CA2898645C - Rail vehicle having a device for pedestrian protection as well as a device for pedestrian protection - Google Patents
Rail vehicle having a device for pedestrian protection as well as a device for pedestrian protection Download PDFInfo
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- CA2898645C CA2898645C CA2898645A CA2898645A CA2898645C CA 2898645 C CA2898645 C CA 2898645C CA 2898645 A CA2898645 A CA 2898645A CA 2898645 A CA2898645 A CA 2898645A CA 2898645 C CA2898645 C CA 2898645C
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- vehicle
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- inflatable
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- gas medium
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B61—RAILWAYS
- B61F—RAIL VEHICLE SUSPENSIONS, e.g. UNDERFRAMES, BOGIES OR ARRANGEMENTS OF WHEEL AXLES; RAIL VEHICLES FOR USE ON TRACKS OF DIFFERENT WIDTH; PREVENTING DERAILING OF RAIL VEHICLES; WHEEL GUARDS, OBSTRUCTION REMOVERS OR THE LIKE FOR RAIL VEHICLES
- B61F19/00—Wheel guards; Bumpers; Obstruction removers or the like
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- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
- Train Traffic Observation, Control, And Security (AREA)
- Refuge Islands, Traffic Blockers, Or Guard Fence (AREA)
Abstract
A rail vehicle (1) having a device for pedestrian protection in the event of a collision with the front of the vehicle, said device (4) being provided on the underside of the rail vehicle front, the device (4) consisting of at least one structure (7) which can be inflated by means of a gaseous medium (6) in order to remain dimensionally stable during the time it takes to bring the vehicle to a standstill.
Description
RAIL VEHICLE HAVING A DEVICE FOR PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION AS WELL AS A
DEVICE FOR PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION
The invention relates to a rail vehicle having a device for pedestrian protection in the event of a collision with the front of the vehicle as well as a device for pedestrian protection for application in rail vehicles.
Rail vehicles, such as, for example, low or middle-level floor street cars, generally operate in mixed traffic. This means that they are participants in public traffic and as such interact with people as users of the roadways.
The running over of people who are located directly in front of the vehicle has always represented a problem, inasmuch as the metal to metal pairing of the passenger-conveying rail vehicle wheels to the rails, combined with the high vehicle mass means that a longer stopping distance is required to come to a full stop than, for example, with automobiles, which both weigh less and, through the pairing of rubber to asphalt between the wheel and roadway, have a higher degree of friction..
The problem of running over people occurs in multiple areas. On the one hand, there is already a significant danger of injury through the "drawing in" under the vehicle of the person into the gap at the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to avoid injuries when running over a person or a part of person who might be drawn in by the wheels. On top of this, an open coupling area of the vehicle holds an additional high risk of injury. In the event that a rail vehicle comes to a standstill, before a person who has already fallen under the vehicle reaches the danger area of the wheels, it is possible to reduce life-threatening injuries to a maximum, even if one can never completely preclude them.
Protection systems that fall under the concept of "obstacle deflector" have been known since the very start of the rail vehicle history and have been produced in the most wide-ranging of forms. Known devices or solutions in the area of obstacle deflectors work on the basis of a minimization of the risk of injury in cases of persons being drawn into the gap on the front of the vehicle between the underbody and roadway or being run over.
In the area of purely mechanical deflecting protection systems and devices, the focus has lied and continues to lie in the minimization of injury to persons, to the greatest extent possible, through measures that will limit or prevent the drawing in of persons who have already been partially run over in the area between the wheels and the rails. The basic concept of these systems is that of distancing people from the direct proximity of the danger area until such time as the vehicle has not come to a complete standstill. In this, the gap between the underbody of the vehicle and the roadway at the front of the vehicle plays a decisive role.
If the gap is sufficiently narrow, one should be able to avoid that one even arrives at a point where a person can be drawn under the vehicle.
The conditions of use of the vehicles do however stipulate geometric requirements for this gap:
assured available ground clearance when approaching vertical radii (crests and troughs) in conjunction with the kinematic circumstances of the distance of the running gear to the front overhang. Many solutions for the protection of people that have been realized foresee a barrier of a size that corresponds, for example, to that of a person lying in front of the vehicle and that meets precisely at the start of the gap of the structure hanging at the front of the vehicle. This structure is constructed in such a manner that it can push obstacles up to a certain size in front of it without damage. In the event in which an obstacle is such that, due to is overly large size or because of too much friction against the direction of travel, it cannot be pushed further ahead, this structure allows for a further structure to be folded down from the underbody to the roadway, before there is a risk of the first reaching its breaking point. This second downward folding structure forms a "ramp" immediately in front of the first rolling gear, in such a way that, in the case in which the obstacle were to break through the first structure, there is still the possibility that a "pick-up" can occur in front of the danger area. Such a system is widely known through its use in, for example, high floor street cars, for example of the "DUEWAG" brand since the 1960's.
These systems do however only find sensible application when the vehicle has a sufficiently large ground clearance, which could reasonably turn away an obstacle the size of run-over person before the danger area, without the run-over person have already previously suffered major injury.
A disadvantage of this protection system is that the majority of vehicle types which employ it are high or middle-level floor vehicles, which are generally laid out with appropriate ground clearance.
A further disadvantage is that sharp-edged deformations or breakages can occur to the protective structures that are present when the same are not able to support the burden of the person "to be pushed".
=
Other purely mechanical solutions for run-over protection, which can be employed in the field of lower-level floor vehicles, operate in a manner similar to the principle described above for middle-level and high floor vehicles; however, with the difference that the first protection structure is not implemented in a weight-bearing manner. Furthermore, these first structures or brackets are also set at a significant distance to the front of the vehicle. This means that, on the one hand, a run-over person must already have ended up quite far under the vehicle before they come into contact with the first structure. On the other hand, this structure is not set up so as to push the person further along in front of it, but rather only to allow the final "catching structure" be folded down.
The use of airbags in a protection system for persons found in front of the vehicle has already been described by the rail-vehicle industry, however until now it has still only been implemented in a restrained manner ¨ mainly based upon the argument whereby a protection system that exists exclusively of an airbag application cannot be returned to its initial state after the deployment of the airbag. Such a solution is, for example, described amongst others in DE
102013204555 Al.
A further difficulty is represented by the design of these airbags, which are meant to ensure protection against the running over or drawing in under the vehicle in the area of the gap between the underbody at the front of the vehicle and the roadway.
Known airbag technologies go limp after deployment through a drop in pressure.
This brings along the problem of stability of the shape ¨ the airbag should, subsequent to its deployment, in its inflated condition be able to retain its stability of shape at least until such time that the vehicle has not come to a full standstill.
So-called "soft-Noses" represent relatively widely used systems for the protection of persons found in front of vehicles. In this case, a soft dampening coating, for example, a polyurethane (PU) containing synthetic material, is applied to the frontmost contour of the vehicle so as to allow for a maximum dampening of any impact of a colliding person with the vehicle. These systems do however not offer any protection against the drawing in or running over of persons under the vehicle. This type of solution is, for example, known from its use in the "Hermelijn"
lower-level floor street cars of the "De Lljn" operator in the Belgian cities of Ghent and Antwerp.
The vehicle manufacturers are furthermore already attempting to maintain the opening on the front of the vehicle between the underbody and the roadway as small as possible so as to prevent, to the greatest extent possible, the drawing in of persons under the vehicle. In this =
case there is, however, not only the conflict between the minimum ground clearance set forth by the operators, but rather also the kinematic boundary conditions in operational conditions, in particular, the so-called "trough trajectories". In these circumstances, the vehicle travels through a vertical radius with an increasing gradient ("trough" as opposed to "crests"), which reduces the free vertical distance of the foremost point of the vehicle to the roadway to the minimum. This effect is dependent on the kinematic relationships between the distances of the foremost point of the vehicle to the point of rotation of the first running gear in combination with the distance of this point of rotation to the point of rotation of the next running gear or railcar connector.
The majority of protection devices that have been implemented up until today, which are intended to prevent the running over of persons, are aimed at repulsing and thereby keeping the person away from the direct danger area, the contact area of wheel and rail. These deflector systems that are generally multi-phase (for example DE 102013204555 Al) only first initiate the protection mechanism when the deflector mechanism is triggered through a physical contact with the obstacle being run over in the frontal area of the vehicle.. This does however presuppose the partial running over of a person by the vehicle. An advantage however of the purely mechanical systems is, however, their immediate and simple ability to be re-initialized subsequent to an occurred application insofar as no function-impairing damage has occurred to the system.
Further known solutions are made up of a deflector structure that is located immediately behind the front side of the vehicle and is set forth as a "mini-railcar" on its own rolling stock which is permanently activated by means of a shear-resistant connection to the underbody.
This structure is affixed in a shear-resistant but height-variable manner to the underbody and can therefore offset differences in height that the front unit is subject to during travel, and it features a constant distance to the roadway through its own rolling stock. The disadvantage of this solution is that, in the case of varying weather conditions such as snow and ice, as well as with sand and stones, the "mini-railcar" is affected and this represents more of an obstacle to operation. Such devices are, for example, fitted to street cars in Seville or Zaragoza.
The purpose of the invention is to present a rail vehicle with a device which allows for the complete "deflection" of persons who are found to be in front of the vehicle from the danger area. The objective thereof is to completely avoid the running over of passers-by.
This purpose is achieved according to the features of Claims 1 and 13 of the invention. For this purpose, the invention comprises a rail vehicle with a device or a device on its own, which is =
= P3394CA00 5 made up of an arrangement of one or multiple inflatable structures in the area under the frontal covering, which are inflatable by means of a gas medium. It is advantageously foreseen that the actual structure can form not only an open body, but also a closed body.
It is furthermore advantageous if the constituent material of the structures, beyond other materials that are used, can be made of metallic materials. It is likewise advantageous, when metallic materials are used, when it is foreseen that the structure comprises a flexible welded double blank that is inflatable with a gas medium by means of a feed line or by a gas generator that is directly connected to the structure by internal pressure reshaping. In further optimization steps, the metal structure can be modified through the choice of the wall thickness or through substitution with other flexible metal structures.
Hereinafter, the invention describes a selected embodiment of the inflatable structure as a closed welded metallic double blank with minimal wall thickness. This choice does, however, only represent one of the multiple combinations of the invention, and is not exclusively limited to this choice. So as to achieve a high degree of compliance to bending with a high resistance to tearing, a special metallic membrane material should be employed which is primarily made up of a fine metallic mesh.
It is advantageous when the structure features flexible inflatable tear-resistant and contact resistant properties. The structure can be composed of a metallic membrane material, which features a wire-mesh structure, wherein the wire-mesh structure can feature one or multiple layers. It is particularly advantageous when the wire-mesh structure features internal and/or external protection layers made up of elastic materials. For the control of the pressure profile, the inside of the structure is laminated with an elastic foil, which minimizes or totally prevents the escape of gas. In the case of very fine-meshed reticulation, it is possible to also omit this internal film in accordance with the required pressure decrease specifications. So as to further improve the resistance to tearing, it is also possible to fully or partially apply additional protective film on the outer skin.
The inflation of the metal structure is triggered by sensor technology according to a further particular feature, which is located on the front of the vehicle. It is advantageous when the sensor technology is fitted with means of measurement which can recognize and/or detect a frontal impact of a person against the front of the vehicle. It is foreseen, according to a particular feature, that the metal structure forms a geometrically adaptive molded form in activated state, which fills out the hollow space between the underbody of the vehicle and the railway. The inflation of the metal structure therefore advantageously occurs with a corresponding expansion speed which prevents the drawing in of a person under the vehicle.
The invention thereby advantageously combines the basic principle of complete "deflection" of persons ending up in front of the vehicle, from the danger area through the use of a closed metallic structure which is activated through inflation. The teaching furthermore is based upon interplay of the electromechanical-pneumatic. The invention thereby prevents both the drawing in/running over of a person who has unexpectedly come to be lying in the roadway immediately in front of the vehicle in the nominal gap on the front of the vehicle, as well as every other further danger of a run-over by the track wheels. Following activation, the metal structure can remain underneath the vehicle, inasmuch as it adapts to the varying ground clearance.
The present invention can be integrated into all rail vehicles with front covering. It is, in principle, irrelevant whether one is dealing with a high, middle or low-level floor vehicle. The protection system in accordance with the invention can be installed in all modern rail vehicles and can be retrofitted to all rail vehicles that are now in use.
Inasmuch as the features of the device that are described in Claim 13 and the corresponding dependent claims already follow from the description here above, a particular description of the device will be omitted to avoid repetition.
The invention will hereinafter be more closely described on the basis of the embodiment examples that are represented in the illustrations. The illustrations show:
Fig. la: a rail vehicle in side view with a person in the frontal area, Fig. lb: a rail vehicle in front view with a person in the frontal area, Fig. 2a: a rail vehicle in side view with a device for the protection of passers-by, Fig. 2h: a rail vehicle in front view with a device for the protection of passers-by, Fig. 3a: a rail vehicle in side view with a device for the protection of passers-by in activated state, Fig. 3b: a rail vehicle in front view with a device for the protection of passers-by in activated state, Fig. 4a - c: a representation of the principle of the mode of action of a device for the protection of passers-by, Fig. 5a - 5c the schematic construction of the inflatable structure, in Fig. 5b with solely a one-layer construction (5b) and with an additional optional tear-away protective layer (5c), Fig. 6a - c schematic representation of various lay-out types or forms of the structure.
= P3394CA00 7 In rail traffic, in particular in inner-city, street-car traffic, accidents between a rail vehicle 1 and persons (pedestrians) 2 are not a rarity. The same can bring about serious and deadly injuries, in particular in the event of a front impact, when the person 2 ends up in the hollow area between the rail vehicle 1 and the ground following the impact. The device 4 is made up of at least one structure 7 that is inflatable by means of a gas medium 6 that will remain in a stable form until such time that the vehicle can be brought to a standstill.
The risk of injury will be significantly reduced through the device according to the invention, inasmuch as the hollow space between the rail vehicle 1 and the ground 3 will be filled immediately before or after the collision by means of the device 4 that is fitted on the underside of the front of the rail vehicle, such that the person 2 involved in the collision is not able to end up under the rail vehicle 1 and preferably will deflected next to the vehicle rails. Injuries are not to be herewith precluded; the same should however be substantially more limited and occur without threats to life. (See Fig. 1 and 2) A selection of structural materials of the device according to the invention which is based upon a structure 7, marked as a metallic structure, namely a thin-sheet metal structure, which can be expanded or inflated through a gas medium 6 that is fed in through lead lines 11 (various states of inflation 8, 9, Fig. 3 and 4). The structure can also be directly connected with a gas generator (not depicted).
It is advantageous if the flexibility of the metal structure is adjustable through the wall thickness and if this structure can exist as a "Tailored Blank" in the shape of a welded double blank, even if more supple metallic materials are imaginable. The arrangement in the initial position prior to activation of a detection technology (which is not included in this invention) is thereby not visible from outside. The triggering of the device occurs by means of sensor technology 10, which is adapted to the front of the rail vehicle which detects the frontal impact of a person 2 by means of optical, mechanical or another measurement principle, or anticipates the impact. As regards the expansion speed, the mechanism is laid out in such a way that the final geometry of the molding body is already reached prior to the occurrence of the danger of the person being "drawn in". This is normally within a few milliseconds.
So as to fulfill the requirement for a permanent safe functionality of the personal protection components, the structure must feature flexible, intatable, tear-resistant and contact-resistant properties.
So as to achieve a high degree of compliance to bending with a high resistance to tearing, a special metallic membrane material should be employed which is primarily made up of a fine metallic mesh. The mesh structure 12 can be laid out as single-layered, or multi-layered and can feature internal and/or external protective coatings made of elastic materials.
The structure can be laminated on the inside with an elastic film 13 for control of the pressure profile, which reduces or totally prevents the escape of gas. In the case of very fine-meshed reticulation, it is possible to also omit this internal film in accordance with the required pressure decrease specifications. So as to further improve the resistance to tearing, it is also possible to fully or partially apply additional protective film 14 on the outer skin. The Figures 5a through 5c schematically depict the construction of the inflatable structure 7. In Fig.
5b there is a one-layer network-structure construction 12¨ gas barrier film 13 and in Fig.
5c a multi-layer construction with an additional optional tear-away protection layer 14 is represented, which can also only be partially affixed.
The following wire mesh will in particular find application in structure 7 according to the invention:
Stainless steel wire mesh: High strength, stainless materials (materials 1.4306, 1.4301 or similar, HSS and UHSS) Mesh gauge: The structure of the wire mesh (mesh gauge, wire circumference, pattern of the weave) is to be selected on the basis of specific requirements. For single layer structures, it is, for example, possible to employ weaved mesh with a gauge of approximately 45x46 mesh per square inch and a wire circumference of approximately 200 pm. The use of both even finer structures (meshes of up to 5 pm, for example, as an additional gas barrier film (second layer)) as well as coarser structures for the load-bearing layer with meshes of up to 5 mm is to be determined on a specific application basis.
Structure of the network: One can use both plane weaves as well as meshes with other weave patterns. These are to be selected according to the in-plane rigidity that is required (directionally-dependent performance to traction and thrust).
The meshes can also be annealed after weaving to achieve a high degree of ductility. For the manufacture of the structure, it is possible to - lay plane wire meshes on top of one another and join them to seal (Fig.
6a), - join toric wire meshes on both ends (Fig. 6b) - or cushion-like structures that are woven directly (Fig. 6c).
The rail vehicle 1 according to the invention comprises a device (obstacle deflector), which is arranged in front of the bump abatement system of the vehicle and which does not respond without triggering by an activation device. The same should ensure full functionality of the there-above-located bump abatement system in crashes without any danger of running over a person.
The triggering of the obstacle deflector occurs either through the operator by means of the activation of a device on the operator's console or by means of the automatic detection technology (not included in this invention) of the detector device that is integrated into the apron of the rail vehicle. In any event the obstacle deflector is triggered by the first response of one of these devices. A gas generator thereby inflates the closed metal structure that is folded in the initial position. During the unfolding and inflation in the direction of the roadway, an additional deflection movement is carried out in accordance with the geometry of the metal structure that is fitted, that as it were deflects the person(s) being run over from going under the vehicle. This does naturally take for granted a coordination of the geometry of the closed metal structure to the relationship between the frontal cladding and the roadway.
The closed, folded metal structure that is fitted can also be constructed in multiple elements so as to compensate for particular bends of the bumper bar.
A particular feature of the activated (= inflated) closed metal structure and thus a clear improvement on the known airbag technologies, is that after the inflation stage, it maintains its shape both in position and location. This means that following the pressurization (= inflation stage), there is per se no need for (constant) pressure in the structure to maintain the same in an inflated state. However, the closed metal structure can in fact adapt to varying vertical spatial conditions such as, for example, a reduction of the nominal ground clearance between the bumper bar and the roadway: it simply gets compressed through the inherent weight of the vehicle. Following this reduction of the height of the closed metal structure, the same remains in this state of reduced height.
The total process of the recognition of the obstacle, as well as triggering and inflation of the closed metal structure should thereby occur in real time. In any event, as regards being run over, the action for the protection of persons that takes place in parallel to the timely stopping of the rail vehicle will be complemented by this invention, before a person can be drawn in or run over by the vehicle.
DEVICE FOR PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION
The invention relates to a rail vehicle having a device for pedestrian protection in the event of a collision with the front of the vehicle as well as a device for pedestrian protection for application in rail vehicles.
Rail vehicles, such as, for example, low or middle-level floor street cars, generally operate in mixed traffic. This means that they are participants in public traffic and as such interact with people as users of the roadways.
The running over of people who are located directly in front of the vehicle has always represented a problem, inasmuch as the metal to metal pairing of the passenger-conveying rail vehicle wheels to the rails, combined with the high vehicle mass means that a longer stopping distance is required to come to a full stop than, for example, with automobiles, which both weigh less and, through the pairing of rubber to asphalt between the wheel and roadway, have a higher degree of friction..
The problem of running over people occurs in multiple areas. On the one hand, there is already a significant danger of injury through the "drawing in" under the vehicle of the person into the gap at the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to avoid injuries when running over a person or a part of person who might be drawn in by the wheels. On top of this, an open coupling area of the vehicle holds an additional high risk of injury. In the event that a rail vehicle comes to a standstill, before a person who has already fallen under the vehicle reaches the danger area of the wheels, it is possible to reduce life-threatening injuries to a maximum, even if one can never completely preclude them.
Protection systems that fall under the concept of "obstacle deflector" have been known since the very start of the rail vehicle history and have been produced in the most wide-ranging of forms. Known devices or solutions in the area of obstacle deflectors work on the basis of a minimization of the risk of injury in cases of persons being drawn into the gap on the front of the vehicle between the underbody and roadway or being run over.
In the area of purely mechanical deflecting protection systems and devices, the focus has lied and continues to lie in the minimization of injury to persons, to the greatest extent possible, through measures that will limit or prevent the drawing in of persons who have already been partially run over in the area between the wheels and the rails. The basic concept of these systems is that of distancing people from the direct proximity of the danger area until such time as the vehicle has not come to a complete standstill. In this, the gap between the underbody of the vehicle and the roadway at the front of the vehicle plays a decisive role.
If the gap is sufficiently narrow, one should be able to avoid that one even arrives at a point where a person can be drawn under the vehicle.
The conditions of use of the vehicles do however stipulate geometric requirements for this gap:
assured available ground clearance when approaching vertical radii (crests and troughs) in conjunction with the kinematic circumstances of the distance of the running gear to the front overhang. Many solutions for the protection of people that have been realized foresee a barrier of a size that corresponds, for example, to that of a person lying in front of the vehicle and that meets precisely at the start of the gap of the structure hanging at the front of the vehicle. This structure is constructed in such a manner that it can push obstacles up to a certain size in front of it without damage. In the event in which an obstacle is such that, due to is overly large size or because of too much friction against the direction of travel, it cannot be pushed further ahead, this structure allows for a further structure to be folded down from the underbody to the roadway, before there is a risk of the first reaching its breaking point. This second downward folding structure forms a "ramp" immediately in front of the first rolling gear, in such a way that, in the case in which the obstacle were to break through the first structure, there is still the possibility that a "pick-up" can occur in front of the danger area. Such a system is widely known through its use in, for example, high floor street cars, for example of the "DUEWAG" brand since the 1960's.
These systems do however only find sensible application when the vehicle has a sufficiently large ground clearance, which could reasonably turn away an obstacle the size of run-over person before the danger area, without the run-over person have already previously suffered major injury.
A disadvantage of this protection system is that the majority of vehicle types which employ it are high or middle-level floor vehicles, which are generally laid out with appropriate ground clearance.
A further disadvantage is that sharp-edged deformations or breakages can occur to the protective structures that are present when the same are not able to support the burden of the person "to be pushed".
=
Other purely mechanical solutions for run-over protection, which can be employed in the field of lower-level floor vehicles, operate in a manner similar to the principle described above for middle-level and high floor vehicles; however, with the difference that the first protection structure is not implemented in a weight-bearing manner. Furthermore, these first structures or brackets are also set at a significant distance to the front of the vehicle. This means that, on the one hand, a run-over person must already have ended up quite far under the vehicle before they come into contact with the first structure. On the other hand, this structure is not set up so as to push the person further along in front of it, but rather only to allow the final "catching structure" be folded down.
The use of airbags in a protection system for persons found in front of the vehicle has already been described by the rail-vehicle industry, however until now it has still only been implemented in a restrained manner ¨ mainly based upon the argument whereby a protection system that exists exclusively of an airbag application cannot be returned to its initial state after the deployment of the airbag. Such a solution is, for example, described amongst others in DE
102013204555 Al.
A further difficulty is represented by the design of these airbags, which are meant to ensure protection against the running over or drawing in under the vehicle in the area of the gap between the underbody at the front of the vehicle and the roadway.
Known airbag technologies go limp after deployment through a drop in pressure.
This brings along the problem of stability of the shape ¨ the airbag should, subsequent to its deployment, in its inflated condition be able to retain its stability of shape at least until such time that the vehicle has not come to a full standstill.
So-called "soft-Noses" represent relatively widely used systems for the protection of persons found in front of vehicles. In this case, a soft dampening coating, for example, a polyurethane (PU) containing synthetic material, is applied to the frontmost contour of the vehicle so as to allow for a maximum dampening of any impact of a colliding person with the vehicle. These systems do however not offer any protection against the drawing in or running over of persons under the vehicle. This type of solution is, for example, known from its use in the "Hermelijn"
lower-level floor street cars of the "De Lljn" operator in the Belgian cities of Ghent and Antwerp.
The vehicle manufacturers are furthermore already attempting to maintain the opening on the front of the vehicle between the underbody and the roadway as small as possible so as to prevent, to the greatest extent possible, the drawing in of persons under the vehicle. In this =
case there is, however, not only the conflict between the minimum ground clearance set forth by the operators, but rather also the kinematic boundary conditions in operational conditions, in particular, the so-called "trough trajectories". In these circumstances, the vehicle travels through a vertical radius with an increasing gradient ("trough" as opposed to "crests"), which reduces the free vertical distance of the foremost point of the vehicle to the roadway to the minimum. This effect is dependent on the kinematic relationships between the distances of the foremost point of the vehicle to the point of rotation of the first running gear in combination with the distance of this point of rotation to the point of rotation of the next running gear or railcar connector.
The majority of protection devices that have been implemented up until today, which are intended to prevent the running over of persons, are aimed at repulsing and thereby keeping the person away from the direct danger area, the contact area of wheel and rail. These deflector systems that are generally multi-phase (for example DE 102013204555 Al) only first initiate the protection mechanism when the deflector mechanism is triggered through a physical contact with the obstacle being run over in the frontal area of the vehicle.. This does however presuppose the partial running over of a person by the vehicle. An advantage however of the purely mechanical systems is, however, their immediate and simple ability to be re-initialized subsequent to an occurred application insofar as no function-impairing damage has occurred to the system.
Further known solutions are made up of a deflector structure that is located immediately behind the front side of the vehicle and is set forth as a "mini-railcar" on its own rolling stock which is permanently activated by means of a shear-resistant connection to the underbody.
This structure is affixed in a shear-resistant but height-variable manner to the underbody and can therefore offset differences in height that the front unit is subject to during travel, and it features a constant distance to the roadway through its own rolling stock. The disadvantage of this solution is that, in the case of varying weather conditions such as snow and ice, as well as with sand and stones, the "mini-railcar" is affected and this represents more of an obstacle to operation. Such devices are, for example, fitted to street cars in Seville or Zaragoza.
The purpose of the invention is to present a rail vehicle with a device which allows for the complete "deflection" of persons who are found to be in front of the vehicle from the danger area. The objective thereof is to completely avoid the running over of passers-by.
This purpose is achieved according to the features of Claims 1 and 13 of the invention. For this purpose, the invention comprises a rail vehicle with a device or a device on its own, which is =
= P3394CA00 5 made up of an arrangement of one or multiple inflatable structures in the area under the frontal covering, which are inflatable by means of a gas medium. It is advantageously foreseen that the actual structure can form not only an open body, but also a closed body.
It is furthermore advantageous if the constituent material of the structures, beyond other materials that are used, can be made of metallic materials. It is likewise advantageous, when metallic materials are used, when it is foreseen that the structure comprises a flexible welded double blank that is inflatable with a gas medium by means of a feed line or by a gas generator that is directly connected to the structure by internal pressure reshaping. In further optimization steps, the metal structure can be modified through the choice of the wall thickness or through substitution with other flexible metal structures.
Hereinafter, the invention describes a selected embodiment of the inflatable structure as a closed welded metallic double blank with minimal wall thickness. This choice does, however, only represent one of the multiple combinations of the invention, and is not exclusively limited to this choice. So as to achieve a high degree of compliance to bending with a high resistance to tearing, a special metallic membrane material should be employed which is primarily made up of a fine metallic mesh.
It is advantageous when the structure features flexible inflatable tear-resistant and contact resistant properties. The structure can be composed of a metallic membrane material, which features a wire-mesh structure, wherein the wire-mesh structure can feature one or multiple layers. It is particularly advantageous when the wire-mesh structure features internal and/or external protection layers made up of elastic materials. For the control of the pressure profile, the inside of the structure is laminated with an elastic foil, which minimizes or totally prevents the escape of gas. In the case of very fine-meshed reticulation, it is possible to also omit this internal film in accordance with the required pressure decrease specifications. So as to further improve the resistance to tearing, it is also possible to fully or partially apply additional protective film on the outer skin.
The inflation of the metal structure is triggered by sensor technology according to a further particular feature, which is located on the front of the vehicle. It is advantageous when the sensor technology is fitted with means of measurement which can recognize and/or detect a frontal impact of a person against the front of the vehicle. It is foreseen, according to a particular feature, that the metal structure forms a geometrically adaptive molded form in activated state, which fills out the hollow space between the underbody of the vehicle and the railway. The inflation of the metal structure therefore advantageously occurs with a corresponding expansion speed which prevents the drawing in of a person under the vehicle.
The invention thereby advantageously combines the basic principle of complete "deflection" of persons ending up in front of the vehicle, from the danger area through the use of a closed metallic structure which is activated through inflation. The teaching furthermore is based upon interplay of the electromechanical-pneumatic. The invention thereby prevents both the drawing in/running over of a person who has unexpectedly come to be lying in the roadway immediately in front of the vehicle in the nominal gap on the front of the vehicle, as well as every other further danger of a run-over by the track wheels. Following activation, the metal structure can remain underneath the vehicle, inasmuch as it adapts to the varying ground clearance.
The present invention can be integrated into all rail vehicles with front covering. It is, in principle, irrelevant whether one is dealing with a high, middle or low-level floor vehicle. The protection system in accordance with the invention can be installed in all modern rail vehicles and can be retrofitted to all rail vehicles that are now in use.
Inasmuch as the features of the device that are described in Claim 13 and the corresponding dependent claims already follow from the description here above, a particular description of the device will be omitted to avoid repetition.
The invention will hereinafter be more closely described on the basis of the embodiment examples that are represented in the illustrations. The illustrations show:
Fig. la: a rail vehicle in side view with a person in the frontal area, Fig. lb: a rail vehicle in front view with a person in the frontal area, Fig. 2a: a rail vehicle in side view with a device for the protection of passers-by, Fig. 2h: a rail vehicle in front view with a device for the protection of passers-by, Fig. 3a: a rail vehicle in side view with a device for the protection of passers-by in activated state, Fig. 3b: a rail vehicle in front view with a device for the protection of passers-by in activated state, Fig. 4a - c: a representation of the principle of the mode of action of a device for the protection of passers-by, Fig. 5a - 5c the schematic construction of the inflatable structure, in Fig. 5b with solely a one-layer construction (5b) and with an additional optional tear-away protective layer (5c), Fig. 6a - c schematic representation of various lay-out types or forms of the structure.
= P3394CA00 7 In rail traffic, in particular in inner-city, street-car traffic, accidents between a rail vehicle 1 and persons (pedestrians) 2 are not a rarity. The same can bring about serious and deadly injuries, in particular in the event of a front impact, when the person 2 ends up in the hollow area between the rail vehicle 1 and the ground following the impact. The device 4 is made up of at least one structure 7 that is inflatable by means of a gas medium 6 that will remain in a stable form until such time that the vehicle can be brought to a standstill.
The risk of injury will be significantly reduced through the device according to the invention, inasmuch as the hollow space between the rail vehicle 1 and the ground 3 will be filled immediately before or after the collision by means of the device 4 that is fitted on the underside of the front of the rail vehicle, such that the person 2 involved in the collision is not able to end up under the rail vehicle 1 and preferably will deflected next to the vehicle rails. Injuries are not to be herewith precluded; the same should however be substantially more limited and occur without threats to life. (See Fig. 1 and 2) A selection of structural materials of the device according to the invention which is based upon a structure 7, marked as a metallic structure, namely a thin-sheet metal structure, which can be expanded or inflated through a gas medium 6 that is fed in through lead lines 11 (various states of inflation 8, 9, Fig. 3 and 4). The structure can also be directly connected with a gas generator (not depicted).
It is advantageous if the flexibility of the metal structure is adjustable through the wall thickness and if this structure can exist as a "Tailored Blank" in the shape of a welded double blank, even if more supple metallic materials are imaginable. The arrangement in the initial position prior to activation of a detection technology (which is not included in this invention) is thereby not visible from outside. The triggering of the device occurs by means of sensor technology 10, which is adapted to the front of the rail vehicle which detects the frontal impact of a person 2 by means of optical, mechanical or another measurement principle, or anticipates the impact. As regards the expansion speed, the mechanism is laid out in such a way that the final geometry of the molding body is already reached prior to the occurrence of the danger of the person being "drawn in". This is normally within a few milliseconds.
So as to fulfill the requirement for a permanent safe functionality of the personal protection components, the structure must feature flexible, intatable, tear-resistant and contact-resistant properties.
So as to achieve a high degree of compliance to bending with a high resistance to tearing, a special metallic membrane material should be employed which is primarily made up of a fine metallic mesh. The mesh structure 12 can be laid out as single-layered, or multi-layered and can feature internal and/or external protective coatings made of elastic materials.
The structure can be laminated on the inside with an elastic film 13 for control of the pressure profile, which reduces or totally prevents the escape of gas. In the case of very fine-meshed reticulation, it is possible to also omit this internal film in accordance with the required pressure decrease specifications. So as to further improve the resistance to tearing, it is also possible to fully or partially apply additional protective film 14 on the outer skin. The Figures 5a through 5c schematically depict the construction of the inflatable structure 7. In Fig.
5b there is a one-layer network-structure construction 12¨ gas barrier film 13 and in Fig.
5c a multi-layer construction with an additional optional tear-away protection layer 14 is represented, which can also only be partially affixed.
The following wire mesh will in particular find application in structure 7 according to the invention:
Stainless steel wire mesh: High strength, stainless materials (materials 1.4306, 1.4301 or similar, HSS and UHSS) Mesh gauge: The structure of the wire mesh (mesh gauge, wire circumference, pattern of the weave) is to be selected on the basis of specific requirements. For single layer structures, it is, for example, possible to employ weaved mesh with a gauge of approximately 45x46 mesh per square inch and a wire circumference of approximately 200 pm. The use of both even finer structures (meshes of up to 5 pm, for example, as an additional gas barrier film (second layer)) as well as coarser structures for the load-bearing layer with meshes of up to 5 mm is to be determined on a specific application basis.
Structure of the network: One can use both plane weaves as well as meshes with other weave patterns. These are to be selected according to the in-plane rigidity that is required (directionally-dependent performance to traction and thrust).
The meshes can also be annealed after weaving to achieve a high degree of ductility. For the manufacture of the structure, it is possible to - lay plane wire meshes on top of one another and join them to seal (Fig.
6a), - join toric wire meshes on both ends (Fig. 6b) - or cushion-like structures that are woven directly (Fig. 6c).
The rail vehicle 1 according to the invention comprises a device (obstacle deflector), which is arranged in front of the bump abatement system of the vehicle and which does not respond without triggering by an activation device. The same should ensure full functionality of the there-above-located bump abatement system in crashes without any danger of running over a person.
The triggering of the obstacle deflector occurs either through the operator by means of the activation of a device on the operator's console or by means of the automatic detection technology (not included in this invention) of the detector device that is integrated into the apron of the rail vehicle. In any event the obstacle deflector is triggered by the first response of one of these devices. A gas generator thereby inflates the closed metal structure that is folded in the initial position. During the unfolding and inflation in the direction of the roadway, an additional deflection movement is carried out in accordance with the geometry of the metal structure that is fitted, that as it were deflects the person(s) being run over from going under the vehicle. This does naturally take for granted a coordination of the geometry of the closed metal structure to the relationship between the frontal cladding and the roadway.
The closed, folded metal structure that is fitted can also be constructed in multiple elements so as to compensate for particular bends of the bumper bar.
A particular feature of the activated (= inflated) closed metal structure and thus a clear improvement on the known airbag technologies, is that after the inflation stage, it maintains its shape both in position and location. This means that following the pressurization (= inflation stage), there is per se no need for (constant) pressure in the structure to maintain the same in an inflated state. However, the closed metal structure can in fact adapt to varying vertical spatial conditions such as, for example, a reduction of the nominal ground clearance between the bumper bar and the roadway: it simply gets compressed through the inherent weight of the vehicle. Following this reduction of the height of the closed metal structure, the same remains in this state of reduced height.
The total process of the recognition of the obstacle, as well as triggering and inflation of the closed metal structure should thereby occur in real time. In any event, as regards being run over, the action for the protection of persons that takes place in parallel to the timely stopping of the rail vehicle will be complemented by this invention, before a person can be drawn in or run over by the vehicle.
Claims (18)
1. A rail vehicle with a device for the protection of passers-by in the event of a collision with the vehicle front of the vehicle, wherein the device is arranged on the underside of the rail vehicle, which is characterized by the device being comprised of at least one structure, which is inflatable by means of a gas medium, to retain its shape stability over any time period, during which the vehicle can be brought to a standstill and wherein the at least one structure is characterized by the structure being comprised of a metallic membrane material, which features a wire mesh structure constructed with one or multiple layers, wherein said wire mesh structure features partial or complete internal and/or external protection layers made up of elastic materials.
2. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, which is characterized by the structure is comprised of a metal structure that is inflatable through internal pressure reshaping by means of a feed line or directly with a gas medium by a gas generator that is connected to the structure.
3. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, which is characterized by the structure being comprised of a closed structure that is inflatable through internal pressure reshaping by means of a feed line with a gas medium.
4. The rail vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is characterized by the structure is constructed as a closed metal structure and is comprised of a welded double blank that is inflatable through internal pressure reshaping by means of a feed line or directly with a gas medium by a gas generator that is connected to the structure.
5. The rail vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is characterized by the inflation of the structure being triggered by a sensor technology which is located on the front of the vehicle.
6. The rail vehicle according to claim 5, which is characterized by the sensor technology featuring means of measurement which are able to recognize and/or detect the frontal impact of a person against the front of the vehicle.
7. The rail vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is characterized by the structure in activated state forms a geometrically adaptive mold body which fills out the hollow area between the underbody of the vehicle and the ground of the railway.
8. The rail vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is characterized by the inflation of the structure takes place at a speed that prevents the danger of a person being drawn in under the vehicle.
9. The rail vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is characterized by the structure featuring flexible, inflatable, tear-resistant and contact-resistant properties.
10. A device for the protection of passers-by in the event of a collision with the front of a rail vehicle, wherein the device is arranged on the underside of the front of the rail vehicle, which is characterized by the same comprising at least one structure, which is inflatable by means of a gas medium, to retain its shape stability over any time period, during which the vehicle can be brought to a standstill and wherein the at least one structure is characterized by the structure being comprised of a metallic membrane material, which features a wire mesh structure constructed with one or multiple layers, wherein said wire mesh structure features partial or complete internal and/or external protection layers made up of elastic materials.
11. The device according to claim 10, which is characterized by the structure is comprised of a metal structure, that is inflatable through internal pressure reshaping by means of a feed line or directly with a gas medium by a gas generator that is connected to the structure.
12. The device according to claim 10, which is characterized by the structure being comprised of a closed structure that is inflatable through internal pressure reshaping by means of a feed line with a gas medium.
13. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, which is characterized by the structure is constructed as a closed metal structure and is comprised of a welded double blank that is inflatable by means of a feed line or directly with a gas medium by a gas generator that is connected to the structure.
14. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 13, which is characterized by the inflation of the structure being triggered by a sensor technology which is located on the front of the rail vehicle.
15. The device according to claim 14, which is characterized by the sensor technology featuring means of measurement which are able to recognize and/or detect the frontal impact of a person against the front of the rail vehicle.
16. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 15, which is characterized by the structure in activated state, forms a geometrically adaptive mold body which fills out the hollow area between the underbody of the vehicle in the front area of the rail vehicle and the ground of the railway.
17. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 16, which is characterized by the inflation of the structure takes place at a speed that prevents the danger of a person being drawn in under the vehicle.
18. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 17, which is characterized by the structure featuring flexible, inflatable, tear-resistant and contact-resistant properties.
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP13000637.2 | 2013-02-07 | ||
| EP13000637 | 2013-02-07 | ||
| DE102013211273.4 | 2013-06-17 | ||
| DE102013211273.4A DE102013211273A1 (en) | 2013-06-17 | 2013-06-17 | Rail vehicle with a device for the protection of passers-by and a device for the protection of passers-by |
| PCT/EP2014/052324 WO2014122212A1 (en) | 2013-02-07 | 2014-02-06 | Rail vehicle having a device for pedestrian protection and device for pedestrian protection |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2898645A1 CA2898645A1 (en) | 2014-08-14 |
| CA2898645C true CA2898645C (en) | 2021-01-26 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2898645A Active CA2898645C (en) | 2013-02-07 | 2014-02-06 | Rail vehicle having a device for pedestrian protection as well as a device for pedestrian protection |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
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| EP (1) | EP2953819B1 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN105189211A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU2014213989A1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2898645C (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2865416T3 (en) |
| PL (1) | PL2953819T3 (en) |
| RU (1) | RU2015135224A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2014122212A1 (en) |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR3025469B1 (en) * | 2014-09-10 | 2018-02-16 | Alstom Transp Tech | PIECE PROTECTION DEVICE IN THE EVENT OF SHOCK WITH A VEHICLE |
| CN106004917B (en) * | 2016-05-13 | 2018-06-29 | 北京交通大学 | A kind of multistage collision energy-absorbing pilot |
| EP3475933B1 (en) * | 2016-06-24 | 2025-03-19 | Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd. | Autonomous or partially autonomous motor vehicles with automated risk-controlled systems and corresponding method thereof |
| CN108216298B (en) * | 2016-12-15 | 2019-07-19 | 上海阿尔斯通交通设备有限公司 | Pedestrian protection device for trams |
| CN107512282B (en) * | 2017-07-14 | 2019-05-21 | 中车青岛四方机车车辆股份有限公司 | A kind of low-floor rail vehicle troubleshooting and motor protection device |
| DE102018133181B3 (en) * | 2018-12-20 | 2020-04-16 | Bombardier Transportation Gmbh | Personal protection device for fastening to the underside of a rail vehicle |
| CN110053646A (en) * | 2019-05-09 | 2019-07-26 | 淮南师范学院 | A kind of general fast use for electric locomotive is laied oneself on the railway tracks protective device |
| CN115257822B (en) * | 2022-07-12 | 2025-03-14 | 中铁第四勘察设计院集团有限公司 | A rear anti-collision blind cover structure suitable for maglev pipeline transportation |
| EP4624296A1 (en) * | 2024-03-28 | 2025-10-01 | ALSTOM Holdings | Improved airbag, in particular for a vehicle |
Family Cites Families (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1371145A (en) * | 1971-01-28 | 1974-10-23 | Renault | Energy absorbind devices |
| US20030047370A1 (en) * | 1998-12-30 | 2003-03-13 | Gibbs John H. | Bumper device for existing trains |
| US6474489B2 (en) * | 1999-03-12 | 2002-11-05 | Thomas S. Payne | Collision attenuator |
| FR2806997B1 (en) * | 2000-04-04 | 2006-06-02 | Alstom | DEVICE FOR PROTECTING A VEHICLE AGAINST SHOCK |
| FR2811624B1 (en) * | 2000-07-12 | 2002-12-06 | Alstom | EXHAUST DEVICE FOR AN INFLATABLE ELEMENT AND DEVICE FOR PROTECTING A VEHICLE AGAINST IMPACT EQUIPPED WITH SUCH AN EXHAUST DEVICE |
| JP2005041427A (en) * | 2003-07-25 | 2005-02-17 | Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc | Collision safety device |
| KR101180985B1 (en) * | 2009-12-21 | 2012-09-07 | 한국철도기술연구원 | crash person protecting equipment of Railway Vehicle |
| US8727377B2 (en) | 2012-02-23 | 2014-05-20 | GM Global Technology Operations LLC | Adaptive vent and method for airbag |
| DE102012007814A1 (en) * | 2012-04-18 | 2012-11-22 | Daimler Ag | Vehicle, particularly motor vehicle, has energy absorption element, which is triggered to develop with gas when imminent collision or collision of vehicle is detected |
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2014
- 2014-02-06 RU RU2015135224A patent/RU2015135224A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2014-02-06 CA CA2898645A patent/CA2898645C/en active Active
- 2014-02-06 ES ES14702875T patent/ES2865416T3/en active Active
- 2014-02-06 CN CN201480007828.8A patent/CN105189211A/en active Pending
- 2014-02-06 PL PL14702875T patent/PL2953819T3/en unknown
- 2014-02-06 EP EP14702875.7A patent/EP2953819B1/en active Active
- 2014-02-06 AU AU2014213989A patent/AU2014213989A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2014-02-06 WO PCT/EP2014/052324 patent/WO2014122212A1/en not_active Ceased
Also Published As
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| ES2865416T3 (en) | 2021-10-15 |
| EP2953819A1 (en) | 2015-12-16 |
| AU2014213989A1 (en) | 2015-08-20 |
| CA2898645A1 (en) | 2014-08-14 |
| EP2953819B1 (en) | 2021-03-31 |
| CN105189211A (en) | 2015-12-23 |
| RU2015135224A (en) | 2017-02-28 |
| PL2953819T3 (en) | 2021-10-25 |
| WO2014122212A1 (en) | 2014-08-14 |
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