Railway vehicle body structure and manufacturing process thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10703390-B2
Application number	US-201715794079-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2017
Priority date	Oct 27, 2016
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A body structure for a rail vehicle that includes a frame with at least one support element made at least predominantly of steel alloy, at least one equipment element made predominantly of aluminum alloy, at least one first plate having at least one longitudinal edge and a first surface delimited by the longitudinal edge, and at least one longitudinal batten of steel alloy, which is integral with the support element, wherein the longitudinal batten is fixed flat to the first face by way of friction melt bonding.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A body structure for a railway vehicle, the body structure comprising:
a frame, which comprises at least one support element made at least predominantly of steel alloy;
at least one equipment element, made at least predominantly of aluminum alloy, and comprising at least a first plate comprising at least one longitudinal edge and a first face delimited by the longitudinal edge; and
at least one longitudinal steel batten which is integral with the support element,
wherein the longitudinal batten is fixed flat on the first face by means of friction melt bonding, a support face of the batten being fixed to the first face, and
wherein the longitudinal batten has a longitudinal outer edge by means of which the longitudinal batten is welded on the support element, the longitudinal batten having a thickened portion extending from the longitudinal outer edge and projecting from a free face, opposite to the first face, and the outer edge having a welding chamfer.

2. The body according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal flat spot is provided in the first face on only part of this first face extending from the longitudinal edge, wherein the longitudinal batten is fixed flat against the longitudinal flat spot.

3. The body according claim 1 ,
wherein the first plate is one of two plates are provided, the first plate having a second face opposite the first face, and a second plate of the two plates being parallel to the first plate,
wherein the equipment element comprises a longitudinal web which protrudes from a lateral portion of the second face,
wherein the lateral portion extends from the longitudinal edge with respect to the longitudinal batten, and
wherein the web connects the first plate to the second plate.

4. The body according to claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal batten is integral with, and belongs to, the support element.

5. The body according to claim 1 ,
wherein the longitudinal batten has a chamfered longitudinal internal edge, and
wherein the body structure comprises a sealing gasket applied against the longitudinal internal edge.

6. The body according to claim 1 ,
wherein the support element forms a truss, and
wherein the equipment element forms a floor.

7. A method of manufacturing a body structure according to claim 1 , the method comprising a step of fixing the longitudinal batten on the first face by means of friction melt bonding through the longitudinal batten by applying a rotating friction melt bonding tool to a free face of the longitudinal batten,
wherein the free face lies opposite a support face of the longitudinal batten against the first face.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the friction melt bonding tool is applied to the free face, the melt bonding tool facing the first face beyond the longitudinal edge.

Assignees

• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Roll Stephane
• Delphigue Bruno

Classifications

• B61D17/10

  Floors · CPC title

• B61D17/043 Primary

  connections between superstructure sub-units (for road vehicles B62D27/00) · CPC title

• B61D17/041

  with bodies characterised by use of light metal, e.g. aluminium (B61D17/045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K20/122

  using a non-consumable tool, e.g. friction stir welding · CPC title