Railway Electric Coupling Tilting Cover Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric couplings for rail vehicles are structurally complex and prone to failure due to the need for multiple cover plates and support rods, which complicate the protection of electrical connections during uncoupling and coupling processes, while also failing to provide a high degree of tightness and protection against external influences.
Innovation Solution
A tilting device is integrated into the electric coupling, allowing the closure cover to automatically pivot and press tightly against the clutch housing when uncoupled, ensuring protection and retracting to expose the plugs/sockets during coupling, with a 360° sealing element and tilting mechanism for enhanced sealing and simplicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple cover plates and support rods are used to protect electrical connections, then protection against external influences is improved, but device complexity increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure cover is divided into two functional zones: an open position where plugs/sockets are accessible, and a closed position where they are protected. The tilting device enables this segmentation by allowing the cover to pivot between positions, providing protection only when needed while maintaining accessibility during coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure cover is made dynamic through the tilting device, which allows it to pivot between open and closed positions. This dynamic design replaces the need for multiple static cover plates and support rods, simplifying the structure while maintaining protection functionality when the cover is in the closed position.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple cover plates and support rods are used to protect electrical connections, then protection against external influences is improved, but the system becomes prone to failure
Solution Approach 1:
The tilting device extracts the essential protection function from the complex assembly of multiple cover plates and support rods. By consolidating the protection mechanism into a single pivoting cover with a tilting device, the system eliminates unnecessary components that could fail, thereby improving reliability while maintaining protection against external influences.
Solution Approach 2:
The tilting device is designed to be actuated automatically by the coupling mechanism itself. When the coupling head moves into the coupled position, the tilting device automatically pivots the closure cover to the appropriate position without requiring additional actuators or complex control systems, reducing failure points.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the closure cover is kept closed to protect plugs/sockets, then protection against external influences is improved, but accessibility during coupling process is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The tilting device is pre-configured to automatically pivot the closure cover to the open position before the coupling process begins and to close it automatically after coupling is complete. This preliminary and automatic action ensures that plugs/sockets are accessible when needed and protected when not in use, without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism itself actuates the tilting device through its movement. As the coupling head moves into the coupled position, this motion is transferred to the tilting device, which automatically pivots the closure cover to the appropriate position, eliminating the need for separate actuators or manual operation.
4Device complexity
If a simple tilting device is used, then device complexity is reduced, but sealing effectiveness may be worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is designed with local quality variations to accommodate the simple tilting motion. The sealing lip is positioned and shaped to engage effectively with the sealing surface during the pivoting action, ensuring tight sealing despite the mechanical simplicity of the tilting device. The sealing geometry is optimized for the specific motion path created by the tilting mechanism.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
AI summary
A coupling for connecting two rail vehicles is equipped with an electrical coupling comprising a coupling housing (6) and a coupling head (4) with plugs or sockets (7) for connecting the power lines of the rail vehicles. A hinged cover (8) is provided for sealing the plugs or sockets (7) by means of a tilting device (10). The tilting device (10) is designed such that the hinged cover (8) can be pressed down with its closing surface almost perpendicularly onto a contact surface (9) of the coupling housing (6) surrounding the plugs or sockets (7). With this arrangement, the plugs or sockets (7) are completely protected from external influences by the hinged cover (8) when the coupling is uncoupled.