EP2828136A1

EP2828136A1 - Device for keeping a guided vehicle on course in the event of derailment and/or loss of guidance

Info

Publication number: EP2828136A1
Application number: EP13704764.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe Carpentier; Yves Clarissou; Luciano Consoli
Original assignee: Siemens SAS
Current assignee: Siemens SAS
Priority date: 2012-03-21
Filing date: 2013-02-12
Publication date: 2015-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 2033-02-12
Also published as: US9422672B2; US20150033976A1; TWI577591B; BR112014023236A2; TW201348042A; EP2828136B1; HK1203911A1; CA2867870A1; EP2641806A1; KR20140136942A; BR112014023236B1; WO2013139534A1; KR102033660B1; CA2867870C; IN2014DN05843A; CN104203710A

Abstract

The invention describes a device for keeping a guided vehicle on course, which is intended to be fitted to a guided vehicle able to move on a track comprising a guide rail (3) and two lateral rails (13, 14) which are parallel to said guide rail, said guided vehicle comprising a guide member comprising guide wheels (1, 2), each of the wheels being intended to bear against said guide rail, said course-preservation device comprising: a. a bar (15) intended to be fixed to said guide member so as to be transverse to the track, said bar having a length L of between the distance D separating the lateral rails from one another minus the width C of the rail head of said guide rail and said distance D; b. a fixing means designed for fixing said bar (15) to said guide member in such a way that said bar is positioned transversely between and at the level of said lateral rails.

Description

Device for maintaining a trajectory of a guided vehicle in the event of derailment and / or clearance.

The present invention relates to a device for maintaining a trajectory of a guided vehicle during a derailment and / or clearance of said guided vehicle, according to the preamble of claim 1.

"Guided vehicle" refers to means of public transport such as buses, trolleybuses, trams, subways, trains or train units, etc., but also to means of transporting loads such as, for example, cranes, for which the safety aspect is very important and for which guidance is provided in particular by a single rail. The latter serves as a guide for a guide member which generally bears on the rail and follows its path during the movement of the guided vehicle. The guide member allows for example a guide system to direct a steering axle of the vehicle along the path defined by the rail, said axle being for example provided with load wheels.

A first known variant of the guide member comprises a pair of guide wheels, also called guiding rollers, mounted in V and provided with lugs for gripping the guide rail. Such a guide member is for example described in documents US 7,228,803 B2, US

6,029,579 Al, US 6,363,860 B1. Such a guiding member reliably protects the guiding of the vehicle until it stops. It allows for example to avoid material damage that could come from a loss of guidance, and preserve the physical integrity of staff or passengers embarked in the case of public transport. The guided vehicles such as guide member func ^¬ tionnent according to the following general principle by refe rence ^¬ to Figure 1: said guide member follows the rail 3 by means of the pair of rollers 1, 2 in contact with the rail 3 and controls the guidance system a direction to impose on a steering axle of the vehicle. The guide rail 3 is in particular composed of a sole 4 fixed to the ground 5 and a core 6 supporting a mushroom 7 on which the rollers 1, 2 are supported via a tread 9. Each of the rollers 1, 2 of the same pair of guide rollers and has its tread 9 in contact with a surface of the mushroom 7, called rolling surface 8 and symmetrically distributed on either side of the upper part of the mushroom 7. During the moving the vehicle, the rollers 1, 2 are in contact with the mushroom 7, and their respective lugs 10 surround non-contact in nominal mode, the latter and approach the core 6 below it. As the distance between the lower ends 201, 101 of the two lugs 10 surrounding the mushroom 7 is less than the width C of the mushroom 7, an extraction of the mushroom 7 out of the grip of said rollers 1, 2, or out of the zone between the treads 9 and the lugs 10, is possible only if the angle of attachment of the rollers, ie the angle corresponding to the sector formed by the axes of rotation of each of the rollers 1, 2 of a pair of rollers and which is cut by the plane of symmetry of the pair of V-shaped rollers, increases and / or if the chins 10 and / or the outer edges of the mushroom 7 are deformed. The correct orientation of the vehicle is thus obtained by coupling the pair of rollers of the guide member of the guide system with the steering axle of the vehicle. If the rollers correctly enclose the guide rail, the vehicle follows the path described by the rail during its movement. On the other hand, if the rollers come out of their normal position operation, e.g., if the mistletoe railhead ^¬ dage exits the area between the treads and flanges, then the vehicle may leave the path initially set by the rail. Indeed, as soon as the rollers are no longer subject to the direction imposed by the guide rail, they can move to the right or left of the rail, thus deviating the vehicle from the intended path. The scenario in question is defined as a loss of guidance or simply deguidage of the vehicle. In other words, the correct positioning of the rollers is a necessary condition to ensure the correct direction of the vehicle.

A second variant of the guide member is described in WO 2008/074942 A1 and consists of a pair of brackets enclosing a mushroom, as described above, but with the difference that the rollers are devoid of the chins. In this case, the chins of the wheels are replaced by fixed and integral pegs to a base for fixing the rollers, the latter being further protected by a safety buckle. This configuration provides a higher rigidity which increases the effort required for the rollers to be extracted from the rail.

Whatever the variant of the guide member considered, extraction of the mushroom out of the grip of the rollers is possible. This is the case, for example, when a vertical upward pulling force is applied to the rollers or to a base for fixing the rollers so that a deformation of the pieces (latch and / or fungus and / or axis of the rollers) makes the distance between the chins exceeds the width of the mushroom. In this case, the rollers no longer clamp the rail and can be positioned next to the latter, as shown in Figure 2, or on the guide rail, as shown in Figure 3, the references used in Figure 1 being taken over for 2 and 3. In position on the guide rail, the vehicle can still be guided even if the guide member no longer surrounds the guide rail. On the other hand, if the guide rollers are positioned next to the guide rail, a bending of the carrier wheels may cause the guided vehicle to exit its originally intended trajectory, which may have detrimental consequences for the operation of the vehicle. and the network to which it belongs, as well as for the safety of passengers and on-board personnel.

Thus, the current guiding systems of the guided vehicles do not make it possible to maintain the trajectory of said guided vehicle during a derailment. An object of the present invention is to provide a simple device, safe and reliable, for maintaining the trajectory of a guided vehicle during a derailment or a loss of guidance of the latter. In other words, it is in particular to prevent quickly and reliably that the guide system of a guided vehicle can keep its steering power by means of the steering rods in case of loss of guidance and / or derailment.

In order to achieve this objective, a device is proposed by the content of claim 1.

A set of subclaims also has advantages of the invention.

The present invention relates to a device for maintaining a trajectory, intended to equip a guided vehicle capable of moving on a track comprising at least one guide rail and two side rails which are, for example, current rails, said lateral rails being parallel to said guide rail and positioned, in particular symmetrically, on either side thereof, and said guide rail defining a path for the guided vehicle. The- said guided vehicle comprises in particular a guidance system for guiding said vehicle according to the path imposed by the guide rail. The guiding system comprises in particular a guide member comprising guiding wheels or rollers, each of the guide wheels being intended to bear on said guide rail in order to impose on said guided vehicle, via said guide member, said path defined by the guide rail. Said holding device is characterized in that it comprises: a. a bar intended to be fixed to said guide member, so as to be transverse to the track and thus to the guide rail, said bar having a length L between the distance D separating the side rails from each other subtracted from the width C of the mushroom of said guide rail and said distance D separating the side rails from each other, ie D - C <L <D; b. a fastening means adapted for fastening said bar to said guide member so that said bar is positioned transversely to the track and thus to the guide rail, between and at said rails ^¬ lateral so as to bear on one or other of said side rails ^¬ during a derailment and / or dégui- dage said guided vehicle so as to guide said vehi ^¬ cule guided by imposing to said guide member the trajec ^¬ tory defined by the rail guide.

Indeed, as the lateral rails are parallel to the guide rail, they are also adapted to control a displacement ^¬ ment of the guided vehicle along said path imposed by the guide rail. The lateral rails may in particular be current or power rails intended to supply electrical energy to said guided vehicle, or lateral rails configured for guiding said guided vehicle during derailment or clearing of said guided vehicle. by cooperation with a holding device trajec ^¬ tory of the invention. To this end, said bar is configured so as to maintain the ends of the rollers in posi ^¬ tion on the guide rail as shown in Figure 3 or 4. By end of rollers, it is in particular reference to the lug equipping a roller or wheel, but also to a bou ^¬ clier fairing or rollers which take support on the guide rail at a derailment or loss guide as illustrated schematically in Figure 3 when said guided vehi- cule is equipped with the holding device the trajec¬ ^{¬ tion} according to the invention. The geometry and the structure of the bar, as well as the fixing means of said bar to said guide member in particular allow to transmit to said guide member a direction to follow in order to maintain said vehicle guided along the path defined by the guide rail.

Preferably, said bar and / or said fixing means comprise an insulating material capable of preventing a transfer of electricity from one of said side rails to said guided vehicle during a contact of said bar with said side rail, particularly when the particular case where the side rail is a current rail. For example, said bar may comprise at each of its ends said insulating material, and / or be made of said insulating material and / or coated at least in part with a layer of said insulating material.

Preferably, said guide bar comprises a jaw adapted to surround the mushroom of said rail so as to serve as a flush-stone when it is used on a correctly guided vehicle. In particular, protruding parts of said jaw extend, when using said holding device according to the invention, on either side of the mushroom, under the latter, the separated distance rant the ends of said projecting portions of the ma ^¬ jaw under said fungus being less than the width of said mushroom so as to prevent an output of said mushroom rail out of the influence of said jaw when using said holding device according to the 'invention.

Said bar has in particular a substantially parallelepiped shape. According to a preferred embodiment, the ^¬ said bar has at least a portion of one of its ends bevelled, so that for example a front view, the overall geometric shape of the bar substantially corresponds to a rectangle which is superimposed an isosceles trapezoid whose base has a length identical to the length of the rectangle, and the top has a length less than the base. In this way, the geometric shape of the bar allows in particular a self-centering of said bar between the side rails during a derailment and / or guiding of the guided vehicle. In addition, said bar may in particular comprise at least one of its ends a support wheel configured to bear on one of said side rails during said derailment and / or clearance of said guided vehicle.

Preferably, the fixing means is in particular adapted to fix said bar to a base for fixing a wheel / roller or wheels / guide rollers of the guide member. In addition, said fixing means may in particular fix said bar to said guide member rigidly or flexibly, i.e. so as to damp the transmission to the guiding member of a shock of an object with said bar. To this end, the fixing means preferably comprises a shock absorbing device, comprising for example a hydraulic damping system and / or spring.

The present invention also relates to a guide member of a guided vehicle comprising said holding device of a trajectory as previously described, said member being characterized in particular that it comprises a pair of said guide wheels mounted in V pointed downwards and provided with lugs for gripping the guide rail. The present invention also relates to a guided vehicle comprising said holding device as described above.

Finally, examples of realization and application are provided using:

Figure 1 pair of guide rollers correctly fitted in nominal mode on a guide rail; Figure 2 positioning next to a guide rail

a pair of guide rollers in a derailment;

Figure 3 positioning on a guide rail of a pair of guide rollers during a derailment;

Figure 4 positioning of the guide rollers during a derailment of a guided vehicle equipped with a holding device according to the invention;

Figure 5 example of attachment of a holding device according to the invention to a base for fixing rollers of a guide member;

FIG. 6 exemplary embodiment according to the invention of a device for maintaining the trajectory;

FIG. 7 embodiment according to the invention

bar equipped with support wheels. Figures 1 to 3 respectively show a correct braking of a pair of rollers 1, 2 on a guide rail 3 representing the nominal operating mode of the pair of rollers 1, 2, a case of derailment of the pair of rollers 1 , 2 next to said guide rail 3, and a derailment case of the pair of rollers 1, 2 on the guide rail 3, each roller being mounted on a fastening base 12 of the guide member. The derailment of the pair of rollers 1, 2 next to the guide rail 3 can lead to a steering of the guide member may lead to a loss of trajectory for the guided vehicle.

In order to avoid such a problem, the present invention proposes to equip the guiding member of a guided vehicle with a device for maintaining the trajectory. Figure 4 shows for this purpose an embodiment of a holding device according to the invention, mounted on a guide member of a guided vehicle derailed. The guided vehicle can for example run on a track comprising a guide rail 3 and side rails 13, 14, which can for example be used to supply electrical power to said guided vehicle. A guide member comprising a pair of downwardly pointing v-shaped wheels or guide rollers 1, 2 allows the guided vehicle to follow the path described by the guide rail 3 in nominal mode. In a derailment as shown in FIG. 4, the holding device according to the invention makes it possible to maintain said trajectory of said guided vehicle despite derailment and / or clearance. The holding device according to the invention comprises in particular: a. a bar 15 intended to be fixed to said guide member, for example to a fastening base 12 of the rollers 1, 2 of said guide member, so as to be transverse to the track and thus to the guide rail 3, said bar 15 having a length L between the distance D ^¬ obviating the side rails 13, 14 from each other under ^¬ deals with the width C of the head of said rail mistletoe ^¬ dage 3 and said distance D between the side rails from each other, ie D - C <L <D; b. fastening means adapted for attachment of said bar 15 to said guide member so that said bar is positioned transversely to the track and thus to the guide rail 3, between and at said side rails 13, 14 so as to to bear on one or the other of said lateral rails 13, 14 during a derailment and / or clearance of said guided vehicle, so that said bar 15 is able to impose on said guide member the trajectory defined by the rail of guidance 3.

Preferably, said bar 15 is mounted in front of said guide member with respect to a direction of travel S said guided vehicle, as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6. Each end 151, 152 of the bar 15 is curved in particular in a direction contrary to the direction of displacement S of said vehicle, or may simply comprise an insulating tip, metallic or not. A fastening means 16 may for example make said bar 15 integral with a fastening base 12 of the rollers of the guide member. The fastening means comprises in particular a system of nuts 162 and screws 161 adapted for fixing said bar 15 to said guide member, for example to said fastening base 12 of said guide member. In particular, the system of nuts 162 and screws 161 can cooperate with a system of plates 163 for holding said bar integral with said fixing base 12. Preferably, the holding device according to the invention, for example said bar 15 and / or said plates 163, comprises a jaw 17 capable of surrounding the mushroom of said guide rail 3, in particular by projecting portions 171 of said jaw 17, so as to serve as a flush-stone when used on a correctly guided vehicle. The jaw 17 is notably configured so as to allow a clearance of approximately 14 mm all around the mushroom of the guide rail 3. The value of said clearance is in particular determined so that said clearance avoids a contact of said jaw. with the guide rail during lateral movement, vertical, roll rotation, and pitch of the rollers, while also taking into considera ^¬ wear of the rollers.

Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the bar 15 according to the invention. The references of the preceding figures are kept in FIG. 7 for identical objects. Preferably, said bar 15 is for example made of a metallic material or an alloy (for example made of steel, stainless steel, etc.), or of a composite material (for example, fiberglass , carbon fiber, etc.), or a mixture of metallic and composite material, for example composite-coated metal. The choice is made in particular according to the mechanical forces and the presence of current in the lateral rails 13, 14. Preferably, said bar 15 is structured so as to minimize its longitudinal flexion. A typical length L of the bar 15 is for example 768 mm for lateral rails 13, 14 spaced apart by 800 mm, so as to guarantee a clearance of approximately 16 mm between each end of the bar 15 and the side rail when a derailment or loss of guidance of said guided vehicle. In particular, each end of the bar 15 may be provided with a support wheel 153 configured to bear on said lateral rail 13, 14 during derailment or loss of guidance of the guided vehicle. In summary, the device according to the invention has the following advan ^¬ tages:

- a reduced number of components likely to cause a breakdown, involving particularly low cost of deve ^¬ lopment, manufacturing, installation and hand ^¬ tenance;

- Resistance to contra ^¬ ingnational outdoor environments related to guided vehicles;

- Securing and maintaining the path in case of derailment of the guide member;

- A hunting-stone function of the device according to the invention for removing objects in the guide path and protect the guide member, in particular by means of said jaw equipping the bar according to the invention.

Claims

claims

Device for maintaining a trajectory, intended to equip a guided vehicle capable of moving on a track comprising at least one guide rail (3) and two side rails (13, 14) parallel to said guide rail

(3) and positioned on either side of the latter, said guided vehicle comprising a guide member comprising guide wheels (1, 2), each of the wheels

(1, 2) being intended to bear on said guide rail (3), said holding device being characterized in that it comprises:

at. a bar (15) intended to be fixed to said guide member so as to be transverse to the track, said bar having a length L between the distance D separating the side rails from each other subtracted from the width C of the mushroom of said guide rail and said distance D separating the side rails from each other, ie D - C <L <D;

b. fastening means (16) adapted for attachment of said bar (15) to said guide member so that said bar (15) is positioned transversely between and at said side rails (13, 14) so as to take pressing on one or the other of said lateral rails (13, 14) during a derailment and / or clearance of said guided vehicle.

Device for maintaining a trajectory according to claim 1, characterized in that said bar (15) and / or said fixing means (16) comprises an insulating material able to prevent a transfer of electricity from one of said lateral rails ( 13, 14) to said guided vehicle upon contact of said bar (15) with said lateral rail (13, 14) when the latter is a current or supply rail.

Device for holding a trajectory according to reven ^¬ dication 1 or 2, characterized in that the means of fixed ^¬ (16) is adapted to secure said rod (15) to a fixing base (12) of a wheel guiding the guide member.

Device for maintaining a trajectory according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said guide bar (15) comprises a jaw (17) adapted to surround the mushroom of said rail (3) so as to serve as a stone chase when used on a correctly guided vehicle.

Device for maintaining a trajectory according to claim 4 characterized in that projecting portions (171) of said jaw extend, when using said device, on either side of the fungus, under the latter, the distance separating the ends of said protrusions (171) from the jaw (17) under said mushroom being less than the width of said mushroom so as to prevent an exit of said guide rail (3) from the grip of said jaw (17) when using said device.

Device for maintaining a trajectory according to one of claims 2 to 5 characterized in that said bar (15) comprises at each of its ends said insulating material.

Device for maintaining a trajectory according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that said bar (15) is made of said insulating material or at least partly coated with a layer of said insulating material.

Device for maintaining a trajectory according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said bar (15) has at least a portion of one of its ends tail ^¬ beveled.

Device for maintaining a trajectory according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bar (15) comprises at least one of its ends a support wheel (153) configured to bear on one of said lateral rails (13, 14) during said derailment and / or clearance of said guided vehicle.

Device for maintaining a trajectory according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bar (15) is made of steel.

Device for maintaining a trajectory according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fixing means (16) comprises a shock-absorbing device for damping a transmission to the guiding member of a shock of a object with said bar (15).

Guide member for a guided vehicle comprising said path maintaining device according to one of claims 1 to 11.

Guide member according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises a pair of said V-shaped guide wheels (1, 2) provided with lugs for gripping the guide rail (3). Guided vehicle comprising said holding device according to one of claims 1 to 11.