Trough-Shaped Inner Floor for Rail Vehicle Water Leakage Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Leakage water from water-carrying modules in rail vehicle carriages can penetrate into the shell, leading to corrosion, which existing designs fail to adequately prevent.

Innovation Solution

A trough-shaped inner floor with a circumferential profile and watertight coating, combined with drip trays and drains, to contain and direct leakage water away from the shell, ensuring watertight seals and effective liquid management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a wooden floor is used in rail vehicle carriages, then the floor provides structural support and surface area, but leakage water from water-carrying modules can penetrate into the shell causing corrosion

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovewatertightnessVSAvoidcorrosion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The floor is divided into two functional parts: a load-bearing structural floor and a separate trough-shaped collection system. This segmentation allows the structural floor to maintain its support function while the collection system independently handles water containment, preventing water penetration into the shell and thus eliminating corrosion risks without compromising structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The trough-shaped collection system acts as an intermediary between the water-carrying modules and the shell. It intercepts leakage water before it can reach the shell, serving as a protective barrier that prevents direct contact between water and the shell structure, thereby preventing corrosion while allowing the wooden floor to maintain its structural role.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a trough-shaped inner floor is implemented to contain water, then water containment is improved, but the structural complexity of the floor increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater containmentVSAvoidfloor structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By separating the water containment function into an independent trough-shaped collection system that can be installed on top of the existing structural floor, the design avoids complex integrated structures. The collection system is a separate module with its own walls and drainage, simplifying the overall construction while maintaining effective water containment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The trough-shaped collection system utilizes the vertical dimension by extending walls upward from the floor surface to form containment chambers. This vertical extension creates effective water containment without requiring complex horizontal structures, as the walls rise to intercept water before it can spread across the floor surface.

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

3Reliability

If the trough-shaped inner floor is made watertight with coatings, then water penetration is prevented, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovewatertightnessVSAvoidmanufacturing process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using complex coated wooden floors, the design employs a trough-shaped collection system with walls that naturally contain water. The vertical walls act as physical barriers that prevent water penetration without requiring additional waterproof coatings or complex manufacturing processes, simplifying production while ensuring watertightness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The separation of the collection system from the structural floor allows each component to be manufactured independently with standard materials and processes. The collection system can be produced as a separate module with built-in watertight walls, avoiding the need for complex waterproofing treatments on the entire floor structure and thus reducing manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of operation

If drip trays and drains are added to manage leakage water, then water disposal is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliquid managementVSAvoiddrainage system
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The drainage function is merged into the trough-shaped collection system itself. The walls of the trough extend downward to form integrated drainage channels that collect and channel water directly away from the vehicle interior. This integration eliminates the need for separate drip trays and external drainage components, simplifying the overall system while maintaining effective liquid management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2819904B1Rail vehicle comprising a trough-shaped inner floor
Publication Date: 2018.11.14 SIEMENS MOBILITY GMBH
  • EP2819904B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2819904B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2819904B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a rail vehicle for passenger transport, comprising at least one carriage that has a trough-shaped inner floor section (2).