Energy absorbing fastener and pivot anchor and car

Abstract

The invention relates to an energy absorbing fastener suitable for connecting a part of a coupler or pivot to a car of a multi-car vehicle, wherein a fastener having a head and an end is provided, the end being suitable to be connected to an element of the coupler or the pivot, a deformation tube surrounding the fastener, whereby the deformation tube has a first end, whereby the head of the fastener rests against the first end or rests against an element that rests against the first end, and whereby the deformation tube has a second end suitable to rest against a surface of the car or a connection plate suitable to be connected to the car.

Claims

1. An energy absorbing fastener suitable for connecting a part of a coupler or pivot to a car of a multi-car vehicle, characterized by a fastener having a head and an end, the end being suitable to be connected to an element of the coupler or the pivot, a deformation tube surrounding the fastener, whereby the deformation tube has a first end, whereby the head of the fastener rests against the first end or rests against an element that rests against the first end, and whereby the deformation tube has a second end suitable to rest against: (i) a surface of the car or (ii) a connection plate suitable to be connected to the car, wherein the end of the fastener extends past the second end of the deformation tube to permit the end of the fastener to be received in a hole in the surface of the car or the connection plate while the second end of the deformation tube rests against the surface of the car or the connection plate.

2. Fastener according to claim 1 characterized in that the end of the fastener has a thread.

3. The fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of the deformation tube widens at the first end.

4. The fastener according to claim 1, characterized by a conical ring inserted into the first end of the deformation tube, whereby the conical ring contacts the inner walls of the deformation tube and the head of the fastener rests against the conical ring.

5. The fastener according to claim 2, characterized in that the diameter of the deformation tube widens at the first end.

6. The fastener according to claim 2, characterized by a conical ring inserted into the first end of the deformation tube, whereby the conical ring contacts the inner walls of the deformation tube and the head of the fastener rests against the conical ring.

7. The fastener according to claim 3, characterized by a conical ring inserted into the first end of the deformation tube, whereby the conical ring contacts the inner walls of the deformation tube and the head of the fastener rests against the conical ring.

8. A pivot anchor for a car of a multi-car vehicle having a pivot pin held in holder, an elastic deformation element arranged between holder and a housing, the elastic deformation element being compressed when the holder is moved towards the housing, wherein an energy absorbing fastener comprising a fastener having a head and an end, the end being suitable to be connected to an element of a coupler or a pivot, and a deformation tube surrounding the fastener is connected to the housing by the end of the fastener being attached to the housing.

9. The pivot anchor according to claim 8, characterized in that the elastic deformation element consist of at least one donut made from an elastic material.

10. The pivot anchor according to claim 9, characterized in that a central pin is attached to the holder and in that the central pin is inserted into the central opening of the donut.

11. The pivot anchor according to claim 10, characterized in that a central plate is arranged on the central pin and in that at least one donut from a first elastic material is arranged between a front plate of the housing and the central plate and in that at least one donut of a second elastic material is arranged between the central plate and an end plate of the housing.

12. The pivot anchor according to claim 11, characterized in that the end plate of the housing pin rests against an inward pointing rim on one end of the housing and whereby the end of the fastener is connected to the opposite end of the housing.

13. The pivot anchor according to claim 9, characterized in that the housing has the shape of a hollow cylinder with the elastic deformation element arranged inside the hollow cylinder.

14. The pivot anchor according to claim 9, characterized by a connection plate suitable to be connected to a car of a multi-car vehicle, whereby the connection plate has at least one hole, the fastener passes through the hole and fastens the housing to the connection plate, the connection plate being arranged between the second end of the deformation tube and an end-surface of the housing.

15. The pivot anchor according to claim 8, characterized in that the housing has the shape of a hollow cylinder with the elastic deformation element arranged inside the hollow cylinder.

16. The pivot anchor according to claim 15, characterized in that the end plate of the housing pin rests against an inward pointing rim on one end of the housing and whereby the end of the fastener is connected to the opposite end of the housing.

17. The pivot anchor according to claim 8, characterized by a connection plate suitable to be connected to a car of a multi-car vehicle, whereby the connection plate has at least one hole, the fastener passes through the hole and fastens the housing to the connection plate, the connection plate being arranged between the second end of the deformation tube and an end-surface of the housing.

18. The pivot anchor according to claim 17, characterized by a multitude of holes and a multitude of fasteners, whereby each fastener passes through one of the holes and fastens the housing to the connection plate, the connection plate being arranged between the second ends of the deformation tubes and an end-surface of the housing.

19. The pivot car of a multi-car vehicle with a pivot anchor according to claim 8.

20. A method of attaching a pivot anchor to a car, comprising: connecting an element of the pivot anchor to an energy absorbing fastener comprising a fastener having a head and an end, the end being suitable to be connected to an element of a coupler or a pivot and a deformation tube having a first end and a second end surrounding the fastener, such that the head of the fastener rests against the first end of the deformation tube or rests against an element that rests against the first end of the deformation tube, and the second end of the deformation tube rests against a surface of the car or a connection plate suitable to be connected to the car.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following an embodiment of the invention will be described by use of the following FIGS:

(2) FIG. 1 A cross sectional of the view of the energy absorbing fastener according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 a cross sectional view of a pivot anchor according to invention;

(4) FIG. 3 a front view onto a pivot anchor according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows an energy absorbing fastener 1. The energy absorbing fastener consists of a fastener 2 and a deformation tube 3 that surrounds the fastener 2. The fastener 2 has a head 4 and an end 5. Between the head 4 and the end 5 a main body 6 is provided for the fastener 2. The end 5 has a male thread and therefore is suitable to be connected to an element of the coupler or pivot, namely a part of a housing 7 of a pivot anchor that has a hole with a female thread. The deformation tube has a first end 8. The diameter of the deformation tube 3 widens within the first end 8. The deformation tube 3 has a second end 10 that is suitable to rest against a surface of a car or a connection plate 11 suitable to be connected to the car. The deformation tube at its second end 10 has a ring-shaped end surface, whereby the ring-shaped end surface lies in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (a) of the deformation tube. This plane, ring-shaped end surface makes the deformation tube 3 suitable to rest against a surface of a connection plate 11.

(6) A conical ring is provided, that forms an element 9 that rests against the first end 8. The conical ring is inserted into the first end 8 of the deformation tube 3, whereby the conical ring contacts the inner walls of the deformation tube 3. The head 4 of the fastener 2 rests against the conical ring.

(7) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a pivot anchor for a car of a multi-car vehicle. The pivot anchor has a pivot pin 20 that is held in a holder 21. Attached to the pivot 20 is an element, for example a connection bar 22, which allows to connect two cars of a multi-car vehicle. The connection bar can for example carry a coupler head (not shown) or can be directly coupled to the next car, especially preferred to a pivot pin of a pivot anchor provided at the next car. The pivot pin 20 allows the connection bar 22 to pivot relative to the holder 21.

(8) The pivot anchor according to the invention further has three elastic deformation elements 23, arranged between the holder 21 and a housing 24. The elastic deformation elements 23 are compressed, when the holder 21 is moved towards the housing (from the left towards the right in FIG. 2). Such a movement might occur, if an axial force acting along the longitudinal axis be of the pivot anchor is applied to the connection bar 22 that acts from the left towards the right in FIG. 2.

(9) A pivot anchor according to the invention has fourteen fasteners according to the invention. The fourteen fasteners according to the invention are connected to the housing 24 by the end 5 of the respective fastener 2 being attached to the housing 24. The fasteners 1 according to the invention are arranged in a ring (see FIG. 3). The pivot pin 20 is arranged inside the ring when looking at the pivot anchor according to the invention from the front (FIG. 3).

(10) The three elastic deformation elements 23 consist of donuts made from an elastic material.

(11) A central pin 25 is attached to the holder 21. The central pin is inserted into the central opening of the donuts that make up the elastic deformation elements 23.

(12) A central plate 26 is arranged on the central pin 25. At least one donut 29 from a first elastic material is arranged between a front plate 27 of the housing. The front plate 27 of the housing 24 has a central opening, through which the central pin 25 passes. At least one donut of a second elastic material, namely the three donuts of the elastic deformation element 23 are arranged between the central plate 26 and an end plate 28 of the housing 24.

(13) The housing 24 has the shape of a hollow cylinder with the elastic deformation elements being arranged inside this hollow cylinder.

(14) The end plate 28 of the housing 24 rests against an invert pointing rim 30 on one end of the housing 24. The end 5 of the fastener 2 is connected to the opposite end if the housing 24.

(15) The pivot anchor according to the invention has a connection plate 11 that is suitable to be connected to a car of a multi-car vehicle. For this purpose, the connection plate 11 has four holes 31. Through these four holes, screws can be passed, which allow the connection plate to be screwed to the underframe of a car. The connection plate 11 has fourteen further holes. A respective fastener 2 passes through the respective hole and fastens the housing 24 to the connection plate 11, the connection plate 11 being arranged between the second end 10 of the deformation tube 3 and the end-surface of the housing 24.