Patent ID: 8100237

Claim:
An energy-absorbing device ( 100 ), in the form of a safety device against shock loads for a track-borne vehicle, having an energy-absorbing member ( 10 ) and a mating member ( 20 ) which co-operates with the energy-absorbing member ( 10 ) in such a way that, if a critical shock force applied to the energy-absorbing device ( 100 ) is exceeded, the mating member ( 20 ) and the energy-absorbing member ( 10 ) move relative to one another, towards one another, while at the same time absorbing at least some of the shock energy which is applied to the energy-absorbing device ( 100 ), the energy-absorbing member ( 10 ) having at least one energy-absorbing region ( 11 ) made of fibrous composite material which, when the energy-absorbing device ( 100 ) responds, the fibrous composite material of the interior wall of the energy-absorbing region ( 11 ) is at least partly reduced to individual fibres fragments (F) non-ductilely by the mating member ( 20 ) which moves relative to the energy-absorbing member ( 10 ) in the direction of the energy-absorbing region ( 11 ), and wherein the mating member ( 20 ) takes the form of a hollow body which is open at its end-face ( 21 ) adjacent the energy-absorbing member ( 10 ) such that at least some of the fragments (F) of the energy-absorbing region ( 11 ) formed from fibrous composite material which are produced when the mating member ( 20 ) moves relative to the energy-absorbing member ( 10 ) can be received in the interior of the hollow body.