Sensorized Axlebox-Bearing Unit With Plugged Cable Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensorized axlebox-bearing units for railway axles have high overall dimensions, are inconvenient to install, and suffer from data transmission cable interference with movable elements, leading to installation challenges and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A sensorized axlebox-bearing unit with a flexible electric cable and adapter system that passes through a transverse hole in the housing element, using a plug or adapter with a stop shoulder and removable blocking means to secure the cable, preventing interference and allowing for easy installation and reduced dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the sensor module is fastened on the sealing gasket and accessed through a radial hole in the housing element, then the sensor unit can be installed from the outside, but the overall dimensions of the axlebox-bearing unit increase and the data transmission cable may interfere with movable elements
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor module is inserted through the radial hole and nested within the housing element's internal space. The connection piece is received inside the housing element, and the flexible cable is routed through the radial hole and secured with a plug, effectively nesting all sensor components within the existing housing volume rather than adding external protrusions.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit is extracted from the traditional external mounting configuration and repositioned to access the sealing gasket through the radial hole. This extraction allows the sensor module to be mounted on the sealing gasket while the connection piece resides inside the housing element, separating the sensor functionality from external protrusions.
2Ease of operation
If the sensor module is accessed through a radial hole in the housing element, then installation is simplified, but the data transmission electric cable may become tangled or interfere with the spindle or other movable elements
Solution Approach 1:
A plug is introduced as an intermediary component that secures the flexible cable at the radial hole. The plug receives the connection piece inside the housing element and prevents the cable from moving outward, acting as a mediator that anchors the cable in a fixed position and prevents tangling or interference with the spindle and other movable elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible cable is routed through the radial hole and secured with the plug during the installation process, establishing a predetermined cable path before the unit enters service. This preliminary action ensures the cable is properly positioned and constrained, preventing future interference with movable elements during operation.
3Ease of operation
If a radial hole is created in the housing element for sensor access, then the sensor unit can be installed from the outside, but the installation process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The radial hole in the housing element serves multiple functions: it provides access for inserting the sensor module, allows routing of the flexible cable, and accommodates the plug for securing the connection piece. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate features or components, simplifying the overall installation process despite the hole's presence.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
Sensorized axlebox-bearing unit (1) for an axle (2), comprising a housing element (4) stationary in use, which supports a sealing gasket (5), and a sensor unit (6) comprising a sensor module (7) for monitoring the axle, a connection piece (9) to be connected to a processing unit and a flexible electric cable (10) connecting in one piece the sensor module with the connection piece; wherein the housing element (4) has a frontal inlet opening (11) through which the axle and the sealing gasket are accessible and is delimited by an annular lateral wall (13) provided with a transversal through-hole (14) smaller than the sensor module (7) but larger than the connection piece (9), with the sensor unit (6) mountable inside the housing element (4) from the inside towards the outside through the inlet opening (11) and the transversal hole (14); a plug (15) being fitted onto the flexible electric cable (10) between the sensor module and the connection piece to be inserted in the transversal hole (14) radially from the inside towards the outside, to fluid-tightly plug the transversal hole.