Impact transmitting structure configured to transmit impact to impact absorbing device of railcar

An impact transmitting structure configured to transmit impact to an impact absorbing device of a railcar, the impact transmitting structure comprising:

• a first member at an end portion of a first car which is at a first side in a car longitudinal direction, the first member being on a neutral axis of an impact absorbing device at the first car, the first member being configured to transmit collision energy to the impact absorbing device;
• and
• a second member at an end portion of a second car which is at a second side in the car longitudinal direction and is opposed to the first car, the second member being configured to contact the first member to generate the collision energy when the first car and the second car collide with each other, wherein:
• one of the first member and the second member is a convex member;
• the other of the first member and the second member is a concave member;
• an opposing surface of the convex member which is close to the concave member has a substantially V shape that is convex in a direction toward the concave member when viewed from at least one of a car width direction and a vertical direction;
• an opposing surface of the concave member which is close to the convex member has a substantially V shape that is concave in a direction away from the convex member when viewed from at least one of the car width direction and the vertical direction;
• and
• a tip end angle of the convex member is smaller than an opening angle of the concave member;
• a tip end of the convex member has a round shape;
• a bottom end of the concave member has a round shape;
• and
• a curvature radius of the round shape of the tip end of the convex member is smaller than a curvature radius of the round shape of the bottom end of the concave member.

An impact transmitting structure configured to transmit impact to an impact absorbing device of a railcar, the impact transmitting structure comprising:

• a first member at an end portion of a first car which is at a first side in a car longitudinal direction, the first member being on a neutral axis of an impact absorbing device at the first car, the first member being configured to transmit collision energy to the impact absorbing device;
• and
• a second member at an end portion of a second car which is at a second side in the car longitudinal direction and is opposed to the first car, the second member being configured to contact the first member to generate the collision energy when the first car and the second car collide with each other, wherein:
• one of the first member and the second member is a convex member;
• the other of the first member and the second member is a concave member;
• an opposing surface of the convex member which is close to the concave member has a substantially V shape that is convex in a direction toward the concave member when viewed from at least one of a car width direction and a vertical direction;
• an opposing surface of the concave member which is close to the convex member has a substantially V shape that is concave in a direction away from the convex member when viewed from at least one of the car width direction and the vertical direction;
• and
• a tip end angle of the convex member is smaller than an opening angle of the concave member;
• another impact absorbing device is at the second car;
• the second member is on a neutral axis of the other impact absorbing device at the second car and is configured to transmit the collision energy to the other impact absorbing device;
• the concave member is attached to the impact absorbing device of the first car or the other impact absorbing device of the second car;
• and
• an opening angle 2θ2 of the concave member satisfies A/2H≤tan θ2<1/μ,
• where H denotes length in the car longitudinal direction from a base end of the impact absorbing device, to which the concave member is attached, to a tip end of the concave member, A denotes tip end open width of the concave member, and μ denotes a friction coefficient of the opposing surface of the concave member.

A railcar comprising:

• a first car and a second car coupled to each other;
• a pair of impact absorbing devices at an end portion of the first car and spaced apart from each other in a car width direction, the end portion being located close to the second car;
• and
• a pair of impact transmitting structures that correspond to the pair of impact absorbing devices, wherein:
• each of the impact transmitting structures includes
• a first member at the end portion of the first car and on a neutral axis of the impact absorbing device at the first car, the first member being configured to transmit collision energy to the impact absorbing device, and
• a second member at an end portion of the second car which is close to the first car, the second member being configured to contact the first member to generate the collision energy when the first car and the second car collide with each other;
• one of the first member and the second member is a convex member;
• the other of the first member and the second member is a concave member;
• an opposing surface of the convex member which surface is located close to the concave member has a substantially V shape that is convex in a direction toward the concave member when viewed from at least one of the car width direction and a vertical direction;
• an opposing surface of the concave member which is close to the convex member is a continuous surface and has a substantially V shape that is concave in a direction away from the convex member when viewed from at least one of the car width direction and the vertical direction;
• the opposing surface of the convex member and the opposing surface of the concave member are formed in shapes such that the opposing surfaces are brought into point-contact or line-contact with each other;
• the concave member of the impact transmitting structure is at a first side of the end portion of the first car in the car width direction;
• the convex member of the impact transmitting structure is at a second side of the end portion of the first car in the car width direction;
• the convex member of the impact transmitting structure is at a first side of the end portion of the second car in the car width direction;
• and
• the concave member of the impact transmitting structure is at a second side of the end portion of the second car in the car width direction.