EP3558785B1 - Coupling arrangement, in particular for a rail vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a clutch arrangement, in particular for a rail vehicle, according to the preamble of claim 1.

A previously known in practice generic clutch assembly is shown schematically in figure 7 shown. In this solution, a coupling rod 1, which extends along a longitudinal axis 2 and carries a coupling head 3 in the region of a first axial end, is held in the bearing block 4 on the car body of a rail vehicle, not shown. In order to keep the coupling rod 1 at a defined height and at the same time to enable the necessary upward and downward movements, a support structure 7 is provided, which supports the coupling rod 1 from below by means of a supporting spring 16 . The support spring 16 keeps the coupling rod 1 at the appropriate height because of its pretension, and because of its spring reserve it allows the necessary up and down movements.

In a base plate 9, which is attached to the car body, an opening for the bearing block 4 is provided. This opening is sufficiently large that the coupling rod 1 also fits through the opening in the event of an overload in the longitudinal direction, ie in the direction of the longitudinal axis 2 . Such an overload occurs when the rail vehicle collides with an obstacle and is also referred to as a crash.

An energy dissipation element 8 is provided behind said opening, which deforms in the longitudinal direction when the overload occurs and thereby absorbs at least part of the excess force in the direction of the longitudinal axis 2 . With this deformation of the energy dissipation element 8, the coupling rod 1 can at least partially slip through the opening of the base plate 9 and the connection to the support structure 7 or the support spring 16 is separated, for example by shearing.

The disadvantage of the embodiment shown is that the support structure 7 occupies a comparatively large space below the coupling rod 1 and requires an additional bearing block 17 with which it is connected in an articulated manner to the base plate 9 and is carried by it.

Such a connection of the support is also an example in JP 2012-81934 A played back. Also EP 2862 777A1 and CN 105083318A disclose versions with the arrangement of the support below the coupling rod and connection.

An embodiment of a support with the features from the preamble of claim 1 is from WO 2006/117045 A1 known. In this case, the carrier structure is designed as an element that completely encloses the coupling rod in the circumferential direction and over a partial area in the longitudinal direction.

The present invention is based on the object of improving the generic clutch arrangement shown in such a way that the support structure takes up less space outside the clutch rod, advantageously has a lower weight and, in particular, changes the power flow as little as possible in the event of an overload and advantageously improves compatibility with the described energy consumption guaranteed.

The object according to the invention is achieved by a clutch arrangement having the features of claim 1 or 2. Advantageous and particularly expedient refinements of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

A coupling arrangement according to the invention, which is particularly suitable for a rail vehicle but can also be used in other vehicles, the coupling arrangement being used, for example, to couple two rail vehicle parts to one another with corresponding coupling arrangements or coupling arrangements that work together, has a coupling rod which extends along a longitudinal axis and carries a coupling head in the region of a first axial end.

Furthermore, a bearing block is provided, to which the coupling rod is connected in an articulated manner about a vertical axis with a second axial end arranged opposite to the first axial end. Connected in an articulated manner about a vertical axis means in particular that the connection creates a mechanically at least essentially rigid coupling in the direction of the longitudinal axis between the coupling rod and the bearing block, possibly apart from possible elastic deflections in particular, but at the same time a sufficiently large angular deflection of the coupling rod relative to the Bearing block and in particular an energy-absorbing element adjoining this and/or compared to a base plate enclosing the bearing block, so that the coupling rod can swing out to the side when cornering.

A bearing is provided between the pedestal and the drawbar, configured to allow at least limited movement between the drawbar and the pedestal in the vertical direction. This can also be used to achieve height compensation. The movement is achieved, for example, by an elastic bearing. Additionally or alternatively, the bearing block is already movable in the vertical direction.

Furthermore, a support structure is provided which elastically supports the coupling rod against movement in the vertical direction in order to ensure the aforementioned holding of the coupling rod at the correct height.

The support structure is positioned in the vertical direction at least predominantly at the level of the bearing block and/or the coupling rod, essentially coaxially with the longitudinal axis. This means that the majority of the support structure protrudes in the vertical direction only slightly beyond the coupling rod, for example by a maximum of half or a third of the way diameter of the coupling rod. It is also possible for the support structure to cling even more closely to the coupling rod, so that the support structure protrudes, for example, by only a quarter of the diameter or less beyond the coupling rod. The above statements relate at least to a side plan view in the horizontal direction of the coupling rod.

The fact that the coupling rod is positioned at least substantially coaxially with the longitudinal axis, which means that the central axis or longitudinal axis of the support structure is arranged close to the longitudinal axis of the coupling rod, in particular runs within the outer circumference of the coupling rod, for example with a maximum distance of half a Radius of the tie rod or less, substantially no additional space outside the tie rod is blocked by the support structure. The support structure is therefore largely not arranged eccentrically to the coupling rod. In particular, the coupling arrangement is free of a support structure that is supported in an articulated manner in the radial direction of the coupling rod exclusively on one side outside of the coupling rod, whereby the term supported is to be understood as meaning any suspension of the corresponding component, here the support structure, in which the weight forces of the component and possibly on the Operating forces acting on the component are absorbed by the supporting element, for example by the bearing block or a base plate which is fastened, for example, to the car body.

A further advantage of a support structure that advantageously encloses the coupling rod over its circumference lies in a comparatively increased bending resistance moment, so that material can be saved in relation to the solution according to the prior art shown while the rigidity remains the same.

It is favorable if the support structure extends above and below the coupling rod and/or above and below the bearing, ie both in a plane above the coupling rod or the bearing and a plane below the coupling rod or the bearing. It goes without saying that the support structure is generally not only provided with planar components, but also advantageously extends in a curved manner around the coupling rod.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the support structure is pivotally connected to and supported by the bearing block. Here, reference is made to the above meaning of the word wearing. In particular, the supporting structure is carried exclusively by the bearing block.

It is favorable if the support structure is connected to the bearing block in an articulated manner about the same vertical axis as the coupling rod.

The bearing block is advantageously connected axially to a deformable energy-absorbing element, which in particular has a tubular shape.

In particular, a base plate enclosing the bearing block and/or the energy dissipation element is provided, which is set up to connect the coupling arrangement to a car body of the rail vehicle or to another vehicle component.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, the support structure is articulated, in particular articulated about said vertical axis, to the baseplate and is supported, in particular exclusively, by it. In this regard, too, reference is made to the above definition of wearing.

For example, the support structure is connected in an articulated manner to the bearing block and/or the base plate above and below the coupling rod and/or the bearing and is carried by the corresponding component.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the support structure has a carrier surrounding the coupling rod over its circumference and at least two lateral guides connected to the carrier, the lateral guides enclosing the coupling rod between them in the horizontal direction. The lateral guides can advantageously be connected to one another via a crossbar which runs underneath the coupling rod and supports the coupling rod from below. For example, the lateral guides are rigidly connected to the support and the crossbar is elastically connected to the lateral guides, at least in the vertical direction.

According to one embodiment, two columns are provided which stand upright on the crossbeam, which are surrounded by the lateral guides over their circumference and are supported in the lateral guides by means of a spring element.

The bearing can be designed, for example, as a spherical bearing.

It is favorable if the bearing is designed as an elastic bearing, in particular as a rubber-metal bearing.

A comparatively wide up and down movement of the coupling rod can be made possible in particular by the illustrated embodiment with the two lateral guides. The two lateral guides also contribute to the high bending resistance moment. However, they at least contribute to a more favorable introduction of force into the structure by positively influencing the bending resistance moment in the transition between the guides and the carrier of the support structure.

If the lateral guides have a round, particularly cylindrical surface on the outside and are more or less closely attached to the coupling rod snuggly, a comparatively high rigidity is also achieved in the transverse direction. In particular, the rigidity in the transverse direction results from the overall curved shape of the carrier of the support structure, with the guides also having the mentioned influence on the rigidity.

When the support structure is connected to the bearing block according to claim 1, in which case in particular additional connection points on the base plate are omitted, such a small diameter can be achieved that in the event of a crash the support structure is pushed through the opening in the base plate together with the bearing block and the coupling rod. Only the lateral guides have to be separated from the support structure if they do not fit through the opening due to their size, which can be achieved, for example, by shearing them off or by using a suitable plug-in mechanism.

With a connection of the support structure to the base plate according to claim 2, in particular above and below the bearing block, so that the support structure encompasses the bearing block, the necessary installation space can still be kept small and a particularly high degree of rigidity can be achieved. The fact that two comparatively simple connections of the support structure can be provided on the base plate, because each connection only has to carry part of the load of the previous additional bearing block, reduces costs. In this configuration, the support structure can be less clinging to the coupling rod, so that in the event of a crash (overload) a smooth slipping of the coupling rod through the base plate and the support structure is ensured. The embodiment allows a comparatively closed form of the support structure, which encloses the coupling rod. Furthermore, it is not necessary for lateral guides to be separated from the rest of the supporting structure in the event of an overload, if corresponding lateral guides are provided. Rather, for example, a separation between the crossbeam and the coupling rod can be provided.

The invention is to be described below by way of example using exemplary embodiments and the figures.

Figur 1

eine erste mögliche Ausgestaltung der Erfindung in einer dreidimensionalen Ansicht;

Figur 2

eine seitliche Draufsicht auf die Ausgestaltung gemäß der Figur 1 ;

Figur 3

eine Explosionsdarstellung der Ausgestaltung gemäß der Figur 1 ;

Figur 4

eine dreidimensionale Ansicht des Trägers aus der Abstützstruktur in der Ausgestaltung gemäß der Figur 1;

Figur 5

eine zweite mögliche Ausführungsform der Erfindung in einer dreidimensionalen Ansicht;

Figur 6

eine seitliche Draufsicht auf die Ausgestaltung gemäß der Figur 5.

Show it:

figure 1

a first possible embodiment of the invention in a three-dimensional view;

figure 2

a lateral plan view of the embodiment according to FIG figure 1 ;

figure 3

an exploded view of the embodiment according to figure 1 ;

figure 4

a three-dimensional view of the carrier from the support structure in the embodiment according to FIG figure 1 ;

figure 5

a second possible embodiment of the invention in a three-dimensional view;

figure 6

a lateral plan view of the embodiment according to FIG figure 5 .

In the design according to Figures 1-4 the support structure 7 connects particularly closely to the coupling rod 1 from the outside. Furthermore, the components of the support structure 7 are essentially positioned coaxially to the coupling rod 1 or its longitudinal axis 2 .

In detail, the coupling rod 1 is movably connected to the bearing block 4 via the spherical elastic bearing 6 . The mobility is achieved by the articulated connection around the vertical axis 5 and also by the elasticity of the bearing 6.

For example, the bearing block 4 has a tubular structure with a connecting yoke and the coupling rod 1 has in the region of the second axial end has a bearing ring, in which the bearing 6 is introduced, a pin 18 also being provided, which is guided through the joint yoke and the bearing 6 in order to form the desired rotational mobility about the vertical axis 5.

The bearing block 4 is connected to an energy dissipation element 8 which is positioned coaxially with the coupling rod 1 . The bearing block 4 is also surrounded by the base plate 9 on its outer circumference, such that in the event of a crash, the bearing block 4 and possibly the coupling rod 1 can be pushed through the base plate 9 in the direction of the energy dissipation element 8 .

The support structure 7 is also connected in an articulated manner to the bearing block 4 via the same vertical axis 5, here also by means of the pin 18. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the support structure 7 has a carrier 10 for this purpose, which has a basic shape closed around the longitudinal axis 2 with an axially connected yoke 19 has, which engages in the yoke of the bearing block 4 and is penetrated by the pin 18 accordingly. Furthermore, the carrier 10 has two lateral guides 11, 12 connected in the region of the axial end opposite the joint fork 19, which are provided with hollow cylinders 20, 21 and are connected to one another via the crossbeam 13 supporting the coupling rod 1 from below.

On the crossbeam 13 are two columns 14, 15, for example formed by screws, which are enclosed by the hollow cylinders 20, 21 and are elastically supported in relation to the hollow cylinders 20, 21, so that an elastic springing up and down of the coupling rod 1 in relation to the carrier 10 is made possible.

In the figure 2 is also shown that at the first axial end of the coupling rod 1, a coupling head 3 is provided.

In the design according to Figures 5 and 6 Corresponding reference numbers are used for corresponding components. Different from the In the previously illustrated embodiment, the carrier 10 is connected here with the joint yoke 19 outside the joint yoke of the bearing block 4 in an articulated manner via the vertical axis 5 to the base plate 9 . This can be done by means of the pin 18 or via its own pin.

In this embodiment, the carrier 10 does not fit through the opening in the base plate 9, so that in the event of a crash, the coupling tube 1 is separated from the support structure 7, here the crossbeam 13. Accordingly, it is not necessary to separate the lateral guides 11, 12 or the hollow cylinders 20, 21 from the carrier 10.

Reference List

1

clutch rod

2

longitudinal axis

3

coupling head

4

bearing block

5

vertical axis

6

camp

7

support structure

8th

energy absorbing element

9

base plate

10

carrier

11

lateral guide

12

lateral guidance

13

crossbeam

14

pillar

15

pillar

16

support spring

17

additional bearing block

18

cones

19

articulated fork

20

hollow cylinder

21

hollow cylinder

Claims (12)

1. Coupling arrangement, in particular for a rail vehicle,

   1.1 having a coupling rod (1) which extends along a longitudinal axis (2) and which carries a coupling head (3) in the region of a first axial end;

   1.2 having a bearing block (4), to which the coupling rod (1) is connected by a second axial end arranged opposite to the first axial end such that it can articulate about a vertical axis (5);

   1.3 having a bearing (6) between the bearing block (4) and the coupling rod (1), which is configured to permit at least limited movement between the coupling rod (1) and the bearing block (4) in the vertical direction, and/or having a mounting of the bearing block (4) that is movable in the vertical direction;

   1.4 having a supporting structure (7) which supports the coupling rod (1) resiliently against the movement in the vertical direction; wherein

   1.5 the supporting structure (7) is positioned in the vertical direction at least predominantly at the height of the bearing block (4) and/or the coupling rod (1), substantially coaxially with the longitudinal axis (2), and the supporting structure (7) above and below the coupling rod (1) and/or the bearing (6) is connected to the bearing block (4) in an articulated manner and is carried by the latter;

   characterized in that

   the bearing block (4) has an articulated fork, a pin (18) being provided, which is led through the articulated fork and the bearing (6), and the supporting structure (7) has a yoke (10), which has a closed outline about the longitudinal axis (2) with an axially adjacent articulated fork (19), which engages in the articulated fork of the bearing block (4) and is penetrated by the pin (18), and the yoke (10) has two lateral guides (11, 12) connected in the region of the axial end opposite to the articulated fork (19), wherein the lateral guides (11, 12) enclose the coupling rod (1) between them in the horizontal direction and are connected to each other by a crossmember (13) extending underneath the coupling rod (1), supporting the coupling rod (1) from below and connected to the lateral guides (11, 12) resiliently, at least in the vertical direction.
2. Coupling arrangement, in particular for a rail vehicle,

   2.1 having a coupling rod (1) which extends along a longitudinal axis (2) and which carries a coupling head (3) in the region of a first axial end;

   2.2 having a bearing block (4), to which the coupling rod (1) is connected by a second axial end arranged opposite to the first axial end such that it can articulate about a vertical axis (5);

   2.3 having a bearing (6) between the bearing block (4) and the coupling rod (1), which is configured to permit at least limited movement between the coupling rod (1) and the bearing block (4) in the vertical direction, and/or having a mounting of the bearing block (4) that is movable in the vertical direction;

   2.4 having a supporting structure (7) which supports the coupling rod (1) resiliently against the movement in the vertical direction; wherein

   2.5 the supporting structure (7) is positioned in the vertical direction at least predominantly at the height of the bearing block (4) and/or the coupling rod (1), coaxially with the longitudinal axis (2),

   characterized in that

   2.6 the bearing block (4) is connected axially to a deformable energy absorbing element (8), and in that a base plate (9) enclosing the bearing block (4) and/or the energy absorbing element (8) is provided, which is configured to connect the coupling arrangement in a supportive manner to a carriage body of the rail vehicle or another vehicle component, wherein the supporting structure (7) above and below the coupling rod (1) and/or the bearing (6) is connected to the base plate (9) in an articulated manner and is carried exclusively by the latter.
3. Coupling arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the supporting structure (7) extends above and below the coupling rod (1) and/or over and under the bearing (6).
4. Coupling arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that the supporting structure (7) is connected to the bearing block (4) such that it can articulate about the same vertical axis (5) as the coupling rod (1).
5. Coupling arrangement according to Claim 2, characterized in that the supporting structure (7) is connected to the base plate (9) such that it can articulate, in particular about the vertical axis (5), and is carried by said base plate.
6. Coupling arrangement according to one of Claims 1, 3 or 4, characterized in that the supporting structure (7) has a yoke (10) enclosing the coupling rod (1) over its circumference and at least two lateral guides (11, 12) connected to the yoke (10), wherein the lateral guides (11, 12) enclose the coupling rod (1) between them in the horizontal direction.
7. Coupling arrangement according to Claim 6, characterized in that the lateral guides (11, 12) are connected to each other by a crossmember (13) extending underneath the coupling rod (1) and supporting the coupling rod (1) from below.
8. Coupling arrangement according to Claim 7, characterized in that the lateral guides (11, 12) are connected rigidly to the yoke (10) and the crossmember (13) is connected to the lateral guides (11, 12) resiliently, at least in the vertical direction.
9. Coupling arrangement according to Claim 1 or 8, characterized in that two pillars (14, 15) standing vertically on the crossmember (13) are provided, are enclosed over their circumference by the lateral guides (11, 12) and are carried by means of a spring element in the lateral guides (11, 12).
10. Coupling arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the bearing (6) is formed as a spherical bearing.
11. Coupling arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the bearing (6) is formed as a resilient bearing, in particular as a rubber-metal bearing.
12. Coupling arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the coupling arrangement is free of a supporting structure which is carried exclusively on one side outside the coupling rod (1) in an articulated manner, in particular on the bearing block (4) or the base plate (9), in the radial direction of the coupling rod (1).

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