Automatic Fire Extinguishing Coupling for Mobile Units
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile unit fire extinguishing systems provide limited and temporary protection, requiring manual connection to an external extinguishing medium source, which is difficult and often impossible in situations where the unit is temporarily out of service or on fire, especially at depots or stations where servicing increases fire risk.
Innovation Solution
An automatic connection system that joins a mobile unit's fire extinguishing system to an external medium source, using a connecting part within the unit and a movable counterpart to form a quick and reliable joint with the fixed extinguishing system, allowing pre-pressurized trunk pipe usage and enhancing fire protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual connection is used to join mobile unit to external medium source, then connection can be formed, but it requires expert personnel and is difficult to perform quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system performs automatic self-alignment and self-connection between the mobile unit's connecting part and the fixed system's counterpart. The movable means with guide surfaces enables the connecting parts to automatically align and form a joint without requiring manual intervention or expert personnel, thus achieving self-service connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting part is pre-positioned on the mobile unit and the counterpart is pre-positioned on the movable means. When the mobile unit approaches the fixed system, these pre-positioned components automatically engage through the guide surfaces, eliminating the need for on-site manual assembly or expert intervention during the connection process.
2Productivity
If automatic connection system is implemented, then connection speed and ease are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into separate functional components: a connecting part on the mobile unit, a movable means with guide surfaces, and a counterpart on the fixed system. This segmentation allows each component to be relatively simple in design while achieving automatic connection functionality when assembled together, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable means with guide surfaces acts as an intermediary mechanism that facilitates automatic connection. It provides the guiding function that enables the connecting part and counterpart to align and join automatically, simplifying the overall connection process while maintaining relatively simple device structures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If mobile unit operates independently without external connection, then operational independence is maintained, but fire protection duration is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The fire extinguishing system is designed with dual capability: it can operate independently using the mobile unit's own extinguishing medium source, or it can connect to the fixed external medium source for extended operation. The connecting part and counterpart enable this multi-functionality, allowing the system to adapt to different operational scenarios and significantly extend fire protection duration when connected to external sources.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5a
AI summary
Method for joining the extinguishing system of a mobile unit (1), such as of a vehicle, a carriage connected to a vehicle, a railway vehicle or its carriage, such as a train or train carriage, to an external medium source, in which method a connecting part (7) is arranged in the extinguishing system of the mobile unit, and a counterpart (71) is outside the mobile unit, which parts are connected to each other. The counterpart (71) is arranged in a movable means (70), which is moved between at least one first position, a standby position, and one second position, a connection position, in which case the coupling is automatically formed between the connecting part (7) and the counterpart (71).