Detachable Rail Expansion Wall for Grooved Rail Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rail expansion devices for grooved rails are difficult to maintain and monitor, requiring significant effort and often necessitating the removal of the road surface or cutting of rail material for access.
Innovation Solution
The rail expansion device features a detachably connected strip-like wall with a removable cover, allowing for maintenance without surface removal, and includes a box for electrical components, with sensors to monitor movement and hold-down devices for accessibility, enabling easy maintenance and monitoring of sliding and guide parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the wall is welded to the base plate, then the structural stability is improved, but the maintenance difficulty increases and accessibility for maintenance is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The wall is divided into separable components that can be detached from the base plate. The fastening means allow the wall to be segmented into removable sections, enabling maintenance personnel to access and service the sliding and guide parts without removing the entire wall structure or disrupting the road surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the wall and base plate is made dynamic rather than static. The detachable fastening means allow the wall to be easily assembled and disassembled, transforming the fixed welded connection into a flexible, reversible connection that maintains stability during operation but allows easy maintenance when needed.
2Ease of operation
If the road surface is removed for maintenance, then accessibility to internal components is improved, but the loss of time and productivity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The wall structure is segmented with built-in access openings that provide direct access to the sliding and guide parts. This segmentation eliminates the need to remove the road surface, as maintenance personnel can access internal components through the pre-configured openings in the wall sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable wall sections act as intermediaries that can be removed and repositioned to provide access to internal components. Instead of removing the road surface, the wall itself serves as a removable cover that grants access to the maintenance area while maintaining the overall structure integrity.
3Measurement precision
If sensors are installed to monitor rail element movements, then the measurement capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wall structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables maintenance access through detachable sections, and houses the sensor system. By integrating the sensor mounting and electrical component storage within the existing wall structure, the patent avoids adding separate complex monitoring systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
The device has a stock rail (11) and a tongue rail (12) guided into each other. A strip-like wall (14) is fastened at a base plate (13), which is extended into a region of the device below groove rail elements of a side of a lane. The wall is arranged parallel and adjacent to a side of the stock rail or the tongue rail. A blank holder works in a vertical direction for one of the rail elements. The wall is detachably connected with the base plate by a fastening part. A box (17) is provided with a removable lid, in which the wall is moved transverse to a radial longitudinal direction. The strip-like wall is formed as an angle structure. An independent claim is also included for a method for maintaining a rail extension device.