Vertical Damping Device for Articulated Bus Joint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle joints for articulated buses require significant lateral space for horizontal damping devices, limiting their efficiency and usability.
Innovation Solution
A vertically oriented damping device, incorporating a hydraulic cylinder or nut-spindle combination, is integrated into the vehicle joint, allowing for compact installation above or below the joint's center of rotation, eliminating the need for lateral space and providing direct rotational damping without a lateral lever arm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a horizontal damping device is installed laterally next to the vehicle joint, then damping function is provided, but a relatively large amount of lateral space is required
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device is reoriented from horizontal lateral installation to vertical installation above/below the vehicle joint. The damping cylinder and nut-spindle combination are arranged vertically along the articulation axis, transforming the space requirement from lateral horizontal dimension to vertical dimension, thereby freeing up lateral space while maintaining damping functionality
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of installing the damping device horizontally next to the joint as in conventional designs, the invention inverts the installation orientation to vertical, with the damping cylinder positioned above or below the center of rotation. This inversion eliminates the need for lateral lever arms and movable parts, directly damping rotation at the joint center
2Reliability
If a lateral lever arm is used for damping, then damping function is achieved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the lateral lever arm and lateral movable parts from the damping mechanism. By positioning the damping cylinder and nut-spindle combination vertically at the joint center, the design removes unnecessary lateral components while retaining the essential damping function through direct rotational damping
Solution Approach 2:
The vertically oriented damping device serves multiple functions: it provides damping action directly at the joint center, eliminates the need for separate lateral lever arms, and allows for compact integration within the existing joint structure. The same hydraulic cylinder and valve device accomplish both support and damping functions
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
This configuration reduces space requirements, enhances damping efficiency with linear damping pressure at constant angular velocity, and allows for compact, space-saving design without lateral movable parts, optimizing the use of space around the vehicle joint.
Implementation Method 1
The damping device consists of a damping cylinder that can be moved linearly and is installed horizontally and next to the vehicle joint
Implementation Method 2
The valve device can, for. B. be designed as a throttle valve. The valve device can also include at least one proportional valve and/or be designed for preferably stepless adjustment of the damping characteristics of the damping device
Implementation Method 3
The damping device can include a nut-spindle combination. The nut-spindle combination is suitably housed in the hydraulic cylinder
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle joint 1 for rotatably connecting two vehicle parts 2.1, 2.2, preferably on a front and a rear section of an articulated bus 2. The vehicle joint 1 comprises a damping device 3 for damping rotational movements between the two vehicle parts 2.1, 2.2. The damping device 3 is designed as a vertically operating damping device 3.