Sensor arrangement for a railway system and method for monitoring a railway system

Abstract

A sensor arrangement for a railway system may include a rail claw that is connectable to a rail of the railway system, and a sensor that is configured to measure a spatial position of at least a segment of a movable railway element of the railway system by a contactless measurement and to differentiate between at least two different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element. The sensor may be mechanically connected with the rail claw. Furthermore, a method for monitoring a railway system is provided.

1 . A sensor arrangement for a railway system, the sensor arrangement comprising:
 a rail claw that is connectable to a rail of the railway system; and   a sensor that is configured to measure a spatial position of at least a segment of a movable railway element of the railway system by a contactless measurement and to differentiate between at least two different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element,   wherein:   the sensor is mechanically connected with the rail claw.   
     
     
         2 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the movable railway element comprises a tongue rail. 
     
     
         3 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one contactless position sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one metal sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one inductive sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one capacitive sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a two-channel sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a further rail claw that is connectable to a rail of the railway system, and the sensor arrangement comprises a further sensor that is configured to measure a spatial position of at least a further segment of the movable railway element of the railway system by a contactless measurement and to differentiate between at least two different spatial positions of the further segment of the movable railway element, and   wherein the further sensor is mechanically connected with the further rail claw.   
     
     
         9 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to differentiate between at least three different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element. 
     
     
         10 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to differentiate between a plurality of different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element. 
     
     
         11 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an output, and the sensor is configured to provide the measured spatial position at the output. 
     
     
         12 . A method for monitoring a railway system, the method comprising:
 connecting a rail claw to a rail of the railway system; and   measuring a spatial position of at least a segment of a movable railway element of the railway system by a contactless measurement by a sensor,   wherein:   the sensor is configured to differentiate between at least two different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element; and   the sensor is mechanically connected with the rail claw.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , the method further comprising arranging the sensor below the movable railway element. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the sensor is arranged below the movable railway element without mechanical contact to the movable railway element. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , the method further comprising providing the measured spatial position at an output of the sensor.