Electric contact coupling and automatic train coupler

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical contact coupling for an automatic train coupling, in particular a central buffer coupling of a rail vehicle; comprising a coupling housing in which a contact carrier with at least one electrical connection contact is accommodated and is accessible from a front-side access of the coupling housing; wherein, for the electrical contacting of the at least one connection contact with an electrical connection contact of a matching electrical contact coupling, the coupling housing is adjustable in a feed movement with the front-side access to the front and / or a protective flap closing the front access in a closed position and releasing it in an open position from the closed position into the open position with an actuating mechanism;wherein the actuating mechanism comprises an actuating plunger arranged adjacent to the front access, protruding from a support frame formed integrally with the coupling housing or connected thereto, which actuating plunger can be pressed into the support frame to actuate the actuating mechanism. The electrical contact coupling according to the invention is characterized in that an end face of the support frame immediately surrounding the actuating plunger is provided with one or more openings and / or with one or more recesses with radially outwardly open edges and / or with one or more bevels and / or curves extending radially outward from the actuating plunger and increasingly rearwardly for deflecting snow adhering to the end face.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical contact coupling for an automatic train coupling, in particular a central buffer coupling, of a rail vehicle, and to an automatic train coupling, in particular a central buffer coupling, with an electrical contact coupling.

[0002] The present invention is based on an electrical contact coupling and automatic train coupling as described in EP 808760 A1 and EP 4 286 240 A1. The electrical contact coupling disclosed therein has a coupling housing in which a contact carrier, called an electrical interface unit, with at least one connection contact is accommodated. A pivotable protective flap conceals or exposes a front access to the connection contact. For electrical contact with the at least one connection contact, the coupling housing can be linearly displaced forward in a feed movement with the front access. This feed movement is effected by an actuating mechanism comprising an actuating plunger arranged adjacent to the front access, protruding from a support frame connected to the coupling housing, and which can be pressed into the support frame from the front to actuate the actuating mechanism.When actuated by pressing the actuating plunger, the actuating mechanism simultaneously causes the protective flap to pivot, thus allowing front access to the connection contact.

[0003] The actuating plunger interacts with a pressure plate of an opposing electrical contact coupling protruding from the front of the support frame, whereby when the two electrical contact couplings move together, the pressure plate of one electrical contact coupling presses onto the actuating plunger of the other electrical contact coupling and pushes it into the support frame.

[0004] The actuating plunger is surrounded by a closed end face which has a funnel adjacent to the actuating plunger into which the pressure plate of the opposing contact coupling is inserted when the actuating plunger is pressed into the supporting frame.

[0005] A disadvantage of this type of electrical contact coupling is that snow can accumulate on the front surface surrounding the actuating plunger during winter operation. This can prevent the actuating plunger from being pushed sufficiently into the support frame, thus shortening the feed movement of the coupling housing and preventing the front access to at least one connection contact from being fully released by pivoting the protective cover. This poses the risk of improper automated coupling of the two opposing electrical contact couplings.

[0006] The present invention is based on the object of improving the generic electrical contact coupling in such a way that it is better suited for winter operation and its function is not impaired by snow adhesion.

[0007] The object of the invention is achieved by an electrical contact coupling and an automatic train coupling with an electrical contact coupling according to the independent patent claims. The dependent patent claims specify advantageous and particularly useful embodiments of the invention.

[0008] An electrical contact coupling according to the invention for an automatic train coupling, in particular a central buffer coupling, of a rail vehicle comprises a coupling housing in which a contact carrier with at least one electrical connection contact, usually a plurality of electrical connection contacts, is accommodated, accessible from a front access of the coupling housing. For electrically contacting the at least one connection contact with an electrical connection contact of a matching electrical contact coupling, the coupling housing is adjustable forward in a feed movement with the front access.Additionally or alternatively, for the electrical contacting of the at least one connection contact with an electrical connection contact of a matching electrical contact coupling, a protective flap which closes the front access in a closed position and releases it in an open position can be adjusted from the closed position to the open position.

[0009] The clutch housing and / or the protective flap are adjusted using an actuating mechanism comprising an actuating plunger arranged adjacent to the front access and protruding from a support frame formed integrally with the clutch housing or connected thereto. The actuating plunger can be pressed into the support frame to actuate the actuating mechanism, thus being able to be pressed into the support frame from the front. According to the present invention, the actuating action includes either complete or partial pressing.

[0010] According to the invention, an end face of the support frame immediately surrounding the actuating plunger is provided with one or more openings and / or with one or more recesses open radially outwards and / or with one or more bevels and / or curves extending increasingly radially outwards and rearwards from the actuating plunger for diverting snow adhering to the end face.

[0011] Due to the at least one opening, the at least one open-edged recess, and / or the at least one bevel and / or curve, which extends only increasingly radially outwards and rearwards from the actuating plunger, when two opposing electrical contact couplings move together, any snow located on the end face in the area of ​​the actuating plunger is displaced into the opening, the recess, the bevel, and / or the curve, can slide radially outwards from there, and thus cannot prevent the actuating plunger from being pushed into the support frame to a predetermined extent. The electrical contact coupling according to the invention therefore couples safely and reliably even in winter operation.

[0012] A recess in the end face may have a bottom that extends at least substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the actuating plunger.

[0013] In particular, there is no recess in the end face of the support frame immediately surrounding the actuating plunger which is not open radially outwards, and no bevel or curve which does not extend radially outwards and increasingly rearwards towards the actuating plunger.

[0014] The end face directly surrounding the actuating plunger is, in particular, the entire end face of the support frame surrounding the actuating plunger, which, with the exception of the recesses, bevels, or curves according to the invention, extends at least for the most part, in particular at least substantially entirely, within a plane from which the actuating plunger protrudes vertically. This end face can, for example, be a maximum of 10 or 6 times the diameter of the actuating plunger in width and height.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the electrical contact coupling according to the invention, the actuating plunger is partially or completely surrounded in the circumferential direction by an axial projection, which is adjoined radially outwardly by a recess and / or bevel, in particular completely. Since the axial projection itself has a comparatively small end face, which, according to one embodiment, extends outwardly and rearwardly at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the actuating plunger, there is no risk of snow adhering there. For example, the diameter of this end face of the axial projection is a maximum of 2.5 times or twice the diameter of the actuating plunger enclosed by the axial projection.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one slope or several slopes extend all the way to the actuating plunger. This ensures particularly reliable snow removal.

[0017] In order to ensure that the snow is drained away in all directions, the recesses and / or slopes can be arranged rotationally symmetrically to the actuating plunger according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the coupling housing is connected to the support frame in a longitudinally displaceable manner for carrying out the feed movement, in particular the linear feed movement.

[0019] Mirror-symmetrical to the actuating plunger, a forwardly projecting pressure plate is preferably provided adjacent to the front access, which encloses the front access together with the actuating plunger and is arranged to actuate an actuating plunger of the opposite electrical contact coupling.

[0020] A preferred embodiment of an automatic train coupling according to the invention, in particular a center buffer coupling, for a rail vehicle comprises a mechanical contact coupling having a front plate with a front contact surface. An electrical contact coupling is positioned adjacent to the front plate.

[0021] The electrical contact coupling comprises a coupling housing in which a contact carrier with at least one electrical connection contact is accommodated in a manner accessible from a front access of the coupling housing, wherein for the electrical contacting of the at least one connection contact with an electrical connection contact of a counter-identical electrical contact coupling, the coupling housing is displaceable from the closed position into the open position with an actuating mechanism in a feed movement with the front access and / or a protective flap closing the front access in a closed position and releasing it in an open position, and the actuating mechanism comprises an actuating lever arranged adjacent to the front access and protruding from a support frame formed integrally with the coupling housing or connected thereto, which actuating lever is inserted into the support frame for actuating the actuating mechanism,i.e. from the front, can be pressed in.,

[0022] Mirror-symmetrical to the actuating plunger, a forward-projecting pressure plate is provided adjacent to the front access, which encloses the front access together with the actuating plunger and which is arranged on the support frame for actuating an actuating plunger of the opposite electrical contact coupling.

[0023] An end face of the support frame immediately surrounding the actuating plunger is set back from the front contact surface of the front plate and the pressure plate and / or an end face of the support frame surrounding it extends in the direction of the front only up to a level of the contact surface of the front plate.

[0024] In this solution according to the invention, a free space for snow is also created on the front plate of the support frame surrounding the actuating plunger, so that the snow cannot block the desired pressing in of the actuating plunger.

[0025] Both embodiments can be combined with each other, i.e. the end face of the support frame which is set back from the plane of the contact surface can also comprise the at least one opening, the at least one recess, the at least one bevel and / or the at least one rounding, as described.

[0026] The invention will be described below using exemplary embodiments and the figures.

[0027] They show: Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of an embodiment of an automatic train coupling with an electrical contact coupling according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a possible design of the electrical contact coupling according to the invention; Figure 3 shows a further design of an electrical contact coupling according to the invention; Figure 4 shows a further design of an automatic train coupling according to the invention; Figure 5 shows a plan view of the actuating plunger with the immediately surrounding end face of an electrical contact coupling according to the invention; Figure 6 shows a plan view of the actuating plunger with the immediately surrounding end face of another electrical contact coupling according to the invention; Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of an automatic train coupling according to the invention; Figure 8 shows a schematic representation of the automatic train coupling from the Figure 7 .

[0028] In the Figure 1An embodiment of an automatic train coupling designed according to the invention is shown in the form of a central buffer coupling 1. This comprises a mechanical contact coupling with a coupling cone 25 and coupling funnel 26, as well as a front plate 20, from which the coupling cone 25 protrudes in the longitudinal direction of the automatic train coupling and into which the coupling funnel 26 protrudes accordingly. The central buffer coupling 1 is thus preferably designed as a Scharfenberg coupling.

[0029] The front plate 20 has a front contact surface 21, which is arranged for engagement with a matching contact surface 21 of a matching automatic train coupling. The front plate 20 closes off the coupling head 3 of the central buffer coupling 1, which is supported by a coupling rod 27, at the front end.

[0030] An electrical contact coupling 2 is positioned next to the end plate 20, according to the exemplary embodiment, but not necessarily above the end plate 20. This comprises an actuating plunger 7 and a pressure plate 9, which interact with a pressure plate 9 and an actuating plunger 7 of a counter-identical electrical contact coupling 2. Details of the electrical contact coupling 2 are shown in the Figure 2 illustrated, embodiments for the design of the front surface 16 of a support frame 8 surrounding the actuating plunger 7, from which the actuating plunger 7 protrudes, are shown in the Figures 2 to 6 shown.

[0031] According to the Figure 2 The electrical contact coupling 2 comprises a coupling housing 4 in which a contact carrier 24 with a plurality of electrical connection contacts 23 is accommodated. The contact carrier 24 is in the Figure 2shown breakout in a protective flap 5, which is movable from the shown firing position into an open position and back, as well as in the Figure 1 , in which the protective flap 5 is not shown.

[0032] In the open position, the protective flap 5 releases the front access 6 of the coupling housing 4, whereas in the closed position it closes it and thus protects the contact carrier 24 with the connection contacts 23 from environmental influences in the uncoupled state.

[0033] The protective flap 5 is connected to an actuating mechanism comprising the actuating plunger 7 arranged adjacent to the front access 6, which protrudes from the support frame 8 toward the front. The coupling housing 4 is mounted in the support frame 8 so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction. By actuating the actuating mechanism, i.e., by pressing the actuating plunger 7 into the support frame 8, the coupling housing 4 is moved forward in a feed movement, i.e., with the front access 6, and at the same time, the protective flap 5 is pivoted from the closed position into the open position, so that the electrical contact between the connection contacts 23 and the electrical connection contacts 23 of the opposing electrical contact coupling 2 can be established.

[0034] The protective flap 5 is, for example, connected to the support frame 8 in an articulated manner and can be pivoted about a pivot axis.

[0035] The pressure plate 9 is located on the other side of the front access 6, as is the actuating plunger 7, in the support frame 8. The pressure plate 9 is curved outwards.

[0036] A camshaft 10 extends transversely to the actuating plunger 7, the drive cam 11 of which is provided for the linear adjustment of the clutch housing 4 relative to the stationary support frame 8. Two compression springs 12a and 12b apply a feed force to the rear of the linearly adjustable clutch housing 4, minimizing the play of the cam drive. Two return springs 13a, 13b, arranged between the support frame 8 and the proximal end of the actuating plunger 7 and acting as tension springs, serve to generate a return force for the actuating plunger 7.

[0037] Further details of a preferred actuating mechanism can be found in the published patent application EP 4 286 240 A1.

[0038] The coupling housing 4 comprises a centering bolt 14 projecting from the front, which runs axially parallel to the actuating plunger 7 and serves to precisely position the coupling housing 4 relative to the opposite coupling housing 4 when coupling the two electrical contact couplings 2. The support frame 8 is damped, for example, by several rubber bearings 15 on the central buffer coupling 1 (see the Figure 1 ) mounted.

[0039] To prevent snow from adhering to the front face 16 of the support frame 8, which directly surrounds the actuating plunger 7, and thus interfere with the clutch engagement during winter operation, this face is provided with bevels 18 that extend diagonally rearward from the actuating plunger 7, i.e., increasingly radially outward. Thus, when the pressure plate 9 or the face 22 surrounding the pressure plate 9 is moved, snow adhering to the face 16 is displaced outward and rearward by the face 16 surrounding the actuating plunger 7.

[0040] In the Figure 3 a further embodiment is shown by way of example, in which the end face 16 surrounding the actuating plunger 7 comprises an axial projection 19 and a bevel 18 which adjoins it completely and which extends radially outwards, increasingly rearwards, starting from the axial projection 19 adjoining the actuating plunger 7.

[0041] In the design of the Figure 4 a corresponding axial projection 19 is also provided in the end face 16, but this is adjoined by a recess 17 which is open radially outwards and completely surrounds the axial projection 19 which is adjacent to the actuating plunger 7. As can be seen from the Figure 4 As can be seen from the side view shown, this creates a free space for snow from which the snow can slide radially outwards.

[0042] The bottom of the recess 17 can extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the actuating plunger 7.

[0043] In the Figure 4The end plates 20 of the coupled automatic train couplings are also shown. This shows that the end face 16 surrounding the actuating plunger 7, more precisely the axial projection 19, lies in a common plane with the laterally adjacent front contact surface 21 of the end plate 20, and the pressure plate 9 also lies in a common plane with the front contact surface 21 of the laterally adjacent end plate 20.

[0044] In the embodiment according to the Figure 5 the end face 16 immediately surrounding the actuating plunger 7 comprises an axial projection 19 adjacent to the actuating plunger 7, from which individual bevels 18 extend radially outwards and increasingly rearwards.

[0045] When designing according to the Figure 6 the bevels 18 extend to the actuating plunger 7.

[0046] As in the Figures 5 and 6As shown, a recess 17 can enclose the bevels 18 in the circumferential direction.

[0047] In the Figures 7 and 8 A design is shown in which there is clearance for snow, thus preventing the actuating plunger 7 from being blocked from being pressed into the support frame 8 by the end face 16 of the support frame 8 surrounding the actuating plunger 7 being set back relative to the front contact surface 21 of the front plate 20. The pressure plate 9 and the end face 22 surrounding it, however, extend at most to the adjacent front contact surface 21 of the front plate 20. Minor deviations are insignificant in this case. List of reference symbols

[0048] 1Center buffer coupling 2Electrical contact coupling 3Coupling head 4Coupling housing 5Protective flap 6Front access 7Operating tappet 8Support frame 9Pressure plate 10Camshaft 11Drive cam 12a, 12bCompression spring 13a, 13bReturn spring 14Centering bolt 15Rubber bearing 16End face 17Recess 18Bevel 19Axial projection 20End plate 21Front contact surface 22End face 23Connection contact 24Contact carrier 25Coupling cone 26Coupling funnel

Claims

1. Electrical contact coupling (2) for an automatic train coupling, in particular a central buffer coupling (1) of a rail vehicle; with a coupling housing (4) in which a contact carrier (24) with at least one electrical connection contact (23) is accommodated and is accessible from a front-side access (6) of the coupling housing (4); wherein, for electrically contacting the at least one connection contact (23) with an electrical connection contact of a matching electrical contact coupling, the coupling housing (4) is adjustable from the closed position into the open position with an actuating mechanism in a feed movement with the front-side access (6) and / or a protective flap (5) closing the front-side access (6) in a closed position and releasing it in an open position;wherein the actuating mechanism comprises an actuating plunger (7) arranged adjacent to the front access (6), protruding from a support frame (8) formed integrally with the coupling housing (4) or connected thereto, which actuating plunger can be pressed into the support frame (8) to actuate the actuating mechanism; ; characterized in that an end face (16) of the support frame (8) immediately surrounding the actuating plunger (7) is provided with one or more openings and / or with one or more recesses (17) open radially outwards and / or with one or more bevels (18) and / or curves extending radially outwards from the actuating plunger (7) to the rear for diverting snow adhering to the end face (16).

2. Electrical contact coupling (2) according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe actuating plunger (7) is partially or completely surrounded in the circumferential direction by an axial projection (19), to which a recess (17) and / or bevel (18) adjoins radially outside, in particular completely.

3. Electrical contact coupling (2) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one bevel (18) reaches up to the actuating plunger (7).

4. Electrical contact coupling (2) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the recesses (17) and / or bevels (18) are arranged rotationally symmetrically to the actuating plunger (7).

5. Electrical contact coupling (2) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coupling housing (4) is connected to the support frame (8) in a longitudinally displaceable manner for carrying out the feed movement, in particular the linear feed movement.

6. Electrical contact coupling (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in thata forwardly projecting pressure plate (9) which encloses the front access (6) together with the actuating plunger (7) is arranged on the support frame (8) in mirror-symmetrical relationship to the actuating plunger (7) and adjacent to the front access (6) for actuating an actuating plunger of the opposite electrical contact coupling.

7. An automatic train coupling, in particular a central buffer coupling (1), for a rail vehicle; comprising a mechanical contact coupling having a front plate (20) with a front contact surface (21); comprising an electrical contact coupling (2) positioned adjacent to the front plate (20), comprising a coupling housing (4) in which a contact carrier (24) having at least one electrical connection contact (23) is accommodated, accessible from a front access (6) of the coupling housing (4);wherein, for the electrical contacting of the at least one connection contact (23) with an electrical connection contact of a matching electrical contact coupling, the coupling housing (4) in a feed movement with the front access (6) forwards and / or a protective flap (5) closing the front access (6) in a closed position and releasing it in an open position can be adjusted from the closed position into the open position with an actuating mechanism, wherein the actuating mechanism comprises an actuating plunger (7) arranged adjacent to the front access (6), protruding from a support frame (8) formed in one piece with the coupling housing (4) or connected thereto, which actuating plunger can be pressed into the support frame (8) to actuate the actuating mechanism;and a forwardly projecting pressure plate (9) which is arranged mirror-symmetrically to the actuating plunger (7) adjacent to the front access (6) and which encloses the front access (6) together with the actuating plunger (7) is arranged on the support frame (8) for actuating an actuating plunger of the opposite electrical contact coupling; ; characterized in that an end face (6) of the support frame (8) immediately surrounding the actuating plunger (7) is set back overall relative to the front contact surface (21) and the pressure plate (9) and / or an end face (22) immediately surrounding it extends in the direction of the front only up to a plane of the contact surface (21).

8. Automatic train coupling according to claim 7, characterized in that the electrical contact coupling (2) is designed according to one of claims 1 to 6.

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