DEVICE FOR PROTECTION AGAINST ICENING OF A WEAR BELT OF A POWER PURCHASE OF A RAIL VEHICLE

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention is in the railway field, in particular in the field of protecting the wear strips of pantographs on railway vehicles. Technological background

[0002] A railway vehicle, such as a train, metro or tram, generally includes an electric motor powered by electricity via an overhead catenary which includes vertical supports supporting a contact wire which extends above the rails on which the railway vehicle travels.

[0003] A pantograph is also installed on the roof of the electric power car of the railway vehicle to collect the electric current flowing in the contact wire in order to supply the power car with electrical energy as it travels on the rails. This pantograph typically comprises an articulated section mounted on the roof of the power car and a contact shoe designed to receive the current from the overhead contact wire. The part of the contact shoe in contact with the overhead contact wire is known as the pantograph's "wear strip" or "friction strip." This strip, which is generally made of carbon or metallized carbon, is mounted on the contact shoe by means of a bracket that forms a rigid support for the wear strip. This bracket supporting the wear strip is generally made of aluminum or steel.

[0004] It is known that icing of the catenary prevents the pantograph from collecting sufficient current. Indeed, when the catenary is iced, the electric current can no longer pass through the contact surface of the wear strip. Consequently, the current passes into the air, ionizing it via the bracket supporting the wear strip. This results in electrical arcs that cause temperature increases in the aluminum or steel bracket and in the wear strip, leading to rapid deterioration of both components (bracket and wear strip).

[0005] To combat frost and prevent equipment damage, it has been proposed to equip the wear belt support bracket with magnets designed to deflect electrical arcs towards the wear belt. This solution delays the wear belt's destruction, but in practice, it always ends up being severely degraded.EP3527418A discloses an anti-icing protection device for a wear strip of a pantograph of a railway vehicle motor comprising a support bracket for said wear strip extending, once mounted on said support bracket, along a direction, referred to as the longitudinal direction, said support bracket comprising a top surface for carrying said wear strip and two lateral surfaces, said protection device further comprising: means for removable mounting of said device on said support bracket; at least one side made of conductive material extending along a portion of a lateral surface of said support bracket and covering this portion of the lateral surface, once the protection device is mounted on said bracket; a plurality of magnets connected to said side in projection intended to capture the current from the catenary contact wire by electric arcs in icing conditions.

[0006] It is also known from document CN106183829 to run a scraper train equipped with a reinforced pantograph to remove frost from the catenary.

[0007] This document describes a glass breaker blade configured to be embedded in the wear strip and the caliper by means of blocks and notches arranged on the wear strip. The blocks described in this document extend perpendicularly to the plane defined by the upper surface of the caliper.

[0008] However, this solution is very restrictive and requires complex and costly logistics.

[0009] Since none of the known solutions were completely satisfactory, the inventors sought to propose a new solution to limit the wear of the parts equipping the pantograph of a railway vehicle when the catenary ices up. Objectives of the invention

[0010] The invention aims to provide an anti-icing protection device for a pantograph wear strip.

[0011] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, such a protective device which can be removably mounted on a pantograph of a locomotive of a railway vehicle.

[0012] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, such a device which can be mounted on a pantograph not only during episodes of frost, but also during the rest of the year, regardless of climatic conditions, without hindering the proper functioning of the pantograph.

[0013] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, such a device which is resistant and can be used for many years.

[0014] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, such a device which can be mounted on a pantograph equipping a motor car of a railway vehicle without modification of the pantograph.

[0015] The invention also aims to provide a railway vehicle engine equipped with an anti-icing protection device according to the invention. Description of the invention

[0016] To this end, the invention relates to an anti-icing protection device for a wear strip of a pantograph on a railway vehicle's power car, comprising a bracket supporting said wear strip which, once mounted on said bracket, extends along a direction, referred to as the longitudinal direction, said bracket comprising an upper surface for bearing said wear strip and two lateral surfaces. The invention is defined in the claims that follow the description.

[0017] The protective device according to the invention comprises: means for removable mounting of said device on said support bracket, at least one side made of conductive material extending along a portion of a lateral surface of said support bracket and covering that portion of the lateral surface, once the protective device is mounted on said bracket, a plurality of protruding pins on said side intended to capture the current from the contact wire of the catenary by electric arcs in icing conditions, each pin extending perpendicularly to said longitudinal direction.

[0018] The protection device according to the invention thus forms a protective shield for a wear strip of a pantograph and the support bracket of this wear strip by capturing any electric arcs generated by the contact between the wear strip and a frosted catenary contact cable.

[0019] This protective device (also referred to as "shielding" in the text) is attached to the pantograph wear strip support bracket by means of removable mounting. This allows the pantograph wear strip to be replaced while reusing the same protective shielding. A device according to the invention can therefore be used on a railway vehicle for several seasons, while still allowing the wear strip to be replaced when necessary.

[0020] The protective device includes at least one side panel that covers a lateral portion of the support bracket. This prevents electrical arcs generated by frost on the catenary contact strip from damaging the portion of the support bracket covered by the side panel of the protective device.

[0021] A protection device according to the invention is particularly useful for equipping motors powered by direct current.

[0022] The device according to the invention can be fitted to a pantograph and left on the pantograph, regardless of weather conditions. In case of frost, the device captures the current via the generated electric arcs, while protecting the wear strip and the caliper. In the absence of frost, the current passes normally through the upper surface of the wear strip.

[0023] The plurality of pins on the side of the device attracts the electric arcs generated by the contact of the pantograph with the frosted catenary contact wire and limits the risk of the arcs reaching the stirrup and / or the upper surface of the wear strip.

[0024] According to the invention, the caliper and the wear strip extend along the same longitudinal direction, and the caliper comprises a top surface, referred to as the wear strip bearing surface, as well as two lateral surfaces. It is understood that the two lateral surfaces of the caliper are in respective planes substantially perpendicular to the plane comprising the top surface of the caliper.

[0025] For the purposes of this invention, it is understood that the pins extend perpendicularly to the plane of at least one lateral side or a lateral surface of the stirrup. In other words, each pin projects from the lateral side, perpendicular to the plane defined by a lateral surface of the stirrup.

[0026] According to the invention, said removable mounting means comprise two mounting plates connected rigidly to each side of said protective device, each plate comprising a bore shaped to a fixing screw for an electrical connection shunt extending under said support bracket so as to be able to fix said protective device by the fixing screws of the electrical connection shunts of said motor.

[0027] According to the invention, the protective device is fixed under the wear strip support bracket such that each side of the protective device covers the bracket from its fixing point underneath to the wear strip. Furthermore, the fixing device is attached to the fixing screws of the electrical connection shunts. In other words, the protective device is fixed to screws already present on the pantograph, which facilitates its integration onto existing pantographs without modification. Finally, since the protective device is fixed to the fixing screws of the electrical connection shunts, the current collected by the protective device directly powers the electrical connection shunts, without passing through the wear strip.

[0028] Advantageously, the device according to the invention comprises two sides each extending along a portion of each lateral surface of said support bracket and covering this lateral portion, once the protective device is mounted on said bracket.

[0029] According to this advantageous variant, the two lateral faces of the stirrup are protected by the protective device according to the invention.

[0030] If only one side plate is provided on the device according to the invention, it is particularly advantageous to mount the device so that it is arranged on the outer face of the stirrup of the pantograph, since it is on this outer face that damage to the stirrup from electric arcs is concentrated. A single side plate can also result in weight savings and reduce the amount of material used to design the protective device according to the invention.

[0031] Advantageously and according to the invention, each side is equipped with ten studs regularly distributed along the side.

[0032] In this design, each stud is intended to attract the electrical arcs generated by the contact of the pantograph with the frosted catenary contact wire. The uniform distribution of the studs along each side optimizes the absorption of these electrical arcs. Of course, there is nothing preventing the use of a different number of studs; this number could, for example, depend on the length of the wear strip and / or the length of the bracket supporting the wear strip.

[0033] Advantageously and according to the invention, each side and each spike is made of refractory metal.

[0034] According to this advantageous variant, the conductive material used to form each side and the pins is a refractory metal, that is, a metal resistant to heat and wear. One of the characteristics of a refractory metal is its melting point, which is above 2,000°C. Thus, the device according to this advantageous variant is very resistant to heat and wear and can be used for many years on a pantograph.

[0035] Advantageously and according to the invention, the refractory metal forming each flank and each stud is chosen from the list including molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, tantalum or any alloy of two or more of these materials.

[0036] According to this advantageous variant, the refractory metal used has a melting point above 2200 °C and a density above 8g.cm-3.

[0037] The invention also relates to a motor of a railway vehicle intended to run on a track equipped with a catenary contact wire, said motor comprising a pantograph equipped with a bracket supporting a wear strip intended to capture the current from the catenary contact wire, characterized in that said pantograph is equipped with a device for protecting said wear strip according to the invention.

[0038] The advantages and technical effects of the protective device according to the invention apply mutatis mutandis to a motor of a railway vehicle according to the invention.

[0039] The invention also relates to a protection device and a motor of a railway vehicle characterized in combination by all or part of the characteristics mentioned above or below. List of figures

[0040] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, given by way of non-limiting example only, and which refers to the accompanying figures in which: there figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an anti-icing protection device for a pantograph wear strip according to an embodiment of the invention, the figure 2 is a schematic side view of a pantograph and the protective device of the figure 1 intended to be fixed to the pantograph bracket, the figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a pantograph and the protective device of the figure 1 mounted on the pantograph, the figure 4 is a schematic view of a railway vehicle's power car comprising a pantograph equipped with the device of the figure 1 . Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention

[0041] In the figures, the scales and proportions are not strictly respected for the purposes of illustration and clarity.

[0042] Identical, similar or analogous elements are designated by the same references in all figures.

[0043] There figure 1 illustrates an anti-icing protection device 10 for a wear strip of a pantograph according to an embodiment of the invention, intended to equip the pantograph of a motor car of a railway vehicle.

[0044] There figure 4 schematically illustrates a motor unit 8 of a railway vehicle equipped with the anti-icing protection device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0045] This tram 8 includes a pantograph 20 mounted on its roof, designed to collect the electric current flowing in a contact wire 7 of a catenary. The pantograph 20 comprises an articulated section supported by the tram's roof and a contact arm for receiving the current from the catenary contact wire 7. The section of the contact arm in contact with the catenary contact wire 7 is commonly referred to as the wear strip 22. The wear strip 22 is, for example, made of carbon or metallized carbon and is mounted on the contact arm by means of a bracket 24, which provides rigid support for the wear strip 22. This bracket 24 supporting the wear strip is made of aluminum or steel.

[0046] THE figures 2 And 3 schematically illustrate the pantograph support bracket 24, the wear strip 22 carried by the bracket 24 and the anti-icing protection device 10.

[0047] The caliper 24 includes a top surface for bearing the wear strip 22 and two lateral surfaces.

[0048] As illustrated by the figure 1 , the anti-frost protection device 10 comprises two fixing plates 12a, 12b each provided with a bore 13a, 13b each conforming to a fixing screw 25a, 25b carried by the bracket 24.

[0049] The mounting plates form removable mounting means for the anti-icing protection device 10 on the pantograph 22. An anti-icing protection device according to the invention can therefore be easily mounted on a pantograph and removed when necessary.

[0050] Furthermore, the fixing screws 25a, 25b are advantageously the screws intended to ensure the electrical connection with the shunts supplying the motor 8. Thus, and as illustrated on the figure 3The electric current captured by the anti-icing protection device can directly power the 26a, 26b electrical connection cables with shunts supplying the motor.

[0051] A protective device according to the invention can therefore be easily mounted on an existing pantograph using the pre-existing fixing screws on the pantograph. Thus, no modification of the pantograph is necessary to equip it with an anti-icing protective device according to the invention.

[0052] It is therefore particularly easy with an anti-icing protection device according to the invention to upgrade a pantograph of a motor car and give it an anti-icing function.

[0053] The anti-icing protection device 10 further includes a side plate 14, which extends between the two mounting plates 12a, 12b. This side plate 14 covers a portion of the lateral surface of the bracket 24, once mounted on the pantograph bracket, as shown in the figure 3 The lateral flank 14 preferably extends along the entire height of the caliper 24 up to the upper bearing surface of the wear strip 22, without exceeding the latter. Thus, in the event of wear of the wear strip 22, there is no risk of the contact wire coming into contact with the lateral flank 14 and the pins 16.

[0054] According to another variant not shown in the figures, the device may include two lateral sides so as to be able to cover, once fixed to the pantograph stirrup, the two lateral faces of the stirrup.

[0055] The protective device 10 further comprises a plurality of studs 16 – for example, ten studs – evenly distributed along the side. Each stud 16 extends outward from the side 14, in a direction perpendicular to the main direction of the lateral side 14, referred to as the longitudinal direction.

[0056] In other words, the pins 16 extend parallel to the direction of the contact wire 7 of the catenary intended to supply the motor 8 on which the protection device is mounted.

[0057] Preferably, the frost protection device 10 is made of a refractory metal selected from the group comprising molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, tantalum or any alloy of two or more of these materials.

[0058] Other materials may nevertheless be used provided that these materials are conductive and have good heat resistance (melting point above 1000°C, and preferably above 1800°C).

Claims

1. Anti-icing protection device (10) for a wear strip (22) of a pantograph (20) of a railway vehicle power car (8), comprising a bracket (24) supporting said wear strip (22) extending, once mounted on said support bracket (24), along a direction, known as the longitudinal direction, said support bracket comprising an upper surface for supporting said wear strip and two side surfaces, said protection device comprising : - removable mounting means of said device on said support bracket (24), - at least one flank (14) made of conductive material extending along a portion of a side surface of said support bracket and covering this portion of the side surface once the protective device is mounted on said bracket, said device being characterized in that it comprises: - a plurality of pins (16) projecting from said flank (14) configured to collect the current from the contact wire (7) of the catenary by means of electric arcs in icy conditions, each pin (16) extending perpendicularly to said longitudinal direction, and where said removable mounting means comprise two mounting plates (12a, 12b) fixedly connected to each flank (14) of said protection device, each plate (12a, 12b) comprising a bore (13a, 13b) shaped to accommodate a fixing screw (25a, 25b) of an electrical connection shunt (26a, 26b) extending under said support bracket (24) configured to fix said protective device (10) by means of the fixing screws of the electrical connection shunts of said power car.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two flanks (14) each extending along a portion of each side surface of said support bracket and covering this lateral portion once the protection device is mounted on said bracket (24).

3. Device according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that each flank (14) is equipped with ten pins (16) evenly distributed along the flank.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each flank (14) and each spike (16) is made of refractory metal.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the refractory metal forming each flank (14) and each spike (16) is chosen from the list comprising molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, tantalum or any alloy of two or more of these materials.

6. Power car (8) for a railway vehicle intended to run on a track equipped with a contact wire (7) of an overhead line, said motor (8) comprising a pantograph (20) equipped with a bracket (24) for supporting a wear strip (22) intended to collect current from the contact wire (7) of the catenary, characterized in that said pantograph (20) is equipped with an anti-icing protection device (10) for said wear strip (22) of said pantograph according to one of claims 1 to 5.