Measuring system for measuring a state of wear of a contact element

Abstract

The invention relates to a measuring system (1) and to a method for measuring a state of wear of a contact element (32) of a contact strip (3) for the power supply of vehicles via a contact wire, having a sensor device (4), wherein the contact strip (3) has a contact-strip carrier (31) and the contact element held on the contact-strip carrier and at least two bores (5, 6, 7, 8) have been made in the contact strip (3), which pass through the contact-strip carrier (31) and form at least one blind hole (51, 61, 71) in the contact element (32), wherein the sensor device (4) of the measuring system (1) is fastened releasably outside the contact strip (3) and beneath the contact-strip carrier (31), wherein, by means of a photodetector (52, 62, 72) of the sensor device (4), optical radiation is detectable, and wherein, when a particular state of wear of the contact element (32) is reached, at least one bore (5, 6, 7) of the at least two bores (5, 6, 7, 8) forms a light channel through which the optical radiation strikes the photodetector (52, 62, 72), and wherein the measuring system (1) comprises a processing device, wherein, by means of the processing device, the state of wear of the contact element (32) is able to be determined from the detected optical radiation.

Description

[0001] Measuring system for measuring the wear condition of a contact element

[0002] The invention relates to a measuring system and a method for measuring a wear condition of a contact element of a contact strip for a contact wire-based power supply of vehicles, wherein the contact strip has a contact strip carrier and a contact element held in the contact strip carrier and at least two bores are made in the contact strip, which penetrate the contact strip carrier and form at least one blind hole in the contact element.

[0003] Carbon contact strips are regularly used to supply power to rail-bound and non-rail-bound vehicles via a contact wire. Such contact strips are always subject to wear due to abrasion of the material, usually carbon. When such contact strips are used, for example on locomotives of trains, they must be replaced before a final wear limit is reached in order to avoid dangerous operating conditions, defects or breakdowns. Although an emergency shutdown function is regularly integrated into contact strips, which lowers the contact strip when a final level of wear is reached or even earlier if the contact strip is damaged, for example by breakage, once such an emergency shutdown has occurred, further power supply and thus further operation of the vehicle using this contact strip is no longer possible.To avoid such situations, contact strips are inspected regularly for their degree of wear. These inspections are carried out regularly by personnel and are relatively complex to perform, as the contact strips are mounted on the roof of a vehicle, such as a locomotive, and special safety precautions must be observed due to the high voltage applied to the contact wire. Such inspections are therefore carried out at specific intervals in railway depots. To avoid these complex inspections, partially automated wear monitoring systems are known that can signal when a wear limit has been reached. For example, WO 2014 / 173798 A2 discloses a contact strip with a wear indicator marking that can be detected by an infrared camera.When a camera positioned along a track passes the contact strip, the camera can capture the wear indicator marking, and the wear indicator mark can be recognized using image processing. Based on the appearance of the wear indicator marking, conclusions can be drawn about the degree of wear on the contact strip. The disadvantage here is that permanent monitoring of the wear status of the contact strip is not possible, and the installation of such monitoring systems along a rail network requires considerable technical effort. Therefore, wear detection systems that can be integrated into the contact strip are known, without the need for complex installation of monitoring devices along the rail network. Electrical contacts on the contact element or switches that can signal when a wear limit has been reached are known.Further solutions are known in which a compressed air line is installed within the contact strip to monitor the wear condition, and the wear condition is detected based on a drop in the compressed air line. However, the installation of such compressed air lines and the provision of compressed air are technically and economically complex. It is also known to arrange sensors in the contact element of the contact strip to detect wear on the contact strip. However, this also requires relatively complex technological processes to integrate the sensors into the contact elements and, in particular, to cabling the sensors.A further disadvantage of the previously known systems is that damage to the sensors due to progressive wear cannot be excluded and, due to their complex arrangement in the contact strip, the sensors are not suitable for the chronologically consecutive monitoring of several contact strips in the sense of reusing the sensors.

[0004] The present invention is therefore based on the object of proposing a measuring system and a method for measuring the wear condition of a contact strip, which can determine the wear condition automatically and with minimal effort. Furthermore, the measuring system should be easy to install and independent of the contact strip, thus enabling reuse of the measuring system.

[0005] This object is achieved by a measuring system having the features of claim 1, a method having the features of claim 11, a contact strip having the features of claim 16, a current collector having the features of claim 17 and a vehicle having the features of claim 18.

[0006] The measuring system according to the invention for measuring the wear condition of a contact element of a contact strip for a contact wire-based power supply of vehicles, wherein the contact strip has a contact strip carrier and the contact element held on the contact strip carrier, and at least two bores are made in the contact strip, which penetrate the contact strip carrier and form at least one blind hole in the contact element, has a sensor device which is detachably fastened outside the contact strip and below the contact strip carrier, wherein optical radiation can be detected by means of a photodetector of the sensor device, and wherein at least one bore of the at least two bores forms a light channel upon reaching a certain wear condition of the contact element, through which the optical radiation strikes the photodetector, and wherein the measuring system comprises a processing device,The wear condition of the contact element can be determined from the detected optical radiation by means of the processing device. Preferably, the wear condition of the contact element can be determined based on the height of the contact element, with the height decreasing with increasing service life due to abrasion on the overhead line.

[0007] The contact strip comprises a contact element, usually made of carbon material, which can be placed against a contact wire and thus establish an electrical connection with it. This contact element is held by a contact strip support, which in turn is mounted on a so-called pantograph or rocker. This pantograph or rocker forms a positioning device for the contact strip and, together with the contact strip, forms a so-called current collector. This current collector, in turn, is then mounted on the roof of a vehicle to contact the contact wire located above the vehicle.

[0008] According to the invention, a measuring system for arrangement on a contact strip is provided, which comprises a sensor device. This sensor device is detachably fastened outside the contact strip and below the contact strip carrier, if possible close to the contact strip. In the context of the invention, detachably fastened means that the sensor device can be removed without destruction and can therefore be replaced and / or reused. For example, the sensor device can be arranged on a first contact strip carrier to monitor the first contact element held on this contact strip carrier. After the wear limit of the first contact element of the first contact strip carrier has been reached, it can be removed and arranged on a further contact strip carrier in order to monitor the further contact element of the further contact strip carrier.It is conceivable for the sensor device to be releasably fastened to the contact strip, in particular to the contact strip carrier, or adjacent to the contact strip on a positioning device holding the contact strip. Preferably, the sensor device, in particular a housing of the sensor device, is releasably fastened by means of screws. Due to the releasable fastening of the sensor device outside the contact strip, the sensor device is designed independently of the contact strip. The measuring system, in particular the sensor device, can then be arranged or integrated spatially and / or functionally independently of the contact strip. This advantageously also makes it possible for a connection, in particular an electrically conductive connection, between the measuring system and the rail vehicle to be unnecessary.Rather, the measuring system can be operated without a connection to the low-voltage network of the rail vehicle, for example using a battery, an accumulator or an energy harvester. The measuring system can therefore be used regardless of the type of rail vehicle and without special certification from a rail vehicle manufacturer. However, it can optionally be provided that the measuring system is connected to the rail vehicle, for example to a control station of the rail vehicle, in order to signal measured values ​​to a vehicle driver. It is known that a measured value is the value of a measured variable that is supplied by the sensor device. Within the scope of the invention, measured values ​​can, for example, relate to a height H of the contact strip, a degree of wear of the contact strip, a detected incidence of light and / or a temperature.For example, wear on a contact element can be signaled in a control station, or additional measured values ​​can be provided in the control station. Preferably, however, the sensor device of the measuring system can be used independently of the rail vehicle.

[0009] By means of the sensor device, which has at least one photodetector, optical radiation can be detected which, when the contact element reaches a certain level of wear, strikes the photodetector through a light channel. The optical radiation detected by the photodetector is preferably daylight-induced light incident into one of the bores. This bore is exposed due to the abrasion of the contact element, which occurs as a result of the friction between the contact element and the overhead line during operation of the contact strip, so that when a certain level of wear is reached, a blind hole is no longer formed in the contact element, but rather a light channel is formed by the exposure of the bore, which leads from the top side of the contact element to the photodetector of the sensor device. The photodetector is preferably designed in the form of a photodiode.According to the invention, at least two bores are drilled into the contact strip, at least one of which forms a blind hole in the contact element, allowing a light channel to be formed by exposing this bore depending on the wear level of the contact element. The additional bore, which preferably only extends through the contact strip carrier and ends at the underside of the contact element, can be used to record another measured value, for example, temperature. This advantageously makes it possible to determine a correlation between wear on the contact element and another measured value, such as temperature, and to incorporate this correlation, for example, into maintenance planning.

[0010] The measuring system further comprises a processing device that can be used to determine the wear status of the contact element from the detected optical radiation, preferably incident light. It is essential that the processing device can correlate the respective measured values ​​of the sensors. This makes it possible to obtain further information about the operating status of the contact element, the pantograph, and / or the overhead line.

[0011] In the context of the invention, the term "bore" refers to any recess that extends through the contact strip carrier and can preferably be created in the contact strip using a machining process. For example, a bore can be conical or cylindrical, with cylindrical bores preferably being created in the contact strip.

[0012] The terms “below,” “above,” “underside,” and “top” always refer to the mounted state of the contact strip on the vehicle, so that, for example, the top side of the contact element is the side that comes into contact with the contact wire when the contact strip is in operation, and the underside of the contact element is the side of the contact element that is arranged on the contact strip carrier. Accordingly, the top side of the contact strip carrier is the side on which the contact element rests, and the underside of the contact strip carrier is the side opposite the top side and thus facing away from the contact element. Accordingly, the top side of the sensor device or the top side of a housing of the sensor device faces the contact strip carrier, and the underside of the top side is facing away from or away from the contact strip carrier.

[0013] It is known to those skilled in the art that the length L of a contact strip is regularly greater than its width B. The sensor device is preferably arranged at a center of a length L of the contact strip. The bores are preferably introduced at a center of a width B of the contact strip. This offers the advantage that wear can be detected at the point where the greatest wear is expected. Furthermore, the terms width B and length L of the contact strip refer to the mounted state of the contact strip, so that the length L of the contact strip extends transversely and the width B extends along the direction of travel of the rail vehicle on which the contact strip is mounted.

[0014] The basic idea of ​​the invention is that a sensor device can be used independently of the contact strip to detect the wear condition of a contact element of a contact strip. Due to the arrangement of the sensor device of the measuring system outside the contact strip, the measuring system can be reused. Because only holes need to be drilled into the contact strip, but no additional cabling and / or the integration of sensors into the contact strip is required, the sensor device can be reused by simply disassembling the sensor device of the measuring system and mounting it on another contact strip.The design and arrangement of the measuring system according to the invention also prevents destruction of the sensors or cost-intensive line elements, since contact between the overhead line and the sensors and thus abrasion by the overhead line that could lead to destruction of the sensors is reliably prevented, in particular in the event of excessive wear on the contact element. In addition, it is advantageously possible to use the measuring system according to the invention to record at least one further measured value in addition to the state of wear and to relate this to the state of wear. Furthermore, the design and arrangement of the measuring system can be implemented in a particularly simple manner, and the operation of the measuring system can be carried out in a particularly energy-efficient manner, since neither media such as compressed air nor connecting lines, for example for the power supply, need to be provided within the contact strip carrier.Rather, when a certain level of wear is reached, the optical radiation falls directly into the light channels and from there onto the sensor device without the need for additional components in the contact element. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. Furthermore, all combinations of at least two features disclosed in the description, the claims, or the figures fall within the scope of the invention. It is understood that the statements made regarding the measuring system relate equivalently to the contact strip according to the invention, the current collector according to the invention, and the vehicle according to the invention, without being mentioned separately for the latter. Likewise, all features and embodiments disclosed regarding the measuring system relate equivalently, even if not word for word, to the method according to the invention.

[0015] The sensor device can have a temperature sensor that is arranged in the region of a bore inlet of one of the at least two bores such that the temperature of the contact element can be detected by the temperature sensor. Since the temperature of the contact strip, in particular of the contact element, strongly influences the wear of the contact strip, it has proven advantageous to determine the state of wear as a function of the temperature in order to be able to react in a timely manner to significant temperature changes or thermal stresses on the contact element, for example by replacing the contact element. The temperature sensor is preferably arranged below a bore inlet. More preferably, the temperature sensor is designed as an infrared sensor, so that a contactless measurement of the temperature of the contact element is possible.The bore, at whose bore entrance the infrared sensor is arranged, forms an infrared radiation channel that extends through the carrier element at least to the underside of the contact element. Due to the contactless measurement using the infrared sensor, the sensor can be arranged in the area of ​​the bore entrance independently of the contact strip, in particular without a temperature sensor for temperature measurement having to protrude into the contact strip and being damaged by progressive abrasion. This again advantageously leads to the sensor device comprising a temperature sensor being reusable, since it can be arranged on the contact strip independently of the contact strip, and destruction of the temperature sensor can be ruled out both during operation of the contact strip and during disassembly.

[0016] It has proven advantageous that the bore, at the entrance of which the temperature sensor is located, extends through the contact strip carrier to the underside of the contact element. This allows for simple temperature measurement along with the detection of optical radiation from below the contact strip.

[0017] The sensor device of the measuring system can have a housing which has an opening covering the at least two bores on the upper side of the housing adjacent to the contact strip carrier. The housing serves, on the one hand, to protect the sensor device and, on the other hand, to enable easy assembly and disassembly of the sensor device on the contact strip carrier. Due to the opening covering the at least two bores on the upper side adjacent to the contact strip carrier, the housing of the sensor device can preferably be designed and arranged such that the underside of the contact strip carrier at least partially forms the upper side of the housing and the upper side of the housing is closed by the underside of the contact strip carrier. Alternatively or additionally, the housing can have a plurality of openings which are arranged on the upper side of the housing in a manner complementary to the at least two bores.The sensor device is then arranged on the contact strip carrier in such a way that the openings in the housing and the holes in the contact strip at least partially overlap. This allows for a simple attachment of the sensor device to the contact strip, as well as ensuring that light falls on the photodetector through the contact strip and the openings in the housing, and / or that an additional channel, for example, for temperature measurement, runs through the contact strip carrier and the top of the housing. The housing is preferably made of plastic or pure metal.

[0018] Several holes of varying depths can be drilled into the contact strip, which form a light channel when the contact element reaches a certain level of wear. In other words, the contact strip has several blind holes of varying depths that extend through the contact strip carrier and into the contact element. The processing device can therefore determine the degree of wear of the contact strip. If additional holes are exposed with increasing abrasion, forming additional light channels and thus increasing the incidence of light, which is detected by one or more photodetectors, this can be used to draw conclusions about the degree of wear of the contact element. This makes it possible to determine not only whether the contact element is new or completely worn out, but also to what extent the contact element is used up.If a contact strip wears, its shape, in particular its height, can be changed, with the change in the height of the contact strip preferably being used as a reference for the degree of wear. The remaining height of the contact element can be determined depending on the state of wear through the holes, which preferably lead vertically from the underside of the contact strip support into the contact element. This means that the more holes are exposed, the lower the height of the contact element and the higher the degree of wear.

[0019] It has proven advantageous to provide a photodetector for each bore, which forms a light channel when the contact element reaches a certain level of wear. This advantageously increases the accuracy of the detection, as each light channel is assigned to a photodetector. Thus, when a further light channel is formed by opening another bore due to abrasion, another photodetector emits a signal. This eliminates incorrect measurements, for example, due to fluctuations in the light incidence.

[0020] At least one bore can be filled with a temperature-resistant and transparent filler element, which is preferably made of plastic, for example polyester resin, silicone resin or Teflon (PTFE), or of glass, for example acrylic glass. The filler element is preferably temperature-resistant up to at least 200°C, more preferably up to at least 300°C. Even more preferably, the bores that extend through the contact strip carrier and form a blind hole in the contact element are filled with the filler element. Most preferably, the bore that extends through the contact strip carrier and forms the blind hole with the smallest depth in the contact element is filled with the filler element, while the remaining blind holes in the contact element are unfilled.It is conceivable that a filling element is connected to a photodetector via a sealing ring, preferably a sealing ring made of silicone, in order to ensure simple assembly, reliable radiation conduction and high resistance, in particular to vibrations during ferry operation.

[0021] The filler element can be designed to complement the bore and can be inserted into the bore. This advantageously allows the filler element to be inserted independently of the contact strip, and in particular, independently of the contact strip's manufacturing process, thus allowing subsequent insertion of the filler elements. Because the filler element can be inserted into the contact strip, it can also be subsequently inserted into an existing contact strip by drilling and inserting it, without having to observe any restrictions during the production of the contact strip.

[0022] According to an advantageous embodiment, three holes of different depths are drilled into the contact strip. These holes penetrate the contact strip carrier and form three blind holes in the contact element. When the contact element reaches a certain level of wear, the three holes form a light channel through which the optical radiation hits the photodetector. This allows for an economical and requirement-compliant determination of the degree of wear, as three different degrees of wear can be detected through the three holes of different depths.

[0023] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous that when three holes of different depths are drilled into the contact strip, each forming a blind hole in the contact element, two of the three holes are left unfilled, and the hole engaging the contact element with the smallest depth is filled with a temperature-resistant, transparent filler element. The filler element inserted into the hole engaging the contact element with the smallest depth is preferably made of plastic, for example, polyester resin, silicone resin, or Teflon (PTFE), or of glass, for example, acrylic glass. More preferably, the filler element can be pushed into the hole.

[0024] In the method according to the invention for measuring the wear status of a contact element of a contact strip for a contact wire-based power supply of vehicles with a measuring system, wherein the contact strip has a contact strip carrier and a contact element held on the contact strip carrier and at least two bores are made in the contact strip, which bores pass through the contact strip carrier and form at least one blind hole in the contact element, the incidence of optical radiation into the sensor device is detected by means of a photodetector of the sensor device. The incidence of the optical radiation is detected in that a light channel for the optical radiation is formed through at least one bore of the at least two bores when a certain wear status of the contact element is reached, through which light channel the optical radiation is directed to the photodetector.By means of a processing device of the measuring system, the wear condition of the contact element can be determined on the basis of the incident optical radiation, in particular on the basis of a signal from the photodetector generated as a result of the incident light. The at least one further bore which passes through the contact strip carrier but does not form a blind hole in the contact element can be used to record a further characteristic value, for example the temperature of the contact element and / or the contact strip. The sensor device of the measuring system is preferably arranged on the contact strip and / or adjacent to the contact strip on a positioning device holding the contact strip and outside the contact strip, such that the sensor device can be detached from the contact strip without causing any damage and can be reused on a new contact strip, for example after the contact strip has been replaced.Regarding the advantages of the method for measuring the wear condition of a contact element, reference is made to the detailed description of the measuring system according to the invention.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the method, the temperature of the contact element is detected by means of a temperature sensor of the sensor device. To enable the temperature of the contact element to be detected as independently as possible from the contact strip, the temperature is preferably determined using an infrared sensor, which detects the temperature contactlessly based on the infrared radiation reflected onto the infrared sensor through a hole in the contact strip carrier.

[0026] The processing device can record and store the measured values ​​from the sensor device at regular intervals and / or when they change. Alternatively, the processing device can record and store the measured values ​​from the sensor device continuously. Accordingly, it can be provided that the measured values ​​are only recorded and / or stored when the values ​​change in order to keep the amount of data to a minimum. Alternatively, continuous, i.e. ongoing recording and storage is possible. By storing the measured values, it is possible to process the measured values ​​even after they have been recorded, at different locations and / or times. For example, measured values ​​can then be recorded while the rail vehicle is in motion, whereby further characteristic values ​​can only be determined during maintenance of the rail vehicle in a depot.For example, after a trip, the temperature measurement can be related to the wear measurement and evaluated.

[0027] The processing device can be used to determine the degree of wear of the contact strip, in particular of the contact element, from the measured values ​​of the sensor device. If a blind hole in the contact element is exposed with increasing abrasion and a light channel is thus formed, the signal transmitted by the photodetector changes or a signal from another photodetector is added, so that a conclusion can be drawn about the degree of wear of the contact strip from this change. If several blind holes of different depths are made in the contact element, the processing device can determine the extent to which the contact element is worn depending on the depth of the exposed blind holes. The processing device preferably determines the degree of wear of the contact strip based on the height of the contact element remaining due to wear and tear on the basis of the blind holes exposed by the abrasion.

[0028] The measured values ​​of the sensor device can be transmitted from the sensor device to the processing device by means of a transmission device, wherein the processing device can be arranged at a distance from the sensor device or integrated into the housing of the sensor device. If the processing device is integrated into the housing of the sensor device, the data connection can be simply designed as a wired connection. Alternatively, it is also possible to arrange the processing device at a spatial distance from the sensor device and to transmit the measured values ​​of the sensor device from the sensor device to the processing device, preferably wirelessly, for example by means of a radio signal. The processing device can then also be arranged elsewhere on the vehicle or stationary away from the rail vehicle, for example in a building.When transmitting the measured values, a data exchange can take place, for example, based on a transmission protocol. The data connection can be established continuously, at regular intervals, or event-based. This makes it possible to collect and evaluate the data recorded by the sensor device.

[0029] The contact strip according to the invention for a power supply for vehicles comprises a measuring system according to the invention arranged on the contact strip.

[0030] The current collector according to the invention for a contact wire-based power supply of vehicles comprises a positioning device and a contact strip according to the invention arranged thereon.

[0031] The vehicle according to the invention, in particular a rail vehicle or the like, has a current collector according to the invention.

[0032] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] They show:

[0034] Fig. 1 is a schematic time view of a pantograph;

[0035] Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a contact strip with a measuring system according to the invention;

[0036] Fig. 3 shows a section of the contact strip according to Fig. 2 with a measuring system according to the invention, with a transparent representation of the contact element; Fig. 4 shows a sectional view along a line IV - IV of Fig. 1; and

[0037] Fig- 5 is a sectional view along the longitudinal axis of the contact strip according to Fig. 2.

[0038] Fig. 1 shows a current collector 2 on a roof 21 of a rail vehicle (not shown in detail here) with a positioning device 23 designed as a pantograph 22. On the pantograph 22, two contact strips 3 are arranged on a rocker 24 transversely to a contact wire 12. The rail vehicle moves at a speed V F relative to the contact wire 12, whereby the contact strips 3 are subjected to a contact force F A transversely or orthogonally to the contact wire 12. The contact strip 3 is formed from a contact element 32 made of carbon material (not shown in detail here) and a contact strip carrier 31, wherein the movement of the contact strip 3 on the contact wire 12 described here results in abrasion of the carbon material.

[0039] Fig. 2 shows a contact strip 3 according to the invention with the measuring system 1 according to the invention, the housing 10 of which, in which the sensor device 4 is located, is arranged centrally on the contact strip 3 with respect to the length L and the width B of the contact strip 3. The contact strip 3 is essentially formed from a contact element 32, which consists of carbon or graphite, and a contact strip carrier 31. The contact strip carrier 31 has a profile, which is usually made of a metallic material such as steel or aluminum, to which the contact element 32 is fastened. Fastening bearings 311 are formed on the profile and serve to connect the contact strip 3 to a rocker (not shown here). The contact element 32 is arranged on the contact strip carrier 31 and thus essentially above the contact strip carrier 31. The sensor device 4, on the other hand, is arranged below the contact strip carrier 31.Due to the central arrangement of the housing 10 in relation to both the length L and the width B, the housing 10 has almost no influence on the aerodynamics of the contact strip 3 or the current collector 2 (not shown here) during ferry operation, also due to the compact design of the housing 10.

[0040] Fig. 3 shows a section of the contact strip 3 shown in Fig. 2, in which the contact element 32 is shown transparent so that the bores 5, 6, 7 can be seen. The bores 5, 6, 7 have different depths and, starting from the underside of the contact strip carrier 31, penetrate the contact strip carrier 31 and end within the contact element 32. Since the contact element 32, as shown in Fig. 3, shows no wear, the three bores 5, 6, 7 each form a blind hole 51, 61, 71. As the abrasion of the contact element 32 progresses, the blind holes 51, 61, 71 are opened one after the other and each form a light channel through which optical radiation reaches the sensor device 4. It can be seen from Fig. 3 that the bore 5, which engages the deepest in the contact element 32, is exposed first due to wear, followed by the bore 6 and finally the bore 7.Thus, at least three degrees of wear of the contact element 32 can be determined using the contact strip 3 shown in Fig. 3 and the measuring system 1 arranged therein.

[0041] A combined view of Figs. 4 and 5 shows the contact strip 3 according to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2 in various sectional views. The housing 10 of the measuring system 1, which protects the sensor device 4 from environmental influences, is attached by its upper side 101 to the underside of the contact strip carrier 3. It can be seen that the housing 10 is arranged on the contact strip carrier 3 in such a way that the underside of the contact strip carrier closes the upper side 101 of the housing 10, which has an opening 102.

[0042] In the sectional view shown in Fig. 4, a bore 5 forming a blind hole 51 in the contact element 32 and penetrating the contact strip carrier 31 is introduced into the contact strip 3. To protect the sensor device 4 from environmental influences and in particular from the dirt particles generated by the abrasion of the contact element 32, a transparent filler element 53, which is designed as a cylindrical rod, is inserted into the bore 5. As soon as the bore 5 is exposed due to the reduction in height of the contact element 32 caused by the abrasion, light can fall through this rod element through the transparent filler element 53 onto the photodetector 52 of the sensor device 4. The incidence of light on the photodetector 52 causes a signal change or signal triggering of the photodetector 52, on the basis of which the processing device (not shown) of the measuring system 1 can determine the degree of wear of the contact strip 3.

[0043] Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal section through a contact strip 3 according to the invention in accordance with the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. In the longitudinal section, it can be seen that a total of four bores 5, 6, 7, 8 are made in the contact strip 3. Three bores 5, 6, 7 pass through the contact strip carrier 31 and form a blind hole 51, 61, 71 in the contact element 32. Below each of the bores 5, 6, 7 there is a photodetector 52, 62, 72, which is each assigned to a bore 5, 6, 7. This means that if the bore 5 or the blind hole 51 is exposed, light penetrates through the transparent filling element 53 onto the photodetector 52, which outputs a signal to the processing device (not shown here).If the height H of the contact element 32 is subsequently further reduced due to further wear, thus exposing the bore 6, the photodetector 62 assigned to the bore 6 outputs a signal change or a signal due to the light incident through the transparent filler element 63. Bore 7 is exposed last due to wear, and the photodetector 72 outputs a signal due to the light incident through the transparent filler element 73. Since the bores 5, 6, 7 have different depths, the bores 5, 6, 7 are exposed at different times depending on the wear-related reduction in the height H of the contact element 32.It is conceivable that upon exposure of the two deepest bores 5, 6, an information or warning signal is issued to the operator of the rail vehicle, and upon subsequent exposure of bore 7, the contact strip 3 is separated from the contact wire 12 due to the high wear of the contact element 32. Again, it can be seen that the upper side 101 of the housing 10 of the sensor device 4 is arranged on the underside of the contact strip carrier 31. An opening 102 in the upper side 101 of the housing 10 is arranged such that, on the one hand, the contact strip carrier 31 closes the upper side 101 of the housing 10 and, at the same time, allows light to penetrate through the bores 5, 6, 7, and further radiation to penetrate through the bore 8 onto the sensor device 4. In contrast to the holes 5, 6, 7, the hole 8 only passes through the contact strip carrier 31 and ends at the underside 321 of the contact element 32.Due to the infrared radiation reflected by the contact element 32, the temperature sensor 44, designed as an infrared sensor, can detect the temperature of the contact element 32. This allows the height H of the contact element 32, the degree of wear of the contact element 32, and the temperature of the contact element 32 in the processing device to be correlated with one another, thus allowing the wear behavior to be analyzed based on several parameters.

Claims

Claims: Measuring system (1) for measuring the wear condition of a contact element (32) of a contact strip (3) for a catenary-connected power supply of vehicles with a sensor device (4), wherein the contact strip (3) has a contact strip carrier (31) and the contact element (32) held on the contact strip carrier and at least two bores (5, 6, 7, 8) are provided in the contact strip (3) which extend through the contact strip carrier (31) and form at least one blind hole (51, 61, 71) in the contact element (32), characterized in that the sensor device (4) of the measuring system (1) is detachably attached outside the contact strip (3) and below the contact strip carrier (31), wherein optical radiation can be detected by means of a photodetector (52, 62, 72) of the sensor device (4), and wherein at least one bore (5, 6, 7) of the at least two bores (5, 6, 8) 7,8) upon reaching a certain wear state of the contact element (32), forms a light channel through which the optical radiation strikes the photodetector (52, 62, 72), and wherein the measuring system (1) comprises a processing device, wherein the processing device extracts the detected, The wear state of the contact element (32) can be determined using optical radiation. Measuring system according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor device (4) has a temperature sensor (44), preferably an infrared sensor, wherein the temperature sensor (44) is arranged in the region of a bore inlet of a bore (8) of the at least two bores (5, 6, 7, 8) such that the temperature of the contact element (32) can be detected by means of the temperature sensor (44). Measuring system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bore (8), at the bore inlet of which the temperature sensor (44) is arranged, extends through the slip ring carrier (31) to the underside (321) of the contact element (32).Measuring system according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sensor device (4) of the measuring system (1) has a housing (10) which has an opening (102) covering the at least two bores (5, 6, 7, 8) on its upper surface (101) abutting the slip ring carrier (31) and / or has several openings which are arranged on the upper surface (101) of the housing (10) complementary to the at least two bores (5, 6, 7, 8) in the slip ring (3). Measuring system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that several bores (5, 6, 7) of different depths are provided at the top (101) of the housing (10) in a manner complementary to the at least two bores (5, 6, 7, 8) in the slip ring (3). Measuring system according to claim 5, characterized in that a photodetector (52, 62, 72) is provided for each bore (5, 6, 7) which forms a light channel when a specific wear state of the contact element (32) is reached. Measuring system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one bore (5, 6, 7, 8) is filled with a temperature-resistant and transparent filler element (53, 63, 73). Measuring system according to claim 7, characterized in that the filler element (53, 63, 73) is designed to be complementary to the bore (5, 6, 7) and can be inserted into the bore (5, 6, 7).Measuring system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that three bores (5, 6, 7) of different depths are provided in the sliding strip (3), which extend through the sliding strip carrier (31) and form three blind holes (51, 61, 71) in the contact element (32), wherein the three bores (5, 6, 7) form a light channel when a certain wear state of the contact element (32) is reached, through which the optical radiation strikes the photodetector (52, 62, 72). Measuring system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that... that at least two bores (5, 6) are unfilled and the bore (7) that engages the contact element (32) at the shallowest depth is filled with a temperature-resistant and transparent filling element (73). Method for measuring the wear condition of a contact element (32) of a contact strip (3) for a catenary-connected power supply of vehicles with a measuring system (1), wherein the contact strip (3) has a contact strip carrier (31) and the contact element (32) held on the contact strip carrier (31), and at least two bores (5, 6, 7, 8) are provided in the contact strip (3) which extend through the contact strip carrier (31) and form at least one blind hole (51, 61, 71) in the contact element (32), characterized in that an incident optical radiation into the sensor device (4) is detected by means of a photodetector (52, 62, 72) of the sensor device (4), wherein at least one bore (5, 6,7) a light channel is formed in at least two bores (5, 6, 7, 8) when a certain wear state of the contact element (32) is reached, through which the optical radiation is directed onto the photodetector (52, 62, 72), and wherein the wear state of the contact element (32) is determined by means of a processing unit of the measuring system (1) based on the incident optical radiation. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the temperature of the contact element (32) is detected by means of a temperature sensor (44) of the sensor device (4), preferably by means of an infrared sensor. A method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the processing device acquires and stores the measured values ​​of the sensor device (4) at regular intervals and / or upon a change or continuously. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the processing device determines the degree of wear of the slip ring (3), in particular of the contact element (329), from the measured values ​​of the sensor device (4). A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measured values ​​of the sensor device (4) are transmitted from the sensor device (4) to the processing device by means of a transmission device, preferably wirelessly, wherein the processing device is arranged at a spatial distance from the sensor device (4) or is integrated into the housing (10) of the sensor device (4).Contact strip (3) with a measuring system (1) arranged thereon according to one of claims 1 to 10. Current collector for a catenary-connected power supply of vehicles comprising a positioning device with a contact strip (3) arranged thereon according to claim 16. Vehicle, in particular rail vehicle, with a current collector according to claim 17.

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