Drive unit for a rail vehicle wheel set

Abstract

A drive unit for driving at least one wheel drive shaft, in particular of a wheelset axle, in particular a cross-drive for use in rail vehicles with a driving engine and a transmission assembly coupled thereto. The output of the transmission assembly is formed by a hollow shaft which is coupled via an articulated coupling to the wheel drive shaft, in particular the wheelset axle. A first braking subsystem and a second braking subsystem are embodied as disk brake systems, each comprising at least one brake disk. An attachment flange of the brake disk of one braking subsystem is embodied in integral fashion with the hollow shaft. Placement of the braking subsystems along the hollow shaft is disclosed.

1 . A drive unit for a rail vehicle wheel set, the drive unit comprising: 
 a transmission assembly including a coupling for connection to a driving engine, and a hollow rotatable transmission output shaft;    an articulated coupling which connects the hollow shaft with a wheel drive shaft which carries wheels for the vehicle for rotation together, whereby driving torque is coupled directly to the wheel drive shaft;    a braking system comprising first and second braking subsystems operable on the hollow shaft and spaced apart from each other along the hollow shaft;    the first braking subsystem including an attachment flange attached to the hollow shaft, and brake elements for braking on the attachment flange;    a bearing arrangement for the hollow shaft supporting the hollow shaft for rotation, the bearing arrangement being disposed in the transmission assembly.    
   
   
       2 . The drive unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a driving engine, and the transmission assembly being coupled to the driving engine for operating the transmission assembly to rotate the hollow shaft.  
   
   
       3 . The drive unit of  claim 2 , wherein the transmission assembly includes a housing around the transmission assembly and the bearing arrangement for the hollow shaft being within the housing of the transmission assembly.  
   
   
       4 . The drive unit of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second braking subsystems comprises disk brake systems, each comprising at least one brake disk which cooperates with the hollow shaft for braking rotation of the hollow shaft.  
   
   
       5 . The drive unit of  claim 4 , wherein the attachment flange of the first braking subsystem cooperates with the brake disk thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The drive unit of  claim 5 , wherein the second braking subsystem has an attachment flange which is a component separate from the hollow shaft and a device for attaching the second attachment flange to the hollow shaft for rotating therewith.  
   
   
       7 . The drive unit of  claim 6 , wherein the hollow shaft and the attachment flange of the first braking subsystem are integrally embodied as a cast part.  
   
   
       8 . The drive unit of  claim 6 , wherein the hollow shaft and the attachment flange of the first braking subsystem are integrally embodied as a forged part.  
   
   
       9 . The drive unit of  claim 5 , wherein the attachment flange of the first braking subsystem and the hollow shaft are formed as one component.  
   
   
       10 . The drive unit of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission assembly which is connected with the hollow shaft has first and second opposite sides spaced along the axis of the hollow shaft, and the first and second braking subsystems are respectively arranged toward the first and second axial sides of the transmission assembly; 
 the articulated coupling between the axle and the hollow shaft being so positioned with respect to the transmission assembly that the second braking subsystem is disposed between the transmission assembly and the articulated coupling along the axis of the hollow shaft.    
   
   
       11 . The drive unit of  claim 10 , further comprising a housing around the transmission assembly connected with the hollow shaft; 
 an activation device for the first and second braking subsystems and the activation device is arranged on the housing of the transmission assembly.    
   
   
       12 . The drive unit of  claim 1 , wherein the articulated coupling comprises a first coupling part coupled to the hollow shaft and the first coupling part is integrally embodied with the hollow shaft, the articulated coupling additionally being coupled to the wheel drive shaft.  
   
   
       13 . The drive unit of  claim 1 , wherein both of the first and second braking subsystems are arranged between the transmission assembly and the articulated coupling.  
   
   
       14 . The drive unit of  claim 13 , wherein each of the first and second braking systems has a respective attachment flange which is integral with the hollow shaft and respective brake elements for braking on the attachment flanges.  
   
   
       15 . The drive unit of  claim 1 , wherein the bearing arrangement has a fixed external diameter and is adapted to accommodate hollow shafts having different external diameters.  
   
   
       16 . The drive unit of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission includes a housing formed as an integral unit.  
   
   
       17 . A drive unit for a rail vehicle comprising: 
 a driving unit having an output shaft;    a wheel set including two wheels connected to an axle to be driven thereby,    wherein the driving unit output shaft and the axle extend parallel to each other;    a transmission assembly including a coupling for connection to the driving engine output shaft, and a hollow rotatable transmission output shaft which extends parallel to the driving unit output shaft and the axle;    an articulated coupling which connects the hollow shaft with the wheel drive axle for rotation together;    a braking system comprising first and second braking subsystems operable on the hollow shaft and spaced apart from each other along the hollow shaft;    the first braking subsystem including an attachment flange attached to the hollow shaft, and brake elements for braking on the attachment flange; and    a bearing arrangement rotatably supporting the hollow shaft for rotation, the bearing arrangement being disposed within the transmission assembly.