GLAZING FOR A RAIL VEHICLE

Abstract

A glazing for a rail vehicle includes at least two panes which are mutually spaced apart and disposed one above the other. One pane is made of a safety glass and the other pane is made of a plastic. The two panes are connected to each other by elastic spacers.

Description

The invention relates to a glazing for a rail vehicle, said glazing having at least two panes which are spaced at a distance from one another and arranged above one another.

Glazing for rail vehicles in various embodiments is known in the state of the art. Depending on a requirements profile applicable in each case, toughened safety glass, laminated safety glass, pressure-tight, sound-insulated or double-glazed systems are used. Double glazing has prevailed in particular for high-speed vehicles. Here, the two panes used are made in each case of laminated safety glass, with either air or a gas, which improves the insulating-glass properties of this glazing, being situated between the individual panes.

On account of the multiplicity of requirements which have to be met in relation to acoustic and thermal properties and also required strength, such glazing is comparatively heavy. Moreover, even when using laminated safety glass, there is a considerable risk that windows may be destroyed by vandalism.

Indeed, in the state of the art plastic glazing, which is typically present in the form of a single pane, is also known. Such glazing is, however, considered to be problematic with a view to different coefficients of thermal expansion between plastic and body shell, fire-retardant properties, service life on account of UV radiation, and exposure to sand. Reservations arise also with a view to permissible bending of plastic glazing during operational use.

Proceeding from here, the invention is based on the object of further developing the glazing mentioned at the outset, such that lighter and more crash-resistant windows are achieved for rail vehicles.

This object is achieved in that the one pane of the glazing is made of a safety glass and the other pane is made of a plastic, the two panes being connected to one another by elastic spacers. Here, typically the pane made of safety glass is used on an inner side of a rail vehicle equipped with the glazing, whereas the pane made of plastic is on the outside. On account of this configuration of the glazing with one glass pane and one plastic pane, a reduced weight of the glazing results. The pane made of safety glass, which typically is on the inside, offers a required scratch resistance in the case of the impact of vandalism, whereas the outer pane in a weight-saving manner consists of plastic.

The one pane of the glazing may be made of, for example, a toughened safety glass or a laminated safety glass. The other pane, which typically will be present on the outside of the vehicle, is made from a thermoplastic molding composition. Examples of materials are acrylic glass or Makrolon®.

The plastic pane may, on its side facing toward the outside, be provided with a scratch-resistant layer in order to bring about a resistance to vandalism also here.

The elastic spacers make it possible to take account of the differing coefficients of thermal expansion of the materials from which the at least two panes are made. The spacers are preferably made of a thermoplastic resin.

Overall, weight advantages result for the glazing in comparison to the state of the art, since the density of plastic is significantly lower in comparison to glass. Since plastics have a significantly higher tenacity than glass, which rather displays a brittle behavior, the risk of destruction is lower.

The altogether increased resistance of the glazing against vandalism enables a higher operational availability of the rail vehicles equipped with the glazing.

By way of example, an exemplary embodiment is described in more detail by means of the drawing. The only FIGURE shows a portion of a glazing for installation in a rail vehicle in a cross-sectional view.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the FIGURE, an inner side of a glazing, in relation to a rail vehicle, is formed by a laminated glass pane V, which itself is constructed from two individual panes V1, V2 which are arranged at a distance from one another.

An outer side of the glazing is made of a plastic pane K which is, for example, made of Makrolon® or acrylic glass. The plastic pane K is positioned in relation to the laminated glass pane V by a spacer A. The spacer A is made of an elastic material, typically a thermoplastic resin, such that it can compensate differing thermal expansions of the plastic pane K and the laminated glass pane V.

In exemplary embodiments which are not illustrated by drawings, the plastic pane K may also be provided with a scratch-resistant layer on its outer side. It is likewise possible for the inner pane of glass to be made of a toughened safety glass. Spacers which are of the same type as the spacer A are situated all the way around the window. The space between the plastic pane K and the laminated glass pane V may be filled with air or another gas.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. A glazing for a rail vehicle, the glazing comprising: at least two panes spaced at a distance from one another and disposed on top of one another;one of said panes being made of a safety glass and another of said panes being made of a plastic; andelastic spacers interconnecting said at least two panes.

9. The glazing according to claim 8, wherein said safety glass of said one pane is a toughened or single-thickness safety glass.

10. The glazing according to claim 8, wherein said safety glass of said one pane is a laminated safety glass.

11. The glazing according to claim 8, wherein said plastic of said other pane is a thermoplastic molding composition.

12. The glazing according to claim 8, wherein said plastic of said other pane is acrylic glass.

13. The glazing according to claim 8, which further comprises an outside, an inside, and a scratch-resistant layer disposed on a side of said other pane facing toward said outside.

14. The glazing according to claim 8, wherein said elastic spacers are made of a thermoplastic resin having a composition compensating for differing thermal expansions of said at least two panes.