RAIL VEHICLE HAVING CENTRAL BUFFER COUPLING

Abstract

A rail vehicle has a central buffer coupling with a coupling head, a rod-shaped coupling shaft and a spring mechanism. The coupling head connects to a coupling head of another rail vehicle and is connected to the coupling shaft. The shaft is inserted into the spring mechanism and is mounted and fastened therein such that, during operation of the rail vehicle, impact forces or tensile forces acting on the coupling head are resiliently absorbed by the spring mechanism and transferred to a wagon body. A support is coupled to the coupling shaft and is connected to the wagon body. A collision element is arranged between the support and the wagon body. The collision element has a deformation region configured such that kinetic energy, transferred to the collision element via the coupling shaft and via the coupled support due to a collision, irreversibly deforms the deformation region in a predetermined manner.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A rail vehicle, comprising: a carriage body; a central buffer coupling having, as elements, a coupling head, a bar-shaped coupling shaft and a spring mechanism, wherein said coupling head is configured for connection to further a coupling head of a further rail vehicle, wherein said coupling head is connected to a first side of said bar-shaped coupling shaft and in which a second side of said bar-shaped coupling shaft dips into said spring mechanism and is mounted and fastened therein such that, in an operative mode of the rail vehicle, impact forces or tensile forces acting on said coupling head are elastically absorbed by said spring mechanism, which is connected to said carriage body of the rail vehicle, and the impact forces and the tensile forces are transmitted to said carriage body; a support coupled to said bar-shaped coupling shaft and connected to said carriage body, said support configured to vertically support said bar-shaped coupling shaft in order to downwardly support said bar-shaped coupling shaft in a resilient manner in a vertical direction, said support further configured to bear a dead weight of said elements of said central buffer coupling in order to implement a horizontal orientation of said central buffer coupling in the operative mode of the rail vehicle; and a collision element disposed between said support and said carriage body and is connected both to said support and to said carriage body, said collision element having a deformation region configured such that kinetic energy, which is transmitted via said bar-shaped coupling shaft and via said support to said collision element in an event of a collision, non-reversibly deforms said deformation region in a predefined manner.

10. The rail vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: said carriage body has a front plate; said collision element has a first flange by way of which said collision element is firmly but releasably connected to said front plate of said carriage body by a screw connection; said collision element has a second flange which lies opposite said first flange; said deformation region is disposed between said first flange and said second flange; said second flange is firmly but releasably connected to said support by a screw connection; and said screw connection of said second flange and said screw connection of said first flange are configured in such a way that an exchange of said collision element is possible after a collision.

11. The rail vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said collision element at least partially surrounds said bar-shaped coupling shaft so as to enable a horizontal movement of said bar-shaped coupling shaft to a predetermined extent.

12. The rail vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said support at least partially surrounds said bar-shaped coupling shaft so as to enable a horizontal movement of said bar-shaped coupling shaft to a predetermined extent.

13. The rail vehicle according to claim 12, wherein due to the at least partial surrounding of said bar-shaped coupling shaft by said support, a coupling of said support to said bar-shaped coupling shaft is implemented in such a way that, in the event of the collision, said bar-shaped coupling shaft executes a longitudinal movement in a direction of the rail vehicle or in a direction of said carriage body of the rail vehicle, and as a result said coupling head is pushed against said support and the kinetic energy from the collision is transmitted via said support to said collision element, in order to there trigger a deformation of said deformation region.

14. The rail vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said spring mechanism has energy dissipation elements which are configured in such a way that impact energy, which is transmitted via said bar-shaped coupling shaft to said spring mechanism in the event of the collision, irreversibly plastically deforms said energy dissipation elements for energy compensation purposes.

15. The rail vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said central buffer coupling is part of a mixed train coupling.

16. The rail vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said support is in a form of a pendulum support or in a form of a beam support, which are in each case at least partially disposed under said bar-shaped coupling shaft.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0046] The invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of a drawing, in which:

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a first example of the invention on the basis of a central buffer coupling with a pendulum support,

[0048] FIG. 2 shows, with reference to FIG. 1, details of the associated collision element, referred to as crash box,

[0049] FIG. 3 shows, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, elements of the invention in a further detail illustration,

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a second example of the invention on the basis of a mixed train coupling,

[0051] FIG. 5 to FIG. 8 show the prior art described in the introduction.

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a first example of the invention on the basis of a central buffer coupling MPK with a pendulum support.

[0053] The central buffer coupling MPK comprises, as elements, a coupling head KPK, a bar-like coupling shaft KPS, a coupling pin KPB and a spring mechanism FDW.

[0054] The coupling head KPK is configured for connection to a coupling head of a further rail vehicle.

[0055] The coupling head KPK is connected to a first side of a bar-like coupling shaft KPS. The second side of said coupling shaft, which lies opposite the first side of the coupling shaft KPS, dips into the spring mechanism FDW in a movably mounted manner and is guided by it.

[0056] The spring mechanism FDW is connected at one end END to a carriage body WK of the rail vehicle and contains a resilient or elastic fastening of the second end of the coupling shaft KPS in the interior of the spring mechanism FDW.

[0057] The spring mechanism FDW is designed in such a way that tensile forces or compressive forces which act via the coupling head KPK and the coupling shaft KPS between the coupled rail vehicles are absorbed and possibly transmitted to the carriage body WK in a damped manner.

[0058] The central buffer coupling MPK is mounted so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis by way of a coupling pin (not illustrated here). This ensures a transmission of force between the coupled rail vehicles during cornering.

[0059] The central buffer coupling MPK, more precisely the coupling shaft KPS thereof, is downwardly supported in a resilient manner in the vertical direction via a support PAS, which is in the form of a pendulum support by way of example here.

[0060] The pendulum support PAS ensures that, in the operative and non-coupled mode of the rail vehicle, the central buffer coupling MPK assumes a predetermined target position in a horizontal direction on the rail vehicle.

[0061] The pendulum support PAS also permits a horizontal movement of the coupling shaft KPS within predefined limits.

[0062] According to the invention, the pendulum support PAS is connected via a collision element CB, referred to as crash box, to a front plate FP of the carriage body WK of the rail vehicle.

[0063] In this case, the collision element CB also surrounds the coupling shaft KPS, correspondingly to the pendulum support PAS, such that the vertical or horizontal movement of the coupling shaft KPS can be effected to a predetermined extent.

[0064] Here, the central buffer coupling MKP is in a normal position, i.e. the coupling head KPK is at a predetermined distance from the pendulum support PAS in relation to the direction of travel of the rail vehicle.

[0065] FIG. 2 shows, with reference to FIG. 1, details of the associated collision element CB.

[0066] The collision element CB comprises a first flange FL1 by way of which the collision element CB is connected to the front plate FP and thus to the carriage body WK of the rail vehicle.

[0067] The collision element CB comprises a second flange FL2 which lies opposite the first flange FL1. The collision element CB is connected to the pendulum support PAS by way of the second flange FL2.

[0068] The collision element CB also comprises transverse stops QAS, which are arranged and designed in such a way that the horizontal movement of the coupling shaft KPS is limited, preferably is limited in a cushioned manner.

[0069] The collision element CB has a deformation region DB configured for a collision.

[0070] Kinetic energy which acts on the collision element CB in the event of a collision, which is shown in FIG. 3, brings about a permanent and predetermined deformation of the deformation region DB along a collision directionthe deformation region DB is thus crushed inward in the event of a collision.

[0071] In the event of a collision, the deformation region DB provides an additional distance along which the deformation of the deformation region DB is effected. As a result, the conversion of the kinetic energy into deformation energy is assisted in the event of a collision.

[0072] FIG. 3 shows, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, elements of the invention in a further detail illustration.

[0073] Whereas FIG. 1 shows the central buffer coupling MPK in the normal position, in which the coupling head KPK is at a predetermined distance from the pendulum support PAS, FIG. 3 shows the position of the central buffer coupling MPK in the event of a collision, wherein here the collision takes place by way of example parallel to the direction of travel of the rail vehicle and thus substantially parallel to the horizontal orientation of the central buffer coupling MPK.

[0074] During the collision, the collision energy acts as kinetic energy on the coupling head KPK of the central buffer coupling MPK.

[0075] As a result, the central buffer coupling MPK is subjected to a longitudinal movement LBW in the direction of the carriage body WK of the rail vehicle.

[0076] The coupling head KPK is pushed or knocked against the pendulum support PAS by this longitudinal movement LBW. The associated kinetic energy is transmitted to the collision element CB which is fastened to the carriage body WK or to the front plate FP thereof.

[0077] The deformation region DB is compressed as a result, in order to provide the additional distance described in FIG. 2.

[0078] The kinetic energy is additionally transmitted via the coupling shaft KPS of the central buffer coupling MPK to the spring mechanism FDW.

[0079] Arranged in this spring mechanism FDW are energy dissipation elements which are permanently plastically deformed by the kinetic energy. As a result, the kinetic energy is dissipated or absorbed in connection with the carriage body WK to which the spring mechanism is fastened.

[0080] FIG. 4 shows a second example of the invention on the basis of a mixed train coupling GZK.

[0081] The mixed train coupling GZK comprises the above-described central buffer coupling MPK. Elements of a screw coupling, for example a coupling hook, are arranged on or in the region of the coupling head KPK.

[0082] In the operation of the screw coupling, side buffers SPF are additionally required for the event of a collision, which are embodied according to the prior art and comprise correspondingly shaped energy dissipation elements EVE-SPF.

[0083] Impact or thrust forces which occur during braking in the operative mode of the rail vehicle are absorbed or transmitted by the side buffers SPF of the rail vehicle.

[0084] In the event of a collision, the forces acting on the side buffers SPF exceed a predefined limit value, and irreversible deformation of the energy dissipation element EVE-SPF occurs in order to compensate for the collision energy or kinetic energy.