Section Insulator With Adjustable Conductive Runners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing section insulators for conductor rails face issues with spark formation due to bent free ends of conductive runners, inexact assembly leading to uneven contact, and mechanical vibrations, which cause wear, voltage peaks, and torque impulses on collectors.
Innovation Solution
The section insulator arranges closed conductive runners in a single plane intersecting with insulating runners, ensuring constant contact and minimizing vibrations, with adjustable elements to maintain precise alignment and prevent spark formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the free ends of conductive runners are bent towards the top to achieve gentle entry of the collector, then the mechanical impact is reduced, but spark discharge occurs due to the air gap between the runner and collector
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of bending the runner ends upward to achieve gentle entry, the patent inverts the approach by bending them downward toward the travel plane. This reversal eliminates the air gap that causes spark discharge while still providing a gradual transition for the collector through the inclined ramp surfaces on the runner ends.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of bent runner ends causing air gaps and sparks into a benefit by using the bent-down configuration with inclined surfaces to create a controlled, gradual contact transition. The bending that would normally create harmful air gaps is instead used to form ramp surfaces that guide the collector smoothly onto the runner.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the runners are arranged with a large second distance to ensure electrical isolation, then spark discharge is prevented, but torque impulses and vibrations increase on the collector
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the runner arrangement adjustable rather than fixed. The distance between runners and their alignment can be dynamically adapted to maintain optimal contact conditions, reducing vibrations and torque impulses while preserving electrical isolation through controlled positioning rather than excessive spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of runner positioning, including distance, angle, and alignment, to optimize both electrical isolation and mechanical contact stability. By adjusting these parameters rather than using fixed large distances, the system achieves adequate insulation while minimizing vibrations and torque impulses on the collector.
3Ease of manufacture
If the runners are made with free ends to allow flexible contact, then assembly is simplified, but mechanical vibrations and contact force fluctuations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the runner ends with specific bending angles and inclined surfaces before assembly. This preliminary shaping ensures that when the runners contact the collector, the forces are distributed evenly and predictably, reducing vibrations and contact force fluctuations while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the runner ends, including bend radius, inclination angle, and surface profile, to achieve stable contact forces. These parameter optimizations maintain the flexibility and ease of assembly of free-ended runners while eliminating the instability and vibrations caused by poor geometric design.
Data Source
AI summary
A section insulator for two aligned rigid conductor rails, wherein the section insulator forms a closed system in that, in the extension of each conductor rail, a conductive runner and an insulating runner rigidly connected to the conductive runner are connected to the opposing conductor rail. The lower side of the runners, facing the travel plane, is arranged in a contact plane. All of the runners are also height-adjustable in relation to the conductor rails.