Rail Vehicle Emergency Door Hinge Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Inward-opening front emergency doors on rail vehicles with inclined pivot axes face issues where the door end collides with the floor, requiring floor modification or increased door height, which are safety concerns, and existing counterweight mechanisms do not allow axis displacement, making them unsuitable.

Innovation Solution

A mechanical positive guide between hinge parts and a spring unit that exerts force against the door's weight, allowing the door to lift inward and adjust height, preventing floor collision and ensuring easy operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the emergency door opens inwards with an inclined pivot axis, then the door can be easily accessed from outside and space between vehicles is reduced, but the door end collides with the floor preventing opening

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility of emergency doorVSAvoidcollision of door end with floor
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The hinge mechanism incorporates a lifting component that adds vertical movement dimension to the door opening motion. As the door pivots inward, the lifting mechanism simultaneously raises the door end vertically, preventing collision with the floor while maintaining the inward-opening configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

A spring unit is introduced as an intermediary element between the door and the lifting mechanism. The spring provides the necessary lifting force to raise the door end during opening, mediating between the gravitational force pulling the door down and the mechanical lifting action preventing floor collision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the door weight is compensated to enable easy opening, then children and older people can operate it easily, but existing counterweight mechanisms do not allow axis displacement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of opening doorVSAvoiddisplacement along pivot axis
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges two separate functions into a single hinge mechanism: (1) the pivot function that allows the door to rotate open, and (2) the lifting function that displaces the door end along the pivot axis. This combined mechanism achieves both weight compensation for easy operation and the necessary displacement to prevent floor collision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

A spring unit is integrated into the hinge mechanism to provide upward lifting force that counteracts the door's weight. This anti-weight mechanism reduces the effort needed to open the door, making it accessible to children and older people, while simultaneously enabling the door end to displace vertically along the pivot axis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

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

Enables the inward-opening emergency door to function safely without floor modifications or increased height, ensuring easy access and operation by compensating the door's weight effectively.

Implementation Method 1

at least one spring unit is provided, which exerts a spring force on the emergency door directed against the weight of the emergency door

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring force: Spring

Data Source

PatentEP3696043B1Emergency door for a rail vehicle
Publication Date: 2022.09.21 EH HLDG GMBH
  • EP3696043B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3696043B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3696043B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

For an inward-opening emergency door of a rail vehicle, it is provided that at least one hinge (12, 13) is designed with a mechanical positive guidance between the fixed hinge part (20) and the movable hinge part (21), which, when pivoting about the pivot axis (11), displaces the movable hinge part (21) relative to the fixed hinge part (20) in the direction of the pivot axis (11) and at least one spring unit (30) is provided, which exerts a spring force (FF) on the emergency door (10) directed against the weight force (FG) of the emergency door (10).