SI9520001A - Rail vehicle suspension system - Google Patents

Abstract

A rail vehicle suspension system consists of a pneumatic spring (2) preferably supported on a rubber spring (1) that carries on its top side a cup spring (3) upon which the load is applied.

Description

SIG Schvveizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft

Suspension system for rail vehicles

The present invention relates to a support rail system for rail vehicles with a gas spring intended for receiving vertical forces.

Gas springs, especially air springs, are known to be used as vertical springs for thymic vehicles. In order to maximize the transverse travel of the suspension system and reduce the transverse stiffness, the air springs are generally mounted in series with the rubber washer spring. However, if such a structure is used in transverse tilting systems, it is inevitable that the air spring deflects very strongly in the transverse direction. This, on the one hand, leads to an extremely high load on the air spring and, on the other, to an increased transverse stiffness of the system.

If movements are to be transmitted solely through the air springs, the air springs must be of such a large dimension that their mounting on the bogie is often out of place for spatial reasons. This is particularly the case where not only one central air spring but several such spring systems (eg two or three) are to be fitted to the bogie.

To avoid this drawback, spring systems were proposed in which air springs were combined with steel springs instead of rubber washers but did not optimally meet the required criteria for load, transverse stiffness and mounting volume.

The object of the present invention was therefore to develop a suspension system that fulfills all the requirements.

This task is solved by the suspension system of the initially defined type according to the invention, so that at the upper end or. The gas spring head is further provided with a spherical spring, preferably in the form of a spherical rubber spring.

With this, a simple combination of air spring and caliper spring can be achieved with any articulated angles, with constant horizontal air suspension position. This construction achieves lower loading and lower transverse stiffness with significantly improved cross-travel utilization, all with acceptable increase in mounting height.

Such suspension systems can thus be easily installed in a larger number between the bogie and the lower part of the wagon body.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, a rubber washer is further arranged under the gas spring.

Thanks to the construction according to the invention, the following characteristics are achieved:

high articulation of the suspension system; minimum systemic lateral rigidity under articulated load; large transverse walk;

optimum installation volume.

In addition to use, where the air spring is virtually always horizontal, embodiments are possible in which the geometry and stiffness of the calotte are such that the air spring positively or negatively performs a defined, i.e. limited joint angle. The transverse stiffness of the system, in particular the lower values conducive to comfort, can thus be affected by wide limits.

The invention is further explained in the following with the help of the drawings presented in the drawings, in which Figs. 1 is a well-known spring system consisting of a lower washer spring and gas springs arranged above it in the normal position (solid line) and deformed (dashed line), completely schematic;

FIG. 2 is a spring suspension system designed according to the invention, with a lower washer spring, a gas spring arranged above it and a cylindrical spring provided at its upper end, in the same loading conditions as the spring system of FIG. 1, also completely schematic; and FIG. 3a to 3d some arrangement of the suspension systems on the bogies, also completely schematic.

The suspension systems shown in the drawings show a fully schematic view of one support point for rail vehicles, with the suspension systems arranged between the bogie and wagon housing or between the bogie and the transverse shaft.

Depending on the design principle, a central suspension system or a larger number of suspension systems may be provided between the bogie and the wagon body or transverse shaft. The installation dimensions in such cases, of course, depend on the expected loads. In FIG. 3a - 3d sketches show some options for the arrangement of suspension systems on bogies.

In FIG. 1 shows a (schematic) conventional suspension system for rail vehicles with a lower bearing spring 1 (a rubber washer spring, ie alternately arranged rubber and metal plates). Such washers are known and need not be explained in greater detail here. Directly across the washer spring 1 is a gas spring arranged. Gas springs are also widely known in the construction of vehicles and do not need any further explanation.

Such spring combinations are e.g. known from DE-OS 23 05 878 and DE-OS 26 04 769.

To receive pure vertical forces, a single spring type would be sufficient, e.g. gas spring. However, since transverse forces inevitably occur in thymic vehicles, the gas springs are arranged in series with the rubber washers in order to increase the transverse travel of the spring system and to reduce the transverse stiffness as described in the aforementioned documents. In the case of transverse tilting systems, air springs for such structures, as shown in FIG. 1, however, strongly deflect transverse (Y) and articulate (φ). This, on the one hand, necessarily leads to a higher load on the gas spring and, on the other, to a higher transverse stiffness of the spring system. In order for the movements shown to be transmitted themselves via the gas spring, the gas spring must be sized so large that the mounting of the movement on the bogie is of great difficulty.

Thanks to the construction of the invention as presented in FIG. 2, these deficiencies in overload, higher transverse stiffness and mounting volume can be avoided.

In the lower part, the spring system according to the invention is essentially designed in the same way as in the prior art, ie. in addition to the air spring 2, it also preferably comprises a rubber washer spring 1. The essential difference is that a spherical rubber spring 3 (calotte spring) is further arranged on the head of the gas spring 2.

This system can then only be loaded with vertical forces F or transverse tilting forces F 'and torques M and behave as shown in the drawings.

Depending on the geometry and stiffness of the calotte, the upper part of the gas spring retains a substantially horizontal position even in operation at articulated and transverse distances. The transverse distance is taken up by the rubber washer spring 1 and the gas spring 2.

Depending on the choice of elastic properties of the elastomeric body 5 as well as the geometry of the calotte, the system may in such a case be deformed such that in operation at any transverse distance, the upper part of the gas spring occupies a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal.

The most important thing is to reach any joint angles.

With acceptable increase in mounting height, this system achieves lower load and stiffness as well as better use of the transverse travel.

Claims (6)

Patent claims 1. Support rail system for rail vehicles, with a gas spring intended for receiving vertical forces, characterized in that there is an additional calotte spring at the upper end of the gas spring. Spring system according to claim 1, characterized in that an additional spring is arranged under the gas spring. Spring system according to claim 1, characterized in that the kalotast spring is designed as a spherical or shell rubber spring. Spring system according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the geometry and rigidity of the calotte are selected so that the upper part of the gas spring remains horizontal during operation. Spring system according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the geometry and stiffness of the calotte are chosen such that the upper part of the gas spring in operation, depending on the transverse distance, forms a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontals. 6. Timic vehicle, characterized in that at least one support suspension system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is provided between each bogie and wagon housing.