EP1602547B1 - Automatic central buffer coupling for a train composed of several rail vehicles. - Google Patents

Abstract

The automatic coupling, at the buffer center of a multi-unit rail vehicle, has a coupling head over a carrier unit (2) with the hydraulic or compressed air terminal (3) of a hydraulic/air line (4). The electrical contact carrier is under the hydraulic/air carrier, with a sliding movement along the longitudinal line (100) of the coupling, with the electrical contact terminals, with a movement control (7) operated hydraulically or pneumatically. When the electric terminal carrier is uncoupled, it is withdrawn into a position (8) behind the coupling plane (8) from where its is moved by the control into a coupled setting. A trigger (9) at the coupling centering unit (20a,20b) activates the electrical coupling control automatically when the two rail units have been coupled together mechanically, and a mechanical coupling mechanism (10) locks the hydraulic or pneumatic terminal.

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic central buffer coupling, in particular of the type "Tightlock / AAR", for a multi-unit rail vehicle, having a coupling head for the mechanical and non-positive connection of a first car body with an adjacent second car body, wherein the coupling head for pre- and fine centering as bolt / Bushing has executed centering; a support unit arranged below the coupling head and having at least one hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal of a hydraulic and / or compressed air line; a arranged below the support unit and longitudinally displaceably guided in the longitudinal direction of the central buffer coupling electrical contact carrier having contact terminals for electrical connections; and with a via the hydraulic and / or compressed air line hydraulically or pneumatically controllable actuator for longitudinal displacement of the electrical contact carrier, wherein the electrical contact carrier in the decoupled state is present in a decoupled position behind the coupling plane, and wherein the electrical contact carrier from the uncoupled, rear layer by means of the actuator in a front, dome-ready position in the coupling plane is displaceable.

Such an automatic central buffer coupling, which allows a fast and easy coupling and uncoupling of trains, is basically known from rail vehicle technology. In this case, the coupling of a car body with the coupling claw of the other car body is positively connected to the mechanical coupling of two adjacent car bodies to train and To be able to transmit impact forces between the mechanically coupled car bodies.

In addition to the mechanical coupling of adjacent car bodies, electrical lines, such as the power supply and data lines, are usually coupled through several contact terminals arranged in an electrical contact carrier. Furthermore, a concurrent Durchkupplungsvorgang of compressed air lines should be provided. The simultaneous with the mechanical coupling process running through coupling of lines (electrical lines and compressed air lines) requires, in particular for the contact terminals of the electrical connections that consists of the two coupling heads of the adjacent car body mechanical coupling is a rigid or rigid system to a required contact pressure to ensure and in particular to avoid the occurrence of arcing between the durchzukuppelnden contact terminals.

From the prior art, for example DE 241 43 84 A1, it is known that for the mechanical coupling of adjacent car bodies of the coupling head is to be designed such that the head at the front, front end in the coupling plane has a plane, arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis end face , which comes with the corresponding abutment surface of the counter-coupling to the plant. In this case, a compressed air terminal for coupling a compressed air line is also provided on or in this impact surface.

However, the principle of this arrangement known from the prior art, in which rigid and backlash-free end faces of the respective car bodies collide, can not readily be used in certain types of central buffer couplings. In particular, in the case of dog clutches, for example of the "AAR" or "Tightlock" type, no end faces or abutment surfaces oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis are provided. In addition, in the coupling process, each coupling head of this type basically still a certain amount of play, so that between the respective coupling heads longitudinal and transverse movements occur, which must be compensated accordingly, to a perfect coupling of the electric contact carrier and above all, without the occurrence of material-stressing arcs at the contact terminals.

In the development of an automatic center-puff coupling based on the principle of a dog clutch, it is above all important to present an economical and flat-design solution for the design and arrangement of an electrical contact coupling and an air line coupling, which are to be coupled together with the mechanical coupling of the coupling head. However, appropriate solutions are feasible only with considerable technical or economic effort due to the higher game and related standing movement of this type of coupling. In addition, such solutions are practicable only with difficulty or limitations, since in the vertically high-building central jaw clutch type couplings mainly the necessary installation space and free space for attaching the electrical contact coupling and / or the air line coupling are not available.

On the other hand, for example AAR couplings (AAR = American Association of Railway) are characterized by their simple design, robust design, high strength and low price. Another advantage is the fact that AAR couplings are universal, especially for both passenger and freight trains, can be used. These aspects have led to a worldwide interest in central buffer couplings of this type in finding an easy-to-use and economical solution to the above-mentioned problems associated with automatic coupling of the electrical contact coupling and the air line coupling.

From EP-1 102 696 A1 an electrical contact coupling for central buffer couplings, in particular for jaw clutches, for example of the type "AAR" is known, in which an electrical contact coupling is arranged below the mechanical coupling head, in such a way that it is longitudinally displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the central buffer coupling. It is envisaged to move the electrical contact coupling in the uncoupled state behind the coupling plane. In this position, damage to the electrical contact carrier can be largely avoided when the coupling head moves due to its design-related game on the coupling plane.

Although provided on the electrical contact coupling according to the above document centering and locking points to improve the contact pressure, but the solution given does not take into account the problem that there is still an increased game of mechanical coupling. This leads on the one hand to high loads on the electrical contacts and on the other hand that not always a secure contact between two coupled electrical contact couplings can be guaranteed.

Further, in the coupling head according to EP-1 102 696 A1, the pneumatic / hydraulic coupling of train units via a fixed, elastically mounted on the head air clutch. Thereby, it is necessary that the mechanical play of the heads is intercepted by the fixed air-coupling terminal; however, this is only possible to a limited extent. Also, it has proved problematic in the proposed solution to attach a carrying the electrical contact coupling support unit elastomer blocks on the coupling head, on the one hand to allow a fixed and on the other hand, a resilient connection between the coupling head and the support unit. In this case, it was shown that the connection in the mechanical closure is transferred directly to the electrical contact coupling through the connection via elastic elements, which can lead to contact problems.

From CH 425 877 A, a clutch assembly for rail vehicles is also known, in which a compressed air terminal is arranged in a displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the central buffer coupling Hilfsmundstück such that the compressed air terminal is present in the decoupled state in a decoupled position behind the coupling plane and together with the Hilfsmundstück with Help a clutch mechanism from the uncoupled, rear position in a front, dome ready position is slidable in the dome plane. The clutch assembly further includes an electrical contact coupling below the mechanical coupling head, wherein the electrical contact coupling is longitudinally displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the central buffer coupling and present in the uncoupled state behind the coupling plane. The clutch assembly is constructed so that when mechanical and non-positive coupling adjacent car bodies, the compressed air terminals of the respective clutch assemblies be moved by means of the clutch mechanism in the coupling plane, so as to durchzukuppeln the compressed air terminals of the respective car bodies. After coupling the compressed air terminals, a hydraulically controllable actuator is pressurized with compressed air, consequently the contact boxes of the electrical contact coupling are moved into a front, dome ready position in the dome plane with the aid of a lever-compressed air device.

The known from CH 425 877 A clutch assembly is generally complicated and expensive in construction, so that the manufacturing and maintenance costs are high. Furthermore, the clutch assembly due to the many components on a high clutch mass.

Based on the subject matter of EP-1 102 696 A1, the present invention is therefore based on the problem that when coupling the electrical contact coupling, the electrical contact terminals have been heavily stressed, since the mechanical and electrical coupling process for central buffer clutches of the AAR or Tightlock Type runs parallel and due to the higher game of this type of coupling a reduction of the contact pressure and possible arcing occurred and it could come in the air clutch by the higher game to compressed air losses, the so-called blow-off.

Based on the described problem, the present invention is based on the object, an automatic central buffer coupling of the type mentioned in such a way that on the one hand, the electrical contact coupling is improved in their leadership so that the increased clearance of the mechanical coupling no longer lead to high loads and a secure contact between two coupled electrical contact couplings can be made. On the other hand, the mechanical play of the closure must be compensated for in the integrated in the carrier unit air coupling to prevent pressure drops. Furthermore, the solution according to the invention should have the simplest possible but nevertheless reliably functioning structure.

This object is achieved in an automatic central buffer coupling of the type mentioned above in that the Zentrierorgane serve as a triggering device for triggering a clutch mechanism for coupling the at least one hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal in the mechanical coupling of the adjacent car bodies, wherein in the socket of the bolt - / bushing arrangement which receives the corresponding complementarily arranged bolt of the adjacent car body when coupled with the adjacent car body, a displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the clutch adjustment pin is moved in the mechanical coupling of the adjacent car bodies by a penetrating pin of the adjacent car body from the coupling plane and thereby triggers the clutch mechanism.

The solution according to the invention has a number of significant advantages over the known from rail vehicle technology and explained above central buffer couplings. Due to the tripping device according to the invention is achieved in an advantageous manner that the electrical contact coupling or the electric contact carrier is basically only then moved from the uncoupled, rear position in the front dome ready position in the dome plane, when the mechanical coupling is completed by the coupling head is already complete. This prevents that the contacts of the electrical contact coupling are subjected to a constant movement due to the higher clearance of the coupling head, so that the known problems, in particular the reduced contact pressure and the occurrence of electric arcs, can no longer occur. According to the invention it is provided that after the mechanical coupling of the adjacent car bodies, the triggering device triggers the clutch mechanism, the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal of the first car with a correspondingly in the coupling mirror of the two car bodies complementarily arranged hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal of the second Duping car. Through this coupling is now automatically coupled through the associated hydraulic and / or compressed air line immediately after the mechanical coupling of the car bodies. As a result, the actuating device for longitudinal displacement of the electrical contact carrier and the electrical contact coupling is acted upon hydraulically or pneumatically via the durchgekuppelte hydraulic and / or compressed air line. As a result From this, then the electrical contact carrier can be moved from the uncoupled rear layer by means of the controlled actuator in the front dome ready position in the dome plane, so that the coupling of the electric contact carrier can take place. Characterized in that by this process the coupling of the provided in or on the electrical contact carrier electrical contact terminals basically only after the mechanical coupling of the coupling head, caused by a relative movement of the coupling heads to each other caused arcing between the contact terminals are excluded. It also ensures that the coupling of the contact terminals takes place with sufficient contact pressure. Accordingly, it is possible with the inventive solution in an advantageous manner to significantly increase the reliability of the through-coupling of the electrical contact carrier and to increase the life of the contact terminals. Furthermore, the coupling of the electrical contact coupling is automatically initiated only after complete completion of the mechanical coupling process, so that the coupling operation of the electrical contact coupling automatically runs after completion of the mechanical coupling process.

Characterized in that the triggering device with respect to a plane perpendicular to the coupling plane mirror plane has a complementarily arranged bolt / bushing arrangement, wherein in the socket of the bolt / bushing assembly which receives a correspondingly complementary arranged bolt of the adjacent car body when pairing with the adjacent car bodies, a in Coupling direction displaceable adjusting pin is arranged, which is displaced in the mechanical coupling of the adjacent car bodies by the penetrating pin of the adjacent car body away from the coupling plane and thereby triggers the coupling mechanism is using the bolt / sleeve assembly on the one hand, the degree of freedom of the vertical and lateral movement of the Reduced overall coupling head, since it thus serves as a centering element. On the other hand, the bolt / bush arrangement provides the mechanical actuating force in order to displace the adjustment pin provided in the bush arrangement in the coupling direction away from the coupling plane. This displacement of the adjusting bolt ultimately triggers the coupling mechanism for coupling the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminals. Of course, it is also conceivable instead of an adjusting pin another appropriately designed device, such as a trigger hook or a tongue-shaped element to provide in the socket assembly.

The coupling head has for pre and fine centering designed as a bolt / bushing centering. It would be conceivable that the Zentrierdorn for pre-centering on the support unit on the same side to the vertical longitudinal center plane is assigned a Zentrierbuchse for fine centering on the contact carrier, and that the Zentrierbuchse for pre-centering on the support unit on the other side of the vertical longitudinal center plane a centering mandrel for fine centering on the contact carrier is provided, wherein the arrangement of the centering mandrel and the centering bushing, for example, is selected such that the centering on each side of each of the vertical center longitudinal plane, a respective centering pin and a respective centering are arranged. Advantageously, the Zentrierorgane can also serve at least partially simultaneously as a triggering device for triggering the clutch mechanism. In particular, this makes it possible to achieve a particularly compact design of the center buffer coupling according to the invention, since the triggering device has, on the one hand, the function of triggering the coupling mechanism and, on the other hand, the function of centering the coupling head or the electrical contact coupling.

Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

For example, it is provided that the at least one hydraulic and / or compressed-air terminal is arranged in a housing displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the central buffer coupling so that the at least one hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal is in a decoupled position behind the coupling plane behind the coupling plane and is displaceable together with the housing by means of the coupling mechanism from the uncoupled, rear position into a front, dome-ready position for coupling the hydraulic and / or compressed-air terminal in the coupling plane. In a particularly preferred manner, the at least one hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal is arranged in the center of the contact surface of the support unit. This particular embodiment minimizes the effects due to the play or movement of the coupling head. Thereby In particular, it is ensured that the hydraulic and / or compressed-air terminal basically remains in the position withdrawn from the coupling plane until the final state of the coupling head has been reached after the mechanical and non-positive coupling of the two adjacent carriage bodies and thereby relative movements of the coupling heads are switched off to each other. In the case of mechanical uncoupling of the coupling head, conversely, the displacement of the housing with the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal provided therein from the coupling plane to the rearward position is in principle in the first step of the operation. Therefore, the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal is always located in the retracted relative to the coupling plane position, when the coupling head is in the coupling or decoupling process in an advantageous manner. By providing a housing, which is displaceable in the coupling direction, and which contains the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal, an additional protection of the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal is achieved. Of course, however, can also be dispensed with a corresponding housing when the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal is designed accordingly.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the coupling mechanism of the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal has a swivel arm rotatably mounted about a pivot pin which frictionally locks the adjusting pin to the housing of the at least one hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal or to the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal combines. The fact that the adjusting pin is connected via the swivel arm to the housing of the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal or to the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal, it is achieved that in the case when the adjusting pin by the bolt of the bolt / socket assembly is moved in the longitudinal direction of the coupling away from the coupling plane, the pivot arm rotates about the horizontally rotatably mounted pivot pin and therefore shifts the housing of the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal or the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal itself in the longitudinal direction of the coupling in the coupling plane , Thus, therefore, a pivot mechanism is provided, through which the displacement of the adjusting pin from the coupling plane away the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal is moved into the coupling plane to durchzukuppeln the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal and the actuator to control the longitudinal displacement of the electrical contact carrier. Of course, however, other embodiments, in particular with regard to the pivot mechanism, are also conceivable here.

In order to achieve that in the latter embodiment, no transverse forces but only tensile or shear forces in the longitudinal direction of the coupling from the adjusting pin to the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal are transmitted, is provided in an advantageous manner that the pivot arm on the one hand with the adjusting pin and on the other hand with the Housing of the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal or with the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal itself is connected via a pin / slot arrangement, the slot perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the coupling and the pin is movably mounted in the slot. Of course, other embodiments are conceivable here as well.

In a further advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the triggering device further comprises a reset device which is designed in such a way to reset the clutch mechanism after the mechanical decoupling of the two car bodies in an unresolved state in which the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal decouples and thus the Hydraulic and / or compressed air line separated and unencumbered. This is achieved in the application example by simultaneously applied with the uncoupling of Entkuppelzylinder the mechanical clutch and the actuating cylinder of the electric contact carrier with hydraulic and / or compressed air, whereby the electrical and mechanical separation can take place almost simultaneously. The electrical contact carrier is located after completion of the separation behind the coupling plane in the retracted position, while the mechanical parts of the coupling still stand together spatially. Only by the movement apart of the mechanical coupling is the separation of the hydraulic and / or compressed air line (s). Of course, other sequential control systems are conceivable, such as a delayed mechanical decoupling.

In order to keep this after coupling in the at least one hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal in the coupling plane, and in particular to prevent that after the coupling of the at least one hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal this not by the operation of the coupling mechanism on the coupling plane addition is shifted, a limiting device is provided in a particularly advantageous realization of the central buffer coupling according to the invention, which limits the movement of the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal in the longitudinal direction of the coupling to the coupling plane. On the other hand, after the at least one hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal has been coupled through the permanently hydraulically or pneumatically actuated or controlled actuating device, movement of the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal in the longitudinal direction of the coupling away from the coupling plane is prevented. This makes it possible to safely hold after coupling the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminals in the coupling plane. As a limiting device in this case could serve as a stop, but other solutions are possible.

Since a large number of different signals often have to be through-coupled with the electrical contact coupling, data bus / CCTV contacts can also be present in the contact mirror of the electrical contact carrier in addition to the usual contact terminals for energy and / or signal transmission. It would also be conceivable to integrate fiber optic connections for optical signal transmission in the contact mirror of the electrical contact carrier.

In the following, a preferred embodiment of the central buffer coupling according to the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Teilansicht der Trageinheit in einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Mittelpufferkupplung;

Fig. 2

eine entlang der Linie A - A' in Fig. 1 genommene Schnittansicht der Trageinheit der bevorzugten Ausführungsform; und

Fig.3

die Trageinheit der bevorzugten Ausführungsform zusammen mit der Elektrokontaktkuppiung ais Bauteil der erfindungsgemäßen Mittelpufferkupplung in Vorderansicht.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a partial perspective view of the support unit in a preferred embodiment of the central buffer coupling according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a taken along the line A - A 'in Figure 1 sectional view of the support unit of the preferred embodiment; and

Figure 3

the support unit of the preferred embodiment together with the Elektrokontaktkuppiung ais component of the central buffer coupling according to the invention in front view.

1 shows a perspective partial view of the carrying unit 2 of a preferred embodiment of the central buffer coupling according to the invention, the carrying unit 2 being fastened below a coupling head 1 (shown in FIG. 3) of the central buffer coupling. The attachment takes place for example via a pin bearing, such as screws that allow a fixed connection between the coupling head 1 and support unit 2. Below the flat-construction support unit 2, an electrical contact coupling 5, not shown in FIG. 1, is displaceably guided in the longitudinal direction 100 of the coupling.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A 'in Fig. 1 of the support unit 2, which shows a triggering device 9 and a clutch mechanism 10 for coupling a hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal 3 in more detail. For the sake of clarity, only the support unit 2 of the central buffer coupling is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 together with the components and components essential to the invention.

The electrical contact coupling 5 is held longitudinally displaceable with respect to the central buffer coupling and the support unit 2 with the aid of a guide carriage 23, which is arranged on two guide rods 24 aligned side by side in the longitudinal direction 100 of the coupling. The guide carriage 23 and thus the electrical contact coupling 5 fastened to it can be displaced on the guide rods 24 in the longitudinal direction 100 of the coupling by means of a preferably hydraulically or pneumatically actuated or controlled actuating device 7.

Optionally, it is also conceivable to additionally provide a protective flap mounted horizontally on the electric contact carrier 5, which can be actuated by a lever mechanism, the protective flap being pivoted in front of the electric contact carrier 5 in the retracted position of the guide carriage 23, and the protective flap in the forward, ready-to-reach position is pivoted down. It would be possible here for the pivoting of the protective flap to take place continuously with the longitudinal movement of the guide carriage 23 via a corresponding mechanism.

At the front end in the vertical longitudinal center plane of the support unit 2, a hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal 3 of a hydraulic and / or compressed air line 4 is arranged, wherein the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal 3 is in an uncoupled position behind the dome level 8.

As shown, the hydraulic and / or compressed-air terminal 3 is arranged in a central position in the carrying unit 2 with respect to the transverse direction of the coupling. In order to protect the terminal 3, this is provided in a housing 12 which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction 100 of the coupling. In the support unit 2, a triggering device 9 is also provided, which serves, after the mechanical coupling of the coupling head 1 (not shown) to trigger a clutch mechanism 10, which shifts the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal 3 in the coupling plane 8 in the longitudinal direction 100 of the clutch ,

It is provided that the triggering device 9 with respect to a dome plane 8 perpendicular mirror plane has a complementary arranged bolt / bushing arrangement 13, 14. The bushing 14 takes during the dome operation on the correspondingly complementary arranged (not explicitly shown) pin of the adjacent car body. In this socket 14 a displaceable in the longitudinal direction 100 of the clutch adjusting pin 16 is arranged, which is displaced in the coupling process by the penetrating pin of the adjacent car body from the coupling plane 8, whereby the clutch mechanism 10 is triggered.

By moving the adjusting pin 16, the coupling mechanism 10 is triggered by the adjusting pin 16. As a result, via the through-connected hydraulic and / or compressed air line 4 arranged in the support unit 2 actuator 7 for longitudinal displacement of the electrical contact carrier and the electrical contact coupling 5 is applied or controlled hydraulically or pneumatically. As a result, the electric contact carrier 5 is then moved from the uncoupled rear layer by means of the controlled actuator 7 in the front dome ready position in the dome plane 8, so that the coupling of the electric contact carrier 5 of the respective adjacent car bodies can take place.

The coupling mechanism 10 in this case has a swivel arm 18 rotatably mounted about a pivot pin 17 which frictionally connects the adjusting pin 16 to the housing 12 of the hydraulic and / or compressed-air terminal 3. Characterized in that the adjusting pin 16 is connected via the pivot arm 18 to the housing 12, it is achieved that in the case when the adjusting pin 16 in the longitudinal direction 100 of the coupling moves away from the dome plane 8, the pivot arm 18 is rotatable about the horizontal mounted pivot pin 17 rotates and therefore the housing 12 itself in the longitudinal direction 100 of the clutch in the dome plane 8 moves into.

The triggering device 9 also has a reset device 19. This executed here as a spring element reset means 19 sets after the mechanical uncoupling of the two car bodies the clutch mechanism 10 in an unsolved state in which the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminals 3 decoupled and thus the hydraulic and / or compressed air lines 4 are present and unencumbered ,

In order to prevent that, after the coupling of the at least one hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal 3, this is not displaced beyond the coupling plane 8 by the operation of the coupling mechanism 10, a limiting device 22 is provided, which controls the movement of the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal 3 limited in the longitudinal direction 100 of the coupling to the dome plane 8 out.

Fig. 3 shows the sake of completeness, the support unit 2 together with the electrical contact coupling 5 as a component of the central buffer coupling according to the invention in front view.

The support unit 2 is formed flat construction, and has a smaller height dimension than the electric contact carrier 5. Preferably, the height of the support unit 2 is only about half as large as the height of the electrical contact coupling 5 dimensioned. In order to realize a flat as possible, compact arrangement and design of an electrical contact coupling 5 and a hydraulic or air line coupling 3, in particular for attachment to a central buffer coupling of the aforementioned type "AAR" or "Tightlook", the hydraulic and / or compressed air terminal 3 in a housing 12 in the support unit 2 integrated. The support unit 2 takes at the same time space-saving the actuator 7 in the form of, for example, horizontally arranged side by side actuating cylinder 7.

On the support unit 2 Zentrierorgane 20 for pre-centering of the support unit 2 are arranged. At the electrical contact carrier 5 more centering 20 are arranged for fine centering. The centering members 20 are each formed by a centering mandrel 20a and a centering bush 20b, wherein in each case a centering mandrel 20a into the centering bushing 20b of the counter-coupling in the coupling process, i. during the respective longitudinal movement or longitudinal displacement of the support unit 2 and the electrical contact coupling 5 engages. The arrangement of the centering members 20 is expedient such that the centering pin 20a for pre-centering on the support unit 2 on the same side to the vertical central longitudinal plane a centering 20b is assigned to the electrical contact carrier 5, and that the centering bush 20b for pre-centering of the support unit 2 on the other side of the vertical center plane centering a mandrel 20a for fine centering on the electrical contact carrier 5 is assigned. Thus, on each side of the vertical longitudinal center plane in each case a centering mandrel 20a and a centering bush 20b are arranged with each other.

In the front part of the electrical contact carrier 5, the electrical contact terminals 6 are arranged according to a certain scheme, largely in a plane and transverse to the longitudinal direction 100 of the coupling, in the contact mirror. It should be noted which, in addition to being equipped with standard pin socket contacts for coupling electrical signals, may also be designed with special data bus contacts and CCTV contacts (multimedia and television).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

coupling head

2

support unit

3

Hydraulic / pneumatic Terminal

4

Hydraulic / pneumatic line

5

Electrical contact coupling, electrical contact carrier

6

Contact terminal

7

actuator

8th

coupling plane

9

triggering device

10

clutch mechanism

12

casing

13

bolt

14

Rifle

16

adjusting pin

17

pivot pin

18

swivel arm

19

Reset means

20

centering

20a

centering

20b

centering

21

data bus contact

22

limiting device

23

guide carriage

24

guide rod

100

Longitudinal direction of the coupling

Claims (7)

1. Automatic central buffer coupling, in particular of the "Tightlock/AAR'' type, for a multiple-unit rail vehicle, comprising:

   - a coupling head (1) for the mechanical and non-positive coupling of a first coach body to an adjacent second coach body, the coupling head (1) having centring elements (20) designed as a pin/socket arrangement (13; 14) for pre-centring and precision centring;

   - a supporting unit (2) arranged below the coupling head (1) having at least one hydraulic and/or compressed-air terminal (3) of a hydraulic and/or compressed-air line;

   - an electrical contact carrier (5) arranged below the supporting unit (2) and displaceably guided in the longitudinal direction (100) of the central buffer coupling having contact terminals (6) for electrical connections, and

   - an actuating device (7) hydraulically or pneumatically controlled by means of the hydraulic and/or compressed-air line (4) for the longitudinal displacement of the electrical contact carrier (5),

   wherein the electrical contact carrier (5) is in an uncoupled position behind the coupling plane (8) of the central buffer coupling in the uncoupled state and
   wherein the electrical contact carrier (5) can be displaced from the uncoupled rear position into a front ready-to-couple position in the coupling plane (8) by means of the actuating device (7),
   characterised in that the centring elements (20) serve simultaneously as a trigger device (9) for triggering a coupling mechanism (10) for the coupling of the at least one hydraulic and/or compressed-air terminal (3) upon the mechanical coupling of the adjacent coach bodies, wherein an adjusting pin (16) displaceable in the longitudinal direction (100) of the coupling is arranged in the socket (14) of the pin/socket arrangement (13; 14) which, upon coupling to the adjacent coach body, receives the pin of the adjacent coach body arranged in a correspondingly complementary manner, this adjusting pin being displaced away from the coupling plane (8) upon the mechanical coupling of the adjacent coach bodies by a penetrating pin of the adjacent coach body and thereby triggering the coupling mechanism (10).
2. Central buffer coupling according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one hydraulic and/or compressed-air terminal (3) is arranged in a housing (12) displaceable in the longitudinal direction (100) of the central buffer coupling in such a manner that the at least one hydraulic and/or compressed-air terminal (3) is in an uncoupled position behind the coupling plane (8) in the uncoupled state and can be displaced together with the housing (12) from the uncoupled rear position into a front ready-to-couple position in the coupling plane (8) with the aid of the coupling mechanism (10).
3. Central buffer coupling according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the coupling mechanism (10) has a swivel arm (18) which is mounted to pivot about a swivel pin (17) and which connects the adjusting pin (16) non-positively to the housing (12) of the at least one hydraulic and/or compressed-air terminal (3).
4. Central buffer coupling according to claim 3, characterised in that the swivel arm (18) is connected, on the one hand, to the adjusting pin (16) and, on the other hand, to the housing (12), in such a manner that only tractive or thrust forces are transmitted from the adjusting pin (16) to the housing (12) in the longitudinal direction (100) of the coupling.
5. Central buffer coupling according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the trigger device (9) furthermore has a reset device (19) designed to reset the coupling mechanism (10) to a non-triggered state in which the hydraulic and/or compressed-air terminals (3) are uncoupled and the hydraulic and/or compressed-air line (4) is separated following the mechanical uncoupling of the two coach bodies.
6. Central buffer coupling according to claim 5, characterised in that the reset device (19) has a spring element which is tensioned when the coupling mechanism (10) is triggered and relaxed following the mechanical uncoupling.
7. Central buffer coupling according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, following the coupling of the at least one hydraulic and/or compressed-air terminal (3), the latter is held in the coupling plane (8) by means of a limiting device (22).

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