Chassis Frame With Drive Unit

Abstract

A chassis frame for a rail vehicle which includes at least one drive unit fastened to the chassis frame via at least one elongated fastener, wherein the at least one fastener is arranged transversely with respect to the direction of travel and protrudes into the chassis frame or is guided through brackets which are fixedly connected to the chassis frame and protrudes into a space above or below the chassis frame in order to reduce the weight for the bearing of the drive unit and to facilitate mounting of the drive unit.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A chassis frame for a rail vehicle, comprising: at least one drive unit fastened to the chassis frame via at least one elongated fastener disposed transversely with respect to a direction of travel; and mounting brackets fixedly connected to the chassis frame; wherein said least one elongated fastener one of (i) projects into the chassis frame and (ii) is guided through mounting brackets fixedly connected to the chassis frame, and projects into a space located above or below the chassis frame.

16. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least elongated one fastener is disposed so as to penetrate a longitudinal member of the chassis frame.

17. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least elongated one fastener is disposed so as to penetrate a sidewall of a longitudinal member of the chassis frame.

18. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one mounting bracket is arranged on a longitudinal member of the chassis frame.

19. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one mounting bracket is arranged on a longitudinal member of the chassis frame.

20. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least one mounting bracket is arranged on a longitudinal member of the chassis frame.

21. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 15, wherein all elongated fasteners disposed transversely with respect to the direction of travel are guided through the mounting brackets and project into the space above or below the chassis frame.

22. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 15, wherein the drive unit is mounted on the chassis frame via at least one elastic element acting in conjunction with the at least one fastener.

23. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 22, wherein the at least one elastic element is fixedly connected to the drive unit.

24. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 22, wherein the at least one elastic element is fixedly connected to the chassis frame.

25. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 22, wherein the at least one elastic element forms part of an inner bushing which is fixedly connected to one of (i) the chassis frame and (ii) the drive unit, and a respective other part is retained in the inner bushing via the at least one elongated fastener.

26. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 23, wherein the at least one elastic element forms part of an inner bushing which is fixedly connected to one of (i) the chassis frame and (ii) the drive unit, and a respective other part is retained in the inner bushing via the at least one elongated fastener.

26. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 24, wherein the at least one elastic element forms part of an inner bushing which is fixedly connected to one of (i) the chassis frame and (ii) the drive unit, and a respective other part is retained in the inner bushing via the at least one elongated fastener.

27. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one elongated fastener comprises a bolt or a screw.

28. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 25, wherein the at least one elongated fastener is pressed into the other part.

29. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 28, wherein the bolt is pressed into the other part.

30. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 15, wherein the drive unit is disposed in the direction of travel.

31. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 31, wherein the drive unit is disposed laterally outside the at least one longitudinal member.

32. The chassis frame as claimed in claim 15, wherein the drive unit is disposed transversely with respect to the direction of travel between longitudinal members.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] For further explanation of the invention, reference will be made in the following part of the description to the accompanying drawings from which further advantageous embodiments, details and developments of the invention will emerge, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a plan view onto a chassis frame with longitudinally mounted drive unit in accordance with the invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of the chassis frame of FIG. 1;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the chassis frame of FIG. 1;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows the connection between drive unit and chassis frame of FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 5 shows an inner bushing disposed on a motor for transversely mounted drive units in accordance with the invention; and

[0035] FIG. 6 shows an inner bushing disposed on the chassis frame for transversely mounted drive units in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a chassis frame 1 consisting of two longitudinal members 8 and two transverse members 9. With respect to the central longitudinal axis 10, which corresponds to the direction of travel, in this example the chassis frame 1 has a symmetrical configuration, likewise with respect to the central transverse axis 11. A motor 3 is fastened to the longitudinal member 8 on either side of the chassis frame 1 outside the respective longitudinal member 8. Each motor 3 is namely fastened to the longitudinal members 8 by four fastening elements in the form of screws 13 (to form a screwed joint with axial motor mounts 14), where the screws 13 extend parallel to the central transverse axis 11, i.e., transversely with respect to the direction of travel. In this configuration of the chassis frame 1, the screws 13 are fastened outside the two transverse members 9, viewed in the longitudinal direction, i.e., in the direction of travel.

[0037] If FIG. 1 is conceived of as four perpendicular planes along the outer sides of the chassis frame 1, i.e., along the outer sides and inner sides of the two longitudinal members 8, this defines the space above and below the chassis frame 1. Here, four of the screws 13 that are used protrude in this space, or more precisely project into this space above the longitudinal members 8, where four other screws 4 are inserted directly into the two longitudinal members 8.

[0038] The fastening of the screws 13 may be seen more clearly in FIG. 2, which shows a section along the A-A axis in FIG. 1. The two lower screws 13 are guided directly through the longitudinal member 8 and retained in the latter, where the longitudinal member 8 is dropped by approximately its height in the central longitudinal area. The two upper screws 13 are guided through mounting brackets 12 fixed to the longitudinal member 8. They can be designed as flat plates that are aligned vertically upward from the longitudinal member, e.g., here as a continuation of the outer sidewall of the longitudinal member 8. Such mounting brackets 12 can be of much smaller dimensions and are therefore much lighter than conventional motor bearers.

[0039] On both sides of the mounting bracket 12, i.e., on the inner and outer side of the longitudinal member 8, there is provided for each screw 13 an elastic motor mount 14 that can be implemented as in FIG. 4, for example: it has two metal mount halves 15, 16, where the first mount half 15 is disposed on the outside of the longitudinal member 8 or rather of the mounting bracket 12, i.e., on the motor 3, and where the second mount half 16 on the inside of the longitudinal member 8 or rather of the mounting bracket 12. In the region of the motor mount 14, the screw 13 is surrounded by a spacer sleeve 17 against which the mount halves 15, 16 rest. Each mount half 15, 16 can, as shown here, be of a two-part configuration, where there is then provided between the two parts 151, 152; 161, 162 an elastic element 6, e.g., a flat rubber layer, which overlies the two parts 151, 152; 161, 162 in a planar manner. The inner part 151 of the first mount half 15 and the inner part 161 of the second mount half 16 are firmly clamped to the motor 3 by screw 13 and spacer sleeve 17. The outer part 152 of the first mount half 15 and the outer part 162 of the second mount half 16 are tensioned against the chassis frame 1, i.e., here the longitudinal member 8 (or more precisely the mounting bracket 12), where the force is transmitted via the elastic element 6. As a result, a sight displacement in the elastic element 6 is possible.

[0040] Self-evidently, the motor mount 14 could also be of reverse design, i.e. the inner parts 151, 161 of the two mount halves 15, 16 as well as the screw 13 and the spacer sleeve 17 are fixedly connected to the chassis frame 1 (the longitudinal member 8 or rather the mounting bracket 12), while the outer parts 152, 162 are fixedly connected to the motor 3.

[0041] The motor mount 14 could also be implemented without elastic elements 6 if elastic support of the motor 3 on the chassis frame 1 is not required. The mount halves 15, 16 would then have a one-part design, where the parts 151 and 152, on the one hand, and parts 161 and 162, on the other, could therefore each be combined into one piece.

[0042] In the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1-4, the drive unit 3 is disposed in the direction of travel, where the longitudinal axis or longitudinal extent of the motor 3 is parallel to the direction of travel or central longitudinal axis 10 of the chassis frame. The drive unit 3 is disposed laterally outside each longitudinal member 8. The motor 3 pulls or pushes in the axial direction of the screws 13.

[0043] In the case of a longitudinal arrangement of the motor 3, the elongated fastener have hitherto generally been disposed vertically, i.e., normal to the central longitudinal and transverse axis 10, 11.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3, the motors 3 are disposed approximately within the vertical extent of the longitudinal member 8 (from the bottom edge of the dropped section to the top edge of the straight sections) and do not extend significantly beyond this region.

[0045] FIG. 5 shows a possible embodiment in which the connection between the motor 3 and chassis frame 1 is via an elastic element 6. For this purpose, the motor 3 is provided with a bushing into which a metal-rubber element is pressed as an inner bushing 2, said metal-rubber element having at least one sleeve-like elastic rubber layer 6. The latter has a larger diameter in the center than at the edge.

[0046] The bolt 4 is inserted through the chassis frame 1 on both sides of the bushing of the motor 3. With a mating element 5 implemented as a nut (a screw would also be possible) at the head of the bolt, the bolt 4 tensions the inner bushing 2 against the chassis frame 1 and therefore transmits the transverse forces.

[0047] The bolt 4 can be surrounded by an intermediate bushing 7 at the end of the shank where it is supported in the chassis frame 1, which serves to facilitate mounting. The longitudinal and vertical forces are transmitted via the mountings on the head and shank of the bolt 4.

[0048] As the reverse of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 shows a bushing that is disposed on the chassis frame 1 and into which a metal-rubber element is pressed as an inner bushing 2, said metal-rubber element having at least one sleeve-like layer of rubber 6. The bolt 4 is inserted through the motor 3 on both sides of the bushing. With a mating element 5 implemented as a nut (a screw would also be possible here instead) at the head of the bolt 4, the bolt 4 tensions the inner bushing 2 against the motor 3 and therefore transmits the transverse forces. The longitudinal and vertical forces are again transmitted via the mountings on the head and shank of the bolt 4.

[0049] These embodiments of the elastic element depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6 are particularly suitable for a drive unit oriented transversely with respect to the direction of travel (i.e., with the longitudinal extent or longitudinal axis of the drive unit 3 parallel with the central transverse axis 11), therefore generally disposed between the two longitudinal members 8. The axes of the bolts 4 or rather mating elements 5 are aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor 3, and can be disposed alongside (level with) the motor 3, but also above or below the motor 3 in the operating position of the chassis frame 1.

[0050] Transversely mounted motors 3 have hitherto mostly been screwed/bolted to the chassis frame in the direction of travel (parallel to the central longitudinal axis 10) or vertically (normal to the central longitudinal axis 10 and to the central transverse axis 11), whereas a connection by bolts 4 and mating elements 5 in the transverse direction is now proposed.

[0051] However, the type of connection by bolts 4 and mating elements 5 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 can basically also be used for other arrangements of the motor 3, where the axis of the bolt 4 or rather of the mating element 5 then no longer runs transversely with respect to the direction of travel. Thus, in the case of a longitudinal arrangement of the motor 3 (as in FIG. 1), the axis of the bolt 4 could likewise extend in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the central longitudinal axis 10). In this arrangement, the motor 3 would pull or push transversely with respect to the axial direction of the bolt 4.

[0052] In all the embodiments shown, the bolts 4 and screws 13 are dismountable and extend horizontally and normal to the direction of travel in the operating position of the chassis frame 1.

[0053] 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 element steps 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.