Conductive Shoe Shunt Assembly for Reliable Rail Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheel-and-axle shunts for vehicles may not provide sufficient connectivity due to environmental factors like water or ice, leading to temporary interruptions in electrical connections for vehicle control applications.
Innovation Solution
A shunt apparatus with a mounting bracket, actuator, and conductive shoe unit that presses against the running surface using a resilient biasing assembly, ensuring consistent contact despite surface irregularities, connected by an electrical conductor unit between two shoes on opposite sides of the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wheel-and-axle shunts are used for electrical connection, then the structure is simple and integrates with vehicle components, but connectivity is insufficient due to environmental factors like water or ice causing temporary interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The shunt system is divided into separate components: conductive shoes mounted on the vehicle that contact the running surfaces, connected via cables to the vehicle's electrical system. This segmentation allows the shoes to be positioned optimally for electrical contact while keeping the vehicle's wheel-and-axle structure intact, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity by adding dedicated shunt components rather than modifying existing vehicle components
Solution Approach 2:
Conductive shoes serve as intermediary elements between the vehicle and the running surfaces, providing a dedicated electrical connection path that is not dependent on the wheel-and-axle structure. These shoes can maintain contact with the running surfaces even when environmental factors like water or ice affect the vehicle's traction components, thus improving reliability without requiring complex modifications to the vehicle's primary structure
2Reliability
If conductive shoes press against running surfaces with resilient biasing assembly, then consistent electrical contact is maintained through debris and environmental conditions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive shoes are equipped with resilient biasing assemblies that provide dynamic adjustment of contact pressure. This allows the shoes to automatically adapt to variations in running surface conditions, maintaining consistent electrical contact through debris and environmental factors without requiring complex control systems or manual adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient biasing assembly changes the contact pressure parameter dynamically, allowing the conductive shoes to maintain optimal electrical contact under varying conditions. This parameter adjustment occurs passively through the mechanical properties of the biasing assembly, improving reliability without adding complex active control systems
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides a reliable, low-resistance electrical connection between conductive running surfaces, enhancing vehicle location determination and signaling by maintaining contact through debris and environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The shoe unit includes a resilient biasing assembly that is configured to exert a force on the shoe, to press the shoe against the running surface during movement of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
the conductive shoe is positioned to contact a conductive first running surface on which the vehicle travels
Data Source
AI summary
A shunt apparatus includes a mounting bracket assembly configured for connection to a vehicle, an actuator connected to the mounting bracket assembly, and a shoe unit connected to the actuator. The actuator is controllable to move the shoe unit to an extended position where a conductive shoe of the shoe unit is positioned to contact a conductive first running surface on which the vehicle travels. The shoe unit includes a resilient biasing assembly that is configured to exert a force on the shoe, to press the shoe against the running surface during movement of the vehicle. Two of the shunt apparatuses may be attached to opposite sides of the vehicle. The shoes of the two shunt apparatuses are electrically connected to one another by an electrical cable. When the shoes are brought into contact with respective running surfaces, the running surfaces are electrically shunted for vehicle signaling purposes or otherwise.