Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02253437 1998-10-30
International Patent Application PCT/DE 97/00897
Title: CENTER FRAME OF A TWO-PART BELLOWS OF A
CONNECTING ELEMENT
Applicant: Hubner Gummi- and Kunststoff GmbH
The invention relates to a central frame of a connecting corridor bellows
subdivided in two halves, the corridor being positioned between two
vehicle parts hinged to each other, whereas the bellows halves can be
arranged by their end part onto a vehicle part.
A connecting corridor between two interconnected vehicle parts of a
vehicle is known; hereby, the connecting corridor usually consists of an
intercommunicating gangway covered by a bellows or a concertina walls.
The two vehicle parts are moreover linked together by means of a joint,
whereas parts of the connecting corridor are supported by this joint.
DE-B 1207220 discloses a central frame of a bellows between two vehicle
parts hinged to each other according to the characteristics of the preamble
and being particularly provided with bellows ends hinged at their end to the
vehicle parts.
In the prior art, supply lines, as for example cable conduits, lines for
supplying the heating facilities and the compressed-air, electro-lines and, if
necessary, lines for air-conditioning, are guided through the floor of such an
articulated vehicle. Due to the engineering of low-platform busses having a
floor~level of only 400 mm, such supply lines cannot be guided in the floor
any more since there is lack of space. Therefore, such supply lines are
usually guided on one side of the connecting corridor. When turning the
joint by more than 50 degrees, it becomes apparent that these supply lines
can not be guided with accuracy, so that it comes to failures due to rupture
and contusions, often entailing costly repairs.
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The object of the invention is therefore to provide a device for guiding
supply lines as mentioned above which allows to avoid the said
disadvantages.
Such a device is characterized according to the invention in that the central
frame located in the ceiling area of the connecting corridor is provided with
a device for guiding supply lines, as conduits, cables and the like, this
device being movable relative to the central frame. The absolute height of
the busses, for example in low-platform busses, proved to remain the
same, only the floor level being lowered. This means that the free
headroom in such a low-platform bus is higher than needed. Accordingly,
the roof area offers enough space for guiding the supply lines between two
vehicle parts of an articulated vehicle. Thanks to the device according to
the invention the supply lines can be guided even in sharp curves without
any risk of getting damaged.
A first embodiment is particularly characterized in that the device in the
roof area is provided with at least one cradle receiving the supply lines,
whereas the cradle is movably arranged in the central frame transversely to
the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The cradle advantageously is provided
with a carrier having several borings through which the supply lines are
passed; the carrier is thereby receivable by the cradle so that it can rotate
around a vertical axis. The advantage of such a rotatable carrier is that the
strain exerted on the cradle by rigid supply lines during corresponding
movements of the cradle in the central frame are reduced, since the strain
is weakened by the rotation of the carrier.
It has more particularly been foreseen that the vertically running braces of
the central frame are interconnected by a guiding rail for the cradle. This
makes it clear that the roof area in the area of the connecting corridor of
such a vehicle is disconnected, allowing thus a supplementary sound
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insulation and air-conditioning in the roof of the bellows. Moreover, the
guiding of the lines in the roof area considerably reduces the costs, since
the majority of all supply lines use to be guided through the roof up to the
connecting corridor. Thus, it is no more necessary to use the complicated
method known in prior art consisting in laying the supply lines along the
string pieces of a vehicle part downwards and upwards again on the other
side of the adjacent vehicle part.
According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the cradle is
restrictedly guided in the guiding rail. This measure guarantees that the
supply lines are always taking the best position independently from the
movements of the two vehicle parts relative to each other, so that the
supply lines cannot be damaged. For the restricted guidance of the cradle,
the cradle is hingeable to at least one vehicle part by means of at least one
guiding member. The cradle is preferably connected with each vehicle part
by a guiding member though, whereas the guiding member is
advantageously designed as a rod, hinged to the vehicle part as well as to
the cradle. The cradle is hereby guided in the guiding rail eccentrically to
the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle; the guiding member designed as
a rod is fastened onto the vehicle in the central IongitudinaS axis of the
vehicle. Thanks to this measure, not only the cradle itself for the reception
of the cables is guided, but the central frame too is stabilized, which is of
considerable advantage.
The central frame is particularly stabilized when the guiding rail is provided
with two cradles being each arranged out of the central axis of the vehicle
in the guiding rail, and when each cradle is connectable with the two
vehicle parts by means of two guiding members per cradle. Such a
construction is particularly advantageous when stay bars are to be arranged
in the area of the central frame in the connecting corridor and when the
central frame is stabilized in its position without any further supports. Such
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a free suspension of the central frame according to prior art made it
possible for vandals or for careless passengers to dislodge the central
frame, bringing it to swing by hand force, which entails the destruction of
the bellows in the long run. Thanks to the arrangement of two cradles in
the guiding rail, whereas each cradle is connected with each vehicle part by
' a guiding member, any further stabilization of the central frame can be
forgone, even in case stay bars are arranged on the central frame.
In order.to guarantee a good guiding of the cradle or cradles in the guiding
rail, the guiding rail receives the cradle form-fittingly but movably along
the
guiding rail.
In a preferred embodiment, the guiding member has a joint. In extreme
cornering, the path of the cradle in the central frame or in the guiding rail
resp. proved to be insufficient to take such sharp curves without damaging
the guiding members. By arranging a joint in the guiding member, the
guiding member can buckle towards the guiding rail. In order to avoid that
the guiding member buckles outwards by an overstretched angle of more
than 180°, the joint is provided with a corresponding stopper.
Moreover, a
recuperating member is arranged in the area of the joint on the central
frame and here more particularly on the guiding rail. This recuperating
member, which is preferably fastenable on the guiding rail in the central
longitudinal axis of the vehicle, ensures that, before buckling, the joint is
pulled out of the dead centre position, i.e. of an angle of 180° or
more into
the buckling position, i.e, into an angle of less than 180°. The
recuperating
member is adjustable in length for a more accurate adjustment of the joint.
That means that, thanks to the adjustability of the length of the
recuperating member rotatably fastened on the central frame or on the
guiding rail, the engaging time can be determined.
CA 02253437 2001-10-26
A second embodiment of the device according to the invention is
characterized in that the central frame is provided with a horizontally
running bar that receives a swivel arm so that it is pivotable in horizontal
direction, whereas the swivel arm has holding devices at its end. This
device also makes it possible to guide the supply lines even while taking
sharp curves.
According to a preferred characteristic of the device, the holding devices
are pivotably receivable by the swivel arm. During cornering, the device is
moved like a parallelogram guiding rod. The device is essentially moved by
the movement of the supply lines themselves, their movement being
occasioned by the buckling movement of the two vehicle parts during
cornering.
The swivel arm can particularly be arranged on the central frame in the
central longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Thus, by arranging the swivel arm in
the neutral axis of the vehicle, the supply lines can best be guided both in
right-hand and in left-hand curves. The holding devices are provided with
openings for receiving the supply lines.
The invention is explained in more details according to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a diagram of a first device for guiding the supply lines in a
perspective view;
Fig. 2 is a section through the guiding rail with cradle;
Fig. 3 is a second embodiment according to Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the guiding rail with the guiding
members;
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Fig. 5 is a section along the line VI-VI of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 shows the position of the guiding rail and of the guiding
members during cornering;
Fig. 7 is a second device for guiding the supply lines;
Fig. 8 is an enlargement of the device according to Fig. 7.
According to Figure 1, the central frame is referred to as a whole with
numeral 1. The central frame 1 is part of a bellows or of a concertina walls
not shown and connects the frames 10 and 20. The frames 10 and 20 are
arranged each on the corresponding vehicle part of the articulated vehicle.
The vehicle parts of the articulated vehicle are not shown either. The actual
device for guiding the supply lines is located in the central frame 1.
Therefore, the central frame 1 is provided in its roof area with a guiding
rail
referred to yvith numeral 2. This guiding rail 2 links together the two
vertical braces 5 and 6 of the central frame 1. The guiding rail 2 receives
two cradles 30, 40 being movable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the
guiding rail. These two cradles 30, 40 are connected to the frames 10, 20
and thus to the corresponding vehicle parts by rods 50, 60 and 70, 80
respectively designed as guiding members. The connection is assured by
swivel joints, whereas the swivel joint located on the frame 10, 20 is
referred to with numeral 1 1, 21 and the swivel joint located on the cradle
with numeral 35, 45. The rotation takes place on a vertical axis. It is
important that the cradles 30, 40 are arranged eccentrically to the central
longitudinal axis of the vehicle in the central frame and that the rods 50 -
80 are coupled in the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The coupling
of the rods on the frames 10, 20 and on the cradles 30, 40 is articulated
so that the cradles 30, 40 can be moved along the guiding rail 2, when so
required by the travelling motion between the two vehicle parts. It has to
be stressed that, thanks to the arrangement of the rods, which cannot be
lengthened and to the arrangement of the cradles in the guiding rail, the
cradles can never get into the area of the central longitudinal axis of the
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vehicle. The cradles always remain eccentric to the central longitudinal axis
of the vehicle. The same is true for the arrangement of a cradle in the
guiding rail.
The cradles themselves have openings 31, 41 for receiving the supply lines
1 C0.
Figure 2 shows the design of the guiding rail receiving the cradles. It can be
seen in Figure 2 that the cradle 30, 40 is movably positioned in the guiding
rail 2 by a kind of dovetail guidance.
The second embodiment of a central frame stabilization can be seen in the
figures 3 to 6. According to Figure 3, the cradles 150 and 160 are movably
guided in the guiding rail referred to with numeral 250, whereas the cradles
150, 160 are provided with hinged guiding members 200 to 230, in
analogy with the embodiment according to the figures 1 and 2. These
guiding members 200, 210, 220, 230 are not only hinged to the cradles
150, 160 at 155, 165, they are also hinged to the corresponding vehicle
part 10, 20 at 1 1, 21 . In this respect, the structural design is identical
to
the embodiment according to the figures 1 and 2. The difference consists
in the fact that each guiding member 200 to 230 has a joint 201, 21 1,
221, 231. Each joint has a stopper 202, 212, 222, 232; the stopper has
been designed so that in the area where the joint divides into the two joint
elements 201 a, 201 b or 21 1 a, 21 1 b or 221 a, 221 b or 231 a, 231 b it is
provided with a bevel 205 to 235, so that the two joint elements are
adjacent when the joint is stretched, i.e. when the two parts of the guiding
member are positioned at an angle of approximately 180°. In order to
guarantee that the guiding members 200, 210, 220, 230 are buckling
during corresponding cornering, recuperating members 203, 213, 223, 233
are provided. The way these recuperating members are working is
particularly evident in Fig. 5 where the guiding rail 250 and the
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corresponding guiding members are shown in dashes during cornering. The
representation in solid lines shows the original position. The representation
according to Fig. 5 clearly shows the function of the recuperating members
203, 213, 223, 233 which have to bring the respective guiding member
from its dead centre position to the buckling position. Therefore, each
recuperating member is also hinged onto the guiding rail 250. Each
recuperating member is advantageously adjustable in length; in the present
case, this is achieved by providing the respective recuperating member at
its end with a thread, the thread receiving a screw, whereas the screw
predetermines the path taken by the recuperating member to reach the joint
and to bring it to buckle.
The representation according to Fig. 5 is a section along the line VI-VI of
Fig. 4. It shows clearly that the cradle 150, 160, is positioned in the
guiding rail 250 by a kind of dovetail guidance, as was also the case in Fig.
2 of the first embodiment. Moreover, like in Fig. 4, carriers 158, 168 can
also be seen in Fig. 5, the cradle 150, 160 is receiving these carriers which
are rotatable around a vertical axis and through which the supply lines 100
are passed. To this purpose, the carriers 158, 168 are provided with
corresponding openings.
In the device according to the figures 7 and 8, the swivel arm 300 is
rotatably hinged onto the bar 8 of the central frame 1 in the middle of the
bow. The swivel arm 300 is provided at its ends with holding devices 310,
320 having corresponding openings 350, 360 for receiving the supply lines
100. The swivel arm is hereby fastened onto the bow 8 by means of a
vertical axis 301, so that the swivel arm is horizontally pivotable. The
holding devices 310, 320 are also horizontally pivotable and are hinged
onto the swivel arm by means of vertical axes too. The swivel arm 300 is
fastened onto the bar 8 by means of a supporting plate 9.
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During corresponding movement of the vehicle frames 10, 20 relative to
the central frame 1, the swivel arm is moved like a parallelogram guiding
rod together with the holding devices by the supply lines which are
centrally receivable by the vehicle frames 10, 20.
