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EP-4438437-B1 - COUPLER FOR A MULTI-CAR RAIL VEHICLE

EP4438437B1EP 4438437 B1EP4438437 B1EP 4438437B1EP-4438437-B1

Inventors

  • WIKSTRÖM, Erik
  • Melin, Philip
  • Welander, Isak

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230330

Claims (15)

  1. A coupler (1) for a multi-car rail vehicle, in particular for a light rail vehicle such as a tram, the coupler comprising a coupler head (2), at one end thereof, a pivot bearing (3) having a substantially vertical pivot axis (3A), at an opposite end thereof, and a centering device (10) configured to have an active state and an inactive state, wherein, in the active state, the centering device (10) supports swiveling of the coupler (1) toward a neutral position, and further comprising, in addition to the centering device, an actuating cylinder (4), one end thereof being connected to a part of the coupler (1) and an opposite end thereof being configured for connection to a car (100) of a multi-car rail vehicle or to a bearing bracket by which the coupler is attachable to a car of a multi-car rail vehicle, wherein the arrangement is such that, in use of the coupler (1) on a multi-car rail vehicle, a change of a length of the actuating cylinder (4) causes the coupler (1) to swivel about the pivot axis (3A) in a first direction between the neutral position and a first angular position (φ 1 ), wherein a tensioning device (5) is functionally arranged between the actuating cylinder (4) and the part of the coupler (1) or between the actuating cylinder (4) and the car (100) or bearing bracket (101).
  2. The coupler according to claim 1, wherein, in the neutral position of the coupler, the tensioning device (5) is pre-tensioned, wherein preferably the tension of the pre-tensioned tensioning device (5) in the neutral position of the coupler (1) is in the form of a pre-compression or a pre-extension of the tensioning device (5).
  3. The coupler according to claim 2, wherein a tension of the pre-tensioned tensioning device (5) in the neutral position of the coupler (1) is higher than a force which is needed to pivot the coupler (1) about the pivot axis (3A), wherein preferably the tension of the pre-tensioned tensioning device (5) in the neutral position of the coupler (1) is 10 kN or less, more preferably 5 kN or less, most preferably 3 kN or less.
  4. The coupler according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the pre-tensioned tensioning device (5) comprises a preloaded biasing element (51) which is mounted between two limiting elements (52A, 52B) either in a compressed state or in an extended state, wherein preferably the arrangement is such that the biasing element (51) can only be compressed further or extended further, as the case may be, thereby increasing the load on the biasing element (51).
  5. The coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, in an activated state of the actuating cylinder (4), actuation of the actuating cylinder (4) causes the coupler (1) to swivel about the pivot axis (3A) from the neutral position to the first angular position (φ 1 ) without any change in the tension of the tensioning device (5).
  6. The coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, in an inactive state of the actuating cylinder (4), swiveling of the coupler (1) about the pivot axis (3A) from the neutral position to the first angular position (φ 1 ) coincides with a change of the length of the actuating cylinder (4) and further swiveling from the first angular position (3A) to a second angular position (φ 2 ) coincides with an increase of the tension of the tensioning device (5).
  7. The coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a stroke limit (43) which limits active swiveling of the coupler (1) by means of the actuating cylinder (4) up to the first angular position (φ 1 ).
  8. The coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuating cylinder (4) is activatable in opposite directions so as to enable the actuating cylinder (4) to cause the coupler (1) to swivel about the pivot axis (3A) both from the neutral position to the first angular position (φ 1 ) and from the first angular position (φ 1 ) to the neutral position.
  9. The coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tensioning device (5) comprises a biasing element (51), preferably a coil spring.
  10. The coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or both of: - the first angular position (φ 1 ) is between 20° and 40°, preferably 30°, from the neutral position and - the second angular position (φ 2 ) is more than 40°, preferably 47°, from the neutral position.
  11. The coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the arrangement is such that swiveling of the coupler (1) about the pivot axis (3A) in a second direction opposite to the first direction between the neutral position and a third angular position (φ 3 ) coincides with an increase of the tension of the tensioning device (5).
  12. The coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or both of: - the tensioning device (5) is located on one side relative to a first virtual plane (Q) which connects the coupler head (2) and the pivot axis (3A) and the actuating cylinder (4) is located on an opposite side relative to the first virtual plane (Q), wherein preferably the first virtual plane (Q) is vertical, and - both the tensioning device (5) and the actuating cylinder (4) are located above or below a second, horizontal virtual plane connecting the coupler head (2) and the pivot axis (3A).
  13. The coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a joint (6) between the pivot axis (3A) and the coupler head (2), the joint (6) being configured for enabling the coupler head (2) to be folded backward toward the pivot axis (3A).
  14. A car (100) of a multi-car rail vehicle comprising a coupler (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.
  15. A method of using the coupler (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13 on a car (100) of a multi-car rail vehicle, wherein, when the coupler (1) is in an uncoupled state, the coupler (1) is swiveled sideways relative to the car (100) into the first angular position (φ 1 ) using the actuating cylinder (4), wherein preferably the coupler head (2) of the coupler (1) is folded backward toward the pivot axis (3A).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a coupler for a multi-car rail vehicle, in particular for a light rail vehicle, such as a tram. The invention also relates to a car of a multi-car rail vehicle comprising such a coupler. The coupler of the present invention is particularly intended for the use on a multi-car rail vehicle in which, when the coupler is not in use, i.e. in its uncoupled state, it may be swiveled sideways or even folded away and, when in use, i.e. in its coupled state, it may likewise swivel sideways, namely when the rail vehicle drives along a curvy track. Accordingly, the invention further relates to a method of using the coupler relative to a car of a multi-car rail vehicle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A device for deflecting a coupler of a multi-car rail vehicle is known from WO 2017/157738 A1, wherein an actuator is provided which is attached to the car body with one of its ends and to the coupler rod of the coupler with its opposite end. The actuator may comprise an actuating cylinder. Using the actuator, the coupler rod and thus the coupler may be actively swiveled about a pivot anchor by which the coupler is pivotably connected to the car body. This way, the deflection device can be used to couple a first car of a multi-car vehicle to a second car of a multi-car vehicle even in a situation where the first car and the second car are not aligned along a straight line but are positioned along a curved track. US 3 520 420 A and JP S52 85208 U disclose a coupler with a centering device. If a coupler is not in use, it is advantageous that the coupler does not protrude from the front of the rail vehicle in order to save space and avoid collision with other parts or people. Therefore, for some rail vehicles it is a requirement to fold the coupler head backward when the coupler is not in use, i.e. in the coupler's uncoupled state, as is further described in EP 3 922 531 A1. In order to fold the coupler head backward and place it in close proximity to the underframe of the rail vehicle, the coupler head is pivotable in relation to a rear portion of the coupler. In some embodiments the coupler is swiveled sideways before or after the coupler head is folded backward. In respect of light rail vehicles, such as trams, which need to drive along much tighter curves than regular trains, the sideways swiveling of the coupler during regular use, i.e. in the coupled state, may be more extreme as compared to the sideways swiveling required when the coupler head is to be folded back in its uncoupled state. While it is possible to design the actuating cylinder, which is needed for actively swiveling the coupler sideways in its uncoupled state, sufficiently large so that it can cope with extreme extensions when the rail vehicle passes along tight curves during normal use, the size of such an actuating cylinder may become larger than the available space. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coupler which can be swiveled away from its normal, neutral position, when it is not in use, i.e. in its uncoupled state, and which can be swiveled even further away from its neutral position during normal use, i.e. in its coupled state. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a car of a multi-car rail vehicle having a corresponding coupler. An even further object of the present invention relates to a method of using the coupler on a multi-car rail vehicle. Accordingly, a first aspect of the present disclosure relates to a coupler for a multi-car rail vehicle, the coupler comprising a coupler head, at one end thereof, and a pivot bearing having a substantially vertical pivot axis, at an opposite end thereof. The pivot bearing may form part of a pivot anchor, as is generally known in the art. The coupler further comprises an actuating cylinder, wherein one end of the actuating cylinder is connected to a part of the coupler and an opposite end thereof is configured for connection to a car of a multi-car rail vehicle or to a bearing bracket by which the coupler is attachable to a car of a multi-car rail vehicle. The arrangement is such that, in use of the coupler on a multi-car rail vehicle, a change of a length of the actuating cylinder causes the coupler to swivel about the pivot axis in a first direction between a neutral position and a first angular position. The neutral position of the coupler is a position in which a longitudinal axis of the coupler is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the car on which the coupler is mounted. A centering device is provided to support bringing and/or holding the coupler in the neutral position, as is also generally known in the art. In addition, according to this first aspect of the present disclosure, a tensioning device is provided which is functionally arranged between the actuating cylinder and the part of the coupler or between the actuating cylinder and the car or bearing bracket. In other words, t