Railway Balise Protective Device with Movable Fasteners

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Solution Overview

Problem

Railway balises are frequently damaged during maintenance work such as ballasting or leveling, and manual processing is time-consuming and lacks the quality of mechanical execution.

Innovation Solution

A protective device with a cover and movable fastening elements that can be locked to rails or sleepers, allowing for temporary attachment during maintenance and easy removal afterward, ensuring the balises are protected from mechanical influences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual processing is used during ballasting or leveling around balises, then balises are protected from damage, but maintenance work becomes extremely time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of balisesVSAvoidmaintenance efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective device is installed on the balise before maintenance work begins, creating a protective barrier in advance. This preliminary action allows mechanical ballasting and leveling equipment to operate without risking damage to the balise, thereby maintaining high maintenance productivity while ensuring balise protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protective device acts as an intermediary between the balise and the mechanical maintenance equipment. It absorbs or deflects mechanical influences that would otherwise directly contact the balise, enabling automated mechanical processing while protecting the sensitive electronic component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If manual processing is used around balises, then balises are protected from damage, but the quality of ballasting or leveling cannot match mechanical execution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of balisesVSAvoidquality of ballasting or leveling

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The protective device serves as a mediator that allows mechanical equipment to operate in proximity to the balise without causing damage. The protective cover shields the balise from direct contact with mechanical tools, enabling high-precision mechanical ballasting and leveling to be performed with quality comparable to standard mechanical operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If a protective device with movable fastening elements is used, then tool-free attachment and removal is enabled, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment and removal convenienceVSAvoidprotective device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective device incorporates movable fastening elements that can transition between locked and unlocked positions. This dynamic feature allows the fastening mechanism to adapt during installation and removal operations, enabling tool-free attachment and detachment while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through the use of spring-loaded or cam-based locking mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2842828B1Protection device for devices between rails, in particular for rail and/or sleeper-bound devices

Publication Date: 2016.12.14 SERSA MASCHELLER GLEISBAU

Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4

AI summary

A protective device (1) for sleeper- and/or rail-bound devices (2), in particular for balises, comprises a cover (3) that defines a cavity (4) for receiving the sleeper- and/or rail-bound device (2), and at least two fastening elements (6, 7) connected to the cover (3) for attaching the protective device to a rail (8) and/or a sleeper (9). At least one of the fastening elements (6) is designed to be movable from a release position to a locking position relative to the cover (3).