Assembly with a bearing bracket and a coupler rod or a connection rod; car of a multi-car vehicle and method for transmitting pushing forces applied to a coupler rod or connection rod to a bearing bracket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10807618-B2
Application number	US-201715427782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 10, 2016
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle coupling assembly includes a bearing bracket, a rod, a pin and an abutment element. The bearing bracket includes compressible elements, a connection member intermediate the compressible elements, and a rear plate rearward of the connection member. The rod has an end wall, a first side of which is adjacent to one of the compressible elements. The pin extends through the compressible elements, a connection member hole defined in the bearing bracket, and an end wall hole of the rod. A pin support surface at a first pin end faces a first side of the connection member, one of the compressible elements being between the pin support surface and the second side of the connection member. The abutment element is at a second pin end, and abuts a second side of the end wall of the rod.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle coupling assembly comprising:
a bearing bracket including a first bracket comprising:
a connection portion having a connection portion hole formed therethrough, a first side of the connection portion comprising a first connection portion support surface, and a second side of the connection portion comprising a second connection portion support surface, wherein the first connection portion support surface and the second connection portion support surface face in opposite directions;
a rear portion comprising a rear plate, said rear portion configured to be rearward of the connection portion; and
at least one support element that connects the connection portion with the rear portion;

a rod comprising an end portion having an end portion wall forming an end portion hole therethrough, wherein a first side of the end portion wall comprises an end portion support surface facing the first connection portion support surface of the first bracket,
a pin configured to pass through the connection portion hole of the first bracket and the end portion hole of the rod, the pin including:
a pin support surface, at a first pin end, the pin support surface facing the second connection portion support surface of the first bracket; and
an abutment element on a second pin end, the abutment element abutting against a second side of the end portion wall of the rod;

a first compressible element between the first connection portion support surface of the first bracket and the end portion support surface of the rod; and
a second compressible element between the second connection portion support surface of the first bracket and the pin support surface;
wherein the size of the at least one support element in a direction of its extension between the connection portion and the rear portion creates sufficient space for the pin to move in and out of contact with the rear plate; and
wherein the pin includes a pin end plate at the first pin end of the pin, and wherein the pin end plate is configured to contact the rear plate when a pushing force of a first predetermined magnitude is applied to the rod to push the rod towards the connection portion of the first bracket; and wherein the support element is configured such that a pushing force applied to the rod, in the absence of contact between the pin end plate and the rear plate, is transferred to the support element only via the connection portion.

2. The vehicle coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pin support surface comprises a rearward facing surface of the pin end plate that faces the rear plate.

3. The vehicle coupling assembly of claim 2 , wherein the pin end plate is configured to be arranged apart from the rear plate when no pushing force is applied to the rod to push the rod towards the connection portion of the first bracket; and
wherein, (i) the pin end plate is configured to contact the rear plate; and (ii) the abutment element is configured to come out of contact with the second side of the end portion wall when a pushing force of a second predetermined magnitude that is larger than the first predetermined magnitude is applied to the rod to push the rod towards the connection portion of the first bracket.

4. The vehicle coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first compressible element and the second compressible element comprises a ring-shaped compressible element configured to permit passage of the pin therethrough.

5. The vehicle coupling assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a tilt plate arranged between the end portion of the rod and the first compressible element, wherein a portion of the tilt plate is configured to contact with a portion of the connection portion when the rod swivels relative to the connection portion about a swivel axis that is perpendicular to a central axis of the pin.

6. The vehicle coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rod comprises one of a connection rod and a coupler rod.

7. A method for vehicle coupling comprising:
providing a vehicle coupling assembly comprising:
a bearing bracket including a first bracket comprising:
a connection portion having a connection portion hole formed therethrough, a first side of the connection portion comprising a first connection portion support surface, and a second side of the connection portion comprising a second connection portion support surface, wherein the first connection portion support surface and the second connection portion support surface face in opposite directions;
a rear portion comprising a rear plate, said rear portion configured to be rearward of the connection portion; and
at least one support element that connects the connection portion with the rear portion;

a rod comprising an end portion having an end portion wall forming an end portion hole therethrough, where a first side of the end portion wall comprises an end portion support surface that faces the first connection portion support surface of the first bracket; and
a pin configured to pass through the connection portion hole of the first bracket and the end portion hole of the rod, the pin including:
a pin end plate which provides a pin support surface at a first pin end, the pin support surface facing the second connection portion support surface of the first bracket;
an abutment element on a second pin end, the abutment element abutting against a second side of the end portion wall of the rod;

a first compressible element between the first connection portion support surface of the first bracket and the end portion support surface of the rod; and
a second compressible element between the second connection portion support surface of the first bracket and the pin support surface;

connecting the rear plate of the first bracket to a first car; and
connecting the rod to a second car;
wherein, absent a pushing force urging the rod towards the connection portion of the first bracket, the pin end plate is arranged apart from the rear plate; and
wherein, responsive to a pushing force of a first predetermined magnitude urging the rod towards the connection portion of the first bracket, the pin end plate contacts the rear plate; and
wherein, responsive to a pushing force of a second predetermined magnitude that is larger than the first predetermined magnitude urging the rod towards the connection portion of the first bracket: (i) the pin end plate contacts the rear plate; and (ii) the abutment element comes out of contact with the second side of the end portion wall.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the rod comprises a connection rod, and wherein connecting the rod to the second car comprises connecting the connection rod to the second car.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the rod comprises a coupler rod, and wherein connecting the rod to the second car comprises connecting a first coupler provided on the rod of the first car to a second coupler provided on a second coupler rod of the second car.

10. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein applying the pushing force of the first predetermined magnitude to the rod to push the rod towards the connection portion of the first bracket causes the first compressible element to be compressed and the second compressible element to decompress; and
wherein applying the pushing force of the second predetermined magnitude to the rod to push the rod towards the connection portion of the first bracket causes the first compressible element to further compress and the second compressible element to not further decompress.

11. A car of a multi-car vehicle having at least one vehicle coupling assembly for providing a connection to a further car of the multi-car vehicle, the at least one vehicle coupling as

Assignees

• Dellner Couplers Ab

Inventors

• Westman Anders

Classifications

• B61G7/10 Primary

  Mounting of the couplings on the vehicle · CPC title

• B61G9/06

  with rubber springs · CPC title

• B61G7/00 Primary

  Details or accessories · CPC title

• B61G9/24 Primary

  Linkages between draw-bar and framework (adjustable coupling bars B61G7/12) · CPC title

• B61G1/28

  with vertical bolt or pin · CPC title