Coupler head front face

Abstract

A coupler face of a coupler head for a rail vehicle has a plurality of contact surface segments which are distributed over the coupler face and elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the contact surface segments, characterized in that the plurality of contact surface segments is formed as a plurality of pads which are removably attached to the coupler face so as to be replaceable upon maintenance or repair services.

1 . A coupler face of a coupler head for a rail vehicle, comprising a plurality of contact surface segments which are distributed over the coupler face and elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the contact surface segments, wherein the plurality of contact surface segments is formed as a plurality of pads which are removably attached to the coupler face so as to be replaceable upon maintenance or repair services. 
     
     
         2 . The coupler face according to  claim 1 , wherein the pads each comprise at least one hole which is adapted to cooperate with a screw in order to releasably connect the pads to the coupler face by means of screws. 
     
     
         3 . The coupler face according to  claim 2 , wherein the pads each comprise at least one threaded hole and the coupler face comprises corresponding through-holes through which screws can reach into the at least one threaded hole of the pads from a rear side of the pads in order to releasably connect the pads to the coupler face by screws. 
     
     
         4 . The coupler face according to  claim 1 , wherein the pads are each arranged in one or more recesses provided in the coupler face. 
     
     
         5 . The coupler face according to  claim 4 , wherein an inward-facing wall of the one or more recesses and at least a portion of a circumferential surface of each of the pads are designed with respect to each other so that the pads are centered relative to the coupler face when placed in the one or more recesses. 
     
     
         6 . The coupler face according to  claim 1 , wherein the pads are made of non-hardened steel, an alloy, a cemented carbide material or a plastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The coupler face according to  claim 6 , wherein the pads are made of a material having a yield strength of at least 600 MPa. 
     
     
         8 . The coupler face according to  claim 1  wherein the pads are coated with a hydrophobic material. 
     
     
         9 . The coupler face according to  claim 1 , wherein the pads each have a surface relief. 
     
     
         10 . The coupler face according to  claim 9 , wherein the surface relief comprises one or more of: a pattern of erected polyhedrons, a pattern of pyramids or truncated pyramids, and a pattern of grooves which are arranged in parallel to one another. 
     
     
         11 . The coupler face according to  claim 1 , wherein the pads are each provided with a separate heating element. 
     
     
         12 . The coupler face according to  claim 11 , wherein the heating element comprises at least one of a flat sheet placed underneath the respective pad or a wire which is positioned underneath the respective pad in at least one of a correspondingly sized depression on the coupler face or in a correspondingly sized depression on a rear side of the respective pad. 
     
     
         13 . The coupler face of  claim 1 , wherein the pads are elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the pads by between 4 mm and 6 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The coupler face of  claim 1 , wherein at least two pads of the plurality of pads are identical in shape or have a shape mirroring each other, whereby the contour of one of the two pads as seen from a rear side thereof corresponds to the contour of the respective other one of the two pads as seen from a front side thereof. 
     
     
         15 . A front plate for a coupler head comprising a coupler face comprising a plurality of contact surface segments which are distributed over the coupler face and elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the contact surface segments, wherein the plurality of contact surface segments is formed as a plurality of pads which are removably attached to the coupler face so as to be replaceable upon maintenance or repair services. 
     
     
         16 . A coupler head having a coupler face, or a front plate having a coupler face, comprising a plurality of contact surface segments which are distributed over the coupler face and elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the contact surface segments, wherein the plurality of contact surface segments is formed as a plurality of pads which are removably attached to the coupler face so as to be replaceable upon maintenance or repair services, the coupler head comprising a coupling profile comprising a cone and a cup which allows the cone of the coupler head to be guided into and centered in the cup of an identical opposing coupler head during a coupling process, thereby aligning the two coupler heads. 
     
     
         17 . A pad for a coupler face of a coupler head for a rail vehicle comprising at least one threaded hole, wherein the threaded hole is a blind hole on a rear side of the pad. 
     
     
         18 . The pad according to  claim 17 , wherein the pad has a surface relief, wherein the surface relief comprises one or both of: a pattern of one or more of erected polyhedrons, pyramids or truncated pyramids, and a pattern of grooves which are arranged in parallel to one another. 
     
     
         19 . A set of pads, wherein each of the pads comprises at least one threaded hole, wherein the threaded hole is a blind hole on a rear side of the pad, wherein at least two pads of the set of pads are identical in shape. 
     
     
         20 . A method of maintaining or repairing a coupler head of a rail vehicle, the coupler head having at least one of coupler face, or a front plate having a coupler face, comprising a plurality of contact surface segments which are distributed over the coupler face and elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the contact surface segments, wherein the plurality of contact surface segments is formed as a plurality of pads which are removably attached to the coupler face so as to be replaceable upon maintenance or repair services, the method comprising the steps of removing one or all of the plurality of pads from the coupler face and replacing the removed one or more pads by attaching respective new pads or reattaching the removed one or more pads, wherein the method comprises the step of selecting a pad as the new pad which has a different surface relief than the replaced pad. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , comprising the step of placing a heating element underneath the new or reattached pad, wherein the step of placing the heating element underneath the new or reattached pad includes positioning a wire in one or both of a correspondingly sized depression on the coupler face and a correspondingly sized depression on a rear side of the pad.