support structure comprises an elastic limiting means for holding the connecting rod in a horizontal position. The coupler according to claim 5, wherein the first section is connected to the proximal articulation�

Description

The technical field to which the utility model relates.

The present utility model relates to a coupling device for connecting a movable unit of a rail vehicle to another movable unit, as well as to a rail vehicle containing such a coupling device.

State of the art

As a rule, a rail vehicle is made up of many movable units interconnected by couplers. A hitch is a component that can have functions such as connecting a locomotive and a moving unit or connecting a moving unit to another moving unit, transmitting traction and jerks, maintaining a certain distance between the moving units and providing electrical and power coupling between the moving units. As for its operational conditions, the hitch can work to transmit traction in a situation of normal movement of a rail vehicle or provide towing in an emergency. During normal operation of a rail vehicle, the hitch is used to transmit a pulling force to the moving unit to ensure its movement along the rail track. In an emergency, the hitch can be used to extend one or more moving units to the fork of the rail track or to tow the faulty moving unit to the place of maintenance.

Each movable unit may have a hitch protruding in the longitudinal direction at both the front and rear ends to ensure the transfer of the unit (s) of thrust in both directions. However, the continuous use of both the front and rear hitch of each rolling unit is optional. For example, if a mobile unit is connected to another mobile unit at only one end, a hitch at its opposite end is not used. In addition, a hitch designed to be used only in emergency situations is not used during normal operation of a rail vehicle.

The hitch, which is not used during normal operation of the rail vehicle, should be folded up and stored at the bottom of the mobile unit, and it should be protected by a cover so that the mobile unit has an aesthetic appearance and the hitch is protected from damage.

A folding hitch generally comprises two rods connected to rotate relative to each other in the horizontal plane, the first rod having a first end (proximal end), rotatably connected to a support part on a movable unit, and a second end (distal end), rotatably connected to the first end (proximal end) of the second rod, and the second end (far end) of the second rod is equipped with a coupling head. The hitch head is designed to interact with the corresponding hitch head of the reciprocal hitch of an adjacent movable unit to connect together these two movable units of the rail vehicle. A similar folding hitch is known from DE 4006811 B1, 09/12/1991, IPC B61G 7/00, the closest analogue of a utility model.

With such a folding hitch with two rods, both of which are rotatable, it is not difficult to ensure that the coupling heads of the two mating couplings are in an adjacent position by turning so that the two coupling heads can be easily connected to each other. In addition, each hitch can be folded into the storage area provided in the lower part of the moving unit due to the rods with the possibility of rotation in the horizontal plane. Thus, a folding hitch provides higher operational flexibility than a monolithic hitch with one boom. However, collapsible hitching has its drawbacks of lower structural strength and stiffness compared to monolithic hitching.

In addition, the speed of the rail vehicle changes during different stages of the trip, namely when starting off, stopping and moving at a steady speed, as a result of which the couplers undergo various shocks and shocks. In order to counter the harmful effects of these circumstances, it is customary to install shock absorbers of various types in monolithic couplings manufactured and currently in operation. However, for a folding hitch having lower structural strength and stiffness, the shock absorber used in a monolithic hitch may not be enough.

Utility Model Disclosure

The objective of this utility model is to create a coupling device for a rail vehicle, which could be folded up for storage and extended into the working position for transmission for vehicle traction, and also would have an excellent damping effect.

To solve this problem, a coupling device for connecting a movable unit of a rail vehicle with another movable unit is proposed, comprising a connecting rod movably mounted at its proximal end on the moving unit and having an extended state in which the connecting rod protrudes from the moving unit, and the cleaned state in which it is folded and stowed into the storage area available to the movable unit, and the coupling head attached to the distal end of the joint body bar.

Unlike the closest analogue, the connecting rod contains a hydraulic shock absorber. The technical result achieved by the implementation of the utility model is to achieve a high damping effect provided by the proposed coupling device due to its equipment with a hydraulic shock absorber having the ability to absorb more energy from shocks and shocks, while the articulated connecting rod used in the coupling device is easily Folds down for storage and extends to transmit traction to the vehicle.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the connecting rod comprises a first section and a second section attached to the first section by articulation.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the articulation has a vertical axis of rotation.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the articulation comprises centering means holding the first section and the second section in a position in which they form an angle of 180 ° relative to each other.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the proximal end of the first section is mounted by proximal articulation on a support structure mounted in the storage area, the proximal articulation comprising a ball joint or cylindrical joint with a vertical axis of rotation, and a hydraulic shock absorber located in the first section.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the support structure comprises an elastic restraining means for holding the connecting rod in a horizontal position.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the first section is connected to the proximal joint by means of an elastically deformable element.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the coupling head is a manually operated coupling head or an automatic coupling head.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the hitch head is mounted with the possibility of changing its orientation relative to the connecting rod.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the coupling device further comprises a fixing bracket mounted in the storage area and including fixing means for supporting and fixing the coupling head of the coupling device in the folded state

Another object of the utility model is a rail vehicle containing at least one movable unit, provided with at least one end face of the coupling device described above, and having a lower part made with a storage area for holding the coupling device in the folded state.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the movable unit further comprises a hitch cover for enclosing the hitch in the folded state in the storage area.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the movable unit further comprises a protective arc connected to the movable unit with the possibility of translating the protective arc in the vertical direction between the lower position and the upper position, and in its lower position, the protective arc is horizontally outside from the hitch.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the rail vehicle is a light rail vehicle, for example, a tram.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The drawings show:

figure 1 is a front view of the proposed in a utility model coupling device in the first embodiment, in the extended state,

figure 2 is a right side view of the proposed in a utility model coupling device in the first embodiment, in the extended state,

figure 3 is a top view of the proposed in a utility model coupling device in the first embodiment, in the extended state,

figure 4 is a front view of the proposed in a utility model coupling device in the second embodiment, in the extended state,

figure 5 is a right side view of the proposed in a utility model coupling device in the second embodiment, in the extended state,

figure 6 is a top view of the proposed in a utility model coupling device in the second embodiment, in the extended state,

Fig.7 is a front view of the proposed in a utility model coupling device in the third embodiment, in the extended state,

on Fig - the coupling head with variable orientations used in the proposed in the utility model coupling device in the third embodiment, and

figure 9 is a front view of the proposed in a utility model coupling device in the second embodiment, when folded.

Utility Model Implementation

It should be noted that in this description the concept of "longitudinal direction" corresponds to the direction of free or independent movement of the rail vehicle, and the "transverse direction" corresponds to the right-left direction, which is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the rail vehicle. In addition, “proximal” (proximal) refers to a position or direction adjacent to the corresponding end of the moving unit, and “distant” (distal) refers to a position or direction farther from the corresponding end of the moving unit.

As mentioned above, for a folding hitch of a rail vehicle, it is desirable to increase its damping ability and at the same time provide the ability to easily fold and extend the hitch. For this purpose, according to the fundamental idea of the utility model, a hydraulic shock absorber is integrated in the connecting rod of the coupling device.

In general, the coupling device proposed in the utility model comprises a connecting rod movably mounted with its proximal end on the movable unit of the rail vehicle. The connecting rod has an extended state in which the connecting rod protrudes from the movable unit and the retracted state in which it is folded and removed in the storage area of the movable unit. The hitch also includes a hitch head mounted on the distal end of the connecting rod. The connecting rod has a hydraulic shock absorber.

The connecting rod may contain either one rod or several rods pivotally (with the possibility of rotation) connected to each other. Due to operational flexibility, cost and other factors, the connecting rod proposed in the utility model preferably consists of two rods. Thus, in the illustrated embodiments, each connecting rod consists of two rods; however, it is understood that in an alternative approach they may contain a different number of rods.

Next, with reference to the drawings, a description is given of some possible embodiments of the coupling device proposed in the utility model.

Figure 1-3 shows the first embodiment of the proposed in a utility model coupling device in the extended state. The coupling device comprises a connecting rod forming its main part, while the connecting rod consists of a first section 5 and a second section 2, which are connected to each other by articulation 3 (cylindrical hinge). The articulation 3 has a vertical axis of rotation around which the first section 5 and the second section 2 can rotate in a horizontal plane relative to each other.

The coupling device also comprises a coupling head 1 fixedly mounted at the distal end of the second section 2.

In addition, the coupling device comprises a support structure 4, which is fixedly mounted on the movable unit of the rail vehicle, for example, in the storage area for the coupling device formed in the region of the lower part of the end face of the movable unit. The first section 5 with its proximal end (the right end in FIGS. 1 and 3) is mounted on the supporting structure 4 by means of the proximal articulation. In the illustrated embodiment, the near joint is made in the form of a ball joint 9, however, in an alternative embodiment, it can be made in the form of a cylindrical joint with a vertical axis of rotation.

In a situation where a ball joint 9 is provided, the first section 5 has three rotational degrees of freedom with respect to the supporting structure 4 in three directions, i.e. rotation around a horizontal axis, rotation around a vertical axis and rotation around its own central axis. According to a utility model, the first section 5 has a maximum swing range relative to the supporting structure 4 in the horizontal direction. Thus, due to the ability of the first section 5 to rotate relative to the supporting structure 4 in the horizontal direction and the ability of the second section 2 to rotate relative to the first section 5 in the horizontal direction, the coupling head 1 can reach any position in the range of motion in the horizontal plane.

In a configuration where a ball joint 9 is used, the support structure 4 is preferably provided with an elastic limiting means for holding the first section 5 in a horizontal position. When a vertical force is applied to the first section 5 (for example, a force pressing up or down), it rotates vertically up or down a certain angle from a horizontal position, overcoming the action of the limiting force developed by the elastic limiting means. When the force applied in the vertical direction to the first section 5 disappears, it returns to its horizontal position under the action of an elastic limiting means.

Thus, when a vehicle moves along a section of a rail gauge with an upward convexity or a downward concavity, the coupling device can provide a limited vertical movement of rotation relative to the movable unit so as to consistently reproduce the curvature of the rail gauge in its curved sections rising up and downward .

In addition, the supporting structure 4 is preferably provided with centering means for supporting the first section 5 in a longitudinally centered position. In the extended state shown in FIG. 3, the first section 5 has the ability to move in a horizontal direction from a longitudinally centered position. The centering means may support the first section 5 of the longitudinally extended movable unit. It is easy to understand that the embodiment of the centering means may contain an automatically released element, for example, a simple ball, preloaded by a spring into the seat in the first section 5, which is in its longitudinally centered position. The horizontal force applied to the first section 5 can push the ball out of the seat, as a result of which the first section 5 moves horizontally from its longitudinally centered position. When the first section 5 returns to the longitudinally centered position, the ball moves back to the seat to fix the first section 5 in the longitudinally centered position with some fixing force. Alternatively, the centering means may be a manually actuated element that does not automatically release, for example, an insertion finger, which, when the first section 5 is in a longitudinally centered position, can be inserted into the mounting holes formed in the first section 5 and supporting structure 4 and are in line with each other, so that the first section 5 is fixedly held in a longitudinally centered position until it is inserted th finger. Other forms of centering agent are also possible.

The articulated joint 3 is preferably provided with centering means for supporting the first section 5 and the second section 2 in a position centered relative to each other, or coaxial (with an angle of 180 ° between them). As in the case of the centering means of the supporting structure 4, the centering means of the articulated joint 3 can be of any suitable form, for example, with the possibility of automatic release, without the possibility of automatic release, etc. An insertion finger is preferred, which can be inserted and pulled out manually. The insertion finger can be inserted through the mounting holes in the first section 5 and the second section 2, which are in position with an angle of 180 ° between them. The insertion finger may be provided with an unintended trip blocking structural member. For example, a radial through hole or an annular groove may be formed at the upper end of the insertion pin protruding from the mounting holes, and a cotter pin (for example, an elastic cotter pin) can be inserted through this radial hole, or an elastic collar can be clamped in the annular groove whereby the release of the insertion finger from the first and second sections is prevented.

The first section 5 is equipped with a hydraulic shock absorber 8 for absorbing the shock forces to which the moving unit is subjected, the main contribution to which is provided by the axial forces transmitted to the connecting rod from the supporting structure 4 and the axial forces transmitted to the supporting structure 4 from the connecting rod.

Hydraulic shock absorbers are generally used in various vehicles. The main components of a typical hydraulic shock absorber are the piston and cylinder. During the reciprocating movement of the piston in the cylinder, fluid in the shock absorber body flows with periodic repetition between one cavity and another cavity through small openings or gaps. The damping force is created by friction between the fluid and adjacent internal walls, as well as friction between the molecules of the fluid.

It is well known that various shock absorbers can be used to reduce shock and vibration, such as spring shock absorbers, electromagnetic shock absorbers, pneumatic shock absorbers and hydraulic shock absorbers. According to a utility model, a hydraulic shock absorber used in a folding hitch for a rail vehicle could theoretically be replaced with other shock absorbers, but a hydraulic shock absorber is more preferred for its high ability to absorb vibration energy. At the same time, there is no elastically deformable material in the hydraulic shock absorber, as a result of which there is no permanent deformation, so that the hydraulic shock absorber can always automatically return to its original position with high accuracy.

The hydraulic shock absorber 8 is preferably integrated in the first section 5, but it is also possible to axially mount a separate hydraulic shock absorber 8 on the first section 5 in the axial direction.

According to a preferred embodiment of the utility model, the first section 5 is connected to the proximal articulation by means of an elastically deformable element 6. The elastic deformable element 6 is an additional, but not always mandatory element (option). Due to the elastically deformable element 6, the first section 5 has some ability to elastic deformation both in the vertical and horizontal directions relative to the near articulation, thereby improving the shock absorbing ability of the connecting rod in the vertical and horizontal directions. The elastically deformable element 6 can be made integrally with the proximal joint to form a single resiliently deformable proximal joint.

In a configuration where the proximal articulation is in the form of a pivot articulation, due to its connection or structural association with an elastically deformable element, the resiliently deformable element itself can form an elastic limiting means to maintain the first section 5 in a horizontal position.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the coupling head 1 is made in the form of a manually controlled coupling head. The coupling head 1 comprises a main part having a plane of engagement. A handle 11 is provided on the side of the main part, which the operator can grab to move the hitch head 1. In the main part, the first hook hole 12 and the second hook hole 14, which extend preferably in the vertical direction, are formed which pass through it. In a situation where the coupling devices at the opposite ends of the two movable units of the rail vehicle are moved to the position where they are facing each other, the first locking pin is inserted through the first engagement hole of the coupling head of the first coupling device and the second engagement hole of the coupling head of the second coupling device, and a second locking pin is inserted through the second engagement hole of the hitch head of the first coupling device and the first engagement hole of the coupling head of the second coupling whereby the coupling heads of the two coupling devices are connected to each other. Both the first and second locking pins can be provided with a blocking element for unintended release, such as a cotter pin (preferably an elastic cotter pin) inserted through a radial through hole formed in the upper end of the locking pin, or an elastic collar clamped into an annular groove formed in the upper end of the locking pin and the like.

Figure 4-6 shows a second embodiment of the proposed in the utility model coupling device in the extended state. The main difference between this coupling device and the coupling device in the first embodiment is in the form of a coupling head. The hitch head 1 shown in FIGS. 4-6 is a head that is used in an automatic coupler. A convex bevel 13 is formed on one half of the far end of the coupling head, and a concave bevel 15 is formed on the other half of the far end. In the convex bevel 13 and concave bevel 15 there is an automatic coupling mechanism for automatically engaging with a reciprocal automatic coupling mechanism available in the concave and convex bevels in the opposite coupling head of an adjacent coupling device. Such mechanisms are well known in the art, and therefore, their detailed description is not given here. In addition, the hitch head is equipped with a release lever 17, which the operator can rotate to release the connection between the two hitch heads. Other structural elements of the second embodiment are similar to those in the first embodiment, and therefore, their detailed description is not given here.

Figure 7 shows the coupling device in the third embodiment of the utility model in the extended state. The main difference between this coupling device and the coupling device in the first embodiment is that it is possible to change the orientation of the coupling head relative to the connecting rod. Namely, the hitch head 1 in the third embodiment comprises a main part with an engagement plane and a first engagement hole 12 and a second engagement hole 14 formed through the main part. The two hook holes preferably extend vertically. In a situation where the coupling devices at the opposite ends of the two movable units of the rail vehicle are moved to the position where they are facing each other, the first locking pin 16 is inserted through the first engagement hole of the coupling head of the first coupling device and the second engagement hole of the coupling head of the second coupling device. and a second locking pin is inserted through the second engagement hole of the hitch head of the first coupling device and the first engagement hole of the coupling head of the second coupling device ft (not shown), whereby the coupling heads of the two coupling devices are connected together. The first and second locking pins (each of them) may be provided with a blocking element for unintended release, for example, a cotter pin 26 (preferably an elastic cotter pin) inserted through a radial through hole in the upper end of the locking pin. The second section 2 of the connecting rod is made in the form of a hollow tube or contains a part of the hollow tube at its distal end, so that the proximal end of the coupling head 1 can be inserted into the distal end of the second section 2. Radial holes 24 are formed at the far end of the second section 2, and a corresponding radial hole 22 is formed at the proximal end of the hitch head 1. With the aid of a locating pin 18 passing through the radial holes 24 and the radial hole 22, the orientation of the hitch head 1 is set and can be changed relative to the second section 2, in particular, in such an orientation that the engagement plane of the main part of the coupling head 1 faces up and down, so that the opposing coupling devices can easily engage the coupling heads. Other structural elements used in the third embodiment are similar to those used in the first embodiment, and therefore, their detailed description is not given here.

According to the coupling device proposed in the utility model, the connecting rod is made folding and fixed in the storage area available in the mobile unit of the vehicle. Fig. 9 shows, by way of example, the retracted state of the coupling device in the second embodiment, and the description made with respect to Fig. 9 is also applicable to other embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 9, the storage area of the movable unit is limited to at least the undercarriage 30 on which the vehicle body is mounted and a beam 32 extending from the vehicle body.

Due to the rotation of the first section 5 around the near joint in the horizontal plane relative to the supporting structure 4 and due to the rotation of the second section 2 around the hinged joint in the horizontal plane relative to the first section 5, the coupling device is put into the retracted state when it is removed in the storage area of the movable unit. The storage area available in the mobile unit of the vehicle is provided with a fixing bracket 7 containing fixing means for supporting the coupling head 1 of the coupling device and securing it in the retracted state. The locking of the hitch head can be obtained, for example, by means of an insertion finger having a function of disengaging the lock.

The end face of the mobile unit is also equipped with a protective arc 34, designed to protect against collisions and having opposite transverse ends attached by means of damping elements to the mobile unit of the vehicle, for example, to the beam 32. The protective arc 34 is installed with the possibility of translation in the vertical direction relative to the movable unit between lower position and upper position. In the lower position, the protective arc 34 is located further in the horizontal direction from the end of the movable unit than the hitch in the retracted state (outside with respect to the hitch). When the coupling device is to be extended, the safety bar 34 rises to the upper position, and then the coupling head 1 is pulled outward in the direction of the longitudinally distal end, so that the coupling device is moved to the longitudinally centered position for connection with the coupling device of the movable unit to be attached.

For reasons of appearance and to protect the coupling device, the movable unit further comprises a coupling cover (not shown) for enclosing the coupling device in a retracted state within the storage area. When the hitch must be pulled out, first open the hitch cover.

The coupling device proposed in the utility model can be used to tow a mobile unit in an emergency or to transmit traction in two directions (moving in opposite directions) of the mobile unit while the mobile unit is in normal travel. The hydraulic shock absorber is structurally integrated with the coupling rod of the coupling device or connected to it to provide sufficient shock absorbing ability, which meets the requirements of the standard governing energy absorption during collisions or impacts of a vehicle.

The object of the utility model is also a rail vehicle comprising at least one movable unit, provided with at least one end face of the coupling device described above and having a lower part in which a storage area is provided for accommodating the coupling device in the retracted state.

The collapsible coupling device proposed in the utility model is applicable in various rail vehicles, for example, light rail vehicles, in particular trams.

While the utility model is described in this document using some preferred embodiments thereof, these embodiments are provided as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the utility model. Specialists understand that all modifications, replacements and modifications should be considered covered by the attached claims and equivalents if they fall within the scope of the utility model and do not contradict its essence.

Claims (15)

1. A coupling device for connecting a movable unit of a rail vehicle to another movable unit, comprising a connecting rod movably mounted at its proximal end on the mobile unit and having an extended state in which the connecting rod protrudes from the mobile unit and the retracted state in which it is folded and removed in the storage area available to the movable unit, and the hitch head attached to the distal end of the connecting rod, and the connecting rod contains hydraulic s shock absorber. 2. The coupling device according to claim 1, in which the connecting rod comprises a first section and a second section attached to the first section by articulation. 3. The coupling device according to claim 2, in which the articulated joint has a vertical axis of rotation. 4. The coupling device according to claim 3, in which the articulated joint comprises a centering means holding the first section and the second section in a position in which they form an angle of 180 ° relative to each other. 5. The coupling device according to claim 4, in which the proximal end of the first section is mounted via the proximal articulation on a support structure mounted in the storage area, the proximal articulation comprising a ball joint or cylindrical joint with a vertical axis of rotation, and a hydraulic shock absorber located in the first section. 6. The coupling device according to claim 5, in which the supporting structure comprises an elastic limiting means designed to hold the connecting rod in a horizontal position. 7. The coupling device according to claim 5, in which the first section is connected to the proximal articulation by means of an elastically deformable element. 8. The coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the coupling head is a manually controlled coupling head or an automatic coupling head. 9. The coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the hitch head is mounted with the possibility of changing its orientation relative to the connecting rod. 10. The coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a fixing bracket mounted in the storage area and including fixing means for supporting and fixing the coupling head of the coupling device in the folded state. 11. Rail vehicle containing at least one movable unit, equipped with at least one end of the coupling device according to one of claims 1 to 10 and having a lower part made with a storage area designed to accommodate the coupling device in the folded state. 12. The rail vehicle of claim 11, wherein the movable unit further comprises a hitch cover for enclosing the hitch in the folded state in the storage area. 13. The rail vehicle according to claim 11, in which the movable unit further comprises a protective arc connected to the movable unit with the possibility of transferring the protective arc in the vertical direction between the lower position and the upper position, and in its lower position, the protective arc is horizontally horizontal outside from in relation to the hitch. 14. The rail vehicle according to claim 11, which is a light rail vehicle. 15. The rail vehicle according to claim 11, which is a tram.

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