Sensorized axle box-bearing unit for supporting a railway axle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017282940-A1
Application number	US-201715464929-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Oct 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An axle box-bearing unit for an axle including a housing element and a sensor unit having a sensor module, a connection piece for connecting to a processing unit and a flexible electrical cable joining the sensor module and the connection piece into a single part. The housing element is delimited by an annular lateral wall provided with a transversal through hole engaged by a plug fitted in a fluid-tight manner to the flexible electrical cable between the sensor module and the connection piece. A first plate provided with a second through hole is rigidly connected to the lateral wall of the housing element, with the second hole aligned with the first hole and crossed through by the plug, a second U-shaped plate is fitted astride of the plug to connect with one end of same that projects radially from the holes and is rigidly connected to the first plate.

First claim

1 . A sensorized axlebox-bearing unit for supporting a railway axle, comprising:
an axle box designed to receive the railway axle in a rotatable manner by means of a rolling bearing and provided with a stationary housing element, and a sensor unit including a sensor module connected integral to the axle box and provided with a plurality of transmission elements for monitoring the axle and the bearing, a connection piece to be connected to an electronic processing unit and a data transmission flexible electrical cable connecting integral in one piece the sensor module with the connection piece, wherein the housing element is bounded by an annular lateral wall provided with a first through hole formed radially through the annular lateral wall of the housing element; the sensor unit is mounted within the housing element through the first transversal through hole, the sensor unit also provides a plug or adapter fitted in a fluid-tight manner on the data transmission flexible electrical cable between the sensor module and the connection piece and configured to be inserted radially in the first through hole to seal in a fluid-tight manner the first through hole, the axlebox-bearing unit further including a first plate having a second through hole formed transversely through the first plate; the first plate being integrally constrained with the annular lateral wall of the housing element, externally to the same and with the second through hole aligned coaxially with the first through hole, the first plate being crossed through by the plug or adapter, and the axlebox-bearing unit also including a second, U-shaped plate, which is fitted astride of the plug or adapter for coupling with a first end of the plug, projecting radially from the first and second through-hole on the outside of the housing element and is rigidly fixed, in a removable way, to the first plate to mechanically lock the plug through the lateral wall of the housing element.

2 . The sensorized axlebox-bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the plug of the sensor unit has a second end, opposite the first one, and wherein second end is arranged inside the housing element, radially projecting from the annular lateral wall within the housing element; on a first side of the second end of the plug protruding in tangential direction with respect to the annular lateral wall of the housing element a flexible pipe, having transverse dimensions less than those of the first and second through hole and which houses, inside thereof, a first length of the data transmission flexible electrical cable disposed between the plug and the sensor module so that the first length of the data transmission flexible electrical cable remains bent sideways with respect to the plug and adjacent to a lateral inner surface of the lateral wall of the housing element.

3 . The sensorized axlebox-bearing unit according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor module is integrally supported by a first end of the pipe, opposite to the plug or adapter.

4 . The sensorized axlebox-bearing unit according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor module includes a casing and a fixing flange integrally formed in one piece with the casing and arranged parallel to a maximum extension of the casing that develops in a longitudinal direction and substantially parallel to the first end of the pipe; the sensor module having, perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, transverse dimensions less than those of the first and second through hole.

5 . The sensorized axlebox-bearing unit according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor module provides a casing and a fixing flange, the casing being arranged, in the longitudinal direction of maximum extension thereof, substantially parallel to the pipe and the fixing flange being arranged transversely to the casing and the pipe; the fixing flange being formed as an independent element from the casing and being provided with a through slot by means of which the flange is fitted on the pipe and can slide along the same and which is insertable in a sliding manner on the casing on the side of a first end of the casing facing towards the pipe and up against a second end of the casing, opposite the first end, and provided with a stop rim; the transverse dimensions of the casing and of the flange, when the slot engages the pipe but not the casing and the flange is arranged askew with respect to the pipe, being less than those of the first and second through hole.

6 . The sensorized axlebox-bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the plug or adapter is delimited by a cylindrical lateral wall that couples with the first and second through hole and is provided at the first through hole with a first annular seat in which a first annular sealing element, of O-ring type, is housed sandwiched between the first through hole and the cylindrical lateral wall of the plug; the first plate being provided at the second through hole with a second annular seat in which a second annular sealing element, of O-ring type, is housed sandwiched between the second through hole and the cylindrical lateral wall of the plug.

7 . The sensorized axlebox-bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second, U-shaped plate, is coupled under an axial annular shoulder supported by the first end of the plug on a side opposite to the first plate, between the first plate and the axial annular shoulder.

8 . The sensorized axlebox-bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second, U-shaped plate, is coupled laterally, with respective opposite its own lateral prongs, inside respective tangential recesses formed on a length of a cylindrical lateral wall of the plug or adapter that protrudes radially projecting from the first plate, the second plate being supported in abutment onto the first plate.

9 . The sensorized axlebox-bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second plate is constrained to the first plate by means of screws or similar removable locking means, which preferably also constrain the first plate to the annular lateral wall of the housing element.

10 . The sensorized axlebox-bearing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the housing element is provided, at the front, with a through seat that reaches transversely the first hole and houses a screw or other removable connecting means engaging transversely with the plug or adapter to block any possible relative rotation inside the first and second hole; the plug or adapter also provided with a reference pin that extends projecting from the plug parallel and to the side of the first end of the stopper to engage a recess of the second plate.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Rossi Mario
• Mazzarino Alberto
• Roberti Andrea
• Vana Riccardo

Classifications

• G01M13/04

  Bearings · CPC title

• F16C2326/10

  Railway vehicles · CPC title

• F16C41/00

  Other accessories, {e.g. devices integrated in the bearing not relating to the bearing function as such} · CPC title

• B61F15/20 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F16C41/008

  Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means · CPC title