Articulated Vehicle Transversely Displaceable Joint

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Solution Overview

Problem

Articulated vehicles, particularly single-articulated vehicles, face limitations when navigating narrow track layouts and tight curves due to restricted turning angles, leading to issues such as buckling, derailing, and uneven axle load distribution, which affect ride comfort and dynamic safety.

Innovation Solution

The design of an articulated vehicle with a first and second car body connected via a movable joint that allows rotational movement about a vertical axis, enabling transverse displacement of the pivot point relative to the longitudinal axis, allowing for improved mobility and reduced clearance requirements, while maintaining efficient transmission of driving, braking, and support loads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the turning angle of bogies is increased to navigate narrow track layouts, then the vehicle's ability to negotiate tight curves is improved, but the structural integrity and stability of the vehicle are compromised, leading to buckling and derailing risks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to navigate narrow track layoutsVSAvoiddynamic safety against derailment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle is divided into multiple car bodies connected by articulation joints, allowing each section to rotate independently. This segmentation enables the vehicle to navigate tight curves by articulating at the joints rather than relying solely on bogie turning angles, thus maintaining bogie stability while achieving the necessary curvature adaptation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The articulation joints are designed to be dynamically movable, allowing the vehicle configuration to adapt in real-time to track conditions. The joints enable controlled relative movement between car bodies during curve negotiation, providing dynamic stability while maintaining the ability to navigate narrow layouts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple articulation joints are added to improve curve negotiation capability, then the vehicle's flexibility is enhanced, but the complexity of the vehicle structure and the number of components increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecurve negotiation capabilityVSAvoidnumber of articulation joints and car bodies

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of adding multiple complex articulation joints throughout the vehicle, the invention applies a single articulation joint at the optimal location to achieve sufficient curve negotiation capability. This partial action approach provides the necessary flexibility without the excessive complexity of multiple joints, maintaining structural simplicity while improving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If the bogie turning angle is restricted to maintain structural integrity, then the vehicle's stability is preserved, but the ability to navigate narrow track layouts without transition curves is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidability to negotiate tight curves without transition curves

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The articulation joint acts as an intermediary element between car bodies, enabling curve negotiation without requiring the bogies themselves to turn at extreme angles. The joint mediates the rotational movement, allowing the vehicle to navigate tight curves while keeping bogie turning angles within structurally safe limits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Device complexity

If the pivot point of the joint is fixed, then the transmission of drive and braking forces is simplified, but the vehicle's ability to displace transversely and navigate narrow layouts is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforce transmission mechanismVSAvoidtransverse displacement capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The pivot point of the articulation joint is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to displace transversely relative to the car body during operation. This dynamic pivot point enables the vehicle to accommodate transverse movements and navigate narrow layouts while maintaining effective transmission of drive and braking forces through the joint mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3131800B1Articulated vehicle with a transversely displaceable joint

Publication Date: 2019.04.10 SIEMENS MOBILITY GMBH

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AI summary

The invention relates to an articulated vehicle with a first and at least one further, second vehicle body (1, 2), which are coupled to each other via a first joint (3), wherein the first joint (3) is arranged between the first and the second vehicle body (1, 2) and is designed to be suitable at least for executing a rotational movement of the first and the second vehicle body (1, 2) about a vertical axis of the articulated vehicle and for transmitting driving and braking forces between the first and the second vehicle body (1, 2), wherein the first joint (3) is movably connected to the first vehicle body (1) in such a manner that the pivot point of the rotational movement of the first and the second vehicle body (1, 2) about the vertical axis of the articulated vehicle is movable transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first vehicle body (1) and, as a result, in addition to the rotational movement about the vertical axis, also permits movements of the first and the second vehicle body (1, 2) with respect to each other in the direction of the transverse axis of the vehicle.