Railway rolling stock – Wheel or axle drive
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-09
2002-02-05
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railway rolling stock
Wheel or axle drive
C105S136000, C295S005000, C295S011000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06343554
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle wheel, in particular for a low-platform vehicle, of the type including a wheel hub rotatably mounted on a stationary axle and a running tread, tire or the like connected with the wheel hub optionally in an elastic manner, wherein a means for connecting structural components such as, for instance, a transmission part or a brake disk, for transmitting a torque between the wheel hub and the structural component to be connected is provided on the external end face of the wheel hub.
The following description of the the invention primarily relates to rail vehicles, yet is applicable also to vehicles not bound to rails, using a tire or the like instead of the running tread connected with the wheel hub. The application of the vehicle wheel according to the invention is conceivable also in buses and, in particular low-platform busses, socalled people movers or trolley busses.
2. Prior Art
In vehicles, differentiation is made primarily between wheels that are driven and wheels that follow without being driven, socalled loose wheels. Other distinctive features relate to wheels with brakes or the like. Construction usually varies with the type of vehicle wheel. In case of a driven wheel, the latter is connected with the motor via a transmission. In the case of a loose or free wheel, the wheel merely is rotatably journaled on the axle. In known vehicles, the coupling of the wheel with the transmission and the motor in most cases is installable and removable only at great expenditures. In particular with low-platform vehicles, which have been gaining more and more importance especially in public transport, the accommodation of the transmission and the motor is difficult to realize due to the small space available. In order to be able to observe the minimum width required in the interior of a low-platform wagon, the motor as well as the transmission in low-platform vehicles usually are located outside the wheels. With rail vehicles, the distance of the wheel, in turn, is precisely defined by the width of the rails. In order to avoid excessive vehicle dimensions, an arrangement as space-saving as possible is, therefore, sought for the transmission and the drive. With known rail vehicles, the drive in most cases is located beside the vehicle wheel, the torque being transmitted to the wheel tire via a transmission, e.g., a cardan transmission. An additional requirement, in particular for low-platform rail vehicles, is that the space provided between two axles of a bogie should be available for passenger seats.
Wheel hub drives in which the vehicle wheel is connected with the drive via a transmission are known, for instance, from DE 35 07 232 A1 or EP 0 626 286 A2. Such wheel hub drives in most cases involve relatively high expenditures in terms of mounting and dismounting.
Also used are wheel hub motors in which the wheel is connected with the drive directly without any transmission being interposed. These are, however, usually more expensive in terms of production cost. Furthermore, transmissions flanged to the wheel disk, thereby realizing the connection between the drive and the wheel tire, have been known. Such vehicle wheels are known, for instance, from EP 0 464 929 A2, EP 0 579 084 A1 and U.S. Pat No. 4,913,258 A.
Individually driven wheels with pressed-on gears are advantageous in terms of space demand, yet the change of a wheel is cumbersome due to the gear being difficult to remove. Also when using a mitre gear, the change of a wheel always involves the complete detachment of the gear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to design a vehicle wheel in a manner that it may be used universally, both as a driven wheel and as a loose wheel with or without additional structural components such as, for instance, brakes. The conversion of a wheel from the driven to the undriven form or vice versa, or, for instance, the furnishing of a wheel with a brake is to be feasible as quickly and simply as possible. The vehicle, thus, is to be readily adaptable to the respective requirements by the manufacturer. Drawbacks of known constructions are to be avoided or at least reduced.
The object according to the invention is achieved in that the means for connecting structural components is applicable replaceably and that at least one fastening means spacially separated from said means for connecting the structural components is provided on the external end face of the wheel hub. Thus, one and the same wheel may be employed as a driven wheel or as a loose wheel by replaceably coupling a transmission or a brake disk to the wheel hub or attaching no structural component at all or merely a cover or the like. Such a wheel structure substantially facilitates the production of vehicle components, since the number of different components to be optionally produced on demand is reduced and few modules will do. It may, for instance, be necessary with streetcars that have to overcome higher gradients to provide more driven wheels than with streetcars running evenly. Thus, the vehicle manufacturer is able to produce components independently of the future purchaser aid assemble the same prior to their delivery as a function of the respective requirements. By the spacial separation of the torque transmission from other attachments, mounting and dismounting of the vehicle wheel is facilitated.
According to a further characteristic feature of the invention, it is contemplated that the means for replaceably connecting structural components comprises formations such as, for instance, toothings or the like and the structural components to be connected comprise correspondingly shaped complementary formations in order to provide a rotationally fast positive engagement between the wheel hub and the structural components to be connected. The safe transmission of the torque to the wheel, or from the wheel, is thereby ensured.
According to a preferred configuration variant, the means for replaceably connecting structural components is constituted by a radial step in the wheel hub, wherein at least two fastening facilities, for instance internally threaded bores, bolt connections, screw connections or the like, are provided preferably at equal distances from the axis of rotation and at equal angular distances. The structural component to be replaceably connected, such as, for instance, a transmission part or a brake disk, in this case is designed to fit into that recess. An accordingly symmetric arrangement of the connecting screws or the like for the detachable connection of the wheel hub with the respective structural component together with the radial step ensures the smooth run of the vehicle wheel during operation. The radial step may, of course, be replaced with a flange-type connection provided on the end face of the wheel hub.
Advantageously, the or each fastening means is formed by at least two internally threaded bores, bolt connections, screw connections or the like, preferably at equal distances from the axis of rotation and at equal angular distances. The symmetric arrangement again safeguards the smooth run of the wheel during operation.
In case of a driven wheel, the means for connecting structural components according to a preferred embodiment comprises an adapter ring including an end toothing engaging the end toothing of a hollow shaft arranged about the axle, said hollow shaft being drivable via a pinion shaft of a motor, and a connection piece including a preferably central bore provided with an internal thread or the like is connected with the or each fastening means and the hollow shaft is connected in a power-transmitting manner with the wheel hub via a central screw or the like engaging in the bore optionally upon interposition of a pressure disk or the like. With a driven vehicle wheel, this construction enables the separation of the torque transmission from the power transmission, thereby substantially facilitating mounting or dismounting and hence servicing of the vehicle wheel, since the conne
Affeldt Marek
Brinkmann Andreas
Pieper Reinhard
Bombardier Transportation GmbH
Ladas & Parry
Morano S. Joseph
Olson Lars A.
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