# US 2014/0360402 A1 · Crash structure for a railcar > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0360402 A1 - Document ID: US20140360402A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/912,291 - Filed: 2013-06-07 - Published: 2014-12-11 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-07 - Assignees: Bombardier Transporation GmbH - Applicants: Bombardier Transporation GmbH - Inventors: Daniel Koudolo; Virgilio Hilario; Gilles Hérard; André Gagnon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360402A1 ## CPC - B61D 15/06: Buffer cars; Arrangements or construction of railway vehicles for protecting them in case of collisions (buffers B61G11/00) - B61D 17/06: End walls - B61F 1/00: Underframes (making railway vehicle underframes by forging or pressing B21K7/12) - B61F 1/10: End constructions - B61D: BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES (vehicles in general B60; adaptation of vehicles to special systems B61B; underframes B61F) - B61F: RAIL VEHICLE SUSPENSIONS, e.g. UNDERFRAMES, BOGIES OR ARRANGEMENTS OF WHEEL AXLES; RAIL VEHICLES FOR USE ON TRACKS OF DIFFERENT WIDTH; PREVENTING DERAILING OF RAIL VEHICLES; WHEEL GUARDS, OBSTRUCTION REMOVERS OR THE LIKE FOR RAIL VEHICLES (for vehicles in general B60; axles or wheels B60B; vehicle tyres B60C) ## Abstract A railcar includes a chassis, a front end frame, a control cab for a train operator and an energy absorbing crash structure. The chassis has a cab end and a rear end. The front end frame is connected to the cab end of the chassis. The front end frame has a pair of corner posts and a collision post structure. Each one of the pair of corner posts is located at a different corner of the chassis at the cab end. The collision post structure is located between the pair of corner posts. The control cab has a control cab floor and is located proximate the cab end. A crash energy management module, located ahead of the front end frame, includes a plurality of energy absorbers and a crash shield. The plurality of energy absorbers is attached to the front end frame. There is a left energy absorber located on a left portion of the chassis and a right energy absorber located on a right portion of the chassis. The crash shield is attached substantially vertically and laterally to the plurality of energy absorbers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A railcar comprising: a chassis, said chassis having a cab end and a rear end; a front end frame, said front end frame being connected to said cab end of said chassis, said front end frame having: a pair of corner posts, each one of said pair of corner posts being located at a different corner of said cab end of said chassis; a collision post structure, said collision post structure being located between said pair of corner posts; a control cab for a train operator, said control cab having a control cab floor, said control cab being located proximate said cab end; a crash energy management module, said crash energy management module being located ahead of said front end frame, said crash energy management module having: a plurality of energy absorbers, said plurality of energy absorbers being attached to said front end frame, said plurality of energy absorbers having a left energy absorber located on a left portion of the chassis and a right energy absorber located on a right portion of the chassis; and a crash shield, said crash shield being attached substantially vertically to said plurality of energy absorbers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The railcar of claim 1, wherein said crash shield further comprises a grabbing aperture, said grabbing aperture being laterally located in a median region of said crash shield. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The railcar of claim 2, wherein said grabbing aperture extends vertically from at most 56.5 inches above a top of a rail to at least 67 inches above the top of the rail. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The railcar of claim 3, wherein said crash shield and said plurality of energy absorbers are operative to transfer a vertical load to said chassis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The railcar of claim 2, wherein said control cab is located behind said crash energy management module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The railcar of claim 5, wherein said plurality of energy absorbers comprises four energy absorbers, two of said four energy absorbers being located on a right portion of said railcar and two of said four energy absorbers being located on a left portion of said railcar. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The railcar of claim 6, wherein two of said four energy absorbers are substantially aligned with said chassis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The railcar of claim 7, wherein said control cab floor is located higher than a lower passenger floor installed on said chassis and wherein two of said four energy absorbers are substantially aligned with said control cab floor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The railcar of claim 8, wherein said energy absorbers are attached to said collision post structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The railcar of claim 9, further comprising an upper passenger floor, said control cab floor being located at a height intermediate that of said lower passenger floor and that of said upper passenger floor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The railcar of claim 10, wherein said four energy absorbers form a square pattern. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The railcar of claim 2, further comprising a protection shell extending laterally between said pair of corner posts and vertically from said control cab floor to said structural shelf, said protection shell being operative to prevent longitudinal intrusion within said control cab. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The railcar of claim 1, wherein said control cab is located above said crash energy management module and extends laterally between said pair of corner posts. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The railcar of claim 1, wherein said collision post structure comprises: two lower collision posts, said collision posts extending vertically from said chassis to an intermediate height of said railcar, each one of said two collision posts having a top portion; and a structural shelf, said structural shelf connecting said top portions of said two lower collision posts, said structural shelf extending transversally at least between said pair of corner posts; and an upper collision post extending from said structural shelf to a top portion of said railcar, said upper collision post being aligned with a median vertical plane of said railcar. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The railcar of claim 14, wherein said two lower collision posts have at least an upper portion that is canted forward, thereby providing additional space in said control cab. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The railcar of claim 14, wherein said structural shelf at least partially overlaps each one of said pair of corner posts. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The railcar of claim 1 further comprising an exterior sloped shell, said crash energy management module being located within said exterior sloped shell and wherein said railcar is a passenger railcar. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The railcar of claim 1, wherein said pair of corner posts extend substantially vertically and continuously from said chassis up to an upper portion of said railcar. ### Claim 19 A railcar comprising: a chassis, said chassis having a cab end; a front end frame, said front end frame being connected to a front portion of said chassis, said front end frame having: a pair of corner posts, each one of said pair of corner posts being located at a different corner of said front end frame; a collision post structure, said collision post structure being located between said pair of corner posts, said collision post structure having: two lower collision posts, said two lower collision posts extending substantially vertically from said chassis to an intermediate height of said railcar, each one of said two lower collision posts having a top portion; a structural shelf, said structural shelf connecting said top portions of said two lower collision posts, said structural shelf extending transversally at least between said pair of corner posts; and an upper collision post extending from said structural shelf to a top portion of said railcar, said upper collision post being aligned with a longitudinal median vertical plane of said railcar; a control cab for a train operator, said control cab having a control cab floor, said control cab being located proximate said front end; and a crash energy management module, said crash energy management module being located ahead of said front end frame. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The railcar of claim 19, wherein said control cab floor extends laterally from one of said pair of corner posts to another of said pair of corner posts. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The railcar of claim 19, wherein said two lower collision posts have at least an upper portion that is canted forward, thereby providing additional space in said control cab. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The railcar of claim 19, wherein said structural shelf at least partially overlaps each one of said pair of corner posts. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The railcar of claim 22, further comprising a protection shell extending laterally between said pair of corner posts and vertically from said control cab floor, said protection shell being operative to prevent longitudinal intrusion within said control cab. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The railcar of claim 21, wherein said control cab is located behind said crash energy management module, above said chassis, and above said crash energy management module. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The railcar of claim 24, wherein said crash energy management module comprises: a plurality of energy absorbers, said plurality of energy absorbers being attached to said collision post structure, said plurality of energy absorbers having a left energy absorber located on a left portion of the railcar and a right energy absorber located on a right portion of the railcar. a crash shield, said crash shield being attached substantially vertically to said plurality of energy absorbers. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The railcar of claim 25, wherein said crash shield further comprises a grabbing aperture, said grabbing aperture being laterally located in a median region of said crash shield. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The railcar of claim 26, wherein said grabbing aperture extends vertically from at most 56.5 inches above a top of a rail to at least 67 inches above the top of the rail. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The railcar of claim 25, further comprising an upper passenger floor, said control cab floor being located at a height intermediate that of a lower passenger floor installed on said chassis and that of said upper passenger floor. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The railcar of claim 26, wherein said plurality of energy absorbers comprises four energy absorbers, two of said four energy absorbers being located on a right portion of said railcar and two of said four energy absorbers being located on a left portion of said railcar, wherein two of said four energy absorbers are substantially aligned with said chassis and wherein two of said four energy absorbers are substantially aligned with said control cab floor. ### Claim 30 (depends on 20) The railcar of claim 20, further comprising an exterior sloped shell, said energy absorbing structure being located within said exterior slated shell and wherein said railcar is a passenger railcar. ### Claim 31 (depends on 20) The railcar of claim 20, wherein said pair of corner posts extend substantially vertically and continuously from said chassis up to an upper portion of said railcar.