Railway rolling stock – Trains – Vestibule connections
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-05
2001-03-06
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railway rolling stock
Trains
Vestibule connections
C105S003000, C105S008100, C105S015000, C280S403000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196132
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a bellows of a connecting corridor between two hinge-linked vehicles or vehicle parts, whereas the bellows is provided with several bellows elements connected together, whereas each bellows element is showing two opposite legs in the initial state of the bellows.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
A bellows of the type mentioned above is component part of the connecting corridor between two hinge-linked vehicles or vehicle parts, for example of an articulated bus, whereas the connecting corridor does not only comprise the bellows but also an intercommunicating gangway, having for example the aspect of an articulated gangway. Depending on the requirements, the bellows may be designed as an expansion bellows or as a concertina bellows. Such a bellows consists in individual folds or bends standing in interconnection with each other and having the structure of an accordion. Thanks to this structure, they are able to yield to all occurring travelling motions of the vehicles, and more particularly in curves and to swaying and nodding movements.
DE-A1 4127 535 discloses an expansion bellows having between its individual folds elastic distance pieces whose function it is to bring the bellows back into its initial position after a curve.
DE-A1 4138 922 describes the bellows of a connection cover that is characterized by additional stiffening means in order to invest the bellows altogether with a higher stability.
DE-GM 1964739 describes a fire-resisting bellows, whereas the bellows is provided with a coating made of polychloroprene.
DE-A 1057 639 discloses a multi-layer wall of a connecting corridor that improves the thermal insulation and the silencing.
DE-C2 2457 634 discloses a cover for a connecting corridor made of individual swellings which have to constitute, on the outer side of the vehicle, an essentially smooth surface. The surface of the individual swellings may hereby be divided on the outer side, in order to facilitate the deformation of the swellings during corresponding travelling motions of the vehicles. The function of the swellings is to improve thermal insulation and silencing as compared with a usual bellows. The disadvantage is that, due to the division of the swellings in the outer area, dirt may accumulate very fast in the swellings. This accelerates the destruction of the bellows.
Another known procedure is to provide particularly fast trains with a so-called double concertina bellows (EPA1 544 203), in order to screen the connecting corridor against noises coming from outside. Such a double concertina bellows essentially consists in two bellows radially arranged one behind the other. Such a double concertina bellows requires quite a lot of space, whereas so much space is not very often at disposal, all the more if the clear corridor between two vehicles that is covered by the bellows has to be as big as possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a bellows of the type mentioned above that presents a quality in thermal insulation as well as in silencing equalling that of a double concertina bellows, but that requires less space.
The solution of the present invention is to provide, for additional thermal insulation and silencing, each of the two opposite legs of a bellows element on their inner side with at least one strap-joint provided with a coated tissue, whereas the two strap-joints are overlapping. Thanks to one or two such strap-joints that are fitting snugly to the inner wall of the bellows element when the bellows is in its initial state or that are minimally spaced from the inner wall of the bellows element, silencing is achieved together with simultaneously increased thermal insulation values. Such a strap-joint is planiform. It extends at least over the height of the bellows, that is over its side wall area, but preferably over the complete inner circumference, that is over the side wall area and over the ceiling area. The initial state of the bellows describes the position the bellows is occupying when resting, that is when the bellows is neither expanded nor contracted. The length of the strap-joint is calculated so that, even if the bellows is expanded, that is when the legs of the bellows element are no more facing each other, the strap-joint is still covering in width the major part of the bellows element. The strap-joints are hereby advantageously arranged in the area of the bow of the bellows element in order not to hinder the deformation capacity of the bellows, particularly when driving curves.
According to a particularly advantageous feature of the invention, the strap-joint is provided with a coating having preferably the design of an insulating layer, whereas said insulating layer may be sewed or glued on. Thanks to its relatively high volume weight, such a coating, preferably made of silicone foam, not only ensures a good silencing but also a very good thermal insulation.
In order to prevent the coating from eroding because of the relative motion of the strap-joints relative to each other, the strap-joint is provided on its free end with a hood-like sleeve that is seizing the strap-joint as well as the insulating layer.
A strap-joint that has a stability such that it is able to carry the insulating layer is for example made of a coated, particularly rubber-impregnated tissue, the same of which the bellows too is made.
According to another feature of the invention, the bellows element is provided with a cover that may at least protect the strap-joint over the width of the insulating layer. The function of such a cover is on one hand to hide the strap-joints, on the other to protect them, and more particularly the insulating layer, from damage due to external influences. The cover advantageously has an arch building a hollow space aligned opposite the bow of the bellows element, whereas this hollow space is achieving, together with the material of the cover, an additional highly effective silencing and thermal insulation.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the cover may be arranged on the strap-joints in such a way that the two strap-joints may be arranged on the inner wall of a bellows element together with the cover, actually constituting one unit. The individual bellows elements may be connected together by riveting, gluing, bonding or similar measures, the preferred way of connecting them together though consisting in frame beads of aluminium for example. Hereby, the legs of two bellows elements and one of the strap-joints may for example be seized by the frame bead thanks to the fact that the strap-joint arranged on one of the legs of the bellows element is projecting up to the open end of the bellows element. This presents the advantage that the strap-joints only have to be arranged on the one leg of the bellows element by separate measures, for example by sewing, whereas the strap-joint located on the other leg is seized by a frame bead or by another similar fastening, being thus fastened in the course of the connecting process of two bellows elements. The connection of the two strap-joints by the cover represents an inexpensive but stable way of connecting the strap-joint to the bellows element that is easy to build and to operate.
It has to be noted that, when the train is in its normal state, that is in the position in which it drives with high velocity and in which correspondingly strong noises are occurring, the arrangement of the strap-joints and of the cover are ensuring the best possible silencing with little need of material.
The invention is explained in more details according to the drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 544203 (1992-11-01), Hubner
patent: 1063607 (1913-06-01), Schroyer
patent: 4127535 (1993-02-01), Schroyer
patent: 4138922 (1993-06-01), Walter
patent: 1 057 639 (1959-05-01), None
patent: GM 1964739 (1967-07-01), None
patent: 124 57 634 C2 (1982-02-01), None
patent: 0 544 203 A1 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 41 27 535 A1 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 41 38 922 A1 (1
Hubner Gummi - und Kunststoff GmbH
Jules Frantz F.
Morano S. Joseph
Vigil Thomas R.
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