ENTRANCE SYSTEM FOR SHORT NOSE OF LOCOMOTIVE

Abstract

An entrance system for providing access to a short nose of a locomotive is provided. The entrance system includes a door assembly coupled to a wall. The door assembly further includes a panel having predetermined shape, and a plurality of vents on a surface of the panel. The door assembly further includes a frame encasing the panel and a first lock in member coupled to the frame. The frame has a hinged connection to the wall. The entrance system includes a second locking member coupled to the wall. The first locking member and the second locking member are adapted to prevent a rotation of the door assembly around the hinged connection under locking condition of the entrance system. The entrance system further includes a cover flush mounted with a floor of the cabin and at least a portion of the cover extends beneath the frame.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an entrance system and more specifically, to the entrance system for a short nose of a locomotive.

BACKGROUND

A locomotive generally includes a cabin and a short nose at the front of the locomotive. Typically, control equipment essential to run the locomotive is provided in the cabin and the short nose. The short nose houses a variety of equipment including the locomotive's electronics, digital, and ancillary equipment such as, sensors, temperature regulators, electrical switches, processors etc. This equipment performs a multitude of functions essential for smooth functioning of the locomotive and operated by technical personnel only. Generally, the non-technical staff is prohibited from entering the short nose as they may unknowingly damage the equipment.

In order to ensure safety of the equipment, entry to the short nose is desired to be restricted. However, since there is a difference in height of the floor of the cabin and the floor of the short nose, the locking arrangements become complex. Also, the equipment present in the short nose generates a considerable amount of heat. If left in isolation, the temperature of the equipment continues to rise, which in turn increases the risk of equipment catching fire. It is essential to continuously dissipate heat produced from the equipment to prevent fire hazards and to prolong their life expectancy and improve reliability. Therefore, there exists a need to provide a system for restricting access to the short nose, which also prevents overheating the equipment. Also, the system should be equipped with an easy to lock arrangement for restricting access to the short nose.

United States Publication Number 2014/0325333 relates to an electrical enclosure for a locomotive having a cabin, the electrical enclosure comprising a plurality of compartments configured to house a plurality of different electrical components, and a duct formed within a first of the plurality of compartments located below the floor of the cabin, the duct configured to receive conditioned air from the cabin and to direct the conditioned air from a second of the plurality of compartments into the first of the plurality of compartments. However, the electrical enclosure provided in the cabin does not restrict access to the electronic equipment, leading to a risk of unauthorized access to electronic equipment. Also, the reference does not disclose restricting access to a short nose. Thus, there is a need to provide an improved system for restricting access to the short nose of the locomotive, which prevents unauthorized access of electronic equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present disclosure, an entrance system for a short nose of a locomotive is provided. The entrance system for providing access to the short nose of the locomotive includes a door assembly coupled to a wall of a cabin of the locomotive. The door assembly includes a panel having, a predetermined shape, and a plurality of vents on the surface of the panel. The door assembly further includes a frame encasing the panel and the frame having a hinged connection to the wall of the cabin at a first side of the frame allowing rotation of the door assembly inside the short nose. The door assembly further includes a first locking member coupled on a second side of the frame. The entrance system includes a second locking member coupled to the wall. Also, the first locking member and the second locking member are adapted to put the entrance system in a locking condition to prevent a rotation of the door assembly around the hinged connection. The entrance system further includes a cover flush mounted with a floor of the cabin and at least a portion of the cover extends beneath the frame.

Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a locomotive including a cabin and a short nose in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an entrance system for the short nose and a detailed view of a first locking member and a second locking member in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a front view and a top view, taken along 2-2′, of a door assembly in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a top view; side view and bottom view of a cover in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the entrance system from the short nose in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a locomotive 10 includes a cabin 12 and a short nose 14. The cabin 12 is used as an operational area for users such as, but not limited to, operator, maintenance staff, responsible for functioning of the locomotive 10. The cabin 12 includes an entrance system 16, a wall 18, a side wall 20, a floor 22, a head bumper 24, a hand rail 26, and a first plurality of rear floor covers 28. The cabin 12 further includes various other components such as, but not limited to chairs, operating workstations, windows, and so on. For the purpose of simplicity, the various other components of the cabin 12 are not labelled in FIG. 1. The entrance system 16 provides access to the short nose 14 and restricts access to the short nose 14 under locking condition of the entrance system 16. The short nose 14 houses several equipment including sensors, temperature regulators, electrical switches, processors, etc. The equipment present in the short nose 14 is used to monitor and control the operation of the locomotive 10.

The entrance system 16 includes a door assembly 30 and a floor cover 32. The door assembly 30 is coupled to the wall 18 of the cabin 12, and includes a panel 34 enclosed within a frame 36 of the door assembly 30. The floor cover 32 is flush mounted with the floor 22 of the cabin 12. The head bumper 24 is attached to the wall 18 of the cabin 12 above the door assembly 30. The hand rail 26 is attached to the side wall 20 of the cabin 12 in close proximity of the door assembly 30.

Referring to FIG. 2, the door assembly 30 is coupled to the wall 18 (FIG. 1) of the cabin 12. The frame 36 of the door assembly 30 has a first side 38 and a second side 40. The first side 38 of the frame 36 of the door assembly 30 is provided with a first hinged connection 42. The first hinged connection 42 includes a first hinge 44 and a second hinge 46. The first hinge 44 and the second hinge 46 are fastened to the door assembly 30 using a number of fasteners (not shown). The door assembly 30 is coupled to the wall 18 at the first side 38 of the frame 36 through the first hinged connection 42. The door assembly 30 is adapted to rotate along an axis 1-1′ of the first hinged connection 42 inside of the short nose 14. A first locking member 48 is coupled to the frame 36 at the second side 40. A second locking member 50 is coupled to the wall 18. The first locking member 48 attached to the frame 36 and the second locking member 50 coupled to the wall 18 are adapted to put the entrance system 16 under a locking condition in order to restrict access to the short nose 14. Under the locking condition of the entrance system 16, the first locking member 48 and the second locking member 50 prevent the rotation of the door assembly 30. As an example, a lock (not shown) is coupled to the first locking member 48 and the second locking member 50 in order to put the entrance system 16 under the locking condition.

The entrance system 16 further includes the floor cover 32. The floor cover 32 has a predetermined length 52 that extends beneath the frame 36. The extension of the floor cover 32 beneath the frame 36 prevents the floor cover 32 to be opened under the locking condition of the entrance system 16. In order to gain access to the short nose 14, the locking condition of the entrance system 16 is removed, for example, by removing a lock coupled to the first locking member 48 and the second locking member 50. Thereafter, the floor cover 32 is removed in order to gain access to the short nose 14.

Referring to FIG. 3, a front view and a top view, taken along 2-2′, of the door assembly 30 is shown. The panel 34 is contained within the frame 36 and having a surface 54. The panel 34 has a predetermined shape. As an example, the predetermined shape includes, but not limited, a corrugated shape or a flat shape. The panel 34 includes a number of vents 56 on the surface 54. The vents 56 on the surface 54 of the panel 34 are adapted to allow the air to pass from the short nose 14 to the cabin 12 and vice-versa. The frame 36 includes first edges 58 at the first side 38, and second edges 60 at the second side 40. The first edges 58 and the second edges 60 have a curved profile.

Referring to FIG. 4, a top view, a side view, and a bottom view of the floor cover 32 of the entrance system 16 is shown. The floor cover 32 includes a latch plate 62, attached to the floor cover 32 using a number of fasteners 64. The floor cover 32 is coupled to the floor 22 using a first member 66 and a second member 68. As an example, the floor cover 32 is coupled to the floor 22, the first member 66 and the second member 68 engage with a metal strip (not shown) provided in the floor 22 in order to lock the floor cover 32. In another example, there are slots provided in the floor 32 which engage the first member 66 and the second member 68. In a locking configuration of the floor cover 32, the first member 66 and the second member 68 are placed within the slots present in the floor 22 in order to lock the floor cover 32. In order to gain access to the short nose 14, the latch plate 62 is used to remove the floor cover 32. As discussed above, the predetermined length 52 of the floor cover 32 is placed beneath the frame 36 of the door assembly 30, therefore, the floor cover 32 is only opened, after the door assembly 30 rotates around the first hinged connection 42 inside of the short nose 14.

Referring to FIG. 5, a perspective view of the entrance system 16 from the short nose 14 is shown. The cabin 12 includes a staircase 70 that connects the floor 22 of the cabin 12 to the short nose 14. The staircase 70 includes a number of steps for a user to climb down to the short nose 14. Each step of the staircase 70 has a tread 72 and a riser 74. The tread 72 is made up of a non-slippery material such as, but not limited to, rubber. The surface of the riser 74 has a rectangular wire mesh 76. The number of steps of the staircase 70 depends on a difference in height between the floor 22 of the cabin 12 and a floor (not shown) of the short nose 14.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the frame 36 is shown to have rectangular shape, however, the frame 36 may have any other suitable shape. Also, the frame 36 is shown to have two hinges, the first hinged connection 42 may include additional hinges. Further, the panel 34 has a predetermined thickness and a material of construction including, but not limited to Steel, Iron, Brass, Copper, Aluminium, Nickel, Tin, and Titanium.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

Referring to FIG. 1, the locomotive 10 includes the cabin 12 and the short nose 14 at the front of the locomotive 10. The short nose 14 includes a variety of equipment including the locomotive's electronics and digital equipment such as sensors, temperature regulators, electrical switches, processors, etc. The entry to the short nose 14 should be restricted to ensure safety of the equipment. However, as there is difference in height of the floor 22 of the cabin 12 and a floor of the short nose, the locking arrangements become complex. Also, the equipment present in the short nose generate a considerable amount of heat. If left in isolation, the temperature of the equipment in the short nose will continues to rise, which in turn increases the risk of a fire. It is essential to continuously dissipate heat produced from the equipment to prevent fire hazard and to prolong the life of equipment and improve reliability. Therefore; there exists a need to provide a system for restricting access to a short nose, which also prevents overheating of the equipment. Also, the system should be equipped with an easy to lock arrangement for restricting access to the short nose 14.

Referring to FIG. 2, the entrance system 16 for the short nose 14 of the locomotive 10 includes the first locking member 48 coupled to the second side 40 of the frame 36 of the door assembly 30 and the second locking member 50 coupled to the wall 18. The first locking, member 48 and the second locking member 50 are adapted to put the entrance system 16 under a locking condition to restrict access to the short nose 14. The entrance system 16 is designed to be locked at single location which simplifies the design of the entrance system 16. The floor cover 32 covers the staircase 70 of the short nose 14 and prevents any possible fall hazards. The floor cover 32 has the predetermined length 52 that extends beneath the frame 36. Therefore, the floor cover 32 cannot be opened before opening the door assembly 30. This ensures completely restricted entry to the short nose 14 and safety of equipment present in the short nose 14.

Referring to FIGS. 3 & 5, the panel 34 of the door assembly 30 includes the vents 56 on its surface 54. The vents 56 are adapted to allow the air to pass from the short nose 14 to the cabin 12 and vice-versa. This ensures that heat generated by the equipment present in the short nose 14 is continuously dissipated and the temperature of the equipment inside the short nose 14 remains stable within acceptable safety limits. The frame 36 includes the first edges 58 at the first side 38, and the second edges 60 at the second side 40. The first edges 58 and the second edges 60 have a curved profile. The frame 36 is configured with the first edges 58 and the second edges 60 having a curved profile to ensure smooth contact between the door assembly 30 and the wall 18 and prevent cuts and scrapes on the door assembly 30 and the floor 22. The floor cover 32 is flush mounted with the floor 22 of the cabin 12. This ensures that a user inside the cabin 12 does not trip over the floor cover 32. The head bumper 24 attached to the wall 18 of the cabin 12 above the door assembly 30 prevents head injuries while entering or exiting the short nose 14. The hand rail 26 attached to the side wall 20 of the cabin 12 aids a user while going up and down the staircase 70.

While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An entrance system for providing access to a short nose of a locomotive, the entrance system comprising:

a door assembly coupled to a wall of a cabin of the locomotive, the door assembly including: a panel having a predetermined shape, and a plurality of vents on a surface of the panel; a frame encasing the panel, the frame having a hinged connection to the wall of the cabin at a first side of the frame allowing rotation of the door assembly inside the short nose; and a first locking member coupled to the frame on a second side of the frame;

a second locking member coupled to the wall, the first locking member and the second locking member adapted to prevent rotation of the door assembly, around the hinged connection under locking condition of the entrance system; and

a cover flush mounted with a floor of the cabin, wherein at least a portion of the cover extends beneath the frame.