Elastic Intermediate Plate for Rail Tilting Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rail fastening systems face challenges in preventing excessive tilting of rails under dynamic loads, particularly when subjected to both vertical and horizontal forces, leading to potential damage and track width changes.
Innovation Solution
An elastic intermediate plate formed by two layers of different rigidities, where one layer projects laterally to provide additional support during tilting, ensuring uniform load distribution and preventing sudden movements, is used between the rail and the surface, allowing for adjustable rigidity to optimize support against tilting and vertical displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single-layer elastic intermediate plate is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot provide sufficient support against both vertical displacement and tilting simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic intermediate plate is divided into multiple layers with different rigidity characteristics. The first layer has higher rigidity to resist tilting forces, while the second layer has lower rigidity to accommodate vertical displacement. This segmentation allows each layer to specialize in resisting specific方向的 forces, thereby improving overall support stability without significantly complicating manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure consisting of at least two elastic layers with different rigidity values. This composite material approach enables the intermediate plate to exhibit both stiff and flexible characteristics simultaneously, providing enhanced reliability for preventing both tilting and vertical displacement while maintaining reasonable manufacturing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the intermediate plate is made uniformly elastic, then it allows vertical displacement but cannot effectively prevent excessive tilting under dynamic loads
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the intermediate plate are assigned different rigidity properties. The first elastic layer, positioned to counteract tilting moments, has higher rigidity for anti-tilting stability. The second elastic layer allows vertical displacement with lower rigidity. This local differentiation of material properties enables the plate to simultaneously provide vertical compliance and anti-tilting stability.
Solution Approach 2:
By combining elastic layers with different rigidity characteristics, the intermediate plate achieves a composite structure that provides both vertical adaptability and anti-tilting stability. The first layer's higher rigidity prevents excessive tilting, while the second layer's lower rigidity permits controlled vertical displacement, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and stability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If stops are provided to prevent tilting, then anti-tilting support is improved, but the complexity of the fastening system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-tilting function traditionally provided by separate stops is merged into the elastic intermediate plate itself through the first rigid layer. This integration eliminates the need for additional stop components, reducing fastening system complexity while maintaining anti-tilting stability. The first elastic layer acts as both a structural support and a tilting restraint mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The first elastic layer serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, prevents excessive tilting, and distributes loads. This multi-functionality replaces what would otherwise require separate dedicated components like stops, thereby improving anti-tilting stability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the intermediate plate has high overall stiffness, then it prevents tilting effectively, but it increases the elastic resistance during vertical sinking of the rail
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate plate employs local quality differentiation where the first layer has higher rigidity specifically positioned to resist tilting forces, while the second layer maintains lower rigidity to allow vertical displacement with reduced elastic resistance. This localized stiffness distribution enables effective anti-tilting support without uniformly increasing the force required for vertical sinking.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the intermediate plate into layers with different rigidity values, the patent enables the first layer to handle tilting forces while the second layer accommodates vertical movement. This segmentation separates the functions of anti-tilting stability and vertical compliance, allowing the system to achieve anti-tilting stability without proportionally increasing overall elastic resistance to vertical sinking.
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 secures the rail against excessive tilting, maintains track stability, and minimizes changes in track width by providing consistent elastic support throughout the tilting movement, thus enhancing the durability and performance of the rail fastening system.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate plate is elastically flexible in the direction of its total thickness... enables a defined elastic compliance of the rail in the direction of gravity... The first elastic layer has a first stiffness and the second elastic layer has a second stiffness
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
An intermediate plate that is elastically resilient in the direction of its overall thickness (D22) and intended for supporting a rail (S) for a rail vehicle on an underlying surface (U), wherein the intermediate plate (7a, 7b) has, on at least one of its longitudinal sides, a longitudinal side portion (16, 17; 23, 24) that projects laterally with respect to a central portion of the intermediate plate (7a, 7b) and that has a thickness (DI) that is less than the overall thickness (D22) of the intermediate plate (7a, 7b). In order for such an intermediate plate to be able to be produced in a simplified manner while having optimized use properties, an intermediate plate (7a, 7b) is formed by at least two superposed elastic layers (15a, 15b; 22a, 22b), of which the first layer has a first stiffness and the second layer has a second stiffness. At the same time, the longitudinal side portion (16, 17; 23, 24) of the intermediate plate (7a, 7b) is formed by a portion of the first elastic layer (15a, 22a) that projects beyond the respective longitudinal edge of the second elastic layer (15b, 22b), and the central region of the intermediate plate (7a, 7b) is jointly formed by the second elastic layer (15b, 22b) and the portion of the first elastic layer (15a, 22a) that is covered by the second elastic layer (15b, 22b).