Gap-Bridging Device for Train Platforms

Abstract

A device for the essentially complete bridging of the gap between the car floor of a rail vehicle in the door area and the platform with a gap bridging plate for bridging the gap. The gap bridging plate is mounted to be movable in a linear, horizontal direction at least between a retracted position in which the gap is not bridged and the gap bridging plate essentially does not or only barely projects beyond the front edge of the platform or of the rail vehicle, and an extended position in which the gap is essentially completely bridged. The device is characterized in that the gap bridging plate is mounted movably on two guide rails, and the guide rails are designed as ball bearing linear guides or as roller linear guides.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . A device for substantially bridging a gap between a carriage floor of a rail vehicle in a door region thereof and a platform, the device comprising a bridging plate for bridging the gap, wherein the bridging plate is mounted so as to be displaceable in a linear horizontal direction at least between a withdrawn position and an extended position, wherein in the withdrawn position the bridging plate does not bridge the gap or the bridging plate projects insubstantially beyond a front edge of the platform or a front edge of the rail vehicle, wherein in the extended position the bridging plate bridges the gap or projects substantially beyond the front edge of the platform or the front edge of the rail, wherein the bridging plate is displaceably mounted via at least two guide rails and the guide rails are linear ball guides or linear roller guides. 
   
   
       17 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the bridging plate is displaceably mounted on the platform. 
   
   
       18 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein each of the guide rails comprises a stationary lower guide rail and a movable upper guide rail connected to the bridging plate, and wherein for each guide rail, the upper guide rail is mounted with respect to the lower guide rail so as to tilt about a horizontal tilting axis arranged perpendicularly to the direction of displacement to such an extent that a force-actuated locking of the upper guide rail occurs when the bridging plate is subjected to loads from above having a minimum force within the range of a typical minimum weight force associated with that of passengers of the rail vehicle. 
   
   
       19 . The device as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein at least one spring element offset in the direction of displacement, is arranged between the upper guide rail and the lower guide rail. 
   
   
       20 . The device as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the lower guide rail has at least one longitudinal groove extending in the direction of displacement, and wherein the upper guide rail has at least one horizontal rib at least partially engaged in the longitudinal groove, and wherein the force-actuated locking occurs as a result of the rib canting over in the longitudinal groove. 
   
   
       21 . The device as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the lower guide rail has two longitudinal grooves open to the side in the horizontal direction, and the upper guide rail has two fibs extending inwardly in the horizontal direction. 
   
   
       22 . The device as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the upper guide rail comprises a profiled region and an upper guide plate, wherein the guide plate is fixedly connected to an upper guide insert which, together with a lower guide insert which is fastened to the lower guide rail, forms the linear ball guide or linear roller guide, and wherein the guide plate is tiltably connected to a horizontal portion of the profiled region via two spring plates offset in the direction of displacement. 
   
   
       23 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising at least two parallel guide rails for use with the bridging plate. 
   
   
       24 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the bridging plate is driven via a toothed belt fastened by at least one driver to the bridging plate or to the upper guide rail. 
   
   
       25 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the device is substantially box-shaped and is sized to be received into a recess in the platform or to be received into a recess in a region of the rail vehicle, or to be placed on the platform, wherein the height of the device is less than  70  mm. 
   
   
       26 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the device has insulating coatings in surface regions of the device that are exposed to passengers of the rail vehicle. 
   
   
       27 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the device comprises a housing having a base, lateral side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, wherein the guide rails are arranged in the housing, and further comprising a stationary cover plate arranged on a region facing the platform, or a region of the rail vehicle if the device is fastened to the rail vehicle, wherein under the cover plate the bridging plate substantially comes to lie in the withdrawn position, and wherein under the cover plate the bridging plate comes to lie in the extended position along a rear edge region of the bridging plate. 
   
   
       28 . The device as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein sliding elements are arranged in the rear edge region on the upper side of the bridging plate and slide on the downwardly directed face of the cover plate during the displacement of the bridging plate. 
   
   
       29 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising a drive arranged to act on one guide rail. 
   
   
       30 . The device as claimed in  claim 29 , farther comprising means for coupling the movement of the driven guide rail to the movement of at least one further guide rail, wherein the at least one further guide rail is the opposite outermost guide rail in relation to the driven guide rail. 
   
   
       31 . The device as claimed in  claim 18 , further comprising two spring elements offset in the direction of displacement, wherein the spring elements are arranged between the upper guide rail and the lower guide rail, wherein the spring elements are spring plates. 
   
   
       32 . The device as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the lower guide rail has two longitudinal grooves which open to the side in the horizontal direction, and the upper guide rail has two ribs extending inwardly in the horizontal direction, wherein the ribs each extend over at least half or up to substantially the whole length of the upper guide rail, or the ribs are each arranged in two substantially terminal portions of the upper guide rail. 
   
   
       33 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising at least four parallel guide rails for use with the bridging plate. 
   
   
       34 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the bridging plate is driven via a toothed belt fastened by at least one driver to the bridging plate or to the upper guide rail, wherein the toothed belt is fastened by two ends thereof to the bridging plate or to the upper guide rail and is coupled via at least one deflection pulley to a driving gearwheel of a motor. 
   
   
       35 . The device as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the axis of the motor is arranged substantially horizontally and the shaft of the driving gearwheel driven via a worm gear, a crown wheel gear, or a planet gear, is arranged vertically. 
   
   
       36 . The device as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein sliding elements are arranged in the rear edge region on the upper side of the bridging plate and slide on the downwardly directed face of the cover plate during the displacement of the bridging plate, wherein the sliding elements are plastic strips or plastic ribs extending substantially over the whole width of the bridging plate. 
   
   
       37 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising a drive arranged to act on one of the two outermost guide rails or on a centrally arranged guide rail.