Patent Application
20150191181
The present invention relates to a window profile for a rail vehicle. In particular, the present invention relates to a rail vehicle window profile, having window corners, a vertical stop frame, a first horizontal stop frame, a second horizontal stop frame, wherein the vertical stop frame comprises a profile which has a receiving region for an air-conditioning duct, for example.
Rail vehicles form complex multi component systems, the composition of materials and structural design of which is constrained by a large number of widely differing boundary conditions. Thus, the particular requirements on safety, reliability, functionality and, not least, also economy of technical implementation which arise in the rail vehicle construction sector represent a multilayered challenge which is encountered in this way only in attenuated form, if at all, in other vehicle construction sectors.
In rail vehicle construction, there are higher design requirements in the region of the window profiles as regards the load-bearing capacity, carriage body stiffness, space requirements and accuracy of fit to be provided in this region. Moreover, different functions must be performed in the region of the window, e.g. accommodating the window panes but also the air ducting for the supply and removal of air to and from the vehicle interior.
Hitherto, these functions have been provided by a plurality of different individual components connected to one another by various joining methods in order to meet the respective design pecifications. A simple, favorable, compact and integral solution for uniting different functions in one component in the window region of a rail vehicle is not yet known.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to indicate a window component for a rail vehicle which has enhanced integration of functions.
This object is achieved by claim 1. Specific embodiment of the invention are given in the dependent claims.
The invention provides a rail vehicle window profile, having window corners, a vertical stop frame, a first horizontal stop frame, a second horizontal stop frame, which is characterized in that the vertical stop frame comprises a profile which has a receiving region for an air-conditioning duct.
Through such an embodiment, according to the invention, of a window profile, the function of accommodating the window pane and carrying the inlet and/or exhaust air for the vehicle interior is advantageously combined in one component. On the one hand, this results in economic utilization of the available installation space and, on the other hand, weight savings can be achieved, these being advantageous given the current striving for lightweight construction of rail vehicles.
In the sense according to the invention, rail vehicles are vehicles which move on tracks comprising rails (section of rail track) arranged in pairs and/or in parallel. This category includes railroads, suburban rail services, subways, suspension railways, freight cars, passenger cars, locomotives, railcars and driving units, for example. Lightweight rail vehicles are rail vehicles.
According to the invention, provision is made here for a single- or multi-part, preferably extruded, vertical profile, which is incorporated structurally into the vehicle body shell to form the outer contour of the rail vehicle in the window region without additional paneling. In addition to the task of forming a lateral frame for receiving the window, the profile thereby also assumes structural tasks in terms of vehicle statics.
As a particularly preferred option, the profile is an extruded aluminum profile. This offers the advantage of material-saving manufacture with simultaneous optimization of the microstructure of the material, which contributes through its low relative density to further reducing the unladen weight of the vehicle. As a particularly preferred option, the profile material is an aluminum alloy of the type EN AW 6005 A.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the window corners to be provided on the window profile are integrally formed, with the result that at least the vertical stop frame and window corners are together formed in one piece. Here, integral formation can be accomplished, for example, by suitable mechanical machining methods, such as milling out.
According to another embodiment of the invention, provision can be made for at least the vertical stop frame and the window corners to be provided thereon to be manufactured from an organic sheet. In the sense according to the invention, an organic sheet is to be taken to mean a fiber composite material which represents a selective combination of two or more materials which enhances the properties of the individual components, e.g. a composite of high-strength fibers and a plastic. In this case, the fibers have a decisive influence on the properties of the composite material, e.g. on the strength and stiffness of the material. In particular, the term organic sheets should here be taken to mean “prepregs” based on thermoplastics. Prepregs, in turn, are semi finished products consisting of continuous fibers, which are introduced unidirectionally or as a woven fabric into the fiber composite. Suitable potential fibers here are glass or mineral fibers, aramid fibers or even carbon fibers, for example. Suitable thermoplastics for the production of corresponding organic sheets are polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polypropylene (PP), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyamide (PA) or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), for example.
In the receiving region, to be provided according to the invention, for an air-conditioning duct, such an air-conditioning duct can be introduced as a separate component, e.g. in the form of a plastic tube or the like. However, it is particularly preferred that the air-conditioning duct be an integral part of the vertical stop frame and that it be formed by the receiving region itself. Through such an integrative embodiment, it is advantageously possible to further reduce the installed weight. The connection stubs for the air-conditioning duct can be bonded into or onto the profile or the vertical stop frame as a component part, being composed of a fiber composite material for example.
According to another embodiment of the invention, provision can be made for the first horizontal stop frame to form a roof rounding profile and the second horizontal stop frame to form a longitudinal beam profile of the rail vehicle body. This design configuration offers high stiffness in respect of transverse roof vibrations and thus contributes to the ride comfort to be achieved and to passive vehicle safety. In particular, provision can be made here for the window corners to be adapted to match the loading in terms of their material thickness, and for the welded joint with the longitudinal profiles (roof rounding and longitudinal beam profile) to be in the region of relatively low stresses. Moreover, provision can be made for the material to be milled away between the window corners and for a frameless window to be inserted from the outside and bonded in flush with the outer skin.
In the case of the longitudinally extending profiles of the window profile according to the invention, i.e. the upper and lower horizontally extending stop frame, provision can furthermore be made for said profiles likewise to be extruded and to have press-fitted weld pool retainers and/or milled-out pockets to enable them to be connected more easily to the vertically extending profiles by means of conventional joining methods, such as welding. Provision can be made here for the wall thickness of the longitudinally extending profiles to be thickened only in the regions of high stress and to have a correspondingly reduced wall thickness in the regions of low stress. It is thereby possible to reduce the weight of the corresponding component in an advantageous manner.
According to another embodiment of the invention, provision can be made for the vertical stop frame to have an insulating region for receiving an insulating means. It is thereby possible to combine a further function, namely thermal insulation with respect to the exterior, in the window profile in an advantageous manner. In particular, provision can be made here for a thermoset foam or a metal foam to be introduced into the insulation region as an insulating means. Examples of suitable thermoset foams are rigid foams based on polyurethane, melamine resin or phenolic resin. Examples of suitable metal foams are aluminum, zinc, titanium or steel foams, among which aluminum foams are particularly preferred. One advantage of using metal foams lies in their high stability combined with low relative density, as a result of which they make a contribution to the improved statics of the body shell structure. At the same time, no fire risk factors are introduced into the body shell structure of the rail vehicle when using metal foams as an insulating means.
According to another embodiment of the invention, provision can be made for the vertical stop frame to have a reinforcing lip. In particular, provision can be made here for the reinforcing lip to be provided in the receiving region for the air-conditioning duct and thus to be provided in the direction of the interior of the rail vehicle. Providing a reinforcing lip increases the stability of the vertical stop frame, thereby enabling a further contribution to be made to the overall stability of the body shell structure.
The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to figures.
The preferably frameless window pane 190 is inserted into the window profile by means of a seal 191. Moreover, the profile has an air-conditioning duct 160, which is not inserted as a separate component but is formed by the profile, i.e. the vertical stop frame 120 itself. The profile has an insulating region 170, into which an insulating means 171 is introduced. If a metal foam, such as aluminum or titanium foam, is used as an insulating means 171, for example, this can advantageously make a further contribution to the bending stiffness of the profile by virtue of its mechanical properties.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2012 214 166.9 | Aug 2012 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2013/064910 | 7/15/2013 | WO | 00 |
