Container in a machine room of a rail vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (C) for a machine room of a rail vehicle, having a cover (D) for closing an opening (O) of the housing of the container (C), and an earthing cable (S) which is fastened to the cover (D) and to the housing. At least one first fastening device (H) is provided on the cover (D), and at least one second fastening device (HA) is provided on the outside of the housing. By way of interaction between the first fastening device (H) and the second fastening device (HA), the cover (D), which does not close the opening (O) here, can be releasably fastened to the outside of the housing. The position of the at least one second fastening device (HA) here is such that the cover (D) can be releasably fastened to the outside of the housing when the earthing cable (S) is fastened to the cover (D) and to the housing.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Container in a machine room of a rail vehicle

[0003] The invention relates to a container for an engine room of a rail vehicle, such as a locomotive or other type of traction vehicle.

[0004] Trains are usually pulled or pushed by locomotives. For propulsion, which can be based on steam, diesel, or electricity, the locomotives have one or more engines. For this purpose, e.g. for a diesel engine or an electric motor, but also for e.g. heating and cooling systems and other equipment required to operate the train, a locomotive has an engine room. This is the area used to house these machines or equipment. These are located in containers, each of which has one or more lids so that the contents of the container can be accessed, for example for maintenance purposes.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of demonstrating an advantageous container for a machine room of a rail vehicle.

[0006] This object is achieved by a container having the features of claim 1. This container is suitable for the engine room of a rail vehicle, such as a diesel locomotive, an electric locomotive, or a tram vehicle. It has a lid for closing an opening in the container housing. One or more additional openings and associated lids may be present. The following description may also apply to this or these additional lids.

[0007] There is also an earthing cable attached to the lid and the housing. This earthing cable forms an electrical connection between the lid and the housing of the container. One or more earthing cables may be provided for the lid.

[0008] There is at least one first fastening device on the cover, and at least one corresponding second fastening device on the exterior of the housing. Through the interaction of the at least one first fastening device with the at least one second fastening device, the cover, which does not close the opening, can be detachably fastened to the exterior of the housing. The cover can therefore be removed from the opening and positioned elsewhere on the exterior of the housing using the two fastening devices. The positioning of the at least one second fastening device is such that the cover can be detachably fastened to the exterior of the housing with the earthing cable attached to the cover and to the housing.This allows the cover to be removed from the opening and attached to the exterior of the enclosure using the fixing devices without having to loosen the earthing cable attachment to the cover and / or enclosure.

[0009] Preferably, the at least one first fastening device is designed as one or more hooks, and the at least one second fastening device is designed as one or more hook receptacles. This enables a connection between the fastening devices that is easy to handle and mechanically inexpensive. The at least one first fastening device can be located on the side of the lid facing the interior of the container when the lid is viewed in its position closing the opening. This means that the at least one first fastening device is located on the inside of the lid and is therefore not visible when the lid closes the opening. When the lid is fastened to the housing by means of the fastening devices, the outside of the lid accordingly faces outwards.

[0010] The earthing cable can be attached either to the side of the lid facing the interior of the container when the opening is closed by the lid, or inside the container. This means that the earthing cable is not visible when the lid closes the opening.

[0011] Exactly two primary fastening devices and two secondary fastening devices can be used. This allows for easy and stable attachment of the lid to the exterior of the container.

[0012] The earthing cable can be detachably attached to the lid and the housing. This allows the lid to be removed from the rest of the container by loosening the earthing cable attachments.

[0013] The positioning of the at least one second fastening device can be such that the lid is located below the opening when the lid is attached to the exterior of the housing. This allows ergonomic access to the container interior through the opening, as it can be at working height. The lid does not need to be lifted from this height to attach it to the exterior of the housing.

[0014] The interaction of the at least one first fastening device with the at least one second fastening device can be mechanical or magnetic. The size and weight of the cover play a role in selecting the appropriate fastening method.

[0015] The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment. In the following:

[0016] Figure 1 : schematic view of a locomotive from above,

[0017] Figure 2 : a container with closed lid,

[0018] Figure 3 : a container with the lid open.

[0019] Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a locomotive LOK from above. Here, various containers CI to C8 are arranged in the engine room MR. These are bolted to the locomotive body, the floor of the locomotive LOK. The engine room MR of locomotives is usually located between the two driver's cabs Fl and F2, which are arranged at each end of the vehicle. The invention can also be applied to power cars which only have one driver's cab at the front of the vehicle; here, the engine room MR is arranged between the driver's cab and the car gangway. A central aisle MG runs between the containers CI to C8, in which people can walk and have access to the containers CI to C8. As an alternative to the arrangement shown in the figure, the containers CI to C8 can be arranged in the middle, so that instead of the central aisle MG there are two side aisles, one on the left and the other on the right.There are also mixed forms with side aisles and central aisles.

[0020] Containers CI to C8, also known as scaffolding, are large boxes or containers which contain machines or equipment. The casing of containers CI to C8 serves to protect the items contained therein from damage and contamination. For example, equipment installed in the engine room can include equipment for cooling drive units, equipment for ventilating and temperature-regulating the engine room, equipment for generating compressed air, parts of the brake, a vehicle battery, safety equipment, equipment for vehicle control and monitoring, and in the case of electric locomotives or power cars, also high-voltage scaffolding, transformer, switchgear and drive switch groups or power converters, auxiliary starter switches or auxiliary converters, electric brake equipment, and in the case of diesel locomotives, the diesel engine, if applicable the auxiliary diesel engine, hydraulic gearbox or...Traction generator with power converters, turbocharger and exhaust system, generator for generating power for the train busbar, if necessary with converters, steam heating boiler, preheating and heat retention device.

[0021] The contents of containers CI to C8 must be accessible. This accessibility is necessary for maintenance purposes, or in order to remove or access equipment or objects. For this purpose, each container has a lid that can be opened and closed. There may be a larger number of lids per container; for reasons of clarity, reference is made below to one lid per container. The container lids are usually located at approximately chest height of a person standing in front of the container in the central aisle. This position for the lid is advantageous because it is ergonomic. Alternative positions for the lid are possible, e.g. at the bottom, top or side of the container. One simple way of connecting the lid to the container housing is to provide a hinge. However, this is not always possible due to space constraints.The following assumes that, due to design or other reasons, the use of a hinge between the lid and the container body is not possible or desirable. The lids are therefore screwed on for assembly; for lids that need to be opened and closed frequently, quick-release fasteners or compression fasteners can be used.

[0022] In order to protect a person who touches the lid of a container or holds it in their hands from electric shock, the lids must be earthed to the container housing with earthing cables. This is because live components may be installed in the containers or to protect against damaged overhead lines. The earthing cables are flexible wire mesh made of copper or aluminum. One or more earthing cables can be used per lid. The earthing cables are connected to both the lid and the container housing using screw components. The attached earthing cable is located inside the container, i.e. the screw connection for connecting the lid to the earthing cable is on the side of the lid facing the interior of the container.

[0023] As already explained, the lids must be opened regularly, e.g., by maintenance personnel to maintain the container or to remove items from the container. It should be noted that these lids can be large and heavy, typically weighing 10 kg. There are various possible ways to open the lid, i.e., disassemble it, and reclose it, i.e., assemble it:

[0024] The screw connection at one end of the grounding cable, i.e., on the container casing or the lid, is loosened and reconnected after maintenance. This is time-consuming, especially if more than one grounding cable is provided per lid. It also requires considerable effort, because—at least if the grounding cable is not too long—the lid must be held in place during disassembly and assembly.

[0025] If the grounding cable is long enough, the lid can be placed on the ground. This has the disadvantage of potentially damaging the paint on the lid. Furthermore, the lid may be placed insecurely, which poses a potential for injury.

[0026] Alternatively, the removed cover could be left hanging on the grounding wire(s). However, this is disadvantageous, as it could lead to damage to the grounding wire(s).

[0027] An improved option is explained using Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 shows a container with the lid fitted and Figure 3 shows a container with the lid removed. In both figures, the container C can be seen from the front on the left, i.e. from the perspective of a person standing in the central aisle looking at the container C. On the right of both figures, the container C is shown along section AA. As shown in Figure 2, the opening O in the housing of the container C is closed by the lid D. Inside the container C is the earthing cable S, which is fastened on the inside to the lid D and to the housing of the container C. In Figures 2 and 3, only one earthing cable S is shown for the sake of clarity. Also on the inside of the lid are two hooks H. Two hook receptacles HA are attached to the outside of the housing of the container C below the lid.The hooks H and the corresponding hook receptacles HA are shaped and dimensioned so that the hooks H can be hung in the hook receptacles HA and held securely there. The hook receptacles HA can, for example, be formed on the basis of a round bar. This has the advantage that there is no angular shape protruding from the outside of the container C on which a load could get caught.

[0028] If the lid D needs to be opened, e.g. because a filter in a ventilation device needs to be replaced, it is dismantled, lifted downwards a little, and then the hooks H are hooked into the corresponding hook receptacles HA. This situation can be seen in Figure 3. The earthing cable S does not have to be detached because the hook receptacles HA are located only a little below the opening 0, so that the earthing cable S is long enough to remain attached both to the lid D and to its original position inside the container C. In addition to the criterion of the limited length of the earthing cable S for the positioning of the hook receptacles HA, these are also arranged in such a way that the accessibility of the opening 0 for maintenance is guaranteed. This means that the lid D hooked into the hook receptacles HA does not cover any part of the opening 0.After the maintenance procedure, the cover D can be reassembled without the need to reattach the earthing cable S, as it was not removed when the cover D was opened. The disadvantages of disassembling the cover described above are avoided by the provision of hooks and the corresponding hook holder.

[0029] The grounding cable does not have to be disconnected and then reconnected, which saves time and effort.

[0030] During the opening and closing of the lid, as well as during the access to the interior of the container in between, no mechanical stress is placed on the earthing cable, thus preventing damage. This results in earthing cables needing to be replaced less frequently.

[0031] The cover is securely attached to the hooks during maintenance. Unlike if it were placed on the floor, it cannot be damaged by falling over, which could particularly impair the paint finish. Furthermore, it is immediately accessible after maintenance, saving time and effort.

[0032] The described bracket for the lid is also advantageous during the initial installation of the earthing cable to the lid and the container housing. Without this bracket, the lid would have to be held by the fitter due to the limited length of the earthing cable, while the earthing cable would have to be connected to the lid or the container housing using screws. Because the lid can be attached to the hook holder using the hook, it does not need to be held additionally, leaving the worker both hands free to screw the earthing cables to the lid or the housing. This increases the safety and speed of the initial installation.

[0033] By providing hooks and hook receptacles, a connection between the ceiling and the container casing is created that can be made quickly and easily again. Hooks and the corresponding hook receptacles are only examples; other types of detachable fastening are possible. The principle can also be reversed, i.e. the hook is on the container and the hook receptacle is on the lid. Another design for the mechanical fastening is also possible, e.g. a projection and a corresponding receptacle or a clip fastening. Finally, a magnetic holder can be provided instead of a mechanical holder.

[0034] The invention has been described above using an exemplary embodiment. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Container (C) for a machine room (MR) of a rail vehicle (LOK), with a lid (D) for closing an opening (0) of the housing of the container (C), an earthing cable (S) which is fastened to the lid (D) and to the housing, at least one first fastening device (H) on the lid (D), and at least one second fastening device (HA) on the exterior of the housing, wherein by interaction of the at least one first fastening device (H) with the at least one second fastening device (HA), the lid (D), which does not close the opening (0), can be detachably fastened to the exterior of the housing, wherein the positioning of the at least one second fastening device (HA) is such that the detachable fastening of the lid (D) to the exterior of the housing can take place when the earthing cable (S) is fastened to the lid (D) and to the housing.

2. Container (C) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first fastening device (H) is one or more hooks (H), and the at least one second fastening device (HA) is one or more hook receptacles (HA).

3. Container (C) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one first fastening device (H) is located on the side of the lid (D) facing the interior of the container (C) when the opening (O) is closed by the lid (D).

4. Container (C) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the earthing cable (S) is fastened on the side of the lid (D) facing the interior of the container (C) when the opening (O) is closed by the lid (D) and in the interior of the container (C).

5. Container (C) according to one of claims 1 to 4, with two first fastening devices (H) and two second fastening devices (HA).

6. Container (C) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the earthing cable (S) is releasably attached to the lid (D) and releasably attached to the housing.

7. Container (C) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the positioning of the at least one second fastening device (HA) is such that the lid (D) is located below the opening (O) when the lid (D) is fastened to the exterior of the housing.

8. Container (C) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the interaction of the at least one first fastening device (H) with the at least one second fastening device (HA) takes place mechanically or magnetically.

9. Locomotive (LOK) with an engine room (MR) and at least one container (C) according to one of claims 1 to 8.

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