BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to railway vehicles having side sliding doors through
which crews and passengers get on or off the railway vehicle, and especially, relates
to railway vehicles having an externally suspended side sliding door device that opens
and closes along an outer side of a side structure of the railway vehicle.
Description of the related art
[0002] Railway vehicles have side sliding door devices disposed on openings formed on side
structures of the vehicle for through which passengers and crews get on or off the
vehicle. There are two types of conventional side sliding doors, an internally suspended
slide sliding door device and an externally suspended side sliding door device.
[0003] The internally suspended system has side sliding doors disposed on the inner side
of the side structure of the car body, and the externally suspended system has side
sliding doors disposed on the outer side of the side structure of the car body. In
both systems, the side sliding doors open and close along the longitudinal direction
of the side structure. The internally suspended side sliding door device must have
door pockets on the inner side of the side structure for housing the side sliding
doors so as to prevent passengers' clothes and the like from being caught in the side
sliding doors during opening and closing operation. In contrast, the externally suspended
side sliding door device does not require door pockets disposed on the inner side
of the side structure since the side sliding doors are opened and closed along the
outer side of the car body.
[0004] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the prior art internally suspended
side sliding door device, wherein the device is shown in a cross-section perpendicular
to the height direction thereof. A side sliding door 100 of the internally suspended
side sliding door device is opened and closed along an inner side surface of the side
structure 20. A door pocket 26 for housing the side sliding door 100 is disposed on
an inner side surface of the side structure 20. Interior equipments such as seats
15 and hand rails 28 are disposed on a side of the door pocket 26 facing the center
of the car body 400. The distance L0 from the door pocket 26 to the center of the
car body 400 in the width direction (300) of the railway vehicle is smaller than the
distance from the side structure 20 to the center of the car body 400 in the width
direction of the car body, corresponding to the thickness of the door pocket 26.
[0005] If the opening width of the side sliding door 100 (the dimension along the longitudinal
direction of the railway vehicle) is increased to minimize the getting on and off
time, the rigidity of the opening (area where the side sliding door 100 is disposed)
of the side structure 20 is decreased, and a high stress may occur by the deformation
caused near the opening of the side structure 20. If the area near the opening of
the side structure 20 is to be reinforced, reinforcement members disposed on the side
structure 20 on the inner side of the car body may interfere with the door pocket
26, since the door pocket 26 of the internally suspended side sliding door device
is disposed on the side structure 20 facing the inner side of the car body. The structure
of the reinforcement area including the door pocket 26 will become complex in order
to prevent such interference, and the number of designing and manufacturing steps
thereof is increased.
[0006] Further, in the case of the internally suspended side sliding door device, not only
the number of components required for forming the door pocket 26 is increased, but
also the interior design of the vehicle must be varied between the portion having
the door pocket 26 and the portion without the door pocket 26. On the other hand,
the internally suspended side sliding door device is advantageous since the upper
door rail for guiding the side sliding door 100 during opening and closing operation
and the door suspension device for suspending the side sliding door 100 and moving
via rolling motion along the upper door rails is disposed on the inner side of the
car body, according to which the water-resisting property and the dust-resisting property
of the door suspension device can be ensured easily and the reliability thereof can
be maintained.
[0007] On the other hand, according to the externally suspended sliding door device, the
upper door rail for guiding the side sliding doors and the door suspension device
moving via rolling motion on the upper door rail is disposed on the outer side of
the car body on the side wall of the railway vehicle. Therefore, in the externally
suspended side sliding door device, it is necessary to ensure the reliability of these
rolling motion units and to ensure the water-resisting property and the dust-resisting
property so as to prevent rain water and wind from entering the car body (prevent
wind containing dust from entering the car body) through the gap formed between the
side sliding doors and the car structure. Furthermore, it is desirable that the structure
of the device allows the door suspension device subjected to periodic maintenance
to be easily maintained.
[0008] Publication of Japanese patent No.
4173588 (patent document 1) discloses a structure in which the side sliding doors of an internally
suspended side sliding door device is guided via an upper door rail disposed on an
arm provided on the structure of the railway vehicle.
[0009] The problem to be solved in a railway vehicle having an externally suspended side
sliding door device that opens and closes along an outer side of the car of the side
structure of the railway vehicle is to ensure the water-resisting property and the
dust-resisting property of the side sliding doors with respect to the roof structure,
the side structure and the underframe, to improve the reliability of the door suspension
device suspending the side sliding doors and moving via rolling motion on the upper
door rail for guiding the side sliding doors, and to facilitate the maintenance operation
thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention aims at solving the problems of the prior art by providing
a railway vehicle having an externally suspended side sliding door device opening
and closing along a plane on an outer side of the railway vehicle, having an ensured
water-resisting property and a dust-resisting property of the side sliding doors with
respect to the roof structure, the side structure and the underframe, capable of improving
the reliability of the door suspension device supporting the side sliding doors in
suspended manner and moving along the upper door rail via rolling motion for guiding
the side sliding doors, and capable of facilitating maintenance of the side sliding
door device.
[0011] In order to solve the prior art problems, the present invention provides a railway
vehicle having an externally suspended side sliding door device, wherein the externally
suspended side sliding door device comprises one or two side sliding doors opening
and closing along a plane on an outer side of the railway vehicle, an upper door rail
disposed along a longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle on an upper portion
of a side surface of the railway vehicle, a door suspension device capable of moving
in rolling motion on the upper door rail and supporting the side sliding door in a
suspended manner, and a lower door rail for guiding a lower portion of the side sliding
door.
[0012] The present invention provides a railway vehicle having an externally suspended side
sliding door device opening and closing along the side surface on the outer side of
the railway vehicle, having an ensured water-resisting property and dust-resisting
property of the side sliding door with respect to the roof structure, the side structure
and the underframe, an improved reliability of the door suspension device supporting
the side sliding door in suspended manner and moving in rolling motion along the upper
door rail for guiding the side sliding door, and facilitating the maintenance thereof.
[0013] Moreover, the externally suspended side sliding door device has a tongue portion
extending downward in a continuous manner from a lower end portion of the side sliding
door, wherein the tongue portion is guided along a lower door rail disposed on a step,
and a slip-proof member is attached removably on an upper side of the step from both
the inner side of the car and the outer side of the car towards and adjacent to the
tongue portion, according to which the height of the side sliding doors (positioning
of the doors) can be adjusted easily, and the efficiency of maintenance operations
including cleaning can be improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a railway vehicle having an externally suspended side
sliding door device;
FIG. 2 is a side view showing in enlarged view the portion of the railway vehicle
having the externally suspended side sliding door device shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the externally suspended
side sliding door device taken at A-A of the railway vehicle shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the externally suspended
side sliding door device of the railway vehicle shown in FIG. 3, illustrating the
state in which the side sliding doors are opened (cross-sectional view taken at D-D
of FIG. 3);
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the externally suspended
side sliding door device of the railway vehicle shown in FIG. 3, illustrating the
state in which the side sliding doors are closed (cross-sectional view taken at D-D
of FIG. 3);
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the width-direction end of the externally suspended
side sliding door device taken along a direction perpendicular to the height of the
door (cross-sectional view taken at B-B of FIG. 2);
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the lower end portion
of the side sliding doors of the externally suspended side sliding door device is
guided by the lower door rail disposed on the step (cross-sectional view taken at
C-C of FIG. 2); and
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a prior art internally suspended
sliding door device taken at a cross-section perpendicular to the height direction
of the door.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Now, we will describe a preferred embodiment of a railway vehicle having an externally
suspended side sliding door device according to the present invention with reference
to the drawings. A railway vehicle is a general term referring to vehicles guided
via a guide way, such as railway cars, streetcars, monorails and vehicles of new transport
systems. We will take the railway car as an example of the railway vehicle in the
following description.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the railway vehicle having the
externally suspended side sliding door device. A railway vehicle 1 comprises an underframe
10 constituting a floor surface of the car body, side structures 20 and 20 (only one
side of which is illustrated) erected on both width-direction ends of the underframe
10, end structures 30 and 30 (only one side of which is illustrated) erected on both
longitudinal ends of the underframe 10, and a roof structure 40 disposed on the upper
ends of the side structures 20 and 20 and the end structures 30 and 30. Openings are
provided on portions of the side structures 20 and 20 where doors through which passengers
get on and off the vehicle and windows are to be formed, and on these openings are
provided externally suspended side sliding door devices described in detail later
and window glasses. External covers 22 and 22 covering upper door rails of the side
sliding doors and door suspension devices rolling along the upper door rails and supporting
the side sliding doors in a suspended manner are disposed along the longitudinal direction
of the railway vehicle at the outer side of the car at connecting portions (door roof
portions) between the side structures 20 and 20 and the roof structure 40.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an enlarged view of the portion of the railway vehicle
illustrated in FIG. 1 where the externally suspended side sliding door device is disposed,
and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at A-A of the railway vehicle illustrated
in FIG. 2 showing the upper portion of the externally suspended side sliding door
device. The externally suspended side sliding door device is mainly composed of side
sliding doors 100a and 100b, an upper door rail 130 for guiding the opening and closing
operation of the side sliding doors 100a and 100b, a door suspension device 140 moving
in rolling motion on the upper door rail 130 and supporting the side sliding doors
100a and 100b in a suspended manner, a door engine 110 for generating driving power
for opening and closing the side sliding doors 100a and 100b, and a lower door rail
134 for guiding a lower end portion of the side sliding doors 100a and 100b (refer
to FIG. 6).
[0018] The upper door rail 130 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the railway
vehicle 1 at the upper portion of the side wall on the outer side of the railway vehicle
1. As shown in FIG. 3, the cross-sectional shape of the upper door rail 130 perpendicular
to the longitudinal direction of the rail is composed of portions (planes) extending
horizontally from upper and lower ends of a vertically disposed plate. One end of
a door suspension fitting 150 is fixed to the upper end of the side sliding doors
100a and 100b, and a door suspension device 140 is fixed to the other end of the door
suspension fitting 150. The door suspension device 140 is a device for supporting
the side sliding doors 100a and 100b and the door suspension fitting 150 in a suspended
manner, and the device 140 is disposed in such a manner so as to move in rolling motion
on the upper door rail 130. In FIG. 2, the external cover 22, which is normally disposed
in the area shown by the two dotted dashed lines, is omitted from the drawing, so
as to show how the upper door rail 130 and the door suspension fitting 150 are disposed.
Further, the actual structure for enabling the door suspension device 140 to be moved
in rolling motion on the upper door rail 130 can preferably adopt a rolling movement
structure such as door rollers, balls, rollers and wheels.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, door head rubbers 105a and 105b are disposed on door close portions
opposed to one another when the side sliding door 100a and the side sliding door 100b
are closed. Although not shown, the cross-sectional shape of one of the door head
rubbers 105a perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has at a center of a base
portion of the door head rubber a projecting portion formed to project from the base
portion toward the door close direction, and a space is formed in the interior of
the projecting portion. The cross-sectional shape of the other door head rubber 105b
perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has a wall portion projected toward the
door close direction on each end in the base portion of the door head rubber, and
a projecting portion projected to a height smaller than the projecting portion formed
on one door head rubber 105a is disposed at the center of the base portion. When the
doors are closed, the projecting portion disposed on the door head rubber 105a is
pressed by the projecting portion disposed on the door head rubber 105b, by which
the projecting portion of the door head rubber 105a is deformed to come into contact
with the wall portions of the door head rubber 105b, thereby forming a door seal portion
(door close portion) for preventing rainwater and dust from entering the vehicle.
[0020] Door tail rubbers 106a and 106b are disposed along the height direction on opposite
ends of the side sliding doors 100a and 100b from the door head rubbers 105a and 105b.
Details will follow, but contact portions 107a and 107a formed integrally with the
door tail rubbers 106a and 106b (refer to FIG. 6) contact receivers 25 disposed in
the perpendicular direction on a plane on the outer side of the side structure when
the doors are closed, thereby ensuring the water-resisting property and a dust-resisting
property of the side sliding doors 100a and 100b with respect to the side structures
20.
[0021] A tongue portion 102 is formed to extend downward from the lower end portion of the
side sliding doors 100a and 100b, wherein the tongue portion 102 is guided along the
lower door rail 134 disposed on the step 24 (refer to FIG. 7). A step 24 is a member
having a horizontal plane disposed along the longitudinal direction of the railway
vehicle 1 at the width-direction end of the underframe 10 or at the lower end in the
height direction of the side structure 20 at a height corresponding to the upper surface
height of a platform (not shown), so as to connect the platform and the opening on
the railway vehicle for the getting on and off. The water-resisting property and the
dust-resisting property of the lower end portion of the side sliding doors 100a and
100b with respect to the step 24 will be described with reference to the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 7.
[0022] FIG. 3 is an A-A cross-sectional view showing the upper portion of the externally
suspended side sliding door device disposed on the railway vehicle 1 illustrated in
FIG. 2. An upper door rail support member 132 is fixed to a slanted surface (door
roof portion) on both ends of the roof structure 40 in the width direction 300, and
on the perpendicular surface of the upper door rail support member 132 is disposed
the upper door rail 130. One end of the door suspension fitting 150 is fixed to the
upper end of the side sliding doors 100a, and the door suspension device 140 is fixed
to the other end of the door suspension fitting 150. The door suspension device 140
supports the side sliding doors 100a and 100b in suspended manner so as to move in
rolling motion along the upper door rail 130. A door engine 110 for opening and closing
the side sliding door 100a (100b) is disposed on the inner side of the car body at
the width-direction ends of the roof structure 40, wherein the door engine 110 and
the side sliding door 100a (100b) are connected via a connecting bracket 120. When
the door engine 110 is operated, driving power is transmitted via the connecting bracket
120 to the side sliding door 100a (100b) , by which the side sliding doors 100a and
100b are opened and closed. The design of the interior of the railway vehicle is improved
by providing a ceiling 180 on the inner side of the car and a cover 190 which covers
the area on the inner side of the car at the width-direction ends of the ceiling 180
and the side structures 20 so that the door engine 110 and the connecting bracket
120 are not visible to the passengers. Although not shown, the cover 190 is attached
so that it can be opened and closed, and the cover 190 can be opened, for example,
to strengthen the engagement of bolts or the like fixing the connecting bracket 120,
or to perform inspection and maintenance operation of the door engine 110.
[0023] By fixing the upper door rail 130 on the side wall at the outer side of the car of
the railway vehicle 1 via the upper door rail support member 132 having a perpendicular
surface, the door suspension device 140 can be moved in rolling motion along the perpendicular
plane or one of the horizontal planes of the upper door rail 130, according to which
biased abrasion caused by partial contact of the rolling portion can be prevented
and the reliability thereof can be improved, so that the interval of periodic maintenance
can be extended.
[0024] An attachment section 42 for attaching the external cover 22 is disposed along the
longitudinal direction of the roof structure 40 substantially on the width-direction
ends of the horizontal plane of the roof structure 40. An engagement portion 23 is
disposed on the height-direction end of the external cover 22, the engagement portion
23 being engaged with the attachment section 42 of the roof structure 40, and the
external cover 22 is fixed if necessary via bolts or the like to the roof structure
40 or the side structure 20.
[0025] The external cover 22 is removed during maintenance and inspection of the upper door
rail 130 and the door suspension device 140, for example. By disposing the engagement
portion 23 on the external cover 22 and the attachment section 42 on the roof structure
40, the external cover 22 can easily be engaged to the roof structure 40 during attachment
and detachment of the external cover 22, and the external cover 22 can be prevented
from being dropped accidentally. Thus, the upper door rail 130 and the door suspension
device 140 can be efficiently inspected and maintained.
[0026] Weather strip members 200a and 200b are provided at the lower end of the external
cover 22 on the side facing the side sliding doors 100a and 100b. Weather strip members
200a (200b) and 210a (210b) are formed for example of elastic rubber or foamed material
(sponge). Weather strip members 210a (210b) are disposed at the upper ends of the
side sliding doors 100a (100b) on the side facing the external cover 22 so as to oppose
to the weather strip members 200a (200b). These weather strip members 200a (200b)
and 210a (210b) are integrated when the side sliding doors 100a and 100b are closed,
thereby sealing the gap formed between the lower end of the external cover 22 and
the upper end of the side sliding doors 100a and 100b, so as to improve the water-resisting
property and the dust-resisting property with respect to the upper door rail 130 and
the door suspension device 140. As a result, the reliability of the upper door rail
130 and the door suspension device 140 can be enhanced, and the interval of periodic
maintenance can be elongated.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the upper portion of the externally suspended
side sliding door device of the railway vehicle illustrated in FIG. 3 in which the
side sliding doors 100a and 100b are opened (cross-sectional view taken at D-D of
FIG. 3), and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the externally suspended side sliding
door device shown in FIG. 3 in which the side sliding doors are closed (cross-sectional
view taken at D-D of FIG. 3). Weather strip members 200a and 200b disposed at the
lower end of the external cover 22 on the side facing the side sliding door 100a are
wedge shaped in which the thickness of the weather strip members 200a and 200b (width
direction 300) is gradually increased toward a position P (door stop section) in which
the door head rubbers are opposed to one another when the side sliding doors 100a
and 100b are closed. Weather strip members 210a and 210b disposed at the upper end
of the side sliding doors 100a and 100b on the side facing the external cover 22 are
wedge shaped in which the thickness of the weather strip members 200a and 200b(width
direction 300) is gradually reduced toward a position P in which the door head rubbers
are opposed to one another when the side sliding doors 100a and 100b are closed. When
the side sliding doors 100a and 100b are closed, the opposing slanted surfaces of
the weather strip members 200a and 200b and the weather strip members 210a and 210b
contact one another, by which the gap formed between the external cover 22 and the
side sliding doors 100 is sealed. Thus, rainwater and dust entering through the gap
formed between the external cover 22 and the side sliding doors 100 can be prevented
from reaching the upper door rail 130 and the door suspension device 140 provided
on the external side of the roof structure 40 disposed above the side sliding doors
100, according to which the reliability of these devices can be maintained and the
maintenance cycle thereof can be elongated.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken at a plane perpendicular to the height direction
at the width-direction ends of the externally suspended side sliding door device (cross-sectional
view taken at B-B of FIG. 2). Door tail rubbers 106a and 106b are disposed along the
height direction on both side ends in the width direction of the side sliding doors
100a and 100b (in the longitudinal direction 310 of the vehicle). Contact portions
107b and 107b are formed via integral molding on the door tail rubber 106b toward
the width direction 300 of the vehicle. Contact portions 107b and 107b are formed
of two substantially parallel flat panels extending toward the car width direction
300 from the door tail rubber 106b.
[0029] When the side sliding doors 100a and 100b are closed, the contact portions 107b and
107b come into contact with a receiver 25 disposed along the perpendicular edge of
the opening formed on the side structure 20 for the getting on and off. Out of the
two contact portions 107b and 107b, normally the contact portion 107b positioned close
to the door head rubber 105b comes into contact with the contact portion receiver
25. The contact portions 107b and 107b are formed as two flat panels placed at a distance
from one another and disposed substantially parallel to one another, according to
which the contact portion 107b coming in contact with the receiver 25 is prevented
from being collapsed excessively. The contact portion 107b on the door tail rubber
106a and 106b coming into contact with the receiver 25 will be deformed elastically,
sealing the gap between the side sliding door 100b near the door tail rubber 106b
and the side structure 20, ensuring the water-resisting property and the dust-resisting
property thereof. Thus, wind containing rain water and dust can be prevented from
entering the interior of the railway vehicle 1, so that a pleasant in-car environment
can be maintained. The contact portion 107b attached to the door tail rubber 106b
of the side sliding door 100b has been described up to now, but the contact portions
107a and 107a attached to the door tail rubber 106a disposed on the side sliding door
100a also function in the same manner. In the above-described example, there were
two contact portions 107a and 107a (107b and 107b) attached to the door tail rubber
106a (106b), but the contact portion 107a (107b) may also be composed of a single
panel.
[0030] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken at C-C of FIG. 2) showing
the state in which the lower end of the side sliding doors 100a and 100b of the externally
suspended side sliding door device is guided along the lower door rail 134 embedded
in the step 24. A tongue portion 102 is disposed on the lower end of the side sliding
doors 100a and 100b so as to be suspended continuously from the side sliding doors
100a and 100b. A sliding member 104 is disposed on the leading end portion of the
tongue portion 102. On the other hand, a step 24 is disposed on the outer side of
the vehicle at the portion of the underframe 10 where the side sliding doors 100a
and 100b are disposed (refer to FIG. 1). The lower door rail 134 in the shape of a
groove with an opening formed in the upper direction is formed on the step 24, and
the tongue portion 102 is stored within the lower door rail 134 for guiding the tongue
portion 102. The sliding member 104 functions to facilitate the rolling motion of
the tongue portion 102 within the lower door rail 134. Slip-proof members 14 and 14
are disposed on the upper surface of the step 24 toward both the inner side and the
outer side of the vehicle from the tongue portion 102.
[0031] Since the tongue portions 102 disposed on the lower end of the side sliding doors
100a and 100b are disposed in a suspended manner, the position of the side sliding
doors 100a and 100b in the vertical direction (the direction of arrow 320) can be
adjusted without having to adjust the position of the slip-proof members 14 and 14
disposed on the lower door rail 134 in the width direction (in the direction of the
arrow 300). Therefore, during maintenance of the side sliding doors 100a and 100b,
such as replacement of the door suspension device 140 or the like, the replacement
operation can be performed easily by adjusting only the vertical position of the side
sliding doors 100a and 100b without having to adjust the width direction positions
thereof. Furthermore, since the lower door rail 134 has a recessed shape (groove shape)
and is not projected from the step 24, the passengers getting on and off the railway
vehicle 1 will not trip on the rail 134. Further, the dust accumulating on the lower
door rail 134 can be cleaned easily by removing the removable slip-proof members 14
and 14, so that the maintenance time can be shortened. An example has been illustrated
in which the sliding member 104 is disposed on the leading end of the tongue portion
102 so as to reduce the friction between the tongue portion 102 disposed on the lower
ends of the side sliding doors 100a and 100b and the lower door rail 134 formed on
the step 24, but the sliding member 104 can also be disposed on the lower door rail
134.
[0032] According further to the above-described embodiment, two side sliding doors 100a
and 100b opposed to one another are disposed, but the present invention can also be
applied to an externally suspended side sliding door device composed only of a single
side sliding door 100a.
1. A railway vehicle having an externally suspended side sliding door device, wherein
the externally suspended side sliding door device comprises:
one or two side sliding doors opening and closing along a plane on an outer side of
the railway vehicle;
an upper door rail disposed along a longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle
on an upper portion of a side surface of the railway vehicle;
a door suspension device capable of moving in rolling motion on the upper door rail
and supporting the side sliding door in a suspended manner; and
a lower door rail for guiding a lower portion of the side sliding door.
2. The railway vehicle according to claim 1, wherein
the upper door rail includes portions extending horizontally from upper and lower
ends of a panel disposed vertically in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal
direction; and
the door suspension device moves in rolling motion on the horizontal plane of the
upper door rail so as to suppress biased abrasion of the upper door rail and the door
suspension device.
3. The railway vehicle according to claim 2,
wherein the upper door rail is fixed via an upper door rail support portion to a roof
structure of the railway vehicle.
4. The railway vehicle according to claim 1,
wherein a door tail rubber is disposed on a width-direction end of the side sliding
door along a height direction of the side sliding door, the door tail rubber having
a flat plate-like contact portion extending toward the railway vehicle;
a receiver is disposed on an opening formed for the getting on and off on the side
surface of the railway vehicle along a perpendicular edge on the outer side of the
railway vehicle; and
the contact portion comes into contact with the receiver when the side sliding door
is closed.
5. The railway vehicle according to claim 4,
wherein the contact portion is formed integrally with the door tail rubber and composed
of multiple flat plate-like portions extending toward the side of the railway vehicle
and arranged substantially in parallel with and placed apart from one another, and
wherein the contact portion positioned closest to the leading end side of the door
out of the multiple contact potions comes into contact with the receiver.
6. The railway vehicle according to claim 1,
wherein a tongue portion is disposed on a lower end of the side sliding door in a
suspended manner;
a step is disposed along a horizontal edge on an outer side of the railway vehicle
at a lower portion of an opening formed on the side surface of the railway vehicle
for the getting on and off;
a lower door rail is disposed on the step along a longitudinal direction of the railway
vehicle; and
the lower portion of the side sliding door is guided via the lower door rail.
7. The railway vehicle according to claim 6,
wherein the lower door rail is in a shape of a groove formed on an upper side of the
step; and
a roller member for facilitating sliding motion of the tongue portion with respect
to the lower door rail is disposed on a leading end portion of the tongue portion.
8. The railway vehicle according to claim 1,
wherein an external cover for covering the upper door rail and the door suspension
device is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle at a width-direction
end portion of the roof structure of the railway vehicle.
9. The railway vehicle according to claim 8,
wherein an engagement portion for engaging the external cover to the width-direction
end portion of the roof structure of the car body is disposed on an upper portion
of the external cover; and
an attachment section for attaching an engagement portion of the external cover is
disposed on the outer side of the car body at the width-direction end of the roof
structure and along the longitudinal direction of the roof structure.
10. The railway vehicle according to claim 9,
wherein one weather strip member is disposed on the side facing the side sliding door
at the lower end portion of the external cover along the longitudinal direction of
the railway vehicle;
another weather strip member is disposed on a surface of the upper portion of the
side sliding door facing the external cover along the longitudinal direction of the
railway vehicle; and
when the side sliding door is closed, the one weather strip member and the other weather
strip member are overlapped so as to seal a gap formed between the lower end portion
of the external cover and the upper portion of the side sliding door.
11. The railway vehicle according to claim 10,
wherein the one weather strip member is wedge shaped so that a thickness thereof in
the width direction of the railway vehicle is increased toward a door stop potion
of two side sliding doors;
the other weather strip member is wedge shaped so that the thickness thereof in the
width direction of the railway vehicle is reduced toward the door stop portion; and
when the side sliding doors are closed, a slanted surface of the one weather strip
member and a slanted surface of the other weather strip member are opposed to one
another and substantially integrated so as to seal the gap formed between the lower
end portion of the external cover and the upper portion of the side sliding doors.