Fiber-Reinforced Curved Support Device for Rail Vehicle Force Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support devices for transmitting forces to coupling elements in rail-bound vehicles have long manufacturing and assembly times, are heavy due to metal construction, and inefficiently use space, leading to high costs and reduced adaptability to structural conditions.
Innovation Solution
A support device with a curved leg element and foot element made from a fiber-plastic composite, featuring a tubular design with varying cross-sectional shapes, allowing for efficient space use and adaptation to structural conditions, and incorporating a ring element for secure connections, reducing mass and assembly time while maintaining strength and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If support devices are assembled and welded in a differential construction using metal sheets and profiles, then the structural strength is ensured, but the manufacturing and assembly time increases and the mass becomes high
Solution Approach 1:
The support device is constructed using fiber-plastic composite materials instead of traditional metal sheets and profiles. This allows the device to achieve the required structural strength while significantly reducing manufacturing and assembly time, as the composite structure can be produced as integral components rather than requiring assembly and welding of multiple metal parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The support device integrates multiple functional elements (foot element, leg element, receiving element) into a unified composite structure. This merging of components eliminates the need for separate assembly and welding operations, reducing both manufacturing time and assembly time while maintaining structural integrity.
2Strength
If support devices are assembled and welded in a differential construction using metal sheets and profiles, then the structural strength is ensured, but the mass of the support device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support device is constructed using fiber-plastic composite materials instead of traditional metal sheets and profiles. This allows the device to achieve the required structural strength while significantly reducing manufacturing and assembly time, as the composite structure can be produced as integral components rather than requiring assembly and welding of multiple metal parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber-plastic composite material allows for optimized local properties throughout the support device structure. The material can be engineered to provide strength exactly where needed while minimizing mass in other areas, achieving an optimal balance between structural integrity and weight reduction.
3Ease of manufacture
If the support device is composed of relatively simply designed individual parts, then the manufacturing is easier, but the available space is used inefficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The support device integrates multiple functional elements (foot element, leg element, receiving element) into a unified composite structure. This merging of components eliminates the need for separate assembly and welding operations, reducing both manufacturing time and assembly time while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg element features a curved course that optimizes space utilization. This curved geometry allows the support device to adapt to the available space more effectively while maintaining structural strength, compared to straight or angular configurations of simple parts.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the leg element has a curved course, then the adaptability to structural conditions is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber-plastic composite material enables complex curved geometries like the curved leg element to be manufactured as integral components without requiring complex assembly processes. The material's inherent flexibility allows for curved shapes to be formed directly during manufacturing, eliminating the need for separate bending or shaping operations that would increase manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a supporting device (20) for transferring a force acting on a coupling element (12) to a railbound vehicle (1). The invention further relates to a railbound vehicle having a supporting device. The supporting device comprises a receiving element (22), which is designed to receive the coupling element (12), and a supporting element (30, 40), which is designed to support the receiving element (22). In order to improve the supporting device, the supporting element (30, 40) has a foot element, which is designed to be fixedly connected to the railbound vehicle (1), and a leg element, which runs from the foot element to the receiving element with a curved course. The supporting device (20) is produced, at least in large portions, from fiber-reinforced plastic. Carbon fibers are preferably used as the fibers in order to withstand the high forces that act.