EP1694547B1

EP1694547B1 - Escape device for a rail vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP1694547B1
Application number: EP04797852A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fredrik JÄGSANDER; Heinz Klamka; Jan Prockat
Original assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
Current assignee: Alstom Transportation Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2003-12-19
Filing date: 2004-11-12
Publication date: 2009-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 2024-11-12
Also published as: ATE425905T1; WO2005058666A1; CN1914079A; GB2409195A; EP1694547A1; CN100436220C; DE602004020100D1; GB0329428D0

Abstract

A detrainment device for a rail vehicle comprising an emergency exit door (8) integrated into a front of the rail vehicle and a movable ramp (16) for bridging a coupler (26) of the rail vehicle, wherein the ramp (16) being associated with the emergency exit door (8) and being movable from a storage position into an operational position. The ramp (16) is located in its operational position completely above the coupler (26) of the rail vehicle. Moreover, the ramp (16) is provided with a foldable or telescopic ladder (21). The detrainment device allows both a train-to-train and a train-to-track detrainment.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an escape device for a rail vehicle comprising an emergency exit door integrated into a front of the rail vehicle and a movable ramp for bridging a coupler of the rail vehicle, wherein the ramp being associated with the emergency exit door and being movable from a storage position into an operational position.
Rail vehicles like commuter trains are often operated at least partly in tunnel systems. If e.g. a commuter train has a failure and can not be moved any more, the rail vehicle needs to be detrained, or in emergency cases even to be evacuated. Since there is not at all points of existing tunnels a possibility to comfortably detrain the rail vehicle at its side, some railway operators also demand the feature to evacuate the rail vehicle at its front.
DE 41 08 575 C2 discloses an emergency exit door for rail vehicles which is arranged in the end wall of a railway carriage. The door consists of two parts wherein a hollow primary part contains a secondary part. The primary part is pivotably connected with a horizontal axis of rotation to the chassis of the railway carriage. In case of an accident, the door can be lowered and the secondary part can be extracted from the hollow primary part, such that the two parts of the door form a ramp which touches the ground for enabling passengers to leave the railway carriage. A pneumatic cylinder is placed on one side of the door for ease of closing and a damper is set opposite so that the door can be lowered by itself after an accident. A secondary damper is situated inside of the hollow primary part allowing the ramp to be extracted with ease.
This known emergency exit door has a complex structure and requires much space. Moreover, it considerably limits the view of the driver if it is arranged in the end wall of a driver's cab.
Another solution for enabling passengers to leave a railway vehicle in case of emergency consists of windows which are provided with pull out rubber sealings. If the railway vehicle has a failure or in a case of emergency the rubber sealing of the respective window can be pulled out to enable passengers to take the window out off the window frame and to leave the vehicle through the window opening. However, if the window does not reach near to the floor of the railway vehicle it is difficult for passengers, particularly for elderly persons to get out off the vehicle through the window opening. Moreover, these pull-out rubber sealings are single use solutions, thus an easy closing of the windows is not possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an escape device for use in a rail vehicle which also enables to evacuate the rail vehicle at its front, which requires little space, which has a simple structure, which enables a repeatable closing and which enables a quick, easy and safe evacuation.
According to the invention this object is achieved by the escape device defined in claim 1.
The escape device according to the invention comprises an emergency exit door integrated into a front of the rail vehicle and a movable ramp for bridging the coupler of the rail vehicle, wherein the ramp being associated with the emergency exit door. The ramp is movable from a storage position into an operational position. In its operational position the ramp is located completely above the coupler of the rail vehicle. For evacuating the passengers from the rail vehicle to the track the ramp is equipped with a foldable or telescopic ladder. However, the ramp allows also an evacuation of passengers from one rail vehicle to another rail vehicle, i.e. a train to train evacuation.
The detrainment device according to the invention requires little space and has a simple structure. Furthermore, the escape device according to the invention allows a repeatable closing of the emergency exit opening it is fixed on. In particular, it enables a quick, easy and safe evacuation.
According to a preferred embodiment the emergency exit door has at least one window. Thus, if the escape device according to the invention is integrated in the front of a driver's cab and if the window of the emergency exit door has a sufficient size the latter does not lessen the view of the driver.
In order to ensure a quick and easy evacuation of passengers the emergency exit door has a height of at least 1.300 mm, preferably of at least 1.700 mm, and a width of not less than 600 mm.
Further preferred and advantageous embodiments of the escape device according to the invention are defined in the subclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried out reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1: is a perspective view showing a driver's cab of a rail vehicle provided with an escape device according to the present invention;
Fig. 2: is a perspective view showing an emergency exit door used in connection with an escape device according to the present invention;
Fig. 3: is a perspective inside view showing the driver's area of the driver's cab shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4: is a perspective view showing the driver's cab shown in Fig. 1, wherein the emergency exit door has been opened and a ramp bridging a coupler of the rail vehicle is folded out;
Fig. 5: is a schematic top view showing the driver's cab according to Fig. 1, wherein another train has been docked on for a train-to-train evacuation in front of the driver's cab on the same track;
Fig. 6: is a perspective view showing the driver's cab shown in Fig. 1, wherein the emergency exit door is opened and the ramp equipped with a telescopic ladder being unfolded;
Fig. 7: is a perspective view corresponding to Fig. 6, wherein the telescopic ladder is extended;
Fig. 8: is a perspective view corresponding to Figs. 6 and 7, wherein the telescopic ladder is folded out;
Fig. 9: is a front view showing a driver's cab of a rail vehicle provided with an emergency exit door integrated into the front of the driver's cab, wherein the emergency exit door is open and a ramp equipped with a foldable ladder being folded out; and
Fig. 10: is a sectional view along the line A-A in Fig. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figs. 1 and 6 show a driver's cab 1 of a rail vehicle having two driver's doors 2 and 3 integrated in the side walls. The rail vehicle may be, for example, a rail vehicle of a metro or subway train. The front side of the driver's cab 1 is provided with two windows 4 and 5, one of which is equipped with a windscreen wiper 6. Behind the window 4 equipped with the windscreen wiper 6 there is installed a control console 7 (cf. Figs. 3 and 4). The rail vehicle is provided with an escape device to allow, if necessary, an evacuation of passengers from the rail vehicle and from further carriages (not.shown) coupled thereto.
The escape device comprises an emergency exit door 8 which is arranged in the centre of the front of the driver's cab 1 between the windows 4 and 5. The emergency exit door 8 has a window 9 having the same or approximately the same height as the windows 4 and 5. The emergency exit door 8 and the corresponding door opening are approximately 1800 mm in height and approximately 650 mm in width. The door opening reaches down to the floor 10 of the rail vehicle (cf. Fig. 3). The height of the window 9 is more than half of the height of the emergency exit door 8.
The emergency exit door shown in Figs. 2 and 4 is a swing door which can be opened with an out and sideways swinging motion so that the door leaf remains parallel to the outside of-the rail vehicle. The door 8 is provided with L-shaped swing arms 11 having a long section 12 and a short section 13. The end at the long section 12 of each swing arm 11 is pivotably connected to an upper or lower traverse 14 of the door 8. The other end of the respective swing arm 11 is pivotably connected to a post 15 of the vehicle structure. The post 15 is arranged in an essentially vertical plane. In its open position the door 8 is arranged in front of the left hand side window 5 (considered from the inside of the driver's cab). Thus, the door 8 will never be positioned in front of the window 4 arranged in front of the control console 7.
At the floor area adjacent the emergency exit door 8 there is mounted a ramp 16 which can be swiveled from a storage position into an operational position. Quick-release pins are used to secure the ramp in its stored and operational position. Fig. 3 shows the ramp 16 in its storage position without a covering which usually covers the ramp 16. The ramp 16 is made of a bottom part member 17 and two webs 18 and 19. The webs run essentially parallel to each other and protrude upwards from the bottom part member 17. The webs 18 and 19 have protruding ends with a hole for receiving quick-release fastening means 20 for connecting a ladder to the ramp 16. The ladder may be a foldable ladder or a telecopic ladder 21.
The opposite ends of the webs 18 and 19 protrude from the bottom part member 17 in the direction of the floor 10. These ends have upper and lower edges 22 and 23 which are oblique upwards with respect to the essentially plain surface of the bottom part member 17. The ends are connected by means of pivots to bearing elements 24.
The escape device according to the invention offers two possibilities for evacuating passengers from the rail vehicle or a train including the rail vehicle. The first possibility is a train-to-train evacuation by using the ramp 16, whereas the second possibility is a train-to-track evacuation by using the ramp 16 in connection with the ladder 21.
In case of an emergency or a failure of the rail vehicle the emergency exit door 8 will be opened after the rail vehicle has stopped. The emergency exit door 8 can be opened independent of the motion of the ramp 16.
If a second train is available for evacuating the passengers present in a first damaged or broken-down train having the driver's cab shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the second train is arranged adjacent and on the same track as the first train.
Fig. 5 shows a situation where a first train is to be evacuated and a second train has been arranged in front of the driver's cab 1 of the first train in order to allow a train-to-train evacuation. The trains should be coupled in order to minimize the distance between the adjacent rail vehicles of the trains. Also, the trains may be coupled in order to drag off the broken-down train. The emergency exit doors 8 of both trains are opened. Both doors 8 are swing doors which can be opened to the left hand side essentially parallel to the front of the rail vehicle.
A cover (not shown) covering the ramp 16 and the ladder 21 attached thereto in the storage position is removed from the ramp 16. The cover is provided with quick release means and may be laid down in the co-driver's area. Since the ladder 21 attached to the ramp 16 will not be needed for a train-to-train evacuation and may hamper passengers when they walk over the ramp 16, the ladder 21 will be removed from the ramp 16. In order to ensure a quick separation the ladder 21 is pivotably connected to the ramp 16 by quick release and fastening means 20. As indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 the detached ladder 21 may be placed in the driver's area, e.g. behind the driver's seat 25.
After the ladder 21 is removed from the respective ramp 16 the ramps 16 are folded out form their storage position shown in Fig. 3 into their operational position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This action is indicated by an arrow in Fig. 4. In the operational position the bottom part member 17 of the respective ramp 16 lies in a plane which is essentially parallel to and/or in alignment with the plane of the vehicle floor 10. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the ramp 16 terminates in its operational position in a certain distance before the outer end of the coupler 26 bridged by the ramp 16. Thus, in case of a train-to-train evacuation on a curved track the adjacent ramps will not touch each other and thus they will not jam with each other.
If no second train is available for a train-to-train detrainment there is an alternative possibility to use the escape device according to the invention for a train-to-track evacuation. This alternative will be explained now with reference to Figs. 3 and 6 to 9.
Again, in case of an emergency or a failure of the rail vehicle the emergency exit door 8 at the front of the rail vehicle will be opened. The cover (not shown) covering the ramp 16 and the telescopic ladder 21 attached thereto is removed. Thereafter, the ramp 16 together with the telescopic ladder 21 is folded out form the storage position shown in Fig. 3 into the operational position shown in Fig. 6. Subsequently, the telescopic ladder 21 is extended and set into the track, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.
The two length parts of the telescopic ladder 21 have tube-like sections which slide one within the other. The tube-like sections pivotably connected to the ramp 16 have the smallest diameter and are slidably inserted in the next pair of tube-like sections. The two bottom tube- like sections 27 and 28 are connected by two rungs 29 and 30 while the following pairs of tube-like sections are connected by one rung each.
As mentioned before, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the bottom part member 17 of the ramp 16 lies in a plane which is essentially parallel to and/or in alignment with the plane of the vehicle floor 10. In any case the ramp 16 does not reach in its operational position a level below the coupler 26 of the rail vehicle, i.e. the ramp 16 is located in its operational position completely above the coupler 26 of the rail vehicle. The ramp 16 and the ladder 21 define in their folded out position, i.e. their operational position an angle in the range of 110 to 140 degrees.
Figs. 9 and 10 show another embodiment of an escape device according to the invention. In this embodiment the emergency exit door 8' consists of a window which is connected by means of one or two top hinges 31 to a front structure part of the rail vehicle. The emergency exit door 8' is integrated into the centre of a front window of the driver's cab 1'. The emergency exit door or window 8' is provided with two gas pressure springs 32. Thus, it is easily to open from inside of the driver's cab 1'.
Furthermore, a foldable ramp 16' is integrated into the front of the of the driver's cab 1' beneath the emergency exit door or window 8'. The ramp 16' is provided with a foldable ladder 21' to allow an evacuation of passengers from the rail vehicle to the track. The ladder 21' is detachable connected to the ramp 16' by the use of quick fastening and release means.
The emergency exit door or window 8' is approximately 1400 mm in height and approximately 660 mm in width. If the ramp 16' is folded out the total door opening reaches down to the floor 10' of the rail vehicle. The unfolded ramp bridges a coupler 26' of the rail vehicle. In their operational position the ramp 16' and the foldable ladder 21' define an angle in the range of approximately 125 degrees corresponding to an angle of approximately 55 degrees between the ladder 21' and the track. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9 the foldable ladder 21' is made of three sections 33, 34, 35 each having two rungs. The length parts of the sections 33, 34, 35 are connected to each other by means of.hinges.

Claims

An escape device for a rail vehicle comprising an emergency exit door (8, 8') integrated into a front of the rail vehicle and a movable ramp (16, 16') for bridging a coupler (26, 26') of the rail vehicle, said ramp (16, 16') being associated with the emergency exit door and being movable from a storage position into an operational position, characterized in that said ramp (16, 16') is located in its operational position completely above the coupler of the rail vehicle, and in that said ramp (16, 16') is equipped with a foldable or telescopic ladder (21, 21').
An escape device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the emergency exit door (8, 8') can be opened independently of the motion of the ramp (16, 16').
An escape device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein quick-release pins are used to secure the ramp in its stored and operational position.
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the emergency exit door (8) is arranged in the centre of the front of a driver's cab (1, 1') of the rail vehicle.
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the emergency exit door (8) opens with an out and sideways swinging motion so that the door leaf remains parallel to the outside of the rail vehicle.
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the emergency exit door (8') is a swing door which is connected by means of at least one top hinge (31) to a front structure part of the rail vehicle.
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the emergency exit door (8) is provided with at least one window (9).
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the emergency exit door (8, 8') has a height of at least 1.300 mm.
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the emergency exit door (8, 8') has a width of at least 600 mm.
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the ramp (16) has a bottom part member (17) and two webs (18, 19), each of which having a protruding end with a hole for quick-release fastening means of its associated ladder (21) to be fixed in.
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the ladder (21, 21') is detachably connected by quick-release fastening means to the ramp (16, 16').
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the ramp (16, 16') in its operational position reaches up to the end of the coupler (26, 26') bridged by the ramp (16, 16').
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the ladder (21, 21') is connected to the ramp (16, 16') by means of pivots.
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the ramp (16, 16') and the ladder (21, 21') define in their operational position an angle in the range of 110 to 140 degrees.
An escape device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the emergency exit door (8') is provided with at least one gas pressure spring (32).