BANISTER ARRANGEMENT FOR A RAIL VEHICLE

Abstract

A banister arrangement for a rail vehicle has a banister element and a holding element. The banister element is rotatable about an axis of rotation. The holding element is designed in such a way that it is attached or attachable as intended to the outside of a rail vehicle in such a manner that the axis of rotation is vertically aligned. There is also described a rail vehicle with such a banister arrangement and a method for operating such a banister arrangement.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A banister arrangement for a rail vehicle, the banister arrangement comprising: a banister element and a holding element rotatably supporting said banister element about an axis of rotation; said holding element being attached, or configured for attachment, to an exterior front-end region of the rail vehicle with the axis of rotation being oriented vertically.

17. The banister arrangement according to claim 16, configured for a rail vehicle having an upper footstep above a buffer of the rail vehicle and a lower footstep below the buffer, and wherein: said banister element is configured to jointly limit the upper footstep and the lower footstep delimited on at least one side of the banister arrangement, and the banister arrangement is configured as a banister and/or handle for the upper and lower footsteps; said banister element is rotatably mounted for rotation about the axis of rotation: into a first position in which said banister element permits access from the lower footstep to the upper footstep and additionally delimits the upper footstep on a side thereof facing away from the rail vehicle, and is rotatable about the axis of rotation; and into a second position in which said banister element blocks access from the lower footstep to the upper footstep and is additionally usable as a handrail for a person standing on the lower footstep.

18. The banister arrangement according to claim 16, wherein: said banister element is at least two banister elements on mutually opposite sides of said holding element, said banister elements are fixedly connected to one another by a rigid bar and are jointly rotatable about the axis of rotation; and said banister elements are rotated or rotatable by 90? relative to one another about the axis of rotation.

19. The banister arrangement according to claim 16, wherein: said banister element is at least two banister elements on mutually opposite sides of said holding element, said banister elements are unconnected and are rotatable independently of one another about the axis of rotation; and said banister elements are rotated or rotatable by 90? relative to one another about the axis of rotation.

20. The banister arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said banister element is at least two banister elements, and at least one of said banister elements is lockable by a locking element in a region of the axis of rotation or remote from the axis of rotation.

21. The banister arrangement according to claim 16, formed as a steel tube structure or a plastics tube structure.

22. A rail vehicle, comprising a banister arrangement according to claim 16 having the holding element in an outer region of the rail vehicle, with the axis of rotation oriented vertically.

23. The rail vehicle according to claim 22, comprising an end cab, and wherein the banister arrangement is attached adjacent said end cab or in front of said end cab.

24. The rail vehicle according to claim 23, comprising buffers of the rail vehicle, and wherein the banister arrangement is attached in a vicinity of said buffers of the rail vehicle.

25. The rail vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the banister element comprises bars extending parallel to the axis of rotation and/or bars extending orthogonally to the axis of rotation, and wherein: at least some of said bars that extend parallel to the axis of rotation and are disposed above a buffer of the rail vehicle are handlebars; and/or at least some of said bars that extend orthogonally to the axis of rotation and are disposed below a buffer of the rail vehicle are footstep bars.

26. The rail vehicle according to claim 22, comprising a number of locking elements configured and arranged for releasably fixing a banister element of the banister arrangement in a predetermined position.

27. The rail vehicle according to claim 26, wherein said locking elements are arranged for fixing a part of the banister element that is remote from the axis of rotation.

28. The rail vehicle according to claim 26, wherein said locking elements enable the banister element of the banister arrangement to be fixed in two different positions which correspond to an angle of rotation of at least 70? about the axis of rotation.

29. The rail vehicle according to claim 26, wherein the two different positions correspond to an angle of rotation of substantially 90? about the axis of rotation.

30. The rail vehicle according to claim 22, further comprising at least two footsteps arranged in a region of a buffer of the rail vehicle, said footsteps being jointly delimited on at least one side by at least one banister element of the banister arrangement.

31. The rail vehicle according to claim 22, comprising an upper footstep above a buffer of the rail vehicle and a lower footstep below the buffer, said upper and lower footsteps being jointly delimited on at least one side by a banister element of the banister arrangement.

32. The rail vehicle according to claim 31, wherein said banister element reaches at least 70 cm over said upper footstep and is configured for use as a banister and/or a handle for said upper and lower footsteps, and said banister element is rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation: into a first position in which said banister element permits access from said lower footstep to said upper footstep and forms a banister that additionally delimits said upper footstep on its side facing away from the rail vehicle, and is rotatable about the axis of rotation, and into a second position in which said banister blocks access from the lower footstep to the upper footstep and is additionally usable as a handle for a person standing on said lower footstep.

33. The rail vehicle according to claim 32, wherein a banister element arranged at a level between said lower and upper footsteps is configured for use as a banister and as a step or ladder, and said banister element is rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation: into a first position in which the banister element serves as a footstep from said lower footstep to said upper footstep and forms a banister that additionally delimits said lower footstep with respect to the buffers of the rail vehicle; and into a second position in which said banister element forms a banister that delimits said lower footstep on a side facing away from the rail vehicle.

34. The rail vehicle according to claim 22, further comprising a mounting interface for attaching said banister arrangement to a buffer of the rail vehicle, said mounting interface including a mounting body with a component-fastening region and an attachment region different therefrom, wherein said component-fastening region is provided with fastening elements and/or holes for attaching the components, and said attachment region is shaped for fastening with buffer screws at at least two fastening points of a buffer flange of the buffer.

35. A method, comprising: providing a banister arrangement according to claim 16 on a rail vehicle, wherein the banister arrangement has a banister element that is rotatably mounted in a holding element about a vertical axis of rotation and the banister element is fixable against rotation by a locking element; releasing the locking element to enable a rotation of the banister element; rotating the banister element about the vertical axis of rotation in the holding element, selectively between a maintenance position and a switching position; and fixing the banister element by the locking element.

Description

[0038] The invention will also be explained once again in detail below with reference to the attached figures using exemplary embodiments. The same components in the various figures are provided with identical reference numbers here. The FIGS. are generally not to scale. In the figures:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a rail vehicle according to the prior art,

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a rail vehicle with a preferred banister arrangement in the switching position,

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a rail vehicle with a preferred banister arrangement in the maintenance position,

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a larger detail from FIG. 2.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a rail vehicle with a preferred banister arrangement in relation to a person.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a rail vehicle 20 with an end cab 25 according to the prior art from the front and the buffer region thereof additionally also once again in a perspective view for better clarity. This is a typical design of the front end region of a rail vehicle 1 with an end cab 25. The buffers 21 and the front apron 22 can clearly be seen. An upper footstep plane 23 which can be reached via footsteps 24 on the side of the rail vehicle 20 is arranged on the buffers for maintenance purposes. Due to the restricted space provided, there is no space here for a switchman's footstep according to standard EN16116, but merely for the footsteps and the footstep plane (neither of which are a switchman's footstep according to the standard EN16116).

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a rail vehicle 20 with a preferred banister arrangement 1 in the switching position. Part of the perspective detail from FIG. 1 can be seen from a somewhat different viewing angle. A preferred banister arrangement 1 according to the invention is illustrated with an upper banister element 2a and a lower banister element 2b which are both mounted lying opposite one another in a rotatable manner in a holding element 3 (one above the holding element 3 and one below) such that they can rotate about a vertical axis of rotation D (chain-dotted line). In this example, for better understanding of the orientations, described below, of the banister elements 2a, 2b, it can be presented that the upper banister element 2a is fixedly connected to the lower banister element 2b via a continuous bar, and therefore, when the upper banister element 2a rotates, the lower banister element 2b correspondingly rotates therewith.

[0046] In the front end region, the rail vehicle 20 has a maintenance footstep 5 as the upper footstep and a switchman's footstep 6, which is mounted on a mounting 7, as the lower footstep. On the maintenance footstep 5 it is possible, for example, to reach the windows of the end cab 25 of the rail vehicle (20) in order to clean them. A person can stand on the switchman's footstep 6 during switching operation. It corresponds here to the specifications of the standard EN16116-2.

[0047] In this example, the maintenance footstep 5 is attached directly to the buffer 21 by means of a mounting interface 8. The mounting interface 8 is located here between the buffer flange of the buffer 21 and a crash element (not denoted in detail) and is fastened there with the buffer screws.

[0048] The banister elements 2a, 2b of the banister arrangement 1 are manufactured here from bars (or tubes) which are preferably hollow and are preferably a steel tube structure. In the upper banister element 2a, the bars run largely parallel to the axis of rotation D so that they can readily serve as handlebars. In the lower banister element 2b, the bars largely run orthogonally to the axis of rotation D so that they can readily serve as footstep bars.

[0049] The banister arrangement 1 is positioned in such a manner that it delimits the two footsteps 5, 6 on at least one of the sides thereof with a banister element 2a, 2b. The banister arrangement 1 can be rotated here into a switching position and into a maintenance position and fixed there (see FIG. 4).

[0050] FIG. 2 shows the banister arrangement 1 in the switching position. In this position, access from the switchman's footstep 6 to the maintenance footstep 5 is blocked by the upper banister element 2a which can additionally be used as a grip for a person standing on the switchman's footstep 6. The lower banister element 2b, which is arranged at the height between the footsteps 5, 6, is used here as a banister and delimits the switchman's footstep 6 on its side facing away from the rail vehicle 20.

[0051] FIG. 3 corresponds to FIG. 2 with the difference that the banister arrangement 1 is rotated there into the maintenance position. In the maintenance position, access from the switchman's footstep 6 to the maintenance footstep 5 is permitted since the upper banister element has now been pivoted forward and forward delimits the front side of the maintenance footstep 5 (against falling off therefrom). Therefore, at the same time, the transition between the switchman's footstep 6 to the maintenance footstep 5 is free, and the lower banister element 2b can serve as a step from the switchman's footstep 6 to the maintenance footstep 5 and, as a banister, additionally delimits the switchman's footstep 6 from the buffers 21 of the rail vehicle 20.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows a larger detail of FIG. 2. In contrast to FIG. 2, locking elements 4 are indicated here by means of which the upper banister element 2a can be fixed. The movable handlebar, which here forms the upper banister element 2a, can be locked in two positions, the switching position and the maintenance position, and therefore an unintentional rotational movement can be prevented. If the lower banister element 2b, as stated above, is connected to the upper banister element 2a via a rod, it is automatically fixed at the same time by the locking of the upper banister element 2a. In a very simple embodiment, a locking element 4 can simply be a hole in the maintenance footstep 5. The banister arrangement can then be simply raised, rotated and plugged with a vertical bar of the upper banister element 2a into the closest hole in order to fix it.

[0053] In this example, there are two locking elements 4, and therefore the banister arrangement 1 can be fixed in the two different positions according to FIGS. 2 and 3, which positions differ by an angle of rotation of 90?.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows a rail vehicle 20 with a preferred banister arrangement 1 in the switching position A and the maintenance position B, as are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in relation to a person.

[0055] In conclusion, attention is once again drawn to the fact that the embodiments described in detail above and in the method are merely exemplary embodiments which can be modified in many different ways by a person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention. Moreover, the use of the indefinite article a or an does not exclude the possibility that there may be more than one of the features concerned. In addition, terms such as unit do not exclude the fact that the components concerned consist of a plurality of interacting subcomponents which may optionally also be arranged in a spatially distributed manner.