TRACTION HEAD PART

Abstract

A traction head part includes a cabin which has a floor region, a roof and two side walls which extend between the floor region and the roof. The side walls each have an A-pillar on the head end thereof which is held on the floor region. One longitudinal member extends into the side walls from each A-pillar. The unit formed of the A-pillar and the longitudinal members is constructed to absorb and direct forces into the cabin in the case of a crash.

Description

The invention relates to a traction head part having a cabin comprising a floor region, a roof and two side walls which extend between the floor region and the roof.

The traction head part corresponds, for example, to a head of a train driving unit, a control vehicle or even a locomotive. Accordingly, the cabin may be configured as a train driver's cabin, passenger cabin or as a combination thereof. The traction head part may additionally comprise a rail drive.

In the prior art, the traction head part generally comprises a body shell structure to which an outer shell which provides the shape is attached. In this case, the body shell structure and the outer shell are separated in terms of construction. The body shell structure undertakes the absorption of static loads as well as crash loads, whereas the outer shell is the principal provider of the design and the definitive aerodynamic design feature. The body shell structure generally consists of welded steel/aluminum elements and the outer shell is molded from glass fiber-reinforced plastic materials. The outer shell is bonded or screwed to the body shell structure.

A drawback with such a traction head part is that the traction head part comprises two substantially independent structures which have separate functional tasks. As a result, the design of the cabin is restricted and the space thereof reduced. The weight of the traction head part, in particular of the cabin, is increased and the assembly made more difficult. Moreover, the requirements for strength in the event of a collision have to be met.

Proceeding from a traction head part of the type mentioned in the introduction, it is the object of the present invention, therefore, to improve said traction head part from a technical point of view such that the forces occurring in the event of a crash may be reliably absorbed and the cabin and the traction head part may be assembled in a simple manner and the cabin has a large internal volume.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a traction head part of the type mentioned above which has the features set forth in claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the traction head part according to the invention form the subject matter of the sub-claims.

According to the invention, therefore, a traction head part is specified, having a cabin which comprises a floor region, a roof and two side walls which extend between the floor region and the roof. The side walls on the head end thereof in each case comprise an A-pillar which is retained on the floor region. One respective longitudinal member extends into the side walls from each A-pillar, wherein the unit consisting of the A-pillar and the longitudinal member is designed to absorb and direct forces into the cabin in the event of a crash.

In other words, in each case a unit consisting of the A-pillar and a longitudinal member is formed in the side walls of the traction head part, said unit diverting forces into the cabin in the event of a collision. As a result, the cabin may absorb forces and increase the strength of the traction head part. The head end of the traction head part relates to the end which faces away from the train. The A-pillar viewed from the head end is the first pillar which extends upwardly from the floor region. The longitudinal member extends in the side wall. Preferably, the longitudinal member is an integral component of the side wall. Further preferably, the A-pillar and/or the longitudinal member are manufactured from aluminum or steel.

The disclosed traction head part has the advantage that in each case a side wall is formed which as a whole is suitable for absorbing forces occurring in the event of a crash and for diverting said forces into the cabin. Thus the cabin as a whole contributes to increasing the safety in the event of a collision. Additionally, the useable internal volume of the traction head part may be increased whilst maintaining the external dimensions. By the design of the side walls with the A-pillar and the longitudinal member, a simple construction for the side walls is provided, whereby the number of structural elements required is small and the weight and costs may be reduced.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that the longitudinal members form an upper edge of the respective side wall. Thus, in the event of a collision, the forces may be diverted into the roof of the cabin irrespective of the height of an impact point, so that the forces may be distributed over a large area of the cabin. Additionally, the cabin is stabilized in terms of its height so that people located in the cabin are protected in the event of a collision.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that the cabin is self-supporting. “Self-supporting” in this case means that the wall panels of the cabin are designed and connected together such that they increase the strength of the cabin. For example, the wall panels may be connected by being welded to the floor region, the A-pillar and/or the longitudinal member, so that a load-bearing connection is produced. The embodiments accordingly apply to the roof panels. The wall panels and/or roof panels are preferably manufactured from aluminum or steel. The thickness of the panels is preferably selected such that the panels may be easily assembled and may contribute to the strength of the cabin. As a result, the external shell is also able to absorb forces in the event of a collision and to divert said forces into the overall structure. As a result, the safety is further increased in the case of a collision.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that in each case the side walls comprise at least one further pillar and the longitudinal member is connected in each case to the at least one further pillar. The at least one further pillar improves the stability of the respective side wall and facilitates the attachment of wall panels. The wall panels are preferably fastened in each case to two pillars so that they additionally increase the stability of the traction head part, in particular in the longitudinal direction.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that the longitudinal member is designed in multiple parts and in each case at least one part of the longitudinal member extends between two pillars. Preferably, the longitudinal member with its two ends bears in each case against a pillar so that forces may be easily transmitted between said components.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that the longitudinal member is designed as a profiled support. By means of the profile, the stability of the longitudinal member is increased, in particular in the longitudinal direction thereof. At the same time, the weight of the longitudinal member may be low.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that the roof comprises at least one crossmember which is retained by its ends on the two longitudinal members. The crossmember effects a transverse reinforcement of the cabin which may be relevant, for example, in the case of the traction head part overturning. In addition, forces which act on only one of the A-pillars may be transmitted by the crossmember partially into the respective other side wall, in particular into the longitudinal member of the other side wall and thus uniformly directed into the cabin.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that at least two further pillars and one crossmember are connected together. A support arc which stabilizes the cross section of the cabin is produced. By means of the support arc the stability of the cabin may be increased in various ways by mounting a component as described above. Thus the use of the support arc is very efficient for mounting the cabin and the traction head part.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that the longitudinal members in each case have a curved shape and extend upwardly from the A-pillar. The curved shape is advantageous as, on the one hand, it permits an aerodynamic design of the traction head part and, on the other hand, is well suited to absorbing forces in the event of a collision.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that the longitudinal member in each case is designed integrally with at least one wall panel and/or one roof panel. As a result, a stable structural unit is formed to which further wall panels and/or roof panels may be easily fastened. The longitudinal member with the at least one wall panel and/or roof panel thus forms, on the one hand, a supporting structure which substantially contributes to the stability of the traction head part, in particular in the event of a collision. On the other hand, the structural unit thus formed creates the outer shape of the traction head part without additional components being necessary to provide the shape in this region.

According to a preferred embodiment, the traction head part is configured such that the cabin is formed as a welded unit. The cabin may be formed in a simple manner by means of the welding and at the same time have a high degree of stability. The A-pillar, longitudinal members and, if present, side panels, roof panels, further pillars and crossmembers may therefore form a stable unit as a whole.

The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which it is achieved will become clearer and more comprehensible in association with the following description of the exemplary embodiments which are described in more detail in combination with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a traction head part according to a first embodiment in a lateral view of the head side, and

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the traction head part of FIG. 1 in a lateral view from the direction of its side opposing the head side.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a traction head part 1 according to a preferred embodiment. The traction head part 1 comprises a cabin 3 which comprises a floor region 5, a roof 7 and two side walls 9 which extend between the floor region 5 and the roof 7.

The side walls 9 have at the head end 11 of the traction head part 1 in each case an A-pillar 13 and, spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, further pillars 15a, 15b which are retained on the floor region 5 and in position have a different height relative to the height of the side wall. In each case a longitudinal member 17 extends into the side walls 9 from the A-pillar 13, wherein the longitudinal members 17 have a curved shape in which they extend upwardly from the A-pillar 13. In this case, the longitudinal members 17 form an upper edge of the respective side wall 9. The longitudinal member 17 is connected to the further pillars 15a, 15b. The longitudinal member 17 is thus an integral component of the side wall 9.

As may be seen in FIG. 2, the longitudinal member 17 in each case is designed as a multipart profiled support with an individual support 17a, 17b on the head side and to the rear, which form two parts of the longitudinal member 17. The individual support 17a on the head side extends between the A-pillar 13 and a further pillar 15a which is designed as a high pillar and bears with its two ends thereagainst. The remaining pillars 15b which are designed to be correspondingly lower are connected to the individual supports 17a, 17b in a central region of the individual supports 17a, 17b.

The roof 7 comprises a crossmember 19a, 19b on the head side and at the rear. The rear crossmember 19b is retained by its ends on the two rear individual supports 17b, whilst the crossmember 19a on the head side is connected to the higher pillar 15a and forms therewith a support arc 21.

As may be seen further in the figures, the side walls 9 and the roof 7 in each case form a plurality of wall panels and/or roof panels 23, 25. The wall panels and roof panels 23, 25 in each case are attached to two pillars 13, 15a, 15b and/or crossmembers 19a, 19b. As may be seen on the wall panels 23, said wall panels partially span a plurality of pillars 15a, 15b, wherein they are also fastened to the spanned pillars 15a, 15b.

The A-pillar 13, longitudinal members 17, crossmembers 19a, 19b as well as wall panels and roof panels 23, 25 are manufactured in this exemplary embodiment from aluminum and welded together so that the cabin 3 is configured as a welded unit. As a result, the cabin 3 is self-supporting, so that the wall panels and roof panels 23, 25 increase the strength of the cabin 3.

The A-pillar 13 and the longitudinal members 15 are in this case designed so that together they absorb and direct forces into the cabin 3 in the case of a crash. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the A-pillars 13, longitudinal members 17, crossmembers 19a, 19b as well as the wall panels and roof panels 23, 25 are manufactured from aluminum.

Although in detail the invention has been illustrated and described more fully by the preferred embodiment, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples. Other variants may be derived therefrom by the person skilled in the art without departing from the protected scope of the invention.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A traction head part, comprising: a cabin having a floor region, a roof and two side walls extended between said floor region and said roof;said side walls each having a head end and a respective A-pillar disposed at said head end and retained on said floor region;longitudinal members each extended from a respective one of said A-pillars into a respective one of said side walls; andsaid A-pillars and said longitudinal members forming a unit constructed to absorb and direct forces into said cabin in the event of a crash.

13. The traction head part according to claim 12, wherein said longitudinal members each form an upper edge of a respective one of side walls.

14. The traction head part according to claim 12, wherein said cabin is self-supporting.

15. The traction head part according to claim 12, wherein each of said side walls has at least one respective further pillar and each of said longitudinal members is connected to said at least one respective further pillar.

16. The traction head part according to claim 15, wherein said longitudinal members are constructed in multiple parts and at least one of said multiple parts of each of said longitudinal members extends between two pillars.

17. The traction head part according to claim 12, wherein said longitudinal members are constructed as profiled supports.

18. The traction head part according to claim 12, wherein said roof includes at least one crossmember having ends retained on said longitudinal members.

19. The traction head part according to claim 12, wherein: each of said side walls has at least one respective further pillar;each of said longitudinal members is connected to said at least one respective further pillar;said roof includes at least one crossmember having ends retained on said longitudinal members; andat least two of said further pillars and one crossmember are connected together.

20. The traction head part according to claim 12, wherein said longitudinal members each have a curved shape and extend upwardly from a respective one of said A-pillars.

21. The traction head part according to claim 12, wherein said side walls each have at least one wall panel, and said longitudinal members are each constructed integrally with at least one of said at least one wall panel or said roof.

22. The traction head part according to claim 12, wherein said cabin is constructed as a welded unit.