COUPLER FOR A RAIL VEHICLE AND RAIL VEHICLE WITH A COUPLER

Abstract

A coupler for coupling a railway vehicle to another railway vehicle, comprising a mounting arm for mounting the coupler to a railway vehicle, a coupling arm, and a joint, wherein the mounting arm and the coupling arm are connected to each other via the joint in such a way that the mounting arm and the coupling arm are movable relative to each other and the coupling arm can be brought into a position ready for coupling. The coupling further comprises a protective device to prevent or reduce damage to the mounting arm and/or the coupling arm and/or the joint caused by impact forces.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A coupler for coupling a railway vehicle to another railway vehicle, comprising: a mounting arm for mounting the coupler to a railway vehicle; a coupling arm; and a joint; wherein the mounting arm and the coupling arm are connected to each other via the joint in such a way that the mounting arm and the coupling arm are movable relative to each other and the coupling arm can be brought into a position ready for coupling; and wherein the coupling further comprises a protective device which is arranged and to prevent or reduce damage to the mounting arm and/or the coupling arm and/or the joint caused by impact forces.

14. The coupler of claim 13, further comprising a front portion having a forward end and a rear end, and a coupler head arranged on the forward end of the front portion; a rear portion having a forward end and a rear end and extending along a longitudinal axis (A) from the rear end to the forward end; and a pivot anchor arranged on a rear end of the rear portion, the pivot anchor configured to be attached to a car of a rail vehicle; a joint for connecting a rear end of the front portion to the forward end of the rear portion, the joint configured to allow the front portion to pivot in relation to the rear portion about a pivot axis (B) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A) from an operational position in which the forward portion and the rear portion are aligned so that the forward portion extends in a forward direction from the rear portion, to a pivoted position in which the forward portion is pivoted about the pivot axis (B) so that the forward portion extends at an angle from the rear portion; and wherein: the coupler further comprises a crash plate arranged on a crash plate holder, said crash plate having a substantially vertical front surface that is arranged in front of the front portion, the rear portion and the joint when the front portion is in the pivoted position; and the crash plate holder is arranged on the pivot anchor or on a part of the coupler that is non-pivotably connected to the pivot anchor.

15. The coupler of claim 13, wherein the rear portion is non-pivotably attached to the pivot anchor.

16. The coupler of claim 13, wherein the crash plate holder is mounted on the rear portion.

17. The coupler of claim 13, wherein the crash plate holder is mounted on a rear joint portion of the joint, the rear joint portion being non-pivotably arranged on the rear portion.

18. The coupler of claim 13, wherein the crash plate comprises a first plate portion and a second plate portion, each of the first plate portion and second plate portion being arranged vertically facing in the forward direction.

19. The coupler of claim 18, wherein the first plate portion is arranged in a vertical direction above the second plate portion.

20. The coupler of claim 13, wherein the crash plate has an anti-climbing surface.

21. The coupler of claim 13, wherein at least a part of the crash plate comprises a horizontal alignment device for preventing movement in a horizontal direction of a mating coupler.

22. The coupler of claim 13, wherein the angle is less than 90°.

23. The coupler of claim 22, wherein the angle is less than 45°.

24. The coupler of claim 13, wherein the rear portion and/or the pivot anchor comprises an energy dissipating element that will be destructed when a force of a certain force level is applied to the energy dissipating element.

25. A rail vehicle with a coupler comprising: a car body; a coupler connected to the car body; wherein the coupler comprises: a mounting arm for mounting the coupler to the railway vehicle; a coupling arm; and a joint; wherein the mounting arm and the coupling arm are connected to each other via the joint in such a way that the mounting arm and the coupling arm are movable relative to each other and the coupling arm can be brought into a position ready for coupling; and wherein the coupling further comprises a protective device which is arranged and to prevent or reduce damage to the mounting arm and/or the coupling arm and/or the joint caused by impact forces.

26. The rail vehicle of claim 25, further comprising: the coupler having: a front portion having a forward end and a rear end, and a coupler head arranged on the forward end of the front portion; a rear portion having a forward end and a rear end and extending along a longitudinal axis (A) from the rear end to the forward end; and a pivot anchor arranged on a rear end of the rear portion, the pivot anchor configured to be attached to the car of the rail vehicle.

27. The rail vehicle of claim 26, further comprising: the coupler having: a joint for connecting a rear end of the front portion to the forward end of the rear portion, the joint configured to allow the front portion to pivot in relation to the rear portion about a pivot axis (B) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A) from an operational position in which the forward portion and the rear portion are aligned so that the forward portion extends in a forward direction from the rear portion, to a pivoted position in which the forward portion is pivoted about the pivot axis (B) so that the forward portion extends at an angle from the rear portion; and wherein: the coupler further comprises a crash plate arranged on a crash plate holder, said crash plate having a substantially vertical front surface that is arranged in front of the front portion, the rear portion and the joint when the front portion is in the pivoted position; and the crash plate holder is arranged on the pivot anchor or on a part of the coupler that is non-pivotably connected to the pivot anchor.

Description

[0040] Hereinafter, the invention is explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 which only shows exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a first coupler according to the prior art arranged next to a second coupler according to the prior art;

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a first coupler according to the invention arranged next to a second coupler according to the invention in a first operational state;

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a first coupler according to the invention arranged next to a second coupler according to the invention in a second operational state;

[0044] FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of a first coupler according to the invention next to a second coupler according to the invention in a third operational state and

[0045] FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of a crash plate holder of a coupler according to the invention.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a first coupler 1 according to the prior art arranged next to a second coupler 1 according to the prior art. The couplers 1 are for a rail vehicle. The first coupler 1 will be attached to an end of one rail vehicle. The second coupler 1 will be attached to an end of a further rail vehicle that is arranged neighboring the one car. The couplers 1 each comprise [0047] a front portion 2 having a forward end 3 and a rear end 4, and a coupler head 5 arranged on the forward end 3 of the front portion 2; [0048] a rear portion 6 having a forward end 7 and a rear end 8 and extending along a longitudinal axis A from the rear end 8 to the forward end 7, and [0049] a pivot anchor 9 arranged on a rear end 8 of the rear portion 6, the pivot anchor 9 being configured to be attached to a car of a rail vehicle, [0050] a joint 10 for connecting a rear end 4 of the front portion 2 to the forward end 7 of the rear portion 6, the joint 10 being configured to allow the front portion 2 to pivot in relation to the rear portion 6 about an pivot axis B that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A from an operational position in which the forward portion 2 and the rear portion 6 are aligned so that the forward portion 2 extends in a forward direction from the rear portion 6, to a pivoted position in which the forward portion 2 is pivoted about the pivot axis B so that the forward portion 2 extends at an angle from the rear portion 6.

[0051] FIGS. 2 to 4 show a schematic perspective view of a first coupler according to the invention arranged next to a second coupler according to the invention. The couplers 1 are for a rail vehicle. The first coupler 1 will be attached to an end of a rail vehicle. The second coupler 1 will be attached to an end of a further rail vehicle that is arranged neighboring the one car.

[0052] The couplers 1 each comprise [0053] a front portion 2 having a forward end 3 and a rear end 4, and a coupler head 5 arranged on the forward end 3 of the front portion 2; [0054] a rear portion 6 having a forward end 7 and a rear end 8 and extending along a longitudinal axis A from the rear end 8 to the forward end 7, and [0055] a pivot anchor 9 arranged on a rear end 8 of the rear portion 6, the pivot anchor 9 being configured to be attached to a car of a rail vehicle, [0056] a joint 10 for connecting a rear end 4 of the front portion 2 to the forward end 7 of the rear portion 6, the joint 10 being configured to allow the front portion 2 to pivot in relation to the rear portion 6 about an pivot axis B that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A from an operational position in which the forward portion 2 and the rear portion 6 are aligned so that the forward portion 2 extends in a forward direction from the rear portion 6 (not shown in the FIGS. 2 to 4), to a pivoted position in which the forward portion 2 is pivoted about the pivot axis B so that the forward portion 2 extends at an angle from the rear portion 6 (see FIGS. 2 to 4).

[0057] The couplers 1 according to the invention further each comprise a crash plate 11 arranged on a crash plate holder 12, said crash plate 11 having a substantially vertical front surface 13 that is arranged in front of the front portion 2, the rear portion 6 and the joint 10 when the front portion 2 is in the pivoted position.

[0058] In the couplers 1 according to the invention the crash plate holder 12 is arranged on the pivot anchor 9 or on a part of the coupler 1 that is non-pivotably connected to the pivot anchor 9.

[0059] The rear portion 6 is non-pivotably attached to the pivot anchor 9. The crash plate holder 12 is mounted on the rear portion 6. The crash plate holder 12 is mounted on the joint 10, namely on a rear joint portion 14 that is non-pivotably arranged on the rear portion 6. The crash plate 11 comprises a first plate portion 15 and a second plate portion 16, each of the first plate portion 15 and second plate portion 16 being arranged vertically facing in the forward direction. The first plate portion 15 is arranged in a vertical direction above the second plate portion 16. The crash plate 11 has an anti-climbing surface. At least a part of the crash plate 11 comprises a horizontal alignment device for preventing movement in a horizontal direction of a mating coupler. The angle is less than 90°, preferably less than 45°.

[0060] The pivot anchor 9 comprises an energy dissipating elements in form of shear out bolts 17. The shear out bolt 17 connects a plate 18 of the pivot anchor 9 with a frame plate 19. The frame plate 19 is intended for being connected to the underframe of a car of a rail vehicle. The shear out bolts 17 will be destructed, if a force of a certain force level is applied to them. Destruction of the shear out bolts 17 also destroys the connection between the plate 18 and the frame plate 19 and sets the frame plate 19 free to move relative to the plate 18. This status is shown in FIG. 4 on the right hand coupler 1.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows the couplers 1 in a first operational state. This could be the state, where a rail vehicle with the first coupler attached to it is parked next to a further rail vehicle with the second coupler attached to it.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows the couplers 1 in a second operational state. This could be the state, where a rail vehicle with the first coupler attached to it has travelled in the direction of the further rail vehicle with the second coupler attached to it and crashes into the further rail vehicle.

[0063] FIG. 4 shows the couplers 1 in a second operational state. This could be the state, where a rail vehicle with the first coupler attached to it has travelled in the direction of the further rail vehicle with the second coupler attached to it and has crashed into the further rail vehicle with such force that the shear out bolts 17 have sheared out (they are not shown on the right hand coupler in FIG. 4 any further) and have set the frame plate 19 free in relation to the plate 18. The plate 18 will move under/into the underframe of the rail vehicle, while the frame plate 19 stay connected to the underframe of the rail vehicle by bolts that are not shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.