# US 11,999,415 B2 · Joint module for an articulated vehicle, articulated vehicle, and method for manufacturing such a joint module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,415 B2 - Document ID: US11999415B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/053,304 - Filed: 2018-05-08 - Published: 2021-05-20 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-08 - Assignees: Jost-Werke Deutschland GmbH - Applicants: Jost-Werke Deutschland GMBH - Inventors: Ruud Knook; Jos Robertus Leonardus Dobbelaar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999415B2 ## CPC - B62D 47/025: {articulated buses with interconnecting passageway, e.g. bellows (coupling aspects B60D5/00)} - B60D 5/00: Gangways for coupled vehicles, e.g. of concertina type - B60D 5/003: {Bellows for interconnecting vehicle parts} - B60L 2200/18: Buses - B61D 17/22: flexible, e.g. bellows - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B60D: VEHICLE CONNECTIONS - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B61D: BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES (vehicles in general B60; adaptation of vehicles to special systems B61B; underframes B61F) ## Abstract A joint module for an articulated vehicle, for pivotally interconnecting a first vehicle part and a second vehicle part of the articulated vehicle, the joint module including articulation joint having: a first segment, connectable to the first vehicle part, a second segment, connectable to the second vehicle part, a slewing bearing pivotally coupling the first segment to the second segment, the slewing bearing having an inner ring and an outer ring pivotable with respect to each other about a pivot axis, the pivot axis defining an axial direction of the articulation joint, the first segment having two first connecting plates spaced apart at a first distance and perpendicular to the axial direction, the outer ring being fixated to the connecting plates therebetween, each of the two first connecting plates having an arc-shaped recess wherein a central axis of the arc-shape of the recess is concentric with the pivot axis, and the second segment having two second connecting plates spaced apart at a second distance and perpendicular to the axial direction, the second distance being such that the two first connecting plates, at least with a portion thereof between which the outer ring is fixated, extend between the two second connecting plates, and the inner ring being fixated to the second connecting plates therebetween and at the location of the recesses in the first segment and method of manufacturing the same. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A joint module for an articulated vehicle, for pivotally interconnecting a first vehicle part and a second vehicle part of the articulated vehicle, the joint module comprising an articulation joint comprising: a first segment, connectable to an associated first vehicle part, a second segment, connectable to an associated second vehicle part, a slewing bearing pivotally coupling the first segment to the second segment, the slewing bearing having an inner ring and an outer ring pivotable with respect to each other about a pivot axis, the pivot axis defining an axial direction of the articulation joint, the first segment having two first connecting plates spaced apart at a first distance and perpendicular to the axial direction, the outer ring being fixated to the connecting plates therebetween, each of the two first connecting plates having an arc-shaped recess wherein a central axis of the arc-shape of the recess is concentric with the pivot axis, and the second segment having two second connecting plates spaced apart at a second distance and perpendicular to the axial direction, the second distance being such that the two first connecting plates, at least with a portion thereof between which the outer ring is fixated, extend between the two second connecting plates, and the inner ring being fixated to the second connecting plates therebetween and at a location of the recesses in the first segment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The joint module according to claim 1, wherein the arc-shaped recesses are part of respective through holes through the first connecting plates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The joint module according to claim 1, wherein the inner ring protrudes in the respective recesses in the first connecting plates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The joint module according to claim 3, wherein the inner ring protrudes through the respective recesses in the first connecting plates to such an extent that opposing fixation surfaces of the inner ring protrude outwards from opposing outer sides of the first connecting plates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The joint module according to claim 1, wherein the first segment has been fixated to the outer ring via a bolted connection, and/or the second segment has been fixated to the inner ring via a bolted connection. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The joint module according to claim 5, wherein, for a purpose of the bolted connection, the inner ring and/or the outer ring has a plurality of through fixation holes parallel to the axial direction, in line with fixation holes through the associated first or second connecting plates, each time a bolt being passed through a fixation hole in one of the connecting plates, through the inner ring or outer ring, and fixated to the respective inner ring or outer ring by means of a nut being put onto the bolt via the fixation hole in another of the connecting plates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The joint module according to claim 1, further comprising a pivot element via which at least one of the first segment and the second segment is connectable to the respective associated vehicle part. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The joint module according to claim 1, wherein the two second connecting plates are a single integral part of two steel plates welded together at the second distance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The joint module according to claim 1, further comprising a damping device operative between the first segment and the second segment, configured for damping a pivoting movement of the first segment with respect to the second segment about the pivot axis. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The joint module according to claim 9, wherein the damping device comprises at least one piston-cylinder damper connected with a first end to the first segment and with a second, opposite end to a transverse extension portion of the second segment at a further distance seen in a transverse direction from the pivot axis than the first end. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The joint module according to claim 10, wherein the at least one piston-cylinder damper comprises two piston-cylinder dampers each connected with the first end to the first segment and with the second, opposite end to a respective of two opposing transverse extension portions of the second segment at the further distance seen in the transverse direction from the pivot axis than first end, and such that in a plan view the two piston-cylinder dampers enclose between them an angle in a range of 40 to 100 degrees. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) An articulated vehicle, comprising a joint module according to claim 1, wherein the first segment being connected to a first vehicle part of the articulated vehicle and the second segment being connected to a second vehicle part of the articulated vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The articulated vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the first segment being connected to the first vehicle part pivotable about a further pivot axis perpendicular to the pivot axis of the joint module, the further pivot axis extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method of manufacturing a joint module according to claim 1, comprising: providing the first segment, providing the second segment, providing a slewing bearing, and fixating the outer ring to the two first connecting plates therebetween, fixating the inner ring to the two second connecting plates therebetween, such that the two first connecting plates, at least with a portion thereof between which the outer ring is fixated, extend between the two second connecting plates. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method of manufacturing a joint module according to claim 14, comprising, for a purpose of providing the first segment, providing and permanently fixating the two first connecting plates spaced apart at a first distance with respect to each other, thereby obtaining a single piece having the two first connecting plates, the method further comprising, for the purpose of providing the second segment, providing and permanently fixating the two second connecting plates spaced apart at a first distance with respect to each other, thereby obtaining a single piece having the two second connecting plates. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15, comprising, for a purpose of providing a slewing bearing, fixating the outer ring in an absence of the inner ring to the first connecting plates therebetween, by sliding the outer ring between the two first connecting plates and fixating it to same, mounting the inner ring in place via at least one of the two recesses in the first connecting plates, and fixating the inner ring to the second connecting plates therebetween. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The joint module according to claim 1, further comprising a steering device operative between the first segment and the second segment, configured for providing a steering movement of the first segment with respect to the second segment about the pivot axis. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The joint module according to claim 17, wherein the steering device comprises at least one piston-cylinder device connected with a first end to the first segment and with a second, opposite end to a transverse extension portion of the second segment at a further distance seen in a transverse direction from the pivot axis than the first end. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The joint module according to claim 1, wherein the first connecting plates and/or the second connecting plates are of rolled steel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The joint module according to claim 19, wherein a plate thickness of the first and/or second connecting plates, at least with a portion thereof between which the respective outer or inner ring is fixated, is in the range of 10 to 18 mm. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The joint module according to claim 19, wherein each of the plates has an edge folded about an angle of 90 degrees thereby realizing a U-shaped segment, the two second connecting plates forming legs of the U-shape and a base of the U-shape, formed by the two folded edges facing one another, being configured to be connected to the associated second vehicle part.