Railway vehicle and method for manufacturing railway vehicle

Abstract

To provide a rail vehicle capable of enhancing strength reliability of a window opening part of an extruded hollow shape while suppressing an increase in weight.SOLUTION: In the rail vehicle in which the periphery of an opening of a window of a vehicle body structure is composed of an extruded hollow shape, an in-vehicle side face plate of the extruded hollow shape provided with the window opening is cut out larger than an out-vehicle side face plate, and a reinforcing material is provided on an in-vehicle side surface of the out-vehicle side face plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rail vehicle and a method for manufacturing a rail vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] The structure of a rail vehicle, including a railway car (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle body structure), generally consists of an underframe that forms the floor, side structures that stand at the widthwise ends of the underframe and form the side surfaces, end structures that stand at the longitudinal ends of the underframe, and a roof structure that is attached to the top of the side structures and end structures. In recent years, with the aim of reducing weight and improving manufacturability, a technique has become widespread in which the roof structure, side structures, underframe, etc. are constructed from extruded hollow aluminum alloy members and then assembled into the vehicle body structure. The extruded hollow members consist of two opposing face plates and multiple ribs that connect these face plates, which allows for a reduction in the weight of the vehicle body structure.

[0003] In recent years, railway vehicles have tended to operate at higher speeds, increasing the airtight pressure load caused by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle when passing through tunnels. Therefore, to improve safety and ride comfort during operation, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the vehicle body structure. Increasing the thickness of extruded hollow sections is one way to increase the rigidity of vehicle body structures. However, because extruded hollow sections have a uniform cross section in the extrusion direction, increasing the thickness in only a portion of the extrusion direction requires increasing the thickness along the entire length, which increases the weight of the body structure. Furthermore, increasing the thickness of extruded hollow sections requires the fabrication of new extrusion molds, which increases manufacturing costs. Therefore, the challenge is to develop a method to increase rigidity while minimizing increases in body weight and manufacturing costs.

[0004] To solve these problems, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle body structure characterized by attaching reinforcing materials made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), which is lighter and more rigid than aluminum, to extruded hollow shapes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-86588 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Conventionally, in car bodies constructed from extruded hollow sections made of aluminum alloy, the inside panel of the car is often cut out larger than the outside panel to allow for the installation of sunshade (curtain) rails and the like around the window openings, and the ribs connecting the opposing panel to each other may also be removed within the cutout area of ​​the inside panel. In this case, the airtight pressure load is borne by the outside panel, so it is preferable to effectively reinforce the outside panel while minimizing weight increase.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can improve the strength reliability of window openings in extruded hollow profiles used in railway vehicles while minimizing weight increase. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A railway vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention is a railway vehicle in which the area around the window openings in the vehicle body is constructed from extruded hollow profiles, and the interior side panel of the extruded hollow profile in which the window openings are provided is cut out to a larger extent than the exterior side panel, and a reinforcing material is provided on the interior surface of the exterior side panel.

[0009] In addition, a method for manufacturing a railway vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention includes machining a window opening in the extruded hollow section, cutting out the interior side panel and rib around the outer periphery of the window opening to a larger size than the exterior side panel, preparing a reinforcing material that is cut out to avoid the intersection of the exterior side panel and the rib, and adhering the reinforcing material to the interior surface of the exterior side panel.

[0010] Other problems and solutions disclosed in the present application will be made clear in the detailed description and drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the strength reliability of a window opening of an extruded hollow shape member used in a railway vehicle while suppressing an increase in weight. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view of the railroad vehicle body structure seen from the side. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] This is a view of the side structure as seen from inside the vehicle cabin, taken along arrow B. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of FIG. 3 as seen obliquely in the positive x direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 shows a reinforcement member attached to a window opening in a side structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second modified example. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for attaching a reinforcing material to a window opening of a side structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description and drawings are examples for explaining the present invention, and appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, identical or similar elements and processes are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted. Note that the content described below merely shows an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and can be implemented in various other forms.

[0014] First, a rail vehicle is a general term for vehicles that operate along laid tracks, and includes railway cars, monorail cars, and vehicles for new transportation systems. Below, we will explain a railway vehicle that travels at high speed as a representative example of a rail vehicle. The directions in each figure are defined as follows: the fore-and-aft direction of the railway vehicle (the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the rails) is the x-direction, the width direction of the railway vehicle is the y-direction, and the height direction of the vehicle, which is perpendicular to the x- and y-directions, is the z-direction.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a side view of a railway vehicle 1. The vehicle body structure of the railway vehicle 1 has a hexahedral structure made up of an underframe 10 forming the floor surface, a pair of side structures 20 erected at both ends of the underframe 10 in the y direction (width direction), a pair of end structures 30 erected at both ends of the underframe 10 in the x direction (front-rear direction of the vehicle), and a roof structure 40 provided at the upper ends of the side structures 20 and end structures 30. The side structures 20 are equipped with a plurality of windows 22 and a plurality of boarding and alighting doors 24 for passengers and the like to board and alight. The railway vehicle 1 is equipped with bogies 7 that support the railway vehicle 1 at both end regions in the x direction (front-rear direction of the vehicle). The bogies 7 are equipped with wheels 70 that roll on tracks 5.

[0016] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. The underframe 10 comprises a floor member 15 and a pair of side beams 11 provided at the edges of the floor member 15 in the width direction (y direction). An upper floor 60 is provided on top of the underframe 10. In FIG. 2, the structure indicated by the symbol A is the side structure 20, and the structure indicated by the symbol B is the roof structure 40. The floor member 15, the side structure 20, and the roof structure 40 are made up of extruded hollow members each consisting of two opposing face plates and a plurality of connecting ribs connecting these face plates. The extruded hollow members used for the floor member 15, the side structure 20, the gable structure 30, the roof structure 40, etc. have connecting ribs extending in the x direction, i.e., the extrusion direction.

[0017] 3 is a view of the side structure 20 in FIG. 2 as seen from inside the vehicle cabin, taken along arrow B, and shows an area including the window 22 and the boarding / alighting opening 24 of the side structure 20. The side structure 20 has a window opening 23 for providing the window 22, and a boarding / alighting opening 25 for providing the boarding / alighting opening 24. The window opening 23 has a pair of reinforcing members 50 in the longitudinal direction (x direction).

[0018] Figure 4 is a perspective view of Figure 3 viewed obliquely in the positive x direction. To accommodate a sunshade (curtain) rail or the like, the interior panel of the window opening 23 is cut out to a larger size than the exterior panel, and the ribs connecting the opposing panel panels are also removed within the cutout area of ​​the interior panel. Reinforcement member 50 is provided on the interior surface of the exterior side panel of the window opening 23, and is cut out so as to avoid intersection line 55 of the ribs connecting the interior and exterior panel panels. Reinforcement member 50 is attached to the window opening 23 with an adhesive.

[0019] 5 is a diagram showing a reinforcing member 50 attached to the window opening 23. The reinforcing member 50 has a radius that roughly matches the radius of the corners of the window 22, and is cut out in the x direction to avoid the intersection line 55 of the ribs. The reinforcing member 50 is made of natural fiber reinforced resin, and the orientation 51 of the natural fibers roughly matches the x direction.

[0020] When passing through a tunnel, the railway vehicle 1 is subjected to an airtight pressure load caused by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle, and the airtight pressure load causes the window opening 23 to deform in a manner that expands or contracts in the interior and exterior directions. Therefore, in order to improve the safety and ride comfort of the railway vehicle 1 while it is traveling, it is desirable for the window opening 23 to have high bending rigidity along the y direction.

[0021] Because the reinforcing material 50 has natural fiber orientation 51 along the x direction, it is possible to improve the rigidity of the window opening 23 against deformation caused by expansion or contraction of the side structure 20 in the interior / exterior direction of the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to improve the rigidity of the side structure 20 including the window opening 23, and to improve the safety and ride comfort of the railway vehicle 1 while it is running. Furthermore, because the reinforcing material 50 is provided on the interior surface of the exterior side panel of the window opening 23, it does not create irregularities on the exterior surface of the side structure 20, and does not become a source of air resistance for the railway vehicle 1 and the resulting aerodynamic noise.

[0022] Conventionally, in order to increase the rigidity of a portion of an extruded hollow profile, such as the window opening 23, it is necessary to either increase the thickness of the extruded hollow profile, which has a uniform cross section, over the entire length in the extrusion direction, or to provide a reinforcing member 50 in a portion of the extruded hollow profile. In the former case, the thickness of unnecessary areas of the extruded hollow profile is also increased, which leads to an increase in the weight of the extruded hollow profile and the railway vehicle 1. On the other hand, in the latter case, the method of attaching the reinforcing member 50 becomes an issue.

[0023] Methods for attaching the reinforcement member 50 typically include welding, mechanical fastening using bolts or rivets, and adhesive bonding. When attaching the reinforcement member 50 by welding, the heat input during welding causes thermal deformation of the extruded hollow profile, potentially resulting in weld cracks and increased can manufacturing tolerances. When attaching the reinforcement member 50 by mechanical fastening, sealing is required to ensure airtightness of the railcar 1 by drilling holes for fasteners such as bolts, which increases the amount of work required. Furthermore, attaching the reinforcement member 50 to the inside surface of the exterior side panel of the window opening 23 creates protrusions from fasteners such as bolts and rivet heads on the outside surface of the exterior side panel, which can be a source of air resistance for the railcar 1. On the other hand, when attaching the reinforcement member 50 by adhesive bonding, the construction does not cause thermal deformation of the extruded hollow profile or become a source of air resistance for the railcar 1, thereby improving the safety and ride comfort of the railcar 1.

[0024] Constructing reinforcing material 50 from natural fiber reinforced resin is advantageous in terms of reducing the weight of railway vehicle 1. Because natural fiber and resin have lower density than aluminum, railway vehicle 1 can be reinforced with less weight than when reinforcing material 50 is made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel.

[0025] Furthermore, the fact that the reinforcing member 50 is made of natural fiber reinforced resin is particularly advantageous in terms of recyclability. Separating aluminum and components made of dissimilar materials other than aluminum without leaving impurities in each material reduces recycling costs. In particular, in the case of a railway vehicle 1 whose structure is largely made of aluminum, it is necessary to extract the aluminum from the railway vehicle 1 body structure after its operational period has ended while minimizing the presence of impurities. In this embodiment, natural fiber reinforced resin is used for the reinforcing member 50, and the reinforcing member 50 is attached to the window opening 23 by adhesive. Therefore, if the side structure 20 is melted with the reinforcing member 50 attached, the natural fibers and resin that make up the reinforcing member 50, as well as the adhesive, will evaporate. This allows the side structure 20 and the reinforcing member 50 to be easily separated, resulting in excellent recyclability.

[0026] (Variation 1) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first modification of the above-described embodiment, in which the reinforcing material 50 is provided in the same location as in FIG. 4 . In the first modification, the reinforcing material 50 has natural fiber orientations 51 in orthogonal directions, one of which generally coincides with the x-direction. A railway vehicle 1 is subjected to not only airtight pressure loads but also loads acting in the vertically downward direction (negative z-direction) due to the weight of the vehicle body and equipment, and the weight of passengers and cargo. Since the first modification also has natural fiber orientations 51 in the vertical direction, the rigidity of the window opening 23 against vertically downward loads can be increased. Vertically downward deformation of the railway vehicle 1 is particularly noticeable in the center of the railway vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction (x-direction), and the first modification can be applied to the window openings 23 of the windows 22 in this vicinity.

[0027] (Variation 2) FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second modification of the above-described embodiment, in which a reinforcing member 50 is provided in the same location as in FIG. 4 . In the second modification, the reinforcing member 50 has natural fiber orientations 51 in orthogonal directions, one of which coincides with a direction tilted at approximately 45 degrees from the x-direction. The railway vehicle 1 is simultaneously subjected to an airtight pressure load and the aforementioned vertically downward load. In the second modification, the natural fiber orientations 51 are orthogonal and tilted at approximately 45 degrees from the x-direction, thereby increasing the shear rigidity of the window opening 23 against the airtight pressure load and the vertically downward load. Shear deformation of the railway vehicle 1 becomes large between the center of the railway vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction (x-direction) and the bolster located directly above the bogie 7 on the underframe 10, and the second modification can be applied to the window opening 23 of the window 22 in that vicinity.

[0028] (Variation 3) In the present modified example 3, carbon fiber reinforced resin is used for the reinforcing material 50. Carbon fiber reinforced resin has higher rigidity than aluminum and natural fiber reinforced resin, which are materials that form the railway vehicle 1, and therefore, it is expected that the reinforcing material 50 will have an increased reinforcing effect on the window opening 23.

[0029] <Production method> FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for attaching reinforcing member 50 to side structure 20. In step S10, window opening 23 is formed in side structure 20 by machining. At this time, the interior and exterior face plates of the extruded hollow material on the periphery of window opening 23 are cut out to the same diameter. In step S20, the interior side plate and rib on the periphery of window opening 23 are cut out to a larger size than the exterior side plate. In step S30, reinforcing member 50 is prepared with a cutout that avoids intersection line 55 between the exterior side plate and the rib. In step S40, reinforcing member 50 is adhered to the interior surface of the exterior side plate of window opening 23.

[0030] The above-described embodiment of the present invention can be summarized as follows.

[0031] (1) A railway vehicle (railroad vehicle 1) in which the periphery of a window 22 opening of the vehicle body is constructed from extruded hollow shapes, and in a window opening 23 of the extruded hollow shapes, the interior side panel of the extruded hollow shapes in which the window opening 23 is provided is cut out to a larger size than the exterior side panel, and a reinforcing member 50 is provided on the interior surface of the exterior side panel. This makes it possible to increase the strength reliability of the window opening 23 portion of the extruded hollow shapes used in the railway vehicle (railroad vehicle 1) while suppressing an increase in weight.

[0032] (2) The reinforcing material 50 is made of natural fiber reinforced resin.

[0033] (3) The reinforcing member 50 is made of carbon fiber reinforced resin.

[0034] (4) The fiber orientation (natural fiber orientation 51) of the reinforcing material 50 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle (railroad vehicle 1).

[0035] (5) The fiber orientation (natural fiber orientation 51) of the reinforcing material 50 is inclined at approximately 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle (railroad vehicle 1).

[0036] (6) A method for manufacturing a rail vehicle (railroad vehicle 1), comprising: opening a window opening 23 in an extruded hollow section by machining; cutting out the interior side panel and rib on the outer periphery of the window opening 23 to a larger size than the exterior side panel; preparing a reinforcing member 50 cut out so as to avoid the intersection 55 between the exterior side panel and the rib; and adhering the reinforcing member 50 to the interior surface of the exterior side panel.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented using any components without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0038] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these details as long as the features of the invention are not impaired. Furthermore, although various embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these details, and not all of these details are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Other aspects conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0039] The above-described embodiments and various modifications are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these details as long as the features of the invention are not impaired. Furthermore, although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these details. Other aspects conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1...railroad vehicle, 5...track, 7...bogie, 10...underframe, 11...side beam, 15...floor material, 20...side structure, 22...window, 23...window opening, 24...boarding / alighting door, 25...boarding / alighting door opening, 30...end structure, 40...roof structure, 50...reinforcement material, 51...fiber orientation of reinforcing material, 55...intersection line of rib, 60...upper floor

Claims

1. A railway vehicle in which the periphery of a window opening of a vehicle body is made of extruded hollow members, In the window opening of the extruded hollow shape member, the interior side panel of the extruded hollow shape member in which the window opening is provided is cut out larger than the exterior side panel, and a reinforcing material is provided on the interior surface of the exterior side panel. A rail vehicle equipped with:

2. 2. The railway vehicle according to claim 1, The reinforcing material is made of natural fiber reinforced resin.

3. 2. The railway vehicle according to claim 1, The reinforcing material is made of carbon fiber reinforced resin.

4. 2. The railway vehicle according to claim 1, A rail vehicle, wherein the fiber orientation of the reinforcement material is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle.

5. 2. The railway vehicle according to claim 1, A railway vehicle, wherein the fiber orientation of the reinforcement material is inclined at approximately 45 degrees to the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle.

6. 2. A method for manufacturing a rail vehicle according to claim 1, comprising: forming a window opening in the extruded hollow shape by machining; The interior side panel and the rib on the outer periphery of the window opening are cut out to be larger than the exterior side panel; preparing a reinforcing member that is cut out so as to avoid an intersection line between the vehicle exterior side panel and the rib; Adhering the reinforcing material to an interior surface of the exterior side panel; A method for manufacturing a rail vehicle, comprising:

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