Direct current collector for a rail vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a direct current collector (100) for a rail vehicle (1). The direct current collector (100) for a rail vehicle (1) comprises a base (110), a lever device (11) which is arranged on the base (110) and has a pivot and translation function, and a contact arm (120). The contact arm (120) is pivotally coupled to the lever device (11) and comprises a positively polarized contact element (122) for collecting current and a negatively polarized contact element (123) for delivering current, the negatively polarized contact element being offset in the longitudinal direction in relation to the positively polarized contact element (122) and oriented in parallel therewith. The contact arm (120) and the lever device (11) have parallel horizontal pivot axes which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the contact arm (120). The invention also relates to a rail vehicle (1). The invention further relates to a conductor rail (200). In addition, the invention relates to a charging system (30). The invention further relates to a method for establishing and interrupting contact with a conductor rail (200) by a rail vehicle (1). In addition, the invention relates to a method for carrying out a charging process for a rail vehicle (1) using a stationary charging system (30).

Description

Direct current collector for a rail vehicle The invention relates to a DC current collector for a rail vehicle. The DC current collector is used to make contact with a conductor rail, which is electrically connected to a charging device, for a charging process for charging a traction battery of a rail vehicle. The invention furthermore also relates to a rail vehicle having a DC current collector according to the invention. The invention also relates to a conductor rail that is likewise used in such a charging process. The invention furthermore relates to a stationary charging system. The invention additionally relates to a method for making contact or breaking contact with a conductor rail. The invention furthermore relates to a method for performing a charging process for a rail vehicle using a stationary charging system. Until now, diesel-driven locomotives have often been used for operation on non-electrified rail sections, these diesel-driven locomotives not being particularly environmentally friendly. Efforts are being made, in particular for reasons of environmental protection, to use rail vehicles that are equipped with batteries on non-electrified sections. Batteries, hereinafter also referred to as traction batteries, have to be electrically charged from time to time. This charging process preferably takes case while a rail vehicle is at a standstill. For the charging process, the rail vehicle uses a current collector to make contact with a power supply line, which is electrically connected to a fixed DC voltage source. FIG 1 shows such a scenario. On account of the high charging power, strong DC currents are used for the charging process. However, these strong currents cause problems at all points of contact, which is further exacerbated by the fact that the rail vehicle does not move during the charging process. This is because, due to the lack of location change, there is a pronounced temperature increase at the points of contact between the current collector and the power supply line, between the ground contacts and the wheelset shafts and at the wheel / rail interface. This temperature increase may result in increased wear on the components in question, meaning that maintenance has to be stepped up. A second problematic phenomenon is that the strong DC currents cause inadmissibly high DC magnetic fields in areas in which the inflowing current is not compensated for by a conductor that is guided in parallel and that carries the return current. People with electrically operated implants, such as pacemakers for example, are put at particular risk by this. Areas in which such people could possibly be present should therefore be free from such strong magnetic fields. It is possible to shield these magnetic fields generated by individual conductors over large areas only with an immense amount of effort. FIG 2 shows a schematic illustration of a charging current circuit, wherein it may be seen that, in a conventional arrangement, a current conductor for a charging current spans a very extensive conductor loop, within which rail vehicle control personnel are also located and could thus possibly be affected by the magnetic fields occurring in this area. Conventionally, low limit values for current strengths of charging currents for a charging process are defined in the art in order to prevent strong magnetic fields. It is thereby possible to use regular current transfer elements of an electric rail vehicle for this purpose. In conventional current supply, current is supplied via an overhead line or a third rail or a conductor rail and dissipation or grounding takes place to the rails via the wheels. Said low limit values for the current strengths of the charging current however constitute a fraction of the current strengths of the currents able to be transferred during travel. This kind of energy transfer is accordingly likewise limited to a fraction of the maximum traction power of a rail vehicle. Charging a traction battery of a rail vehicle while complying with such limitations thus requires a very large amount of time. There are also charging systems in which a special kind of plug connection is used. When using a plug connection, similarly to in the case of charging systems for road vehicles, use is made of charging plugs with lines that have circular internal conductors, peripheral insulators, concentric return lines around the insulators and a water cooling system around the line system in order to be able to dissipate large amounts of heat and to be able to carry strong currents. In such a design, magnetic fields are limited by the paired arrangement of supply line and return line, and contact reliability is also established. However, the field of application of these plug connections lies more in the field of maintenance devices for rail vehicles. In-service railway operation with regular charging phases during planned stops at stations or railway stations cannot realistically be achieved using such plug connections, however, since this design is complex and requires the charging plug to be plugged into and detached from a socket installed on the rail vehicle, and is thus inconvenient for inservice operation from a handling point of view. By way of example, a train driver has to get out of their rail vehicle and plug the plug into the socket of their rail vehicle prior to the charging process and remove it from the socket of the rail vehicle again after the charging process is complete. If the train driver forgets to remove the charging plug, then this may in some cases result in damage to the charging system when driving off. The problem of strong magnetic fields in the rail vehicle may be solved by rigorously guiding the current take-up line and the current output line in parallel at the shortest possible 2024248307   07 Oct 2026 distance from one another. Such an arrangement requires an at least two-pole current collector that not only takes up the charging current but also returns the return current to the overhead line. The problem of making reliable low-wear contact between the overhead line and an at least one two-pole current collector of a rail vehicle, wherein it should be possible to make contact even regardless of the direction of travel, accordingly remains. It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or ameliorate one or more of the deficiencies of the prior art or to provide a useful alternative. With the above in mind, one aspect of the invention provides a DC current collector for a rail vehicle, comprising: -    a base, -    a lever device arranged on the base, comprising a pivoting and translation function, -    a contact arm that is coupled pivotably to the lever device and has a positive-polarity contact element for taking up current and a negative-polarity contact element for outputting current, said negative-polarity contact element being offset from said positive-polarity contact element in a longitudinal direction of the contact arm and oriented parallel to the positive-polarity contact element, -    a contact arm-side pivot bearing between the contact arm and the lever device, -    a pivotable sliding part for transferring current via the contact arm-side pivot bearing, wherein the contact arm and the lever device comprise mutually parallel horizontal pivot axes that run transverse to the longitudinal direction of the contact arm. Another aspect of the invention provides a rail vehicle, comprising: -    the DC current collector, which is arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle such that the pivot axes of the DC current collector are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle, 2024248307   07 Oct 2026 - a traction converter device, - a current take-up line and a current output line that are arranged in pairs and connected between the DC current collector and the traction converter device. A further aspect of the invention provides a method for making contact or breaking contact between a conductor rail, which comprises: -    a mast, -    a conductor rail holder on the mast, -    at least one first conductor rail element that is arranged on the conductor rail holder at a first height position for making contact with a contact element of a DC current collector with a first polarity, and at least one second conductor rail element that is arranged on the conductor rail holder at a second height position, different from the first height position, for making contact with a contact element of the DC current collector with a second polarity, and the DC current collector, comprising the following steps: -    actuating a lever device that is mechanically coupled to a contact arm of the DC current collector, -    carrying out a combined pivoting and translational movement by way of the contact arm so as to make contact between the contact arm and the conductor rail or to break contact between the contact arm and the conductor rail, in a manner brought about by actuating the lever device. The DC current collector according to the invention for a rail vehicle, hereinafter often also referred to as “current collector” for short, has a base. The base is used to attach the DC current collector to the roof of a rail vehicle. The base is in particular connected fixedly or irreversibly to the rail vehicle. Such a base preferably comprises a frame, particularly preferably a metal frame, to which the rest of the components of the DC current collector are connected. The DC current collector according to the invention furthermore comprises a lever device arranged on the base and having a pivoting and translation function. As will be explained in more detail 2024248307   07 Oct 2026 below, the lever device has a plurality of levers that are connected pivotably to the base. Finally, the DC current collector according to the invention has a contact arm that is coupled pivotably to the lever device and has a positive-polarity contact element for taking up current and a negative-polarity contact element for outputting current, said negative-polarity contact element being offset from the positive-polarity contact element in the longitudinal direction of the contact arm and oriented parallel to the positivepolarity contact element. The contact arm and the lever device have mutually parallel horizontal pivot axes that run transverse to the longitudinal direction of the contact arm. The contact elements are preferably aligned such that their contact surfaces are aligned transverse to the pivoting plane of the contact arm, preferably perpendicular to the pivoting plane of the contact arm. In a phase in which the DC current collector is not being used, the contact arm is arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle in a horizontal position. Furthermore, the contact arm, when it is arranged as intended on the roof of a rail vehicle, is designed to be pivotable about an axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle. The contact elements are arranged next to one another or in a manner distributed in the longitudinal direction of the contact arm at a predetermined distance on the contact arm and, when the DC current collector is arranged as intended or when contact is made with a conductor rail, oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle in the horizontal direction. The two contact elements with different polarity of the DC current collector are arranged on the contact arm of the DC current collector in a manner electrically insulated from one another in order to avoid a short circuit between the two contact elements. The contact arm of the DC current collector, unlike contact arms of conventional current collectors, is thus not arranged in a manner oriented in the longitudinal direction of a rail vehicle, but rather in the transverse direction of the rail vehicle, when it is arranged as intended on the roof of the rail vehicle. As will be explained in more detail below, this new kind of arrangement entails a number of advantages. The DC current collector according to the invention is designed to electrically charge a traction battery of a rail vehicle while the rail vehicle is in the rest state. A traction battery should be understood to mean a rechargeable electrical energy storage device that is used, in conjunction with a traction converter device and in particular a traction intermediate circuit of a rail vehicle, to supply power to traction units and preferably the rest of the electrical functional units of a rail vehicle independently of the grid. Such a traction battery has a multiplicity of battery cells connected together in parallel and in series and is designed as a high-voltage battery and for the provision of strong electric currents in order to be able to provide enough power for the traction of the rail vehicle. Voltages of 400 volts to 1000 volts are in this case customary battery nominal voltages for being able to drive heavy vehicles, such as for example rail vehicles. A traction battery usually also has what is known as a battery management system that is used to avoid individual cells being overloaded while energy is being drawn. The traction units comprise electric motors for driving the drive wheels of the rail vehicle. In order to supply the traction units with electric power at an appropriate voltage, the traction converter device comprises the traction intermediate circuit that has already been mentioned. A traction intermediate circuit is part of a traction converter device and holds DC current for different units of a rail vehicle. Such a traction intermediate circuit usually also has a drive coil inverter for traction. Such a drive coil inverter converts the DC current from the traction intermediate circuit into the three-phase current required by a drive motor, which is usually in the form of a three-phase current machine, or multiple drive motors of the traction units. The drive coil inverter, in traction mode, converts the DC voltage of the intermediate circuit into a three-phase voltage with a variable amplitude, frequency and phase for the three-phase current machine (asynchronous or synchronous motor) and controls it with regard to its speed and torque. As already mentioned, the lever device of the DC current collector according to the invention is coupled mechanically to the contact arm and designed to actuate the contact arm so as to carry out a combined pivoting and translational movement of the contact arm in order to make contact between the contact arm and a conductor rail and to break contact between the contact arm and the conductor rail. The lever device has a plurality of levers that may be used to control the position and orientation of the contact arm. The positive-polarity contact element of the DC current collector according to the invention is electrically connected to a current take-up line. The current take-up line is arranged between the positive-polarity contact element of the current collector and a current input of the traction converter device of the rail vehicle. The negative-polarity contact element of the DC current collector according to the invention is electrically connected to a current output line. The current output line is connected between the negative-polarity contact element and a current output of the traction converter device of the rail vehicle. The current take-up line and the current output line are arranged and formed in pairs. A paired arrangement of two lines should be understood to mean an arrangement of these lines such that they are arranged spatially close to one another such that the surface area spanned by the lines is small or almost completely disappears compared to conventional arrangements of the lines. Typical spacings for paired lines are in the range of 200 mm to 500 mm. The contact elements of the DC current collector according to the invention are preferably designed such that the strong currents that occur during the charging process are able to be withstood without damage, in order, in contrast to conventional rail vehicles, to enable a charging mode with higher current strengths. Advantageously, the DC current collector is designed for a multi-pole, preferably two-pole DC current transfer. The carrying of the current supply in pairs avoids a critical current transfer at the wheels, the rails and ground brushes of a rail vehicle. This improves electromagnetic compatibility. The paired guidance of the current take-up line and the current output line or ground line in particular avoids magnetic fields in the area of the driver’s cab and outside the rail vehicle. Avoiding ground currents through the wheels and rails additionally means that signaling installations are subject to far fewer problems. The paired current carrying enables a potential-free infeed of energy. This enables ground current monitoring in the power circuit. A ground fault with a consumer connected to the traction intermediate circuit thus does not lead immediately to a short circuit, because the DC current is no longer returned via the wheels, but rather via the negative-polarity contact element on the contact arm of the DC current collector. Avoiding such a short circuit is particularly critical for safe operation of the traction battery. The conductor rails with which contact is to be made by the DC current collector during a charging process may be designed with extra length in the longitudinal direction. It is thus easily possible to position a rail vehicle without additional devices in the direction of travel. No damage occurs even in the event of accidentally driving beyond the ends of the charging area and thus the ends of the conductor rails, this being particularly advantageous compared to conventional use of a plug device or conventional use of fixed current collectors. The arrangement of the different poles of the current collector next to one another ensures that the correct polarity is always specified for the contact of the current collector with the conductor rail, regardless of the direction of travel. This saves on detection devices or changeover devices in the rail vehicle. The conductor rails with which contact is made by the DC current collector may be live at all times, since they are arranged above the rail vehicle and are only able to be reached by approaching the rail vehicle and extending the current collector. There is thus no need for any communication between the rail vehicle and a stationary charging device in order to switch on the charging device. The specific arrangement of the contact elements and the ability of the contact arm to pivot transverse to the direction of travel and longitudinal direction makes it possible to implement an arrangement of conductor rail elements with different polarity that is symmetric about the vertical center plane of the rail vehicle oriented in the longitudinal direction, with the direction of travel of the rail vehicle not playing any role in the event of contact being made therewith. The symmetric arrangement means that it is also possible to use two DC current collectors at the same time, these making contact with the conductor rail elements from different sides, and the charging current is thus able to be doubled in comparison to using just one DC current collector, if the DC current collectors are arranged in mirrored form about the vertical center plane of the vehicle longitudinal axis and preferably slightly offset in the longitudinal direction, and the conductor rail is thus accessible from two sides. The space taken up by the DC current collector according to the invention in the longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle is also reduced compared to conventional current collectors, which are arranged in a manner oriented in the longitudinal direction. The rail vehicle according to the invention has the DC current collector according to the invention. The DC current collector according to the invention is arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle such that the pivot axes of the DC current collector are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle. The rail vehicle according to the invention furthermore comprises a traction converter device and a current take-up line and a current output line. The current take-up line and the current output line are arranged in pairs and are connected between the DC current collector and the traction converter device. In detail, the current take-up line is connected between a positive-polarity contact element of the current collector and an input of the traction converter device. The current output line is connected between a negative-polarity contact element of the current collector and an output of the traction converter device. The paired arrangement of the current take-up line and the current output line advantageously avoids an extensive conductor loop in the rail vehicle and thus prevents strong magnetic fields. The device furthermore gives a current output line and its return to the DC current collector a return line for the current via the DC current collector to a charging device and grounding of the traction converter device via the current collector of the rail vehicle according to the invention, as a result of which it is possible to avoid temperature-induced wear on the ground contacts and the wheelset shafts and at the wheel / rail interface. The conductor rail according to the invention has a mast that is preferably mounted on a base. Such a base may be arranged for example on the floor or on a wall. The conductor rail according to the invention furthermore comprises a conductor rail holder that is arranged on the mast. The conductor rail according to the invention additionally has at least one first conductor rail element arranged on the conductor rail holder at a first height position and at least one second conductor rail element that is arranged on the conductor rail holder at a second height position different from the first height position. The conductor rail elements are arranged at an appropriate height position like an overhead line, this height position being located above a rail vehicle in the vertical center plane of the rail vehicle running in the longitudinal direction or offset slightly to the right and left of the vertical center plane. Preferably, the conductor rail according to the invention has precisely two conductor rail elements arranged opposite one another on the conductor rail holder at a first height position for making contact with a contact element of a current collector with a first polarity and precisely two second conductor rail elements arranged opposite one another on the conductor rail holder at a second height position for making contact with a contact element of a current collector with a second polarity. Since the first and second conductor rail element are arranged at different height positions, they are able to make contact with the DC current collector according to the invention from the side at the same time. If the first and second conductor rail elements are each duplicated and designed in a manner oriented opposite one another in the transverse direction, it is possible to make contact between two DC current collectors and a conductor rail at the same time and thus to transfer double the amount of current compared to using just one current collector in charging mode. Furthermore, in the case of a double design of the conductor rail elements, it is also possible to electrically charge traction batteries of rail vehicles that approach the conductor rail according to the invention from different directions using one and the same conductor rail. The stationary charging system according to the invention has a stationary two-pole or bipolar charging device having a positive pole and a negative-polarity ground connection and a current supply line system having a positive-polarity current supply line and a negative-polarity ground line. The stationary charging system according to the invention furthermore comprises a conductor rail according to the invention that is electrically connected to the stationary bipolar charging device. The two lines of the current supply line system are positioned such that the positive-polarity current supply line of the charging system is electrically connected to a positive-polarity contact element of the conductor rail according to the invention and the negative-polarity grounding line is able to make contact with a negative-polarity contact element of the rail vehicle in order to output current from the rail vehicle. Advantageously, a rail vehicle is able to be supplied with electric current with a multi-pole current collector and the return current is able to be dissipated via the current supply line system. This means that charging and the return of the charging current are able to be carried out within the rail vehicle by paired current lines and thus an extensive conductor loop and corresponding strong magnetic fields are able to be avoided. This also means that, in the stationary state during a charging process, a return current from a traction converter device of a rail vehicle supplied with charging current is returned via the current collector, and the ground contacts of the protective grounding system and the wheelset shafts and the wheel / rail interface are thus protected during a charging process. The use of a conductor rail having conductor rail contact elements arranged vertically offset from one another also allows contact with the conductor rail of the charging system according to the invention regardless of the direction of travel of the rail vehicle in question. The charging system according to the invention furthermore also has the advantages of the conductor rail according to the invention. In the method according to the invention for making contact or breaking contact between a conductor rail and a DC current collector, a lever device of the DC current collector according to the invention, said lever device being coupled mechanically to a contact arm of the DC current collector according to the invention, is actuated. A combined pivoting and translational movement is also carried out by the contact in order to make contact between the contact arm and a conductor rail or to break contact between the contact arm and the conductor rail, in a manner brought about by actuating the lever device. In the contact-making process, the contact arm is moved from a substantially horizontal position lying on the base of the DC current collector to a vertical position level with the conductor rail, such that the two contact elements of the DC current collector are brought into electrical contact with the two conductor rail elements of the conductor rail. In the contact-breaking process, exactly the opposite movement takes place, that is to say the contact arm is moved from the vertical position on the conductor rail to a substantially horizontal position on the base of the DC current collector. Advantageously, it is possible to make contact with a conductor rail during in-service operation, as it were, and also, when the conductor rail is designed appropriately, also from different directions of travel and without the train driver having to take any additional measures. Contact may also be broken for example automatically when the rail vehicle drives off, the process being able to take place without any involvement from a person. In the method according to the invention for performing a charging process for a rail vehicle using a stationary charging system, the method according to the invention for making contact or breaking contact between a conductor rail and the rail vehicle or a DC current collector according to the invention of a rail vehicle is performed. Furthermore, a traction battery of the rail vehicle is charged by a charging current that flows via an electrical contact between the DC current collector of the rail vehicle and the conductor rail of the stationary charging system. Finally, contact is broken between the current collector and the conductor rail by applying the method according to the invention for making contact or breaking contact with a conductor rail in order to break contact between the DC current collector of the rail vehicle and the conductor rail of the stationary charging system. The charging process according to the invention takes place in stationary fashion and advantageously without any activities carried out by additional personnel, such that the charging process is able to be carried out particularly efficiently during regular stopping times. The dependent claims and the following description each contain particularly advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention. In this case, the claims in one claims category may in particular also be developed in the same way as the dependent claims in another claims category and the description parts thereof. In addition, within the scope of the invention, the various features of different exemplary embodiments and claims may also be combined to form new exemplary embodiments. In one variant of the DC current collector according to the invention, the contact elements each have: - an insulator, - a spring element, - a contact plate. The insulator prevents any short-circuiting of the contact elements with one another or prevents the charging current jumping to mechanical components of the DC current collector. The spring elements make it possible to compensate for tolerances when contact is made with a conductor rail. The contact plates are preferably made of a particularly conductive material and are designed to be as extensive as possible and to correspond to the surface of the conductor rail elements in order to enable low-loss electrical contact between the DC current collector and a conductor rail and the transfer of strong electric currents between the DC current collector and the conductor rail. The contact arm of the DC current collector according to the invention preferably comprises a contact arm frame that has a carrier structure for the contact elements and contact arm wiring of the contact elements. The contact arm wiring supplies the charging current taken up via the contact elements to the rail vehicle and supplies the return current from the rail vehicle to the contact elements. The arrangement and design of the contact arm frame and the arrangement of the contact elements on the contact arm frame enables exact positioning of the contact elements in relation to the corresponding conductor rail elements, so as to enable a charging current to be transferred between a conductor rail and a rail vehicle. The DC current collector according to the invention furthermore preferably comprises a contact arm-side pivot bearing between the contact arm and the lever device. The contact arm-side pivot bearing enables the contact arm to pivot and makes it possible to adjust the height and orientation of the contact arm to the positions and orientations of the conductor rail elements with which contact is to be made. Likewise preferably, the DC current collector according to the invention has a sliding part for transferring current via the first pivot bearing. The sliding part is used to bridge the contact arm-side pivot bearing by way of the charging current or the return current. Such a sliding part is particularly effective in the event of pronounced angular changes between components of the lever device and the contact arm. In one preferred variant of the DC current collector according to the invention, the sliding part has a sliding saddle that is fixedly connected to the contact arm, and a sliding plate able to move relative to the sliding saddle and that is fixedly connected to the lever device or a pivot axis of the lever device. The sliding saddle has a smooth surface that is pressed onto the sliding plate by way of small spring elements. The sliding plate rotates in the sliding saddle during a change of the angle between components of the lever device and the contact arm and maintains electrical contact with the sliding saddle at all times. In one likewise preferred variant of the DC current collector according to the invention, the lever device has an upper lever and a lower lever. The two levers are connected, via pivot bearings on a base-side end of the respective levers, to the base so as to be able to pivot about an axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle and are connected pivotably to the contact arm via pivot bearings on a contact arm-side end of the respective levers. Advantageously, as a result of the levers, it is possible to achieve different positions and orientations of the contact arm, and in particular a lower end position of the contact arm for carrying the DC current collector during travel and an upper end position of the contact arm for charging mode, and to change between these end positions. In one embodiment of the DC current collector according to the invention, the base-side pivot bearing of the upper lever is arranged higher compared to the base-side pivot bearing of the lower lever. Advantageously, the upper lever is able to be positioned in an almost horizontal position above the lower lever in the lower end position of the contact arm. This facilitates “folding in” of the individual mechanical components in the lower end position of the DC current collector. In one embodiment of the DC current collector according to the invention, the lower lever has two parallel lower lever arms that are connected to opposing sides of the base so as to be able to pivot about a longitudinal axis and are connected to the contact arm so as to be able to pivot about a longitudinal axis by way of a common pivot bearing. The lower lever arm and the upper lever engage on different points of the contact arm. The contact arm-side end of the lower lever is preferably connected pivotably to the lever-side end of the contact arm and the contact-side end of the upper lever is preferably connected to the contact arm at a position offset from the lever-side end of the contact arm such that pivoting of one of the two levers brings about not just a change of position of the contact arm, but also “erecting” of the contact arm to a vertical position in the upper end position or conversely “folding-in” of the contact arm from the upper end position to the lower end position. The lever device of the DC current collector according to the invention is thus preferably configured, when contact is made with a conductor rail, to put the contact arm into a vertical position such that the two contact elements make contact with two conductor rail elements arranged above one another. As already mentioned, the vertical arrangement of the conductor rail elements above one another has the advantage that contact may be made with the conductor rail on both sides, which makes it possible to approach from different directions of travel and enables simultaneous contact with the conductor rails from both sides. In one embodiment of the DC current collector according to the invention, the contact elements of the DC current collector are designed to be temperature-resistant. Temperature resistance may be achieved firstly by virtue of the fact that the contact elements have a large contact surface, such that the electric current density is reduced in the contact region. The contact surface of the contact elements may also be adapted to the shape of the conductor rail, in order to increase the contact surface and improve contact. A material with high electrical conductivity is also advantageously used for the contact elements in order to reduce dissipation through the current flow. Finally, a material that has a high thermal conductivity is preferably used for the contact elements in order to be able to quickly dissipate heat that arises when current flows and thus to avoid temperature-induced damage. The rail vehicle according to the invention preferably has protective grounding for the vehicle structure that is electrically isolated from the traction converter device, via the wheels to the rails. Return currents of the charging current advantageously do not flow through the rails, meaning that temperature-induced wear on the ground contacts and the wheelset shafts and at the wheel / rail interface is able to be avoided. In one variant of the rail vehicle according to the invention, the DC current collector or a control device of the DC current collector is configured, when the rail vehicle is started, to change automatically from the position in contact with the current supply line system to a contact-free rest position in order thus to prevent damage to the current collector or the conductor rail. Preferably, the conductor rail is in the form of an overhead line. Such an arrangement of the current supply line may be expedient, because a charging process is able to be started automatically by raising the current collector and making contact with the overhead line and ended by retracting the current collector, without a person having to connect an infrastructure-side charging device to the rail vehicle or having to detach it therefrom. An overhead line also offers a high degree of safety for personnel and passengers, because they stay far enough away from the overhead line and are thus not endangered by the charging current. Relatively thick line sections in the form of rails are preferably used as overhead lines. In one variant of the conductor rail according to the invention, the conductor rail elements with different polarity are dimensioned with different extents in the transverse direction. Advantageously, the contact areas of the conductor rail elements are in particular positioned offset in the transverse direction, such that water dropping off or ice hanging down from the upper conductor rail element is not able to impede the conductor rail element underneath or its contact-making function. The invention will be explained again in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures based on exemplary embodiments. In the figures: FIG 1 shows a schematic illustration of a charging scenario for electrically charging a traction battery of a rail vehicle using a conventional stationary charging system, FIG 2 shows a schematic illustration of cable guidance and a current flow in the charging scenario shown in FIG 1, FIG 3 shows a schematic illustration of a charging scenario for electrically charging a traction battery of a rail vehicle with paired cable guidance of the current supply and current return, FIG 4 shows a perspective illustration of a DC current collector according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention on a rail vehicle roof, FIG 5 shows a schematic front-on view of a conductor rail according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG 6 shows a front-on view of a DC current collector according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG 7 shows a perspective illustration of a DC current collector according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG 8 shows a front-on view of an assembly of a DC current collector and a conductor rail at the start of a contact-making process, FIG 9 shows a front-on view of the assembly shown in FIG 8 in the stage of the DC current collector approaching the conductor rail, FIG 10 shows a front-on view of the assembly shown in FIG 8 and FIG 9 after electrical contact has been made, FIG 11 shows a sectional illustration of an assembly of a conductor rail and a DC current collector with a linear drive, FIG 12 shows a sectional illustration of an assembly of a conductor rail and a DC current collector with a rotary drive, FIG 13 shows an enlarged front-on view of a section of a DC current collector with mechanical and electrical components, FIG 14 shows a perspective view of the DC current collector shown in FIG 13, FIG 15 shows a perspective illustration of a section of a DC current collector having a sliding part for transferring current, FIG 16 shows a perspective view of a conventional DC current collector and a current collector according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention for comparison, FIG 17 shows a flowchart illustrating a method for making contact or breaking contact with a conductor rail according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG 18 shows a flowchart illustrating a method for performing a charging process for a rail vehicle according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. FIG 1 shows a schematic illustration of a charging scenario for electrically charging a traction battery of a rail vehicle 1 using a conventional charging system 10. FIG 1 simultaneously shows two scenarios in which a rail vehicle 1 has approached a charging point or a conventional stationary charging system 10 having a stationary charging device 7 from different directions on a rail system having rails 3. The lefthand half of FIG 1 shows a rail vehicle 1 that was moving from right to left on the rail system, and the right-hand half of FIG 1 shows a rail vehicle 1 that was moving from left to right on the rail system. In both cases, a traction battery of the respective rail vehicle 1 is charged by the stationary charging device 7, which sends electric DC current, via a charging line 2a, to a current supply line 2, which is in the form of an overhead line. The charging current of the stationary charging device 7 is transported to the rail vehicle 1 via the current supply line 2 in the form of an overhead line and received there by a current collector 4 via sliding contacts (not shown) that are arranged on what is referred to as a pallet of the current collector 4. The positive potential of the supplied DC current is symbolized by plus signs in FIG 1, these being illustrated both on the current take-up line of the rail vehicle 1 on the current collector 4 and on the current supply line 2 of the overhead line. In FIG 1, the rails 3 are provided as return conductors and are symbolized by a minus sign. The returned DC current is returned to the stationary charging device 7 via the rails 3 and a grounding line 3a. The current supply line 2 and the rails 3 are designed as single-pole conductor elements. The current collectors 4 are also designed as single-pole, centrally arranged current collectors. FIG 2 shows a schematic illustration 20 of cable guidance and a current flow in the charging scenario shown in FIG 1. FIG 2 shows how the charging current is carried via the current supply line 2 on to the current collector 4 of the rail vehicle 1 and from there, via a current take-up line 4c in the form of a supply line, to a traction converter device 8 of the rail vehicle 1 and to the traction battery 6. A return conductor 5a also leads from the traction converter device 8 to a combined protective and operative ground 5b, which hard-grounds that part of the intermediate circuit ZK of the traction converter device 8 that is at the negative potential. The grounding is also continued, via the wheels 5c of the rail vehicle 1, to the rails 3. The rails 3 are likewise grounded. The current supply line 2 and the return of the DC current via the rails 3 means that a large part of the rail vehicle 1, more precisely the front part of the rail vehicle 1 that lies to the right of the current take-up line 4c and the return conductor 5a in the illustration in FIG 2, is enclosed by a current-carrying conductor loop. As a result, during the charging process, a magnetic field is generated in this front part of the rail vehicle 1 and may possibly bring about harmful effects - or even, in the case of train personnel or passengers with pacemakers, bring about effects harmful to health. FIG 3 depicts a schematic illustration of a stationary charging system 30 for electrically charging a traction battery 6 of a rail vehicle 1 with a DC current collector 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The illustration shown in FIG 3 differs greatly from the illustration shown in FIG 2 in terms of a number of points. The charging system 30 according to the invention shown in FIG 3 has an overhead line system having a current supply line 2 and two return lines 3b, wherein only one of the two return lines 3b may be seen in the side view in FIG 3. The rail vehicle 1 furthermore comprises a current take-up line 4c and a current output line 4d. The current takeup line 4c runs between a positive-polarity contact element 122 (see FIG 4) of the DC current collector 100 of the rail vehicle 1 and a current input 8a of the traction converter device 8. The current output line 4d, on the other hand, runs between a current output 8b of the traction converter device 8 and a negativepolarity contact element 123 (see FIG 4), that is to say the grounding contact or the contact of the DC current collector 100 used for returning current. Grounding or the return of the DC current from the traction converter device 8 is thus not carried out via protective grounding 5d to the rails 3, but rather via the overhead line system. This greatly reduces the surface area of the conductor loop that is formed by the current supply line 2, the current take-up line 4c or the supply line to the traction converter device 8, the current output line 4d and the return line 3b, compared to the surface area of the conductor loop that occurs when the DC current is returned via the rails 3 (see FIG 2). The surface area is essentially reduced to a fraction of the traction converter device 8. This avoids a magnetic field being applied to areas where there may be people in the rail vehicle 1. Unlike the conventional cable guidance, in the rail vehicle 1 shown in FIG 3, the protective grounding 5d is isolated from the traction converter device 8. FIG 4 shows a perspective illustration 40 of a DC current collector 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention on a rail vehicle roof 1a, wherein the DC current collector 100 makes contact with a conductor rail 200 for a charging process. As may be seen in FIG 4, the DC current collector 100, in order to make contact with the conductor rail 200, unlike usual, is pivoted not about a transverse axis, but rather about an axis that is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle. The contact elements 122, 123 arranged on a contact arm 120 of the DC current collector 100 are thus arranged above one another in the upper end position of the contact arm 120 of the DC current collector 100 and aligned with two conductor rail elements 230, 240 of the conductor rail 200 with different polarity. As may be seen in FIG 4, the conductor rail elements 230, 240 with different polarity are each opposite one another twofold, such that a rail vehicle 1 coming from both directions is able to make contact with the conductor rail 200 by way of its DC current collector 100, or a single rail vehicle 1 is able to make contact with the same conductor rail 200 by way of two DC current collectors arranged in opposing directions. In the latter variant, the two DC current collectors 100 are arranged slightly offset in the longitudinal direction so that they do not collide with one another. The conductor rail 200 is in this case designed to be long enough that the two DC current collectors 100, which are arranged offset, are able to make contact with the conductor rail 200 from different sides at the same time. The conductor rail 200 also comprises a mast 210 and a conductor rail holder 220 for positioning the conductor rail element 230, 240 above a rail vehicle 1. FIG 5 shows a schematic front-on view of a conductor rail 200 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. Due to the need to guide the positive and negative pole in spatially close fashion when supplying energy to the land-side conductor rail 200, the land-side conductor rail 200 has two poles. The conductor rail 200 comprises a mast 210 and a conductor rail holder 220 on which conductor rail elements 230, 240 are arranged. FIG 5 illustrates two conductor rail elements 230 with positive polarity and two conductor rail elements 240 with negative polarity. The conductor rail elements 230, 240 are electrically insulated from the conductor rail holder 220 by insulators 250. The conductor rail 200 is thus positioned above a conductor rail section (not shown) such that the middle of the conductor rail holder 220 lies in the vertical center plane in the longitudinal direction of a rail vehicle positioned on the rail section. The two conductor rail elements 230 with positive polarity and the two conductor rail elements 240 with negative polarity are thus arranged symmetrically about the vertical vehicle center plane oriented in the longitudinal direction. This means that the DC current collector 100 (see FIG 4) is able to make contact with the land-side conductor rail elements 230, 240 by way of the appropriate contact elements 122, 123, independently of the direction of travel. In this double arrangement of the conductor rail elements 230, 240, in the event of very high charging power demands from a rail vehicle, it is also possible to use two DC current collectors 100 at the same time, wherein one makes contact with the land-side conductor rail 200 from the left and the other makes contact with the land-side conductor rail 200 from the right. The strength of the charging current may thereby be doubled. The ends of the conductor rail elements 230, 240 of different polarity are arranged not exactly above one another in the transverse direction, but rather above one another and slightly offset from one another, such that, in the event of ice formation, a situation whereby an icicle or the like bridges the positive and negative pole and thus produces a short circuit is avoided. FIG 6 shows a front-on view of a DC current collector 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The DC current collector 100 may be considered to be a kinematic structure. The DC current collector 100 comprises a frame 110 that is connected fixedly to a rail vehicle roof 1a (see FIG 4 and FIG 16). The DC current collector 100 furthermore comprises a lever device 11, which has an upper lever 130 and a lower lever 140. The DC current collector 100 furthermore comprises a contact arm 120, shown in the upper part of the illustration in FIG 6, which comprises contact elements 122, 123 for making electrical contact with a conductor rail 200. The upper lever 130 and the lower lever 140 are connected to the frame 110 so as to be able to pivot about a pivot axis that runs horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle by way of pivot bearings (see FIG 7). The upper lever 130 and the lower lever 140 are furthermore connected to the contact arm 120 so as to be able to pivot about a horizontal pivot axis that runs in the longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle by way of a pivot bearing (see FIG 7). Electrical contact is established between the contact arm 120 and the upper lever 130 via a sliding part 150. FIG 7 depicts a perspective illustration of a DC current collector 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. FIG 7 illustrates all pivot bearings of the DC current collector 100. A base-side pivot bearing 161 of the lower lever 140, which is shown in the lower part of the illustration in FIG 7, is embodied between the frame or the base 110 and the lower lever 140. A base-side pivot bearing 162 of the upper lever 130, which is illustrated at the bottom right in FIG 7, is embodied between the frame 110 and the upper lever 130. The base-side pivot bearing 162 of the upper lever 130 is arranged slightly higher relative to the base-side pivot bearing 161 of the lower lever 140, on a plinth that is part of the frame 110. A contact arm-side pivot bearing 163 of the lower lever 140 is embodied between the lower lever 140 and the contact arm 120 and is shown in the middle of the illustration in FIG 7. A contact arm-side pivot bearing 164 of the upper lever 130, which is illustrated above the contact arm-side pivot bearing 163 of the lower lever 140 in FIG 7, is arranged between the upper lever 130 and the contact arm 120. In this case, the contact arm-side pivot bearing 164 of the upper lever 130, unlike the contact arm-side pivot bearing 163 of the lower lever 140, does not sit directly on the end of the contact arm 120, but rather on the contact arm 120 in a manner shifted slightly further toward the contact elements 122, 123. FIG 8 to FIG 10 show a series of images depicting a process of making contact between a DC current collector 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention and a conductor rail 200 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The series of images show the DC current collector 100 being raised from the lower end position (see FIG 8), via an intermediate state (see FIG 9), into the upper end position (see FIG 10). FIG 8 illustrates a front-on view of an assembly 80 of a DC current collector 100 and a conductor rail 200 in the lower end position at the start of a contact-making process. The DC current collector 100 lies on the vehicle roof of a rail vehicle (not shown) in the folded-in state. The lower lever 140 and the upper lever 130 and the contact arm 120 of the DC current collector 100 lie almost horizontally above one another. The DC current collector 100, in the lower end position shown in FIG 8, has only a small height. A clearance profile of a rail vehicle is thereby able to be complied with or reduced in the lower end position, which may be particularly relevant when traveling through tunnels or the like. FIG 9 illustrates a front-on view of the assembly 80 shown in FIG 8 in the stage of the DC current collector 100 approaching the conductor rail 200. The contact arm 120 and the upper lever 130 and the lower lever 140 are diagonal to the conductor rail holder 220 of the conductor rail 200. FIG 10 shows a front-on view of the assembly 80 shown in FIG 8 and FIG 9 after electrical contact has been made between the DC current collector 100 and the conductor rail 200. As may be seen in FIG 10, the contact elements 122, 123 of the DC current collector 100 are in electrical contact with the conductor rail elements 230, 240 of the conductor rail 200. The contact arm 120 of the DC current collector 100 is oriented vertically for this purpose. FIG 11 shows a sectional illustration of an assembly 80 of a DC current collector 100 and a conductor rail 200, wherein the DC current collector 100 has a linear drive 410. The linear drive is used to move the lower end of the contact arm 120. This results in the formation of a triangle the legs of which are formed by the linear drive 410 and the lower lever 140. At the same time, the contact arm 120 is also pivoted about the contact arm-side pivot bearing 164 of the upper lever 130, such that the contact arm 120 is erected into a vertical position. Such a linear drive 410 may have a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder and / or an electric linear motor. The type of said drives, as is customary in the explanation of the figures, is intended to be only exemplary and in no way limiting. FIG 12 shows a sectional illustration of an assembly 80 of a DC current collector 100 and a conductor rail 200, wherein the current collector 100 has a rotary drive 420. Such a rotary drive may have an electric motor, a rotary hydraulic motor or a rotary pneumatic motor. It may also comprise elements for transmitting the rotary movement, such as for example a chain, a toothed belt 430, gearwheels or the like. FIG 13 shows an enlarged front-on view of a section of a DC current collector 100 comprising the contact arm 120. FIG 13 shows mechanical and electrical components that are required to carry an electric charging current. The contact arm 120, as a mechanical main element, has a contact arm frame 121 on which a plurality of further mechanical and electrical components are arranged. The two contact elements 122, 123 of different polarity are arranged on the contact arm frame 121. The two contact elements 122, 123 each have contact plates 122a, 123a that are mechanically coupled to the contact arm frame 121 by spring elements 124 and electrically isolated from the contact arm frame 121 by insulators 250. The spring elements 124 are required to compensate for tolerances in the vehicle transverse direction, in particular assembly tolerances, track position tolerances and transverse play. The spring elements 124 are also used to set a certain contact force for the contact elements 122, 123. The contact elements 122, 123 have, as a contact, copper plates or other electrically conductive materials that provide enough surface area for the required charging current to be able to be transferred. The contact elements 122, 123 are in particular dimensioned such that all vertical tolerances, in particular assembly tolerances, track position tolerances and all tolerances from the railcar body, are able to be compensated for by the contact surfaces between the contacts or contact elements of the contact arm 120 and the contacts or the conductor rail elements 230, 240 of the conductor rail 200. To transfer an electric DC current, the contact elements 122, 123 have connection points for contact arm wiring 125, which is able to carry strong DC currents. The DC current collector 100 furthermore has, on the contact arm-side pivot bearing 164 of the upper lever 130, a sliding part 150 that is able to be used to transfer the charging current from the wiring 125 of the contact arm 120 to wiring 132 of the upper lever 130. The current is then forwarded from the wiring 132 of the upper lever 130 in the direction of the rail vehicle. The upper lever 130 has an upper lever frame 130 on which the wiring 132 of the upper lever 130 is arranged. FIG 14 illustrates a perspective view of the DC current collector 100 shown in FIG 13, wherein the DC current collector 100 makes contact with exactly one conductor rail 200. FIG 15 shows an enlarged perspective illustration of a section of a current collector 100 having a sliding part 150 for transferring current between the contact arm 120 and the upper lever 130. The sliding part 150 comprises a sliding saddle 151 that is fixedly mechanically connected to the contact arm 120 and makes the same movements as the contact arm 120. The sliding part 150 furthermore comprises a sliding plate 152 that is mechanically connected to the contact arm-side pivot bearing 164 of the upper lever 130 and is electrically connected to the wiring 132 of the upper lever 130. The sliding saddle 151 comprises a flat electrical contact with the sliding plate 152, which is also maintained during a pivoting movement about the contact arm-side pivot bearing 164 of the upper lever 130. Spring-loaded graphite parts or spring brushes may be integrated into the sliding saddle 154 for contact transfer purposes. The DC current collector 100 in each case comprises a separate sliding part for both contact elements 122, 123 of different polarity. These sliding parts 150 (only one is shown) are arranged on opposing sides of the contact arm-side pivot bearing 164 of the upper lever 130. The sliding parts 150 are required because, when the DC current collector 100 is retracted and deployed, the contact arm 120 performs a large angular movement in relation to the upper lever 130. A transfer of current via a current wire, as is generally customary in conventional current collectors, is not sufficiently effective or robust due to the large angular movement in the arrangement according to the invention. Both the sliding saddle 151 and the sliding plate 152 are isolated from carrier structures via insulators 250. FIG 16 shows a perspective view of a conventional current collector 4 and a DC current collector 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention for comparison. The space taken up in the vehicle longitudinal direction LR, in the case of the DC current collector 100 according to the invention on the right in the illustration, is much less than in the case of the conventional current collector 4 on the left in the illustration. FIG 17 shows a flowchart 1700 illustrating a method for making contact or breaking contact between a conductor rail 200 and a DC current collector 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. In step 17.I, the contact arm 120, which is initially in a lower end position, as shown for example in FIG 8, is actuated via levers 130, 140 by a linear motor 410, which is mechanically coupled to a contact arm 120 of the DC current collector 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. As a result of this actuation, the contact arm 120, in step 17.II, carries out a combined pivoting and translational movement until it reaches an upper end position (see FIG 10), in which the contact elements 122, 123 of the contact arm 120 of the DC current collector 100 make contact with the conductor rail elements 230, 240 of the conductor rail 200. FIG 18 shows a flowchart 1800 illustrating a method for performing a charging process for a rail vehicle 1 using a stationary charging system 30 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. In step 18.I, the method according to the invention for making contact between a conductor rail 200 of a stationary charging system 30 and a current collector 100 according to the invention comprising steps 17.I, 17.II is performed, as has already been illustrated in FIG 17. In step 18.II, a traction battery 6 of the rail vehicle 1 is charged by a charging current I that flows via the contact 122, 240 between the current collector 100 and the conductor rail 200. In step 18.III, contact between the current collector 100 and the conductor rail 200 is broken by applying the method according to the invention for breaking contact with a conductor rail 200 of a stationary charging system 30. Lastly, it is pointed out once again that the methods and devices described above are merely preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention and that the invention may be varied by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, to the extent that this is specified by the claims. For the sake of completeness, it is also pointed out that the use of the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not rule out the features in question also being able to be present multiple times. Likewise, the term “unit” does not rule out a situation whereby this consists of multiple components, which may also possibly be spatially distributed. Regardless of the grammatical gender of any particular term, persons with male, female or any other gender identity are included.

Claims

1. A DC current collector for a rail vehicle, comprising:-    a base,-    a lever device arranged on the base, comprising a pivotingand translation function,-    a contact arm that is coupled pivotably to the lever deviceand has a positive-polarity contact element for taking up current and a negative-polarity contact element for outputting current, said negative-polarity contact element being offset from said positive-polarity contact element in a longitudinal direction of the contact arm and oriented parallel to the positive-polarity contact element,-    a contact arm-side pivot bearing between the contact armand the lever device,-    a pivotable sliding part for transferring current via thecontact arm-side pivot bearing,wherein the contact arm and the lever device comprise mutuallyparallel horizontal pivot axes that run transverse to thelongitudinal direction of the contact arm.

2. The DC current collector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact elements each comprise:-    an insulator,-    a spring element,-    a contact plate.

3. The DC current collector as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact arm has a contact arm frame that comprises contact elements and contact wiring of the contact elements.

4. The DC current collector as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the sliding part comprises a sliding saddle that is fixedly connected to the contact arm, and a sliding plate that is able to move relative to the slidingsaddle and is fixedly connected to the lever device.2024248307   07 Oct 20265. The DC current collector as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever device comprises an upperlever and a lower lever that are connected pivotably to thebase via base-side pivot bearings that are arranged on a baseside end of the respective levers and are connected pivotablyto the contact arm via contact arm-side pivot bearings thatare arranged on a contact arm-side end of the respectivelevers.

6. The DC current collector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the base-side pivot bearing of the upper lever is arrangedhigher compared to the base-side pivot bearing of the lowerlever.

7. The DC current collector as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the lower lever comprises two parallel lever arms that are connected pivotably to opposing sides of the base and areconnected pivotably to the contact arm via a common pivotbearing.

8. The DC current collector as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever device is configured to put the contact arm into a vertical position when contact is made with a conductor rail such that the two contact elementsmake contact with two conductor rail elements arranged aboveone another.

9. A rail vehicle, comprising:-    a DC current collector as claimed in one of the precedingclaims, which is arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle such that the pivot axes of the DC currentcollector are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle, -    a traction converter device,2024248307   07 Oct 2026-    a current take-up line and a current output line that arearranged in pairs and connected between the DC current collector and the traction converter device.

10. A method for making contact or breaking contact between aconductor rail, which comprises: -    a mast,-    a conductor rail holder on the mast,-    at least one first conductor rail element that is arrangedon the conductor rail holder at a first height position for making contact with a contact element of a DC current collectorwith a first polarity, and at least one second conductor railelement that is arranged on the conductor rail holder at a second height position, different from the first height position, formaking contact with a contact element of the DC current collector with a second polarity, and a DC current collector as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, comprising the following steps:-    actuating a lever device that is mechanically coupled to acontact arm of the DC current collector,-    carrying out a combined pivoting and translational movementby way of the contact arm so as to make contact between thecontact arm and the conductor rail or to break contact between the contact arm and the conductor rail, in a manner brought about by actuating the lever device.

11. A method for performing a charging process for a rail vehicle as claimed in claim 9 using a stationary chargingsystem, which comprises a stationary bipolar charging device and a current trail, which comprises: -    a mast,-    a conductor rail holder on the mast,- at least one first conductor rail element that is arranged on the conductor rail holder at a first height position for making contact with a contact element of a DC current collector with a first polarity, and at least one second conductor rail2024248307   07 Oct 2026element that is arranged on the conductor rail holder at a second height position, different from the first height position, for making contact with a contact element of the DC current collector with a second polarity, and which is electrically connected to the stationary bipolar charging device, comprising the following steps:-    performing the method as claimed in claim 10 for makingcontact between a conductor rail of the stationary charging system and a DC current collector of the rail vehicle,-    charging a traction battery of the rail vehicle with acharging current that flows via an electrical contact between the DC current collector of the rail vehicle and the conductor rail of the stationary charging system (30), while the rail vehicle is in a stationary state,-    performing the method as claimed in claim 10 for breakingcontact between the DC current collector of the rail vehicle and the conductor rail of the stationary charging system.Siemens Mobility GmbHPatent Attorneys for the Applicant / Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON

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