Connecting arrangement between longitudinal-connection elements of a catenary system, and catenary system having such a connecting arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a connecting arrangement (10), (20), (30) between at least two longitudinal-connection elements (1), (2) of a catenary system, wherein each of the longitudinal-connection elements (1), (2) can be designed in the form of a messenger wire (1) or a contact wire (2), and the connecting arrangement (10), (20), (30) is connected to the at least two longitudinal-connection elements (1), (2) by means of clamping devices (4), (8), wherein the connecting arrangement (10), (20), (30) has a connecting wire (12), (22), (32), at least part of which is provided with a sheath (14), (24), (34). The connecting arrangement (10), (20), (30) according to the invention and also catenary systems having such connecting arrangements (10), (20), (30) can be used, and are suitable, both for railbound and for non-railbound electric vehicles, that is to say in particular also for e-highway systems.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Connection arrangement between longitudinal connecting elements of a contact line system and contact line system with such a connection arrangement

[0003] The invention relates to a connecting arrangement between longitudinal connecting elements of a contact line system and a contact line system with at least one such connecting arrangement.

[0004] In overhead contact line systems with catenaries and with overhead lines or contact wires of or for at least partially electrically powered, rail-bound and non-rail-bound vehicles, such as electric rail vehicles, trucks or e-buses, particularly in eHighway overhead contact line systems, various cables and wires are installed, with the contact wire and the suspension cable stretched between two support points. To ensure that the contact wire of an overhead contact line system always has the same height and does not sag, it is additionally attached to the suspension cable via hangers or hanger cables. Hangers or hanger cables are usually made of copper or bronze cables and are therefore electrically conductive. Hangers can also connect two suspension cables or two contact wires together. The hangers are only occasionally made of plastic cables. There are also other cables, such as fixed point cables, anchor cables, etc.

[0005] Due to their physical properties, particularly with regard to changes in length due to temperature changes, the wires and cables used in a contact line system are usually guyed in so-called post-tensioning lengths. To ensure uninterrupted contact between the pantograph of each vehicle and the contact wire, the incoming and outgoing contact wires and supporting cables are run parallel over a certain length (e.g. a longitudinal span, usually around 30 - 80 m). Such areas are therefore also referred to as parallel fields. Successive post-tensioning lengths, i.e. an ending and a newly beginning post-tensioning length, thus overlap over a certain area. The corresponding ending contact wire, suspended from the supporting cable, is therefore usually guyed starting from its nominal height above the rails or...the track, initially upwards and then further outside the rail / track or road area, where it is guyed at the tensioning device. The suspension cable, which carries the contact wire via hangers or hanger cables, also follows this route. The new contact wire is guided to the rail / track area or the track / road in a similar way, but coming from the corresponding tensioning device in the other direction, and is inserted from above until it has reached the desired contact wire height. When the contact wires and suspension cables of a catenary are led in and out, one of the catenaries must necessarily cross the other. In the case of two-pole catenaries, the continuous catenaries of both poles cross accordingly. As a result, it can happen that elements of both catenaries touch and rub against each other due to certain operating situations, temperature changes or other climatic influences.The result is that the corresponding elements can undergo mechanical wear and eventually crack. They therefore pose a potential hazard to the traffic area and / or pose a danger to any persons present.

[0006] EHighway overhead line systems, i.e. overhead line systems for non-rail-bound vehicles, such as trucks, have additional properties and requirements compared to overhead line systems for rail-bound vehicles, such as rail vehicles. Firstly, they require two catenaries, as the positive and negative poles are routed via the overhead line. Secondly, the hangers or hanger cables must maintain a specified distance between the supporting cable and the contact wire, which must not be exceeded. Due to this configuration, it is almost unavoidable that the corresponding cables and / or wires come into contact and thus rub against each other. In parallel fields in particular, the contact wire and / or the supporting cable of the crossing catenary can rub against the hangers or hanger cables of the other catenary.

[0007] The invention is based on the object of specifying a connecting arrangement with which the direct grinding against each other of crossing conductors is avoided.

[0008] The problem is solved by the features of independent patent claim 1. Further developments and refinements of the invention can be found in the features of the dependent patent claims.

[0009] For this purpose, a connection arrangement is specified between at least two longitudinal connection elements of a contact line system, wherein each of the longitudinal connection elements can be designed as a supporting cable or as a contact wire, and the connection arrangement is connected to the at least two longitudinal connection elements by means of clamping devices, wherein the connection arrangement has a connection cable which is at least partially equipped with a sheath.

[0010] Whenever only ropes or only wires are mentioned below, the missing term must always be read. The inventive statements always apply to both ropes and wires.

[0011] The solution according to the invention has the advantage that, because the connecting cable and thus one of the crossing cables has a covering, the crossing cable unwinds on the covering without a covering and thus the direct rubbing or grinding of the two crossing cables against each other and thus the mutual damage to the point of friction or rubbing through is prevented or at least greatly delayed. As a result, the wear and tear on the corresponding crossing cables and wires of the overhead line system is significantly lower, as a result of which maintenance costs can be considerably reduced. Advantageously, the covering is designed in such a way that the wear and tear of the unwinding cable during movements on the sleeve is as low as possible, which further reduces wear and therefore maintenance costs.

[0012] A further advantage lies in the fact that the inventive solution is very easy to implement and can be tailored to the on-site situation during normal assembly work. No additional project planning is necessary.

[0013] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the sheath is designed to be movable relative to the connecting cable. The sheath is particularly preferably rotatable relative to the connecting cable and is particularly designed as a tube or sleeve. This has particular advantages in terms of manufacturing technology, since the connecting cable and sheath can be manufactured separately. This means that the sheath can be pulled onto the connecting cable very easily and as a whole. The necessary length of the sheath is also easy to dimension. Furthermore, a substantially circular cross-section of a sleeve or tube is very advantageous, since no corners and / or edges can catch on other elements. However, the sheath is not restricted to a circular cross-section or the shape of a tube or sleeve.Depending on your wishes and requirements, all possible other shapes and / or cross-sections and / or sizes are conceivable and possible.

[0014] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the casing is made of a low-abrasion material. In principle, the use of various different materials is possible, provided they are sufficiently resistant. This is particularly advantageous because it also increases the service life of the casing itself and thus contributes to even lower maintenance costs.

[0015] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the sheath can be fixed to the connecting cable by means of at least one fastening element. In this case, the distance between the sheath and the at least two longitudinal connecting elements is particularly preferably adjustable by means of the at least one fastening element. This has the advantage that substantially the entire length of the connecting cable does not have to be surrounded by a sheath, but the sheath can be limited to a length that covers the necessary area, i.e. the crossing area, of the connecting cable in which contact between crossing cables and / or wires is to be expected. A further advantage is that the possibility of adjusting the distance between the sheath and the longitudinal elements, in particular, for example, to the supporting cable orto the contact wire, above and below the sheath, by means of a fastening element, so that the position of the sheath between the longitudinal elements is not only determined exactly according to the local conditions or requirements, but the position can also be adapted very easily and uncomplicatedly to changing boundary conditions over time, for example changes in length due to temperature changes, sagging of the longitudinal elements over time, etc.

[0016] Irrespective of this, the sheath should advantageously be dimensioned so large or long that changes in the position of the unwinding rope, e.g. in the event of temperature changes, are also covered or encompassed.

[0017] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one fastening element is fixed to the connecting cable and the sheath rests on the fastening element. In this way, the lower limit of the area in which contact between crossing cables is to be expected can advantageously be defined very easily and the sheath rests loosely, without a fixed connection, on the fastening element due to gravity without additional measures or aids. This naturally assumes that the sheath is dimensioned such that the sheath cannot slip over the fastening element. Preferably, the fastening element, similar to the tubular or sleeve-shaped sheath, has a substantially circular cross-section whose diameter is larger than the diameter of the sheath. This can prevent elements located underneath, for example the lower cable clamp, etc., may be damaged by the wrapping.

[0018] According to a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one fastening element is fixed to the connecting cable and alternatively the sheath is connected centrally to the fastening element, whereby the weight distribution or load on the only fastening element in this embodiment is optimized.

[0019] According to another particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the sheath can alternatively be fixed to the connecting cable by means of two fastening elements, wherein the two fastening elements are fixed to the connecting cable and one fastening element is connected to the sheath in the upper region of the sheath and one fastening element is connected to the sheath in the lower region of the sheath. This is a particularly secure embodiment of the invention.

[0020] However, the invention is not limited to one or two fastening elements. Additional fastening elements can also be used as needed, and these can be located at any reasonable position between the longitudinal elements, for example, the suspension cable and the contact wire.

[0021] According to another particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one fastening element is designed as a ball or roller bearing. Such bearings are advantageously extremely robust, easy to handle, require very little maintenance, and are quickly available in any quantity. Of course, all possible other suitable components can also be employed and used for this purpose. The connecting cable is particularly preferably a suspension cable, since this makes installation particularly simple.

[0022] Particularly preferably, a contact line system is equipped with at least one connecting arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 12.

[0023] In summary, the connecting arrangement according to the invention consists of a movably mounted sheath, for example a sleeve, over one of the two crossing cables and at least one fastening element between this cable and the enclosing sleeve. The at least one fastening element is fastened on the one hand to one of the crossing cables and fixes the position of the sheath, and on the other hand ensures the mobility or rotatability of the sheath, for example the sleeve. This is done, for example, in a form-fitting manner or by means of sliding or friction elements, ball or roller bearings, etc. The connecting arrangement according to the invention thus makes it possible to prevent or at least significantly delay damage to crossing cables and / or wires of overhead line systems, in particular in parallel fields, and thus to significantly reduce maintenance costs.The connection arrangement according to the invention as well as contact line systems with such connection arrangements can be used and are suitable for both rail-bound and non-rail-bound electric vehicles, in particular for eHighway systems for trucks or e-buses.

[0024] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. They show:

[0025] Fig. 1 shows a connecting arrangement according to the invention with a fastening element,

[0026] Fig. 2 shows a further connecting arrangement according to the invention with one fastening element and Fig. 3 shows a further connecting arrangement according to the invention with two fastening elements.

[0027] All three figures each show an embodiment of a connecting arrangement 10, 20, 30 according to the invention, each of which is arranged between a supporting cable 1 and a contact wire 2. The respective connecting arrangement 10, 20, 30 according to the invention is connected in the usual manner at its upper end to the supporting cable 1 by a clamp 4 and at its lower end to the contact wire 2 by a clamp with a loop 8.

[0028] All three embodiments of the connecting arrangement 10, 20, 30 according to the invention have a connecting cable, in particular a hanger cable 12, 22, 32 with a sheath 14, 24, 34, on which the respective crossing cable and / or wire unwinds without a sheath 5, thus preventing or at least significantly delaying the direct rubbing or grinding of the two crossing cables against each other and the consequent mutual damage to the point of friction or rubbing through. Advantageously, the sheath 14, 24, 34 is made of a low-abrasion material, as this also increases the service life of the sheath 14, 24, 34 and thus further reduces maintenance effort and thus repair costs. In principle, the use of all possible different materials is possible, provided they are sufficiently resistant to abrasion.

[0029] Fig. 1 shows a connecting arrangement 10 according to the invention with a fastening element 18. The connecting arrangement 10 consists of a connecting cable, in particular a hanger cable 12, which is connected to the suspension cable 1 or the contact wire 2 via the clamps 4 or 8. Fig. 1 also shows a sheath 14 of the hanger cable 12 in plan view, through which the hanger cable 12 is passed. Fig. 1 also shows a fastening element 18, which is fixed to the hanger cable 12, for example by means of a screw or clamp connection. The fastening element 18 is a separate component and is not permanently connected to the sheath 14. Rather, the sheath 14 rests loosely on the fastening element 18 due to gravity without a permanent connection.The sheath 14 shown in Fig. 1 is thus movable relative to the hanger cable 12 and in particular rotatable about the hanger cable 12 and has the shape of a tube or sleeve with a substantially circular cross-section. In order to prevent the sheath 14 from slipping over the fastening element 18, the sheath 14 is dimensioned accordingly. Preferably, the fastening element 18, similar to the tube- or sleeve-shaped sheath 14, has a substantially circular cross-section whose diameter is larger than the diameter of the sheath 14 itself. Alternatively, it is of course also possible for the sheath 14 to have a correspondingly dimensioned base with a hole (not shown in Fig. 1) in order to prevent slipping over the fastening element 18. In any case, elements located underneath, for example the lower cable clamp 8, etc., are protected from damage.Thus, the sheath 14 can advantageously be manufactured separately and can be very easily pulled as a whole onto the hanger rope 12 before the actual assembly of the hanger rope 12.

[0030] The position of the fastening element 18 on the hanger cable 12 can be variably fixed, i.e. by changing the position of the fastening element 18 on the hanger cable 12, the distance of the sheath 14 to the suspension cable 1 and the contact wire 2 can be changed and adjusted accordingly as required. This has the advantage, among other things, that essentially the entire length of the hanger cable 12 does not have to be covered, but the sheath 14 can, as shown, be limited to a length that covers the necessary crossing area 16 of the hanger cable 12, in which contact between crossing cables and / or wires 5 is to be expected. The necessary length of the sheath 14 can also be easily and problem-freely dimensioned in terms of production. In this way, the position of the sheath 14 between the suspension cable 1 and the contact wire 2 can not only be determined or adjusted exactly in accordance with local conditions or requirements.adjusted, but can also be adapted and readjusted very easily and uncomplicatedly at any time to suit changing boundary conditions over time, for example changes in length due to temperature changes, sagging of the suspension cable 1 and / or the contact wire 2, etc.

[0031] The sheath 14 should advantageously be dimensioned at least large or long enough to cover or encompass even changes in the position of the unwinding cable 5, e.g., during or due to temperature changes. Accordingly, it is advantageous, depending on the safety requirements, to dimension the sheath 14 larger than the expected or necessary crossing area 16, so that the sheath 14, as shown in Fig. 1, projects beyond the crossing area 16.

[0032] The description of Figures 2 and 3 will only address the differences between the illustrated embodiments of the connecting arrangements according to the invention and that described in Figure 1. The advantages are, of course, also present within the scope of the similarities and also apply to the embodiments in Figures 2 and 3, in particular with regard to the intersection areas 26 and 36.

[0033] Fig. 2 shows a further connecting arrangement 20 according to the invention with a fastening element 28.

[0034] The connecting arrangement 20 also has a fastening element 28 which is fixed to the hanger cable 22. As an alternative to the connecting arrangement 10 in Fig. 1, the sheath 24 is connected centrally and directly to the fastening element 28, as a result of which the weight distribution or load on the fastening element 28 is optimized. The fastening element 28 is designed as a ball or roller bearing, which ensures that the sheath 24 is also movable relative to the hanger cable 22 and in particular is mounted so as to be rotatable about the hanger cable 22. Such bearings are advantageously extremely robust, easy to handle and, in addition, require very little maintenance. The sheath 24 is bound more closely and thus in a more controlled or guided manner to the hanger cable 22 due to the direct connection to the fastening element 28, and consequently has correspondingly less freedom of movement compared to the sheath 14 from Fig.1 and is therefore more robust and requires less maintenance, particularly because the fastening element 28 is mounted inside the casing 24 and is therefore better protected against the effects of the weather.

[0035] Fig. 3 shows a further connecting arrangement 30 according to the invention with two fastening elements 38, 39.

[0036] The connecting arrangement 30 has two fastening elements

[0037] 38 and 39 , which are both fixed to the suspension cable 32 . Both fastening elements 38 , 39 are mounted inside the casing 34 . The fastening element 38 is in the upper area of ​​the casing 34 and the fastening element

[0038] 39 in the lower area of ​​the casing 34. By distributing the weight between two fastening elements 38, 39, the weight distribution or load on the fastening elements 38, 39 is further reduced or optimized, so that this embodiment is particularly safe.

[0039] The fastening elements 38 and 39 are also advantageously designed as ball or roller bearings, which also ensures that the sheath 34 is movable relative to the hanger cable 32 and, in particular, is rotatably mounted about the hanger cable 32. The guidance of the sheath 34 is even tighter and more controlled than that of the sheath 22 and accordingly has further improved properties compared to the embodiment according to Figure 2.

[0040] However, the invention is not limited to one or two fastening elements 18, 28, 38, 39, particularly with regard to the number of fastening elements 18, 28, 38, 39. Depending on requirements, additional fastening elements can also be used, which can be attached at all reasonable positions between the longitudinal elements of the contact line system, for example, the suspension cable 1 and the contact wire 2.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) between at least two longitudinal connecting elements (1, 2) of an overhead contact line system, wherein each of the longitudinal connecting elements (1, 2) serves as a support cable (1) or can be designed as a contact wire (2), and the connecting arrangement (10, 20, 30) is connected to the at least two longitudinal connecting elements (1, 2) by means of clamping devices (4, 8), characterized in that the connecting arrangement (10, 20, 30) has a connecting rope (12, 22, 32) which is at least partially equipped with a covering (14, 24, 34).

2. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to claim 1, characterized in that the covering (14, 24, 34) is movable relative to the connecting rope (12, 22, 32).

3. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to claim 2, characterized in that the covering (14, 24, 34) is rotatable relative to the connecting rope (12, 22, 32).

4. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the covering (14, 24, 34) is made of a low-abrasion material.

5. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the covering (14, 24, 34) is designed as a tube or as a sleeve.

6. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the covering (14, 24, 34) can be fixed to the connecting rope (12, 22, 32) by means of at least one fastening element (18, 28, 38, 39).

7. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to claim 6, characterized in that the distance of the covering (14, 24, 34) to the at least two longitudinal connecting elements (1, 2) is adjustable by means of the at least one fastening element (18, 28, 38, 39).

8. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that at least one fastening element (18, 28, 38, 39) is fixed to the connecting rope (12, 22, 32) and the covering (14, 24, 34) rests on the fastening element (18, 28, 38, 39).

9. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that at least one fastening element (18, 28, 38, 39) is fixed to the connecting rope (12, 22, 32) and the covering (14, 24, 34) is connected centrally to the fastening element (18, 28, 38, 39).

10. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the covering (14, 24, 34) can be fixed to the connecting rope (12, 22, 32) by means of two fastening elements (18, 28, 38, 39), wherein the two fastening elements (18, 28, 38, 39) are fixed to the connecting rope (12, 22, 32) and one fastening element (18, 28, 38, 39) is connected to the covering (14, 24, 34) in the upper region and one fastening element (18, 28, 38, 39) is connected to the covering (14, 24, 34) in the lower region.

11. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that at least one fastening element (18, 28, 38, 39) is designed as a ball or roller bearing.

12. Connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting rope (12, 22, 32) is a suspension rope.

13. Overhead contact line system with at least one connection arrangement (10, 20, 30) according to one of claims 1 to 12.

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