Vibration absorber for rail wheels

Abstract

The invention relates to a vibration absorber (1, 1') for resonance vibrations of rotating bodies, in particular rail wheels, having a plurality of vibratory tongue plates (4, 4') which are separated from one another by intermediate layers (5, 5') of damping material, are rigidly connected to the rotating body at at least one point and are coupled to the rotating body over a large area in the remaining region, wherein the individual tongue plates (4, 4') and the individual intermediate layers (5, 5') of damping material are coordinated with one another in such a way that the tongue plates (4, 4') vibrate at the resonance frequency, to be damped, of the rotating body and the individual tongue plates (4, 4') vibrate such that they compress and relax the damping material of the intermediate layers (5, 5'). In order to enable the vibration properties and damping properties to be set flexibly while ensuring simple manufacturing and reliable attachment of the damping elements, it is proposed that at least one of the tongue plates (4, 4') has a through opening (9, 9') through which the two adjacent intermediate layers (5, 5') of damping material are connected to one another to form a single-piece damping element.

Description

[0001]April 25, 2025 Vibration Absorber for Rail Wheels The invention relates to a vibration absorber for resonant vibrations of rotating bodies, in particular rail wheels, comprising several vibrating tongue plates separated from one another by intermediate layers of damping material. These tongue plates are rigidly connected to the rotating body at at least one point and coupled to the rotating body over a large area in the remaining region. The individual tongue plates and the individual intermediate layers of damping material are tuned to each other such that the tongue plates vibrate at the resonant frequency of the rotating body to be damped, and the individual tongue plates vibrate in such a way that they compress and expand the damping material of the intermediate layers. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a vibration absorber.Vibration absorbers for railway wheels are also called "wheel noise absorbers" and dampen the vibrations of the railway wheels that are responsible for rolling noise and squealing noise. Vibration absorbers incorporate a damping material, which can be arranged in the form of intermediate layers between vibrating metal sheets or plates to dampen their vibrations. The damping is based on the conversion of mechanical energy (vibrations of the sheets or plates) into thermal energy (heating of the damping material). To optimize the damping, the natural frequencies of the vibration absorber should be matched to the wheel vibrations to be dampened, which can vary from one railway wheel to another. A vibration absorber for railway wheels is known, for example, from EP 0020284 B1. The vibration absorber described therein has vibrating metal plates with intermediate layers of damping material arranged between them.The damping layers are separate, isolated layers. While this allows for simple manufacturing, as the layers can be individually inserted between the metal plates, a disadvantage lies in the fact that the layers are held in place solely by a material bond (e.g., adhesive). A drawback of this type of bond is that, due to high stress (heat, vibrations), the adhesive becomes less reliable over time, and there is a risk of the layers detaching from the metal plates. Such vibration absorbers therefore have a limited lifespan. Another disadvantage of this type of vibration absorber is that adjusting the natural frequency is only possible by selecting suitable plates; subsequent modification of the vibration behavior is not possible.This necessitates the stocking of a large number of different plates (e.g., varying thickness, length / width) to adjust the vibration behavior as required. WO 2014 / 131676 A1 discloses a sound-dampened wheel for rail vehicles. The wheel features a damping element in which several vibration masses, designed as metal plates, are separated from one another by viscoelastic layers. The damping element is to be bonded to the inside of the wheel rim, thus eliminating the need for drilling and similar features. The metal plates and the viscoelastic layers are also to be bonded exclusively by material contact, which has the disadvantages already described. The metal plates have recesses that allow the viscoelastic layers to penetrate into the recesses when deformed by vibration.This is intended to prevent the "volume-locking effect" that occurs in viscoelastic materials (AC / AC 231108WO, April 25, 2025). The damping element is designed to exhibit different natural frequencies by using metal plates of varying thicknesses. The aim is not to individually adjust or adapt the natural frequency to a specific rail wheel, but rather to achieve a broadband distribution of natural frequencies, thus making the damping element as universally applicable as possible. Against this background, the invention aims to design and further develop the vibration damper described above and explained in more detail above in such a way that the vibration and damping characteristics can be flexibly adjusted while ensuring simple manufacturing and reliable connection of the damping elements.This problem is solved in a vibration damper according to the preamble of claim 1 by the fact that at least one of the tongue plates has a through-opening through which the two adjacent intermediate layers of damping material are connected to each other to form a one-piece damping element. The invention relates to a vibration absorber for resonant vibrations of rotating bodies, in particular rail wheels. The vibration absorber has several vibrating tongue plates separated from each other by intermediate layers of damping material. The damping material can be, for example, rubber; the tongue plates are preferably made of metal, in particular steel. The tongue plates are connected at at least one point (e.g.,(via a screw hole for a screw connection) rigidly connected to the rotating body and coupled to the rotating body over a large area in the remaining region, so that the vibrations of the rotating body can be transmitted to the tongue plates of the rotating body. The individual tongue plates and the individual intermediate layers of damping material are tuned to each other in such a way that the tongue plates vibrate at the resonant frequency of the rotating body to be damped, and the individual tongue plates vibrate in such a way that they compress and expand the damping material of the intermediate layers. In this way, it is possible to transfer the mechanical energy (vibrations) to the intermediate layers and convert it into thermal energy there.According to the invention, at least one of the tongue plates has a through-opening through which the two adjacent intermediate layers of damping material are connected to each other to form a one-piece damping element. Several advantages are achieved by connecting multiple intermediate layers through through-openings in the tongue plates. Preferably, apart from the two outer tongue plates, all inner tongue plates have a through-opening through which the adjacent intermediate layers of damping material are connected to each other to form a one-piece damping element. It can also be provided that all tongue plates—including the two outer tongue plates—have a through-opening, with the through-openings in the outer intermediate layers serving to fill with damping material and to influence the vibration behavior through the damping material remaining therein.A primary advantage is that a positive-locking and captive connection of the intermediate layers to the vibration absorber or its tongue plates is achieved. The edge of the through-hole completely or at least partially encloses the portion of the damping element located within it, thus ensuring that the damping element, including its intermediate layers, is permanently connected to the vibration absorber. This positive-locking connection can be combined with, or replace, a previously described material-bonded connection (especially adhesive bonding). A combination of positive-locking connection and adhesive bonding results in a particularly reliable and play-free connection. A positive-locking connection without additional adhesive bonding, on the other hand, simplifies manufacturing. AC / AC 231108WO 25.April 2025. A further advantage lies in the fact that the through-openings can be used to specifically adjust and improve the vibration and damping properties. Specifically, through-openings allow the natural frequencies and vibration modes of the vibration absorber to be better adapted to the rail wheel being damped. This can be achieved, for example, by adjusting the number, location, size, and / or shape of the through-openings. A key advantage here is that all tongue plates can have an identical initial shape, size, and thickness and can only be subsequently adapted to the rail wheel being damped by introducing (e.g., punching, laser cutting, or drilling) suitable through-openings. The through-openings in the absorber selectively modify the stiffness of the tongue plates and enable precise adjustment of the vibration mode (antinodes and oscillations) of the absorber's vibrations.The through-holes also allow the natural frequency to be influenced, something that has traditionally been achieved through the thickness and length of the metal sheets and rubber layers. The vibration mode can also be easily adjusted via the through-holes so that the tongue plates vibrate out of phase. This leads to greater deformation of the damping material and thus to stronger damping. By adjusting the stiffness to the vibration mode, larger vibration amplitudes can be achieved, resulting in greater deformation of the rubber material and therefore greater dissipation of vibrational energy. Furthermore, a continuous, multi-layered rubber structure of the damping element results in an adhesion-independent tensile stress during vibrations of the metal tongues. It also allows movement / vibration of the rubber material independently of vibrations / movements of the metal tongues. AC / AC 231108WO 25.April 2025. According to one embodiment of the vibration absorber, at least one of the tongue plates has at least two through-openings through which the two adjacent intermediate layers of damping material are connected to form a single damping element. By providing two or more through-openings, the two adjacent intermediate layers of damping material can be connected to form a single damping element at two or more points. The resulting annular rubber structure improves the positional stability and resistance to loss of the damping element. According to a further embodiment of the vibration absorber, the through-openings are arranged within the tongue plates and are completely surrounded by the tongue plates, and / or the through-openings are arranged at the edge of the tongue plates and are not completely surrounded by the tongue plates.The through-openings can therefore be either "closed" (i.e., completely surrounded by the material of the tongue plates) or "open" (i.e., not completely surrounded by the material of the tongue plates). Both types of through-openings can also be combined, both within the same tongue plate and in different tongue plates of the same vibration absorber. According to a further embodiment of the vibration absorber, the through-openings are circular and / or elliptical and / or oval and / or rectangular and / or slot-shaped. Differently shaped through-openings allow the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the vibration absorber to be adapted particularly flexibly to the rail wheel being damped.All the aforementioned shapes can be easily and cost-effectively stamped, for example; circular through-holes can alternatively be drilled. AC / AC 231108WO April 25, 2025. A further embodiment of the vibration absorber provides for the through-holes of adjacent tongue plates to be offset from one another. This offset arrangement of the through-holes allows for further optimization of vibration characteristics. Each tongue plate exhibits several vibration modes (also known as natural modes). By offsetting the through-holes, the antinodes of one tongue plate can be oscillated against the nodes of the adjacent tongue plate. This results in improved damping properties.According to a further embodiment of the vibration absorber, at least 10%, in particular at least 20% or at least 30% of the surface area of ​​at least one tongue plate is interrupted by through-openings. The larger the areas occupied by through-openings, the greater the effect achievable by these through-openings on the vibration behavior of the tongue plates. A further embodiment of the vibration absorber provides that at least one tongue plate has at least one imaginary section line, wherein the imaginary section line divides the tongue plate into two parts, the outer part of which occupies at least 10% of the surface area of ​​the tongue plate, and wherein at least 20%, in particular at least 30% or at least 40% of the length of the imaginary section line is interrupted by at least one through-opening.The imaginary cutting line can be any straight line that fulfills the aforementioned conditions, i.e., it "cuts off" at least 10% of the area (only conceptually) (i.e., it does not run right along the edge) and passes through as many openings as possible to maximize the number of openings interrupted by them. The longer the length interrupted by the openings, the greater the effect these openings have on the vibration behavior of the tongue plates. Since it is merely an "imaginary" cutting line, the imaginary cutting line AC / AC 231108WO April 25, 2025, only conceptually divides the tongue plate material into several parts. According to a further embodiment of the vibration absorber, it is provided that the vibration absorber has a base plate designed as a mounting and / or support plate.The base plate can serve to attach the vibration absorber to the rail wheel, thereby functionally becoming part of the vibrating rotating body. This enables a particularly direct and thus effective coupling of the vibration absorber to the rail wheel. In this embodiment, it is further proposed that the base plate have at least one through-hole. Since the base plate is an outer plate, this through-hole can, for example, be used to fill it with damping material. The damping material remaining in the through-holes after filling can also influence the vibration behavior. According to a further embodiment of the vibration absorber, the spaces between two adjacent metallic layers, in particular between two tongue plates, are partially or completely filled with damping material.By filling the spaces between two adjacent tongue plates with damping material, the vibrations of both tongue plates can be dampened. The degree of filling (partial or complete filling) can be adjusted to the required acoustic properties. According to a further embodiment of the vibration absorber, the hardness of the damping material is in the range between 1 Shore and 42 Shore. Damping elements with a hardness in this range have proven particularly suitable in practice for damping vibrations on railway wheels. Such a low (soft) hardness is possible due to the relatively small thickness of the intermediate layers, which is preferably between 0.5 mm and 12 mm, and particularly between 1 mm and 5 mm.According to a further embodiment of the vibration absorber, the thickness of the intermediate layers of damping material is between 1 mm and 5 mm. The thinness of the intermediate layers allows for a compact design, as a relatively high number of tongue plates and intermediate layers can be accommodated even in a confined space. Another advantage of particularly thin intermediate layers is that they can be made especially soft (low Shore hardness), whereas thicker intermediate layers would need to be somewhat harder for mechanical reasons (dimensional stability). In a further embodiment of the vibration absorber, the length of the tongue plates is between 30 mm and 600 mm, and / or the width of the tongue plates is between 5 mm and 200 mm, and / or the thickness of the tongue plates is between 0.5 mm and 12 mm.By ensuring the length and / or width of the tongue plates is within the specified range, the vibrations typically occurring in rail wheels can be absorbed particularly well. Due to their thinness, even in limited installation space, multiple layers of plates and intermediate layers can be used. According to a further embodiment of the vibration absorber, the vibrating tongue plates are made of metal. Metals are characterized by excellent mechanical properties, which allows for the production of robust and durable vibration absorbers. Furthermore, metals are easy to machine, so that openings can be created in various ways (e.g., drilling, punching, cutting). The problem described above is also solved by a method for manufacturing a vibration absorber according to any one of claims 1 to 14, AC / AC 231108WO 25.The process, scheduled for completion by April 2025, comprises the following steps: a) providing several tongue plates, at least one of which has a through-opening; b) introducing liquid damping material between adjacent tongue plates and into the at least one through-opening; and c) curing the damping material. The following step may optionally be included between steps a) and b): pretreating the surfaces of the tongue plates to be coated with damping material, in particular cleaning the surfaces and / or applying an adhesion promoter. Due to the positive-locking and secure connection of the intermediate layers to the vibration absorber, the pretreatment step can be omitted; it is therefore merely an optional step.This method is characterized in that steps b) and c) are carried out such that the damping material fuses through the at least one through-opening to form a one-piece damping element. By introducing the damping material in a liquid state (i.e., before hardening) between the tongue plates, the damping material can flow into and fill all areas to be filled (including the through-openings). Preferably, the tongue plates are already positioned approximately in their final position before the damping material is introduced, so that the space created between the tongue plates corresponds as closely as possible to the desired volume of the damping material and the damping element formed therefrom. The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing, which represents only a preferred embodiment. In the drawing: Fig.Fig. 1A: A first embodiment of a vibration absorber according to the invention with a planar contact surface in a perspective view from the front, AC / AC 231108WO April 25, 2025. Fig. 1B: The vibration absorber from Fig. 1A in a perspective view from the rear. Fig. 1C: The vibration absorber from Fig. 1A in a front view. Fig. 1D: The vibration absorber from Fig. 1A in a sectional view along the section plane ID-ID shown in Fig. 1C. Fig. 2A: A second embodiment of a vibration absorber according to the invention with a cylindrical contact surface in a perspective view from the inside. Fig. 2B: The vibration absorber from Fig. 2B in a perspective view from the outside. Fig. 2C: The vibration absorber from Fig. 2A in a side view. Fig. 2D: The vibration absorber from Fig. 2A in a sectional view along the section plane shown in Fig. 2C. IID-IID, Fig. 3: a first embodiment of a tongue plate for a vibration absorber according to the invention, Fig.Fig. 4: a second embodiment of a tongue plate for a vibration absorber according to the invention, Fig. 5: a third embodiment of a tongue plate for a vibration absorber according to the invention, AC / AC 231108WO April 25, 2025, Fig. 6: a fourth embodiment of a tongue plate for a vibration absorber according to the invention, Fig. 7: a fifth embodiment of a tongue plate for a vibration absorber according to the invention, Fig. 8: a sixth embodiment of a tongue plate for a vibration absorber according to the invention, Fig. 9: a seventh embodiment of a tongue plate for a vibration absorber according to the invention, Fig. 10: an eighth embodiment of a tongue plate for a vibration absorber according to the invention, and Fig. 11: a ninth embodiment of a tongue plate for a vibration absorber according to the invention. Fig. 1A shows a first embodiment of a vibration absorber 1 according to the invention with a planar contact surface 2 in a perspective view from the front.Figure 1B shows the vibration absorber 1 from Figure 1A in a perspective view from the rear. The vibration absorber 1 shown in Figures 1A and 1B is a wheel noise absorber that acts primarily in the axial direction ("axial absorber"). The vibration absorber 1 has a base plate 3 with a flat (i.e., planar) contact surface 2 for contact with a flat surface of a rail wheel (not shown in Figures 1A and 1B). The vibration absorber 1 has alternating layers of tongue plates 4 and intermediate layers 5 of damping material. A mounting area is provided at a point between the two ends of the vibration absorber 1, which can also be equipped with a screw hole 6. In the vicinity of the screw hole 6, the intermediate layers 5 of the damping material are interrupted and replaced by at least one metallic intermediate plate 7 by AC / AC 231108WO 25 April 2025, so that a fixed screw connection is possible at this point.The individual layers (base plate 3 + tongue plates 4 + intermediate plates 7) can be bonded, riveted, clinched, or welded at this point – i.e., in the vicinity of the screw hole 6. Figure 1A and other figures show an example of a weld 10 extending through all layers. Alternatively, the layers (base plate 3 + tongue plates 4 + intermediate plates 7) can also be manufactured "from a solid block" – i.e., "in one piece" – for example, by casting, forging, milling, drilling, and / or waterjet cutting. It is possible that (unlike what is shown in Figures 1A and 1B) the base plate 3 (and, if applicable, the adjacent intermediate layer 5 made of damping material) has the same radial width as the tongue plates 4 and not (as shown in Figures 1A and 1B) a reduced radial width.The radial width of the base plate 3 can be selected depending on the available installation space. For local and regional trains, the variant with a reduced radial extent of the base plate 3 shown in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B is frequently used due to the limited space available. In contrast, for long-distance trains, a standard design with the full radial extent of the base plate 3 (not shown in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B) is often used. At the ends of the vibration absorber 1 are recesses 8, which can be semicircular and allow two vibration absorbers 1 to be bolted together with a single screw. Alternatively, the bolting can be done through a circular or differently shaped hole in the base plate 3. Due to the tight bolting and the suitable contact surface 2, the base plate 3 essentially performs the same vibrations as the contact surface of the rail wheel.The tongue plates 4 execute phase-shifted vibrations at the same frequency, leading to a deformation of the damping material of the intermediate layers 5 and thus to a damping of the AC / AC 231108WO April 25, 2025 vibration. Energy is thereby extracted from the wheel vibration, which can then no longer be emitted as acoustic sound energy. The tongue plates 4 have several through-openings 9, through which the two adjacent intermediate layers 5 made of damping material are connected to each other to form a one-piece damping element. Fig. 1C shows the vibration absorber from Fig. 1A in a front view, and Fig. 1D shows the vibration absorber from Fig. 1A in a sectional view along the section plane ID-ID shown in Fig. 1C. Those features that have already been described in connection with Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B are indicated with corresponding reference numerals in Fig. 1C and Fig. 1D. In particular, in the sectional view (Fig.In Fig. 1D) it is clearly evident that the damping material (in Fig. 1D at least two of the three) connects different intermediate layers 5 through the through-openings 9, thereby creating a one-piece damping element. Fig. 2A shows a second embodiment of a vibration absorber 1' according to the invention with a cylindrical contact surface 2' in a perspective view from the inside. Fig. 2B shows the vibration absorber 1' from Fig. 2B in a perspective view from the outside. Those features that have already been described in connection with Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B are provided with corresponding reference numerals in Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B. The vibration absorber 1' shown in Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B is a wheel noise absorber that acts primarily in the radial direction ("radial absorber"). The vibration absorber 1' has a base plate 3' with a cylindrically curved contact surface 2' for contact with a cylindrical surface of a (in Fig. 1A and Fig.1B (not shown) rail wheel, for example under the wheel rim. The vibration absorber 1' has alternating layers of tongue plates 4' and intermediate layers 5' of damping material. A mounting area is provided at a point between the two AC / AC 231108WO 25 April 2025 ends of the vibration absorber 1', which can also be provided with a screw hole 6'. In the vicinity of the screw hole 6', the intermediate layers 5' of the damping material are interrupted and replaced by at least one metallic intermediate plate 7', so that a secure screw connection is possible at this point. The individual layers (base plate 3' + tongue plates 4' + intermediate plates 7') can be bonded or welded at this point – i.e., in the vicinity of the screw hole 6'.At the ends of the vibration absorber 1' are recesses 8', which can be semicircular and allow two vibration absorbers 1' to be bolted together with a single screw. Alternatively, the bolting can be achieved through a circular or otherwise shaped hole in the base plate 3'. Due to the secure bolting and the suitable contact surface 2', the base plate 3' essentially undergoes the same vibrations as the contact surface of the rail wheel. The tongue plates 4' exhibit phase-shifted vibrations at the same frequency, which deform the damping material of the intermediate layer 5' and thus dampen the vibration. This process absorbs energy from the wheel vibration, preventing it from being released as acoustic sound energy.The tongue plates 4' have several through-openings 9' through which the two adjacent intermediate layers 5' made of damping material are connected to each other to form a one-piece damping element. Fig. 2C shows the vibration absorber from Fig. 2A in a side view, and Fig. 2D shows the vibration absorber from Fig. 2A in a sectional view along the section plane IID-IID shown in Fig. 2C. The features already described in connection with Figs. 1A to 2B are indicated with corresponding reference numerals in Figs. 2C and 2D. In particular, it is clearly visible in the sectional view (Fig. 2D) that the damping material (all four in Fig. 2D) connects different intermediate layers 5 to each other through the through-openings 9', thus forming a one-piece damping element. Figs. 3 to 4 are shown in Figs. 1A to 2B.Figures 6 show different embodiments of a tongue plate 4 for a vibration absorber 1 according to the invention. The features already described in connection with Figures 1A to 2D are indicated with corresponding reference numerals in Figures 3 to 6. The tongue plates 4 shown in Figures 3 to 6 are for an "axial absorber" (exemplarily shown in Figures 1A to 1D). However, with appropriate adaptation or modification, the tongue plates 4 shown in Figures 3 to 6 can also be used for "radial absorbers" (exemplarily shown in Figures 2A to 2D). Figure 3 shows a first embodiment of a tongue plate 4 for a vibration absorber 1 according to the invention. The first embodiment of the tongue plate 4 is mirror-symmetrical with respect to an axis of symmetry S running centrally through the screw hole 6.On both sides of the axis of symmetry S, three round through-openings 9A are provided, for a total of six round through-openings 9A. The three round through-openings 9A are not aligned but form a triangle. Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of a tongue plate 4 for a vibration absorber 1 according to the invention. The second embodiment of the tongue plate 4 is also mirror-symmetrical with respect to an axis of symmetry S running centrally through the screw hole 6. On both sides of the axis of symmetry S, two triangular through-openings 9B are provided, for a total of four triangular through-openings 9B. Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of a tongue plate 4 for a vibration absorber 1 according to the invention. The third embodiment of the tongue plate 4 is also mirror-symmetrical with respect to an axis of symmetry S running centrally through the screw hole 6.On both sides of the axis of symmetry S, a round through-opening 9A is provided further inwards, and a rectangular slot-shaped through-opening 9C is provided further outwards. Fig. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of a tongue plate 4 for a vibration absorber 1 according to the invention. The fourth embodiment of the tongue plate 4 is also designed to be mirror-symmetrical with respect to an axis of symmetry S running centrally through the screw hole 6. Five round through-openings 9A are provided on each side of the axis of symmetry S, for a total of ten round through-openings 9A. The five round through-openings 9A are not on a line, but form a "W". Fig. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of a tongue plate 4 for a vibration absorber 1 according to the invention. The fifth embodiment of the tongue plate 4 is also designed to be mirror-symmetrical with respect to an axis of symmetry S running centrally through the screw hole 6.On each side of the axis of symmetry S, ten rectangular through-openings 9D are provided, for a total of twenty rectangular through-openings 9D. The ten rectangular through-openings 9D are arranged close together and form a group. Fig. 8 shows a sixth embodiment of a tongue plate 4 for a vibration absorber 1 according to the invention. The sixth embodiment of the tongue plate 4 is also mirror-symmetrical with respect to an axis of symmetry S running centrally through the screw hole 6. On each side of the axis of symmetry S, three round through-openings 9A are provided, for a total of six round through-openings 9A. The three round through-openings 9A lie on an imaginary section line L. The imaginary section line L divides the tongue plate 4 (conceptually only) into two parts, the outer part of which occupies at least 10% of the area of ​​the tongue plate 4. AC / AC 231108WO 25.April 2025 At least 20% of the length of the imaginary section line L (preferably at least 20% or at least 30%) is interrupted by the three through-openings 9A. Corresponding imaginary section lines L can also be drawn in the embodiments described previously (Figs. 3 to 7) and subsequently (Figs. 9 to 11). Fig. 9 shows a seventh embodiment, Fig. 10 shows an eighth embodiment, and Fig. 11 finally shows a ninth embodiment of a tongue plate 4 for a vibration absorber 1 according to the invention. The tongue plates 4 shown in Figs. 9, 10, and 11 each have several open through-openings 9'', which in the illustrated cases are rectangular and slot-shaped. While all the through-openings shown previously (Fig. 3 to Fig. 8) are "closed" through-openings (i.e., completely surrounded by material of the tongue plates 4), those shown in Fig. 9, Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 are not.The passage opening 9'' shown in Fig. 11 is for "open" (i.e., not completely surrounded by material of the tongue plates 4) passage openings arranged at the edge of the tongue plates 4. The passage opening 9'' can run approximately in the longitudinal direction of the tongue plates 4 (Fig. 9) or they can run approximately in the transverse direction of the tongue plates 4 (Fig. 11); a combination of longitudinal and transverse directions is also possible (Fig. 10). AC / AC 231108WO 25 April 2025 Reference number list: 1, 1': Vibration absorber 2, 2': Contact surface (of base plate 3, 3') 3, 3': Base plate 4, 4': Tongue plate 5, 5': Intermediate layer (made of damping material) 6, 6': Screw hole 7, 7': Intermediate plate 8, 8': Recess 9, 9', 9'': Through opening 9A, 9A': Through opening (round) 9B, 9B': Through opening (triangular) 9C, 9C': Through opening (rectangular, slotted) 9D, 9D': Through opening (square) 10: Weld L: Section line (imaginary) S: Axis of symmetry AC / AC 231108WO 25 April 2025.

Claims

April 25, 2025 Patent claim e1. Vibration absorber (1, 1') for resonant vibrations of rotating bodies, in particular railway wheels, comprising several vibrating tongue plates (4, 4') separated from one another by intermediate layers (5, 5') of damping material, which are rigidly connected to the rotating body at at least one point and coupled to the rotating body over a large area in the remaining region, wherein the individual tongue plates (4, 4') and the individual intermediate layers (5, 5') of damping material are matched to one another such that the tongue plates (4, 4') vibrate at the resonant frequency of the rotating body to be damped and the individual tongue plates (4, 4') vibrate in such a way that they compress and expand the damping material of the intermediate layers (5, 5'), since, as characterized by, at least one of the tongue plates (4, 4') has a through-opening (9, 9') through which the two adjacent intermediate layers (5, 5')5') made of damping material are connected to each other to form a one-piece damping element.

2. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the tongue plates (4, 4') has at least two through-openings (9, 9') through which the two adjacent intermediate layers (5, 5') made of damping material are connected to each other to form a one-piece damping element.

3. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that, - 2 - the through-openings (9, 9') are circular and / or elliptical and / or oval and / or rectangular and / or slot-shaped.

4. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the through-openings (9, 9') are arranged within the tongue plates (4, 4') and are completely surrounded by the tongue plates (4, 4') and / or that the through-openings (9'') are arranged at the edge of the tongue plates (4, 4') and are not completely surrounded by the tongue plates (4, 4').

5. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the through-openings (9, 9') of adjacent tongue plates (4, 4') are arranged offset from one another. 6.Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least 10%, in particular at least 20% or at least 30% of the area of ​​at least one tongue plate (4, 4') is interrupted by through openings (9, 9').

7. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one tongue plate (4, 4') has at least one imaginary section line (L), wherein the imaginary section line (L) divides the tongue plate (4, 4') into two parts, the outer part of which occupies at least 10% of the area of ​​the tongue plate (4, 4'), and wherein at least 20%, in particular at least 30% or at least 40% of the length of the imaginary section line (L) is interrupted by at least one through opening (9, 9'). AC / AC 231108WO April 25, 2025.

3.

8. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the vibration absorber (1, 1') has a base plate (3, 3') designed as a mounting and / or support plate.

9. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to claim 8, characterized in that the base plate (3, 3') has at least one through-opening (9, 9').

10. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the spaces between two adjacent metallic layers, in particular between two tongue plates (4, 4'), are partially or completely filled with damping material.

11. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the hardness of the damping material (5, 5') is in the range between 1 Shore and 32 Shore. 12.Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the thickness of the intermediate layers (5, 5') of the damping material is in the range between 1 mm and 5 mm.

13. Vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the length of the tongue plates (4, 4') is in the range between 30 mm and 600 mm and / or that the width of the tongue plates (4, 4') is in the range between 5 mm AC / AC 231108WO April 25, 2025. - 4 - and 200 mm and / or that the thickness of the tongue plates (4, 4') is in the range between 0.5 mm and 12 mm.

14. Vibration absorber according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by the fact that the vibration-capable tongue plates (4, 4') are made of metal.

15. Method for manufacturing a vibration absorber (1, 1') according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising the following steps: a) providing several tongue plates (4, 4'), at least one of which has a through-opening (9, 9'), b) introducing liquid damping material between adjacent tongue plates (4, 4') and into the at least one through-opening (9, 9'), and c) curing the damping material, characterized in that steps b) and c) are carried out such that the damping material bonds through the at least one through-opening (9, 9') to form a one-piece damping element.AC / AC 231108WO 25. April 2025.

Images