Patent Application
20060108310
The invention relates to an arrangement for the articulated connection of wagons of a multiple-element vehicle with the aid of a joint having spherical bearing faces.
A pivoting arrangement of the generic type for connecting wagons of a multiple-element rail vehicle has been disclosed previously in EP 0 559 635 B1. It comprises two axial pivoting bearings which are arranged concentrically inside one another, the outer axial pivoting bearing functioning as the main bearing and the inner axial pivoting bearing functioning as an anti-lifting means. In order that no constraining forces can be introduced into the system, it is necessary for the bearing centre points of the two bearings to coincide. As a result of the construction of this bearing arrangement, axial forces (spreading forces) are produced, in the event of radial loads, counter to the weight of the housing lying on top by the compression angle of the axial pivoting bearings used. In particular in the event of accidents, the weight of the wagon part lying on top is not sufficient to compensate for the axial lifting force (spreading force) which is oriented in the opposite direction. For this lifting case, the inner pivoting bearing has to prevent the inner ring of the main bearing from jumping out of the outer ring and the pivoting connection therefore being released. For this purpose, the shaft plate of the inner bearing is connected to the housing by means of bolts or screws. Depending on the bearing construction, these screws have to absorb continuous dynamic or static loads.
The disadvantages of a bearing arrangement which is configured according to the generic type lie in the following areas:
Similar bearing arrangements for the articulated connection of wagons of a multiple-element vehicle are described in DE 101 39 970 A1 and in WO 03/09265 A1. However, the abovementioned disadvantages apply here too, that is to say they consist of many individual constituent parts and require great accuracy in terms of manufacturing technology.
Although, in this context, applications of radial pivoting bearings in the coupling of vehicle units for rail vehicles are also known to the person skilled in the art, they differ substantially from the solution according to the invention. Thus, for example, DE 195 43 183 A1 describes a coupling between two railway wagons, which comprises a tie rod which is connected to one wagon and is held by an adjacent wagon. This is done in such a way that a connecting pin has a spherical outer face which is in turn held by a likewise curved bush. The bush is manufactured from an elastic material, with the result that the curved bush is deformed in the event of a pivoting movement of the tie rod in the horizontal direction. This in turn means that, in the strict sense, there is no radial pivoting bearing in which the two bearing rings can be pivoted with respect to one another without deformation. Moreover, this coupling is constructed in such a way that, via a connecting pin, a coupling fork passes through the curved bush which is arranged in the tie rod, the connecting pin being fixed in two fork cheeks which are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction. This means in turn that a connection of this type takes up a large amount of installation space in the axial direction.
Similar solutions, that is to say in which an elastic material is deformed in the event of the coupling fork and the coupling bracket pivoting, are apparent from DE 199 19 536 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,743. A likewise negative aspect is the complicated attachment to the connecting constructions, that is to say a coupling fork is connected to a coupling bracket, with the result that a large amount of installation space is required in the axial direction.
Proceeding from the disadvantages of the known prior art, the invention is based on the object of providing a pivoting connection which is composed of few constituent parts and can be manufactured simply.
According to the invention, this object is achieved according to the characterizing part of claim 1 in conjunction with its precharacterizing clause, in that the joint is configured as a radial pivoting bearing having an inner ring with a convexly curved spherical bearing face and an outer ring with a concavely curved spherical bearing face, the radial pivoting bearing being installed with a vertical bearing axis Z and the inner ring and the outer ring being held by in each case one connecting construction.
It is the object of the bearing according to the invention
Radial pivoting bearings of this type comprise only the inner ring and the outer ring, and can be acquired inexpensively on the market in different sizes. The bearing construction and thus likewise the associated connecting construction are thus simplified substantially. No joint-separating axial forces are induced in the system at high radial loads, as a result of the construction as a radial pivoting bearing. In the case of an axially divided radial pivoting bearing, the spreading forces are absorbed by the material of the outer ring, with the result that no additional elements are required to hold the bearing arrangement together. A further advantage of the bearing according to the invention is its reduced weight, a small installation space with a simultaneously high radial and axial load-bearing capability.
Advantageous embodiment variants of the pivoting-bearing arrangement are described in Subclaims 2 to 9.
It is thus apparent from claim 2 that a sliding layer is arranged between the inner ring and the outer ring, there being provision according to claim 3 for the said sliding layer to be composed of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and to be configured as a composite material, film or as a woven fabric.
The sliding layer makes the pivoting bearing maintenance-free. It forms in each case the sliding raceway, transmits the forces which occur and provides the lubrication. PTFE composite material, PTFE film and PTFE woven fabric are each more efficient than the previous material, that is to say PTFE woven fabric is the most efficient sliding layer. There will not be a detailed explanation at this point of the difference between the abovementioned PTFE sliding layers, as they are described in detail in the INA catalogue 236 “Gelenklager, Gleitbuchsen, Gelenkköpfe” [Pivoting bearings, sliding bushes, articulation heads] on pages 48, 49 and 50.
In accordance with a further feature according to claim 4, there is provision for the outer ring to be split. This is required in order for it to be possible to assemble the radial pivoting bearing at all. As a rule, the split join will be oriented axially, in order to absorb forces which act in the travelling direction reliably by the outer ring.
There is provision according to claim 5 for the radial pivoting bearing to be provided with a seal. This protects the bearing arrangement against the ingress of contaminants and is to be adapted to the operating and environmental conditions, although the radial mobility of the bearing and the corresponding pivoting angles are to be taken into consideration.
In accordance with a further different additional feature of the invention according to claim 6, there is provision for the radial pivoting bearing to be of asymmetric configuration, the inner ring and the outer ring being arranged offset with respect to one another in the direction of the bearing axis Z, and, in relation to a centre point of the inner ring, the inner ring protruding beyond the outer ring upwards in the direction of the positive bearing axis Z and the outer ring protruding beyond the inner ring in the axial direction downwards in the direction of the negative bearing axis Z.
This asymmetric configuration ensures that the bearing can be adapted to the respective load conditions. The outer ring which is extended downwards ensures that the bearing can absorb axial forces which are increased in this direction and are induced by the weight of the connecting construction lying on top.
Finally, the connection between the inner ring and the connecting construction and the connection between the outer ring and the connecting construction are described in claims 7 to 9.
There is provision according to claim 7 for the inner ring to be provided with a cylindrical journal which is held by an associated recess of the connecting construction, both parts being connected to one another by a fastening means.
Claim 8 describes how the inner ring is provided with a receptacle hole into which an associated journal of the connecting construction engages, and both parts are connected to one another by a fastening means.
Finally, claim 9 describes how the outer ring is held by a recess of the connecting construction and both parts are connected to one another by a fastening means.
The invention will be described in greater detail using the following exemplary embodiments.
In the drawings:
The radial pivoting bearing which is shown in
Furthermore, as can be seen from
The drawing in
Furthermore, it can be gathered from the figure that the pivoting angle β is specified in the exemplary embodiment at approximately 7°. Here, pivoting angle is to be understood as a reversing relative movement of the two bearing rings 2, 3 with respect to one another about the bearing axis Z. In concrete terms, this means that, in the present case, the two connecting constructions 5, 6 can be pivoted with respect to one another by approximately 7° without touching one another.
Finally, the drawing in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2004 050 006.1 | Oct 2004 | DE | national |
