Hanging device

Abstract

To provide a hanging device Hu to connect a truck frame 1 and a gear unit 2 capable of preventing a link 5 from contacting a safety receiving part 26.SOLUTION: The hanging device comprises a support shaft 4 provided in a gear box 21, the link 5 hung on the truck frame 1 and a lower end 52 of which is supported by the support shaft 4 via a spherical bearing 54, and a flexible boot 6 covering the lower end 52 of the link 5 including the spherical bearing 54. A safety receiving part 26 is installed in the gear box 21 to be adjacent to one side in the wheel axle direction of a connection part 53 of the link 5. The part located closer to the tip of the link than the part supported by the spherical bearing 54 is considered as a boot covered tip part 52a in the part of the lower end 52 of the link 5 covered with the flexible boot 6, and a first projection part 621 1 is raised in the wheel axle direction and is provided on a side wall part 62 of the flexible boot 6 by placing it in the part facing the wheel axle direction with respect to the boot covered tip part 52a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lifting device that connects a bogie frame of a railway vehicle to a gear device in which a pinion connected to a drive source and a gear connected to an axle are housed in a gear box. [Background technology]

[0002] Electric railway vehicles run on a track by transmitting torque generated by a main motor as a drive source to an axle via a gear device serving as a single-stage reduction gear, rotating wheels connected to the axle. The bogie of an electric railway vehicle generally includes a bogie frame capable of supporting the carbody, a gear device attached to the bogie frame, and a gearbox housing a pinion connected to the output shaft of the main motor via a flexible shaft coupling and a large gear connected to the axle, and an axle spring interposed between the axle and the bogie frame. Furthermore, since the bogie frame moves up and down, fore and aft, and left and right during the running of the railway vehicle, the bogie frame and the gearbox of the gear device are usually connected via a lifting device to absorb such movements.

[0003] A known example of this type of lifting device includes a spindle that straddles a pair of protrusions that are provided on the outer surface of the gearbox and that face each other in the axle direction, a link that is suspended from the bogie frame and has its lower end journaled on the spindle via a spherical bearing, and a flexible boot that covers the lower end of the link including the spherical bearing and stores grease inside, with through holes formed in side walls on both sides in the axle direction of the flexible boot through which the spindle passes (see, for example, Patent Document 1).The gearbox also has a safety receiver that is adjacent to one side in the axle direction above the lower end of the link and that hooks onto the bogie frame when the link breaks.

[0004] When a railway vehicle is running, the bogie frame moves, causing the link to tilt in the axle direction, and because of the spherical bearing structure, the link rotates around its virtual axis. If the tilt angle or rotation angle of the link is large, the link may come into contact with the safety support. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-216877 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a lifting device that restricts the rotation angle of the link and prevents the link from contacting the safety receiving portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a suspension device for connecting a bogie frame of a railway vehicle to a gearbox in which a pinion connected to a drive source and a large gear connected to an axle are housed, the suspension device comprising: a support shaft provided across a pair of protrusions provided on the outer surface of the gearbox facing each other in the axle direction; a link suspended from the bogie frame, the lower end of which is journalled to the support shaft via a spherical bearing; and a flexible boot which stores grease inside and covers the lower end of the link including the spherical bearing, the flexible boot having a through hole formed in a side wall on both sides in the axle direction through which the support shaft passes; and a gearbox having a portion above the lower end of the link. A safety receiving part is provided adjacent to one side of the link in the axial direction, which hooks onto the bogie frame to prevent the gearbox from falling off when the link breaks, and of the part of the lower end of the link that is covered by the flexible boot, the part that is located closer to the link tip than the part that is journaled on the spherical bearing is the tip of the boot covering part, and the part that is located on the opposite side of the link tip than the part that is journaled on the spherical bearing is the base end of the boot covering part, and a first protrusion that rises in the axial direction is provided on the side wall part on the other side of the axial direction of the flexible boot, at a part that is opposite to the tip of the boot covering part in the axial direction.

[0008] According to the present invention, even if the portion above the lower end of the link tilts in one axial direction and the link rotates at the same time, the tip of the boot cover abuts against the protruding piece on the other axial side of a pair of protruding pieces provided on the gearbox via the first protrusion provided on the side wall on the other axial side of the flexible boot, thereby suppressing the rotation angle of the link. This ensures a gap between the portion above the lower end of the link and the safety catch, preventing the portion above the lower end of the link from contacting the safety catch.

[0009] However, the spherical bearing is journaled on the spindle in a state where it can slide in the axle direction, and when the railway vehicle is running, movement of the bogie frame can cause the spherical bearing to slide in one axial direction relative to the spindle. In this case, because the distance between the tip of the boot cover and the side wall portion on the other axial side of the flexible boot becomes longer, even if the portion above the lower end of the link tilts in one axial direction, the tip of the boot cover will not abut against the first protrusion, or even if the tip of the boot cover abuts against the protruding piece on the other axial direction via the first protrusion, the tilt angle of the link cannot be sufficiently restricted, and the portion above the lower end of the link may come into contact with the safety receiver.

[0010] Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable that a second protrusion protruding in the axle direction is provided on one axial side wall of the flexible boot, at a position facing the base end of the boot cover in the axle direction.With this, even if the portion above the lower end of the link tilts in one axial direction while the spherical bearing slides in one axial direction relative to the spindle, the base end of the boot cover abuts on the protrusion on the one axial side of a pair of protrusions provided on the gearbox, via the second protrusion provided on the side wall of the flexible boot in the one axial direction, thereby restricting the tilt angle of the link and preventing the portion above the lower end of the link from contacting the safety receiver.

[0011] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that a third protrusion be provided on the side wall portion on one axial side of the flexible boot, the third protrusion being formed so as to be plane-symmetrical to the first protrusion on a plane perpendicular to the axle direction, and when a second protrusion is provided on the side wall portion on one axial side of the flexible boot, it is preferable that a fourth protrusion be provided on the side wall portion on the other axial side of the flexible boot, the fourth protrusion being formed so as to be plane-symmetrical to the second protrusion on a plane perpendicular to the axle direction. This allows the flexible boot to be attached to the lower end of the link without being restricted in the attachment direction, regardless of whether the safety receiving portion is provided adjacent to either the one axial side or the other axial side of the link, so that the ease of assembly of the suspension device is not impaired. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the connection between the bogie frame and the gear box of the gear device via the lifting device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of the suspending device shown in FIG. [Figure 3] (a) A cross-sectional view of the suspension device of the first embodiment taken along line III-III in Figure 2, (b) A cross-sectional view of the suspension device of the first embodiment taken along line IIIb-IIIb in Figure 3(a), (c) A view showing a state in which the link of the suspension device of the first embodiment is tilted. [Figure 4] (a) A cross-sectional view of the suspension device of the second embodiment corresponding to the cross-sectional view of Figure 3(a), (b) A cross-sectional view cut along line IVb-IVb of Figure 4(a), (c) A diagram showing the state in which the link of the suspension device of the second embodiment is tilted. [Figure 5] (a) A cross-sectional view of a conventional lifting device corresponding to the cross-sectional view of Figure 3(a), (b) A cross-sectional view taken along line Vb-Vb of Figure 5(a), (c) A diagram showing the state in which the link of the conventional lifting device is tilted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a lifting device of the present invention for connecting a bogie frame and a gear unit of a railway vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] 1 and 2, Rt is a bogie for an electric railway vehicle, and includes a bogie frame 1 capable of supporting a carbody (not shown), a gear set 2 attached to the bogie frame 1 and connected to the output shaft of a main electric motor (not shown) via a flexible coupling, an axle 3 connected to the output side of the gear set 2, and an axle spring (not shown) interposed between the axle 3 and the bogie frame 1. A pinion 22 connected to the output shaft of the main electric motor and a gear 23 connected to the axle 3 are housed in a meshed state within a gear box 21 of the gear set 2. Torque generated by the main electric motor is transmitted to the axle 3 via the gear set 2, rotating wheels 31 connected to the axle 3, and the vehicle travels on a track. Since known components are used for the bogie Rt and its components, further description will be omitted.

[0015] Furthermore, when a railway vehicle runs on the track, the bogie frame 1 moves up and down, front and back, and left and right via the axle springs, so in order to absorb such movements, the bogie frame 1 and the gear box 21 of the gear train 2 are connected via a hoisting device Hu. The hoisting device Hu in this embodiment includes a support shaft 4 provided on the outer surface of the gear box 21, a link 5 suspended from the bogie frame 1, and a flexible boot 6 covering the lower end of the link 5.

[0016] Referring also to Figure 3, the spindle 4 is made up of a spindle body 41 and bushings 42, 42 fitted onto each end of the spindle body 41 in the axial direction. A pair of protrusions 24, 25 is provided on the outer surface of the gearbox 21 so as to face each other in the axial direction (the up-and-down direction in Figure 3(a)). A spindle mounting hole 24a, 25a is formed in each protrusion 24, 25, and the bushings 42, 42 are fitted into these spindle mounting holes 24a, 25a, respectively, whereby the spindle 4 is journalled to the protrusions 24, 25 provided on the outer surface of the gearbox 21. Note that the spindle body 41 and bushings 42 themselves are well known, and therefore further description thereof, including their mounting structure, will be omitted.

[0017] The link 5 is formed in a predetermined curved shape (approximately U-shaped) so as not to interfere with the outer wall of the gearbox 21, and has cylindrical upper and lower end portions 51 and 52, and a connecting portion 53 connecting the upper and lower end portions 51 and 52. The upper end portion 51 of the link 5 is attached to an attachment tongue 11 provided on the bogie frame 1 via an attachment member 12, and the link 5 is suspended from the bogie frame 1. Since the attachment member 12 itself is a known member, further explanation of the attachment structure will be omitted. The connecting portion 53 is a plate-shaped member having a predetermined thickness in the axle direction, and the thickness of the connecting portion 53 is designed to be smaller than the outer diameter of the lower end portion 52 of the link 5. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 53 is located above the lower end portion 52 of the link 5.

[0018] A spherical bearing 54 having an inner ring 54a and an outer ring 54b is provided at the lower end 52 of the link 5. In this embodiment, a through hole that passes through in the axle direction is formed in the lower end 52 of the link 5, and the outer ring 54b is fitted into this through hole. The support shaft main body 41 is inserted into the inner ring 54a in a state that allows it to slide in the axle direction, and the lower end 52 of the link 5 is journaled to the support shaft main body 41 via the spherical bearing 54. Note that a known spherical bearing 54 is used, and therefore further description thereof, including its mounting structure, will be omitted.

[0019] A rubber flexible boot 6 is attached to the lower end 52 of the link 5, covering the lower end 52 including the spherical bearing 54. The flexible boot 6 is bag-shaped with an opening that matches the cross-sectional shape of the lower end 52 of the link 5, and grease is stored inside. Circular through-holes 61a, 62a are formed in both side walls 61, 62 of the flexible boot 6 in the axle direction, respectively, and the bushes 42, 42 of the support shaft 4 are fitted into the through-holes 61a, 62a.

[0020] The lower end 52 of the link 5 is inserted into the flexible boot 6 from the link tip side, and the flexible boot 6 is fastened to the lower end 52 of the link 5 by a fastener Sp in a state in which the flexible boot 6 covers up to a portion of the spherical bearing 54 on the opposite side of the link tip side. In the following, of the portion of the lower end 52 of the link 5 covered by the flexible boot 6, the portion located closer to the link tip side (right side in FIG. 3(a)) than the portion journaled by the spherical bearing 54 will be referred to as the boot cover tip 52a, and the portion located on the opposite side of the link tip side than the portion journaled by the spherical bearing 54 will be referred to as the boot cover base 52b.

[0021] Furthermore, a safety support portion 26 is provided on the outer surface of the gearbox 21 adjacent to one axial side (upper side in FIG. 3(a)) of the connecting portion 53 of the link 5. The safety support portion 26 hooks the gearbox 21 onto the bogie frame 1 when the link 5 breaks, thereby preventing the gearbox 21 from falling off. Since a known safety support portion 26 is used, further explanation, including its mounting structure, will be omitted. Furthermore, hereinafter, the axial side where the safety support portion 26 is located relative to the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 will be referred to as the one axial side.

[0022] The structure of a conventional lifting device is shown in Figure 5. As in this embodiment, the lower end 52 of the link 5 of the conventional lifting device is journaled to the support shaft body 41 via a spherical bearing 54, and when the railway vehicle is traveling, movement of the bogie frame 1 causes the link 5 to tilt in the axle direction and rotate around the virtual axis of the link 5. At this time, if the tilt angle or rotation angle of the link 5 is large, the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 may come into contact with the safety receiving portion 26 (see Figure 5(c)).

[0023] Therefore, in this embodiment, a first protrusion 621 that protrudes in the axle direction is provided on the side wall 62 on the other axial side of the flexible boot 6, at a position that faces the boot cover tip 52a in the axle direction. Specifically, the first protrusions 621, 621, each having a substantially semicircular cross section, are provided around half the circumference of the support shaft 4 so as to include the inner surface of the side wall 62 that comes into contact with the boot cover tip 52a and the corresponding outer surface of the side wall 62 when the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 tilts in one axial direction (see FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b)).

[0024] According to this embodiment, even if the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 tilts in one axial direction and the link rotates at the same time, the boot cover tip 52a abuts against the protruding piece 25 provided on the gearbox 21 via the first protrusions 621, 621 provided on the inner and outer surfaces of the side wall portion 62 of the flexible boot 6, thereby suppressing the rotation angle of the link 5 (see FIG. 3(c)). This ensures a gap between the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 and the safety catch portion 26, preventing the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 from contacting the safety catch portion 26. Note that, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the first protrusion 621 has a substantially semicircular cross section, but the shape and thickness of the first protrusion 621 can be set as desired as long as the rotation angle of the link 5 is suppressed. In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is described in which the first protrusions 621, 621 are provided on both the inner and outer surfaces of the side wall portion 62 of the flexible boot 6, but the first protrusions 621 may be provided on only one of the inner and outer surfaces of the side wall portion 62.

[0025] In the first embodiment, the spherical bearing 54 is journaled on the axle body 41 in a state where it is slidable in the axle direction. When the railcar is traveling, the bogie frame 1 may move, causing the spherical bearing 54 to slide relative to the axle body 41 in one axial direction (see FIG. 4(a)). In this case, the distance between the boot cover tip 52a and the side wall 62 of the flexible boot 6 is increased, so that even if the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 tilts in one axial direction, the boot cover tip 52a does not come into contact with the first protrusion 621. Alternatively, even if the boot cover tip 52a comes into contact with the protruding piece 25 via the first protrusion 621, the tilt angle of the link 5 cannot be sufficiently restricted, and there is a risk that the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 may come into contact with the safety receiving portion.

[0026] 4, a second protrusion 612 that protrudes in the axle direction is provided on the side wall 61 on one axial side of the flexible boot 6, at a position facing the boot cover portion base end 52b in the axle direction (see FIG. 4(a)). Specifically, the second protrusions 612, 612, each having a substantially semicircular cross section, are provided around half the circumference of the support shaft 4 so as to include the inner surface of the side wall 61 that comes into contact with the boot cover portion base end 52b when the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 tilts in one axial direction and the corresponding outer surface of the side wall 61 (see FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b)).

[0027] According to the second embodiment, even if the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 tilts in one axial direction while the spherical bearing 54 slides in one axial direction relative to the support shaft body 41, the boot cover base end 52b abuts against the protruding piece portion 24 via the second protrusions 612, 612 provided on the side wall portion 61 of the flexible boot 6, thereby restricting the tilt angle of the link 5 and preventing the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 from contacting the safety receiving portion 26 (see FIG. 4(c)). Note that, similar to the first protrusion 621, the shape and thickness of the second protrusion 612 can be set arbitrarily within a range in which the tilt angle of the link 5 is restricted. Also, similar to the first protrusion 621, the second protrusion 612 may be provided on only one of the inner and outer surfaces of the side wall portion 61. In addition, in the above first embodiment, an example was described in which first protrusions 621, 621 having an approximately semicircular cross-section are provided on both the inner and outer surfaces of the side wall portion 62 of the flexible boot 6, but as in this embodiment, a first protrusion 621 having an approximately semicircular cross-section may be provided on the outer surface of the side wall portion 62 of the flexible boot 6, and a thick portion 621' as the first protrusion may be provided on the inner surface of the side wall portion 62.

[0028] In the first embodiment, the side wall 61 of the flexible boot 6 is also provided with a third protrusion 611 formed to be plane-symmetrical to the first protrusion 621 on a plane perpendicular to the axle direction (see FIG. 3(a)). In the second embodiment, the side wall 61 of the flexible boot 6 is also provided with a third protrusion 611 formed to be plane-symmetrical to the first protrusion 621 on a plane perpendicular to the axle direction, and the side wall 62 of the flexible boot 6 is also provided with a fourth protrusion 622 formed to be plane-symmetrical to the second protrusion 612 on a plane perpendicular to the axle direction (see FIG. 4(a)). This allows the flexible boot 6 to be attached to the lower end 52 of the link 5 without being restricted in the attachment direction, regardless of whether the safety receiving portion 26 is disposed on one axle side or the other axle side of the connecting portion 53 of the link 5, and this prevents the ease of assembly of the suspension device Hu from being adversely affected. In the second embodiment, the second protrusion 612 and the third protrusion 611 provided on the side wall 61 of the flexible boot 6 are arranged to be connected in the circumferential direction, and the first protrusion 621 and the fourth protrusion 622 provided on the side wall 62 are arranged to be connected in the circumferential direction, so that each protrusion on each side wall 61, 62 has a ring-shaped configuration (see Figure 4(b)).

[0029] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. In the above embodiments, the flexible boot 6 is described as a rubber bag-shaped example, but the material and shape of the flexible boot 6 are not limited to those described above as long as it is made of a flexible material and has a shape that can cover the lower end 52 of the link 5, including the spherical bearing 54.

[0030] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first or second protrusion 621, 612 is described as being provided over half a circumference around the support shaft 4, but the range and position at which each protrusion 621, 612 is provided are not limited to this, and each protrusion 621, 612 may be provided in a portion where the boot cover portion tip 52a or the boot cover portion base end 52b may come into contact when the connecting portion 53 of the link 5 tilts in one axial direction.

[0031] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the third and fourth protrusions 611 and 622 are provided so as to be plane-symmetrical to the first and second protrusions 621 and 612, respectively, but it is also possible to provide only the first and second protrusions 621 and 612 without providing the third and fourth protrusions 611 and 622. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] Hu...lifting device, 1...bogie frame, 2...gear device, 21...gearbox, 22...pinion gear, 23...gearwheel, 24, 25...projection portion, 26...safety support portion, 3...axle, 4...support shaft, 5...link, 52...lower end of link, 53...connecting portion of link (portion above the lower end of the link), 54...spherical bearing, 6...flexible boot, 61, 62...side wall portion of flexible boot, 61a, 62a...through hole, 52a...tip of boot cover portion, 52b...base end of boot cover portion, 621...first protrusion portion, 621'...thick portion (first protrusion portion), 612...second protrusion portion, 611...third protrusion portion, 622...fourth protrusion portion.

Claims

1. A lifting device that connects a bogie frame of a railway vehicle to a gear device in which a pinion connected to a drive source and a gear connected to an axle are housed in a gear box, The gearbox is provided with a support shaft that is provided across a pair of protrusions that are provided on the outer surface of the gearbox and that face each other in the axle direction, a link that is suspended from the bogie frame and has a lower end that is journaled on the support shaft via a spherical bearing, and a flexible boot that covers the lower end of the link including the spherical bearing and stores grease inside, and through holes through which the support shaft passes are formed in side wall portions on both sides in the axle direction of the flexible boot, A safety receiving portion is provided on the gear box adjacent to one side of the axle direction above the lower end of the link, and hooked onto the bogie frame to prevent the gear box from falling off when the link breaks, A suspension device characterized in that, of the portion of the lower end of the link covered by the flexible boot, the portion located closer to the tip of the link than the portion supported by the spherical bearing is defined as the tip of the boot cover portion, and the portion located on the opposite side of the link tip than the portion supported by the spherical bearing is defined as the base end of the boot cover portion, and a first protrusion portion raised in the axle direction is provided on the side wall portion on the other side of the axle direction of the flexible boot, located in a portion opposite in the axle direction to the tip of the boot cover portion.

2. A lifting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that a second protrusion portion that protrudes in the axle direction is provided on the side wall portion on one axial side of the flexible boot, positioned in a portion that faces the base end of the boot cover portion in the axle direction.

3. A suspension device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a third protrusion portion is provided on one axial side wall portion of the flexible boot, the third protrusion portion being formed so as to be plane-symmetrical to the first protrusion portion in a plane perpendicular to the axle direction.

4. a third protrusion formed on a side wall portion on one axial side of the flexible boot so as to be plane-symmetrical to the first protrusion in a plane perpendicular to the axle direction; The suspension device according to claim 2, characterized in that a fourth protrusion is provided on the side wall portion on the other axial side of the flexible boot, the fourth protrusion being formed so as to be plane-symmetrical to the second protrusion in a plane perpendicular to the axle direction.

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