Guide device for rail-guided vehicle, and rail-guided vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9676400-B2
Application number	US-201414774549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2014
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a guide device for a rail-guided vehicle that is guided to travel along a travel track, the guide device including: guide wheels that roll in contact with guide rails arranged on both sides of the travel track; steering arms that steer the vehicle; guide wheel support members; and shock-absorbing members. One end of each guide wheel support member is supported at the tip end of a steering arm with shock-absorbing members interposed therebetween, and the other end of each guide wheel support member rollably supports a main guide wheel and a diverging guide wheel. The shock-absorbing members are disposed between each guide wheel support member and the corresponding steering arm, and mitigate the impact load transmitted from the guide wheels to the steering arms.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A guide device for a guide rail-type vehicle traveling along a travel track while being guided along the travel track, comprising:
guide wheels rolled by coming in contact with guide rails including main guide rails and diverging guide rails arranged on both sides of the travel track, each of the guide wheels including a main guide wheel and a turnout guide wheel, each of the main guide rails applying inward force toward an inner side of the guide rail-type vehicle to the main guide wheel, and each of the diverging guide rails applying outward force toward an outer side of the guide rail-type vehicle to the turnout guide wheel;
steering arms displaced upon receiving the inward force or the outward force and steer the vehicle;
a guide wheel support member;
a cushioning member;
the guide wheel support member extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, one end of the guide wheel support member being supported on a tip end of each of the steering arms via the cushioning member, the other end of the guide wheel support member rollably supporting the main guide wheel and the turnout guide wheel, and
the cushioning member being a member provided between the guide wheel support member and the tip end of each steering arm, the member transmitting the inward force, the outward force, up-down force making the guide wheel support member displace in a vertical direction, and front-rear force making the guide wheel support member displace in the vehicle longitudinal direction to each steering arm while absorbing the inward force, the outward force, the up-down force, and the front-rear force so as to mitigate an impact load.

2. The guide device for the guide rail-type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the cushioning member includes a main cushioning member absorbing the inward force, the outward force, and the up-down force, and an assistant cushioning member absorbing the front-rear force.

3. The guide device for the guide rail-type vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a frame-shape first support frame fixed to the tip end of each steering arm, wherein
the one end of the guide wheel support member is supported on the inner side of the first support frame via the main cushioning member, and
the main cushioning member includes an inner ring fitted on the one end of the guide wheel support member, an outer ring fitted in the first support frame, and a main elastic body sandwiched between the inner ring and the outer ring, the main elastic body absorbing the inward force, the outward force, and the up-down force.

4. The guide device for the guide rail-type vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a frame-shape second support frame fixed to the tip end of each steering arm; and
a coupling member connecting the guide wheel support member to the tip end of each steering arm via the assistant cushioning member, the coupling member extending in a vehicle width direction, and one end of the coupling member being fixed to the guide wheel support member and the other end of the coupling member being supported on the inner side of the second support frame via the assistant cushioning member, wherein
the assistant cushioning member includes an inner ring fitted on the coupling member, an outer ring fitted to the second support frame, and an assistant elastic body sandwiched between the inner ring and the outer ring, the assistant elastic body absorbing the front-rear force and angular moment generated by the outward force and the inward force produced by the guide wheel.

5. A guide rail-type vehicle comprising:
a guide device for a guide rail-type vehicle traveling along a travel track while being guided along the travel track, comprising:
guide wheels rolled by coming in contact with guide rails including main guide rails and diverging guide rails arranged on both sides of the travel track, each of the guide Wheels including a main guide wheel and a turnout guide wheel, each of the main guide rails applying inward force toward an inner side of the guide rail-type vehicle to the main guide wheel, and each of the diverging guide rails applying outward force toward an outer side of the guide rail-type vehicle to the turnout guide wheel;
steering arms displaced upon receiving the inward force or the outward force and steer the vehicle;
a guide wheel support member;
a cushioning member;
the guide wheel support member extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, one end of the guide wheel support member being supported on a tip end of each of the steering arms via the cushioning member, the other end of the guide wheel support member rollably supporting the main guide wheel and the turnout guide wheel, and
the cushioning member being a member provided between the guide wheel support member and the tip end of each steering arm, the member transmitting the inward force, the outward force, up-down force making the guide wheel support member displace in a vertical direction, and front-rear force making the guide wheel support member displace in the vehicle longitudinal direction to each steering arm while absorbing the inward force, the outward force, the up-down force, and the front-rear force so as to mitigate an impact load, and
the guide wheels included in the guide device being rolled by coming in contact with guide rails arranged on both sides of the travel track, so that the steering arms included in the guide device are steered and the guide rail-type vehicle travels along the travel track.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Tachibana Masaru
• Niizeki Akihiro
• Kamatani Junji
• Komoto Akira

Classifications

• B61B13/00 Primary

  Other railway systems · CPC title

• B61F5/38

  Arrangements or devices for adjusting or allowing self- adjustment of wheel axles or bogies when rounding curves, e.g. sliding axles, swinging axles · CPC title

• B62D1/265

  especially adapted for guiding road vehicles carrying loads or passengers, e.g. in urban networks for public transportation · CPC title

• B61F9/00 Primary

  Rail vehicles characterised by means for preventing derailing, e.g. by use of guide wheels · CPC title