Electrical train coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046338-B2
Application number	US-201816762214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Nov 13, 2017
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

An electrical train coupling having two coupling halves, each including at least one electrical contact element, which is electrically contactable with an electrical contact element of the particular other coupling half, including one electrical connection per coupling half. At least one electrical contact element of at least one coupling half is supported by a decoupling element movable against the force of a force accumulator at least also along a coupling direction of the coupling halves, the decoupling element, in a coupled state of the two coupling halves, being moved against the force of the force accumulator into an electrically conductive contact of the electrical contact element with the electrical connection of the coupling half and, in a decoupled state of the two coupling halves, moved by the force of the force accumulator with the electrical contact element, being lifted off of the electrical connection to disconnect the electrically conductive contact to the electrical connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical train coupling comprising:
two coupling halves, each including at least one electrical contact element electrically contactable with an electrical contact element of the respective other coupling half, including an electrical connection per coupling half;
the at least one electrical contact element of at least one of the two coupling halves being supported by a decoupler movable against a force of a force accumulator at least along a coupling direction of the coupling halves,
the decoupler in a coupled state of the two coupling halves being moved against the force of the force accumulator into an electrically conductive contact of the electrical contact element with the electrical connection of the one coupling half; and
the decoupler in a decoupled state of the two coupling halves being moved by the force of the force accumulator so the electrical contact element is lifted off of the electrical connection to disconnect the electrically conductive contact from the electrical connection; wherein the one coupling half includes a safety interlock, the safety interlock, in the decoupled state of the two coupling halves, blocking the decoupler against a movement of the electrical contact element in the direction of the electrical connection, the blocking being able to be canceled by a manual or automatic actuation of the safety interlock.

2. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 1 wherein the decoupler includes a carriage axially movable in the coupling direction, the carriage supporting the electrical contact element of the one coupling half, the electrical contact element including a first contact surface facing toward a respective electrical contact element of the other coupling half and a second contact surface facing toward the electrical connection of the one coupling half, the first and second contact surfaces each for applied electrical contacting.

3. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 1 wherein the one coupling half includes a housing movably accommodating the decoupler and a seal being provided in an area of a first axial end of the housing facing toward the respective other coupling half in the coupled state, the decoupler being pressed with the aid of the force accumulator in the decoupled state of the two coupling halves against the seal.

4. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 1 wherein the safety blocks the decoupler in a formfitting manner.

5. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 1 wherein the respective other coupling half includes a corresponding decoupler.

6. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 1 wherein the two coupling halves each include a housing closable with the aid of a cover on a frontal first axial end facing toward the respective other coupling half.

7. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 1 wherein the two coupling halves are fixed on one another with the aid of a detent connection in the coupled state, the detent connection being retained with the aid of at least one spring element and being disengaged above a predetermined traction force, moving the coupling halves away from one another, against a spring force of the spring element.

8. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 7 wherein the two coupling halves each include a housing including at least one axial detent projection having a radial detent opening and at least one detent element movable in the radial direction against the spring force, the detent element of the one coupling half being positioned to engage in the detent opening of the other coupling half.

9. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 1 wherein the two coupling halves are identical to one another at least with respect to the at least one electrical contact element and the decoupler.

10. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 9 wherein the two coupling halves are identical to one another with respect to a housing of each of the two coupling halves.

11. A coupling half for an electrical train coupling as recited in claim 1 , comprising:
an electrical contact element and an electrical connection,
the at least one electrical contact element being supported by a decoupler movable against the force of a force accumulator at least along a coupling direction of the coupling halves, the decoupler in a coupled state of the electrical train coupling being moved against the force of the force accumulator into an electrically conductive contact of the electrical contact element with the electrical connection and the decoupler in a decoupled state of the electrical train coupling being moved by the force of the force accumulator so the electrical contact element is lifted off of the electrical connection to disconnect the electrically conductive contact to the electrical connection.

12. An electrical train coupling comprising:
two coupling halves, each including at least one electrical contact element electrically contactable with an electrical contact element of the respective other coupling half, including an electrical connection per coupling half;
the at least one electrical contact element of at least one of the two coupling halves being supported by a decoupler movable against a force of a force accumulator at least along a coupling direction of the coupling halves,
the decoupler in a coupled state of the two coupling halves being moved against the force of the force accumulator into an electrically conductive contact of the electrical contact element with the electrical connection of the one coupling half; and
the decoupler in a decoupled state of the two coupling halves being moved by the force of the force accumulator so the electrical contact element is lifted off of the electrical connection to disconnect the electrically conductive contact from the electrical connection; wherein the two coupling halves each include a housing closable with the aid of a cover on a frontal first axial end facing toward the respective other coupling half;
wherein the one coupling half has a safety interlock, the safety interlock in the decoupled state of the two coupling halves, blocking the decoupler against a movement of the electrical contact element in the direction of the electrical connection, the blocking being able to be canceled by a manual or automatic actuation of the safety interlock, wherein the cover is movable between a closed position and an open position, and in the open position actuates the safety interlock to cancel out the blockade.

13. The electrical train coupling as recited in claim 12 wherein the cover is pivotably attached on the housing.

Assignees

• Voith Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• Aquino De Oliveira Renato Guimaraes
• Pinto Da Silva Daiana

Classifications

• H01R13/447

  Shutter or cover plate · CPC title

• H01R13/5202

  Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings · CPC title

• H01R13/639

  Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} · CPC title

• B61G5/10 Primary

  for electric cables · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title