CONNECTING ELEMENT FOR ATTACHING A COMPONENT TO A FIBER COMPOSITE STRUCTRUE

Abstract

A connecting element for fastening connection pieces to fiber composite components made of at least one fiber layer and of matrix material is provided, the connecting element has a screw- or bolt-like shape, the connecting element includes a tip at one end thereof, which tip supports the penetration of the fiber layers of the fiber composite component in the dry or matrix-impregnated, unconsolidated state, and comprising a casing in the region that comes in contact with matrix material of the fiber composite component, but at least in the region that comes in contact with the reinforcing fibers of the fiber composite component.

Claims

1. Connecting element for fixing connection pieces to fibre composite components made of at least one fibre ply and matrix material, comprising a screw- or bolt-like shape with a head and a body, wherein the body has an elongated shape with a smaller cross section than the head, and wherein at the end which is facing away from the head a tip is arranged, which supports the penetration of the fibre plies of the fibre composite component in the dry state or unconsolidated state impregnated with matrix, wherein the metallic connection piece has openings for feeding through the body of the connecting element or is itself the head of one or more connecting elements, wherein the connecting element has a casing in the area which comes into contact with the matrix material of the fibre composite component, but at least in the area which comes into contact with the reinforcing fibres of the fibre composite component.

2. Connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the tip is removable.

3. Connecting element according to claim 2, wherein the tip is screwed onto an external thread of the connecting element.

4. Connecting element according to claim 2, wherein the tip is screwed onto an internal thread of the connecting element which is arranged axially at the end of the connecting element.

5. Connecting element according to claim 2, wherein the tip is inserted into an opening of the connecting element which is arranged axially at the end of the connecting element.

6. Connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the tip has flat areas which facilitate the application of a spanner for installation or deinstallation of the tip on the connecting element.

7. Connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the casing is removed from the fibre composite component after penetration of the fibre plies and before consolidation, or in that the casing remains in the fibre composite component.

8. Connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the casing has perforations which allow matrix material to enter as far as the surface of the connecting element.

9. Connecting element according to claim 8, wherein the width of the perforations perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the connecting element is so small that the reinforcing fibres bridge the perforations and, due to their bending radius, do not reach the material surface of the connecting element.

10. Use of a connecting element according to claim 1 for fixing a metallic connection piece to a ring beam made of fibre composite material for a head module of a rail vehicle, wherein, during the production of the ring beam, the connecting element is fed through openings of the connection piece provided for this and through the dry fibre plies or unconsolidated fibre plies, impregnated with matrix, of the ring beam.

11. Use of a connecting element according to claim 1 for fixing a metallic connection piece to a ring beam made of fibre composite material for a head module of a rail vehicle, wherein at least one connecting element is arranged on the connection piece, and is fed through the dry fibre plies or unconsolidated fibre plies, impregnated with matrix, of the ring beam, and fixed on the side of the ring beam opposite the connection piece.

12. Use of a connecting element according to claim 1 for fixing a component made of glass, wood, metal, fibre composite materials, plastics without fibre reinforcement, ceramic or mineral substances to a component made of fibre composite material.

13. Connecting element according to claim 2, wherein the tip has flat areas which facilitate the application of a spanner for installation or deinstallation of the tip on the connecting element.

14. Connecting element according to claim 3, wherein the tip has flat areas which facilitate the application of a spanner for installation or deinstallation of the tip on the connecting element.

15. Connecting element according to claim 4, wherein the tip has flat areas which facilitate the application of a spanner for installation or deinstallation of the tip on the connecting element.

16. Connecting element according to claim 5, wherein the tip has flat areas which facilitate the application of a spanner for installation or deinstallation of the tip on the connecting element.

17. Connecting element according to claim 2, wherein the casing is removed from the fibre composite component after penetration of the fibre plies and before consolidation, or in that the casing remains in the fibre composite component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] The following figures illustrate the connecting elements according to the invention in their preferred use for connecting connection pieces to a ring beam for head modules of rail vehicles by way of example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of the cab without the outer shell. The central buffer coupling has also been omitted for the sake of clarity. The inner shell 701 is designed in two parts. The division occurs in the horizontal plane above the railing reinforcement 711. The upper part of the inner shell 701 comprises the opening 704 for the front window and the side windows 703. The window openings are separated from each other by the A pillar 705. Above the upper part of the inner shell the ring beam 720 is represented. It is detachably fixed to the upper longitudinal beams of the following coach section (not represented) via the connection piece 721.

[0049] The railing reinforcement 711 and the UD braces 710 which transmit the force from the railing reinforcement 711 to the introduction points 712 into the lower longitudinal beams of the following coach section are integrated into the lower part of the inner shell.

[0050] The lower crash conduction element 730 runs underneath the lower part of the inner shell. On the front side of the cab the plate 734 is represented. The crash box 733 is arranged behind it. In the event of a crash, the collision takes place on the plate 734 which passes the force onto the crash box 733 and dissipates it as far as possible there. Remaining impact energy is passed on into the lower crash conduction element 730 and there is transferred at the fixing point 732 into the underframe support of the following coach section. In the horizontal section of the lower crash conduction element 730, the openings 731 for fixing the central buffer coupling are visible.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of the outer shell 702. In particular, it can be seen how the upper ring beam 720 with its connection pieces 721 fits into the outer shell 702. The opening for the cover flap 706 of the central buffer coupling is also represented.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows, schematically, the structure of the ring beam 720 with the two connection pieces 721. The connection pieces 721 are connected to the ring beam via connecting elements (not represented) through the openings 7214. They have the installation openings 7217 through which the ring beam is connected to the following coach section via the connection pieces 721 and the front section 7213. For this, connecting elements (not represented), in particular screws, are fed through the openings 7216, which can be tightened through the installation opening 7217. The openings 7215 optionally allow a screw connection to the outer shell.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows, schematically, an embodiment of the connection piece 721. This connection piece has a lower section 7211, an upper section 7212 and the front section 7213. The sections consist of steel and are fixed to one another by means of welded joints.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows, schematically, the connection piece according to FIG. 4 from a different perspective.

[0055] FIG. 6 shows, schematically, an embodiment for a connecting element 740 in section along the longitudinal axis. The connecting element has the shape of a screw and consists of a head section 7402 and a body 7401. It has no thread in the section which comes into contact with the matrix material after installation. The casing 7503, which prevents direct contact between the metallic constituents of the connecting element and the reinforcing fibre structure, is arranged there. The casing 7503 remains in the fully consolidated and installed ring beam. The tip 751 has a pointed section 7501 which is screwed onto the thread 7502. After the fibre composite material is consolidated, the tip is unscrewed and the nut for fixing the connecting element is screwed onto the thread 7502, and a washer or a further section of the connection piece optionally placed underneath.

[0056] FIG. 7 shows, schematically, an alternative embodiment to FIG. 6. Here, the tip 750 is held on the upper end of the bolt 740 by means of an internal thread 7502.

[0057] FIG. 8 shows the embodiment according to FIG. 7, but without additional casing.

[0058] FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show, schematically, two variants of perforations 7504 in the casing 7503.

[0059] FIG. 11a and FIG. 11b show, schematically, a tip in front view (FIG. 11a) and after a rotation by 90 about the longitudinal axis (FIG. 11b). Thus the lateral flat area 7505, which allows a spanner to be applied for installation or deinstallation of the tip 750 on the connecting element, is visible.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0060] 701 inner shell

[0061] 702 outer shell

[0062] 703 side window opening

[0063] 704 front window opening

[0064] 705 A pillar

[0065] 706 cover flap of the central buffer coupling

[0066] 707 internal fittings

[0067] 710 UD brace of the railing reinforcement

[0068] 711 railing reinforcement

[0069] 712 introduction point of the forces from the railing reinforcement into the lower longitudinal beam of the following coach

[0070] 720 ring beam

[0071] 721 connection piece

[0072] 7211 lower section

[0073] 7212 upper section

[0074] 7213 front section

[0075] 7214 openings

[0076] 7215 openings

[0077] 7216 openings

[0078] 7217 installation openings

[0079] 730 lower crash conduction element

[0080] 7301 section of the crash conduction element from the crash box to the horizontal section

[0081] 7302 horizontal section

[0082] 7303 section of the crash conduction element from the horizontal section to the fixing element on the underframe support

[0083] 731 holes for fixing the central buffer coupling

[0084] 732 fixing device of the lower crash element on the underframe support

[0085] 733 crash box

[0086] 734 plate

[0087] 740 connecting bolts for fixing the connection piece to the ring beam

[0088] 7401 bolt body

[0089] 7402 bolt head

[0090] 750 tip for supporting the penetration of the fibre-reinforcing material

[0091] 7501 pointed section

[0092] 7502 thread

[0093] 7503 casing of the connecting bolt

[0094] 7504 perforations in the casing of the connecting bolt

[0095] 7505 flat area of the tip