Articulated Vehicle Bridge Gap Prevention via Elastic Tread Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bridge structures in articulated vehicles fail to prevent the formation of gaps between the tread plate and floor plates during rolling, pitching, and bending movements, leading to potential tripping hazards and instability.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating support elements with elastic materials and scissor frames with floating bearings, along with a coupling device accessible from inside the vehicle, to maintain contact between the tread plate and floor plates, and using spring elements to keep the base plates pressed against the tread plate, ensuring preload and preventing gap formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tread plate is made of elastic material and support elements are added to press the base plate against the tread plate, then the reliability is improved by preventing gap formation during rolling, pitching, and bending movements, but the device complexity increases due to additional support elements and elastic material integration
Solution Approach 1:
The tread plate is made of elastic material instead of rigid material, changing the physical parameter of the material to allow deformation that maintains contact during vehicle movements. This eliminates gaps without requiring additional active components.
Solution Approach 2:
Support elements are positioned to press the base plate against the tread plate in advance, creating a preliminary force that prevents gap formation before movements occur. This proactive approach ensures continuous contact during rolling, pitching, and bending movements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If scissor frames with floating bearings are used to control tread plate movement, then the adaptability is improved for handling transverse offset in curves, but the device complexity increases due to the scissor frame mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The scissor frame incorporates floating bearings that allow dynamic adjustment of the tread plate position relative to the floor plates. This enables the structure to adapt to transverse offset during curve driving while maintaining a relatively simple overall design.
3Reliability
If spring elements are added to keep base plates pressed against the tread plate, then the reliability is improved by maintaining continuous contact during superimposed movements, but the weight of the bridge increases
Solution Approach 1:
Spring elements are integrated into the support structure to provide continuous contact force between the base plates and tread plate. The springs are designed with optimized parameters to provide sufficient force for maintaining contact during superimposed movements while minimizing additional weight.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents the formation of gaps between the tread plate and floor plates during various vehicle movements, ensuring stability and safety by maintaining continuous contact and allowing for transverse offset without instability.
Implementation Method 1
The tread plate (6) is made of an elastic, resilient material, for example Polyurethane
Implementation Method 2
at least one support element is provided on each centering member for pressing each base plate against the tread plate
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~3a
AI summary
Bridge of a transition between two vehicles articulated to each other by, in particular, a central buffer coupling, wherein the bridge comprises a tread plate and two floor plates, wherein each floor plate is arranged at the front of the vehicle, wherein the tread plate rests on the floor plates, wherein, for centering the tread plate relative to the floor plates in the direction of travel, a centering member is provided on the underside of the bridge on both sides of the bridge, wherein the centering member is articulated on one side to the tread plate and on the other side at each end to the respective vehicle parts, wherein at least one support element is provided on each centering member for pressing each floor plate against the tread plate, wherein the floor plate is articulated to the front of the vehicle, wherein the tread plate is made of an elastically compliant material, for example, polyurethane.