FR3037915A1 - DEVICE FOR CONNECTING, RETRIEVING AND DISSEMINATING EFFORTS OF A CONNECTION PART AT THE END OF THE FLOOR OF A RAILWAY VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

The object of the invention is a device for connecting and recovering and distributing forces of a centered link such as a coupling device (11) 12) of a vehicle (101, 102) which comprises a stiffened floor element (41, 42) to which is attached a frame (31, 32) supporting the connecting device, the stiffened floor element being made of sandwich material bordered on three sides by composite material profiles made by: - At least one transverse section (51, 52) for fixing the support and - two lateral profiles (61, 62) for fixing the floor on the faces (110) of the vehicle; the sandwich panel having a core (401) bordered on three sides by the profiles and skins (402, 403) covering the core and the profiles. The invention applies to a coupling device of a vehicle and the vehicle comprising it.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the production of structures made of composite materials in replacement of metallic structures so as to provide a structure for the construction of structures. in particular to make it possible to lighten the structures of the vehicles at a lower cost. As in any transport field, the lightening of the structures allows the use of a lower consumption of energy, which is of interest both economically and ecologically. The present invention relates in particular to the realization of a connecting device ensuring the recovery of forces at joints or hitches between train cars and the production of a floor at the longitudinal ends of the vehicle distributing these forces at the level of crate of said cars.

This applies in particular to the transport sector in general and the rail sector in particular for all segments concerned: high-speed trains, regional trains or urban rail vehicles and the different train architectures.

Background of the art Railway transport cars are provided at their longitudinal ends with connecting devices or coupling with the other cars of a train. These devices are generally quite complex because they take up the static and dynamic forces between the cars in a specific way, in the sense that these connecting forces are not distributed over the entire width of the vehicle: indeed a vehicle to the other, these forces are transmitted for example by devices with ball joint, hooks or other devices centered with respect to the width of the cars. On the other hand, inside the vehicle, in order to optimize the mass of the vehicle, it is sought to involve the various equipment that crosses the vehicle longitudinally, such as the floors, the faces and the chassis in their entire section at the recovery. hitching efforts and efforts made by the car during its use. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an example of rail vehicle end geometry and vehicle coupling device A in side view for FIG. 1 and in bottom view for FIG. 2. The point of application of FIGS. Efforts are represented by the arrow F and FIG. 2 shows the transmission T of the forces in the devices connecting the hitch to the structure of the car. The railway reference structure has always been, and still is today, a structure made of metallic, steel or aluminum materials.

It is a system of beams, beam of head and longrins, which make it possible to transmit the forces to the frame, the faces and the floor. There is therefore a need to optimize the connection between the connecting devices and the floors, so as to diffuse efforts therein, that is to say to optimize the way in which initially single efforts are transformed into flows on a particular floor section. in the context of the present invention for which composite materials are used to make the vehicle structures. Moreover, the introduction of composite materials involves new assembly solutions because the composite materials are not suitable for welding and a composite material structure must be redesigned with respect to the same metal material structure to give it value and optimize it. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to define a device for taking up and spreading the forces of a coupling part at the end of a railway vehicle and in particular a floor made of composite material of this vehicle. . The invention has the advantage of using the floor end, which may be a car end platform, as a means for transmitting the hitching forces to the faces of the rail car. This device is particularly optimized and limited in terms of dimensions and is designed to allow the recovery of longitudinal forces 20 traction / compression between vehicles, diffuse these efforts in the floor and in the faces, ie the longitudinal walls of the car. More specifically, the present invention mainly provides a device for connecting and recovering and spreading forces of a centered connection such as a coupling device of a vehicle which comprises a stiffened floor element on which is fixed a the support structure of the connecting device, the stiffened floor element being made of sandwich material bordered on three sides by composite material profiles produced by: at least one transverse section for fixing the support and two lateral profiles for fastening the floor to vehicle sides; the sandwich panel having a soul bordered on three sides by the profiles and skins covering the core and the profiles. This constitution makes it possible to use the floor element at the end of the body as a device for taking up the hitch and connecting the hitch to the sides of the vehicle.

Advantageously, at least one of the skins of the stiffened floor element comprises fibers mainly oriented at + and -45 ° relative to the transverse section to diffuse the fixing forces of the support from the transverse profile to the lateral profiles.

Advantageously, the transverse sections and / or the lateral sections comprise 25% ± 5% fibers at 0 °, where 0 ° corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the profile, 25% ± 5% fibers at + 45 °, 25% ± 5% of fibers at -45 ° and 25% ± 5% of fibers at 90 °.

According to an advantageous embodiment, said transverse section comprises at least one transverse beam comprising an upper blank, a lower blank and a lateral blank connecting the upper blank to the lower blank. According to a particular embodiment, said profiles are carbon profiles. The transverse section advantageously comprises two transverse beams. Advantageously, the transverse section incorporates fastening screw fastening through fastening inserts 30 of a sole of the support frame on the stiffened floor. According to a particular embodiment, the lateral sections are tubular beams of rectangular section.

The lateral profiles are advantageously arranged in extension of the core on the lateral edges of the floor element, at least one of the skins extending on an external lateral edge of the lateral sections.

Preferably, at least one of the skins has an extra thickness at said transverse section. The invention further relates to a connection device and recovery and spreading forces comprising a support frame of a vehicle coupling device for which the support frame is made in the form of a box formed by assembly of two I-sections each comprising a horizontal flange, fixing the support frame on the floor element, a vertical panel and a horizontal top plate for fixing the support frame under a cross member of the vehicle possibly part of a second floor element, the vertical panels between the upper plate and the sole of the two I-profiles receiving a fixing beam of the vehicle connecting device. The support frame is advantageously made of composite materials. According to an advantageous embodiment, each I-profile of the frame comprises: - a first skin, realizing an upper outer surface to the sole box, an outer side surface 25 to the box of the vertical panel and a lower surface external to the tray box superior; a second skin, realizing the upper face of the upper plate; a third skin, realizing an upper face 30 internal to the box of the sole, an internal lateral face to the box of the vertical panel and a lower face internal to the box of the upper plate, and a fourth skin forming the lower face of the sole. The invention further relates to a vehicle comprising at least one connecting device according to the invention.

According to a first embodiment, the faces of the vehicle comprise side receiving struts for the floor element provided with lateral profiles, said struts comprising support angles, provided with a horizontal wing on which a face is fixed. 10 bottom of the floor element at a lateral section, the edge of the floor at the level of the profile being fixed directly on the face. According to a second embodiment, the faces comprise side receiving struts for the floor element provided with lateral profiles, said struts comprising support angles, provided with a horizontal wing on which a lower face of the floor element at a lateral section and provided with a vertical wing on which the edge 20 of the floor is fixed at the level of said lateral profile. The invention advantageously provides in the case of a vehicle comprising at least one connecting device provided with a box support frame comprising a sole and an upper plate respectively below and above the box and having a cross member, possibly part a second floor element, to fix the upper plate under under the crossbar and to fix the sole on the stiffened floor element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings which represent: FIG. a side view of a rail car end with a hitch; In Figure 2: a view from below the end of Figure 1; In Fig. 3: a three-quarter rear view and a top view of a first example of a car end provided with a coupling device and a connecting device of the invention; In FIG. 4: a three-quarter rear view and a top view of a second example of a car end provided with a coupling device and a connecting device of the invention; In Figure 5: a view of three quarter rear and bottom of the car end of Figure 4; In FIG. 6: a perspective view of a first example of a coupling support of a device of the invention; In FIG. 7: a perspective view of a second example of a coupling support of a device of the invention; In Figure 8: a perspective view from above of an exemplary floor end of a device of the invention; In FIG. 9: an exploded view from above of the floor end of FIG. 8; In Figure 10: a perspective view from above of a detail of the floor attachment of Figure 8 on a vehicle side face; In Figure 11: a perspective view from above of a detail of the floor attachment of Figure 8 on a vehicle side face; In Figure 12: a schematic representation of the floor attachment of Figures 10 and 11 on the vehicle face.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention is particularly directed to the production of coupling systems between railway cars whose structure is made of composite materials and for which one or more floors made with such materials are used to resume the efforts of the coupling system.

More generally, the invention can be applied to a vehicle comprising a connection means centered with respect to an axis of the vehicle and for which the forces must be taken up by a composite material platform of this vehicle of the vehicle and transmitted to the body. of this vehicle.

In the context of the following description of a particular application of the invention, it is placed in the context of coupling systems for two-stage passenger rail cars with a structure made of composite materials for which the floors are not aligned with in the same horizontal plane as the coupling device. In the context of the production of conventional cars with a metal chassis, FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show a side view and a top view of a connection construction between a coupling device and the vehicle body. The coupling device A is mounted on a crossbar T at the rear of the vehicle and connected on the one hand to the faces F of this vehicle by struts J1, J2 transmitting the coupling forces to said faces and other part to a floor of the vehicle by a J3 strut. This construction is complex and leads to one-off links with the vehicle body which undergo significant efforts.

Figures 3 and 4 show two types of embodiments according to the invention for a two-stage passenger vehicle. In FIG. 3, applicable for example to a hitching element 11 of a car of a two-stage high-speed train 101, the hitching device is above the running portion of the low floor 41 and comprises a connection structure 51 between the carrier coupling device and the low floor in a vertical plane perpendicular to the axis of the car to take up the vertical forces and a connecting device according to the invention which will be detailed later. The end of the low floor is here elevated with respect to the bottom of the car body due to the presence of the bogies at the ends of the car. In FIG. 4, the hitching device 12 of the supported type is fixed on the one hand to an advance at the top floor of the car 102 by legs 52 to take up the vertical forces on the hitch and other 20 part low floor 42 by a connecting device according to the invention to resume the longitudinal forces. It should be noted that FIGS. 3 and 4 can be applied to the front and the rear of the same car, one carrying the carrier hitch element 11 and the other the hitching element 12. The hitch may also be attached to a lower floor end in the same plane as the current portion of the floor. The vertical forces consist of a compression load of up to 2000kN. For the recovery of the longitudinal forces and their transfer to the faces 10 of the car, the solution of the invention comprises a floor end 41, 42 in sandwich material bordered on 3 sides by profiles of composite materials. FIG. 5 shows the floor element 42 which is more specifically described in FIGS. 8 and 9. The floor element comprises: a transverse profile 51, 52 which allows the introduction of the forces coming from the coupling device into floor; - Lateral sections 61, 62 in the form of rectangular section beams which allow the collection of the forces 10 of the floor, over a length adapted to these forces, and to introduce them on the sides of the vehicle; lower and upper skins 402, 403 made of fiber fabric impregnated with a resin, for example High Strength carbon fibers (grade called "HR"), the tensile modulus of which is between 220 and 260GPa and the resistance to rupture is between 3000 and 5500MPa such as fibers known under the name TR5OS from Mitsubishi or known under the name T700 from Toray or equivalent associated with an epoxy resin class 120 ° 20 such as resin type R367-2 from Structil. The desired composite for the skins should have a tensile strength of 0 °> 700 MPa, a tensile modulus of 0 °> 100 GPa, a compressive strength of 0 ° 25> 500 MPa, a modulus of compression of 0 ° > 100 GPa, a tensile modulus at 90 °> 3 GPa, a Tau shear strength 12> 30 MPa, a plane shear modulus - G_12> 2 GPa and an interlaminar shear stress> 25MPa.

The orientation of the fibers in the skins of the floor is designed to promote the transmission of the forces of the transverse section to the lateral profiles; A core 401 generally made of aluminum honeycomb with a cell diameter of between 4 and 6 mm and a density of between 60 kg / m 3 and 100 kg / m 3. The connection of the transverse section is facilitated by a particular local architecture of the skins of the sandwich floor. To do this, the two skins of the sandwich panel constituting the plate are mainly oriented at + and -45 ° to diffuse the forces towards the two lateral beams. For example, about 50% of fibers at + -45 ° for about 25 to 30% of fibers at 0 ° and 90 °. In addition, additional thicknesses 404 made by layers of additional impregnated fabric end zones are required to pass the local efforts in matting at the attachment of the coupling device on the floor. The floor is fixed to the vehicle faces at the side profiles 61, 61 as shown in Figures 10 and 11.

According to FIG. 10, the face portion 110 on which the floor 42 is fixed is metallic and comprises a stretcher 120 on which the lateral edge of the floor element is fixed. The stretcher 120 consists of a support angles 25 provided with a horizontal flange 121 on which attaches the lower face of the floor element at the side profile 62 for example by riveting or bolting. According to FIG. 11, the fastening resumes the lower skin 402 possibly reinforced by an excess thickness 405 and the lower face of the beam constituted by the lateral profile 62.

In this case, the edge of the floor at the external lateral face of the lateral profile 62 is fixed directly on the face 110 in the same way by riveting or bolting. The stretcher 120 here comprises a support profile 124, 125 5 under the horizontal wing 121 to distribute the support forces of the floor element. In the case of FIG. 12, the parts of faces 110 'on which the floor element 42 is fixed are themselves made of composite materials and the struts 123 comprise support angles, provided with a horizontal wing 121 on which a lower face of the edge of the floor element is fixed and provided with a vertical flange 122 on which the edge of the floor is fixed at the level of said lateral profile 61, 62.

A fold 403a of the upper skin 403 on the side face of the side profile is possibly made to reinforce the edges of the floor element. The use of the lateral sections 61, 62 makes it possible in particular to connect the floor element 41, 42 and the faces 110, 110 'by means of a riveted double bond, vertically and on the edge of the panel. The transverse section consists here of two beams 51, 52 because of the geometry of the composite panel edge which has an advance to receive the connecting device. The first beam 51 is for this purpose of reduced length relative to the second beam 52. It is also possible in the case where the edge of the panel receiving the connecting device is straight to produce the transverse section in the form of a single wider beam.

The transverse section has a geometry adapted to the interfaces of the end connection devices. The extra thicknesses of the skins 404 in FIG. 8 and in FIG. 9 are determined according to usual dimensional calculations.

With reference to FIG. 8, this figure shows the transmission of the coupling forces 510 from the front of the panel 42 from the beams 51, 52 of the transverse section to the beams of the transverse sections 61, 62 and the transmission. stresses 511 from these transverse sections to the shafts 120 or the sides 110 of the vehicle body. The floor element or car end plate is reinforced locally by the profiles which according to FIG. 9 are advantageously carbon composite beams, two "C" beams 51, 52 located at the end of the box-side panel. on the one hand mechanically bind the two skins of the sandwich in the zone of connection with the thrust box, and this in order to firstly spread the efforts on the two skins of the panel and on the other hand to load the panel as homogeneously as possible in its width. The stack retained for the carbon fibers of the beam is The stack is of quasi-isotropic stack type. Preferably, a stack whose fibers have orientations of 25% at 0 ° / 25% to + 45 ° / 25% at -45 ° / 25% at 90 ° with a tolerance of about 5% will be chosen. The fixing of the thrust box is carried out by means of bolts comprising through-links and nuts to ensure the connection of the lower flange of the thrust box on the end plate. The beams incorporate inserts 406 such as aluminum coils to ensure the tightening of the through screws without crushing the composite material of the beams 30 and the panel. According to FIG. 12, the connections between the sandwich floor element and the stretchers have the particularity that the skin of the sandwich is extended so that the upper skin of the sandwich tray covers the upper and vertical outer face of the longitudinal beams. 61, 62. The lower skin of the sandwich tray covers the lower face of the longitudinal beam 61, 62. By this connecting principle using profiles inserted into the sandwich panel, the loading of the upper skin is diffused at of the lateral link line without discontinuity while the loading of the lower skin diffuses at the lower link. The beam-shaped profiles also ensure continuity of loading between the two skins of the panel. Thus, the longitudinal forces introduced into the plate constituted by the floor element diffuse along the connection and come to recharge the stretcher. In the context of the invention and for a car with floor, it is planned to distribute the load of the connection between floor elements or trays up and down. To do this, a support frame 31, 32, also called 20 thrust box and shown in particular in Figures 6 serves as an intermediate support for the coupling device and transmits the forces between the device and the floor element. Figure 6 shows the attachment of the carrier end 11 of the coupling and Figure 7 shows the attachment of the supported end of the coupling to the support frame. The support frame is a double "I" part comprising a box portion in which is fixed the coupling device.

The support frame 31, 32 makes a box provided with an enlarged sole and a plate formed by assembling two I-profiles.

Each profile comprises a horizontal flange 310, 310 'for fastening the support frame to the floor element by bolting or riveting the flange in the part of the floor element comprising the transverse section 51, 52. Each profile further comprises a vertical panel 311, 311 'and a horizontal top plate 312, 312'. The horizontal plate serves to fix the support frame under a cross member of the vehicle possibly part of a second floor element. The vertical panels between the upper plate and the sole of the two I-profiles receive a beam 21, 22 for fixing the device 11, 12 of the vehicle coupling. The support frame 31, 32 is optionally made of monolithic composite materials. In this case, each I-profile of the frame comprises: - a first skin ("external C"), providing an outer upper surface to the box of the sole 312, 312 ', a lateral surface external to the box of the vertical panel 311, 20 311 'and a lower surface external to the box of the upper plate 312, 312'; a second skin, realizing the upper face of the upper plate 312, 312 '; a third skin ("internal C"), realizing an inner upper surface of the sole box 310, 310 ', an inner side face of the box of the vertical panel 311, 311' and a lower inner face of the upper plate box; 312, 312 ', and - a fourth skin forming the underside of the sole 310, 310'. The fixing of the support beams 21, 22 of the fasteners 11, 12 is done by rivet lines 313, the support beams 21, 22 comprising for example ribs 210, 220 3037915 16 applied against the edge of the panels to reduce the forces The caisson formed by the panels and the central portions of the flanges and trays transmits the bonding forces to the high and low floors, also called high and low end trays, which themselves transmit them. to the sides of the car without the need for struts or connecting rods as in the prior art. The invention relates to any vehicle 101, 102 comprising at least one connecting device according to the invention. To produce the panel or floor element, the upper skin 403 of the panel including the vertical returns 403a flank of the panel is draped over a mold then the panel is assembled on this skin and the lower skin is deposited in the mold before polymerization. This solution ensures the necessary precision of the panel width dimension for its introduction into the mounting of the body. The invention is not limited to the examples shown and may in particular apply to cars or wagons 20 of a single stage and to any type of wheeled vehicle.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS1 - Device for connecting and resuming and distributing forces of a centered link such as a coupling device (11) 12) of a vehicle (101, 102), characterized in that it comprises an element of stiffened floor (41, 42) on which is fixed a frame (31, 32) supporting the connecting device, the stiffened floor element being made of sandwich material bordered on three sides by composite material profiles made by: - to least one transverse section (51, 52) for fastening the support and two side profiles (61, 62) for fastening the floor to faces (110) of the vehicle; the sandwich panel having a core (401) bordered on three sides by the profiles and skins (402, 403) covering the core and the profiles. 2 - connecting device and recovery and distribution of forces according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the skins (402, 403) of the stiffened floor element comprises fibers mainly oriented at + and -45 ° by report 20 to the transverse section (51, 52) to diffuse the fixing forces of the support from the transverse profile to the lateral profiles. 3 - Device for connecting and recovery and stress distribution according to claim 1 wherein the transverse sections and the lateral sections comprise 25% ± 5% of fibers at 0 °, 25% ± 5% of fibers at +45 °, 25% ± 5% of fibers at -45 ° and 25% ± 5% of fibers at 90 °. 4 - connecting device and recovery and distribution of forces according to any one of the preceding claims for which said transverse section comprises at least one transverse beam (52) comprising an upper blank 3037915 18 (52a), a lower blank ( 52b) and a side blank (52c) connecting the upper blank to the lower blank. 5 - Connecting device and recovery and stress distribution according to any preceding claim wherein said profiles (51, 52, 61, 62) are carbon profiles. 6 - connecting device and recovery and distribution of forces according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the transverse section comprises two transverse beams (51, 52). 7 - connecting device and recovery and stress distribution according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the transverse section incorporates inserts (406) for clamping screw connection through a fastening of a sole (310, 310 ') of the support frame on the stiffened floor (41, 42). 8- Device for connecting and recovery and stress distribution according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the side sections (61, 62) are tubular beams of rectangular section. 9- connecting device and recovery and distribution of forces according to claim 8 wherein the lateral sections (61, 62) are arranged in extension of the core on the side edges of the floor element (41, 42). at least one of the skins (402, 403) extending on an outer side edge of the side profiles. - Device for connecting and recovery and stress distribution according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one of the skins has a thickening (404) at said transverse section. 11 - connecting device and recovery and distribution of forces according to any one of the preceding claims for which the support frame (31, 32) is a box formed by assembling two I-profiles comprising 3037915 19 each a horizontal sole ( 310, 310 '), fixing the support frame on the floor element, a vertical panel (311, 311') and a horizontal upper plate (312, 312 ') for fixing the support frame under a cross member of the vehicle 5 possibly part of a second floor element, the vertical panels between the upper plate and the sole of the two I-profiles receiving a beam (21, 22) for fixing the device (11, 12) of the vehicle coupling. 12 - connecting device and recovery and distribution 10 forces according to claim 11 wherein the support frame (31, 32) is made of composite materials. 13 - connecting device and recovery and distribution of forces according to claim 12 wherein each I-profile of the frame comprises: - a first skin, realizing an outer upper surface to the box of the sole (312, 312 '), a external side face to the box of the vertical panel (311, 311 ') and a lower face external to the box of the upper plate (312, 312'); a second skin, realizing the upper face of the upper plate (312, 312 '); a third skin, realizing an inner upper face of the sole box (310, 310 '), an inner side face to the box of the vertical panel (311, 311') and a lower inner face to the box of the upper plate (312, 312 '), and - a fourth skin forming the underside of the sole (310, 310'). 14 - Vehicle (101, 102) comprising at least one connecting device according to any one of the preceding claims. 15 - Vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the faces comprise stretches (120, 123) for receiving the lateral edges of the floor element provided with lateral sections (61, 62), said stretches comprising support angles, provided a horizontal wing (121) on which a lower face of the floor element is fixed at a lateral profile (61, 62), the edge of the floor 5 at the level of the profile being fixed directly on the face ( 110). 16 - Vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the faces comprise stretches (123) for receiving the lateral edges of the floor element provided with lateral profiles, said stretches comprising support angles, 10 provided with a horizontal wing (121) on which attaches a lower face of the floor element at a lateral section and provided with a vertical flange (122) on which the edge of the floor is fixed at the level of said lateral profile (61, 62). 17 - Vehicle according to claim 14, 15 or 16, comprising at least one connecting device provided with a support frame (31, 32) according to any one of claims 11 to 13 and comprising a cross member (301, 302) , possibly part of a second floor element, for which the top plate (312, 312 ') is fixed under the cross member (301, 302) and the sole (310, 310') is attached to the floor element stiffened (41, 42).