Longitudinal support and transverse support for a chassis frame of a rail vehicle

Abstract

A longitudinal support and a transverse support for a chassis frame of a rail vehicle, wherein the longitudinal support includes a first box-shaped connection portion having a sectionally straight first circumferential edge for connection to the transverse support, where the transverse support has a second box-shaped connection portion having a sectionally straight second circumferential edge for connection to the longitudinal support within a transverse direction of the chassis frame, respectively on the end side, and where the first and second circumferential edges are each configured as four first and second connection edges to achieve a reduction of the weight of the longitudinal support and of the transverse support, and to lower the twisting rigidity of the chassis frame, where the connection edges are separated from each other by first and second recesses.

Claims

1. A longitudinal support for a chassis frame of a rail vehicle, comprising: a box-shaped first connecting portion disposed in a central portion of the longitudinal support such that said box-shaped first connecting portion is located centrally in relation to a longitudinal direction of the chassis frame, the first connecting portion having an aperture with a partially straight first peripheral edge for connection of a transverse support of the chassis frame, said aperture opening the first connecting portion normal to the longitudinal direction in a transverse direction of the chassis frame; wherein the first peripheral edge is configured as four first connecting edges extending straight, said first connecting edges being separated from one another by first recesses, an upper first connecting edge of the four first connecting edges being formed by a top flange of the longitudinal support and a lower first connecting edge of the four first connecting edges being formed by a bottom flange of the longitudinal support.

2. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal support comprises a longitudinal support top flange and a longitudinal support bottom flange; and wherein two side elements connecting the longitudinal support top flange and the longitudinal support bottom flange are arranged parallel to the transverse direction within the first connecting portion.

3. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 2, wherein a lateral first connecting edge is formed on (i) the longitudinal support top flange, (ii) an upper first connecting edge, (iii) the longitudinal support bottom flange, (iv) a lower first connecting edge and (v) on each of the side elements; and wherein the first recesses are arranged at an imaginary intersection points of the first connecting edges.

4. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first recesses overlap by between 5% and 30% of the periphery of a rectangle formed by imaginary extensions of the first connecting edges.

5. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connecting edges are configured such that a connection to the transverse support covering an entire cross-section is achievable via a butt weld.

6. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least 70% an overall area of each of the first recesses lies on one of the two side elements.

7. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 2, wherein the longitudinal support is configured as an I-beam and the two side elements are inserted into the I-beam via welding.

8. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 7, wherein the two side elements have at least one side aperture (6) spaced from the first connecting portion.

9. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first recesses overlap by between 8% and 25% of the periphery of a rectangle formed by the imaginary extensions of the first connecting edges.

10. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first recesses overlap by 10% and 20% of the periphery of the rectangle formed by the imaginary extensions of the first connecting edges.

11. The longitudinal support as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least 85% of the overall area of each of the first recesses lies on one of the two side elements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For further explanation of the invention, reference will be made in the following section of the description to the drawings which illustrate further advantageous embodiments, details and developments of the invention. The figures are to be regarded as exemplary and are intended to illustrate the character of the invention, but do not in any way restrict it or represent it conclusively, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is an axonometric view of a chassis frame in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the connection between the longitudinal support and the transverse support in accordance with the invention; and

(4) FIG. 3 is an axonometric view of a transverse support in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional representation of an embodiment of an inventive chassis frame for a rail vehicle. This comprises herein two longitudinal supports 1 that are oriented parallel to a longitudinal direction 11, and a transverse support 18 connecting the two longitudinal supports 1, which is oriented parallel to a transverse direction 12 arranged normal to the longitudinal direction 11. The longitudinal direction 11 herein corresponds to the direction of travel of the rail vehicle in the operating state.

(6) The longitudinal supports 1 are herein configured as I-beams and thus have a longitudinal support top flange 2, a longitudinal support bottom flange 3 and a web 4 connecting both symmetrically (see FIG. 2). A cranked form of the longitudinal support 1 is provided in that it has a central portion 7 and, in the longitudinal direction 11, respectively in front of and behind the central portion 7, an end portion 9 parallel to the central portion 7, where the portions 7, 9 are connected by a transition portion 8 extending obliquely. In the central portion 7 of the longitudinal support 1, the longitudinal support top flange 2 and the longitudinal support bottom flange 3 extend parallel to one another. The connection between the transverse support 18 and the longitudinal support 1 occurs, in the case of the longitudinal support 1, via a first box-shaped connecting portion 13 arranged in the central portion 7. The first connecting portion 13 is herein formed by the longitudinal support top flange 2, the longitudinal support bottom flange 3 and two side elements 5 and opens in the transverse direction 12 toward the transverse support 18.

(7) For connection of the chassis frame to a wheelset guide, each longitudinal support 1 has two wheelset guide bushings 29 that have a circular cross-section and serve to receive a pin of the wheelset guide. The longitudinal axes of the wheelset guide bushings 29 are herein oriented parallel to the transverse direction 12.

(8) In the present exemplary embodiment, the transverse support 18 is configured as a single-piece box-shaped bent part that in each case forms, as seen in the transverse direction 12, a second box-shaped connecting portion 24. The second connecting portions 24 of the transverse support 18 are herein each connected via weld seams, in particular butt welds, to the respective first connecting portion 13 of a longitudinal support 1.

(9) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail view of the first connecting portion 13, where a part of the second connecting portion 24 of the transverse support 18 is also shown. For the sake of clarity, however, in this figure only the relevant parts of the first connecting portion 13 are shown, whilst for the second connecting portion 24, reference is made to FIG. 3. It is herein clearly shown that the side elements 5 are oriented substantially parallel to the transverse direction 12 and are connected to the longitudinal support top flange 2, the longitudinal support bottom flange 3 and the web 4 via weld seams (not shown). Here, the side elements 5 have a side aperture 6 in the region of the web 4, spaced from the web that has the form of a triangle with rounded edges, where the longest edge of the triangle extends parallel to the web 4. Here, an aperture 10 of the first connecting portion 13, which is formed by the longitudinal support top flange 2, the longitudinal support bottom flange 3 and the side elements 5, opens the first connecting portion 13 in the transverse direction 12.

(10) A peripheral edge of the first connecting portion 13, i.e., that edge that lies in a plane normal to the transverse direction 12 and contacts the transverse support 18 is made from four first connecting edges 14, 15, 16: an upper first connecting edge 14 that is formed by the longitudinal support top flange 2, a lower first connecting edge 15 that is formed by the longitudinal support bottom flange 3 and two lateral first connecting edges 16, each formed by one of the side elements 5. The first connecting edges 14, 15, 16 are herein separated from one another by first recesses 17, so that the first connecting edges 14, 15, 16 extend exclusively straight and do not touch one another. The first recesses 17 are arranged at the imaginary intersection points of the extensions of the first connecting edges 14, 15, 16, i.e. is at the corners of an imaginary rectangle on which the first connecting edges 14, 15, 16 lie.

(11) In relation to the periphery of the imaginary rectangle, the first recesses 17 herein overlap approximately 17.5% of the periphery. The first recesses 17 also extend in the transverse direction 12, an essentially U-shaped form being produced in the side elements 5, making up approximately 80% of the overall area of the first recess 17. In the region of the first connecting edges 14, 15, 16, the recess 17 is narrowed because, to extend the first lateral connecting edge 16 and the weld seam applied thereto, the side elements 5 have first rod-shaped portions 30 that are oriented in the direction of the longitudinal support top flange 2 or the longitudinal support bottom flange 3 or parallel to a height direction, normal to the longitudinal direction 11 and the transverse direction 12. Behind the first rod-shaped portions 30, as seen in the transverse direction 12, the first recess 17 is enlarged in the height direction so that the first rod-shaped portions 30 arise via an undercut of the first lateral connecting edge 16. Similarly thereto, it is naturally also conceivable that the upper first connecting edge 14 or the lower first connecting edge 15 also form a further first rod-shaped portion for extending the weld seams that are oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction 11.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a transverse support 18 with a box-shaped profile, where the cross-section is normal to the transverse direction 12. The transverse support comprises a transverse support top flange 19, which in the installed state, faces toward a superstructure of a rail vehicle, a transverse support bottom flange 20 which in the installed state faces toward the rails and two side walls 21 which form the left and right sides of the transverse support. Seen in the transverse direction 12, the transverse support 18 has at each end, i.e., at the front and rear ends, a second connecting portion 24. These second connecting portions 24 serve to connect each transverse support 18 to a longitudinal support 1. This relates, in the case of the second connecting portions 24 in the present example, to the open ends of the box-shaped transverse support 18.

(13) In order to achieve a favorable stress flow in the transverse support, the transverse support 18 is configured as a bent part, in the present case as a single piece bent part. With a corresponding manufacturing process, for example, edge bending, swivel bending or swage bending, the box-shaped profile of the transverse support 18 is produced from a flat blank in that via an introduced bending moment, the blank is plastically deformed locally so that a three-dimensional form develops from the substantially two-dimensional blank. The following positive effect arises from such a manufacturing method. That is, the bent part is a single part, which forms both the transverse support top flange 19, the transverse support bottom flange 20 and also the side walls 21. Consequently, only a single connecting weld seam is required to produce the box profile. This connecting weld seam is herein preferably arranged outside the bend regions 22, for example, the weld seam extends parallel to the transverse direction 12 in the center of the transverse support bottom flange 20.

(14) In accordance with the invention, the transverse support top flange 19 is constructed such that a bend region 22 forms at the transition between the transverse support top flange 19 and the right side wall 21 in that region which was plastically deformed during the manufacturing process. The bend region 22 herein represents a curved region, which in the present example, is configured as a transition radius with a bending radius. Here, the bending radius relates to a circular radius, that which in alternative embodiments, curves with different curvature, for example, ellipses are also conceivable. Equally, between the transverse support top flange 19 and the left side wall 21, a bend region 22 is formed. Entirely similarly, at the transition between the side walls 21 and the transverse support bottom flange 20, bend regions 22 of the same shape are formed, so that the cross-section of the transverse support has the form, normal to the transverse direction 12 of a right angle with rounded corners.

(15) A peripheral edge of the second connecting portion i.e., that is, that edge which lies in a normal plane to the transverse direction 12 and contacts the longitudinal support 1 is composed from four second connecting edges 25, 26, 27: an upper second connecting edge 25 that is formed from the longitudinal support top flange 19, a lower second connecting edge 26 that is formed by the transverse support bottom flange 20 and two lateral second connecting edges 27, each formed by one of the side walls 21. The second connecting edges 25, 26, 27 are herein separated from one another by second recesses 28, so that the second connecting edges 25, 26, 27, like the first connecting edges 14, 15, 16 extend exclusively straight and do not touch one another. The second recesses 28 are arranged at the imaginary intersection points of the extensions of the second connecting edges 25, 26, 27, i.e., at the corners of an imaginary rectangle on which the second connecting edges 25, 26, 27 lie.

(16) In relation to the periphery of the imaginary rectangle, the second recesses 28 herein overlap approximately 17.5% of the periphery. The second recesses 28 also extend in the transverse direction 12, starting from the second connecting edges 25, 26, 27 in the direction of the center of the transverse support 18. If a theoretical state is now considered in which the transverse support top flange 19 and the side walls 21 form a planar area, i.e., the theoretical state in which the side walls 21 are folded out by 90 in the direction of the transverse support top flange 19, then the upper second connecting edge 25 and the lateral second connecting edges 27 are oriented along a width direction parallel to the transverse direction 12. In this theoretical state, the second recesses 28 form a semicircular shape, which extends in the width direction at least over the bend region 22. The second recesses 28 are herein divided approximately in equal parts into the transverse support top flange 19 or the transverse support bottom flange 20 and the respective side wall 21. The second recesses 28 in the region of the second connecting edges 25, 26, 27 are constricted. As a result, second rod-shaped portions 31 thus form that serve as an extension of the second connecting edges 25, 26, 27 or the weld seams applied thereto. The second rod-shaped portions 31 herein form an inner edge of the semicircular region of the second recesses 28. A similar principle therefore naturally also applies for a second theoretical state in which the side walls 21 are folded in the other direction and form a planar area together with the transverse support bottom flange 20.

(17) Returning to FIG. 2, with respect to the first and second recesses 17, 28, it becomes clear that the first and second recesses 17, 28 form a common recess, the edges of which give way to one another wherein the first and second rod-shaped portions 30, 31 extend into the common recess.

(18) It is also clear in FIG. 3 that the transverse support top flange 19 has a flange aperture 23 that has a substantially rectangular shape wherein roundings and constrictions in the form are provided. The flange aperture 23 is oriented symmetrically to the transverse support top flange 19 both in the longitudinal direction 11 and in the transverse direction 12 and therein occupies approximately 30% of the area of the transverse support top flange 19. The transverse support bottom flange 20 also has a flange aperture 23 that is oriented symmetrically to the transverse support bottom flange 20 both in the longitudinal direction 11 and in the transverse direction 12. However, this flange aperture 23 is elliptically configured and occupies approximately 75% of the area of the transverse support bottom flange 20, so that the transverse support bottom flange 20 has a lower shearing rigidity and torsional stiffness than the transverse support top flange 19. Four further flange apertures 32 are also arranged on each of the side walls 21.

(19) In particular, the flange aperture 23 of the transverse support bottom flange 20 herein serves as an access aperture for processing because, by means thereof, the weld seams that join the first connecting edges 14, 15, 16 and the second connecting edges 25, 26, 27 to one another preferably via butt welds covering the entire cross-section, both counterwelding can be performed on both sides, as well as suitable afterprocessing, for example grinding level with the sheet metal on both sides of the weld seam.

(20) Thus, while there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.