AU2007201160B2

AU2007201160B2 - Intercommunication between two railway passenger carriages coupled together, corresponding carriage and train

Info

Publication number: AU2007201160B2
Application number: AU2007201160A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Max Lhommet
Original assignee: Alstom Transport SA
Current assignee: Alstom Transport SA
Priority date: 2006-03-16
Filing date: 2007-03-16
Publication date: 2012-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2027-03-16
Also published as: CN101037113B; EP1834856B1; MX2007003103A; RU2007109526A; AU2007201160A1; KR20070094510A; RU2430847C2; CN101037113A; JP2007246088A; FR2898569B1; CA2581550A1; FR2898569A1; EP1834856A1

Abstract

OF THE INVENTION This intercommunication is designed for two passenger carriages (4, 6) on two levels (18, 20 ; 19, 21) one above the other, and is of the type comprising at least a first passage (28) which extends between the lower levels (18, 19) of the carriages (4, 6), a second passage (30) extending between the upper levels (20, 21) of the carriages (4, 6), and a third passage (26) extending between the lower level (18) of one (4) of the two carriages (4, 6) and the upper level (21) of the other (6) of the two carriages (4, 6). According to one aspect of the invention, one of the first (28), second (30) and third (26) passages is located transversely between the other two passages (26, 28). Figure 2 i ei I r coN

Description

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S):: Alstom Transport SA ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia INVENTION TITLE: Intercommunication between two railway passenger carriages coupled together, corresponding carriage and train The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5102 C \RPonbl\DCC\SBT\4023125_l.DOC.24A)7/2 I2 This invention relates to intercommunications between two adjacent railway passenger carriages extending in a longitudinal direction, the carriages being on two levels and each having a lower level and an upper level one above the other. EP 0 616 935 describes intercommunications of the above mentioned type that 5 has first and second communication passages one above the other. Nevertheless, the use of such intercommunication requires the use of independent wheels without shaft so that the first and second passages each have sufficient height while complying with the maximum height for the carriages. The present invention provides an intercommunication between two adjacent 10 railway passenger carriages extending in a longitudinal direction, the carriages having two levels and each having a lower level and an upper level one above the other, of the type comprising several separate communication passages allowing passengers to move from one of the carriages to the other, including at least one communication passage extending between the lower levels of the carriages, a second 15 communication passage extending between the upper levels of the carriages, and a third communication passage extending between the lower level of one of the two carriages and the upper level of the other of the two carriages, wherein one of the first, second and third passages is located transversely between the other two passages. 20 Certain embodiments of the invention can provide an intercommunication between two two-level carriages which allows for movement of passengers between the carriages while having a lesser impact on the structure of the carriages. According to other embodiments, the intercommunication comprises one or more of the following features, taken in isolation or in all technically possible 25 combinations: - the second communication passage is located transversely between the first passage and the third passage, 2 - each communication passage opens onto each carriage between the end of the said carriage coupled to the other carriage and the passenger compartment on the level of the carriage onto which the said passage opens, - at least one communication passage opens onto a level of one 5 carriage on an embarkation platform located longitudinally between the end of the said carriage coupled to the other carriage and the passenger compartment on the level of the said carriage onto which the communication passage opens, the carriage being fitted with at least one side access door permitting embarkation into the carriage by gaining access to the platform, 10 - each of the first, second and third passages only comprises two access points, one opening onto one of the levels of the carriage and the other onto one of the levels of the other carriage, - each of the first, second and third passages passes over the wheels of a bogie supporting and guiding the carriages along a railway track, 15 - the passages pass above an articulated bogie between the carriages, - the second passage comprises a stairway which extends between a first level and a second level above the first level located in one of the two carriages, and a stairway extending between the second level and a third 20 level above the second level in the other of the two carriages. The invention also relates to a two-level railway passenger carriage having a lower level and an upper level one above the other, characterised in that it comprises a first end portion and a second opposing end portion for coupling the carriage to other carriages, the first portion complementing the 25 second portion so that when connected to an end portion of another carriage identical to the second end portion the first portion forms a corridor connection as defined above. The invention further relates to a train comprising at least two adjacent passenger carriages, and an intercommunication between the two 30 carriages as defined above.

3 The invention and its advantages will be better understood for the reading of the following description provided purely by way of example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which : - Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view of the intercommunication 5 according to the invention extending between two two-level passenger carriages seen from the side, - Figure 2 is an exposed perspective view of the intercommunication of Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a diagrammatical view of the intercommunication of 10 Figure 1, seen from above, in which passenger flows are illustrated, and - Figure 4 is a diagrammatical view of the intercommunication in Figure 1 in transverse cross-section in the plane IV-IV. As illustrated in Figure 1, intercommunication 2 according to the invention extends between two adjacent carriages 4, 6 of the train 8 and 15 allows passengers to pass from one of these carriages to the other without leaving train 8. Carriages 4 and 6 extend in a longitudinal direction L, are arranged in file and are coupled together by their corresponding adjacent end portions 10, 12. 20 Intercommunication 2 comprises portions 10, 12 and a corridor connection 14, for example of the known bellows type, placed between portions 10 and 12. Portions 10 and 12 are fitted with opposing openings connected in a known way by corridor connection 14 in order to allow passengers to move between carriages 4 and 6. 25 Portions 10, 12 rest on a bogie 16 supporting and guiding carriages 4, 6 along a railway track, articulated between carriages 4 and 6. Bogie16 is preferably a drive bogie, provided with propulsion means to move train 8. Bogie 16 provides a connection between carriages 4 and 6. Other types of connection between carriages 4 and 6 may be envisaged. 30 Each carriage 4, 6 is on two levels, and comprises a lower level 18, 19 respectively, and an upper level 20, 21 respectively, one above the other.

4 Close to portion 10 carriage 4 has side access doors 22 which allow passengers to embark into or disembark from carriage 4. Doors 22 provide access to an access platform 24 located longitudinally along the length of carriage 4 between end portion 10 and a 5 passenger compartment. By passenger compartment is meant a particular area of one level which is fitted with seats for passengers. As illustrated in Figure 2, intercommunication 2 comprises three separate communication passages 26, 28, 30 each of which allow passage 10 from one of carriages 4 and 6 to the other. Passage 26 extends between platform 24 and the passenger compartment of level 21. Passage 26 is located longitudinally between platform 24 and that compartment. Passage 26 comprises a gangway 32 extending over bogie 16, 15 located at an intermediate level between that of platform 24 and that of level 21, and connected to one end of platform 24 by a lower stairway 34 and at the opposite end to level 21 by means of an upper stairway 36. Passage 28 extends between platform 24 and the passenger compartment of level 19. Passage 28 comprises a gangway 38 extending 20 over bogie 16, and stairways 40 at the ends of gangway 38 each of which lead down to each of levels 18 and 19. Passage 30 extends between the passenger compartment on level 20 and that on level 21. Passage 30 comprises a gangway 42 extending between the passenger compartments of levels 20 and 21. 25 As a variant, level 18 has no platform 24 adjacent to portion 10 and passages 26 and 28 open into the passenger compartment on that level. Passages 26, 28 and 30 extend substantially parallel to each other, in the direction L. Passages 26, 28 and 30 are separate and are offset transversely in 30 respect of direction L. Passage 30 is located transversely between passages 26 and 28.

5 More specifically, gangway 42 is located transversely between gangways 32 and 38, gangways 32 and 38 being located on substantially the same level, and gangway 42 being located on a higher level than gangways 32 and 38. 5 As illustrated in Figure 3, a passenger gaining platform 24 may either enter the compartment on level 18 of carriage 4, or pass into carriage 6 using passage 26 to climb up to level 21 (Arrow Fl), or use passage 28 to gain access to level 19 (Arrow F2). These various possibilities allow every passenger to move easily 10 within train 8, in particular when embarking and disembarking, and this reduces the times required for these operations. When the passenger gains access to platform 24, the three possibilities provide access to three different locations, which renders passenger movements more fluid, reducing points of convergence. 15 Furthermore, the provision of a communication passage which makes it possible to go from the lower level of one carriage to the upper level of the other carriage within a communication zone located between the passenger compartments on the various levels of the carriages avoids the need to provide a stairway within a carriage itself, while increasing the space 20 available for seats, or increasing the space between seats and improving comfort, or for housing technical equipment or passenger comfort equipment. A passenger on level 21 may either use passage 26 to descend directly onto platform 24 (Arrow Fl), or use passage 30 to go to level 20 of carriage 4 (Arrow F3). 25 Separate passages 26, 28, 30 prevent different passenger flows from crossing. This improves the fluidity of passenger movements. Each passage 26, 28, 30 has only two access points, one opening onto one of levels 18, 19, 20 and 21, and the other at another level of levels 18, 19, 20, 21. In particular, each passage 26, 28, 30 has no access door 30 allowing embarkation into the carriages. Doors 22 are offset with respect to the corridor connection along the length of the carriage.

6 Gangways 32, 38 extend over bogie 16, with the result that the length of corridor connection 2 can be reduced and the volume available for passenger compartments is not diminished. Length 11 (Figure 1) of intercommunication 2, between the furthest 5 extremities of stairways 34, 36 and 40 is preferably less than 7 m, and in particular less than 5.60 m. Length 12 (Figure 1) of gangways 32 and 42 between their respective stairways 34, 36 and 40 is preferably less than 5 m, in particular 4.30 m. Advantageously, carriages 4 and 6 are similar, each has one of its end 10 portions identical to portion 10 and the other identical to portion 12, although the layouts of carriages 4 and 6 between their ends may be different. Thus a train having at least two similar carriages having complementary end portions forming a corridor connection according to the invention between them may be assembled. 15 As illustrated in Figure 4, raised central passage 30 allows a technical space 44 to be provided between gangway 42 and bogie 16, this space 44 being suitable for receiving equipment for carriages 4, 6 and in particular hydraulic or pneumatic pipes or electrical power or communications cables connecting carriages 4 and 6. 20 One particular advantage of the invention lies in the arrangement of passages 26, 28 and 30 with respect to each other, making best use of the volume available, despite the restricted height of portions 10 and 12 of carriages 4 and 6 because of the presence of bogie 16. Each of gangways 32, 38 and 42, and in particular gangway 38, 25 passes over bogie 16, and in particular over the wheels thereof. This frees up space located transversely between these wheels and allows a drive bogie 16 fitted with propulsion means to be used. Propulsion means are then advantageously distributed over the length of the train. Gangway 42 is located at the centre, beneath the higher central 30 portion of the cambered roof of levels 20 and 21. It is therefore possible to provide a passage 30 having a sufficient height H1 of approximately 1.90 m, while releasing significant technical space 44 beneath gangway 42.

C-WRPorbNDCC\SBT\4023125_I DOC-24A7)212 -7 Gangways 32 and 38 are located at the sides, beneath lateral portions having a lower ceiling than the central portion. Nevertheless a sufficient height H2 of at least 1.90m is provided above each of gangways 32 and 38, because these are at lower levels than gangway 42. The difference in levels between gangways 5 38 and 40 is less than H2. Passages 26, 28 and 30 are thus located compactly side by side within the volume of portions 10 and 12. It will be noted that passage 26 comprises two stairways 34 and 36 each located in one of two carriages 4 and 6. 10 The intercommunication can be incorporated into two-level carriages of reduced gauge, and in particular an overall height of less than 4.35 metres, this gauge enabling the carriage to use most existing railway tracks. Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as 15 "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken 20 as an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

Claims

1. An intercommunication between two adjacent railway passenger carriages extending in a longitudinal direction, the carriages having two levels and each having a lower level and an upper level one above the other, of the type 5 comprising several separate communication passages allowing passengers to move from one of the carriages to the other, including at least one communication passage extending between the lower levels of the carriages, a second communication passage extending between the upper levels of the carriages, and a third communication passage extending between the lower level of one of the 10 two carriages and the upper level of the other of the two carriages, wherein one of the first, second and third passages is located transversely between the other two passages.

2. An intercommunication according to Claim 1, wherein the second communication passage is located transversely between the first passage and the 15 third passage.

3. An intercommunication according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein each communication passage opens into each carriage between the end of the said carriage coupled to the other carriage and the passenger compartment of the level of the carriage onto 20 which the said passage opens.

4. An intercommunication according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one communication passage opens onto a level of a carriage onto an embarkation platform located longitudinally between the end of the said carriage 25 coupled to the other carriage, and the passenger compartment of the level of the said carriage onto which the communication passage opens, the carriage being provided with at least one side access door allowing for embarkation within the carriage through gaining access to the platform. C NRPonbhDCC\SBT\4u23 125_1.DOC.24An7i202 -9

5. An intercommunication according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the first, second and third passages comprise only two access points, one opening onto one of the levels of a carriage and the other onto one of the two levels of the other carriage. 5

6. An intercommunication according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the first, second and third passages pass over the wheels of a bogie supporting and guiding the carriages along a railway track. 10

7. An intercommunication according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the passages pass over an articulated bogie between the carriages.

8. An intercommunication according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the third passage has a stairway extending between a first level and a second 15 level higher than the first level located in one of the two carriages and a stairway extending between the second level and a third level which is higher than the second level in the other of the two carriages.

9. A railway passenger carriage having two levels, having a lower level and an 20 upper level one above the other, and comprising a first end portion and a second opposite end portion for coupling the carriage to other carriages, the first portion complementing the second portion in such a way that when connected to an end portion of another carriage identical to the second end portion the first portion forms an intercommunication according to any one of Claims 1 to 8. 25

10. A train comprising at least two adjacent passenger carriages and an intercommunication between the two carriages according to any one of claims 1 to 8. 30

11. An intercommunication between two adjacent railway passenger carriages substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples. C:WRonblDCC\BT\4023125.I DOC-24A7/2012 -10

12. A railway passenger carriage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples. 5

13. A train substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples.