Rail Vehicle Antenna Mount Height Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing height-adjustment solutions for beacon antennas on rail vehicles are complex, not user-friendly, and fail to adequately compensate for changes in antenna position due to wear on rail vehicle wheels.

Innovation Solution

A height-adjustable mount with a vehicle-side and antenna-side part, featuring a continuous height adjustment mechanism and independent locking mechanism operated by rotating screw elements, allowing precise and reliable adjustment of the antenna's vertical position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a height adjustment mechanism is provided for beacon antennas on rail vehicles, then the antenna height can be adjusted to compensate for wheel wear, but the adjustment mechanism becomes complex and not user-friendly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveantenna height adjustabilityVSAvoidadjustment mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting bracket is divided into distinct functional segments: a height adjustment mechanism with independent adjustment and locking functions, and a separate mounting structure. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently without unnecessary complexity in the overall system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The locking function is extracted as an independent feature from the height adjustment mechanism. The locking element can be operated separately to secure the antenna at the desired height, decoupling the adjustment and locking operations to simplify the user interface and reduce operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If existing height adjustment solutions are used, then some height adjustment capability is provided, but they fail to adequately compensate for changes in antenna position due to wheel wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompensation for wheel wearVSAvoiddata transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The height adjustment mechanism provides localized adjustment capability at the antenna mounting point, allowing precise compensation for wheel wear without requiring adjustment elsewhere in the system. This targeted approach maintains reliable data transmission by keeping the antenna at the optimal height relative to the track bed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The mounting bracket incorporates a dynamic height adjustment capability that allows the antenna height to be modified in response to changing conditions (wheel wear). This dynamic adjustment ensures continuous optimal performance despite gradual changes in the rail vehicle's geometry over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

Enables easy, precise, and stable adjustment of the antenna's height above the track bed, compensating for changes in rail vehicle wheel wear, ensuring reliable data transmission and maintaining optimal alignment with data transmission units.

Implementation Method 1

a height adjustment means with which a position of the antenna-side part relative to the vehicle-side part can be continuously adjusted in a first direction, and a locking means independent of the height adjustment means, with which the position of the part on the antenna side that can be adjusted by means of the height adjustment means can be fixed relative to the part on the vehicle side, wherein the locking means can be operated by rotating a screw element about an axis running parallel to the first direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectScrew mechanism: Screw

Data Source

PatentEP3121091B1Holder for antennas
Publication Date: 2019.05.08 BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION GMBH
  • EP3121091B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3121091B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3121091B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A height-adjustable bracket (100, 101) for an antenna (1) comprises a vehicle-side part (100A) that can be attached to a rail vehicle (500), an antenna-side part (100B) to which the antenna (1) can be attached, a height adjustment means (2) with which a position of the antenna-side part (100B) relative to the vehicle-side part (100A) can be continuously adjusted in a first direction (z), and a locking means (3, 20, 30) independent of the height adjustment means (2) with which the position of the antenna-side part (100B) relative to the vehicle-side part (100A) that can be adjusted by means of the height adjustment means (2) can be fixed.