WATER RESERVOIR CONTAINER FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

A water reservoir container intended to be installed in the roof region of a vehicle, is generally cylindrically symmetrical and has an at least partially curved circumferential surface and two end faces adapted to the dimensions of the circumferential surface. At least two mutually opposite fastening brackets are attached to the circumferential surface of the water reservoir container in order to install the water reservoir container in the roof region of the vehicle.

Description

The invention relates to a water reservoir container for mounting in the roof region of a vehicle, in particular rail vehicle, said water reservoir container generally being of cylindrically symmetrical form.

Such a water reservoir container is used in vehicles of all types, such as trains, aircraft and ships, and is part of a water supply system for the respective vehicle. Various consumers which are present on the vehicle are supplied with water from the water reservoir container. Such consumers are, for example, a WC, a hand wash basin, a food preparation facility, a dishwasher, etc, the delivery of water taking place in each case via suitable pipelines.

In light of the limited capacity of a water reservoir container, this regularly has to be filled up with water so as to be constantly available to the connected consumers.

Water reservoir containers used hitherto in vehicles are of cylindrically symmetrical form and have a rectangular base. The result of this is that, for new projects, the design of water containers has to be adapted to these in each case. Examples of vehicles equipped in this way are: ICE T, ICE 3, Velaro E, Velaro RUS and Velaro CRH3.

Proceeding from this, the object on which the invention is based is to specify a water reservoir container for mounting in the roof region of a vehicle, which water reservoir container can be used in many different vehicles at low outlay in terms of adaptation. In the water reservoir container initially mentioned, this object is achieved in that it has an at least partially curved circumferential face and two end faces adapted to the dimensions of the circumferential face, at least two mutually opposite fastening brackets for mounting the water reservoir container in the roof region of the vehicle being attached to a circumferential face of the water reservoir container.

The at least partially curved circumferential face has the effect that, for example in curved high roofs in the rail vehicle sector, the water reservoir container can beneficially utilize the space available in the roof region. This is the case particularly when the curved part of the circumferential face is adapted to a curvature of the roof in the installation region.

The at least two fastening brackets provided enable the water reservoir container to be used in various forms of vehicle. In at least the predominant number of cases, it will be possible to carry out on the vehicle side adaptations such that mounting with the aid of the fastening brackets is possible. The fastening brackets may otherwise even be modified, if required.

To utilize the space available in the roof region of a vehicle, it may be beneficial if the base of the water reservoir container is of essentially elliptic form. In this case, the water reservoir container will be arranged in the roof region in such a way that its largest diameter is arranged essentially horizontally with respect to the vehicle. The circumferential face of the water reservoir container can thereby be adapted beneficially to the shape of the roof, for example in so far as the vehicle is a version with a high roof. The water reservoir container may have a peripheral margin for support in the roof region of the vehicle. This refers particularly to the use of the water reservoir container on flat roofs. In so far as these are provided with a suitably dimensioned pressed cutout, the water reservoir container can be embedded into this cutout and is supported on the roof of the vehicle. Fastening of the water reservoir container additionally takes place with the aid of the fastening brackets.

Advantageously, the water reservoir container is designed to be self supporting. This means that, for mounting purposes, any material reinforcements on the water reservoir container may be dispensed with. Its mounting in the roof region of the vehicle can be carried out solely with the aid of the fastening brackets.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view of a roof region of a rail vehicle with an installed water reservoir container in a high roof version,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a water reservoir container for installation in a rail vehicle in a flat roof version, and

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of a water reservoir container for installation in a rail vehicle in a high roof version.

The water reservoir containers 1, 2, 3 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 have in common in each case the fact that they are cylindrically symmetrical and have an essentially elliptic base. The water reservoir containers 1, 2, 3 are in each case end faces S which are adapted in each case to the dimensions of the water reservoir container 1, 2, 3 in its inner region.

FIG. 1 shows the water reservoir container 1 in the installed state, specifically in the roof region of a rail vehicle in a high roof version. It can be seen that a circumferential face U of the water reservoir container 1 is curved at least in its region facing the roof 4. This curvature is selected such that the construction space inside the roof 4 can be utilized as efficiently as possible. At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that the form of construction of the water reservoir container 1, 2, 3 is such that a self supporting structure is obtained. This ensures that the water reservoir container 1, 2, 3 can be used not only on a special type of vehicle, but, for example, throughout an entire fleet or else in different vehicle series, with only insignificant adaptation work needed.

This adaptation work refers primarily to enabling the water reservoir container 1, 2, 3 to be mounted in the roof region of a respective rail vehicle. For this purpose, fastening brackets 5, 6, 7 are provided which are arranged horizontally and opposite one another on the respective water reservoir container 1, 2, 3 and are in each case welded to a basic body of the water reservoir container 1, 2, 3 from outside. The fastening brackets lie in the region of the largest diameter of the water reservoir container 1, 2, 3.

It should be emphasized that FIG. 1 shows the water reservoir container 1 for a high roof version of a rail vehicle, the water reservoir container 1 being arranged between the roof 4 and an internal ceiling 8. The fastening brackets 4 are in this case supported on longitudinal roof beams 9 of the rail vehicle; these being the sole supports for the water reservoir container 1. FIG. 2 shows the water reservoir container 2 for use on a rail vehicle in a flat roof version. Here, as compared with the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 3, an additional peripheral margin 10 is provided. The water reservoir container 2 is inserted into a correspondingly dimensioned cutout in the flat roof of the rail vehicle, the margin 10 then being supported on the respective roof portion.

The water reservoir containers 1 and 2 are designed in each case for a two-day filling cycle, the water reservoir container 3 according to FIG. 3 being intended for a one day filling cycle. To that extent, the water reservoir containers 1, 2, on the one hand, and the water reservoir container 3, on the other hand, differ from one another in their holding capacity for fresh water.

Claims

1-4. (canceled)

5. A water reservoir container for mounting in a roof region of a vehicle, the water reservoir container comprising: a generally cylindrically symmetrical shape;an at least partially curved circumferential surface having dimensions;two end faces adapted to said dimensions of said circumferential surface; andat least two mutually opposite fastening brackets attached to said circumferential surface and configured to mount the water reservoir container in the roof region of the vehicle.

6. The water reservoir container according to claim 5, which further comprises a base having a substantially elliptical shape.

7. The water reservoir container according to claim 5, which further comprises a peripheral margin configured to support the water reservoir container in the roof region of the vehicle.

8. The water reservoir container according to claim 5, wherein the water reservoir container is constructed to be self-supporting.