Rail Vehicle Crumple Element with Guide Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Freestanding deformable elements in vehicles, such as railroad vehicles, react sensitively to excentric stresses, leading to lateral divergence and reduced energy absorption due to inadequate lateral guidance, which can result in the collision partner 'climbing up' or sliding off, and existing solutions either reduce the compression distance or involve complex designs.
Innovation Solution
A tubular deformable element with a profiled part between two end plates and a guide element parallel to the profile, rigidly connected to the front end plate and displaceable through a through opening in the rear end plate, allowing contactless longitudinal displacement and lateral inclination of the guide element, preventing undesirable lateral divergence and maintaining maximum compression distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lateral guidance is provided for the deformable element, then lateral divergence is prevented and energy absorption is improved, but the compression distance is reduced and the design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
A guide element acts as an intermediary component between the deformable element and the end plate. This guide element provides lateral guidance through a through-opening while allowing the deformable element to compress axially. The guide element mediates between the need for lateral stability and the need for compression distance, enabling reliable energy absorption without sacrificing compression capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable element is segmented into a profiled part and end plates, with the guide element forming a separate guidance structure. This segmentation allows the profiled part to focus on energy absorption through plastic deformation while the guide element separately handles lateral guidance, preventing interference between these functions and maintaining compression distance.
2Reliability
If lateral guidance is provided for the deformable element, then lateral divergence is prevented and energy absorption is improved, but the design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element serves multiple functions: it provides lateral guidance to prevent divergence, allows axial displacement for compression, and integrates with the end plate structure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate guidance mechanisms, simplifying the overall design while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide element is nested within the structure formed by the end plate and through-opening. This nesting integrates the guidance function into the existing structure rather than adding separate external components, reducing design complexity while ensuring proper lateral guidance during compression.
3Ease of manufacture
If the deformable element is made freestanding, then installation is simplified, but the element becomes sensitive to excentric stresses and loses energy absorption efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element acts as an intermediary that connects the deformable element to the end plate structure, providing lateral support without requiring complex installation. This mediator enables the element to function reliably under eccentric stresses while maintaining the simplicity of a relatively simple installation process.
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
Ensures axial compression of crumple components even in excentric collisions, preventing lateral divergence and maintaining energy absorption efficiency while allowing for a simple, cost-effective design with minimal installation space requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a profiled part in the form of a tubular box, in particular of polygonal cross section, disposed between two end plates for the dissipation of impact energy by plastic deformation in the event of longitudinal compression
Data Source
AI summary
A deformable element for a vehicle, particularly a rail vehicle, comprising a profiled part (CR) disposed between two end plates (AC, AP) and having the form of a tubular box, particularly of polygonal cross section for dissipating impact energy in the event of longitudinal compression by plastic deformation, and comprising a guide element (FH) disposed parallel to the longitudinal direction of said profiled part (CR), which guide element is fixed to the end plate (AC) remote from the vehicle and is capable of sliding through a through opening (DL) in the end plate (AP) facing the vehicle, wherein the end plate (AP) facing the vehicle has a through opening (DL) which has a shape which permits contactless sliding of said guide element (FH) in the longitudinal direction and lateral inclination of said guide element relative to the longitudinal direction.