Chassis structure for vehicle

Abstract

Chassis structure for vehicle The present invention relates to a floor structure (20) for a vehicle, in particular a railway vehicle, comprising a sandwich panel (24), said panel comprising: - a lower metal plate (40); - an upper metal plate (42); and - a layer (44) of thermal insulating material, arranged between the lower and upper metal plates. The layer of thermal insulating material comprises a plate (50) of wood or bark. Figure for abstract: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: Chassis structure for vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to a chassis structure for a vehicle, in particular a railway vehicle, of the type comprising a sandwich panel, said panel comprising a lower metal plate; an upper metal plate; and a layer of thermal insulating material, arranged between the lower and upper metal plates.

[0002] A metro-type railway vehicle floor must be fire and / or heat resistant. Conventionally, as described in document EP2639132, a railway vehicle floor comprises a structural panel, intended to support mechanical loads, under which a thermal insulation panel is arranged. Said panel comprises in particular a layer of thermal insulation, protected by a metal plate.

[0003] Such a configuration requires several superimposed levels, which increases the final weight and complicates the construction of the floor.

[0004] The aim of the present invention is to propose a floor structure capable of supporting mechanical loads and comprising heat protection, for optimized weight and a significant reduction in the number of parts.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a floor structure of the aforementioned type, in which the layer of thermal insulating material comprises a wooden or bark plate.

[0006] According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the floor structure comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations:

[0007] - the layer of thermal insulating material comprises: a lower face, in contact with the lower metal plate; and an upper face, in contact with the upper metal plate, said layer being formed in one piece between said lower and upper faces;

[0008] - the wood or bark forming the plate is chosen from balsa and cork;

[0009] - the upper metal plate is made of aluminum and the lower metal plate is made of steel;

[0010] - the sandwich panel has an elongated shape in a longitudinal direction, the structure further comprising rails assembled to the lower metal plate, each rail extending in the longitudinal direction and having a groove oriented opposite said metal plate;

[0011] - the sandwich panel has a substantially rectangular outline, said structure further comprising a metal frame extending over said contour;

[0012] - the metal frame has two substantially rectilinear profiles extending along the longitudinal direction, each of the profiles comprising an internal edge assembled to the sandwich panel and an external edge provided with means for assembling the railway vehicle;

[0013] - the metal frame is made of aluminum or steel.

[0014] The invention further relates to an assembly comprising: a floor structure as described above; and two substantially rectilinear stretchers extending in the longitudinal direction, each of said stretchers being assembled to the external edge of a profile of the metal frame.

[0015] The invention further relates to a railway vehicle comprising a chassis and two side faces, said chassis comprising an assembly as described above, each of the two stretchers being assembled to one of the side faces.

[0016] The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the drawings in which:

[0017] - [Fig.l] [Fig.l] is a bottom view of a floor structure according to a mode of carrying out the invention;

[0018] - [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a detailed view, in section, of the floor structure of the [Fig.l];

[0019] - [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a detailed view, in section, of an assembly comprising the floor structure of figures 1 and 2;

[0020] - [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a schematic sectional view of a railway vehicle comprising the whole of [Fig.3]; and

[0021] - [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a detailed view, in section, of an assembly according to a variant of realization of [Fig.3].

[0022] [Fig. 4] is a schematic view of a vehicle body 10, in particular a railway vehicle. The body 10 has a tubular shape extending in a horizontal direction X, called the longitudinal direction and corresponding to a direction of movement of the vehicle.

[0023] The body 10 comprises in particular a frame 12, two side faces 14 and a roof 16.

[0024] [Fig. 5] is a detailed view of a chassis 112, suitable for replacing the chassis 12 in the body 10. In the remainder of the description, the chassis 12 and 112 will be described simultaneously, the common elements being designated by the same reference numbers.

[0025] We consider an orthonormal basis (X, Y, Z), the Z direction representing the vertical.

[0026] The chassis 12, 112 comprises in particular a floor structure 20, 120 and two stretchers 22, 122. Said stretchers 22, 122 will be described more precisely later.

[0027] Figures 1 and 2 respectively represent a bottom view and a sectional view of the floor structure 20. A sectional view of the floor structure 120 is visible in [Fig.5].

[0028] The floor structure 20, 120 comprises a sandwich panel 24, also called a composite panel 24, a frame 26, 126 and rails 28.

[0029] The panel 24 is parallel to a plane (X, Y). Said panel 24 has a rectangular contour 30, of elongated shape in the direction X. For information purposes, a length of the panel 24 along X is of the order of 5 to 20 meters; and a width of said panel along Y is of the order of 2 to 3 meters.

[0030] As visible in Figures 2 and 5, the sandwich panel 24 comprises a lower metal plate 40, an upper metal plate 42 and a layer 44 of thermal and structural insulating material, arranged along Z between the lower 40 and upper 42 metal plates.

[0031] The layer 44 comprises a lower face 46 and an upper face 48, each of said faces being arranged in a plane (X, Y). Preferably, the lower face 46 is in contact with the lower metal plate 40 and the upper face 48 is in contact with the upper metal plate 42.

[0032] As an indication, a thickness of the layer 44 along Z, between the lower 46 and upper 48 faces, is of the order of 30 to 150 mm, more preferably of the order of 40 to 100 mm.

[0033] According to a preferred embodiment, the layer 44 is formed from a piece along Z, between the lower 46 and upper 48 faces. More preferably, between said lower 46 and upper 48 faces, the layer 44 is formed from a plate 50 of wood or bark or moss.

[0034] The plate 50 is chosen to be sufficiently rigid to support mechanical loads corresponding to elements received inside the vehicle body 10.

[0035] Preferably, the plate 50 is a balsa plate, which provides good rigidity combined with reduced weight and good thermal resistance. Alternatively, the plate 50 is a cork plate, which has better thermal resistance but a higher density.

[0036] The layer 44 of the sandwich panel 24 is not necessarily a single piece in the X and Y directions. For example, the layer 44 comprises several plates 50 which are substantially identical and assembled in a plane (X, Y).

[0037] According to an alternative embodiment not shown, the layer 44 is formed from several plates stacked along Z, for example a balsa plate and a cork plate.

[0038] The lower metal plate 40, facing outwards from the vehicle body 10, is preferably made of steel or stainless steel to provide better protection to the heat. On the other hand, the upper metal plate 42, oriented towards the inside of the body 10, is preferably made of aluminum in order to limit the weight of the structure 20.

[0039] Each lower 40 or upper 42 metal plate preferably has a thickness along Z of between 1 mm and 5 mm, more preferably of between 1.5 mm and 2 mm.

[0040] Preferably, the layer 44 is assembled by gluing to the lower 40 and upper 42 metal plates. More preferably, the glue used is a ceramic glue capable of withstanding high temperatures, for example of the order of 600°C to 1200°C. Such a glue is for example refractory glue marketed under the name Pyrofeu.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the layer 44 is assembled by gluing with the upper sheet using structural glue and with the lower sheet 40 using ceramic glue.

[0042] In the case where the layer 44 comprises several plates 50 of wood or bark assembled in a plane (X, Y), said plates 50 are preferably fixed to each other by such an adhesive capable of withstanding high temperatures.

[0043] The frame 26 of the structure 20 comprises two longitudinal profiles 51 and two transverse profiles 52, assembled to the contour 30 of the panel 24 and respectively arranged in the X and Y directions. [Fig.2] shows a sectional view of a longitudinal profile 51.

[0044] Similarly, the frame 126 of the structure 120 comprises two longitudinal profiles 151 ([Fig.5]) and two transverse profiles not shown.

[0045] Each profile 51, 151, 52 has a rectilinear tubular shape and a substantially constant section, allowing manufacturing by metal extrusion.

[0046] The longitudinal 51 and transverse 52 profiles of the frame 26 are preferably made of aluminum. The longitudinal 151 and transverse profiles of the frame 126 are preferably made of steel.

[0047] Each profile 51, 151, 52 has an internal edge 54 and an external edge 56, 156. The internal edge 54 is assembled to the sandwich panel 24, for example by gluing using the glue described previously.

[0048] The outer edge 56, 156 is provided with a means of assembly to the rest of the vehicle body 10.

[0049] In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, the assembly means comprises riveting. In particular, the external edge 56 of each longitudinal profile 51 is in the form of a horizontal blade, comprising a series of through holes 58 aligned along X.

[0050] In the embodiment of [Fig.5], the assembly means comprises a welding. In particular, the external edge 156 of each longitudinal profile 151 comprises at least one welding zone 158, 159, and preferably at least two welding zones. Each welding zone 158, 159 is in the form of a strip extending along X.

[0051] The rails 28 are fixed to the lower metal plate 40, opposite the layer 44 of thermal insulating material. Each rail extends substantially along X and has a C-shaped section, forming a downwardly oriented groove 60. The rails 28 are preferably made of steel.

[0052] The rails 28 are in particular intended for fixing light elements, such as wiring slabs or piping.

[0053] [Fig. 3] represents an assembly 70 constituting a manufacturing step of the body 10 of the railway vehicle of [Fig. 4].

[0054] In particular, the assembly 70 comprises the structure 20 of figures 1 and 2 and the two stretchers 22. Furthermore, as indicated previously, the chassis 112 shown in [Fig.5] comprises the floor structure 120 previously described and the two stretchers 122. The assembly 70 and the chassis 112 will be described simultaneously below.

[0055] Each stretcher 22, 122 has a rectilinear tubular shape, extending along X. Each stretcher 22, 122 has a substantially constant section.

[0056] Preferably, the stretcher 22, 122 is made of aluminum or steel.

[0057] Each stretcher 22, 122 is fixed to the external edge 56, 156 of one of the longitudinal profiles 51, 151 of the structure 20, 120.

[0058] In the embodiment of [Fig. 3], the assembly 70 comprises rivets 72 arranged in the through holes 58 of the external edge 56, and assembling said external edge and the corresponding stretcher to each other.

[0059] In the embodiment of [Fig. 5], each stretcher 122 comprises at least one welding surface 173, 174, and preferably at least two welding surfaces. Each welding surface 173, 174 is in the form of a strip extending along X. Each welding surface 173, 174 is welded to one 158, 159 of the welding zones of the external edge 156 of each longitudinal profile 151.

[0060] Preferably, in the embodiment of [Fig. 3], the assembly 70 further comprises two thermal protection strips 76, each strip being arranged under a longitudinal profile 51 and under the interfaces between said profile, the sandwich panel 24 and the stretcher 22. Each strip 76, fixed to the rest of the assembly 70, comprises for example a stainless steel decking 78 topped with a layer 80 of rock wool type insulation.

[0061] This thermal protection is also applied to the transverse profile 52.

[0062] A method of manufacturing the structure 20 will now be described. The upper metal plate 42 is arranged on a work surface, the face facing upwards is coated with ceramic glue. Rectangular balsa plates 50 are then placed edge to edge on said upper metal plate 42. The interfaces between the plates 50 are glued before assembly.

[0063] The layer 44 of thermal insulating material is thus formed, with a lower face 46 facing upwards. Said lower face is then coated with ceramic glue, then assembled to the lower metal plate 40.

[0064] After the glue has dried, the sandwich panel 24 thus obtained is assembled to the profiles 51, 52 of the frame 26 and the rails 28 are glued to the lower metal plate 40.

[0065] The profiles 51 and 52 of the frame 26 can also be assembled in previous steps.

[0066] The floor structure 120 is manufactured according to a similar process.

[0067] Such a structure 20, 120 has good resistance to fire and heat, combined with an optimized weight. The lower metal plate 40, made of steel, prevents contact of the flames with the thermal insulation, of the balsa type, of the layer 44. Said layer limits thermal conduction up to the upper metal plate 40, preferably made of aluminum. In addition, the choice of the material of the layer 44 allows the floor to support the mechanical loads applied inside the body 10 of the railway vehicle, without the need to weigh down the floor by adding a supporting structure.

Claims

Claims

1. Floor structure (20, 120) for a vehicle (10), comprising a sandwich panel (24), said panel comprising: - a lower metal plate (40); - an upper metal plate (42); and - a layer (44) of thermal insulating material, arranged between the lower and upper metal plates; the layer of thermal insulating material comprising a plate (50) of wood or bark; characterized in that the upper metal plate (42) is made of aluminum and the lower metal plate (40) is made of steel.

2. Floor structure according to claim 1, wherein the layer (44, 50) of thermal insulating material comprises: - a lower face (46), in contact with the lower metal plate; and - an upper face (48), in contact with the upper metal plate, said layer being formed in one piece between said lower and upper faces.

3. A floor structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the wood or bark forming the plate (50) is selected from balsa and cork.

4. Floor structure according to one of the preceding claims, in which the sandwich panel (24) has an elongated shape in a longitudinal direction (X), the structure further comprising rails (28) assembled to the lower metal plate (40), each rail extending in the longitudinal direction (X) and having a groove (60) oriented opposite said metal plate.

5. Floor structure according to one of the preceding claims, in which the sandwich panel (24) has a substantially rectangular contour (30), said structure further comprising a metal frame (26, 126) extending over said contour.

6. Floor structure according to claim 5 taken in combination with claim 4, in which the metal frame has two substantially rectilinear profiles (51, 151) extending in the longitudinal direction (X), each of the profiles comprising an internal edge (54) assembled to the sandwich panel (24) and an external edge (56, 156) provided means (58, 158, 159) for assembling the railway vehicle.

7. Floor structure according to one of claims 5 or 6, in which the metal frame (26, 126) is made of aluminum or steel.

8. An assembly (70, 112) comprising: a floor structure (20, 120) according to claim 6 or 7; and two substantially rectilinear stretchers (22, 122) extending in the longitudinal direction (X), each of said stretchers being assembled (72, 173, 174) to the external edge (56, 156) of a profile (51, 151) of the metal frame.

9. Vehicle (10), in particular railway, comprising a chassis (12, 112) and two lateral faces (14), said chassis comprising an assembly according to claim 8, each of the two stretchers (22, 122) being assembled to one of the lateral faces.

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