A measurement system for measuring the wear condition of contact elements.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a measurement system (1) and a method for measuring the wear state of a contact element (32) of a current collector plate (3) that supplies current by catenary connection to a vehicle, by means of a sensor device (4). The current collector plate (3) has a current collector plate support (31) and a contact element (32) held on the current collector plate support. At least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) are formed in the current collector plate (3), these holes penetrate the current collector plate support (31), and at least one pocket hole (51, 61, 71) is formed in the contact element (32). The sensor device (4) of the measurement system (1) is removably fixed outside the current collector plate (3) and below the current collector plate support (31). Light radiation can be detected using a photodetector (52, 62, 72) of the sensor device (4). When the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state, at least one of the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) (5, 6, 7) forms an optical path, and light radiation is incident on the photodetector (52, 62, 72) through the optical path. The measurement system (1) has a processing device, and the wear state of the contact element (32) can be determined from the light radiation detected by the processing device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measurement system and a measurement method for measuring the wear state of a contact element of a collector strip that supplies current to a vehicle via overhead line connection, wherein the collector strip has a collector strip support and a contact element held in the collector strip support, at least two holes are formed in the collector strip, the holes penetrate the collector strip support, and at least one blind hole is formed in the contact element. [Background Art]

[0002] To supply electric current via overhead lines to rail-connected or non-rail-connected vehicles, contact strips made of carbon material are typically used. These types of contact strips are constantly subjected to wear due to friction from the material, which is mostly carbon. When such contact strips are used, for example, in train locomotives, it is necessary to replace them proactively before they reach a clear wear limit to avoid dangerous driving conditions, malfunctions, or accidents. Typically, an emergency shut-off function is built into the contact strip, which lowers it in advance if it reaches a critical wear level or if it is damaged or broken. However, after such an emergency shut-off, further current supply through the contact strip and subsequent driving of the vehicle are no longer possible. To avoid such situations, the contact strips are inspected in a specific order based on their degree of wear. These inspections are usually performed by employees and are quite cumbersome because the contact strips are mounted on the roofs of vehicles such as locomotives, and high voltage is supplied to the overhead lines, requiring special safety measures. Therefore, such inspections are carried out at railway factories at predetermined intervals. To avoid these cumbersome inspections, partially automated wear monitoring systems that signal when the wear limit has been reached are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a contact strip having wear indicator markings detectable by an infrared camera. When the contact strip passes a camera positioned along the running section, the camera can detect it, and the wear indicator markings can be recognized by image processing. The degree of wear of the contact strip can be estimated according to the visual image of the wear indicator markings. The drawback here is that permanent monitoring of the wear state of the contact strip is not possible, and installing such a monitoring system along the rail network requires considerable technical effort. Therefore, a wear recognition system integrated within the contact strip is known that does not require the complex installation of monitoring devices along the rail network. In this system, an electrical contact or switch of a contact element is known that can signal when the wear limit has been reached.Furthermore, a known solution involves installing a compressed air conduit inside the contact strip to monitor wear and detecting the wear state based on the decrease in compressed air within the conduit. However, installing such a compressed air conduit and preparing compressed air is technically and economically time-consuming. Another known method involves placing sensors within the contact elements of the contact strip to detect wear. However, integrating sensors within the contact elements and, in particular, wiring the sensors requires relatively complex technical procedures. Moreover, a drawback of the known systems is that they cannot eliminate sensor damage due to wear, and the complex placement of sensors within the contact strip makes them unsuitable for continuous monitoring of multiple contact strips over time in terms of sensor reuse. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 173798 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a measuring system and method for measuring the wear condition of a sliding plate that can automatically and easily determine the wear condition. Furthermore, this measuring system is easy to install and can be installed independently of the sliding plate, thereby enabling the reuse of the measuring system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This problem is solved 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] A measurement system according to the present invention for measuring the wear state of a contact element of a contact strip that supplies current to a vehicle via an overhead wire connection, wherein the contact strip has a contact strip support and a contact element held by the contact strip support, and at least two holes are formed in the contact strip, the holes penetrate the contact strip support and form at least one blind hole in the contact element, the measurement system has a sensor device which is detachably fixed to the outside of the contact strip and below the contact strip support, light emission can be detected using a photodetector of the sensor device, and when the contact element reaches a predetermined wear state, at least one of the at least two holes forms an optical path, and light emission enters the photodetector through the optical path, and the measurement system has a processing device which can determine the wear state of the contact element from the detected light emission using the processing device. Preferably, the wear state of the contact element can be determined based on the height of the contact element, in which case the height decreases due to wear on the overhead wire as the period of use increases.

[0007] A contact strip typically has a contact element made of carbon material, which can form an electrical connection with the overhead wire by being attached to the wire. This contact element is held by a contact strip support, which is mounted on a so-called pantograph or swing arm. This pantograph or swing arm forms a positioning device for the contact strip and, together with the contact strip, forms a so-called current collector. This current collector itself is mounted on the roof of the vehicle to make contact with the overhead wire located above the vehicle.

[0008] According to the present invention, a measuring system for placement on a rubbing plate is provided, the measuring system having a sensor device. This sensor device is detachably fixed to the outside of the rubbing plate and below the rubbing plate support, as close to the rubbing plate as possible. In the spirit of the present invention, detachable fixing means that the sensor device can be removed without damage and therefore replaced and / or reused. For example, the sensor device can be placed on a first rubbing plate support to monitor a first contact element held by the first rubbing plate support, and after the first contact element of the first rubbing plate support reaches its wear limit, it can be removed and placed on another rubbing plate support to monitor other contact elements of the other rubbing plate support. It is conceivable to detachably fix the sensor device to the rubbing plate, particularly to the rubbing plate support, or to a positioning device that holds the rubbing plate adjacent to the rubbing plate. Preferably, the sensor device, particularly the housing of the sensor device, is detachably fixed by screws. By detachably fixing the sensor device to the outside of the rubbing plate, the sensor device is formed independently of the rubbing plate. In this case, the measuring system, particularly the sensor device, can be positioned or integrated independently of the rubbing plate spatially and / or functionally. Advantageously, this also makes it possible that a connection between the measurement system and the rail vehicle, particularly a conductive connection, is not necessarily required. Rather, the measurement system can be powered, for example, by a battery, accumulator, or harvesting energy, without connection to the rail vehicle's low-voltage network. That is, the measurement system can be used regardless of the type of rail vehicle and without special certification from the rail vehicle manufacturer. Nevertheless, selectively, the measurement system can be connected to the rail vehicle, for example, to the driver's cab of the rail vehicle, to inform the vehicle driver of the measurement values. It is known that the measurement values ​​are quantities supplied from a sensor device. Within the framework of the present invention, the measurement values ​​can relate to, for example, the height H of the contact strip, the degree of contact strip wear, detected light incidence, and / or temperature. That is, it can inform the driver of, for example, the wear of the contact element, or provide other measurement values ​​in the driver's cab.However, preferably, the sensor device of the measurement system can be used independently of the rail vehicle.

[0009] Light emission can be detected using a sensor device having at least one photodetector, and the light emission is incident on the photodetector through an optical path when the contact element reaches a predetermined wear state. The light emission detected by the detector is light emission based on daylight into one of the holes. This hole is exposed based on wear caused by friction between the contact element and the overhead wire during the driving of the contact strip, so that when a predetermined wear state is reached, no blind hole is formed in the contact element, and the exposure of the hole forms an optical path, which leads from the upper side of the contact element to the photodetector of the sensor device. The photodetector is preferably formed in the form of a photodiode. According to the present invention, at least two holes are formed in the contact strip, at least one of which forms a blind hole in the contact element, thereby allowing the exposure of this hole to form an optical path depending on the wear state of the contact element. Preferably, the other hole, which penetrates only the contact strip support and terminates on the lower side of the contact element, can be used to detect other measurements, such as temperature. Thus, advantageously, a correlation between the wear of the contact element and other measurements, such as temperature, can be sought and incorporated, for example, into a maintenance plan.

[0010] Furthermore, the measurement system may include a processing unit that can be used to determine the wear state of the contact element from the detected light emission, preferably incident light. In this case, it is important that the processing unit correlates the respective sensor measurements with each other. This makes it possible to obtain more advanced information regarding the driving state of the contact element, current collector, and / or overhead line.

[0011] In the spirit of this invention, the concept of "hole" refers to each notch that can be formed in the sliding contact strip by a manufacturing method that penetrates the sliding contact strip support and preferably involves cutting. For example, the holes can be formed in a conical or cylindrical shape, and preferably cylindrical holes are formed in the sliding contact strip.

[0012] The concepts of "downward," "upward," "lower side," and "upper side" always refer to the state in which the contact strip is attached to the vehicle. For example, the upper side of the contact element is the side that is attached to the overhead wire when the contact strip is driven, and the lower side of the contact element is the side of the contact element that is positioned on the contact strip support. Similarly, the upper side of the contact strip support is the side to which the contact element is attached, and the lower side of the contact strip support is located opposite to the upper side and therefore opposite to the contact element. Likewise, the upper side of the sensor device or the upper side of the sensor device housing faces the contact strip support, and the lower side is away from the contact strip support, or faces the opposite side, in contrast to the upper side.

[0013] Those skilled in the art know that the length L of a contact strip is usually greater than its width B. The sensor device is preferably positioned in the center of the contact strip's length L. The hole is preferably formed in the center of the contact strip's width B. This provides the advantage that wear can be detected at the point where maximum wear is expected. Furthermore, the concepts of the contact strip's width B and length L also relate to the mounting state of the contact strip, so the contact strip's length L extends laterally with respect to the direction of travel of the rail vehicle to which the contact strip is mounted, and the width B extends along the direction of travel.

[0014] The gist of the present invention is that the sensor device can be used independently of the contact strip to detect the wear state of the contact elements of the contact strip, and the measurement system can be reused by positioning the sensor device of the measurement system outside the contact strip. This is because the sensor device can be reused by simply removing it from the measurement system and attaching it to another contact strip, as it only requires forming a hole in the contact strip and does not require other wiring and / or inserting the sensor into the contact strip. Furthermore, the structure and arrangement of the measurement system according to the present invention avoids damage to the sensor device or costly conductive elements. This is because, even if the contact elements are excessively worn, contact between the sensor device and the overhead wire and the resulting wear that would cause damage to the sensor device by the overhead wire are reliably prevented. Moreover, advantageously, the measurement system according to the present invention makes it possible to detect at least one other measurement value in addition to the wear state and associate it with the wear state. Furthermore, the structure and arrangement of the measurement system can be realized in a particularly simple manner, and the operation of the measurement system can be carried out in a particularly energy-efficient manner. This is because it does not require the preparation of a medium such as compressed air, or, for example, connecting wires inside the contact strip support for energy supply. Rather, when a predetermined wear state is reached, light radiation directly enters the optical path and reaches the sensor device from there, and no other components are required within the contact member.

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are subject to dependent claims. Furthermore, all combinations of at least two features disclosed in the specification, claims, or drawings fall within the framework of the present invention. The description given regarding the measurement system also relates to the contact strip, current collector, and vehicle according to the present invention, and will not be described separately. Similarly, all features and embodiments disclosed regarding the measurement system, even if the words are not identical, also relate to the method according to the present invention.

[0016] The sensor device has a temperature sensor, which is positioned within the area of ​​the entrance of at least one of two holes so that the temperature of the contact element can be detected by the temperature sensor. Since the temperature of the contact strip, especially the contact element, significantly affects the wear of the contact strip, it has been shown to be preferable to determine the wear state according to the temperature, so that appropriate action can be taken at the appropriate time, for example, by replacing the contact element when there is a significant temperature change or temperature load on the contact element. Preferably, the temperature sensor is positioned below the entrance of the hole. More preferably, the temperature sensor is formed as an infrared sensor, thereby enabling non-contact measurement of the temperature of the contact element. In this case, the hole having the entrance of the hole in which the infrared sensor is positioned forms an infrared radiation passage, which reaches at least below the contact element through the support element. Non-contact measurement using an infrared sensor makes it possible to position the sensor as a separate component from the contact strip within the area of ​​the entrance of the hole, and there is no need to protrude the temperature sensor into the contact strip for temperature measurement, and it is not damaged when wear progresses. Advantageously, this also makes the sensor device with the temperature sensor reusable, because this sensor device is a contact strip support This is because it can be placed on the sliding plate as a separate component, and damage to the temperature sensor can be eliminated both when driving and removing the sliding plate.

[0017] It has been shown to be preferable that the hole, which has a temperature sensor arrangement at its entrance, extends through the contact strip support to the underside of the contact element. This allows temperature measurement to be performed in a simple manner in conjunction with the detection of light radiation from the underside of the contact strip.

[0018] The sensor device of the measurement system may have a housing, the housing having an opening on the upper side of the housing that overlaps with at least two holes, which is attached to the slick plate support. This housing is used, on the one hand, to protect the sensor device, and on the other hand, to easily attach and detach the sensor device to and from the slick plate support. The opening on the upper side that is attached to the slick plate support, which overlaps with at least two holes, allows the housing of the sensor device to be preferably formed and positioned such that the lower side of the slick plate support forms at least partially the upper side of the housing, and the upper side of the housing is closed by the lower side of the slick plate support. Alternatively, or additionally, the housing may have a plurality of openings, which are arranged complementary to at least two holes on the upper side of the housing. In this case, the sensor device is positioned on the slick plate support such that the openings in the housing and the holes in the slick plate overlap at least partially. Thus, in addition to easily fixing the sensor device to the slick plate, it is possible to ensure that light enters the photodetector through the slick plate and the openings in the housing, and / or that other passages, such as for temperature measurement, extend through the slick plate support and the upper side of the housing. The housing is preferably formed from plastic or pure metal material.

[0019] Multiple holes of different depths can be formed in the contact strip, forming optical pathways when the contact element reaches a predetermined wear state. In other words, the contact strip has multiple blind holes of different depths, and these blind holes extend through the contact strip support into the contact element. This allows the wear state of the contact strip to be determined using a processing device. If wear progresses and other holes are exposed, thereby forming other optical pathways, and more incident light is detected by one or more photodetectors, the degree of wear of the contact element can be estimated based on this. Thus, it is possible to determine not only whether the contact element is new or completely worn, but also how much the contact element has been used. When the contact strip wears, the shape of the contact strip, particularly its height, may change, and preferably the change in the height of the contact strip is used as a reference value for the degree of wear. The remaining height of the contact element can be determined according to the wear state by holes that preferably extend perpendicularly from the underside of the contact strip support into the contact element. That is, the more holes that are exposed, the lower the height of the contact element becomes, and the greater the degree of wear.

[0020] It has been shown to be preferable to provide a photodetector for each hole that forms an optical path when the contact element reaches a predetermined wear state. This preferably improves the accuracy of detection, because each optical path is associated with a photodetector, and therefore, when another optical path is formed due to the opening of another hole by wear, the other photodetector outputs a signal. Thus, measurement errors based on, for example, variations in incident light can be eliminated.

[0021] At least one hole can be filled by a temperature-resistant and transparent filling element, which is preferably made of plastic, for example polyester resin, silicone resin or Teflon (registered trademark) (PTFE), or glass, for example acrylic glass. Preferably, the filling element withstands temperatures up to at least 200°C, more preferably up to at least 300°C. More preferably, the hole that penetrates the slide plate support and forms a blind hole in the contact element is filled by the filling element. Most preferably, the hole that penetrates the slide plate support and forms the shallowest hole in the contact element is filled with the filling element, while the remaining holes in the contact element are not filled. It is conceivable that the filling element is coupled to the photodetector via a seal ring, preferably a seal ring made of silicon, which ensures simple installation, a reliable radiation path and high resistance particularly to shaking during travel drive.

[0022] The filling element can be formed complementary to the hole and slip-fitted into the hole. This is advantageous because the filling element can be inserted later, since the filling element can be inserted as a member independent of the slide plate, particularly separately from the manufacture of the slide plate. This is because the fact that the filling element can be inserted into the slide plate also allows the filling element to be inserted into an existing slide plate by subsequent drilling and insertion, so there is no need to consider restrictions or the like when forming the slide plate.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment, three holes with different depths are formed in the slide plate, said holes penetrating the slide plate support and forming three blind holes in the contact element. The three blind holes form an optical path when the contact element reaches a predetermined wear state, and optical radiation enters the photodetector through said optical path. This allows three different degrees of wear to be determined by means of three holes with different depths, making it possible to determine the degree of wear economically and as required.

[0024] Furthermore, it has been shown that when three holes of different depths are formed in the contact plate (each forming a blind hole within the contact element), it is preferable that two of the three holes are left unfilled, and the shallowest hole that fits into the contact element is filled with a temperature-resistant transparent filling element. The filling element inserted into the shallowest hole that fits into the contact element is preferably made of plastic, such as polyester resin, silicone resin, or Teflon® (PTFE), or glass, such as acrylic glass. More preferably, the filling element can be slid into the hole.

[0025] A method according to the present invention for measuring the wear state of a contact element of a contact strip that supplies current to a vehicle via an overhead wire connection, wherein the contact strip has a contact strip support and a contact element held by the contact strip support, and at least two holes are formed in the contact strip, the holes penetrating the contact strip support and forming at least one blind hole in the contact element, and the incidence of light to the sensor device is detected using a photodetector of the sensor device. Detection of the incidence of light is performed when, when the contact element reaches a predetermined wear state, an optical path for light emission is formed by at least one of the at least two holes, and the light emission is guided to the photodetector through the optical path. Using the processing device of the measurement system, the wear state of the contact element can be determined based on the incident light emission, and in particular based on the signal of the photodetector generated by the light incidence. At least one other hole that penetrates the contact strip support but does not form a blind hole in the contact element can be used to detect other characteristic values ​​of the contact element and / or the contact strip, such as temperature. Preferably, the sensor device of the measuring system is located on the contact strip and / or adjacent to the contact strip and outside the contact strip, on a positioning device that holds the contact strip, so that the sensor device can be removed from the contact strip without damage and reused, for example, after the contact strip has been replaced with a new one. Advantages of the method for measuring the wear condition of the contact element can be found in the detailed description of the measuring system according to the present invention.

[0026] According to an embodiment of this method, the temperature of the contact element is detected using a temperature sensor of the sensor device. In order to enable detection of the temperature of the contact element as independently as possible from the wear plate, the temperature is preferably determined using an infrared sensor, which detects temperature in a non-contact manner by means of infrared radiation reflected to the infrared sensor through a hole in the wear plate support body.

[0027] The processing device can detect and store measurement values from the sensor device at regular time intervals and / or when a change occurs. Alternatively, the processing device can continuously detect and store the measurement values from the sensor device. Accordingly, in order to keep the amount of data low, measurement values can be detected and / or stored only when the values change. Alternatively, sustained, that is continuous detection and storage can be performed. Storing the measurement values enables processing of the measurement values to be performed at a spatially and / or temporally distant location even after detection of the measurement values. In this case, for example, detection of measurement values can be performed during travel of the rail vehicle, and other characteristic values can be determined only when the rail vehicle is waiting in a station. That is, for example, temperature measurement after travel can be associated with wear measurement and evaluated.

[0028] Using a processing device, the degree of wear of the wear plate, particularly of the contact element, can be determined from the measurement values of the sensor device. As wear progresses, the blind holes in the contact element are exposed, thereby forming an optical path that changes the signal transmitted from the photodetector or adds a signal from another photodetector, so the degree of wear of the wear plate can be estimated from these changes. When a plurality of blind holes with different depths are formed in the contact element, the processing device can determine how much the contact element has been used in accordance with the depth of each exposed blind hole. Preferably, the processing device determines the degree of wear of the wear plate based on the blind holes exposed by wear, using the height of the contact element remaining after wear.

[0029] Measurement values ​​from a sensor device can be transmitted from the sensor device to a processing device using a transmission device. The processing device can be located separately from the sensor device or built into the sensor device's housing. When the processing device is built into the sensor device, the data connection can be formed simply as a cable connection. Alternatively, the processing device can be located spatially separate from the sensor device, and the measurement values ​​from the sensor device can be transmitted from the sensor device to the processing device, preferably wirelessly, for example, using radio signals. In this case, the processing device can be located elsewhere on the vehicle or permanently far from the railcar, for example, in a building. When transmitting measurement values, data exchange can be performed, for example, based on a transmission protocol. Data connections can be formed continuously, at regular intervals, or based on events. That is, the data detected by the sensor device as a whole can be collected and evaluated.

[0030] The contact strip according to the present invention for supplying electric current to a vehicle has a measuring system according to the present invention arranged on the contact strip.

[0031] The current collector according to the present invention, for supplying current to a vehicle via an overhead wire connection, comprises a positioning device and a contact strip according to the present invention arranged thereon.

[0032] A vehicle according to the present invention, particularly a rail vehicle or similar, is equipped with a current collector according to the present invention.

[0033] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0034] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a pantograph. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a rubbing plate having the measurement system according to the present invention. [Figure 3]Figure 3 shows a portion of the contact plate shown in Figure 2, along with the measurement system according to the present invention, while viewing the contact element through the glass. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal axis of the sliding plate shown in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0035] Figure 1 shows a current collector 2 on the roof 21 of a rail vehicle (not shown in detail here), equipped with a positioning device 23 formed as a pantograph 22. The pantograph 22 has two contact strips 3 positioned laterally to the overhead wire 12 on a rocker 24. The rail vehicle travels at a speed V relative to the overhead wire 12. F It moves, and at that time the sliding plate 3 is subjected to a pressure force F. A The contact strip 3 is pressed against the overhead wire 12 in a lateral or perpendicular direction. The contact strip 3 is formed from a contact element 32 and a contact strip support 31 made of a carbon material, which are not shown in detail here, and wear of the carbon material is brought about by the movement of the contact strip 3 in contact with the overhead wire 12 as described here.

[0036] Figure 2 shows a contact strip 3 according to the present invention having a measurement system 1 according to the present invention, wherein the housing 10 of the measurement system is positioned in the center of the contact strip 3 with respect to the length L and width B of the contact strip 3, and a sensor device 4 is provided within the housing. The contact strip 3 is substantially formed of a contact element 32 made of carbon or graphite and a contact strip support 31. The contact strip support 31 has a profile material, which is generally made of a metallic material such as steel or aluminum, and the contact element 32 is fixed on the profile material. A fixed bearing 311 is formed on the profile material, which is used to couple the contact strip 3 with a rocker not shown herein. The contact element 32 is positioned on the contact strip support 31, and therefore substantially above the contact strip support 31. In contrast, the sensor device 4 is positioned below the contact strip support 31. Because the housing 10 is centrally positioned with respect to both the length L and width B, and is compactly formed, the housing 10 has little effect on the aerodynamics of the contact strip 3 or the current collector 2 not shown herein during driving.

[0037] Figure 3 shows a portion of the contact strip 3 shown in Figure 2, with the contact element 32 visible through it, allowing the holes 5, 6, and 7 to be identified. These holes 5, 6, and 7 have different depths and penetrate the contact strip support 31 from the underside, terminating inside the contact element 32. Based on the display in Figure 3, the contact element 32 shows no wear, so the three holes 5, 6, and 7 form blind holes 51, 61, and 71, respectively. As wear progresses in the contact element 32, the blind holes 51, 61, and 71 successively open, each forming an optical path, through which light radiation reaches the sensor device 4. As is clear from Figure 3, hole 5, which penetrates the deepest into the contact element 32, is exposed first due to wear, followed by hole 6, and finally hole 7. Therefore, the contact strip 3 shown in Figure 3 and the measuring system 1 placed inside it allow for the determination of at least three levels of wear on the contact element 32.

[0038] As can be seen by looking at Figures 4 and 5 together, the rubbing plate 3 based on the embodiment shown in Figure 2 is shown in various cross-sections. The housing 10 of the measuring system 1, which protects the sensor device 4 from ambient influences, is fixed to the underside of the rubbing plate support by its upper side 101. It is recognized that the housing 10 is positioned on the rubbing plate support 31 such that the underside of the rubbing plate support closes the upper side 101 having an opening 102 in the housing 10.

[0039] In the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 4, a hole 51 is formed within the contact element 32, and a hole 5 is formed within the contact strip 3, penetrating the contact strip support 31. To protect the sensor device 4 from environmental influences and, in particular, from dirt particles generated by the wear of the contact element 32, a transparent filling element 53, designed as a cylindrical rod, is inserted into the hole 5. As soon as the hole 5 is exposed due to a decrease in the height of the contact element 32 caused by wear, this rod-shaped element allows light to enter the photodetector 52 of the sensor device 4 through the transparent filling element 53. The entry of light onto the photodetector 52 results in a signal change or signal activation of the photodetector 52, and based on this, a processing device (not shown) of the measurement system 1 can determine the degree of wear of the contact strip 3.

[0040] Figure 5 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact strip 3 according to the present invention based on the embodiment shown in Figure 2. As is clear from this longitudinal cross-sectional view, a total of four holes 5, 6, 7, and 8 are formed in the contact strip 3. Three of the holes 5, 6, and 7 penetrate the contact strip support 31 and form blind holes 51, 61, and 71 within the contact element 32. Photodetectors 52, 62, and 72 are positioned below the holes 5, 6, and 7, respectively, and they correspond to holes 5, 6, and 7. That is, when hole 5 or blind hole 51 is exposed, light enters the photodetector 52 through the transparent filling element 53 and outputs a signal to a processing device not shown here. Next, as the height H of the contact element 32 decreases further due to further wear, hole 6 is exposed, and the photodetector 62 corresponding to hole 6 changes signal or outputs a signal due to the incidence of light passing through the transparent filling element 63. Hole 7 is exposed last in time due to wear, and at that time, light enters the photodetector 72 through the transparent filling element 73 and outputs a signal. Since holes 5, 6, and 7 have different depths, holes 5, 6, and 7 are exposed at different times depending on the decrease in the height H of the contact element 32 due to wear. It is conceivable that when the two deeper holes 5 and 6 are exposed, an information or warning signal is output to the operator of the rail vehicle, and then when hole 7 is exposed, the contact strip 3 is disconnected from the overhead wire 12 based on the greater wear of the contact element 32. Here again, it is recognized that the upper side 101 of the housing 10 of the sensor device 4 is located below the contact strip support 31. In this case, the opening 102 in the upper side 101 of the housing 10 is positioned as follows: on the one hand, the contact strip support 31 closes the upper side 101 of the housing 10, and at the same time, light passing through holes 5, 6, and 7 and other light passing through hole 8 can enter the sensor device 4. Unlike holes 5, 6, and 7, hole 8 penetrates only the contact strip support 31 and terminates at the lower side 321 of the contact element 32. Based on the infrared radiation reflected from the contact element 32, the temperature sensor 44, which is formed 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 to be correlated within the processing apparatus, and therefore the wear behavior can be analyzed using multiple parameters. [Aspect 1] A measuring system (1) for measuring the wear condition of a contact element (32) of a contact strip (3) that supplies current to a vehicle via an overhead wire connection, comprising a sensor device (4), wherein the contact strip (3) has a contact strip support (31) and the contact element (32) held by the contact strip support, and at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) are formed in the contact strip (3), the holes penetrate the contact strip support (31) and form at least one blind hole (51, 61, 71) within the contact element (32), in the measuring system (1), The measurement system (1) is characterized in that the sensor device (4) is detachably fixed to the outside of the sliding plate (3) and below the sliding plate support (31), light emission can be detected using the photodetectors (52, 62, 72) of the sensor device (4), at least one of the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) (5, 6, 7) forms an optical path when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state, light emission is incident on the photodetectors (52, 62, 72) through the optical path, and the measurement system (1) has a processing device that can determine the wear state of the contact element (32) from the light emission detected using the processing device. [Aspect 2] The measurement system according to embodiment 1, characterized in that the sensor device (4) has a temperature sensor (44), preferably an infrared sensor, and the temperature sensor (44) is positioned in the area of ​​the entrance of one of the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) (hole (8)) so that the temperature of the contact element (32) can be detected using the temperature sensor (44). [Aspect 3] The measurement system according to embodiment 1 or 2, characterized in that the hole (8) having a hole entrance in which the temperature sensor (44) is arranged extends through the sliding plate support (31) to the lower side (321) of the contact element (32). [Aspect 4] The measurement system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the sensor device (4) of the measurement system (1) has a housing (10), and the housing has one opening (102) and / or a plurality of openings on its upper side (101) that is attached to the rubbing plate support (31) that covers the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8), and the openings are arranged on the upper side (101) of the housing (10) in a manner complementary to the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) in the rubbing plate (3). [Aspect 5] A measurement system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, characterized in that a plurality of holes (5, 6, 7) of different depths form an optical path when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state. [Aspect 6] The measurement system according to embodiment 5, characterized in that a photodetector (52, 62, 72) is provided in each of the holes (5, 6, 7) that form an optical path when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state. [Aspect 7] A measuring system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one hole (5, 6, 7, 8) is filled with a temperature-resistant and transparent filling element (53, 63, 73). [Aspect 8] The measurement system according to embodiment 7, characterized in that the filling elements (53, 63, 73) are formed complementary to the holes (5, 6, 7) and are insertable into the holes (5, 6, 7). [Aspect 9] A measurement system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, characterized in that three holes (5, 6, 7) of different depths are formed in the sliding plate (3), penetrate the sliding plate support (31), and form three blind holes (51, 61, 71) within the contact element (32), and when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state, the three holes (5, 6, 7) form an optical path, and light radiation is incident on the photodetector (52, 62, 72) through the optical path. [Aspect 10] A measurement system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 9, characterized in that at least two holes (5, 6) are not filled, and the hole (7) formed in the contact element (32) at the shallowest depth is filled with a temperature-resistant and transparent filling element (73). [Aspect 11] A method for measuring the wear condition of the contact elements (32) of a contact strip (3) that supplies current to a vehicle via an overhead wire connection, wherein the contact strip (3) has a contact strip support (31) and a contact element (32) held by the contact strip support (31), and at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) are formed in the contact strip (3), penetrating the contact strip support (31) and forming at least one blind hole (51, 61, 71) within the contact element (32), A method characterized in that the incidence of light radiation onto the sensor device (4) is detected using the photodetectors (52, 62, 72) of the sensor device (4), and when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state, an optical path is formed by at least one hole (5, 6, 7) of the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8), the light radiation is guided through the optical path to the photodetectors (52, 62, 72), and the wear state of the contact element (32) is determined by the processing device of the measurement system (1) based on the incident light radiation. [Aspect 12] The method according to embodiment 10, characterized in that the temperature of the contact element (32) is detected using the temperature sensor (44) of the sensor device (4), preferably using an infrared sensor. [Aspect 13] The method according to embodiment 10 or 11, characterized in that the processing device detects and stores the measured values ​​of the sensor device (4) at regular time intervals and / or when there is a change, or continuously. [Aspect 14] The method according to any one of embodiments 11 to 13, characterized in that the processing apparatus determines the degree of wear of the sliding plate (3), particularly the contact element (329), from the measured value of the sensor device (4). [Aspect 15] The method according to any one of embodiments 11 to 14, characterized in that the measured value of the sensor device (4) is transmitted from the sensor device (4) to the processing device using a transmission device, preferably wirelessly, and the processing device is positioned spatially apart from the sensor device (4) or is built into the housing (10) of the sensor device (4). [Aspect 16] A slick plate (3) on which the measuring system (1) described in any one of embodiments 1 to 10 is arranged. [Aspect 17] A current collector for supplying current to a vehicle via an overhead wire connection, having a positioning device on which the contact strip (3) described in embodiment 16 is arranged. [Aspect 18] A vehicle having a current collector as described in Embodiment 17, particularly a rail vehicle.

Claims

1. A measuring system (1) for measuring the wear state of a contact element (32) of a contact strip (3) that supplies current to a vehicle via an overhead wire connection, comprising a sensor device (4), wherein the contact strip (3) has a contact strip support (31) and the contact element (32) held by the contact strip support, and at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) are formed in the contact strip (3), the holes penetrate the contact strip support (31) and form at least one concave hole (51, 61, 71) within the contact element (32), in the measuring system (1), The measurement system (1) is characterized in that the sensor device (4) is detachably fixed to the outside of the sliding plate (3) and below the sliding plate support (31), light emission can be detected using the photodetectors (52, 62, 72) of the sensor device (4), at least one of the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) (5, 6, 7) forms an optical path when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state, light emission is incident on the photodetectors (52, 62, 72) through the optical path, and the measurement system (1) has a processing device, and the wear state of the contact element (32) can be determined from the light emission detected using the processing device.

2. The measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor device (4) has a temperature sensor (44), and the temperature sensor (44) is positioned in the area of ​​the entrance of one of the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) (hole (8)) so that the temperature of the contact element (32) can be detected using the temperature sensor (44).

3. The measurement system according to claim 2, wherein the temperature sensor (44) is an infrared sensor.

4. The measurement system according to claim 2, characterized in that the hole (8) having an entrance to the temperature sensor (44) extends through the slick plate support (31) to the lower side (321) of the contact element (32).

5. The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device (4) of the measurement system (1) has a housing (10), the housing having one opening (102) on the upper side (101) that is attached to the rubbing plate support (31) that covers the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8), and / or the upper side (101) of the housing (10) has a plurality of openings arranged complementary to the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) in the rubbing plate (3).

6. The measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of holes (5, 6, 7) of different depths form an optical path when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state.

7. The measurement system according to claim 6, characterized in that a photodetector (52, 62, 72) is provided for each hole (5, 6, 7) that forms an optical path when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state.

8. The measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one pore (5, 6, 7, 8) is filled with a temperature-resistant and transparent filling element (53, 63, 73).

9. The measurement system according to claim 8, characterized in that the filling elements (53, 63, 73) are formed complementary to the holes (5, 6, 7) and are insertable into the holes (5, 6, 7).

10. The measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that three holes (5, 6, 7) of different depths are formed in the sliding plate (3), penetrate the sliding plate support (31), and form three blind holes (51, 61, 71) within the contact element (32), and when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state, the three holes (5, 6, 7) form an optical path, and light radiation is incident on the photodetector (52, 62, 72) through the optical path.

11. The measurement system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two holes (5, 6) are not filled, and the hole (7) that fits into the contact element (32) at the shallowest depth is filled with a temperature-resistant and transparent filling element (73).

12. A method for measuring the wear state of the contact element (32) of a contact strip (3) that supplies current to a vehicle via an overhead wire connection, using a measurement system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the contact strip (3) has a contact strip support (31) and the contact element (32) held by the contact strip support (31), and at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8) are formed in the contact strip (3), penetrating the contact strip support (31) and forming at least one blind hole (51, 61, 71) in the contact element (32), A method characterized in that the incidence of light radiation onto the sensor device (4) is detected using the photodetectors (52, 62, 72) of the sensor device (4), and when the contact element (32) reaches a predetermined wear state, an optical path is formed by at least one hole (5, 6, 7) of the at least two holes (5, 6, 7, 8), the light radiation is guided through the optical path to the photodetectors (52, 62, 72), and the wear state of the contact element (32) is determined by the processing device of the measurement system (1) based on the incident light radiation.

13. The method according to 12, characterized in that the temperature of the contact element (32) is detected using the temperature sensor (44) of the sensor device (4).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the temperature sensor (44) of the sensor device (4) is an infrared sensor.

15. The method according to 12, characterized in that the processing device detects and stores the measured values ​​of the sensor device (4) at regular time intervals and / or when there is a change, or continuously.

16. The method according to 12, characterized in that the processing device determines the degree of wear of the contact element (32) from the measurement value of the sensor device (4).

17. The method according to 12, characterized in that the measured value of the sensor device (4) is transmitted from the sensor device (4) to the processing device using a transmission device, and the processing device is located spatially separated from the sensor device (4) or is built into the housing (10) of the sensor device (4).

18. The method according to 12, characterized in that the measured value of the sensor device (4) is transmitted wirelessly from the sensor device (4) to the processing device.

19. A sliding plate (3) on which the sensor device (4) of the measuring system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is arranged.

20. A current collector for supplying current to a vehicle via an overhead wire connection, having a positioning device on which the sliding plate (3) described in claim 19 is arranged.

21. A vehicle having the current collector according to claim 20.

22. The vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the vehicle is a rail vehicle.

Images