VEHICLE HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONALLY REDUCED PORTION

[0001]The invention relates to vehicles which have at least one cross-sectionally reduced portion. In the case of railroad vehicles, cross-sectionally reduced portions are normally present in inter-car areas between cars coupled together.

[0002]The object of the invention is to improve a vehicle of the type described with regard to the flow-related design of the cross-sectionally reduced portion.

[0003]This object is inventively achieved by a vehicle having the features according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the inventive vehicle are specified in subclaims.

[0004]Accordingly, it is inventively provided that at least one air-guiding element is arranged in the cross-sectionally reduced portion, and extends outward in the transverse direction of the vehicle and causes an airflow guidance of an airflow which enters the cross-sectionally reduced portion during travel, such that a part of the airflow is guided from the inside back to the outside and at the same time is deflected obliquely downward.

[0005]The inventors have discovered that vertical airflows can occur between coupled cars of a multi-unit rail vehicle during travel, which cause dust, dirt or sand to be sucked up from the track bed. The polluted air can reach as far as the roof area and there contaminate air conditioning units, air supply slots and the like. The particle flow of sand and dust in the upper part of the vehicle can also leave the inter-car area and pass the side wall in the area of the side windows, which can lead to considerable abrasion effects in the upper side area and window area. The problem of contamination and abrasion is in particular relevant for modern local and long-distance trains that operate in desert regions. A significant advantage of the inventive design of the cross-sectionally reduced portion is now that the inventive air-guiding element can—at least in its area of influence—achieve a segmentation of the cross-sectionally reduced portion, namely such that an airflow which enters the cross-sectionally reduced portion below the air-guiding element is guided back outward and downward without being able to pass the air-guiding element in the vertical direction, at least not to any relevant extent. Contaminated air therefore remains in the lower segment of the cross-sectionally reduced portion before it is guided downward and discharged to the outside, and can therefore neither reach the roof area and contaminate devices or air intake sections located there, nor cause abrasion on the adjacent side wall to any relevant extent; with regard to the latter reduction of abrasion, it should also be mentioned that the advantageous effect of the airflow guidance not only means that dirty air no longer reaches the top, but also—even mainly—that particles on the side wall are guided into the inter-car area and are then carried away downward; it is therefore clearly described that the dirty air on the side wall is as it were sucked away and guided away downward, which significantly improves the situation downstream.

[0006]It is advantageous if the air-guiding element is aligned obliquely downward at least in its outer end area; with such a design the airflow is guided downward particularly efficiently.

[0007]The air-guiding element is preferably arranged at the front end of the cross-sectionally reduced portion, as viewed in the direction of travel.

[0008]Preferably arranged at the edge of the cross-sectionally reduced portion is an air-supply element whose longitudinal direction extends vertically or at least predominantly vertically and whose outer contour brings about a horizontal airflow supply into the cross-sectionally reduced portion during travel. The horizontal airflow supply causes the said airflow in the cross-sectionally reduced portion, or at least supports it. The air-supply element and the air-guiding element therefore preferably interact and jointly form a flow-guiding pair.

[0009]The air-guiding element and the air-supply element are preferably arranged at the front end of the cross-sectionally reduced portion, as viewed in the direction of travel.

[0010]The shape of the air-supply element is preferably adapted to the contour of the vehicle in the side wall area, so that the longitudinal direction is generally not strictly vertical, but adapts to any curvatures of the side wall area.

[0011]In a preferred embodiment it is provided that the air-guiding element is arranged in terms of height in the central area between the upper end of the air-supply element and the lower end of the air-supply element and segments the cross-sectionally reduced portion into an upper flow portion with an upward flow direction of the airflow and a lower flow portion with a downward flow direction of the airflow.

[0012]Alternatively, it can be provided that the air-guiding element is arranged in the area of the upper end of the air-supply element or above it. In the latter embodiment, the air-supply element preferably extends in terms of height or in the vertical direction no further than the center of the cross-sectionally reduced portion.

[0013]The vehicle preferably comprises two cars, which are coupled together to form an inter-car area. The inter-car area preferably forms the cross-sectionally reduced portion. The air-guiding element is preferably arranged on an end face of one of the cars facing the inter-car area. The air-supply element is preferably formed by the shape of a side wall portion of the same car adjacent to the inter-car area.

[0014]With regard to the arrangement of the air-guiding element and the air-supply element, it is considered advantageous if the air-guiding element and the air-supply element are arranged on the frontmost of the two cars—viewed in the direction of travel—and jointly form a front flow-guiding pair. In an arrangement at the front, the air-guiding element and the air-supply element interact in an advantageous manner such that the portion of the airflow supplied horizontally by the air-supply element below the air-guiding element is guided outward by the air-guiding element with a horizontally outward directional component and a vertically downward directional component.

[0015]At least two air-guiding elements are preferably arranged on at least one of the two coupled cars, preferably on the front car in the direction of travel, wherein the air-guiding elements are spatially separated from one another by the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Each of the air-guiding elements is preferably assigned an air-supply element. In the latter embodiment, the described air guidance advantageously occurs on each of the two sides of the vehicle, at least in the forward direction of travel, due to the interaction of air-guiding elements and associated air-supply elements.

[0016]It is considered particularly advantageous if each of the two coupled cars has a first air-guiding element and a first air-supply element interacting with the first air-guiding element (i.e. a first flow-guiding pair) as well as a second air-guiding element and a second air-supply element (i.e. a second flow-guiding pair) interacting with the second air-guiding element, wherein the first air-guiding element and the first air-supply element are separated from the second air-guiding element and the second air-supply element by the center of the vehicle, in particular by a walkable car transition area located in the center of the vehicle. In the latter embodiment, the described air guidance advantageously occurs on each of the two sides of the vehicle, regardless of the direction of travel, due to the interaction of air-guiding elements and associated air-supply elements.

[0017]If the vehicle comprises more than two coupled cars, cross-sectionally reduced portions may be present in each of the inter-car areas. In such a case, it is advantageous if each of the cross-sectionally reduced portions is equipped with one or more air-guiding elements and preferably also with one or more associated air-supply elements, i.e. with one or more flow-guiding pairs.

[0018]The air-guiding element(s) are preferably trough-shaped.

[0019]The air-guiding element(s) are preferably each formed by a sheet metal part that is bent several times. Alternatively, the air-guiding elements can also be round bent parts, deep-drawn parts or extruded parts.

[0020]The air-guiding element(s) are preferably each attached to a car end face facing the inter-car area and are preferably held there by at least one retaining element which is attached to the upper side of the respective air-guiding element and is fastened to the car end face above the air-guiding element.

[0021]The air-supply element preferably has—viewed in cross-section from above—a curved outer contour which is curved inward in the direction of the cross-sectionally reduced portion (i.e. in the transverse direction of the vehicle) and due to the curvature causes a horizontal stall-free deflection of the airstream into the cross-sectionally reduced portion. An optimal curvature of the air-supply element with a view to stall-free deflection of the airstream can be determined by computer simulations which take the maximum speed of the vehicle into account.

[0022]The air-supply element is preferably formed by an inwardly curved outer skin area of the vehicle.

[0023]It is advantageous if the air-supply element is an extruded profile part, which preferably forms a chassis end part. Such an extruded profile part can for example be attached to the end face of the associated car and define or at least help externally define the vehicle skin of the vehicle in the cross-sectionally reduced portion.

[0024]Alternatively, the air-supply element can be a bent, for example deep-drawn, metal sheet which is integrally connected to the side wall or is preformed as a separate part on the side wall or is attached to the end face of the associated car.

[0025]The vehicle is preferably a local or long-distance rail vehicle; alternatively however it can also be another type of vehicle. For example, the vehicle can be a truck with a coupled trailer, an automobile with a coupled trailer or a convoy of trucks coupled together.

[0026]The invention is explained in greater detail below using exemplary embodiments; by way of example,

[0027]FIG. 1 shows components of an exemplary embodiment of an inventive rail vehicle in a schematic cross-section viewed from above,

[0028]FIG. 2-3 shows in three-dimensional representations an advantageous embodiment of guide and air-supply elements,

[0029]FIG. 4-6 show in three-dimensional representations a second advantageous embodiment of the air-supply elements,

[0030]FIG. 7 shows a third advantageous embodiment of the air-supply elements, and

[0031]FIG. 8 shows components of a further exemplary embodiment of an inventive rail vehicle, again viewed in a schematic cross-section from above.

[0032]For the sake of clarity, the same reference characters are used in the figures for identical or comparable components.

[0033]FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional representation from above of a front car 10, seen in the forward direction of travel F, to which a rear car 20 is coupled. The two cars 10 and 20 form components of a rail vehicle 30 (not shown in greater detail), which may for example be a local or long-distance train.

[0034]It is apparent from FIG. 1 that the rail vehicle 30 has a reduced cross-section in the inter-car area between the two cars 10 and 20; the inter-car area thus forms a cross-sectionally reduced area 40 of the rail vehicle 30.

[0035]A first air-guiding element 101 and a second air-guiding element 102 are attached to the rear end face 11 of the front car 10 as viewed in the forward direction of travel F. Spatially, the two air-guiding elements 101 and 102 are located on different sides of a walkable transition area 50 which connects the two cars 10 and 20. The walkable transition area 50 is for example spatially limited by a bellows 51.

[0036]The first air-guiding element 101 is assigned a first air-supply element 201 which, as viewed in the forward direction of travel F, is arranged on the right-hand side (bottom in FIG. 1) of the cross-sectionally reduced portion 40. The longitudinal direction of the first air-supply element 201 extends vertically (in FIG. 1 perpendicular to the plane of the page) or at least—apart from certain curvatures with a view to adaptation to the contour of the vehicle outer skin—largely vertically.

[0037]The second air-guiding element 102 is assigned a second air-supply element 202 which, as viewed in the forward direction of travel F, is arranged on the left-hand side (top in FIG. 1) of the cross-sectionally reduced portion 40. The longitudinal direction of the second air-supply element 202 likewise extends vertically or—apart from certain curvatures with a view to adaptation to the contour of the vehicle outer skin—at least largely vertically.

[0038]The air-supply elements 201 and 202 can be formed directly by a corresponding shaping of the side walls of the front car 10. Alternatively, the air-supply elements 201 and can be formed by chassis end parts which are attached, for example screwed, to the end face 11 of the car 10.

[0039]The function of the two air-guiding elements 101 and and the two air-supply elements 201 and 202 will be explained below using the first air-guiding element 101 and the first air-supply element 201 as an example; the following explanations apply correspondingly to the second air-guiding element 102 and the second air-supply element 202.

[0040]The function of the first air-supply element 201 is to provide a horizontal airflow supply into the transverse cross-sectionally reduced portion 40 during travel, as a result of which an airflow L is caused in the cross-sectionally reduced portion 40. The airflow L is shown in FIG. 1 with a solid line in those sections where it is oriented substantially horizontally.

[0041]Under the influence of the front end face 21 of the rear car 20, the airflow L is deflected in the direction of the end face 11 of the front car 19; due to the deflection, the portion of the airflow L located spatially below the air-guiding element 101 passes into the area of influence of the air-guiding element 101, which—viewed outward from the center of the vehicle in the transverse direction of the vehicle—extends outward and causes the airflow L to be guided such that a portion of the airflow is guided from the inside back to the outside and at the same time is deflected obliquely downward; in the portions in which the airflow L has a downward vertical directional component, the airflow L is shown in FIG. 1 with a dotted line.

[0042]In other words, the first air-guiding element 101 and the first air-supply element 201 interact during travel in the forward direction of travel F such that the portion of the airflow L supplied horizontally by the air-supply element 201 below the air-guiding element 101 is guided outward by the first air-guiding element 101 with a horizontally outward directional component and a vertically downward directional component.

[0043]The horizontal airflow supply—caused by the first air-supply element 201—thus generates the airflow which the associated air-guiding element 101 can deflect away downward. The air-supply element 201 and the air-guiding element 101 therefore interact and jointly form a flow-guiding pair.

[0044]In terms of height, the first air-guiding element 101 can be arranged in the central area between the upper end 201a (cf. FIG. 2) of the first air-supply element 201 and the lower end 201b (cf. FIG. 2) of the first air-supply element 201; alternatively, the first air-guiding element 101 can be arranged in the area of the upper end of the first air-supply element 201 or above it, for example if the air-supply elements 201 and 202 do not extend up to the roof, but in terms of height for example only up to the center of the vehicle. In all the above-mentioned cases, it is possible to segment the cross-sectionally reduced portion 40 in terms of flow into an upper flow portion with an upward or horizontal flow direction of the airflow L and into a lower flow portion with an outward and downward flow direction of the airflow L.

[0045]FIG. 2 shows a particularly advantageous embodiment of the two air-guiding elements 101 and 102 and the two air-supply elements 201 and 202 in a three-dimensional representation obliquely from the side in greater detail. It can be seen that the two air-guiding elements 101 and 102 are preferably trough-shaped and can be screwed to the rear end face 11 of the front car 10 by means of retaining elements 110.

[0046]In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2, the two air-supply elements 201 and 202 are formed by extruded profile parts which for example are attached to the end face 11.

[0047]The deflection of the airflow L already explained in FIG. 1 is likewise sketched in FIG. 2 by means of a curve.

[0048]FIG. 3 shows the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 once again from a different angle.

[0049]FIGS. 4 to 6 show a second advantageous embodiment of the two air-supply elements 201 and 202 using the example of the second air-supply element 202. In this embodiment, the two air-supply elements 201 and 202 are formed by bent metal sheets which are attached to the end face 11 of the car 10 by means of (e.g. bent and riveted) retaining elements 220. Furthermore, the above explanations in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3 apply correspondingly to the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0050]Depending on the vehicle contour, the lateral air-supply elements 201 and 202 can also be arranged somewhat offset from the vertical plane and can possibly also be curved. In this context, FIG. 7 shows a further advantageous embodiment of the two air-supply elements 201 and 202. In this embodiment, the two air-supply elements 201 and 202 are formed by inwardly offset, bent metal sheets which are held on the end face 11 of the car 10.

[0051]Furthermore, the above explanations in connection with FIGS. 1 to 6 apply correspondingly to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 7.

[0052]FIG. 8 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment in which the rear car 20 of the rail vehicle 30, as viewed in the forward direction of travel F, is likewise equipped with air-guiding elements 103 and 104 and air-supply elements 203 and 204 on its front end face 21. The air-guiding elements 103 and 104 and the air-supply elements 203 and 204 make it possible to achieve the described air guidance even when the rail vehicle 30 is operated opposite to the forward direction of travel F shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, i.e. in the reverse direction of travel R; in other words, the airflow guidance in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 8 is independent of the direction of travel. Furthermore, the above explanations in connection with FIGS. 1 to 7 apply correspondingly to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 8.

[0053]Finally, it should be mentioned that the features of all exemplary embodiments described above can be combined with one another in any manner in order to form further exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0054]All features of subclaims can also be combined individually with each of the subordinate claims, in each case either alone or in any combination with one or other subclaims, in order to obtain further exemplary embodiments.