Modular articulated container flatcar body

Abstract

A modular articulated container flatcar body, which relates to the technical field of railway freight vehicles. The modular articulated container flatcar body comprises an articulation module (3), and two sides of the articulation module (3) are each provided with an end module (1, 5). At least one intermediate module (2, 4) is arranged between the articulation module (3) and an end module (1, 5). The two end modules (1, 5) and the two intermediate modules (2, 4) are all interchangeable. Each intermediate module (2, 4) comprises at least one sub-module (20). Lower parts of the end modules (1, 5) and the articulation module (3) are provided with a car body running part. A modular design is adopted, the end modules (1, 5), the intermediate modules (2, 4), and the articulation module (3) are provided, and said modules can be connected by means of bolts or rivets. As a result, the interchangeability, universality, and maintainability of the components can be improved, solving the problem of poor interchangeability caused by existing underframes adopting an integral welded structure.

Description

A modular articulated container flat car body

[0001] This invention claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202410042454.9 filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 10, 2024, entitled “A Modular Articulated Container Flat Car Body”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this invention and constitute a part of this invention for all purposes. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the technical field of railway freight vehicles, in particular to a modular articulated container flat car body. Background Art

[0003] Railway transportation equipment includes open wagons, flat cars, covered wagons, tank cars, hopper cars, and special vehicles. Flat cars include two types: container-specific flat cars and shared flat cars. Currently, railway flat cars are all transported in single-unit train formations. Each unit consists of a single car body, two running gears, a braking system, and two coupler and buffer systems. The existing vehicle underframe utilizes an integrally welded structure. Existing flat cars have the following deficiencies:

[0004] (1) The existing chassis adopts an integral welded structure, which has poor interchangeability;

[0005] (2) When the train is transporting containers, the vehicle axle load is not used effectively;

[0006] (3) Due to vehicle structural limitations, it is not possible to simultaneously install chain couplers, automatic couplers, and DAC digital automatic couplers;

[0007] (4) Due to the large gap in the traditional coupler buffer device, the vehicle is subject to a large longitudinal impact force during operation, the damage rate of goods during transportation is high, and the vehicle's operating dynamics performance is poor.

[0008] (5) Due to its insufficient structural strength and rigidity, it is difficult to meet the load-bearing requirements of containers of different specifications.

[0009] Summary of the Invention

[0010] In response to the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a modular articulated container flat car body. By adopting a modular design, and each sub-module can be connected by bolts or rivets, the interchangeability, versatility and maintainability of the components can be improved, and the problem of poor interchangeability caused by the integral welded structure of the existing chassis is solved. In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0011] The present invention provides a modular articulated container flat car body, comprising a joint module and an end module on each side thereof, at least one intermediate module being provided between the joint module and the end module; the two end modules and the two middle modules are interchangeable, each intermediate module comprises at least one sub-module, and a body walking portion is provided at the lower part of each end module and the joint module.

[0012] As a further implementation, the end module is located at the end of the vehicle body chassis, and includes an end bolster structure, a connecting beam, and a plurality of end module side beams.

[0013] As a further implementation, the end bolster and the connecting beam are arranged centrally, and the end module side beams are distributed on both sides of the end bolster and the connecting beam and are arranged transversely parallel to the vehicle body.

[0014] As a further implementation method, the end traction beam includes an end beam, a traction beam and a bolster beam, the end beam is located at the end where the coupler is installed; the traction beam is arranged behind the end beam and is used to install a buffer device; the bolster beam is arranged near the connecting beam to connect the bogie so as to transmit the force on the car body to the lower running part of the car body.

[0015] As a further implementation method, each of the sub-modules is composed of a middle module side beam, a middle module cross beam and an auxiliary longitudinal beam.

[0016] As a further implementation, the middle module side beams and the auxiliary longitudinal beams are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the middle module cross beams are arranged along the transverse direction of the vehicle body.

[0017] As a further implementation method, the joint module is located in the center of the entire vehicle body to connect the left and right parts of the vehicle body. Its joint parts adopt flexible connections, which can transmit longitudinal and vertical forces and can rotate around the central joint part.

[0018] As a further implementation method, the joint module is composed of a joint module connecting beam, a joint structure, a joint module cross beam and multiple joint module side beams. The joint structure is provided with a spherical center plate and an upper side bearing structure connected to the lower center plate and side bearing support of the bogie to transmit the force on the car body to the lower running part of the car body.

[0019] As a further implementation method, different modules of the vehicle body can be connected by welding, bolting or riveting.

[0020] As a further implementation method, a floor and a container locking device are provided on the vehicle body, and the floor can be a steel floor, a wooden floor or a composite floor.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0022] 1. The present invention adopts a modular design and is equipped with end modules, middle modules and joint modules. The modules can be connected by bolts or rivets, which can improve the interchangeability, versatility and maintainability of the components, and solve the problem of poor interchangeability caused by the integral welded structure of the existing chassis.

[0023] 2. Compared with the known single-section flat car, the present invention reduces the number of bogies and coupler buffer devices, reduces the vehicle's own weight, reduces maintenance costs, can fully utilize the vehicle's axle weight during transportation, and improves vehicle transportation efficiency.

[0024] 3. The end traction sleeper of the present invention can simultaneously meet the installation requirements of chain hooks, automatic couplers and DAC digital automatic couplers, providing strong support for the digitalization and informatization of freight trains.

[0025] 4. The present invention supports the running gear between two adjacent vehicles through an articulated connector, allowing the vehicles to not only rotate relative to each other in the horizontal plane, but also to have relative displacement in the vertical and inclined planes. This allows the vehicle to adapt to the vertical height differences commonly found at the connecting ends of adjacent vehicles due to ups and downslopes of the line, track unevenness, and wear of the internal parts of the connector itself. At the same time, the adoption of a gapless traction structure eliminates excessive coupler swing angles when the vehicle passes through curves, making the vehicle run more smoothly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of the present invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute improper limitations on the present invention.

[0027] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle body end bolster structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of another vehicle body end bolster structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a joint module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] FIG5 is a front view of the joint module structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of multiple sets of container locking devices installed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of loading a container of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] In the figure: the distances or sizes between parts are exaggerated to show the positions of various parts, and the schematic diagram is for reference only.

[0035] In the figure: 1. First end module; 10. End traction pillow; 101. End beam; 102. Traction beam; 103. Pillow beam; 11. End module side beam; 12. Connecting beam; 13. End module cross beam; 2. First middle module; 20. Submodule; 201. Middle module side beam; 202. Middle module cross beam; 203. Auxiliary longitudinal beam; 3. Joint module; 30. Joint module connecting beam; 31. Joint structure; 32. Joint module side beam; 33. Joint module cross beam; 4. Second middle module; 5. Second end module; 6. Container locking device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and is intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0037] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG1 , a modular articulated container flat car body includes a joint module 3 and an end module on each side thereof, and at least one intermediate module is provided between the joint module 3 and the end module.

[0038] In this embodiment, there are two intermediate modules, that is, there is one intermediate module on each side of the joint module 3. Of course, it is understandable that in other embodiments, the number is not limited to the two intermediate modules of this embodiment.

[0039] The two middle modules are respectively the first middle module 2 and the second middle module 4, and the two end modules are respectively the first end module 1 and the second end module 5. The first end module 1 and the second end module 5, the first middle module 2 and the second middle module 4 are interchangeable.

[0040] The two intermediate modules are connected together by a joint module 3. Each intermediate module includes at least one submodule 20. The two end modules are respectively provided at the outer ends of the two intermediate modules and connected thereto. The different modules of the vehicle body can be connected by welding, bolting or rivets.

[0041] This embodiment adopts a modular design and is equipped with end modules, middle modules and joint modules, and the modules can be connected by bolts or rivets, which can improve the interchangeability, versatility and maintainability of the components, and solve the problem of poor interchangeability caused by the integral welded structure of the existing chassis.

[0042] The end module is located at the end of the vehicle body chassis, and includes an end bolster 10 structure, a connecting beam 12 and a plurality of end module side beams 11 .

[0043] The end bolster 10 and the connecting beam 12 are centrally arranged, and the end module side beams 11 are distributed on both sides of the end bolster 10 and the connecting beam 12 and are arranged transversely parallel to the vehicle body.

[0044] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the end traction bolster 10 comprises an end beam 101, a traction beam 102, and a bolster 103. The end beam 101 is located at the end where the coupler is mounted. The traction beam 102 is mounted behind the end beam 101 and is used to mount the buffer device. The bolster 103 is located near the connecting beam 12 and connects to the bogie to transmit the forces on the car body to the running gear below. The traction beam 102 has an open slot for connecting to the coupler.

[0045] The end traction sleeper 10 of this embodiment can simultaneously meet the installation requirements of chain hooks, automatic couplers and DAC digital automatic couplers, providing strong support for the digitalization and informatization of freight trains.

[0046] In addition, compared with the known single-section flat car, this embodiment reduces the number of bogies and coupler buffer devices, reduces the vehicle's own weight, reduces maintenance costs, can fully utilize the vehicle's axle weight during transportation, and improves vehicle transportation efficiency.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1 , the middle module is located between the end module and the joint module 3 , and each middle module includes at least one submodule 20 .

[0048] Each submodule 20 is composed of a central module side beam 201, a central module cross beam 202, and an auxiliary longitudinal beam 203. The central module side beams 201 and auxiliary longitudinal beams 203 are arranged longitudinally along the vehicle body, while the central module cross beam 202 is arranged transversely along the vehicle body. The central module side beams 201, central module cross beam 202, and auxiliary longitudinal beams 203 can be constructed using an I-shaped structure, square steel, H-shaped steel, or welded plate structures.

[0049] The number and length of the middle modules can be set according to actual needs, and together with the end modules 1 / 5 and the joint module 3, they form a vehicle group.

[0050] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, joint module 3 is located in the center of the vehicle body, connecting the left and right halves. Its joints utilize a flexible connection that transmits longitudinal and vertical forces and allows rotation around the central joint. This rotation allows the vehicle to negotiate curves.

[0051] The joint module 3 is composed of a joint module connecting beam 30, a joint structure 31, a joint module cross beam 33 and multiple joint module side beams 32. The joint structure 31 is provided with a spherical center plate and an upper side bearing structure connected to the lower center plate and side bearing support of the bogie to transmit the force on the car body to the lower running part of the car body.

[0052] The joint structure 31 of this embodiment is the existing technology, which adopts the joint connector in CN114954554B. Only three bogies are required between the two car bodies to install this joint connector. The number of bogies is reduced, the axle weight of the bogies is more fully utilized, and the quality of the train is reduced.

[0053] The joint connector is supported on the running gear between two adjacent vehicles, allowing the vehicles to not only rotate relative to each other in the horizontal plane, but also to have relative displacement in the vertical and inclined planes. This allows them to adapt to the vertical height differences between the connecting ends of adjacent vehicles commonly caused by ups and downs of the line, uneven tracks, and wear of the internal parts of the connector itself. At the same time, the use of a gapless traction structure eliminates the excessive coupler swing angle when the vehicle passes through a curve, making the vehicle run more smoothly.

[0054] As shown in Figure 6, the vehicle body is provided with a floor and a container locking device 6. The floor can be made of steel, wood or composite. The vehicle body can realize the loading of containers and other cargoes of various specifications according to the number of container locking devices and the arrangement of the floor.

[0055] Examples of loading conditions for containers of different specifications are shown in Figure 7.

[0056] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular articulated container flatcar body, characterized in that, It includes a joint module, with an end module provided on each side thereof, and at least one intermediate module is provided between the joint module and the end module; the two end modules and the two intermediate modules are all interchangeable, each intermediate module includes at least one sub-module, and a vehicle body running part is provided at the lower part of each end module and the joint module.

2. The modular articulated container flatcar body according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end module is located at the end of the vehicle body underframe and includes an end bolster structure, a connecting beam, and a plurality of end module side beams.

3. The modular articulated container flatcar body according to claim 2, characterized in that, The end bolster and the connecting beam are arranged in the middle, and the end module side beams are distributed on both sides of the end bolster and the connecting beam and are arranged parallel to the vehicle body transverse direction.

4. A modular articulated container flat car body according to claim 3, characterized in that, The end bolster includes an end beam, a draft beam, and a bolster beam. The end beam is located at the end for installing the coupler; the draft beam is arranged behind the end beam for installing the buffer device; the bolster beam is arranged near the connecting beam for connecting the bogie so as to transfer the force on the vehicle body to the vehicle body lower running part.

5. A modular articulated container flatcar body according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each sub-module is composed of a middle module side beam, a middle module cross beam, and an auxiliary longitudinal beam.

6. The modular articulated container flatcar carbody according to claim 5, characterized in that, The middle module side beam and the auxiliary longitudinal beam are arranged along the vehicle body longitudinal direction, and the middle module cross beam is arranged along the vehicle body transverse direction.

7. The modular articulated container flatcar body according to claim 1, characterized in that, The joint module is located at the center of the entire vehicle body for connecting the left and right parts of the vehicle body. Its joint part adopts a flexible connection, which can transfer longitudinal and vertical forces and can realize rotation around the central joint part.

8. A modular articulated container flatcar body according to claim 7, characterized in that, The joint module is composed of a joint module connecting beam, a joint structure, a joint module cross beam, and a plurality of joint module side beams. The joint structure is provided with a spherical center plate and an upper side bearing structure, which are connected to the lower center plate and side bearing support of the bogie to transfer the force on the vehicle body to the vehicle body lower running part.

9. The modular articulated container flat car body according to claim 1, characterized in that, The different modules of the vehicle body can be connected by welding, bolt connection, or rivet connection.

10. The modular articulated container flatcar car body according to claim 1, characterized in that, A floor and a container locking device are provided on the vehicle body, and the floor can be a steel floor, a wooden floor, or a composite floor.

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