Description

According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to an assembly comprising a gutter element and a rail vehicle such as a portal crane or a container crane and provided with a track section of a railway track for allowing the rail vehicle to drive along it.

According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a track section of a railway track for allowing a rail vehicle to drive along it, wherein the track section is provided with a gutter element.

According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a gutter element.

The process of coupling a rail vehicle in a known assembly to a power cable in order to energize the rail vehicle is known. During the movement of the rail vehicle along the track section, the power cable is moved together with the rail vehicle. A disadvantage of the known assembly is that the reliability of the energization of the rail vehicle can be improved.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an assembly having a relatively high level of reliability in terms of the energization of the rail vehicle.

This object is achieved by the assembly according to the present invention in that the assembly is provided with: a holder which is provided on the rail vehicle and which is provided with a flexible connecting element such as a power cable; and a gutter element which is designed to receive the flexible connecting element and which extends substantially parallel to the rails; wherein the holder is designed to feed a part of the flexible connecting element to the gutter element when the rail vehicle is moving along the track section over a distance in a first direction of movement, and to remove the part of the flexible connecting element from the gutter element during a subsequent movement over the distance in a second direction of movement, which is opposite to the first direction of movement. The present invention is at least partly based on the understanding that the power cable degrades relatively rapidly in the known assembly. This degradation is the result, inter alia, of the movement of the power cable along the track section during the movement of the rail vehicle. It has been found, particularly in the case of track sections provided with sleepers and gravel, that degradation due to the power cable being dragged along the ground results in a relatively short service life of the power cable. The provision of the holder and the gutter element has the effect of preventing, or at least reducing, the risk of the power cable degrading relatively rapidly because the power cable no longer drags along the ground during the movement of the rail vehicle along the track section.

An additional advantage of the present invention is that the operating costs of the assembly are relatively low because the power cable has a relatively long service life.

In one example, the gutter element is provided with: a bottom part for supporting the flexible connecting element; upright side wall parts; and intermediate wall parts which are provided between each of the side wall parts and the bottom part, wherein the intermediate wall parts are curved in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the gutter element so as to guide the flexible connecting element to the bottom part.

An advantage of such an embodiment of the gutter element is that guiding the connecting element to the bottom part has the effect of preventing, or at least reducing, the risk of the power cable degrading relatively rapidly because the connecting element no longer drags along the ground during the movement of the rail vehicle along the track section.

The dimensions of the gutter element are preferably adapted to the dimensions of the connecting element. In particular, the dimensions of the gutter element are adapted to the diameter of the connecting element, as seen in cross section.

In one example, the bottom part is provided with raised ribs in order for the flexible connecting element to bear against them. The raised ribs are advantageous for preventing, or at least reducing, the risk of the flexible connecting element freezing onto the gutter element under the influence of moisture. An additional advantage of providing the raised ribs is that if the flexible element does freeze onto the gutter element, a relatively low force is sufficient to detach the flexible connecting element from the gutter element. A relatively low force is advantageous for preventing, or at least reducing, relatively rapid degradation of the flexible connecting element.

In a further example, a longitudinal direction of the raised ribs extends perpendicularly with respect to the length direction. This is favourable for producing a relatively small contact surface between the flexible connecting element and the gutter element during use. This is favourable for detaching the flexible connecting element from the gutter element using a relatively low force in case the flexible connecting element has frozen onto the raised ribs. A relatively low force is advantageous for preventing, or at least reducing, relatively rapid degradation of the flexible connecting element.

In one example, the bottom part and/or the intermediate wall parts are provided with passages for discharging liquid from the gutter element. An advantage of such an embodiment is that the gutter element cannot be partially or completely filled with a liquid and that liquid is rapidly discharged from the gutter element. Contact, in particular prolonged contact, with a liquid, for example water, is disadvantageous for both the gutter element and the connecting element, because this for example brings about oxidation on the gutter element and additional degradation of the connecting element. An additional advantage is that by discharging liquid from the gutter element via the passages, freezing of the flexible connecting element onto the gutter element is prevented, or the risk thereof is at least reduced.

In one example, the gutter element is produced as an integral piece from a metal sheet element, such as by means of extrusion or bending. An advantage of this is that the production process is relatively simple and efficient, and the material losses are also limited.

In one example, the gutter element is provided with outer wall parts which adjoin the side wall parts on a top side of the side wall parts facing away from the intermediate wall parts, in order to support the gutter element. An advantage of this is that the gutter element has a very robust construction in order to ensure a long service life.

In one example, the track section comprises sleepers which are provided at a distance from one other and perpendicular to the rails, wherein both the rails and the gutter element are supported on the sleepers. An advantage of such an embodiment is that conventional sleepers may be used to support and fasten both the rails and the gutter element, which benefits the simplicity of the process for producing the assembly and the cost efficiency. An additional advantage is that the gutter element according to the present invention can easily be added to conventional track sections, without requiring complex additional support means that increase the cost.

In one example, the assembly comprises connecting members for connecting the gutter element to the sleepers. This has the advantage that the gutter element according to the present invention can be fastened in a simple and secure manner to the sleepers that are already present.

In one example, the connecting members are produced from a metal sheet element. An advantage of this is that the process for producing the connecting members is relatively simple and cost-effective, and the material losses are also limited.

The connecting members are preferably produced from a rustproof material, such as stainless steel or aluminium and the like. An advantage of this is that the material does not oxidize, which benefits the service life of the connecting members.

The connecting members and the gutter element are preferably produced from the same material, more preferably from the same sheet material, even more preferably from the same metal sheet element. An advantage of this is that the production process is relatively simple and efficient, and the material losses are also limited. Preferably the same material, more preferably the same sheet material, even more preferably the same metal sheet material, is a rustproof material, such as stainless steel or aluminium and the like.

In one example, the holder comprises a reel, wherein the reel is designed to unwind the flexible connecting element from the reel in the first direction of movement of the rail vehicle and to wind up the flexible connecting element onto the reel in the second direction of movement.

In a further example, an axis of rotation (R) of the reel is provided so as to be perpendicular to the length direction (L). An advantage of this is that such an embodiment may be used to feed a part of the flexible connecting element to the gutter element and, respectively, remove it from the gutter element in a simple and efficient manner when the rail vehicle is moving along the track section.

In one example, the reel comprises a drive mechanism for winding up and unwinding the flexible connecting element. An advantage of such an embodiment is that the drive mechanism represents a simple and efficient way of ensuring that the flexible connecting element is wound up and unwound in accordance with the movement of the rail vehicle along the track section, such that a part of the flexible connecting element is fed to the gutter element when the rail vehicle is moving along the track section over a distance in a first direction of movement, and the part of the flexible connecting element is removed from the gutter element during a movement in a second direction of movement, which is opposite to the first direction of movement. The unwinding of the flexible connecting element by means of the drive mechanism in order to feed the flexible connecting element to the gutter element is favourable for the prevention, or at least the reduction, of a relatively great force being exerted on the flexible connecting element. A relatively low force is advantageous for preventing, or at least reducing, relatively rapid degradation of the flexible connecting element.

Preferably, the drive mechanism comprises a stepper motor so that the movement and/or speed of the reel can be adjusted in a precise manner.

In one example, the flexible connecting element comprises at least one of: a data cable for controlling the rail vehicle; and a power cable for supplying electrical energy to the rail vehicle.

The data cable, the power cable, and any other cables are preferably combined to form a cable bundle so that the cable bundle is advantageously fed to and/or removed from the gutter element according to the present invention.

The assembly preferably comprises a control unit for controlling the assembly. The control unit is preferably designed to control the rail vehicle in order to move the rail vehicle along the track section in a first direction of movement and in a second direction of movement, respectively. The control unit is preferably further designed to control the drive mechanism of the reel in order to wind up and/or unwind the reel in accordance with the movement in a first and/or second direction of movement.

The assembly preferably comprises one or more sensors for monitoring the process, for example for monitoring whether the flexible connecting element is removed from the gutter element and/or fed to the gutter element in the correct manner. The one or more sensors also preferably provide feedback on the movement and/or position of the rail vehicle and/or the holder, in order to prevent malfunctions, for example. Communication between the individual components of the assembly, such as the control unit and/or sensors and/or drive mechanism and the like, is preferably provided by means of a wired and/or wireless network protocol.

In one example, the gutter element is provided with a heating element for heating the gutter element. An advantage of this is that a liquid present in the gutter element may be brought to and/or kept in an unfrozen state. This prevents the flexible connecting element from getting stuck to the gutter element due to freezing, and undesirably great forces which may occur when the flexible connecting element is being removed from the gutter element are prevented. An additional advantage is that keeping the flexible connecting element in the unfrozen state is beneficial for maintaining the flexibility of the connecting element, for the benefit of the service life of the connecting element.

According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a track section of a railway track for allowing the rail vehicle to drive along it, wherein the track section is provided with a gutter element comprising: a bottom part for supporting a flexible connecting element such as a power cable; upright side wall parts; and intermediate wall parts which are provided between each of the side wall parts and the bottom part, wherein the intermediate wall parts are curved in a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the gutter element so as to guide the flexible connecting element to the bottom part.

Embodiments of the track section according to the second aspect of the present invention correspond to embodiments of the assembly according to the first aspect of the present invention. The advantages of the track section correspond to the advantages of the assembly.

In one example, the bottom part is provided with raised ribs in order for the flexible connecting element to bear against them.

In one example, a longitudinal direction of the raised ribs extends perpendicularly with respect to the length direction.

In one example, the bottom part and/or the intermediate wall parts are provided with passages for discharging liquid from the gutter element.

In one example, the gutter element is produced as an integral piece from a metal sheet element, such as by means of extrusion or bending. In one example, the gutter element is provided with outer wall parts which adjoin the side wall parts on a top side of the side wall parts facing away from the intermediate wall parts, in order to support the gutter element.

According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a gutter element comprising: a bottom part for supporting a flexible connecting element such as a power cable; upright side wall parts; and intermediate wall parts which are provided between each of the side wall parts and the bottom part, wherein the intermediate wall parts are curved in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the gutter element so as to guide the flexible connecting element to the bottom part.

Embodiments of the gutter element according to the third aspect of the present invention correspond to embodiments of the assembly according to the first aspect of the present invention and the track section according to the second aspect according to the present invention. The advantages of the gutter element correspond to the advantages of the assembly and the track section according to the present invention.

In one example, the bottom part is provided with raised ribs in order for the flexible connecting element to bear against them.

In one example, a longitudinal direction of the raised ribs extends perpendicularly with respect to the length direction.

In one example, the bottom part and/or the intermediate wall parts are provided with passages for discharging liquid from the gutter element.

In one example, the gutter element is produced as an integral piece from a metal sheet element, such as by means of extrusion or bending.

In one example, the gutter element is provided with outer wall parts which adjoin the side wall parts on a top side of the side wall parts facing away from the intermediate wall parts, in order to support the gutter element.

The present invention will be explained below by means of the description of a preferred embodiment of an assembly, track section and gutter element according to the present invention with reference to the following schematic figures, in which: Fig. 1 shows a side view of an assembly according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows a further side view of the assembly of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 shows an isometric view of a gutter element according to the present invention;

Fig. 4 shows a top view of the gutter element according to Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows a side view of the gutter element according to Fig.

3.

The assembly 1 according to the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, comprises a rail vehicle 2 such as a portal crane or a container crane. The assembly 1 is provided with a track section of a railway track, along which the rail vehicle 2 is able to drive. The rail vehicle 2 can move in a length direction L, in a first direction of movement A and a second direction of movement B. The track section comprises two spaced-apart rails 3 which extend parallel to each other and are supported by sleepers 27. The sleepers 27 are at substantially the same distance from one another and are positioned perpendicularly with respect to the rails 3.

The assembly 1 comprises a holder 5 in the form of a reel which is provided on the rail vehicle 2 and which is provided with a flexible connecting element 7. In this example, the connecting element 7 consists of a data cable for controlling the rail vehicle 2 and a power cable for supplying electrical energy to the rail vehicle 2. The assembly further comprises a gutter element 9 which is designed to receive the flexible connecting element 7. The gutter element 9 is fastened to the sleepers 27 by means of connecting members 25 and extends in the length direction L, substantially parallel to the rails 3.

The reel 5 is designed to feed a part of the flexible connecting element 7 to the gutter element 9 when the rail vehicle 2 is moving along the track section in the length direction L over a distance in the first direction of movement A, and to remove the part of the flexible connecting element 7 from the gutter element 9 during a movement over a distance in the second direction of movement B, which is opposite to the first direction of movement A. To this end, the reel 5 is provided with a drive mechanism 29 for winding up and unwinding the flexible connecting element 7. The reel is designed to unwind the flexible connecting element 7 from the reel in the first direction of movement A of the rail vehicle 2, in which case the reel 5 rotates clockwise in the direction of rotation r about the axis of rotation R, and to wind up the flexible connecting element 7 onto the reel in the second direction of movement B, in which case the reel 5 rotates anti-clockwise in the direction of rotation r about the axis of rotation R.

Figures 3 to 5 show the gutter element 9 according to the present invention in more detail. The gutter element 9 is provided with a bottom part 11 , upright side wall parts 13, intermediate wall parts 15 which are provided between the side wall parts 13 and the bottom part 11 , and outer wall parts 21 which adjoin the side wall parts 13 on a top side of the side wall parts 13 facing away from the intermediate wall parts 15, in order to support the gutter element 9. The gutter element 9 is produced as an integral piece from a metal sheet element, for example by means of extrusion or bending.

The bottom part 11 is provided with raised ribs 17 in order for the flexible connecting element 7 to bear against them, wherein a longitudinal direction of the raised ribs 17 extends perpendicularly with respect to the length direction L. The intermediate wall parts 15 are curved in a direction perpendicular to the length direction L of the gutter element 9 so as to guide the flexible connecting element 7 to the bottom part 11 . The bottom part 11 and the intermediate wall parts 15 are provided with passages 19 for discharging liquid from the gutter element 9.

In the attached figures and in the foregoing, the present invention is shown, and described, by way of example with reference to an embodiment. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that other variants are conceivable within the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the invention is also not limited by the examples described above.