Running gear for a rail vehicle, rail vehicle and method for opening or closing a coupling

Abstract

A bogie (100), in particular a low-floor bogie, for a rail vehicle, especially a tram, comprises at least four wheels (4), each having a wheel rotation axis (R). Two opposing wheels (4) that share the same wheel rotation axis (R) can be connected or are connected via a coupling (11) which has a coupling rotation axis (K). The wheel rotation axes (R) and the coupling rotation axis (K) are different, in particular parallel. This is an active coupling (11).

Description

[0001] The invention comprises a chassis for a rail vehicle, a rail vehicle and a method for opening or closing a coupling according to the independent claims.

[0002] Low-floor rail vehicles, especially low-floor trams, often use portal axles or single wheels. Portal axles or single wheels have the advantage of allowing for a level, low floor in the bogie area. This is because there is no axle between the wheels, which would otherwise require a ramp and a higher floor.

[0003] The disadvantage of this design is the loose wheels, or rather the lack of coupling between opposing wheels. This prevents smooth sinusoidal movement in straight lines and curves with large to medium radii, leading to constant wear on the wheel flanges. Loose wheels are therefore subject to increased wear. However, loose wheels are advantageous on small curve radii, as a conventional wheelset with coupling of opposing wheels, e.g., via a common axle, can no longer compensate for the difference in rolling distance between the inside and outside of the curve, resulting in slippage and lateral sliding. This is less pronounced with loose wheels on tight curves due to the lack of coupling.

[0004] One possibility is to insert a coupling between the wheels, which makes it possible to switch the coupling of the wheels on or off, as disclosed, for example, in EP2692607. According to the prior art, passive overload couplings are used for this purpose, which open when overloaded by the different forces on the coupled wheels.

[0005] The object of the invention is therefore to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to create a chassis, a rail vehicle and a method which optimizes wheel wear.

[0006] In particular, the problem is solved by a chassis, especially a low-floor chassis, for a rail vehicle, especially a tram, comprising at least four wheels, each having a wheel rotation axis. Two opposing wheels, which have the same wheel rotation axis, can be connected or are connected via a coupling, which has a coupling rotation axis. The wheel rotation axes and the coupling rotation axis are different, in particular parallel. The coupling is an active coupling.

[0007] An active clutch is provided between each pair of opposing wheels. An active clutch is one that does not open or slip automatically when a predetermined load is exceeded, but rather can be controlled externally, independent of the load, and thus opened or closed.

[0008] This allows the coupling of the wheels to be actively controlled, thus minimizing wheel wear.

[0009] The coupling is preferably located outside the projection area of ​​the wheel discs. This allows for a continuous low-floor design within the vehicle. The coupling, and any motors present, are preferably located in the central area of ​​the bogie, within the area defined by the wheel axes.

[0010] The active clutch can be controlled independently of the load.

[0011] A load-independent coupling allows different parameters for opening or closing the coupling to be predefined, enabling proactive coupling and thus optimizing wear.

[0012] In the context of the registration, opening the coupling means uncoupling the shafts and closing the coupling means coupling the shafts.

[0013] The coupling can be controlled depending on at least one driving or route parameter, preferably automatically, in particular depending on the speed of the vehicle and / or lateral acceleration and / or a GPS signal and / or voltage changes in the bogie.

[0014] These parameters can have a significant impact on wheel wear and are therefore suitable control parameters.

[0015] The active clutch can connect two clutch shafts, where at least one of the clutch shafts is, in particular, an engine shaft.

[0016] Clutch shafts can be non-driven shafts used only for selectively connecting the wheels, or they can be engine shafts if the axles are to be driven.

[0017] For this purpose, two motors are arranged such that their shafts can be connected between the motors and are each coupled to a wheel via a rocker arm on the side opposite the connection. Preferably, two motors assigned to each wheel pair can be coupled. For this purpose, the motor shafts of the motors to be coupled are aligned.

[0018] For unpowered bogies, dedicated coupling shafts must be provided, which are connected to the wheels via a simple gearbox. One shaft (coupling shaft or motor shaft) is provided per wheel.

[0019] If only one motor is provided per wheel pair, the motor shaft can be coupled to a dedicated clutch shaft. In this case, one clutch shaft and one motor shaft are provided per wheel pair.

[0020] The coupling shafts can be arranged essentially in alignment. This allows for optimal power transmission in the closed position. Furthermore, a certain amount of play or misalignment between the shafts can be accommodated.

[0021] The shafts of the couplings of the two wheels to be coupled have essentially aligned axes of rotation. "Essentially aligned" here means that the shafts can be connected by means of the coupling, which may be able to accommodate any existing play or misalignment, without deviating from the coupling's specifications.

[0022] The coupling can be opened and / or closed by a hydraulic device.

[0023] The hydraulic device can be a hydraulic cylinder. A hydraulic device enables quick and reliable clutch operation.

[0024] The task will continue to be solved by a rail vehicle comprising at least a chassis as described above.

[0025] A clutch control system can be designed in such a way that driving parameters can be received through the clutch control system and the clutch can be opened and closed.

[0026] This allows the clutch to be opened or closed automatically.

[0027] To record the driving parameters, the rail vehicle may have means for determining a speed, an acceleration or a position, the signal of which is used as the basis for controlling the coupling.

[0028] The task is further solved by a method for opening or closing a coupling between two wheels of a chassis of a rail vehicle as described above, wherein coupling control receives driving parameters and, based on these, the coupling is actively opened or closed.

[0029] This allows for optimization of wheel wear.

[0030] The coupling is configured to be controlled, preferably automatically, e.g., based on driving parameters, preferably dynamic driving parameters. Suitable parameters include, for example, speed or wheel speed, or cornering acceleration. However, the absolute position determined by GPS, for example, or voltage changes in the bogie associated with cornering, can also be used to control the coupling.

[0031] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in a figure. It shows: Fig. 1 shows a top view of the chassis.

[0032] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a top view of the chassis 100. Visible are the four torsion bars 20 and the two connecting elements 21, as well as a bearing element 12 designed as a slewing ring segment. An alternative bearing element 12', in the form of a single roller mounted in the chassis, is shown with a dashed line. Several rollers 12' per side of the chassis can also be provided. Naturally, the analogous bearing element is also provided on the opposite side of the chassis, but it is not shown here.

[0033] Two torsion bars 20 are connected to each other via a connecting element 21 such that the torques in the connecting element 21 are opposite in direction. Thus, mainly vertical, lateral, and longitudinal forces act on the chassis frame 1. Moments that occur during the compression of the torsion bars 20 are not, or only to a small extent, transmitted to the chassis frame 1.

[0034] The torsion bars 20 and the connecting element 21 are part of the primary suspension. A cross-sectional view shows the mounting of one torsion bar 20. The torsion bar 20 is mounted in the chassis frame 1 via an elastic bearing 23. The elastic bearing 23 allows axial and radial displacement of the torsion bars 20 of + / - 5 mm and also permits limited rotation of the torsion bars 20. The other torsion bars 20 are also mounted via such an elastic bearing 23 (not shown here).

[0035] A partial section of a swing arm 22 is shown, in which a gearbox 30 is arranged. The output gear of the gearbox 30 is mounted on the wheel axle 25. Each wheel bearing 24 is also a gearbox bearing (not shown here). The wheel axle 25 is thus also the gearbox output shaft and is supported via the wheel bearing 24.

[0036] Two brakes 42 are arranged on each wheel axle 25 and attached to the swing arm 22, acting on the wheel axles 25. Each pair of opposing wheels 7 has axes of rotation along the wheel rotation axis R.

[0037] The support element 12 is arranged on the chassis frame 1 between the running surfaces 7 of the wheels 4, which are positioned one behind the other in the direction of travel, and can be directly connected to the car body of a rail vehicle. A support element 12 comprises a semicircular guide segment curved towards the outside.

[0038] Four motors 10 are shown, connected to the chassis frame 1. The motors 10 are arranged on the inside of the chassis 100 and attached to the outer surfaces 2 of the chassis frame 1, facing both in and against the direction of travel. The geometric motor axes are essentially parallel to the outer surfaces 2. The motors 10 with motor housings have a cross-sectional diameter of less than 200 mm and a power output of 50 kW at 10–12 rpm at 80 km / h. The gear ratio is approximately 14:1. The motors 10 each drive the wheels 4 of the chassis 100 via a gearbox 30. The motor shafts of the motors 10 are connected to each other via the active clutch 11, thus connecting the opposing wheels 7. The motor shafts are arranged along the clutch rotation axis K, which is parallel to the wheel rotation axis R.

[0039] The connecting element 21 comprises a bridge 30 and an adjustment device. A partial section of the chassis frame 1 and two torsion bars 20, connected via the bridge 30, are shown. The adjustment device is mounted on the torsion bars 20. The torsion bars 20 are rotatably mounted in the bridge 30. The adjustment device ultimately serves to change the car body height above the railhead (RBO). This changes the position of the swing arms 22 and thus the height of the car body support above the RBO.

[0040] The wheels 4 are not coupled via wheel axles, but connected by portal axles. Each wheel is driven by a motor 10, which is arranged parallel to the wheel rotation axis R and offset towards the bogie center. Coupling with the driven wheel is achieved via gears 30, which are arranged in the rocker arm 22. Each pair of motors 10, which drive two opposing wheels 7, has a substantially aligned motor rotation axis. The active coupling 11 is arranged between the motors 10.

Claims

1. Chassis (100), in particular a low-floor chassis, for a rail vehicle, in particular for a tram, comprising at least four wheels (4) which each have a wheel rotation axis (R) and wherein two opposing wheels (4) which have the same wheel rotation axis (R) are connectable or connected via a coupling (11) which has a coupling rotation axis (K), wherein the wheel rotation axes (R) and the coupling rotation axis (K) are different, in particular parallel, characterized by the fact that it is an active clutch (11).

2. Chassis (100) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the active clutch (11) can be controlled independently of the load.

3. Chassis (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatthe clutch (11) can be controlled depending on at least one driving or route parameter, preferably automatically, in particular depending on a speed of the vehicle, a lateral acceleration or a GPS signal.

4. Chassis according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that The active clutch connects two clutch shafts, where at least one of the clutch shafts is, in particular, an engine shaft.

5. Chassis (100) according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the clutch shafts are aligned.

6. Chassis (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that The coupling can be opened and / or closed by a hydraulic device.

7. Railway vehicle comprising at least one chassis according to one of the preceding claims.

8. Rail vehicle according to claim 7, characterized by the fact thata clutch control system is designed, whereby driving parameters can be received through the clutch control system and the clutch can be opened and closed.

9. Method for opening or closing a coupling between two wheels of a bogie of a rail vehicle according to one of claims 7 or 8, wherein coupling control receives driving parameters and, based on these, the coupling is actively opened or closed.

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