Collision Energy Absorbing Device and Railway Vehicle Having the Device

Abstract

A railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device capable of avoiding coincidence between starts of deformation of the impact energy absorbing device in the event of collision to reduce the pressure collapse peak load and, hence, loads on the vehicle body, passengers and so on in the case of application to a transportation apparatus such as a train in particular. The impact energy absorbing device has a plurality of energy absorbing members 11 and 12 which pressure-collapse in the event of collision to absorb impact energy, and which are mounted in a predetermined region in the longitudinal direction of the body of a vehicle while being spaced apart in the car body width direction. Front ends of the energy absorbing members 11 and 12 in the collision direction are shifted to a plurality of positions (jutted out by ΔL). In this impact energy absorbing device, the energy absorbing members 11 and the like are brought into collision with time differences to shift the energy absorbing member collapse times to set time differences between the occurrences of pressure-collapse initial peaks in the energy absorbing members, thereby reducing the peak load as a whole. Full buckling of the energy absorbing members can be prevented by guiding outer portions of the energy absorbing members with a slide guide or disposing buckling preventing members 16 and 17 in spaces 14 and 15 in the energy absorbing members.

1 . A railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device having at least one energy absorbing member which pressure-collapses at the time of collision to absorb impact energy,
 wherein the impact energy absorbing device is constituted by a plurality of energy absorbing members;   the plurality of energy absorbing members are disposed by being arranged in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle;   each of the energy absorbing members is placed so that its pressure collapse direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle; and   front ends of the plurality of energy absorbing members in the pressure collapse direction are placed at positions dispersed in the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle.   
   
   
       2 . The railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the energy absorbing members has its base end mounted at a common mount position in the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle; and   the positions of the front ends in the pressure collapse direction correspond to the lengths of the energy absorbing members selected from a plurality of different lengths.   
   
   
       3 . The railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the energy absorbing members are disposed in a front-end region of a front-end vehicle.   
   
   
       4 . The railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the energy absorbing members is mounted at its base ends on an end of an underframe of a car body of the railway vehicle.   
   
   
       5 . The railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the energy absorbing members is mounted at its base ends on a common supporting plate provided on a front end of another energy absorbing member connected in series.   
   
   
       6 . The railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the energy absorbing members is a tubular member having an internal hollow structure; and   the tubular member is mounted on the car body, with its axis aligned with the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle.   
   
   
       7 . The railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the body of the railway vehicle is constituted by a car body and a car end structure disposed on car end portion of the car body;   the car end structure is pressure collapsible at the time of collision and detachably attached to the car end portion of the car body; and   the energy absorbing members are disposed below a floor portion of the car end structure.   
   
   
       8 . The railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein hollow car end side beams capable of starting pressure collapsing in advance of the energy absorbing members at the time of collision to absorb part of the impact energy are further disposed below the floor portion of the car end structure.   
   
   
       9 . The railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the car end structure has two parallel body frames spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle; and   a plurality of body reinforcing ribs are disposed between the two body frames, the body reinforcing ribs connecting the two body frames at positions spaced apart in a body peripheral direction, the body reinforcing ribs having a characteristics to outwardly buckle at the time of pressure collapse.   
   
   
       10 . The railway vehicle having an impact energy absorbing device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the floor portion of the car end structure has a plurality of parallel floor reinforcing ribs spaced part from each other in the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle; and   the floor portion can buckle finely between the floor reinforcing ribs at the time of pressure collapse.   
   
   
       11 . An impact energy absorbing device which causes pressure collapse at the time of collision to absorb impact energy, the device comprising:
 a plurality of energy absorbing members disposed side by side against collision, front ends of the energy absorbing members in a longitudinal direction being set at a plurality of positions dispersed in the longitudinal direction.   
   
   
       12 . A railway vehicle comprising an impact energy absorbing device having at least one energy absorbing member which pressure-collapses at the time of collision to absorb impact energy,
 wherein a displacement of the energy absorbing member in a pressure collapse direction when the energy absorbing member pressure-collapses is guided by a slide guide provided on a car body.   
   
   
       13 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the energy absorbing member is a tubular member having an internal hollow structure, and the slide guide guides the tubular member by its outer peripheral surface.   
   
   
       14 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the slide guide is provided in correspondence with an intermediate region of the energy absorbing member in a longitudinal direction.   
   
   
       15 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the energy absorbing member includes a plurality of energy absorbing member portions disposed in parallel and a common supporting plate for supporting the energy absorbing member portions; and   the slide guide guides a displacement of the common supporting plate.   
   
   
       16 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the impact energy absorbing device is disposed in an end region of a front-end vehicle or a trailing-end vehicle corresponding to the railway vehicle.   
   
   
       17 . A railway vehicle positioned at a front-end or trailing-end position in a train, the railway vehicle comprising:
 an impact energy absorbing device provided at each of opposite sides in a car width direction in an end region of the railway vehicle,   wherein the impact energy absorbing device has a plurality of energy absorbing members having its pressure collapse direction aligned with a car longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle; and   the plurality of energy absorbing members are coupled to each other by a coupling member, the coupling member being guided by a slide guide in the end region.   
   
   
       18 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein the impact energy absorbing device is set at an end in the car longitudinal direction of an underframe of the railway vehicle, with the collapse direction corresponding to the car longitudinal direction.   
   
   
       19 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein the coupling member is a supporting plate for coupling the plurality of energy absorbing members in the pressure collapse direction;   a guide tube is attached to a peripheral portion of the supporting plate;   the guide tube is fitted in a guide tube box, with a tube axis direction of the guide tube aligned with a guide direction of the guide tube box; and   the guide tube box is mounted on a vehicle body component member in the end region, with the guide direction aligned with the car longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle.   
   
   
       20 . An impact energy absorbing device comprising an energy absorbing member which pressure-collapses at the time of collision to absorb impact energy,
 wherein a displacement of the energy absorbing member in a pressure collapse direction when the energy absorbing member pressure-collapses is guided by a slide guide.   
   
   
       21 . A railway vehicle comprising an impact energy absorbing device having at least one energy absorbing member which pressure-collapses at the time of collision to absorb impact energy,
 wherein the energy absorbing member is a tubular member in which a space extending in a longitudinal direction is formed; and   a buckling preventing member for preventing full buckling of the energy absorbing member is disposed in the space.   
   
   
       22 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the buckling preventing member is disposed so that its central position in the longitudinal direction is adjusted to a central position in the space in the longitudinal direction.   
   
   
       23 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the buckling preventing member is divided into front and rear portions in the longitudinal direction, the front and rear portions being disposed by being respectively brought closer to a front end and a rear end in the longitudinal direction of the tubular member.   
   
   
       24 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the tubular member is divided into front and rear portions in the longitudinal direction, the divided front and rear portions of the tubular member being fixed in abutment on a joint plate; and   the buckling preventing member and the joint plate are combined into a unit.   
   
   
       25 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the buckling preventing member can be relatively moved in the space during energy absorbing operation.   
   
   
       26 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the energy absorbing member is disposed in an end portion of a front-end vehicle or a trailing-end vehicle corresponding to the railway vehicle or in each of end regions close to each other in a train, with its axis aligned with the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle.   
   
   
       27 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the body of the railway vehicle is constituted by a car body and a car end structure disposed on a car end portion of the car body;   the car end structure is pressure collapsible at the time of collision and detachably attached to the car end portion of the car body; and   the energy absorbing members are disposed below a floor portion of the car end structure.   
   
   
       28 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein hollow car end side beams capable of starting pressure collapsing in advance of the energy absorbing members at the time of collision to absorb part of the impact energy are further disposed below the floor portion of the car end structure.   
   
   
       29 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the car end structure has two parallel body frames spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle; and   a plurality of body reinforcing ribs are disposed between the two body frames, the body reinforcing ribs connecting the two body frames at positions spaced apart in a body peripheral direction, the body reinforcing ribs having a characteristics to outwardly buckle at the time of pressure collapse.   
   
   
       30 . The railway vehicle according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the floor portion of the car end structure has a plurality of parallel floor reinforcing ribs spaced part from each other in the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle; and   the floor portion can buckle finely between the floor reinforcing ribs at the time of pressure collapse.   
   
   
       31 . An impact energy absorbing device comprising at least one energy absorbing member which causes pressure collapse at the time of collision to absorb impact energy,
 wherein the energy absorbing member is a tubular member in which a space extending in a longitudinal direction is formed; and   a buckling preventing member for preventing full buckling of the energy absorbing member is disposed in the space.