Automatic coupling

Abstract

A system for coupling a first train coach to a second coach includes a first automatic coupler mountable at an end of the first coach, providing for a mechanical coupling to a second automatic coupler mountable at the second coach. The first coupler has a first coupling actuator that drives a first locking mechanism between locked and unlocked states. A first bellows has a first mounting frame, first coupling frame, and first latching mechanism at the first coupling frame. The first coupling frame is coupled by the first latching mechanism to a second coupling frame of the second bellows. A controller receives an uncoupling instruction, generates an uncoupling signal and sends it to the first coupling actuator, receives a coupling instruction, and generates a coupling signal and sends it to the first coupling actuator.

1 . A system for coupling a first coach of a train to a second coach of the train, the system comprising:
 a first automatic coupler, wherein;
 the first automatic coupler is mountable at an end of the first coach, 
 the first automatic coupler provides for a mechanical coupling to a second automatic coupler mountable at the second coach, 
 the first automatic coupler comprises a first coupling actuator and a first locking mechanism, and 
 the first coupling actuator during operation of the system drives the first locking mechanism between a locked state and an unlocked state; 
   a first bellows, wherein;
 the first bellows provides protection of a passenger or an object moving from the first coach to the second coach, 
 the first bellows comprises a first mounting frame, a first coupling frame, and a first latching mechanism at the first coupling frame, 
 wherein;
 the first mounting frame is fixable to a wall of the first coach, 
 the first coupling frame is releasably couplable by the first latching mechanism to a second coupling frame of the second bellows at the second coach; and 
 
   a controller, wherein;
 the controller is operatively coupled to the first coupling actuator, 
 the controller is arranged to;
 receive an uncoupling instruction, 
 generate an uncoupling signal upon receipt of the uncoupling instruction, 
 send the uncoupling signal to the first coupling actuator, 
 receive a coupling instruction, 
 generate a coupling signal upon receipt of the coupling instruction, and 
 send the coupling signal to the first coupling actuator; 
 
   wherein the first coupling actuator upon receipt of the uncoupling signal drives the first locking mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state, and the first coupling actuator upon receipt of the coupling signal drives the first locking mechanism from the unlocked state to the locked state;   
       wherein;
 the first bellows comprises a first latching actuator, wherein
 the first latching actuator during operation of the system drives the first latching mechanism between a latched state and an unlatched state; 
 
 the controller is operatively coupled to the first latching actuator, 
 the controller is arranged to;
 generate an unlatch signal upon receipt of the uncoupling instruction, 
 send the unlatch signal to the first latching actuator prior to sending the uncoupling signal to the first coupling actuator, 
 generate a latching signal upon receipt of the coupling instruction, and 
 send the latching signal to the first latching actuator after sending the coupling signal to the first coupling actuator; and 
 
 the first latching actuator upon receipt of the unlatch signal drives the first latching mechanism from the latched state to the unlatched state, and wherein the first latching actuator upon receipt of the latching signal drives the first latching mechanism from the unlatched state to the latched state. 
 
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein;
 the first bellows comprises a first motion actuator, the first motion actuator being arranged to move the first coupling frame of the first bellows relatively to the first mounting frame between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein in the extended position a distance between the first coupling frame ( 16 ) and the first mounting frame is larger than in the retracted position;   the controller is operatively coupled to the first motion actuator, the controller being arranged to;
 generate a retract signal upon receipt of the uncoupling instruction, 
 send the retract signal to the first motion actuator after sending the unlatch signal to the first latching actuator and prior to sending the uncoupling signal to the first coupling actuator, 
 generate an extend signal upon receipt of the coupling instruction, and 
 send the extend signal to the first motion actuator after sending the coupling signal to the first coupling actuator and prior to sending the latching signal to the first latching actuator; and 
   the first motion actuator upon receipt of the retract signal drives the coupling frame from the extended position to the retracted position, and the first motion actuator upon receipt of the extend signal drives the first coupling frame from the retracted position to the extended position.   
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein at least the first coupling actuator, the first latching actuator or the first motion actuator is selected from a group consisting of an electrical actuator, a pneumatic actuator and a hydraulic actuator. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first automatic coupler comprises a first coupling sensor, the first coupling sensor being operatively coupled to the controller,   the first coupling sensor is arranged to sense whether the first locking mechanism is in the locked state and to generate a first coupled signal once the first locking mechanism is in the locked state, and   the controller is arranged to send the latching signal after receipt of the first coupled signal.   
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first bellows comprises a first latching sensor, the first latching sensor being operatively coupled to the controller,   the first latching sensor is arranged to sense whether the first latching mechanism is in the unlatched state and to generate a first unlatched signal once the first latching mechanism is in the unlatched state, and   the controller is arranged to send the uncoupling signal after receipt of the first unlatched signal.   
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the first bellows comprises a first position sensor, which first position sensor is operatively coupled to the controller,   the first position sensor is arranged to sense whether the first bellows is in the extended position and to generate a first extended position signal once the first bellows is in the extended position,   the first position sensor is arranged to sense whether the first bellows is in the retracted position and to generate a first retracted position signal once the first bellows is in the retracted position,   the controller is arranged to send the latching signal after receipt of the first extended position signal, and   the controller is arranged to send the uncoupling signal after receipt of the first retracted position signal.   
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is arranged to:
 upon receipt of the uncoupling instruction;
 generate and send the unlatch signal, 
   wait for the first unlatched signal from the first latching sensor,
 generate and send the retract signal upon receipt of the first unlatched signal, 
 wait for the first retracted position signal from the first position sensor, and 
 generate and send the uncoupling signal upon receipt of the first retracted position signal; and 
   upon receipt of the coupling instruction;
 generate and send the coupling signal, 
 wait for the first coupled signal from the first coupling sensor,
 generate and send the extend signal upon receipt of the first coupled signal, 
 
 wait for the first extended position signal, and
 generate and send the latching signal upon receipt of the first extended position signal. 
 
   
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second automatic coupler, wherein;
 the second automatic coupler is mountable at an end of the second coach, 
 the second automatic coupler provides for a mechanical coupling to the first automatic coupler mountable at the first coach, wherein;
 the second automatic coupler comprises a second coupling actuator and a second locking mechanism, and 
 the second coupling actuator during operation of the system drives the second locking mechanism between a locked state and an unlocked state; and 
 
   a second bellows, wherein;
 the second bellows provides protection of a passenger or an object moving via a bridge from the first coach to the second coach, 
 the second bellows comprises a second mounting frame, a second coupling frame, and a second latching mechanism at the second coupling frame, wherein;
 the second mounting frame is fixable to a wall of the second coach, and 
 the second bellows is movable from an extended position to a retracted position, 
 
 the second coupling frame is releasably couplable by the second latching mechanism to a first coupling frame of the first bellows at the first coach,
 the second bellows comprises a second latching actuator, wherein 
 the second latching actuator during operation of the system drives the second latching mechanism between a latched state and an unlatched state; 
 
   wherein;
 the controller is operatively coupled to the second coupling actuator; 
 the controller is operatively coupled to the second latching actuator; 
 the controller is arranged to;
 send the uncoupling signal to the second coupling actuator, 
 send the coupling signal to the second coupling actuator, 
 send the unlatch signal to the second latching actuator prior to sending the uncoupling signal to the second coupling actuator, and 
 send the latching signal to the second latching actuator after sending the coupling signal to the second coupling actuator; 
 
   wherein the second coupling actuator upon receipt of the uncoupling signal drives the second locking mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state, and wherein the second coupling actuator upon receipt of the coupling signal drives the second locking mechanism from the unlocked state to the locked state; and   wherein the second latching actuator upon receipt of the unlatch signal drives the second latching mechanism from the latched state to the unlatched state, and wherein the second latching actuator upon receipt of the latching signal drives the second locking mechanism from the unlatched state to the latched state.   
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the second bellows further comprises a second motion actuator, wherein:
 the second motion actuator is arranged to move the second coupling frame of the second bellows relatively to the second mounting frame between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein in the extended position a distance between the second coupling frame and the second mounting frame is larger than in the retracted position;   the controller is operatively coupled to the second motion actuator, the controller being arranged to;
 send the retract signal to the second motion actuator after sending the unlatch signal to the second latching actuator and prior to sending the uncoupling signal to the second coupling actuator, and 
 send the extend signal to the second motion actuator after sending the coupling signal to the second coupling actuator and prior to sending the latching signal to the second latching actuator; and 
   the second motion actuator upon receipt of the retract signal drives the second coupling frame from the extended position to the retracted position, and wherein the second motion actuator upon receipt of the extend signal drives the second coupling frame from the retracted position to the extended position.   
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the second automatic coupler has a second coupling sensor, the second coupling sensor being operatively coupled to the controller;   the second coupling sensor is arranged to sense whether the second locking mechanism is in the locked state and to generate a second coupled signal once the second locking mechanism is in the locked state; and   the controller is arranged to send the latching signal after receipt of the first coupled signal and the second coupled signal.   
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the second bellows has a second latching sensor, the second latching sensor being operatively coupled to the controller;   the second latching sensor is arranged to sense whether the second latching mechanism is in the unlatched state and to generate a second unlatched signal once the second latching mechanism is in the unlatched state; and   the controller is arranged to send the uncoupling signal after receipt of the first unlatched signal and the second unlatched signal.   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the second bellows has a second position sensor, the second position sensor being operatively coupled to the controller;   the second position sensor is arranged to sense whether the second bellows is in the extended position and to generate a second extended position signal once the second bellows is in the extended position;   the second position sensor is arranged to sense whether the second bellows is in the retracted position and to generate a second retracted position signal once the second bellows is in the retracted position;   the controller is arranged to send the latching signal after receipt of the first extended position signal and the second extended position signal; and   the controller is arranged to send the uncoupling signal after receipt of the first retracted position signal and the second retracted position signal.   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the controller is arranged to
 upon receipt of the uncoupling instruction
 generate and send the unlatch signal, 
 wait for the first unlatched signal from the first latching sensor and for the second unlatched signal from the second latching sensor, 
 generate and send the retract signal upon receipt of the first unlatched signal and of the second unlatched signal, 
 wait for the first retracted position signal from the first position sensor and for the second retracted position signal from the second position sensor, and 
 generate and send the uncoupling signal upon receipt of the first retracted position signal and of the second retracted position signal; and 
   upon receipt of the coupling instruction
 generate and send the coupling signal, 
 wait for the first coupled signal from the first coupling sensor and for the second coupled signal from the second coupling sensor, 
 generate and send the extend signal upon receipt of the first coupled signal and of the second coupled signal, 
 wait for the first extended position signal and for the second extended position signal, and 
 generate and send the latching signal upon receipt of the first extended position signal and of the second extended position signal. 
   
     
     
         14 . A train comprising at least the first coach and the second coach and the system according to  claim 8 , wherein the first mounting frame is mounted to the first coach and wherein the second mounting frame is mounted to the second coach. 
     
     
         15 . The train according to  claim 14 , wherein at least a part of the controller is an element of a train control management system.