Rail Coupler Swivel Extension for Tight Curve Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing couplers for multi-car rail vehicles, particularly light rail vehicles like trams, face challenges in efficiently swiveling sideways during both uncoupled and coupled states, especially when navigating tight curves, due to limited space and the need for compact design.
Innovation Solution
A coupler system with a pivot bearing, actuating cylinder, and pretensioned tensioning device that allows swiveling beyond the actuating cylinder's range by using a tensioning device to extend or compress, ensuring the coupler can swivel further in tight curves, and includes a centering device for automatic positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the actuating cylinder is designed sufficiently large to cope with extreme extensions when the rail vehicle passes along tight curves, then the coupler can swivel through extreme angles during normal use, but the size of the actuating cylinder becomes larger than the available space
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two functional segments: the actuating cylinder provides controlled swiveling up to a first angular position, while the tensioning device provides passive elastic support for further swiveling to extreme positions. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, keeping the actuating cylinder compact while achieving extreme swivel angles through the combined system.
Solution Approach 2:
The tensioning device introduces dynamic elasticity to the system, allowing the coupler to passively adapt to extreme angles beyond the actuating cylinder's range. The elastic element dynamically adjusts to the swivel angle, providing force only when needed during tight curve navigation, rather than requiring the actuating cylinder to continuously maintain extreme positions.
2Ease of operation
If the coupler is actively swiveled sideways using the actuating cylinder, then the coupler can be positioned for coupling or folded back, but the actuating cylinder alone cannot provide sufficient range for both folded position and extreme curve navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The tensioning device acts as an intermediary between the actuating cylinder and the coupler rod. It receives controlled motion from the actuating cylinder and translates it into extended swiveling range through elastic deformation, effectively mediating between the limited actuator range and the required extreme positioning for both folding and curve navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tensioning device is pre-tensioned to a specific value that corresponds to the first angular position. This preliminary action allows the system to switch from active control (actuating cylinder) to passive elastic support (tensioning device) at the appropriate moment, enabling seamless extension beyond the cylinder's range without requiring the cylinder to be oversized.
Data Source
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AI summary
In a coupler (1) of a multi-car light rail vehicle, such as a tram, a coupler head and a pivot bearing having a substantially vertical pivot axis are provided on opposite ends thereof. An actuating cylinder (4) is provided to swivel the coupler (1) about the pivot axis (3A) between a neutral position and a first angular position (ϕ1). A tensioning device (5) is functionally arranged between the actuating cylinder (4) and a part of the coupler (1) or between the actuating cylinder (4) and a car of the vehicle. In the first angular position (ϕ1), the coupler head (2) can be pivoted backward about a joint (6) into a parking position. The tensioning device (5) allows the coupler (1) to be swiveled beyond the first angular position (ϕ1) into a second angular position (ϕ2).