Railway Electrical Connector Slide Mechanism for Confined Space Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of electrical connection devices between railway cars is complex and risky due to the need for secure handling and installation in confined spaces, posing challenges for operators.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connection device with a slide mechanism for a removable retaining plate that moves between free and inserted positions, allowing secure cable management and fixing, along with a locking member and cable glands for improved stability and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If lifting equipment is used to move the cable assembly and control box between cars, then the installation can be performed, but the assembly process becomes complex and requires additional equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The connection device is divided into separate components: a housing fixed to the second car, a removable retaining plate with cable retaining elements, and cable glands. This segmentation allows the housing to be pre-installed on the second car, eliminating the need to handle the entire cable assembly with lifting equipment. The retaining plate can be independently manipulated and installed by operators in the confined space between cars.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is pre-fixed to the second car before cable installation. The retaining plate is designed with pre-positioned cable retaining elements that engage with the housing features. This preliminary preparation of the housing and retaining plate structure eliminates the need for complex on-site assembly operations and heavy lifting equipment during the actual cable installation phase.
2Ease of operation
If operators work in the confined space between two cars, then the connection device can be installed, but safety risks and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the connection device into a stationary housing component and a removable retaining plate component, the system allows operators to work with smaller, more manageable parts in the confined inter-car space. The housing remains fixed and provides structural support, while the retaining plate can be independently positioned and secured, reducing the need for operators to manipulate large assemblies in tight spaces.
3Ease of operation
If the retaining plate is removable and movable in a slide, then cable management is simplified, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining plate is merged with the housing through a sliding connection mechanism where the retaining plate moves within a slide formed by the housing. This merging provides guided movement that simplifies cable management operations while the integrated slide structure minimizes the added complexity. The retaining plate combines cable retention features with the sliding mechanism in a single component.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The electrical connection device (2) comprises: - a set of cables (14), each cable (14) having a first end (24) intended to be connected to a first car (4) and a second end (26) intended to be connected to a second car (6), - a housing (16) intended to be mounted on the second car (6), and - a removable retaining plate (18), the cables (14) passing through the retaining plate (18). The housing (16) has at least one receiving slide (40), the retaining plate (18) being movable between a free position and a position inserted into the receiving slide (40), in which the housing (16) carries the retaining plate (18).