Coupling system for a rail vehicle

Abstract

Described is a coupling system for a rail vehicle, comprising a coupler with a coupler housing, a contact carrier structure attached to the coupler housing, and a plurality of contacts which are mounted on the contact carrier structure and which each have one of a plurality of different functions. The contact carrier structure may be assembled from several separate contact carrier inserts. On each of the separate contact carrier inserts, from the plurality of contacts only those which have the same function are mounted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A coupling system for a rail vehicle, comprising a coupler
 a coupler housing,   a contact carrier structure to the coupler housing, and a plurality of contacts which are mounted on the contact carrier structure and which each have one of a plurality of different functions,   characterized in that the contact carrier structure can be assembled from several separate contact carrier inserts, and   on each of the separate contact carrier inserts from the plurality of contacts only those that have the same function are mounted.   
     
     
         2 . The coupling system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the coupler is an electric or optical coupler, and that the contacts are electric or optical contacts. 
     
     
         3 . The coupling system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the separate contact carrier inserts from which the contact carrier structure can be assembled, are formed of functional pairs which each comprise two contact carrier inserts, the contacts of which have the same function. 
     
     
         4 . The coupling system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that within the contact carrier structure a fixed mounting position is allocated to each contact carrier insert, which mounting position is predetermined depending on the function which the contacts mounted on this contact carrier insert have. 
     
     
         5 . The coupling system according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the mounting positions of the contact carrier inserts that form a respective functional pair are arranged mirror-symmetrically to an axis of symmetry (Y) dividing the contact carrier structure in two halves. 
     
     
         6 . The coupling system according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the contacts of those contact carrier inserts the mounting positions of which are located in the one half of the contact carrier structure are designed as pin contacts, and that the contacts of those contact carrier inserts the mounting positions of which are located in the other half of the contact carrier structure are designed as socket contacts. 
     
     
         7 . The coupling system according to  claim 1 , characterized by at least one manual connector which is arranged outside the coupler housing and has several contact inserts with each time at least one preferably electric or optical contact which is connectable to one of the contacts of one of the contact carrier inserts 
     
     
         8 . The coupling system according to  claim 7 , characterized in that it can be assembled from several modules which are mountable independently from one another, each module comprising at least two of the contact carrier inserts that form a functional pair, and at least one of the contact inserts of the manual connector as well as a first, preferably electric or optical connection between the two contact carrier inserts and a second, preferably electric or optical connection between one of the two contact carrier inserts and the contact insert of the manual connector. 
     
     
         9 . A The coupling system according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the first connection has a first, preferably electric or optical line which couples one of the contacts of the one contact carrier insert to one of the contacts of the other contact carrier insert, and that the second connection has a second, preferably electric or optical line which couples the afore-mentioned contact of the other contact carrier insert to one of the contacts of the contact insert of the manual connector. 
     
     
         10 . The coupling system according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the first line and the second line are directly fixed to the contact of the other contact carrier insert. 
     
     
         11 . The coupling system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each of the contact carrier inserts is mountable on the coupler housing via a screw connection. 
     
     
         12 . The coupling system according to  claim 1 , characterized by a circumferential coupler sealing which is held between the coupler housing and the contact carrier structure assembled from the contact carrier inserts. 
     
     
         13 . The coupling system according to  claim 12 , characterized by at least one holder insert which is mountable on the coupler housing by means of a screw connection, the coupler sealing being partially held between the holder insert and the coupler housing. 
     
     
         14 . The coupling system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the different functions of the electric contacts mounted on the separate contact carrier inserts include at least one of a digital data transmission, a high-frequency signal transmission, a low-frequency signal transmission and an energy transmission. 
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacturing a coupling system for a rail vehicle according to  claim 8 , comprising the following steps:
 preassembling the modules such that a plurality of different modules is provided,   selecting those modules that correspond to a predetermined target configuration, and   assembling the selected modules.   
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a coupling system provided for a rail vehicle, said coupling system comprising a coupler having a coupler housing and a contact carrier structure attached to the coupler housing, and at least one manual connector that is arranged outside the coupler housing, comprising the following steps:
 providing separate contact carrier inserts used to form the contact carrier structure, wherein on every of the separate contact carrier inserts from a plurality of contacts which each have one of a plurality of different functions only those contacts that have the same function are mounted,   providing separate contact inserts used to form the manual connector and having at least one contact each,   preassembling a plurality of modules, of which each module comprises at least one of the contact carrier inserts, at least one of the contact inserts and a connection between the contact carrier insert and the contact insert,   selecting those modules which correspond to a predetermined target configuration of the coupling system, and   assembling the selected modules.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein each module is preassembled such that it comprises at least two of the contact carrier inserts that form a functional pair and the contacts of which have the same function, and that a connection between the two contact carrier inserts is provided.