Railroad crossing gate

Abstract

To provide a method by which a circuit controller is improved for an adjustment of a user adjustable part of the device to be more readily adjusted than conventional about a position detecting cam of the circuit controller included in a railroad crossing blockade unit.SOLUTION: In a railroad crossing blockade unit 100 which has a blockade rod holding part (15), a motor (31), a main shaft (12), a driving mechanism for a drive (32), a driving mechanism for a detection to transfer an axle rotation of the main shaft (12) to a follower shaft (53, 73), a detection part (60) provided with plural position detection cams 61 to 66 installed in the follower shaft, a control part (40) to control rotations of the motor (31) in response to a rotation position detecting signal of the main shaft (12) by a train entering signal (TER) and position detection cams 61 to 66 and a housing 11 including the driving mechanism for a detection 50 and the detection part (60), the plural position detection cams 61 to 66 are arranged in left and right sides of the main shaft 12 seen in an axial direction of the main shaft 12 and among them, the upper and lower positions detection cams 61, 62 are together arranged in one side of the main shaft 12 and the other cams 63 to 66 are arranged in the other side of the main shaft 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a railway crossing gate that is installed at railway crossings and opens and closes the crossing by raising and lowering a barrier, more particularly to a railway crossing gate in which the barrier is raised and lowered by axial rotation of a main shaft and the rotation angle of the main shaft, and therefore the raised and lowered position of the barrier, is detected by a circuit controller equipped with a transmission mechanism and a cam mechanism, and even more particularly to a railway crossing gate in which the cam of the circuit controller can be easily adjusted. [Background technology]

[0002] A level crossing barrier (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1 and Patent Documents 1 to 6) is installed beside the end of a railway crossing 4, positioned outside the rails 2 (see Figs. 5(b) and (c)), and closes the level crossing 4 when a train passes, etc. Many level crossing barriers 10, 20 are equipped with barrier bars 14, 24, which are swung from horizontal to vertical and from vertical to horizontal in order to open or close the level crossing 4. Of the level crossing barriers 10, 20 shown in the figures, the level crossing barrier 10 (see Fig. 3(a)) is provided with only one cover 17, so that only one side of the casing 11 can be opened and closed, whereas the level crossing barrier 20 (see Fig. 3(b)) is provided with two cover bars 27, 28, so that the opposing sides of the casing 11 can be opened and closed individually.

[0003] The crossing barrier 10 (see Figure 3(a)) comprises the above-mentioned housing 11 and cover portion 17, a main shaft 12 with one end protruding sideways from the housing 11, a barrier bar holding portion 15 which is attached to one end of the main shaft 12 and holds the base end of the barrier bar 14, a support pillar 16 which supports the housing 11 from below, and an optionally added counterbalance 13, and the axial rotation of the main shaft 12 causes the barrier bar holding portion 15 and therefore the barrier bar 14 to swing. When repairs or adjustments are to be made to components built into the casing 11 of such a crossing gate 10, one side of the casing 11 can be opened wide by swinging or removing the cover 17 (see the crossing gate 10 in the upper left of Figure 5(b)).

[0004] The crossing barrier 20 (see Figure 3 (b)) comprises the above-mentioned housing 21 and cover parts 27, 28, a main shaft 22 with both ends protruding sideways from the housing 21, a barrier bar holding part 25 which is attached to one end of the main shaft 22 and holds the base end of the barrier bar 24, and a support pillar 26 which supports the housing 21 from below, and the axial rotation of the main shaft 22 causes the barrier bar holding part 25 and therefore the barrier bar 24 to oscillate. Although not shown in the figure, the incorporation of a biasing spring makes the exterior of the counterbalance member unnecessary.

[0005] For such a crossing barrier 20, the lids 27, 28 are removed as necessary when repairing, replacing, or adjusting components built into the housing 21, but the large lid 27 is a large door that is relatively easy to open and close because it is attached to the housing 21 with a "snap lock" that holds the closed state with a spring force and a "hinge" that serves as a swing fulcrum, whereas the relatively small lid 28 is a small door that is difficult to open and close because it is attached to the housing 21 with a "tamper-resistant screw" that requires a specific tool to remove. The large lid 27 is opened and closed not only during manufacturing by the manufacturer but also when the user performs construction or maintenance (see the left part of FIG. 5(b)), whereas the small lid 28 is opened and closed during manufacturing by the manufacturer (not shown), but is not basically opened or closed during installation or thereafter (see the right part of FIG. 5(b)). This is the difference between the lids 27, 28.

[0006] The internal structure of the railroad crossing gates 10, 20 is common to both 10 and 20, including many basic parts, so for simplicity's sake, we will use the railroad crossing gate 20 as an example (see Figure 4). The drive unit 30, control unit 40 and circuit controllers 50+60 are built into the housing 21. The drive unit 30 comprises an electric motor 31 (electric motor), such as a servo motor, which is capable of both forward and reverse rotation, a drive transmission mechanism 32 which transmits the rotational motion of the output shaft of the motor 31 to the main shaft 22 and ultimately the barrier rod holding unit 25 while slowing down or increasing the power, and a motor drive circuit 33 which drives the rotation of the motor 31 using, for example, a three-phase power supply, and the barrier rod 24 is raised and lowered by rotating the motor 31 in both directions to place the barrier rod 24 in an approximately horizontal or approximately vertical position.

[0007] The control unit 40 (see Figure 4 (b)) controls the raising and lowering of the barrier 24 by generating a motor rotation command to the motor drive circuit 33, for example using a feedback control method, in response to the raising and lowering command signal TER received from an external crossing control device relayed by the crossing equipment box. Specifically, when a descent command is issued by the above-mentioned lift command signal TER, the motor 31 is rotated downward until a signal indicating that the motor has reached the lowering stop position (spindle rotation position detection signal) is received from the circuit controller 50+60. Also, when a lift command is issued by the lift command signal TER, the motor 31 is rotated upward until a signal indicating that the motor has reached the upper stop position (spindle rotation position detection signal) is received from the circuit controller 50+60.

[0008] The circuit controller 50+60 (see Figures 4(b) and 5(a)) is a combination of the detection transmission mechanism 50 and the detection unit 60. If an attempt is made to directly detect the axial rotation state of the spindle 22 (or 12) with the detection unit 60, the machining burden on the spindle 22 and the adjustment burden on the detection unit 60 would tend to be excessive, so the detection transmission mechanism 50 is interposed between the spindle 22 and the detection unit 60. The detection transmission mechanism 50 (see FIG. 5(a)) comprises a gear 51 fitted onto the main shaft 22 and rotating together with the main shaft 22, a rotatable driven shaft 53 having an intermediate portion 53b held on the housing 11 side by a holding portion 55, a gear 52 attached to a tip portion 53a of the driven shaft 53 in a state of meshing with the gear 51 and transmitting the axial rotation of the main shaft 22 to the driven shaft 53 while accelerating it, and a biasing spring 54 fitted on the rear end portion 53c of the driven shaft 53. The center lines of the main shaft 22 and the gear 52 intersect at right angles at the extension point, so bevel gears (cross-axis gears) are used for the gears 51 and 52.

[0009] The detection unit 60 (see Figure 5 (a)) comprises a number of position detection cams 61-66 (driver links of the cam mechanism) loosely fitted onto the portion of the driven shaft 53 located between the middle portion 53b and the rear end portion 53c, a group of switches (not shown) (follower links of the cam mechanism) that correspond one-to-one to the position detection cams, and adjustment gears 67, 67, 67 interposed between adjacent position detection cams 61, 62, between adjacent position detection cams 63, 64, and between adjacent position detection cams 65, 66. In the normal state, the position detection cams 61-66 and the adjustment gears 67 are pressed into close contact with each other by the above-mentioned spring 54. Since one position detection cam operates the corresponding switch to generate one spindle rotation position detection signal, the circuit controller 50+60, which has six pairs of cams and switches, can output "spindle rotation position detection signals" at six points in the rotational position of the spindle 22.

[0010] The adjustment gear 67 is engaged with a groove (not shown) engraved on the driven shaft 53, so that it can move in the axial direction of the driven shaft 53 without rotating in the circumferential direction of the driven shaft 53. Also, when each of the position detection cams 61 to 66 is in close contact with the adjacent adjustment gear 67, the relative rotation in the circumferential direction is prevented by the engagement of the concaves and convexes (not shown) formed on the side and end faces of the two, but when the position detection cams are separated enough to release the engagement of the concaves and convexes, the position detection cams 61 to 66 can rotate around the driven shaft 53. Therefore, when the biasing spring 54 is normally extended, each of the position detection cams 61 to 66 rotates according to the axial rotation of the driven shaft 53 via the adjustment gear 67, but when adjusting any of the position detection cams 61 to 66, the adjacent adjustment gear 67 is moved against the biasing spring 54 toward the rear end 53c of the driven shaft 53 to separate it from the position detection cam to be adjusted, so that only the desired cam can be adjusted.

[0011] When performing adjustment work on the detection unit 60 for such a railroad crossing barrier 10 during or after installation on the railroad crossing 4 (see Figure 5 (b)), the cover portion 17 of the housing 11 that does not face the rail 2 is opened to make the detection unit 60 near the end of the main shaft 12 operable, and then the appropriate one of the position detection cams 61 to 66 is adjusted as described above. Furthermore, when adjustment work on the detection unit 60 of the crossing barrier 20 is to be performed during or after installation on the crossing 4 (see Figure 5 (c)), the cover portion 27 of the housing 21 that does not face the rail 2 is opened, and the detection unit 60 extending from the main shaft 22 toward the cover portion 27 is made operable, and then the appropriate one of the position detection cams 61 to 66 is adjusted as described above. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-069333 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-166578 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2012-201270 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2014-091417 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2014-091418 A [Patent Document 6] Patent Publication No. 2021-109482 [Non-patent literature]

[0013] [Non-Patent Document 1] Electrical Introduction for Railway Engineers, Signal Series: Level Crossing Safety Devices, Published by the Japan Railway Electrical Technology Association, October 30, 1997, 4th edition, p.26 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] In such railroad crossing barriers 10, 20, at least two of the position detection cams 61-66 in the circuit controller 50+60, for example cams 61, 62, are assigned as the raised position detection cam 61 and the lowered position detection cam 62, respectively, and are essential for controlling the gate bars 14, 24 to stop in the lowered or raised positions (see Figures 3(a) and (b)). Such upward position detection cam 61 and downward position detection cam 62 are, so to speak, the driving force of the manufacturer-adjusted cam mechanism, and since the manufacturer adjusts them in advance before shipping, there is basically no need for adjustments by the user during or after installation.

[0015] In contrast, the remaining cams, such as the mid-position detection cams 63 to 66, are optional and do not require adjustment by the manufacturer, leaving specific use and adjustment up to the user, and are, so to speak, the driving forces of the user-adjustable cam mechanism. The detection results and detection signals of the mid-way position detection cams 63 to 66, how to use the detection signals, and further the manner of adjustment during and after installation are basically left to the discretion of the user. Since the numerous position detection cams 61-66 include not only manufacturer-adjustable parts (61, 62) but also user-adjustable parts (63-66), it is easy to expand the functionality of the lifting and lowering control of the barrier bars 14, 24 in response to user requests.

[0016] However, in most cases, adjustments of the aligned position detection cams 61 to 66 are performed in the manner described above, such that adjustments of the manufacturer-adjustable parts (61, 62) are completed first, followed by adjustments of the user-adjustable parts (63 to 66). Therefore, when performing adjustment work on the user-adjustable parts of the position detection cams 61 to 66 in the circuit controller 50+60, the user must pay attention not to undesirably move the nearby parts that are only adjustable by the manufacturer, which can be a burden to the user. Therefore, a technical problem is to improve the circuit controller so that adjustment of the user-adjustable portion of the position-sensing cam of the circuit controller can be made more easily than is currently the case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] The crossing gate of the present invention (Solution 1) has been invented to solve such problems, and comprises a barrier bar holding section for holding a barrier bar, a motor capable of bidirectional rotation, a main shaft for supporting the barrier bar holding section so that it can swing, a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational motion of the motor to the main shaft, a detection transmission mechanism for transmitting the axial rotation of the main shaft to the driven shaft, a detection section for detecting a plurality of position detection cams attached to the driven shaft, a control section for controlling the rotational motion of the motor in response to a received train entrance signal and a rotational position detection signal of the main shaft by the position detection cam, and a housing for incorporating the control section, the motor, the drive transmission mechanism, the detection transmission mechanism, and the detection section, The present invention is characterized in that the plurality of position detection cams are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the spindle when viewed in the axial direction of the spindle, and among the plurality of position detection cams, an ascending position detection cam and a descending position detection cam are both located on either the left or right side of the spindle.

[0018] Furthermore, the railroad crossing gate of the present invention (Solution 2) is the railroad crossing gate of Solution 1 above, characterized in that large and small cover portions are provided on the opposing sides of the casing at locations located to the left and right of the main shaft, and both the raised position detection cam and the lowered position detection cam are located near the smaller of the large and small cover portions when viewed from the main shaft.

[0019] In addition, the railroad crossing gate of the present invention (Solution Means 3) is a railroad crossing gate according to Solutions 1 and 2 above, characterized in that the main shaft and the driven shaft are in a linear relationship at a twisted position, and the driven shaft is continuous on both sides of the main shaft. Here, the "lines of twist position" are two lines that are not on the same plane in three-dimensional Euclidean space (McGraw-Hill Scientific and Technical Dictionary), and are also two lines that are not parallel and do not intersect.

[0020] Furthermore, the level crossing barrier of the present invention (Solution Means 4) is the level crossing barrier of the above-mentioned Solution Means 3, characterized in that a skew gear is incorporated in the detection transmission mechanism. Incidentally, "intersecting gears" are also called intersecting shaft gears, and a typical example is the cross-hair gear.

[0021] In addition, the railroad crossing gate of the present invention (Solution 5) is a railroad crossing gate as defined in Solutions 3 and 4 above, characterized in that the end of the driven shaft on which the raised position detection cam and the lowered position detection cam are attached is marked with markings indicating the direction in which the cams are adjusted around the shaft.

[0022] Further, the railroad crossing gate of the present invention (Solution Means 6) is the railroad crossing gate of Solution Means 5 above, characterized in that an engraving is used for the notation. Effect of the Invention

[0023] In such a railroad crossing barrier of the present invention (Solution 1), a plurality of position detection cams, which were conventionally arranged together on either the left or right side of the main shaft, are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the main shaft, and when they are arranged separately, the driving link of the manufacturer-adjusted cam mechanism, which includes the raised position detection cam and the lowered position detection cam, and the driving link of the other user-adjusted cam mechanisms are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the main shaft. As a result, when a user performs adjustment work related to the user-adjustable part of the position detection cam in the circuit controller, the part dedicated to manufacturer adjustment is located further away from the main shaft, so that the user can adjust the driving link of the user-adjusted cam mechanism without being concerned about the presence of the part dedicated to manufacturer adjustment. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a railroad crossing barrier in which adjustment of the user-adjustable portion of the position detecting cam of the circuit controller can be made more easily than at present.

[0024] Furthermore, in the railroad crossing barrier of the present invention (Solution 2), the upper position detection cam, lower position detection cam, etc., which are assumed to be adjusted by the manufacturer and are not assumed to be adjusted by the user, are positioned close to the small cover part which is not assumed to be opened and closed by the user. Therefore, when the user opens the large cover part to adjust the position detection cam closer to the main shaft, the opportunity or possibility of touching the upper position detection cam, lower position detection cam, etc. is greatly reduced because it is blocked by the main shaft, so that adjustments related to the user-adjustable parts can be made easily.

[0025] In the crossing gate of the present invention (Solution 3), when multiple position detection cams are arranged on the left and right sides of the main shaft, the main shaft and the driven shaft are arranged in a state where they are in a "straight line of torsion position" relationship, so that the driven shaft can be connected to the left and right sides of the main shaft in a continuous state without being divided into left and right. This makes it possible to avoid having multiple transmission members such as the driven shaft, its holder, and the gears on the driven shaft side. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a desired railroad crossing gate while avoiding or suppressing an increase in the number of parts and assembly man-hours.

[0026] Furthermore, in the crossing gate of the present invention (Solution 4), the detection transmission mechanism that transmits power from the main shaft to the driven shaft uses skew gears (skew shaft gears) such as screw gears, rather than the intersecting shaft gears such as bevel gears that have been used in the past, so that the necessary axial rotational motion can be transmitted without problems even if the main shaft and the driven shaft are in a "straight line of twist position" relationship.Screw gears and the like are relatively easy to obtain. Therefore, according to the present invention, a desired railroad crossing barrier can be easily realized.

[0027] In addition, in the crossing gate of the present invention (Solution 5), in exchange for avoiding the use of multiple driven shafts and dividing the position detection cams into the left and right sides of one driven shaft, it is necessary to visually check the cam operation state not only from one end of the driven shaft but also from the other end, and since the rotation direction of the driven shaft and therefore the cam is reversed depending on which end side is viewed from, the adjustment work for the cam must be carried out while keeping in mind the rotation direction. Therefore, in order to suppress such an increase in the burden during cam adjustment and to avoid an increase in the burden on the user, a mark indicating the cam adjustment direction around the axis is attached to the end of the driven shaft that is equipped with a cam that is adjusted by the manufacturer before the crossing gate is shipped. This makes it possible to simply and accurately avoid confusion during cam adjustment.

[0028] Furthermore, in the railroad crossing gate of the present invention (Solution 6), the markings indicating the adjustment direction of the cam around the axis are engraved, so that the markings remain even when the gate is used in harsh environments. This makes it possible to reliably prevent erroneous operation even when readjustment of the raised position detection cam or the lowered position detection cam is required during or after operation at the installation site, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] Regarding the level crossing gates of the first and second embodiments of the present invention, (a) is a front view showing the structure of a circuit controller incorporated in the level crossing gates of the first and second embodiments, (b) is a plan view of a level crossing on which the level crossing gate of the first embodiment is installed, and (c) is a plan view of half of the level crossing on which the level crossing gate of the second embodiment is installed. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11A is a front view showing the structure of a circuit controller, and FIG. 11B is an end view of a driven shaft, in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] Regarding conventional level crossing gates, (a) is a side view and a front view of a level crossing gate equipped with one opening / closing cover, and (b) is a side view and a front view of a level crossing gate equipped with two opening / closing covers. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is a front view showing the main mechanical parts inside the housing of a conventional railroad crossing gate, and FIG. 1B is a block diagram showing the control system. [Diagram 5] Regarding a conventional railroad crossing gate, (a) is a front view showing the structure of a circuit controller, (b) is a plan view of the railroad crossing, and (c) is a plan view of half of the railroad crossing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Specific embodiments for carrying out such a railroad crossing barrier of the present invention will be described with reference to the following Examples 1 to 3. Example 1 shown in Figures 1(a) and (b) embodies the above-mentioned solution 1 (claim 1 as originally filed), Example 2 shown in Figure 1(c) embodies the above-mentioned solutions 1 and 2 (claims 1 and 2 as originally filed), and Example 3 shown in Figure 2 embodies the above-mentioned solutions 1 to 6 (claims 1 to 6 as originally filed). In addition, in illustrating these figures, the same components as those in the conventional technology are denoted by the same reference numerals, and since what has been described in the Background Art section about these components is also common to each of the following embodiments, duplicated explanations will be omitted, and the following description will focus on the differences from the conventional technology. EXAMPLES

[0031] A specific configuration of a railroad crossing barrier according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1(a) is a front view showing the structure of a circuit controller 70 which is an improvement over conventional circuit controllers 50+60, and FIG. 1(b) is a plan view showing the general configuration of a railroad crossing barrier 100 incorporating the circuit controller 70.

[0032] The level crossing gate 100 (see Figure 1(b)) inherits many of the features of the level crossing gate 10 already described, and the difference between this level crossing gate and the level crossing gate 10 is that the already described circuit controllers 50+60 have been replaced with a new circuit controller 70 (see Figure 1(a)). That is, except for the circuit controller 70, the conventional products are used (see Figures 3 and 4), and the crossing barrier 100 comprises, as already described, a barrier bar holding part 15 for holding the barrier bar 14, a bidirectionally rotatable motor (31), a main shaft 12 for swingably supporting the barrier bar holding part 15, a drive transmission mechanism (32) for transmitting the rotational motion of the motor (31) to the main shaft 12, a control part (40) for controlling the rotational motion of the motor (31) in response to a received train entry signal TER and a rotational position detection signal of the main shaft 12 by position detection cams 61-66, and a housing 11 incorporating these components 12, 15, (31), (32), and (40).

[0033] On the other hand, the new circuit controller 70 of this example (see FIG. 1(a)) is a partial modification of the conventional circuit controller 50+60 (see FIG. 5(a)) described above, and while it inherits the multiple position detection cams 61-66, these cams 61-66 are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the spindle 12 as viewed in the axial direction of the spindle 12. That is, in the circuit controller 70 of this example (see FIG. 1(a)), the ascending position detection cam 61 and the descending position detection cam 62, which are the driving nodes of the manufacturer adjustment cam mechanism among the multiple position detection cams 61-66, are both located on either the left or right side of the spindle 12 (the right side in the illustrated example), and the remaining intermediate position detection cams 63-66, which are the driving nodes of the user adjustment cam mechanism among the multiple position detection cams 61-66, are located on either the left or right side of the spindle 12 (the left side in the illustrated example).

[0034] More specifically (see FIG. 1(a)), the circuit controller 50+60B located to the left of the main shaft 12 (see the left half of FIG. 1(a)) is equipped with the detection transmission mechanism 50 described above and a detection section (first detection section) mainly consisting of a user-adjusted cam group 60B, and this detection section (specifically, the user-adjusted cam group 60B) is not completely new, but is the detection section 60 described above with the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A (i.e., the two upward position detection cams 61 and the downward position detection cam 62) removed, leaving four intermediate position detection cams 63-66. Note that, in this circuit controller 50+60B, the driven shaft 53 can be made shorter by removing the two position detection cams 61, 62 from the detection transmission mechanism 50, but this does not constitute an essential modification, and therefore, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the same reference numerals as before are used for the detection transmission mechanism 50.

[0035] The circuit controller 71+60A located to the right of the spindle 12 (see the right half of FIG. 1(a)) is equipped with another new detection transmission mechanism 71 following the structure of the detection transmission mechanism 50 described above, and a manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A (second detection section) including the two raised position detection cams 61 and the lowered position detection cam 62 described above. The intermediate adjustment gear 67 accompanying the two position detection cams 61, 62 has also been moved to the right circuit controller 71+60A, and in the new circuit controller 70 as well, the adjustment gears 67 are disposed between the adjacent cams [61, 62], [63, 64], [65, 66], as in the circuit controllers 50+60 described above.

[0036] Describing the new detection transmission mechanism 71 in detail, the detection transmission mechanism 71 comprises a rotatable driven shaft 73 whose intermediate part 73b is held on the housing 11 side by a holding part 75, a gear 72 attached to a tip part 73a of the driven shaft 73 in a state of meshing with the gear 51 of the detection transmission mechanism 50 described above, which transmits the axial rotation of the main shaft 12 to the driven shaft 73 while accelerating the rotation, and a biasing spring 74 exteriorly mounted on a rear end part 73c of the driven shaft 73. A bevel gear (intersecting axis gear) similar to the gear 52 is also used for the gear 72.

[0037] Such circuit controller 70 also has six pairs of cams and switches, and is therefore capable of outputting "spindle rotation position detection signals" at six points in the rotational positions of the spindle 12. Gear 51 attached to the spindle 12 transmits the axial rotation of the spindle 12 to both driven shafts 53, 73, and is therefore a common member that can be said to belong to both the detection transmission mechanism 50 and the detection transmission mechanism 71. Except for this gear 51, the detection transmission mechanism 50 and the detection transmission mechanism 71 are separated into left and right, and therefore the circuit controller 70 can be said to be of the separated type.

[0038] Such a railroad crossing barrier 100 will be described with reference to the drawings, particularly with regard to cam adjustment relating to manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A and user-adjusted cam group 60B, which are different from conventional products. FIG. 1(b) is a plan view of a level crossing 4 and a level crossing barrier 100 installed there.

[0039] When performing adjustment work on the detection sections 60A, 60B in which the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A and the user-adjusted cam group 60B are separated into the right and left sides when viewed from the main shaft 12 for such a railroad crossing barrier 100 (see Figure 1 (a)), the adjustment work on the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A is first performed before shipping from the manufacturer, then the adjustment work on the user-adjusted cam group 60B is performed during or after installation on the railroad crossing 4, and then, although this is less frequent, those position detection cams 61-66 that need to be adjusted are readjusted. In any adjustment work, when the cover portion 17 is opened (see Figure 1 (b)), the part to be adjusted by the manufacturer (60A) and the part to be adjusted by the user (60B) are exposed and the position detection cams 61-66 can be operated.

[0040] The procedures for such cam adjustment work are the same as those in the past, but when the user performs cam adjustment on the user-adjusted cam group 60B (i.e., the intermediate position detection cams 63-66), whose cam position is maintained by the intervention of the adjustment gear 67 and the urging force of the urging spring 54, the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A (i.e., the up-down position detection cams 61, 62), whose cam position is maintained by the intervention of the adjustment gear 67 and the urging force of the urging spring 74, is located further beyond the main shaft 12, and conversely, when the manufacturer performs cam adjustment on the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A, the user-adjusted cam group 60B is located further beyond the main shaft 12, so there is no need to take care not to accidentally move a cam that is not the target, and the cam adjustment can be performed easily. EXAMPLES

[0041] The usage and operation of a crossing gate 200 in which a new circuit controller 70 is installed instead of the conventional circuit controllers 50+60 will also be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1(c) is a plan view of half of the crossing 4 and the crossing gate 200 installed there.

[0042] The difference between this crossing gate 200 and the above-mentioned crossing gate 100 is that the new circuit controller 70, which replaces the conventional circuit controllers 50+60, is not the above-mentioned crossing gate 10 but the above-mentioned crossing gate 20. In this case, everything except the circuit controller 70 is the same as conventional products (see Figures 3 and 4), and the crossing barrier 200 comprises, as already described, a barrier bar holding section 25 for holding the barrier bar 24, a motor 31 capable of bidirectional rotation, a main shaft 22 that supports the barrier bar holding section 25 so that it can swing, a drive transmission mechanism 32 that transmits the rotational motion of the motor 31 to the main shaft 22, a control section 40 that controls the rotational motion of the motor 31 in response to a received train entry signal TER and a rotational position detection signal of the main shaft 22 by position detection cams 61-66, and a housing 21 that incorporates those components 22, 25, 31, 32, 40.

[0043] The crossing barrier 200 also includes the circuit controller 70 described above (see FIG. 1(a)). The explanation of the circuit controller 70 itself would be a repetition of the above, so to briefly describe its relationship with the main shaft 22 that replaces the main shaft 12, the circuit controller 70 includes two driven shafts 53, 73 having an axial direction different from that of the main shaft 22, and further includes a detection transmission mechanism 50 that transmits the axial rotation of the main shaft 22 to the driven shaft 53, a detection transmission mechanism 71 that transmits the axial rotation of the main shaft 22 to the driven shaft 73, a user-adjusted cam group 60B (one detection unit) that includes a plurality of intermediate position detection cams 63-66 attached to the driven shaft 53, and a manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A (the other detection unit) that includes a plurality of up-down position detection cams 61, 62 attached to the driven shaft 73.

[0044] Furthermore, in this circuit controller 70 (see Figure 1 (a)), to briefly describe its relationship with the main shaft 22, a plurality of position detection cams 61-66 are arranged on the left and right sides of the main shaft 22 when viewed in the axial direction of the main shaft 22, and among the position detection cams 61-66 of the detection unit 60, the upward position detection cam 61 and the downward position detection cam 62 belonging to the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A are both located on either the left or right side of the main shaft 22 (the right side in the illustrated example), and among the position detection cams 61-66 of the detection unit 60, the intermediate position detection cams 63-66 belonging to the user-adjusted cam group 60B are both located on the other of the left or right side of the main shaft 22 (the left side in the illustrated example).

[0045] Moreover, in this crossing barrier 200 (see FIG. 1(c)), the relatively small cover 28, which is basically for the manufacturer, is located on the right side of the housing 21 in a plan view, and the relatively large cover 27, which is mainly used by the user but may also be used by the manufacturer, is located on the left side of the housing 21 in a plan view, and the main shaft 22 extends in the front-rear direction approximately halfway between the covers 27, 28. In such a housing 21, the circuit controller 70 is disposed so as to extend to the left and right of the main shaft 22. Specifically, the cams 61, 62 of the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A are both located between the central main shaft 22 and the smaller cover 28 in a plan view (see the right part of FIG. 1(c)). In contrast, the cams 63 to 66 of the remaining user-adjusted cam group 60B are all located between the central main shaft 22 and the larger cover 27 in a plan view (see the left part of FIG. 1(c)).

[0046] Such a railroad crossing barrier 200 will be described with reference to the drawings, particularly with regard to cam adjustment relating to manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A and user-adjusted cam group 60B, which is different from conventional products. FIG. 1(c) is a plan view of half of the crossing 4 on which a crossing barrier 200 is installed.

[0047] When adjustment work is performed on such a railroad crossing barrier 200, in which the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A and the user-adjusted cam group 60B are separated into left and right detection sections (60A, 60B) when viewed from the main shaft 22 (see Figure 1 (a)), as in the case of the railroad crossing barrier 100 described above, adjustment work on the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A (cams 61, 62) is first performed before shipping from the manufacturer, and then adjustment work on the user-adjusted cam group 60B (cams 63-66) is performed during or after installation on the railroad crossing 4, and then, although this is done infrequently, any necessary readjustments are made to all of the position detection cams 61-66.

[0048] However, unlike the case of the above-mentioned crossing gate 100, in the case of the crossing gate 200, the user-adjustable cam group 60B is located between the main shaft 22 and the cover portion 27 in a plan view (see the left part of Figure 1 (c)), so when the cover portion 27 is opened, the user-adjustable cam group 60B, which is the part to be adjusted by the user, etc., is exposed and the intermediate position detection cams 63-66 can be operated, but the up and down position detection cams 61, 62 of the other manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A are located between the main shaft 22 and the cover portion 28 as if hidden, so the intermediate position detection cams 63-66 can be operated more easily and accurately.

[0049] Furthermore, in the case of the railroad crossing barrier 200, the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A is located between the main shaft 22 and the cover portion 28 in a plan view (see the right-hand part of Figure 1(c)), so that when the cover portion 28 is opened, the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A, which is the part to be adjusted by the manufacturer, is exposed and the up-down position detection cams 61, 62 become operable, but the intermediate position detection cams 63-66 of the other user-adjusted cam group 60B are located between the main shaft 22 and the cover portion 28 as if hidden, so that the adjustment operation of the up-down position detection cams 61, 62 can be performed more easily and accurately without having to worry about the presence of the intermediate position detection cams 63-66. EXAMPLES

[0050] The specific configuration of the third embodiment of the crossing barrier of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 2(a) is a front view showing the structure of a circuit controller 80 which is a further modification of the circuit controller 70 of the first and second embodiments and Fig. 1(a) described above, and Fig. 2(b) is an end view showing an end face 85 of a driven shaft 84 of the circuit controller 80.

[0051] FIG. 2(a) also illustrates switch group 60AA and switch group 60BB, which are omitted in FIG. 1(a). The switch group 60AA consists of two follower links whose cam mechanism uses the two up and down position detection cams 61, 62 belonging to the above-mentioned manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A as the driving links, and the switch group 60BB consists of four follower links whose cam mechanism uses the four intermediate position detection cams 63-66 belonging to the above-mentioned user-adjusted cam group 60B as the driving links, and all of them are configured to transmit an on / off state to the control unit 40 in accordance with the movement of the position detection cams 61-66.

[0052] This crossing gate differs from those of the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2 in that the circuit controller 70 has been further improved to become circuit controller 80, and circuit controller 80 differs from circuit controller 70 in that the two left driven shaft 53 and the right driven shaft 73, which were previously two shafts, have been moved slightly above the main shaft 22 (or 12) to become a single driven shaft 84 extending to the left and right of the main shaft 22, that the left retaining portion 55 and the right retaining portion 75 have been combined into a single retaining portion 83, that the gear 51, which was a bevel gear, has been replaced by a screw gear gear 81, that the two gears 52, 72, which were both bevel gears, have been replaced by a gear 82 consisting of a single screw gear, and that an adjustment direction indication mark 90 is engraved on the end face 85 (shaft end) of both ends of driven shaft 84 on the mounting side of the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A, indicating the direction of adjustment around the axis of the upward position detection cam 61 and the downward position detection cam 62.

[0053] That is, in the circuit controller 80, similar to the above-mentioned circuit controller 70, a plurality of position detection cams 61-66 are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the main shaft 22 when viewed in the axial direction of the main shaft 22. Specifically, among the plurality of position detection cams 61-66, the up and down position detection cams 61, 62 (the upward position detection cam 61 and the downward position detection cam 62) are both located on either the left or right side of the main shaft 22 (upper right and right in the illustrated example), and among the plurality of position detection cams 61-66, the midway position detection cams 63-66 are both located on the other left or right side of the main shaft 22 (upper left and left in the illustrated example).

[0054] However, the circuit controller 80 is not a separate type like the above-mentioned circuit controller 70, but an integrated type that is easy to handle like the above-mentioned circuit controllers 50+60. Specifically, all of the position detection cams 61-66, whether they belong to manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A or user-adjusted cam group 60B, are mounted on a single driven shaft 84, although the groups 60A, 60B are separated and attached to both ends of the driven shaft 84. When the gear 81 is rotated by the axial rotation of the main shaft 22, the driven shaft 84 also rotates axially due to the transmission of the gear 82 meshed with the gear 81, and the position detection cams 61-66 operate all at once.

[0055] Furthermore, by slightly shifting the axial center position of driven shaft 84 from that of main shaft 22 (upward in the illustrated example) and arranging driven shaft 84 and main shaft 22 so as to satisfy the relationship of "straight line of twist position," and by using a pair of meshing "screw gears (intersecting gears)" for gear 81 attached to main shaft 22 and gear 82 attached to driven shaft 84, the driven shaft 84 can be a single continuous rotating shaft extending to the left and right of main shaft 22 slightly above the main shaft 22. Therefore, the circuit controller 80 is integrated and does not require additional members such as gear 72, driven shaft 73, and holding part 75 in separate type circuit controller 70, which not only avoids or suppresses cost increases, but also makes it easy to handle and install.

[0056] However, the method of adjustment of the adjustment cam group 60A, 60B is slightly different from the conventional one due to the fact that one driven shaft 84 is extended and its two shaft ends 85, 86 are separated to the left and right of the main shaft 22. Specifically, the adjustment of the user adjustment cam group 60B including the intermediate position detection cams 63-66 among the position detection cams 61-66 is performed from the left end face 86 corresponding to the rear end portion 53c of the conventional product 50 as in the conventional case from the viewpoint of user priority, and further the rotation direction of the left end face 86 and therefore the rotation direction of the driven shaft 84 are aligned with the rotation direction of the conventional driven shaft 53. However, when the right end face 85 of the driven shaft 84 is viewed from the right, the rotation direction of the right end face 85 appears to be reversed from the conventional case.

[0057] Therefore, in order for the manufacturer to deal with this without impeding user usability, it would be acceptable for the direction of rotation of the right end face 85 of the driven shaft 84 associated with the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A, which has been moved to the right end, to appear to be rotating in the opposite direction to before. However, simply deciding to do so is expected to cause confusion and make adjustments time-consuming, so in this circuit controller 80 (see Figure 2), an adjustment direction indication mark 90 indicating the axial adjustment direction of the position detection cams 61, 62 is marked on the end of one driven shaft 84 on the side where the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A is attached, that is, on the right end face 85 (shaft end) where the upward position detection cam 61 and the downward position detection cam 62 are attached (see Figure 2(a)) (see Figure 2(b)).

[0058] The illustrated adjustment direction indication mark 90 (notation) is composed of an arrow, a "+" mark, and a "-" mark, and indicates that when the driven shaft 84 is rotated clockwise as viewed from the right end face 85, the detection position of the position detection cams 61, 62 rises, but when it is rotated counterclockwise, the detection position of the position detection cams 61, 62 falls. Note that other marks or symbols may be used as appropriate as long as the meaning or indication can be visually understood. In addition, the adjustment direction indication mark 90 (indication) is formed by forming projections and recesses on the originally flat end face 85 by stamping or other engraving, and then coloring only the recesses or by giving the projections and recesses different colors, so that the indicia can be maintained as conspicuous for a long period of time.

[0059] In this case, in a level crossing barrier configured by mounting a circuit controller 80 instead of the circuit controller 70 of the level crossing barrier 100 of Fig. 1 (b), cam adjustment can be performed in substantially the same manner as described above for the level crossing barrier 100. That is, when the cover portion 17 is opened, the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A and the user-adjusted cam group 60B are exposed in a state separated to the left and right of the main shaft 12, so that the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A is not noticeable when adjusting cams 63-66 of the user-adjusted cam group 60B, and the user-adjusted cam group 60B is not noticeable when adjusting cams 61, 62 of the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A, and the cam adjustment can be performed easily in either case.

[0060] 1(c) equipped with a circuit controller 80 instead of the circuit controller 70, the cam adjustment can be easily performed in a manner similar to that described above for the crossing barrier 200. That is, when the cover 27 is opened (see the left side of FIG. 1(c)), the user-adjusted cam group 60B appears before your eyes while the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A is hidden behind the main shaft 22, so that the adjustment work for the cams 63 to 66 of the user-adjusted cam group 60B can be easily performed. On the other hand, when the cover 28 is opened (see the right side of FIG. 1(c)), the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A appears before your eyes while the user-adjusted cam group 60B is hidden behind the main shaft 22, so that the adjustment work for the cams 61 and 62 of the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A can also be easily performed.

[0061] Furthermore, in the latter case (see the right part of FIG. 1(c)), even if the lid part 28 is small, when the lid part 28 is opened, the adjustment direction indication mark 90 appears in front of the user (see FIG. 2(b)), so that the user can instantly and accurately know whether the cams 61, 62 in front of the user should be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, and therefore the adjustment work of the cams 61, 62 of the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A can be performed quickly and accurately. Note that, for the cams 63-66 of the user-adjusted cam group 60B, the cam rotation direction during adjustment is the same as that of the existing product, so there is no problem even if there are no marks.

[0062] [others] In the above embodiment, when the position detection cams 61-66 are divided into the left and right sides of the main shafts 12, 22, they are divided into a manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A consisting of the two essential upward position detection cams 61 and downward position detection cam 62, and a user-adjusted cam group 60B consisting of the four optional intermediate position detection cams 63-66, but the distribution of the cams is not limited to this, and a user-adjusted cam that is hardly adjusted except during the initial setting of the crossing barrier may be included in the manufacturer-adjusted cam group 60A in accordance with the manufacturer-adjusted cam. Also, the number of cams included in the user-adjusted cam group 60B is not limited to the four shown in the figure.

[0063] In the above-mentioned third embodiment, stamping is given as an example of a method of marking the adjustment direction indication mark 90, but the method of marking is not limited to this, and other methods such as cutting, engraving, and etching may be used. The mark portion may be recessed or convex. Furthermore, the form of the adjustment direction indication mark 90 is not limited to the arrow (←→) or sign (+-) as shown in the figure, and other display forms may be used as long as they contribute to preventing inadvertent repetition of the previous adjustment method, such as those that allow the adjustment direction to be confirmed, are useful for understanding the adjustment direction, or encourage confirmation of the adjustment direction. [Industrial Applicability]

[0064] The application of the present invention is not limited to the type of railroad crossing gate that swings the gate bars 14, 24 shown in the figures; the present invention can also be applied, for example, to railroad crossing gates that raise and lower the gate bars and other barrier members without swinging them, and to railroad crossing gates that raise and lower only a portion of the gate bars while the remaining portion does not swing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 2...Rails (railroad tracks), 4...Railroad crossing, TER...Train entry signal, 10...Railway crossing gate, 11... housing, 12... spindle, 13... counterbalance, 14: Barrier rod; 15: Barrier rod holder; 16: Support; 17: Cover; 20...Railway crossing gate, 21... housing, 22... main shaft, 24... cutoff rod, 25: Barrier rod holder, 26: Support, 27: Cover, 28: Cover, 30...Drive unit, 31...motor (electric motor), 32...driving transmission mechanism, 33...motor drive circuit, 40...Control unit, 50+60...Circuit controller, 50...detection transmission mechanism, 51, 52... gears, 53... driven shaft, 53a... tip portion, 53b: intermediate portion; 53c: rear end portion; 54: biasing spring; 55: holding portion; 60...detection unit, 60A…Manufacturer-adjusted cam group (driver of cam mechanism), 60AA: Switches (followers of cam mechanism), 60B...user-adjustable cam group (driver of cam mechanism), 60BB: Switch group (followers of cam mechanism), 61... Cam for detecting the rising position (driving link of the cam mechanism for adjusting the manufacturer), 62... Cam for detecting lowering position (driving link of cam mechanism for manufacturer adjustment), 63 to 66... ​​Cam for detecting intermediate position (driving link of cam mechanism for user adjustment), 67…Adjusting gear 70...Circuit controller (separate type), 100...Railway crossing barrier, 71: detection transmission mechanism, 72: gear, 73: driven shaft, 73a: tip portion, 73b: intermediate portion; 73c: rear end portion; 74: biasing spring; 75: holding portion; 80...Circuit controller (integrated type), 200…Railway crossing gate, 81, 82 ... gears, 83 ... holding portion, 84...driven shaft, 85...right end surface (shaft end), 86...left end surface (shaft end), 90...Adjustment direction mark (engraved)

Claims

1. A railroad crossing barrier comprising a barrier bar holding section for holding a barrier bar, a bidirectionally rotatable motor, a main shaft for swingably supporting the barrier bar holding section, a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational motion of the motor to the main shaft, a detection transmission mechanism for transmitting the axial rotation of the main shaft to the driven shaft, a detection section for detecting a plurality of position detection cams attached to the driven shaft, a control section for controlling the rotational motion of the motor in response to a received train entrance signal and a rotational position detection signal of the main shaft by the position detection cam, and a housing for incorporating the control section, the motor, the drive transmission mechanism, the detection transmission mechanism, and the detection section, A railroad crossing barrier characterized in that the plurality of position detection cams are arranged on the left and right sides of the main shaft when viewed in the axial direction of the main shaft, and among the plurality of position detection cams, an elevated position detection cam and a lowered position detection cam are both located on either the left or right side of the main shaft.

2. A railroad crossing barrier as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that large and small cover portions are provided on opposing sides of the housing, separated into sections located to the left and right of the main shaft, and the raised position detection cam and the lowered position detection cam are both located near the smaller of the large and small cover portions when viewed from the main shaft.

3. 3. A railroad crossing barrier according to claim 1, wherein the main shaft and the driven shaft are in a linear relationship in a twisted position, and the driven shaft is continuous with the main shaft on both sides.

4. 4. A railroad crossing barrier according to claim 3, wherein said detection transmission mechanism incorporates a skew gear.

5. A railroad crossing barrier as described in claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that the end of the driven shaft to which the raised position detection cam and the lowered position detection cam are attached is marked with notations indicating the direction in which the cams can be adjusted around their axes.

6. 6. A railroad crossing barrier according to claim 5, characterized in that the marking is an engraving.

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