Method of manufacturing a vehicle structure
AssigneeInventio AG
InventorsKurt Anderegg, Guido Oesch, Andreas Stettler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for producing vehicle structures such as railway coach bodies includes winding layers and integral annular frame elements of like material. The resulting body is free of metal can include additional longitudinal stiffening elements inserted between the annular frame elements. Windows covered by protective foils are installed in an insulating layer between the wound layers during the winding process. At the conclusion of the winding process, the portions of the inner and outer wound layers covering the windows are removed and the window openings are finished by inserting a reinforcing frame on the outer wound layer and an angle frame on the inner wound layer.
Claims14
A method of manufacturing a self-supporting lightweight vehicle structure comprising the steps of:
- a. winding a fiber reinforced synthetic material on a vehicle structure winding form about a longitudinal axis of the winding form forming an inner layer portion of a hollow vehicle structure;
- b. applying an inner insulation layer over the inner layer portion, forming grooves in said inner insulation layer and inserting at least one cable channel in said grooves;
- c. winding a fiber reinforced synthetic material on the winding form over the cable channel and about the inner insulation layer forming a generally planar middle layer portion of the hollow vehicle structure;
- d. winding at least two annular frame elements on a generally planar outer surface of the middle layer at spaced apart positions along the longitudinal axis of the winding form, the annular frame elements being formed of a synthetic material;
- e. winding a fiber reinforced synthetic material on the winding form over the annular frame elements and about the middle layer forming an outer layer portion of the hollow vehicle structure;
- and
- f. removing the hollow vehicle structure from the winding form.
A method of manufacturing a self-supporting lightweight railway coach body comprising the steps of:
- a. winding a fiber reinforced synthetic material on a railway coach body winding form as an inner wound layer about a longitudinal axis of the winding form;
- b. applying an inner insulation layer over the inner wound layer;
- c. forming grooves in the inner insulation layer;
- d. inserting cable channels in the grooves;
- e. winding a fiber reinforced synthetic material as a middle wound layer over the inner insulation layer and the cable channels;
- f. placing ceiling channels on the middle wound layer at positions corresponding to an upper wall of a railway coach body;
- g. mounting windows on the middle wound layer at positions corresponding to side walls of a railway coach body;
- h. applying an outer insulation layer over the middle wound layer;
- i. winding annular frame elements over the middle layer adjacent the windows;
- j. winding a fiber reinforced synthetic material as an outer wound layer over the outer insulation layer and the annular frame elements to form a railway coach body;
- and
- k. removing the railway coach body from the winding form.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.