Sensorized axlebox-bearing unit for supporting railway axle and associated sensor units

Abstract

A sensorized axlebox-bearing unit (1) for an axle (2) is provided and includes a sensor unit (6) and a housing element (4) stationary in use, which supports a sealing gasket (5). The sensor unit (6) comprises a sensor module (7) for monitoring the axle, a connection piece (9) to be connected to a processing unit and a flexible electric cable (10) connecting in one piece the sensor module with the connection piece, wherein the housing element (4) has a frontal inlet opening (11) through which the axle and the sealing gasket are accessible and is delimited by an annular lateral wall (13) provided with a transversal through-hole (14) smaller than the sensor module (7) but larger than the connection piece (9), the sensor unit (6) is mountable inside the housing element (4) from the inside towards the outside through the inlet opening (11) and the transversal hole (14); and a plug (15) is fitted onto the flexible electric cable (10) between the sensor module and the connection piece to be inserted in the transversal hole (14) radially from the inside towards the outside, to fluid-tightly plug the transversal hole.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to an axle box bearing unit with sensors for supporting rail axles. The invention also relates to a sensor usable in said unit and made as a sensor unit. Background technique [0002] It is known, for example, from US3741614 that a rail vehicle is supported by a number of axles on which the wheels are mounted by means of keyways; each end of the axle is rotatably supported by an axlebox bearing unit comprising a rolling bearing and by means of a suitably suspended An axlebox fixed to a railway passenger car; the inner ring of the rolling bearing is integrally mounted to rotate with the reduced diameter end of a shaft (known as the mandrel), and the outer ring of the rolling bearing is press fitted to the housing of the axlebox In the element and in use being substantially annular and stationary, the housing element also supports a sealing gasket towards the outside of the axle box to protect the rolling bearing. As shown in WO20...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0003] The above solution has higher overall dimensions after installation, especially on the outside of the housing elements of the axlebox

Also, the data transmission cables that connect the sensor modules to the connectors that are part of the sensor unit to transmit data to the electronic processing unit can become tangled in use or interfere with the unit's spindle or other movable elements

Therefore, the scheme is not easy to implement

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