CN116802106A - Holding interface and buffer system for rail vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a holding interface (1) for connecting a carrier element (2) to a buffer (10) of a rail vehicle (4), comprising a holding body (1) having a component fastening region (1 a) and a connecting region (1 b) which differs from the component fastening region, wherein the component fastening region (1 a) is provided with fastening elements and/or holes (5) for connecting the component (2), and the connecting region (1 b) is shaped such that the connecting region can be fastened to the front side of a buffer flange (11) at least two fastening points by means of bolts (12). The invention further relates to a buffer system and a rail vehicle with such a holding interface.

Description

Holding interface and buffer system for rail vehicles

The invention relates to a holding interface for connecting a support part, in particular an boarding ramp, a pedal, an armrest and/or a standing platform, preferably in the front region of a rail vehicle, to a bumper of the rail vehicle. The invention comprises in particular a damping system, for example a crash device consisting of a crash element and a damper, with such a holding interface, for example a variable additional flange for further attachment or for fastening an boarding ramp to the crash element, in particular with a breaking function.

For a number of different applications, it is necessary to assemble further accessories in the front region of the rail vehicle in addition to the mandatory interoperability components. For example, it should be possible to provide access to the external facilities of the vehicle, such as the front windshield and the window wipers, and to exchange the vehicle side or stand safely, such as a loading ramp, a pedal, an armrest or a standing stand.

Typically, the relevant interface is used for assembling the front device on the front panel of the undercarriage of the rail vehicle. For example, the holding structures which have been suspended in the rear have hitherto been fastened to the front panel, but they have the disadvantage that they require or have a relatively large space requirement. In addition, in the case of a standing, a boarding ramp, a handrail or a step, the dimensions of the fixing portion thereof must also be set so that the fixing portion is not plastically deformed or is plastically deformed only to a small extent when in use.

The fastening of the stands, the loading ramps, the armrests or the pedals is usually carried out on one side of the cabin side, for example on the cab or the front panel. Depending on the desired pedal width or depth, the fastening points are correspondingly bulky or heavy in terms of size, in order to ensure a low elastic deformation. Heavy and overhanging fixing locations lead to increased weight and sometimes also to higher assembly costs due to poor accessibility, which is disadvantageous. Depending on the vehicle design, additional assembly costs for the adjustment work are created in order to compensate for manufacturing tolerances between the different hinge points.

In the front or front region of rail vehicles, components for irreversible energy consumption between the vehicle cabin and the damper are usually installed. In this case, the energy consumption is generally achieved by converting the impact energy into a deformation energy by means of the above-described impact element (also referred to as "deformation element" or "irreversible energy consumption element"). Unlike the damper, this conversion is effected by an irreversible type, for example, of the crash element folded in the axial direction.

Furthermore, when holders are occasionally known in the prior art, for example for connector handles which have been welded to the crash element in the region of the bumper connection, such a connection may be disadvantageous, since a free and undisturbed deformation movement is required for the desired function of the crash element, which deformation movement should not be substantially adversely affected by the armrest, the boarding ramp or the pedal and its connection points.

The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative, more comfortable holding interface (or called mounting joint) for connecting components in the front region of a rail vehicle, with which the above disadvantages are avoided.

The technical problem is solved by a holding interface according to claim 1, a cushioning system according to claim 8 and a rail vehicle according to claim 13.

First, for ease of understanding, it is to be noted that "rear" in terms of the damper refers to the side directed toward the rail vehicle as prescribed, and "front" refers to the side of the damper pan. That is, for example, when mounting on the "front side" of the damper flange, this means that the damper flange is mounted on the side facing the damper disk.

The holding interface according to the invention for connecting a carrier part to a bumper of a rail vehicle comprises a holding body with a part fixing region and a connecting region which differs from the part fixing region.

That is to say that the holding body of the holding interface, i.e. the holding interface itself, essentially comprises two different regions, one for fixing the carrier part and the other for connecting the holding interface to the buffer. The term "load bearing member" here refers to a component which is mounted on the end of a rail vehicle as specified and which is capable of bearing a load, in particular an boarding ramp, a tread, an armrest, a stand or a holder.

For this purpose, the component fastening region is equipped with fastening elements and/or holes for connecting the relevant carrier component to the rail vehicle. The fastening element is preferably a bolt or a bolt, which is already fixedly mounted on the holding body. The hole is preferably already provided with threads, so that the component can be simply screwed onto the holder without the need to use a nut (wherein, of course, the nut may also be used in addition to the safety). However, other fastening elements are also possible, such as rivet nuts or weld nuts.

The connecting region is formed such that it can be fastened to the front side of the damper flange at least one fastening point, in particular at least two fastening points, using bolts, preferably damper bolts (usually commercially available bolts).

For example, the connection region has the same shape as the damper flange and has holes at positions corresponding to the damper flange, so that the connection region can be fastened together with the damper flange by means of damper bolts.

If necessary, the connecting region can also have a recess in the center, so that the connecting region can comprise a damper housing (i.e., a damper housing or a damper plunger) on the damper flange. Preferably, the connecting region encloses only a part of the face of the buffer flange and has the recess described above there, where the buffer housing is located on or at the buffer flange.

The bumper flange is a plate which secures the bumper to the rail vehicle or the crash element as desired. The fastening of the bumper flange to the front panel of the rail vehicle or to the crash element is achieved by means of a so-called "bumper screw" by means of a threaded connection of the components. Bumper bolts are known, commercially available bolts are commonly used, and have the purpose of securely attaching the bumper to the rail vehicle (or crash element).

Typically, the end flange bumpers are distinguished from the center flange bumpers. The end flange is mounted at the end of the damper housing, while the central flange is inserted over the damper housing, in particular the housing of the damper housing, and in particular in the central region thereof. By means of the invention, an existing interface between the impact element or front panel and the bumper can be used in order to form a further interface for additional accessories, whereas the bumper is also extended forward.

The damping system according to the invention comprises a damper, in particular a central flange damper, with a damper flange and a holding interface according to the invention mounted on the damper flange with bolts, preferably with damper bolts. The damping system preferably further comprises a crash element, which is mounted on the damper flange by means of damper bolts. The holding interface is mounted here on the front side of the buffer flange (outside the crash element).

The damping system may also be referred to as an "energy consuming system", especially when it comprises a collision element, since the collision element generally has damping properties and always converts at least a part of the kinetic energy into deformation and heat.

The rail vehicle according to the invention comprises a damping system according to the invention. The rail vehicle is preferably a locomotive, in particular a shunting locomotive or a line locomotive or a truck for passenger transport or freight transport.

The invention has the particular advantage that an interface for fastening components or accessories to a rail vehicle is realized, said components or accessories being intended to extend in front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction or to be positioned there. Furthermore, a certain degree of flexibility is also created by the corresponding design of the fastening elements, so that retrofittability of the rail vehicle is created.

By converting the fastening solution of the prior art, which is fastened only to the vehicle cabin and optionally to the front end, into the fastening according to the invention on the bumper flange or on the bumper side of the crash element, the accessibility to the fastening points and thus the assembly costs can be reduced, and the elements fastened in this way are less bulky and thus the weight can be reduced in view of better support. The relevant elements can of course also be additionally fastened to the cabin.

Furthermore, by means of an advantageous tolerance chain, the adjustment and thus assembly costs can be considerably reduced by the reduced number of components with tolerances in the tolerance chain.

A further advantage of this construction is that no additional holders (apart from the existing fixing possibilities on the cabin) are required and thus no additional space requirements are created. The connection of the carrier part is effected on the parts which are present anyway, on the damper and, if appropriate, on the crash element. The structure of the holding interface can be very simple but extremely flexible here.

Further particularly advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims and the following description, wherein the claims of one claim category can also be expanded similarly to the claims and description of another claim category, and in particular the particular features of the different embodiments or embodiments can also be combined into new embodiments or embodiments.

According to a preferred embodiment of the holding interface, the connection region has the same shape as the predetermined damper flange or at least a part of the damper flange and can be fastened together with the damper flange by means of the predetermined damper screw. This has the advantage that a simple assembly and disassembly (e.g. for replacement with other holding interfaces) can be achieved. The detachable fastening of the holding interface, for example by means of a damper screw, is very advantageous for this purpose.

According to a preferred embodiment of the holding interface, the connection region has a recess, so that the connection region can enclose a damper housing (i.e. a damper housing or a damper plunger) of a predetermined damper. Hereby is achieved that the holding interface is simply connected to the buffer from the buffer disk side. The connecting region preferably corresponds to only a part of the surface of the damper flange of the intended damper and comprises at least one hole, in particular at least two holes for (damper) bolts. The connecting region preferably has a recess in this case, in which the damper housing is located on or at the damper flange.

According to a preferred embodiment of the holding interface, the connection region is angled, preferably perpendicular, with respect to the component fixing region. This is used for the connection of pedals, for example for the connection of horizontal support surfaces, for example stands.

According to a preferred embodiment of the holding interface, the fastening element is a pin or a bolt and is fixedly mounted in the component fastening region of the holding body. Alternatively or additionally, the fastening element is also provided with a threaded bore, in particular, in the fastening region of the component. But may preferably also be a blind rivet nut or a weld nut.

A preferred embodiment of the holding interface comprises a fastening element or a hole in the component fastening region, which is designed for connecting other accessories. The other additions are preferably a boarding ramp, a step, a handrail or a standing, in particular a joiner handle, a step, a maintenance station, a railing or a handrail bar.

According to a preferred holding interface, the holding body is shaped such that it has at least one (structural) weakening of the holding body between the component fixing region and the connecting region. The weakening is designed such that, when a predetermined force acts on the weakening, the component secures the region apart relative to the connection region. The weakening is here a rated breaking point, in particular in the form of a perforation or shearing element. This has the advantage that the components are allowed to be separated from each other in a purposeful manner in the event of an accident. For example, an undisturbed deformation movement of the crash element should always be ensured. For this purpose, the fastening of the carrier element, for example the armrest or the pedal, to the bumper side of the crash element should fail in the event of an accident. This is achieved by the weakening, for example a targeted weakening of the carrying cross section of the holder.

The holding interface thus enables the user to flexibly, space-saving, but with sufficient strength, link additional accessories in the front region of the vehicle.

A preferred embodiment of the damping system comprises a crash element which is mounted in the damper flange by means of damper bolts. The holding interface is mounted on the other side of the crash element on the damper flange (i.e. from the damper disk side).

According to a preferred embodiment of the damping system, the damper is a central flange damper.

According to a preferred embodiment of the damping system, the connection region of the holding interface has the same shape as the damper flange (at least the contour and, if necessary, the recess in the inner region) and has a hole at a location corresponding to the damper flange. Preferably, the holding interface is fastened to the damper flange by means of damper bolts.

According to a preferred embodiment of the damping system, the holding interface is mounted on the damper disk side of the damper flange, and the connection region of the holding interface has a recess, so that the damper housing (i.e. the damper housing or the damper plunger) is at least partially enclosed. Preferably, the connection region corresponds only to at least a part of the face of the damper flange, and the holding interface is fastened to the damper flange with at least one damper bolt, preferably with at least two damper bolts.

The invention is explained in more detail below by means of examples in connection with the figures. The same reference numerals are used to designate the same elements in different drawings. The figures are generally not to scale. In the drawings:

figure 1 shows a damping system comprising a damper and a crash element according to the prior art,

figure 2 shows the connection of a load bearing member in the region of a damper of a rail vehicle according to the prior art,

figure 3 shows figure 2 from another perspective,

figure 4 shows a buffer system with a preferred holding interface according to one embodiment of the invention,

fig. 5 shows the front part of a rail vehicle, wherein the pedal is mounted by means of a preferred holding interface,

figure 6 shows figure 5 from another perspective,

fig. 1 shows a buffer 10 according to the prior art. The damper has a damper flange 11 for fastening the damper 10 to the front panel of the rail vehicle 4 or to the crash element 3 shown here. The fastening of the damper flange 11 is effected by means of a plurality of damper bolts 12, only one of which is shown here, in order to also show the holes which are present for this purpose in the damper flange 11 and the crash element 3.

A damper housing 13 is welded to the damper flange 11, into which damper plunger 14 protrudes. Between these two components, an elastic damping element, not shown here, is mounted, which can reversibly absorb and release the pressure acting on the damper disk 15, wherein the damping element preferably also converts energy into heat, for example, and thus serves as a shock absorber. In the event of an unexpected event of a significantly greater force action than normal, the crash element 3 absorbs said force for this purpose. The crash element is deformed in this case and absorbs the crash energy irreversibly.

Fig. 2 and 3 show the connection of the carrier part 2 to the damper 10 of the rail vehicle 4 according to the prior art. The arrows show some areas of the rail vehicle 4 in which the carrier part 2 is fixed. The pedal 2 is used here as an example of the carrier member 2. But may also be a handrail or a shunting platform. The pedal 2 shown here is fixed in the front region of the rail vehicle 4. As is shown in detail by the arrow, the pedal 2 is fastened to the cab or front end of the rail vehicle and on its cabin side. In this case, the fastening points on the cab or front end are relatively heavy in terms of size due to the considerable pedal width, in order to ensure a low elastic deformation.

Fig. 4 shows a preferred damping system 9 with an embodiment of a holding interface 1 according to the invention, on which a pedal 2 as a carrier part 2 can be mounted. The damping system 9 comprises a damper 10 with a damper flange 11, which is mounted on the impact element 3, as described in fig. 1. Unlike fig. 1, the holding interface 1 according to the invention comprises components on the front side of the damper flange 11 (i.e. on the side facing the damper disk 15), wherein the components are connected to one another by means of damper bolts 12.

The holding interface 1 here has a holding body 1 (and in this embodiment essentially consists of a holding body). The holding body 1 has a component fastening region 1a, the component fastening region 1a being at a vertical angle to the connection region 1b, whereby the pedal 2 (not shown here, see the following figures) can be fastened flat and with bolts 7 in holes of the component fastening region 1 a.

Below this component fastening region 1a, a connecting region 1b is provided, which here corresponds to a part of the surface of the damper flange 11, i.e. a part of the upper region thereof, and is fastened to the damper flange 11 by means of two damper bolts 12. Since the damper flange 11 is welded to the damper housing 13 or, in the case of a central flange damper, is introduced into the damper housing, a recess is present in the connection region 1b, which partially encloses the damper housing 13.

The component fastening region 1a is provided with a plurality of holes 5 (only one of which is designated by a reference numeral for the sake of brevity), wherein a plurality of fastening elements, for example bolts (instead of the holes 5), may also be present in the component fastening region 1 a. The connection region 1b can be fastened between the crash element 3 and the damper flange 11 by means of two damper bolts 12, whereby the damper bolts 12 connect the crash element 3, the damper flange 11 and the adjacent holding connection 1 to the damping system 9. As an alternative to fastening by means of the damper bolts 12, fastening can also be achieved at additional fastening points on the damper flange.

Fig. 5 shows the front of a rail vehicle 4, in which the pedal 2 is mounted by means of a preferred holding interface 1. The pedal 2 is fastened to the holding connection 1 by means of a screw 7 in a hole 5 hidden from view (see fig. 5, for example), and the holding connection 1 is fastened to a damper 10 of the rail vehicle 4 by means of two damper screws 12.

In order to maintain the desired function of the crash element 3, i.e. its desired deformability in the event of an accident, the holding interface 1 has a weakening 6 in the form of a perforation, so that the component fastening region 1a is exactly broken in this position relative to the connecting region 1 b.

Fig. 6 shows fig. 5 from another perspective. The two right arrows indicate the fixing points on the buffer and on the holding interface 1, the left arrow indicates the additional fixing possibilities on the side of the rail vehicle (as used in the prior art). The weakening 6 in the holding structure 1 is preferred for the case where fixation is performed.

Finally, it should also be noted that the above-described embodiments are merely examples, which can be optimized in different ways by the person skilled in the art, without leaving the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude that a plurality of the relevant feature may also be present. Likewise, the term "unit" does not exclude that the relevant component is formed by a plurality of co-acting sub-components, which may optionally also be spatially distributed.

Claims (13)

1. A holding connection (1) for connecting a carrier element (2) to a buffer (10) of a rail vehicle (4), comprising a holding body (1) having a component fastening region (1 a) and a connecting region (1 b) which differs from the component fastening region, wherein the component fastening region (1 a) is provided with fastening elements and/or holes (5) for connecting the component (2), and the connecting region (1 b) is shaped such that the connecting region can be fastened to the front side of a buffer flange (11) at least one fastening point by means of bolts (12).

2. The holding interface (1) according to claim 1, wherein the connection region (1 b) has the same shape as the predetermined buffer flange (11) or at least a part of the buffer flange (11).

3. The holding interface (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connection region (1 b) has a recess, so that the connection region can enclose a bumper housing (13, 14) of a predetermined bumper (10), wherein the connection region (1 b) preferably corresponds to only at least a part of the face of the bumper flange (11) of the predetermined bumper (10) that is associated with at least one hole for a bumper bolt (12), and there is a recess, at which the bumper housing (13, 14) is located on or at the bumper flange (11).

4. The holding interface according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the connection region (1 b) is angled, preferably perpendicular, with respect to the component securing region (1 a).

5. The holding interface according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fixing element is a pin or bolt and is fixedly mounted in a component fixing area (1 a) of the holding body (1) and/or wherein the hole (5) in the component fixing area (1 a) is provided with threads.

6. The holding interface according to any of the preceding claims, comprising in the component fixing area (1 a) fixing elements or holes (5) for connecting other accessories, which are designed in particular for connecting a boarding ramp, a step, a handrail or a standing table, preferably for connecting a coupler handrail, a step, a maintenance table, a railing and/or a railing rail.

7. The holding interface according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the holding body (1) has at least one weakening (6) of the holding body (1) between the component securing region (1 a) and the connecting region (1 b), which weakening is designed such that the component securing region (1 a) separates relative to the connecting region (1 b) when a predetermined force acts on the weakening (6), wherein the weakening (6) is preferably a nominal breaking point, in particular in the form of a perforating or shearing element.

8. A damping system (9) comprising a damper (10) with a damper flange (11) and a holding interface (1) according to any of the preceding claims, which holding interface is mounted on the damper flange (11) with bolts (12) on the damper flange (11).

9. The damping system according to claim 8, comprising a crash element (3) mounted on a damper flange (11) by means of bolts (12), wherein the holding interface (1) is preferably arranged on the front side of the damper flange (11) on the other side of the crash element (3).

10. The damping system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the damper (10) is a central flange damper.

11. The damping system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the connection region (1 b) of the holding interface (1) has at least partially the same shape as the damper flange (11) and has holes at positions corresponding to the damper flange (11), and the holding interface (1) is fixed on the damper flange (11) by means of bolts (12).

12. The damping system according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the connection region (1 b) of the holding interface (1) has a recess such that the damper housing (13, 14) is at least partially enclosed, wherein the connection region (1 b) preferably corresponds to only a part of a face of the damper flange (11) and the holding interface (1) is fastened to the damper flange (11) with at least one bolt (12).

13. A rail vehicle comprising a cushioning system (9) according to any one of claims 8 to 12.