Stone impact protection arrangement and rail vehicle with a stone impact protection arrangement

Abstract

A stone impact protection configuration for protecting at least one vehicle component, in particular a wheelset shaft, disposed in the region of the underbody of a rail vehicle, includes a plurality of resilient shielding elements in the form of flexurally resilient strips being supported and held at both end regions thereof by at least one retention device. A corresponding rail vehicle with a stone impact protection configuration for operating on track systems with a ballast bed superstructure, is also provided.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A stone impact protection configuration for protecting at least one vehicle component, including a wheelset shaft, disposed in the vicinity of an underbody of a rail vehicle, the stone impact protection configuration comprising:
 a plurality of resilient shielding elements constructed as flexurally resilient strips each having two respective end regions; and   at least one retention device carrying said shielding elements and retaining said shielding elements at both of said respective end regions.   
     
     
         12 . The stone impact protection configuration according to  claim 11 , wherein said strips have longitudinal axes, and said at least one retention device orients said longitudinal axes in parallel with each other. 
     
     
         13 . The stone impact protection configuration according to  claim 11 , wherein said at least one retention device includes two retention devices each retaining a respective one of said end regions of each of said strips. 
     
     
         14 . The stone impact protection configuration according to  claim 13 , wherein said retention devices are at least one of resiliently constructed or resiliently connected to each other to enable low-tension bending of said strips. 
     
     
         15 . The stone impact protection configuration according to  claim 11 , wherein said at least one retention device is configured to support said strips at a spacing from the vehicle component to be protected. 
     
     
         16 . The stone impact protection configuration according to  claim 11 , which further comprises at least one clip configured to secure said at least one retention device to the vehicle component constructed as a wheelset shaft. 
     
     
         17 . The stone impact protection configuration according to  claim 16 , wherein said at least one clip is a worm drive hose clip. 
     
     
         18 . A rail vehicle for travel on track installations having a ballasted track, the rail vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle underbody;   at least one vehicle component; and   a stone impact protection configuration according to claim  1  disposed in the vicinity of said vehicle underbody.   
     
     
         19 . The rail vehicle according to  claim 17 , wherein said at least one vehicle component is a wheelset shaft having a covering surface with a periphery, and said strips of said stone impact protection configuration surround and are each spaced apart from said periphery of said covering surface at a radial spacing. 
     
     
         20 . The rail vehicle according to  claim 18 , wherein said at least one retention device is secured to said at least one vehicle component to be protected. 
     
     
         21 . The rail vehicle according to  claim 18 , wherein said strips of said at least one retention device of said stone impact protection configuration are retained transversely relative to a travel direction of the rail vehicle.