METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A VEHICLE HEAD

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for producing a vehicle head for a car body of a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle.

[0002] Glass fiber-reinforced plastics are currently used in the production of vehicle heads in the field of rail vehicle technology to meet the requirements for cost, design, and stability. However, document DE 196 09 995 A1 describes a vehicle head for lightweight rail vehicles consisting of several sheet metal parts instead of glass fiber-reinforced plastic panels.

[0003] The invention is based on the object of providing a method for producing a vehicle head with which today's requirements can be met and at the same time a low overall weight with high stability can be achieved.

[0004] This object is achieved according to the invention by a method having the features according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention are specified in subclaims.

[0005] According to the invention, the vehicle head is composed of at least four assemblies, namely a roof assembly, two side wall assemblies and a window lower belt assembly, wherein in at least one of the assemblies at least two assembly parts are connected to one another by laser welding of metal interfaces between the assembly parts.

[0006] A significant advantage of the method according to the invention is that it can be implemented without the use of glass-fiber-reinforced plastic, but can be implemented solely on the basis of metal parts. The use of a laser welding process according to the invention makes it possible to join the individual parts of the vehicle head with minimal additional weight while achieving sufficient mechanical stability. As the inventors have determined, this is not possible in the field of vehicle head manufacturing with other common joining methods, or to this extent.It is advantageous if a roof hood of the roof assembly is made entirely of metal or at least in the area of ​​at least one of its internal interfaces between roof hood components, preferably at all internal interfaces, and / or in the area of ​​at least one of its external interfaces to another assembly or another element of the roof assembly, preferably at all external interfaces, in particular by including deep drawing and / or bending of at least one sheet metal.

[0007] With a view to increasing stability, it is considered advantageous if the roof hood is equipped with a rib structure.

[0008] According to the invention, at least four roof hood parts are assembled to produce the roof hood, namely a roof part, two side roof parts, and a front part. The front part preferably forms an interface with a windshield of the vehicle head.

[0009] The four roof hood parts are laser welded together.

[0010] The rib structure is preferably connected to at least the roof part and the front part, preferably by laser welding.

[0011] The front part or the front part section is preferably laser trimmed at least in the area of ​​the interface to the windscreen in order to minimize the manufacturing tolerances at the interface to the windscreen.

[0012] Manufacturing the side panel assembly preferably involves repeatedly bending a sheet metal to form a bent side panel section that forms an interface with the windshield and an interface with a side panel. The latter interfaces are preferably laser-trimmed to minimize manufacturing tolerances with regard to the insertion of the windshield and side panels.

[0013] The side wall part is preferably reinforced by a bent sheet metal which, together with an A-pillar section of the side wall part, forms an A-pillar of the vehicle head.

[0014] Additionally or alternatively, the side wall part is preferably reinforced by means of a reinforcing part which is aligned in the longitudinal direction of the car body and connects an A-pillar section of the side wall part to a B-pillar section of the side wall part.

[0015] Additionally or alternatively, the side wall part is preferably reinforced by means of at least one corner reinforcement which is inserted into a corner region of the side wall part.

[0016] The window bottom chord assembly is preferably formed with at least two curved edge sheets that are laser welded together.

[0017] The curvature of the two folded sheets is preferably created by rolling. The folded sheets are preferably laser-welded together after rolling.

[0018] In a first preferred embodiment, the vehicle head is completely finished before it is assembled with the remaining car body parts to form the car body.

[0019] In a second or other preferred embodiment, at least one subassembly of the vehicle head is connected to one or more remaining car body parts before the vehicle head is completed with its four subassemblies. In the latter embodiment, the production of the vehicle head is thus integrated into the production of the car body.

[0020] At least one of the components, preferably all components of the vehicle head that form the vehicle skin - with the exception of the windows and seals, of course - are preferably made exclusively of metal or without glass fiber reinforced plastic.

[0021] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments; by way of example, Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a vehicle head according to the invention in an exploded view, Fig. 2-7 shows an embodiment of method steps for producing a roof assembly for the vehicle head according to Figure 1 , Fig. 8-12 an embodiment of process steps for the production of side wall assemblies for the vehicle head according to Figure 1 , and Fig. 13-14 an embodiment of method steps for producing a window lower belt assembly for the vehicle head according to Figure 1 .

[0022] For the sake of clarity, the same reference numerals are used in the figures for identical or comparable components.

[0023] The Figure 1 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of a vehicle head 1 according to the invention, based on which advantageous method variants for producing vehicle heads are to be explained by way of example; the vehicle head 1 forms a component of a car body (not shown further) of a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle.

[0024] The vehicle head 1 according to Figure 1is formed by assembling a roof assembly 100, two sidewall assemblies 200 and 300, and a window bottom chord assembly 400. The four assemblies are preferably joined together by laser welding; for this purpose, they are preferably made entirely, or at least in the area of ​​their interfaces with other assemblies, of laser-weldable metal, such as steel. In other words, the interfaces are preferably metal interfaces.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the four assemblies are first connected to one another before being connected, preferably laser-welded, to the other components of the car body; in another preferred embodiment, the four assemblies, or at least one of them, are first connected, preferably laser-welded, to other components of the car body before being connected to one another or to other assemblies.

[0026] For the production of the roof assembly 100 of the vehicle head 1 according to Figure 1 First, a roof hood 110 is used, as shown in the example in the Figure 2 shown.

[0027] For this purpose, according to a first preferred embodiment, a front part 111 and a roof part 112 are each produced by deep drawing and then preferably trimmed using a 3D laser. The front part 111 and the roof part 112 are then laser-welded to each other and to two side roof parts 113 according to the invention. The roof hood 110 thus formed is then preferably laser-trimmed again to provide a highly precise interface for the windshield of the vehicle and for connection to the side wall groups 200 and 300 according to Figure 1 to ensure.

[0028] Alternatively, the roof hood 110 - according to an embodiment variant which is not part of the claimed invention - can be manufactured solely by deep drawing a sheet metal to form a deep-drawn sheet metal part which has a roof part 112 according to Figure 2 forming roof section, two the side roof parts 113 according to Figure 2 forming side roof sections and a front part 111 according to Figure 2 forming the forehead section.

[0029] The Figure 2also shows connecting legs 114 for connecting to the two side wall assemblies 200 and 300. The connecting legs 114 can be formed by bent sections of the side roof parts 113; however, it is advantageous if the connecting legs 114 are separate parts that are subsequently attached to the side roof parts 113 by welding, preferably laser welding, in order to simplify the accessibility of the individual sections when handling and connecting the roof assembly 100 to the two side wall assemblies 200 and 300.

[0030] The Figure 3 shows a rib structure 120 which is integrated into the roof hood 110 according to Figure 2is used to mechanically reinforce them. The rib structure 120 comprises a cross-bracing element 121, which provides mechanical stabilization between the front part 111 and the roof part 112, as well as two longitudinal reinforcement elements 122, which provide reinforcement in the vehicle's longitudinal direction and, in particular, support the front part 111, which is subjected to wind loads when traveling in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The connection of the two longitudinal reinforcement elements 122 in the region of their end facing away from the front part 111 to the roof part 112 and to connecting legs 115 welded thereto is shown in more detail in Figure 4 as an example.

[0031] The Figure 3 also shows side reinforcement elements 123, which are connected to the transverse reinforcement element 121 and provide mechanical stabilization of the side roof parts 113 relative to both the front part 111 and the roof part 112. The Figure 5shows the connection of one of the two side reinforcement elements 123 to the transverse reinforcement element 121 in more detail.

[0032] It can be seen that the side reinforcement elements 123 preferably allow a sliding fit on the transverse reinforcement element 121 for the purpose of assembly and adjustment and are thus initially displaceable in their longitudinal direction before they are connected, preferably welded, in particular laser-welded, to the transverse reinforcement element 121, the front part 111 and the respectively associated side roof part 113.

[0033] The Figure 6 shows an advantageous construction of the transverse reinforcement element 121 according to Figure 3 It can be seen that the transverse reinforcement element 121 can be formed from three bent perforated sheets 121a, a bent main sheet 121b, three corner reinforcements 121c, and two end elements 121d. These elements are preferably welded together, in particular laser welded.

[0034] The Figure 7 shows the transverse reinforcement element 121 after it has been removed from the Figure 6 mentioned parts.

[0035] The roof assembly 100 is preferably made entirely of metal, or at least in the area of ​​its internal interfaces between its components, as well as in the area of ​​its external interfaces to other assemblies. In other words, the interfaces are preferably metal interfaces.

[0036] The Figure 8 shows the example of the side wall assembly 200 according to Figure 1 how the two side wall assemblies 200 and 300 can be manufactured in an advantageous manner.

[0037] In the Figure 8A multiply bent, for example, edged, side wall part 210 can be seen, which forms an interface with the windshield of the vehicle head (not shown) and another interface with a side window of the vehicle head (also not shown). The side wall part 210 as a whole, or at least the interfaces with the windshield and side window, are preferably laser-trimmed to ensure optimal connection of the panes.

[0038] To reinforce the sidewall assembly 210, a plurality of reinforcement parts are provided, which are explained in more detail below by way of example. The reinforcement parts are preferably laser-welded to the sidewall part 210.

[0039] To reinforce an A-pillar section 211 of the side wall part 210, in the embodiment according to Figure 8a bent sheet metal is present, which can be referred to as A-pillar reinforcement part 220 and, together with the A-pillar section 211 of the side wall part 210, forms an A-pillar of the vehicle head 1. The Figure 9 shows an advantageous embodiment of the A-pillar reinforcement part 220 in the form of a groove-shaped sheet metal part.

[0040] Two other reinforcement parts each form an AB-pillar reinforcement part 230, which extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction after laser welding to the side wall part 210 and supports the A-pillar section 211 of the side wall part 210 and thus the A-pillar of the vehicle head against the B-pillar section 212 of the side wall part 210. Figure 10 shows an advantageous design of the AB column reinforcement parts 230 in more detail.

[0041] In addition, further stiffening plates are preferably provided, which are arranged as corner reinforcement parts 240 in the corners of the side wall part 210 and welded there. Preferably, all corners of the side wall part 210 are correspondingly reinforced. Figure 11 shows an advantageous design of the corner reinforcement parts 240 in more detail.

[0042] It is also advantageous if additional stiffening plates 250 are provided, which are mechanically attached to particularly stressed areas of the side wall part 210, preferably by laser welding. Figure 12 shows an advantageous design of such additional stiffening plates 250 in more detail.

[0043] The sidewall assemblies 200 and 300 are preferably made entirely of metal, or at least in the area of ​​their internal interfaces between their components and / or their external interfaces to other assemblies. In other words, the interfaces are preferably metal interfaces.

[0044] In connection with the Figures 13 and 14 A preferred embodiment and a preferred method for manufacturing the window bottom chord assembly 400 according to Figure 1 explained. The Figure 13 a section of the window bottom chord assembly 400 and shows that this is preferably formed by laser welding two edge plates 410 and 420, which are first formed by rolling into the Figure 13 The folded sheets 410 and 420 are preferably designed as perforated profiles to minimize weight.

[0045] The Figure 14shows the two rolled edge sheets 410 and 420 in more detail after they have been laser welded.

[0046] After laser welding the two edge sheets 410 and 420, the window lower belt assembly 400 thus formed is preferably laser trimmed to ensure an optimal interface for attaching the windscreen.

[0047] The window bottom chord assembly 400 is preferably made entirely of metal, or at least in the area of ​​its internal interfaces between its components and / or its external interfaces to other assemblies. In other words, the interfaces are preferably metal interfaces.

[0048] The vehicle head 1, as described above by way of example, is preferably made entirely of metal, such as steel; alternatively, components of assemblies or even individual assemblies can be made partially or entirely of GRP; however, preferably at least one connection between at least one interface between the assemblies or at least one connection between at least one internal interface within the same assembly is formed by laser welding.

[0049] The above in connection with the description introduction and the Figures 1 to 14 The methods described as examples for producing a vehicle head may have one, several or all of the advantages or features listed below: The manufacturing of the vehicle head described in the example enables a lightweight construction to achieve specified target weights. The manufacturing of the vehicle head described in the example enables good compliance with current and future normative constraints, such as those regarding the field of vision standard and crash standard. The manufacturing of the vehicle head described in the example enables the integration of the windshield and side windows via rubber beading interfaces, adhesive interfaces, or a combination thereof. The manufacturing of the vehicle head described in the example enables the fulfillment of high optical requirements and a good appearance (small flatness deviations) while simultaneously maintaining minimal weight and high rigidity. The manufacturing of the vehicle head described in the example enables good robustness against corrosive attacks.The example production of the vehicle head allows for a high level of ease of repair, for example after an accident. The example production of the vehicle head can be carried out in such a way that little or no material duplication occurs and, in conjunction with corrosion-resistant materials on the interior, no additional corrosion protection measures are necessary. The example production of the vehicle head can essentially be carried out in two variants: In the first process variant, the vehicle head can be manufactured as a prefabricated assembly and only then bolted or welded to the other components of the car body; the advantage of this plug-and-play solution is that the interface to the windows is very precise and requires no further reworking. In addition, the design enables the pre-assembly of windows and interior trim elements.In a second process variant, the vehicle head components can first be individually joined to the car body and only then connected to each other, preferably by laser welding. This offers the advantage that the tolerances that converge in the vehicle head during car body assembly can be easily compensated. The disadvantage is the greater heat input and distortion that could occur between the vehicle head components. Thanks to the described process steps, which include deep drawing, bending / edging, and laser welding, it is now possible for the first time to build the vehicle head from a metallic base while adhering to today's specified boundary conditions. Due to their metallic construction, the resulting vehicle heads are more robust than GRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) construction. The resulting vehicle heads are more cost-effective and lighter than GRP vehicle heads.The resulting vehicle heads can be welded directly to the body shell, unlike GRP vehicle heads, which can only be screwed or glued.

[0050] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by means of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. Method for producing a vehicle head (1) for a car body of a vehicle, in particular rail vehicle, - wherein the vehicle head (1) is composed of at least four modules (100, 200, 300, 400), namely a roof module (100), consisting of at least one roof hood (110), two side wall modules (200, 300) and a window lower belt module (400), - wherein with at least one of the modules (100, 200, 300, 400), at least two module parts are connected to one another by means of laser welding metal interfaces between the module parts, characterised in that - in order to produce the at least one roof hood (110), at least four roof hood parts, namely at least one roof part (112), two side roof parts (113) and a front part (111) forming an interface to a front window of the vehicle head (1) are laser welded to one another.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the roof hood (110) of the roof module (100) is produced from metal wholly or at least in the region of at least one of its internal interfaces between roof hood components, preferably on all internal interfaces, and / or in the region at least on one of its external interfaces, preferably on all external interfaces, in particular by taking into account deep drawing and / or bending of at least one metal sheet.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the roof hood (110) is equipped with a rib structure (120).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the front part (111) or the front part portion is laser-trimmed at least in the region of the interface to the front window.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - the production of the side wall modules (200, 300) comprises a repeated bending of a metal sheet to form a bent side wall part (210), which forms an interface to the front window and an interface to a side window, and - the last-mentioned interfaces are laser-trimmed.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the side wall part (210) is reinforced by a bent metal sheet (220), which together with an A-pillar portion (211) of the side wall part (210) forms an A-pillar of the vehicle head (1).

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims 5 to 6, characterised in that the side wall part (210) is reinforced by means of a reinforcement part (230), it is aligned in the car body longitudinal direction and connects an A-pillar portion (211) of the side wall part with a B-pillar portion (212) of the side wall part (210).

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims 5 to 7, characterised in that the side wall part (210) is reinforced by means of at least one corner reinforcer (24), which is inserted into a corner region of the side wall part (210).

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the window lower belt module (400) is formed with at least two curved end plates (410, 420), which are laser welded to one another.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterised in that the curvature of the two end plates (410, 420) is generated by means of rolling and the end plates (410, 420) are only laser-welded after the rolling.

11. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the vehicle head (1) is completed before it is combined with the remaining car body parts to form the car body.

12. Method according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, characterised in that at least one module of the vehicle head (1) is connected to one or more of the remaining car body parts of the car body, before the vehicle head (1) is completed overall.

13. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one of the modules (100, 200, 300, 400), preferably all of the modules of the vehicle head (1) forming the vehicle skin are produced exclusively from metal with the exception of the windows and seals.