Front-end energy absorption structure for rail vehicle

Abstract

A front-end energy absorption structure for a rail vehicle, relating to the technical field of vehicle engineering. In the front-end energy absorption structure for a rail vehicle, a coupler mounting seat is longitudinally arranged on the front side of a main frame, and is slidably connected to the main frame along the longitudinal direction. Energy absorption devices and a coupler guide device are both longitudinally fixed between the coupler mounting seat and the main frame. The coupler mounting seat comprises a main seat body. The middle portion of the main seat body in a horizontal direction is a main connection portion, which has a thickness greater than that of two sides of the main seat body. A center hole passes through the center of the main connection portion along the longitudinal direction, and the center hole is communicated with the coupler guide device. The periphery of the main connection portion located at the center hole is configured to be connected to a coupler assembly. On the main seat body, the part directly connected to the coupler assembly is a high-stress zone compared to the parts at other positions; the structural requirements for connecting the coupler assembly are met by means of the thicker main connection portion, and the remaining parts undergo weight reduction, thereby improving the lightweight effect of the front-end energy absorption structure, while ensuring structural stability.

Description

A front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411612531.6, filed on November 12, 2024, entitled "A Front-End Energy Absorbing Structure for Rail Vehicles", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of vehicle engineering technology, and in particular to a front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles. Background Technology

[0003] With the continuous development of EMU technology, the design of rail trains is constantly pursuing higher speed levels, lower energy consumption, and lightweighting. However, some existing front-end energy-absorbing structures, such as the coupler mounting plate structure, are mostly planar structures and have not been designed for lightweighting, making it difficult to meet the current application requirements of front-end energy-absorbing structures.

[0004] Therefore, how to improve the lightweight effect of the front-end energy-absorbing structure is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles, which can improve the lightweight effect of the front-end energy-absorbing structure.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles includes a main frame, a coupler mounting base, a coupler guide device, and an energy-absorbing device. The coupler mounting base is longitudinally located on the front side of the main frame and is slidably connected to the main frame. The energy-absorbing device and the coupler guide device are both longitudinally fixed between the coupler mounting base and the main frame. The coupler mounting base includes a main body. The main body has a main connecting portion in the middle in the transverse direction, and its thickness is greater than that on both sides. A central hole is longitudinally provided in the center of the main connecting portion, and the central hole communicates with the coupler guide device. The main connecting portion is located around the central hole for connecting coupler assemblies.

[0008] Preferably, on the front surface of the main body: a protrusion is formed in the middle of the horizontal direction relative to both sides, and a flat portion is formed on both sides respectively; the protrusion is located in the main connecting portion, and the two ends of the protrusion in the horizontal direction are smoothly transitioned to the flat portion through inclined transition surfaces; the flat portion is provided with energy-absorbing component connecting holes to fix the energy-absorbing device, and the ends of the protrusion in the horizontal direction are respectively provided with avoidance grooves, and at least part of the energy-absorbing component connecting holes are located in the space of the avoidance grooves.

[0009] Preferably, the coupler mounting base further includes an upper wing plate and a lower wing plate;

[0010] The upper wing plate is located above the main body. The front middle part of the upper wing plate protrudes in front of the main connecting part to form an upper front convex plate, and the rear middle part protrudes backward from the rear surface of the main body to form an upper rear convex plate. The upper front convex plate and the upper rear convex plate are respectively provided with upper weight reduction holes that pass through vertically, and the upper wing plate is provided with a vertical insertion hole. The top of the main body is provided with an insertion plate to be inserted into the insertion hole.

[0011] The lower wing plate is located below the main body. The front end of the lower wing plate is provided with two corner plates protruding in front of the main connecting part. The two corner plates are located below the two ends of the main connecting part in the horizontal direction. The middle of the rear end of the lower wing plate protrudes backward from the rear surface of the main body to form a lower rear protrusion plate. The lower rear protrusion plate is provided with a lower weight reduction hole that runs vertically through it.

[0012] Preferably, sliding components are provided at both ends of the top and bottom of the main body in the horizontal direction, and the sliding components include a slider fixed to the main body and a roller connected to the slider.

[0013] The main frame includes a back plate and two side plates located in front of the back plate in the longitudinal direction. The two side plates are located on both sides of the coupler mounting seat in the transverse direction, and each of the two side plates is provided with a slide rail extending in the longitudinal direction. Each sliding component is slidably connected to the corresponding slide rail.

[0014] Preferably, the main frame includes a back plate and two side plates located in front of the back plate, and the coupler mounting base, the energy absorption device, and the coupler guide device are located between the two side plates in the lateral direction, and the two energy absorption devices are located on both sides of the coupler guide device in the lateral direction; the coupler guide device is a cylindrical structure, the front end of the coupler guide device is inserted into and connected to the central hole, and the rear end is fixed to the back plate.

[0015] Preferably, it also includes an anti-climb device; the main frame also includes a U-shaped support frame, the two free ends of the support frame are fixed to the front of the back plate, the front end of the support frame is welded and fixedly connected to the anti-climb device, and the support frame and the anti-climb device are both higher than the coupler guide device, the energy absorption device and the coupler mounting base.

[0016] Preferably, the energy-absorbing device includes an energy-absorbing tube; the energy-absorbing tube is a carbon fiber energy-absorbing tube that extends longitudinally and runs through the entire structure, and can gradually deform or break along the longitudinal direction after absorbing energy.

[0017] Preferably, the energy-absorbing device further includes a trigger, which is fixed longitudinally to the front end of the energy-absorbing tube and wrapped around the outside of the energy-absorbing tube; the strength of the trigger is greater than that of the energy-absorbing tube, which can limit the inward deformation of the front end of the energy-absorbing tube; the front end of the energy-absorbing tube is covered by the coupler mounting seat and the rear end is covered by the main frame.

[0018] Preferably, the trigger is fixedly connected to the energy-absorbing tube by a front-end first fastener, and the front-end first fastener is inserted into the front end of the energy-absorbing tube, and the front-end first fastener can provide longitudinal force to the energy-absorbing tube.

[0019] Preferably, the energy-absorbing device further includes an energy-absorbing tube mounting base; the energy-absorbing tube mounting base is inserted and fixed to the rear end of the energy-absorbing tube and supports the energy-absorbing tube in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; the energy-absorbing tube mounting base is fixed to the main frame.

[0020] The present invention provides a front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles, comprising a main frame, a coupler mounting base, a coupler guide device, and an energy-absorbing device. The coupler mounting base is longitudinally located on the front side of the main frame and is slidably connected to the main frame. The energy-absorbing device and the coupler guide device are both longitudinally fixed between the coupler mounting base and the main frame. The coupler mounting base includes a main body. The main body has a main connecting portion in the middle in the transverse direction, and its thickness is greater than that on both sides. A central hole is longitudinally provided in the center of the main connecting portion, and the central hole communicates with the coupler guide device. The main connecting portion is located around the central hole for connecting coupler assemblies.

[0021] Based on the aforementioned front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles, since the middle part of the main body of the coupler mounting base is used to connect the coupler assembly, this part, which is directly connected to the coupler assembly, is a high-stress area compared to other positions. In this case, the structural requirements for connecting the coupler assembly are met by using a thicker main connecting part, while the other parts with relatively lower stress are designed to reduce weight. This includes setting a central hole in the middle of the main connecting part and reducing the structural thickness on both sides of the main body of the main body located on the main connecting part. This can reduce the weight of the coupler mounting base while ensuring structural stability, thereby improving the lightweight effect of the front-end energy-absorbing structure. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles provided by the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 is an exploded view of point A in Figure 1;

[0025] Figure 3 is a front view of the coupler mounting base in a specific embodiment of the front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles provided by the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 is a rear view of the coupler mounting base in a specific embodiment of the front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles provided by the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of the energy absorption device in a specific embodiment of the front-end energy absorption structure for rail vehicles provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the energy-absorbing device in a specific embodiment of the front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles provided by the present invention.

[0029] Reference numerals: Energy absorption device 1, energy absorption tube 11, conical surface 111, trigger 12, outer ring 121, front end first fastener 122, front end ring 123, energy absorption tube mounting seat 13, inner ring 131, rear end first fastener 132, rear end ring 133; Main frame 2, back plate 21, side plate 22, slide rail 221, side protrusion 222, support frame 23, crossbar 231, side bar 232; Coupler mounting base 3, main body 31, main connecting part 310, protrusion 311, inclined transition surface 3111, clearance groove 3112, coupler connecting hole 3113, center hole 3114, stepped surface 3115, flat part 312, energy-absorbing component connecting hole 3121, insert plate 313, rear weight reduction hole 314, upper groove 315, lower groove 316, sliding assembly 32, slider 321, roller 322, upper wing plate 33, upper front protrusion 331, upper rear protrusion 332, upper weight reduction hole 333, insert hole 334, upper connecting arm 335, lower wing plate 34, corner plate 341, lower rear protrusion 342, lower weight reduction hole 343, lower connecting arm 344; Coupler guide device 4; Anti-climb device 5. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] The core of this invention is to provide a front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles, which can improve the lightweight effect of the front-end energy-absorbing structure.

[0032] It should be noted that, for ease of description, in the embodiments of the present invention, the horizontal X, vertical Y and vertical directions are perpendicular to each other, and the vertical Y corresponds to the front and back directions, with the two sides being the front and back sides respectively; in other embodiments, the horizontal, vertical and vertical directions can also be other angular relationships.

[0033] A specific embodiment of the front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles provided by this invention is shown in Figures 1 to 6. It includes a main frame 2, a coupler mounting base 3, an energy-absorbing device 1, a coupler guide device 4, and an anti-climb device 5. The coupler mounting base 3 is located on the front side of the main frame 2 in the longitudinal direction Y, and is slidably connected to the main frame 2 along the longitudinal direction Y. The energy-absorbing device 1 and the coupler guide device 4 are both fixed in the longitudinal direction between the coupler mounting base 3 and the main frame 2. The anti-climb device 5 is connected to the front side of the main frame 2 and is located above the coupler mounting base 3.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the main frame 2 provides installation interfaces for other components. When applied to a vehicle, the front-end energy-absorbing structure is located at the front of the rail vehicle and is bolted to the airtight wall of the driver's cab. Specifically, the back plate 21 is fixed to the airtight wall of the driver's cab. Specifically, the main frame 2 adopts a welded structure of aluminum alloy profiles. In this embodiment, the main frame 2 has a relatively small overall size, which meets the space requirements of the high-speed train's head shape.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the coupler mounting base 3 provides an installation interface for the coupler assembly and bears longitudinal loads. During a collision, it moves backward together with the coupler assembly and crushes the energy-absorbing device 12 to absorb collision energy.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the coupler mounting base 3 includes a main body 31, which is the main structure of the coupler mounting base 3 and is used to directly connect the coupler assembly. The main connecting part 310 is located in the middle of the main body 31 in the transverse direction X, and its thickness (length in the longitudinal direction Y) is greater than that of the two sides. Thus, the main body 31 forms a stepped structure that is thicker in the middle and thinner on the sides. A central hole 3114 is provided through the center of the main connecting part 310 along the longitudinal direction Y. The central hole 3114 connects to the coupler guide device 4. The main connecting part 310 is located around the central hole 3114 for connecting the coupler assembly. Specifically, multiple coupler connecting holes 3113 can be provided around the central hole 3114 for bolting the coupler assembly.

[0037] Since the middle part of the main body 31 of the coupler mounting base 3 is used to connect the coupler assembly, and this part directly connected to the coupler assembly is a high-stress area compared to other positions, the thicker main connecting part 310 meets the structural requirements for connecting the coupler assembly. The other parts with relatively low stress are designed to reduce weight, including setting a central hole 3114 in the middle of the main connecting part 310 and reducing the structural thickness on both sides of the main body 31 of the main connecting part 310. This can reduce the weight of the coupler mounting base 3 while ensuring structural stability, thereby improving the lightweight effect of the front-end energy-absorbing structure.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, on the front surface of the main body 31, a protrusion 311 is formed in the middle of the horizontal X direction relative to both sides, and a flat portion 312 is formed on each side.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the protrusion 311 is located in the main connecting portion 310. Specifically, to achieve a thicker main connecting portion 310 relative to the main base body 31, the rear surface of the main base body 31 can be directly set as a plane. Through the protrusion 311 protruding from the front, the thickness difference at different positions on the main base body 31 is achieved. In this case, the thickness requirement is met by the unevenness of one side surface, which facilitates processing and the determination of the thickness relationship. At the same time, the rear surface of the main base body 31 is directly set as a plane, which facilitates the connection with the energy absorption device 1 and the coupler guide device 4. Of course, in other embodiments, the thickness difference of the main base body 31 can also be achieved by the rearward protrusion of the middle of the rear surface.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, the two ends of the protrusion 311 in the transverse X direction are smoothly transitioned to the flat portion 312 by inclined transition surfaces 3111, which helps to reduce stress concentration. The inclined transition surface 3111 is specifically a flat surface or an arc-shaped surface.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the planar portion 312 is provided with an energy-absorbing component connection hole 3121 for fixed connection of the energy-absorbing device 1. Specifically, a bolt can be used to connect and fix the energy-absorbing device 1 from the front of the planar portion 312. At the same time, the protruding portion 311 is provided with a clearance groove 3112 at its ends in the transverse X direction. Specifically, it can be provided on the inclined transition surface 3111. In this case, at least part of the energy-absorbing component connection hole 3121 is located in the space of the clearance groove 3112, which can make full use of the transverse end space of the protruding portion 311 that is not directly connected to the coupler assembly, which is conducive to achieving structural compactness.

[0042] Specifically, the energy-absorbing device 1 is a cylindrical device, with a plurality of energy-absorbing component connection holes 3121 arranged in a circular pattern on the flat part 312, and correspondingly, the clearance groove 3112 is an arc groove.

[0043] As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the coupler mounting base 3 also includes an upper wing plate 33, a lower wing plate 34 and a sliding assembly 32.

[0044] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the upper wing plate 33 is located above the main seat body 31, which can improve the structural stability of the main seat body 31. The front middle part of the upper wing plate 33 protrudes in front of the main connecting part 310, forming an upper front convex plate 331. The rear middle part protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the main seat body 31, forming an upper rear convex plate 332. The upper front convex plate 331 and the upper rear convex plate 332 are respectively provided with upper weight reduction holes 333 that run vertically through each other, so as to improve the lightweight effect of the coupler mounting seat 3. Specifically, multiple upper weight reduction holes 333 can be provided on the upper front convex plate 331, and they can be symmetrically arranged in the transverse X direction.

[0045] The upper wing plate 33 is provided with a through-hole 334, and the top of the main body 31 is provided with an insert plate 313, which is inserted into the through-hole 334 to achieve the interlocking between the main body 31 and the upper wing plate 33. The two can be further welded together to strengthen the fixation and form an embedded welded structure. Of course, in other embodiments, the upper wing plate 33 and the main body 31 can also be integrally formed or fixed with screws. In addition, the upper wing plate 33 has corresponding upper weight-reducing holes 333 connected to the front and rear sides of the through-hole 334. These upper weight-reducing holes 333 provide operating space to facilitate the connection operation between the upper wing plate 33 and the main body 31.

[0046] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the lower wing plate 34 is located below the main body 31 to stably support it. Two corner plates 341 protruding from the front of the main connecting part 310 are respectively provided at the front end of the lower wing plate 34, and the two corner plates 341 are located below the two ends of the main connecting part 310 in the horizontal direction X. More specifically, coupler connection holes 3113 are respectively provided on both sides of the central hole 3114 in the horizontal direction. The coupler connection holes 3113 can be located directly above the corner plates 341 to meet stress requirements and ensure improved support for the portion of the main connecting part 310 directly connected to the coupler assembly. The rear end of the lower wing plate 34 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the main body 31, forming a lower rear convex plate 342. A vertically penetrating lower weight-reducing hole 343 is provided on the lower rear convex plate 342 to improve the lightweight effect of the coupler mounting seat 3.

[0047] The lower wing plate 34 and the main base 31 can be integrally formed to ensure the supporting capacity of the lower wing plate 34 for the main base 31. Of course, they can also be connected by welding or other methods.

[0048] In addition, to further determine the specific locations of various weight-reduction holes on the coupler mounting base 3, the coupler mounting base 3 can be subjected to topology optimization technology to perform stress analysis on the coupler mounting base 3. Based on the stress distribution, the structural design can be optimized to determine the specific locations of each weight-reduction hole. Local holes can be drilled in the low-stress areas of the upper wing plate 33 and the lower wing plate 34, thereby more effectively achieving significant weight reduction and lightweight design.

[0049] In the sliding component 32, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the top two ends of the main body 31 in the horizontal X direction and the bottom two ends of the main body 31 in the horizontal X direction are respectively provided with sliding components 32. While guiding the main body 31, the stability of the connection between the main body 31 and the main frame 2 can be ensured.

[0050] As shown in Figure 2, the sliding component 32 includes a slider 321 fixed to the main body 31 and a roller 322 connected to the slider 321. At this time, the roller 322 and the main frame 2 adopt a rolling fit, which can reduce friction damage.

[0051] As shown in Figure 1, to connect the sliding component 32 to the main frame 2, the main frame 2 includes a back plate 21 and two side plates 22 located in front of the back plate 21. The two side plates 22 are located on both sides of the coupler mounting base 3 in the transverse direction X, and each side plate 22 is provided with a slide rail 221 extending in the longitudinal direction Y. Each sliding component 32 is slidably connected to the corresponding slide rail 221. To facilitate the setting of the slide rail 221, as shown in Figure 1, for the sides of the two side plates 22 that are close to each other in the transverse direction, a side protrusion 222 is provided in the middle in the vertical direction. The two slide rails 221 are respectively set on the upper and lower sides of the side protrusion 222. In this case, the slide rail 221 can be additionally added to the side plate 22 according to the size requirements of the sliding component 32, which can improve the flexibility of selecting the slide rail 221 and the sliding component 32. Of course, in other embodiments, the slide rail 221 can also be integrally processed on the side plate 22.

[0052] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, to achieve the assembly of the slider 321 in the coupler mounting base 3, the upper wing plate 33 has two rearward-flipping upper connecting arms 335 at both ends in the transverse X direction, and the top of the main body 31 has upper grooves 315 at its two end corners in the transverse X direction. The two upper sliding components 32 of the four sliding components are two upper sliding parts, each of which is fitted and connected to the side of the corresponding upper connecting arm 335 in the transverse X direction, with part of its structure fixed in the corresponding upper groove 315. The front end of the upper sliding part is flush with the flat part 312, and the rear end extends rearward out of the main body 31, ensuring the connection strength between each sliding component 32 and the coupler mounting base 3. At this time, for the portion of the upper sliding part extending rearward out of the main body 31, the slider 321 can be bolted to the roller mounting plate where the roller 322 is located, and the roller mounting plate can be pressed laterally onto the opening of the corresponding slide rail 221.

[0053] Additionally, the lower wing plate 34 has two rearward-flipping lower connecting arms 344 at both ends in the transverse X direction. The top of the main body 31 has two lower grooves 316 at its two end corners in the transverse X direction. The two lower sliding components 32 of the four sliding components 32 are two lower sliding parts. The lower sliding parts are attached to the side of the corresponding lower connecting arm 344 in the transverse X direction, and part of the structure is fixed in the corresponding lower groove 316. The front end of the lower sliding part is flush with the flat part 312, and the rear end extends backward out of the main body 31, which can ensure the connection strength between each sliding component 32 and the coupler mounting seat 3. At this time, for the part of the lower sliding part that extends backward out of the main body 31, the slider 321 can be bolted to the roller mounting plate where the roller 322 is located. The roller mounting plate can be pressed laterally on the opening of the corresponding slide rail 221.

[0054] As shown in Figure 1, the coupler guide device 4 has a cylindrical structure. During the collision process, it mainly guides the coupler assembly and provides space for the coupler crush tube to retract. The front end of the coupler guide device 4 is inserted into and connected to the central hole 3114, and the rear end is fixed to the back plate 21.

[0055] Specifically, the coupler guide device 4 is a welded carbon steel structure. The rear end of the coupler guide device 4 is bolted to the back plate of the main frame 2, and the front end of the coupler guide device 4 is welded to the coupler seat as a whole. In addition, the bolt between the rear end of the coupler guide device 4 and the back plate 21 can be longitudinally constrained. The longitudinal force after the collision of the coupler assembly and the coupler guide device 4 will generate a shear force on the bolt, and when the force is large enough, it can shear the bolt.

[0056] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the central hole 3114 is a stepped hole with a stepped surface 3115 facing the rear. The front end of the coupler guide device 4 can abut against the stepped surface 3115 for limiting, facilitating assembly. In addition, in conjunction with the location of the stepped surface 3115, the rear surface of the main body 31 has rear weight reduction holes 314 at the middle of the transverse X direction and above and below the central hole 3114. The bottom of the rear weight reduction hole 314 in the longitudinal Y direction is coplanar with the stepped surface 3115. The upper rear weight reduction hole 314 is connected to the upper weight reduction hole 333 of the upper wing plate 33, and the lower rear weight reduction hole 314 is connected to the lower weight reduction hole 343 of the lower wing plate 34. While achieving a weight reduction effect, it can accommodate a certain assembly error between the coupler guide device 4 and the central hole 3114. At this time, the rear weight reduction hole 314, and the upper weight reduction hole 333 or lower weight reduction hole 343 connected to it, can facilitate the observation of the front energy absorption device 1 by the operator.

[0057] In addition, as shown in Figure 1, the coupler mounting base 3, the energy absorption device 1, and the coupler guide device 4 are located between the two side plates 22 in the transverse X direction, and the two energy absorption devices 1 are located on both sides of the coupler guide device 4 in the transverse X direction to ensure the energy absorption capacity.

[0058] As shown in Figure 1, the anti-climb device 5 has anti-climb teeth that engage to prevent the vehicle from climbing during a collision. The anti-climb device 5 is welded to the main frame 2 to form an integrated structure, requiring no installation or disassembly, thus eliminating maintenance and saving costs. Specifically, the main frame 2 also includes a U-shaped support frame 23. The two free ends of the support frame 23 are fixed to the front of the back plate 21, and the anti-climb device 5 is welded and fixedly connected to the front end of the support frame 23. Both the support frame 23 and the anti-climb device 5 are higher than the coupler guide device 4, the energy absorption device 1, and the coupler mounting base 3 to avoid affecting the movement of the coupler mounting base.

[0059] As shown in Figure 1, the support frame 23 includes a crossbar 231 and side bars 232 located at the rear ends of both sides of the crossbar 231 in the transverse direction X. The anti-climb device 5 is fixed to the front of the crossbar 231. The crossbar 231 is located behind the coupler mounting base 3. Support rod weight reduction holes can also be provided on the side bars 232 and the crossbar 231.

[0060] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the energy-absorbing device 1 has a carbon fiber energy-absorbing tube 11 that extends and runs through the longitudinal direction (Y). After absorbing energy, it can gradually deform or break along the longitudinal direction (Y). During the collision, the energy-absorbing device 1 absorbs energy through destruction. Typically, when the front end of the energy-absorbing structure is impacted, the front end of the energy-absorbing tube 11 is subjected to the impact force first and deforms and breaks first.

[0061] Specifically, the energy-absorbing tube 11 is a cylindrical structure with a certain wall thickness, and the central axis is parallel to the longitudinal direction Y.

[0062] Specifically, the carbon fiber energy absorber tube 11 can be made of carbon fiber; or a carbon fiber composite material can be used, such as T700 type carbon fiber and epoxy resin. In addition, in order to limit the crushing direction of the energy absorber tube 11 to the longitudinal direction, the energy absorber tube 11 can be manufactured by a winding + RTM molding process.

[0063] Due to the low density and high strength of carbon fiber, using carbon fiber energy-absorbing tubes can significantly increase the energy absorbed per unit mass of the energy-absorbing tube 11, meeting the requirements for impact energy absorption. This allows for weight reduction of the component while maintaining the same energy absorption capacity, thus satisfying the requirement for lightweight front-end energy-absorbing structures. Of course, in other embodiments, the energy-absorbing tube 11 can also be made of a suitable metal material.

[0064] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the energy absorption device 1 also includes a trigger 12. The trigger 12 is fixed to the front end of the energy absorption tube 11 in the longitudinal Y direction and wraps around the outside of the energy absorption tube 11. The trigger 12 has a strength greater than that of the energy absorption tube 11, thus limiting the inward deformation of the front end of the energy absorption tube 11. For example, the trigger 12 can be made of a metal material with a strength greater than that of the energy absorption tube 11. The addition of the trigger 12 increases the resistance, ensuring that the deformation mode of the energy absorption tube 11 is inward breakage.

[0065] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the trigger 12 includes an outer ring 121 and a front ring 123 fixed to the front end of the outer ring 121 in the longitudinal Y direction. The outer ring 121 is sleeved to wrap around the outer side of the front end of the energy-absorbing tube 11. The front ring 123 is sandwiched between the coupler mounting seat 3 and the energy-absorbing tube 11. At this time, the second front fastener sequentially fixes the coupler mounting seat 3 and the front ring 123 along the axial direction, realizing the connection between the energy-absorbing device 1 and the coupler mounting seat 3, which is convenient for installation. The second front fastener can specifically be a bolt.

[0066] As shown in Figure 1, the front end of the energy-absorbing tube 11 is covered by the coupler mounting seat 3 and the rear end is covered by the main frame 2, so that the energy-absorbing device 1, the coupler mounting seat 3, and the main frame 2 cooperate to form a closed cavity.

[0067] This energy-absorbing device features a hollow structure with a longitudinal Y-shaped through-hole, which reduces weight. Since the crushing direction of the selected energy-absorbing tube 11 is longitudinal Y, it can gradually deform or break along the longitudinal Y direction. During a collision, the energy-absorbing tube 11 undergoes stable and orderly breakage deformation along the longitudinal Y direction, fully absorbing collision energy. Furthermore, because the energy-absorbing tube 11 is encased by a stronger trigger 12, as shown in Figure 6, the front end of the energy-absorbing tube 11 is rotated and deformed inwards along the direction of the dotted arc line. Both ends of the energy-absorbing tube 11 are sealed, ensuring that the broken fragments and powder of the energy-absorbing tube 11 are contained within the energy-absorbing device 1, preventing environmental pollution and splashing into the environment, thus achieving environmental protection.

[0068] In addition, as shown in Figure 6, the outer surface of the front end of the energy-absorbing tube 11 is a tapered surface 111, and the front end of the tapered surface 111 is the small-diameter end. At this time, the setting of the tapered surface 111 can further guide the front end of the energy-absorbing tube 11 to deform inward.

[0069] As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the trigger 12 is fixedly connected to the energy-absorbing tube 11 via a front-end first fastener 122, which can be a bolt and nut assembly. The front-end first fastener 122 is inserted into the front end of the energy-absorbing tube 11, and can provide longitudinal force to the energy-absorbing tube 11. At this time, the front-end first fastener 122 is radially inserted into the trigger 12 and the energy-absorbing tube 11. When the front end of the energy-absorbing tube 11 deforms, the front-end first fastener 122 provides a longitudinal Y-force to the energy-absorbing tube 11, which can be specifically referred to as the longitudinal force indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, further improving the orderly deformation of the energy-absorbing tube 11.

[0070] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the energy-absorbing device 1 also includes an energy-absorbing tube mounting base 13, which is fixed to the main frame 2 and can firmly fix the energy-absorbing tube 11 to the main frame 2. The energy-absorbing tube mounting base 13 is inserted and fixed to the rear end of the energy-absorbing tube 11 and supports the energy-absorbing tube 11 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Y, ensuring the stability of the energy-absorbing tube 11 when it deforms.

[0071] Specifically, the energy-absorbing tube mounting base 13 is a ring-shaped structure, including an inner ring 131 located in the energy-absorbing tube 11 and a rear ring 133 located at the rear end of the inner ring 131 in the longitudinal Y direction. The rear ring 133 is sandwiched between the rear end of the energy-absorbing tube 11 and the main frame 2 in the longitudinal Y direction. The inner ring 131 is fixed to the energy-absorbing tube 11 by a first rear fastener 132, and the rear ring 133 is fixed to the main frame 2 by a second rear fastener. The first and second rear fasteners are bolts.

[0072] Specifically, the trigger 12 is a metal flange structure that is externally enclosed in the energy-absorbing tube 11, and the energy-absorbing tube mounting base 13 is a metal flange structure that is internally embedded in the energy-absorbing tube 11.

[0073] The front-end energy-absorbing structure in this embodiment has a compact design and a small overall size, which meets the equipment installation requirements in the narrow space at the front of the high-speed train; the use of carbon fiber energy-absorbing tubes 11 and the addition of different weight-reduction holes can also achieve a lightweight effect.

[0074] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as "fixing" another element, it can be directly attached to the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as "connecting" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "multiple," "multiple roots," and "multiple groups" mean two or more.

[0075] The terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated.

[0076] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0077] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0078] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of the front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles provided by this invention. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the embodiments above are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this invention without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles, characterized in that, It includes a main frame (2), a coupler mounting base (3), a coupler guide device (4), and an energy absorption device (1). The coupler mounting base (3) is located on the front side of the main frame (2) in the longitudinal direction (Y) and is slidably connected to the main frame (2) in the longitudinal direction (Y). The energy absorption device (1) and the coupler guide device (4) are both fixed in the longitudinal direction between the coupler mounting base (3) and the main frame (2). The coupler mounting base (3) includes a main body (31); the main body (31) has a main connecting part (310) in the middle of the transverse (X) direction, and its thickness is greater than that of the two sides; the center of the main connecting part (310) is provided with a central hole (3114) through the longitudinal (Y) direction, the central hole (3114) is connected to the coupler guide device (4), and the main connecting part (310) located on the periphery of the central hole (3114) is used to connect the coupler assembly.

2. The front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, On the front surface of the main body (31): a protrusion (311) is formed in the middle of the transverse (X) relative to the two sides, and a flat portion (312) is formed on each side; The protrusion (311) is located in the main connecting part (310), and the two ends of the protrusion (311) in the transverse (X) direction are smoothly transitioned to the flat part (312) through the inclined transition surface (3111); The planar portion (312) is provided with an energy-absorbing component connection hole (3121) to fix the energy-absorbing device (1). The protruding portion (311) is provided with a clearance groove (3112) at its end in the transverse (X) direction. At least part of the energy-absorbing component connection hole (3121) is located in the space of the clearance groove (3112).

3. The front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coupler mounting base (3) also includes an upper wing plate (33) and a lower wing plate (34); The upper wing plate (33) is located above the main body (31). The front middle part of the upper wing plate (33) protrudes in front of the main connecting part (310) to form an upper front protrusion plate (331), and the rear middle part protrudes backward from the rear surface of the main body (31) to form an upper rear protrusion plate (332). The upper front protrusion plate (331) and the upper rear protrusion plate (332) are respectively provided with upper weight reduction holes (333) that pass through vertically. The upper wing plate (33) is provided with a vertical insertion hole (334). The top of the main body (31) is provided with an insertion plate (313) to be inserted into the insertion hole (334). The lower wing plate (34) is located below the main body (31). The front end of the lower wing plate (34) is provided with two corner plates (341) protruding from the front of the main connecting part (310). The two corner plates (341) are located below the two ends of the main connecting part (310) in the horizontal (X) direction. The middle of the rear end of the lower wing plate (34) protrudes backward from the rear surface of the main body (31) to form a lower rear protrusion plate (342). The lower rear protrusion plate (342) is provided with a lower weight reduction hole (343) that runs vertically through it.

4. The front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles according to claim 3, characterized in that, The top two ends of the main body (31) in the horizontal (X) direction and the bottom two ends in the horizontal (X) direction are respectively provided with sliding components (32). The sliding components (32) include a slider (321) fixed to the main body (31) and a roller (322) connected to the slider (321). The main frame (2) includes a back plate (21) and two side plates (22) located in front of the back plate (21) in the longitudinal direction (Y). The two side plates (22) are located on both sides of the coupler mounting seat (3) in the transverse direction (X), and each of the two side plates (22) is provided with a slide rail (221) extending in the longitudinal direction (Y). Each sliding component (32) is slidably connected to the corresponding slide rail (221).

5. The front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main frame (2) includes a back plate (21) and two side plates (22) located in front of the back plate (21). The coupler mounting base (3), the energy absorption device (1), and the coupler guide device (4) are located between the two side plates (22) in the transverse (X) direction. The two energy absorption devices (1) are located on both sides of the coupler guide device (4) in the transverse (X) direction. The coupler guide device (4) is a cylindrical structure. The front end of the coupler guide device (4) is inserted into and connected to the central hole (3114), and the rear end is fixed to the back plate (21).

6. The front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes anti-climb devices (5); The main frame (2) also includes a U-shaped support frame (23), the two free ends of which are fixed to the front of the back plate (21), and the front end of the support frame (23) is welded and fixedly connected to the anti-climb device (5). The support frame (23) and the anti-climb device (5) are both higher than the coupler guide device (4), the energy absorption device (1), and the coupler mounting base (3).

7. The front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy-absorbing device (1) includes an energy-absorbing tube (11); the energy-absorbing tube (11) is a carbon fiber energy-absorbing tube that extends and penetrates along the longitudinal direction (Y), and can gradually deform or break along the longitudinal direction (Y) after absorbing energy.

8. The front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles according to claim 7, characterized in that, The energy-absorbing device (1) further includes a trigger (12), which is fixed to the front end of the energy-absorbing tube (11) in the longitudinal direction (Y) and wrapped around the outside of the energy-absorbing tube (11); the strength of the trigger (12) is greater than that of the energy-absorbing tube (11), which can limit the inward deformation of the front end of the energy-absorbing tube (11); the front end of the energy-absorbing tube (11) is covered by the coupler mounting seat (3) and the rear end is covered by the main frame (2).

9. The front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles according to claim 8, characterized in that, The trigger (12) is fixedly connected to the energy-absorbing tube (11) by a front-end first fastener (122), and the front-end first fastener (122) is inserted into the front end of the energy-absorbing tube (11). The front-end first fastener (122) can provide longitudinal force to the energy-absorbing tube (11).

10. The front-end energy-absorbing structure for rail vehicles according to claim 7, characterized in that, The energy-absorbing device (1) further includes an energy-absorbing tube mounting base (13); the energy-absorbing tube mounting base (13) is inserted and fixed to the rear end of the energy-absorbing tube (11) and supports the energy-absorbing tube (11) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Y); the energy-absorbing tube mounting base (13) is fixed to the main frame (2).

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