Inter-Car Fluid Junction Structure for Sealed Public Transport Bodies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing body structures for public transport vehicles, such as railway or road vehicles, face challenges in connecting successive boxes pneumatically or hydraulically, particularly in maintaining a sealed fluidic communication for pressurized gases, which is essential for efficient operation and integration of additional components like luggage racks and systems.
Innovation Solution
A body structure with a pneumatic or hydraulic junction device that allows sealed communication between adjacent vehicles by using a hollow tube with adapted ends for connection, featuring fixing sections and a complementary sleeve for secure attachment, enabling the distribution of pressurized fluids to systems like suspension and braking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a wall with integrated fluid passages is used to reduce bulk, then the volume of the vehicle body is reduced, but the complexity of connecting adjacent cars pneumatically or hydraulically increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into separate modular components: a connection element with fixing means attached to one vehicle, and a complementary receiving element on the adjacent vehicle. This segmentation allows independent installation and simplifies the overall connection complexity while maintaining the integrated passage design.
Solution Approach 2:
A hollow tube serves as an intermediary component that bridges the fluid passages between adjacent vehicles. The tube connects the open ends of the integrated passages, providing a simple mechanical and fluidic link that reduces connection complexity compared to direct integration.
2Reliability
If fixed sealing elements are used in the passage, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the adaptability to different connection positions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system transitions from fixed sealing elements to dynamic sealing lips that can move and adapt to different connection positions. The flexible sealing lip maintains contact with the mating surface while accommodating positional variations, thereby preserving sealing reliability across multiple connection scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing mechanism uses flexible materials that change their physical parameters (flexibility, contact pressure) based on the connection position. This allows the same sealing element to adapt to different mating surfaces while maintaining effective sealing, resolving the contradiction between fixed positioning and adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The body structure (16) includes a pneumatic or hydraulic junction device (30) suitable for making fluidic communication in a sealed manner between two cavities (20) of two adjacent cars, the pneumatic or hydraulic junction device (30) being formed by the open end (28) of each of the two cavities (20) having a shape adapted to receive a pneumatic or hydraulic connecting piece (32), and by said pneumatic or hydraulic connecting piece (32), the pneumatic or hydraulic connecting piece (32) comprising a hollow tube (36) extending between a first end (40) adapted to be connected to the open end (28) of one of the cavities (20) and a second end (42) adapted to be connected to a connecting tube.