Distributed regulator structure for achieving optimized regulator characteristics and improved valve service life

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for regulating a pneumatic brake pressure of a vehicle, comprising: an inlet opening (12a) which is designed to be connected to a pressure accumulator (10); at least one outlet opening (22a, 24a) which is designed to be connected to a brake device (26, 28) for actuating the brake device; and at least two adjusting mechanisms, which are arranged between the inlet opening and the at least one outlet opening and are designed to influence a braking pressure between the inlet opening and the at least one outlet opening, the at least two adjustment mechanisms are from the type of relay valves and piston valves, the type of relay valves and diaphragm valves, or the type and other types of relay valves. The invention also relates to a control device (40), a system (5), a braking system, a method and a computer program product.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application based on the Chinese patent application with international application number PCT / EP2019 / 071116, Chinese application number 201980058052.5, application date August 6, 2019, and invention name “Distributed regulator structure for achieving optimized regulator characteristics and improved valve service life”. Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to a system for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, and a brake system. The invention also relates to a method for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle and a computer program product. Background Art

[0003] In order to influence the brake pressure of the vehicle, in particular the pneumatic brake pressure, (pre-control) valves are used. In pressure regulation, there is usually a conflict of objectives between the number of switching gaps required and the achievable accuracy or the achieved height and slope of the individual pressure steps. The latter directly affects the quality of the pressure regulation. In the vehicle, shocks can be felt due to the step-by-step pressure change and thus the delay. This affects driving comfort. In addition, negative influences, in particular wear effects, on the components used in the corresponding brake system are determined here. The achievable accuracy and tolerances directly affect the achievable braking distance accuracy.

[0004] In order to keep the influence on the braking distance and the impact on the jerk low, it is provided that an increased number of switching gaps is used (eg per braking, per pressure ramp, etc.). However, this leads to a shortened service life of the valves used.

[0005] Furthermore, different applications, for example for regulating the brake pressure of the service brake or emergency brake or for anti-skid intervention, require different regulating properties (exhaust capacity, regulating accuracy, etc.). If both functions are integrated simultaneously in one valve, this leads to a conflict of objectives.

[0006] At present, different regulating mechanisms are used for different pressure regulating tasks, which have specific advantages and disadvantages. Relay valve solutions and piston valves or diaphragm valves are generally used here, the latter especially for anti-slip regulation, because fast-switching valves are required here to avoid damage to the wheels of the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0007] The task of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conflict of objectives between quickly and accurately influencing the brake pressure while influencing the service life of the valve used as little as possible. Here, "influencing the brake pressure" can be understood not only as a control of the brake pressure, but also as a regulation of the brake pressure.

[0008] The object is achieved by means of the technical solution described below.

[0009] In the following, the term “influencing the brake pressure” is always to be understood as meaning a control and / or regulation of the brake pressure.

[0010] According to the invention, a brake pressure system for influencing a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, comprises: at least one device for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle, the device being provided with an inlet opening, an outlet opening and at least two regulating mechanisms, the inlet opening being configured to be connected to a pressure storage device, the outlet opening being configured to be connected to a braking device for actuating the braking device, the regulating mechanism being arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening and being configured to influence the brake pressure between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, wherein the at least two regulating mechanisms are of the type of relay valve and piston valve, of the type of relay valve and diaphragm valve, or of the type of relay valve and other types, wherein the relay valve assumes a pre-control task which raises the brake pressure in the connecting line to a certain level, which is achieved relatively gently due to the damping characteristics of the relay valve, and then the actual regulation of the brake pressure is achieved by the diaphragm valve, which requires less switching clearance because the diaphragm valve only has to differ slightly from the pre-adjusted pressure level of the relay valve. ; and at least one control device for selecting a regulating mechanism of the device for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle, the control device having: a control mechanism, which is configured to select a regulating mechanism to be controlled between the inlet opening and the at least one outlet opening, and at least one input interface, the input interface being configured to receive a value of the device for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle and / or at least one state variable of the vehicle, and at least one output interface being configured to transmit a control variable to the device for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle, the control device being configured to influence the device for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle in order to control and / or regulate the brake pressure, and the control device being configured to: select at least one relay valve as the regulating mechanism to be used for influencing the brake pressure during service braking, and to select at least one piston valve, diaphragm valve or valve of said other type as the regulating mechanism to be used for influencing the brake pressure during emergency braking, as long as there is no anti-slip requirement or braking is ended.

[0011] The brake pressure can therefore preferably be regulated by means of one or the other of the regulating devices.

[0012] Preferably, the regulating mechanism is configured to influence the brake pressure by means of a control or regulation (or open-loop control or closed-loop control) method. For this purpose, the regulating mechanism is preferably configured as part of a control device or a control loop, which is configured to influence the brake pressure according to a predetermined value or a setpoint value.

[0013] Preferably, the brake pressure is a pneumatic pressure and the regulating mechanism is designed as a pneumatic regulating mechanism. However, other embodiments are also conceivable, which work with other media instead of compressed air. Therefore, the present invention can also be used to influence hydraulic brake pressure.

[0014] Preferably, the at least two adjustment mechanisms are connected in parallel and / or in series with each other.

[0015] Furthermore, other circuit combinations are conceivable. Thus, preferably, parallel circuits and series circuits can be combined. Furthermore, the regulating device can be provided not only for the bogie of the vehicle or the entire carriage, but also preferably for each wheel set and particularly preferably for each wheel in an individual vehicle suspension, or also for each brake actuator.

[0016] Preferably, the at least two regulating mechanisms are of the type of relay valve and / or piston valve and / or diaphragm valve and / or other types.

[0017] Furthermore, if at least two regulating mechanisms are of the same type and / or identical, they are preferably connected in parallel. In this case, "identical regulating mechanisms" are understood to mean regulating mechanisms that are, for example, identical in structure or identical in properties that are decisive for the use of the valves, such as maximum flow capacity, switching speed, etc. Thus, in this case, "identical valves" are also understood to mean valves that allow the same power, when power is decisive.

[0018] It is thus advantageously possible to distribute a specific type of switching behavior to a plurality of branches of the device so that these branches can be switched independently of one another.

[0019] Advantages and disadvantages in terms of performance, in particular in terms of the transmission performance of the regulating mechanism, are always associated with the different types. Relay valves that are usually switched by control pressure (due to the control pressure, the relay valve adjusts the corresponding working pressure) have the advantage that a gentle pressure change curve between two pressure levels can be achieved with the relay valve due to the internal buffering effect. In addition, this can be achieved with a relatively small number of (switching) gaps. However, the disadvantage is that the relay valve has a relatively slow switching characteristic and the pressure ramp can only be achieved with a limited slope compared to other valve types, so other types are preferred, for example, in applications requiring high ventilation and exhaust power. Therefore, this type is not used for anti-slip control in particular.

[0020] Furthermore, diaphragm valves are known which are characterized by short reaction times and thus high dynamics. These valves are also suitable for achieving high ventilation and exhaust capacities and high power densities. A disadvantage of this type of valve is the relatively laborious pressure jump that occurs during switching, which can result in disadvantages in terms of comfort and service life. Furthermore, these valves can usually only achieve two states (open / closed), which can lead to an increased number of switching gaps when regulating the pressure.

[0021] With regard to advantages and disadvantages, piston valves can also be derived from diaphragm valves. These diaphragm valves are also characterized, for example, by high dynamics.

[0022] The device further preferably has a housing with an inlet opening and an outlet opening, in particular preferably with a plurality of inlet openings and outlet openings, wherein the adjusting mechanism is arranged in the housing.

[0023] Given a correspondingly designed housing, the device can therefore be easily protected from environmental influences, wherein assembly of the device is advantageously simplified since only one component has to be installed instead of a plurality of components.

[0024] The device preferably has at least one control device which is designed to control and / or regulate at least one of the at least two regulating devices in order to influence the brake pressure.

[0025] The corresponding control device preferably has a microcontroller, which executes the control method defined by the program code and is particularly preferably designed to implement another method by means of a change to the program code. Thus, the regulating strategy of the corresponding control device can be easily changed.

[0026] In order to change the program code, an interface is preferably provided so that, for example, changes can be made via an interface, such as a bus interface, in that the new program code can be transmitted to the control device via a data bus present in the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the transmission is preferably carried out via an interface provided on the housing of the control device.

[0027] The device further preferably has at least one detection device, in particular in the form of a sensor, which is designed to detect state variables of the at least two regulating devices and / or of the vehicle.

[0028] Thus, for example, the existing brake pressure can be detected in order to subsequently influence it via a control device, or the vehicle speed and / or the wheel speed can be detected, based on which the applied brake pressure can be varied.

[0029] According to the present invention, a control device is also provided, which is particularly used to select an adjusting mechanism of the above-mentioned device. The control device has a control mechanism, which is designed to select the adjusting mechanism to be controlled between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and has at least one input interface, which is designed to receive the value of at least one state parameter of the device and / or the vehicle, and has at least one output interface, which is designed to transmit the control parameter to the device, in particular to the at least one control mechanism.

[0030] Here, the control mechanism can preferably have a microcontroller, or it is particularly preferably located in the form of program code on an already existing microcontroller. If the control mechanism is implemented as a separate element, it can preferably be integrated into the above-mentioned device, in particular into a housing that may exist in the device.

[0031] The control device, in particular a microcontroller, is preferably designed to control the device according to the invention.

[0032] Advantageously, therefore, different adjusting mechanisms can be selected in a suitable and situation-specific manner, as described above.

[0033] The control device preferably has at least one input interface which is designed to receive values ​​electronically and / or digitally, in particular via a bus connection, and / or via a detection device, in particular of the above-mentioned device.

[0034] In this case, the detection means, in particular the sensors, are preferably those sensors which are already provided on the vehicle and whose values ​​the control device can now also access.

[0035] The control device can therefore advantageously access vehicle information such as vehicle speed, wheel slip, current braking force etc. and determine the vehicle state therefrom, based on which it can then preferably select a control strategy and correspondingly select the control means.

[0036] Preferably, detection means, in particular sensors, are also provided, which are designed to determine at least one state variable of the device and / or the vehicle. By means of the at least one state variable, the control device preferably obtains a value which is not already provided by the already existing detection means.

[0037] According to the invention, a system for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle is also provided, which has at least one of the above-mentioned devices and at least one of the above-mentioned control devices. In this case, the at least one control device is designed to directly or indirectly influence the device, in particular its regulating device, via a control device designed for this purpose, in order to control and / or regulate the brake pressure.

[0038] The control device is connected to the device in such a way that it can control and / or regulate the device, preferably electronically.

[0039] Such a system can therefore be advantageously integrated in an existing vehicle with an existing brake system, so that the existing brake system can cope with the above-mentioned conflict of objectives and accordingly use different regulating mechanisms to perform different brake adjustments.

[0040] In this embodiment, the control device is preferably integrated into the device, so that a compact structural unit can be formed.

[0041] In a further embodiment of the system according to the invention, the device and the control device are integrated in a common housing.

[0042] According to the invention, a brake system for influencing the pneumatic brake pressure of a vehicle is also provided, comprising the above-described system, at least one brake device designed to be actuated by the system, and at least one pressure accumulator designed to supply pressure medium to the system.

[0043] In this case, the system, the braking device and the pressure accumulator are preferably connected via lines, in particular via pneumatic or hydraulic lines.

[0044] Thus, a vehicle can advantageously be equipped with such a brake system, or the brake system itself can be installed in a new vehicle.

[0045] According to the invention, a method for influencing, in particular for regulating, brake pressure is also provided, which method carries out the steps “selecting a granularity” and “selecting a strategy” with the aid of the above-described control device and subsequently carries out the influencing of the brake pressure.

[0046] This is preferably done based on current information, which is particularly preferably transmitted to the control device. If the selection is made with respect to granularity and strategy, the influence on the brake pressure is carried out in a further step by the control and / or regulating device.

[0047] The selection of the granularity can be characterized in particular in terms of the actuation of the individual brake devices, in particular by means of the individual control mechanisms. Thus, for example, wheel-wise, wheel-set-wise, bogie-wise, vehicle-wise and / or actuator-wise granularity is conceivable.

[0048] The strategy in turn describes how the brake pressure is influenced, that is to say whether, for example, strong braking, up to emergency braking, comfort braking or anti-slip controlled braking is to be performed.

[0049] Furthermore, when selecting the strategy, the regulating mechanism to be used is preferably selected in order to achieve the influence on the brake pressure. The regulating mechanisms are preferably selected according to their type and / or their properties, depending on the type of braking or according to the type of influence on the brake pressure. This type has advantages and disadvantages, as described above. Thus, in emergency braking, it is preferred to select a type of regulating mechanism that responds relatively quickly, while in normal service braking, it is preferred to select a type of regulating mechanism that allows the brake pressure to be influenced relatively comfortably, especially for the passengers.

[0050] A further step of the method is preferably to check whether an anti-skid requirement exists. If this is the case, the execution of the method described here is terminated and preferably a safety-related regulation, particularly preferably an anti-skid regulation, is switched to. If braking is terminated, the method according to the invention is also terminated. This step is however optional. The anti-skid regulation can also be implemented by the method according to the invention.

[0051] Preferably, a further step is provided in which the pressure level in the device is regulated by means of at least one regulating mechanism which is preferably connected to the inlet opening.

[0052] In this case, preferably a pressure level is provided, which is applied to at least one regulating mechanism, which is designed to regulate the pressure at at least one outlet opening of the device. The regulating mechanism can regulate the pressure at the at least one outlet opening starting from the pressure level. Thus, a maximum pressure can be set at the outlet opening, which corresponds to the pressure level. Starting from the maximum pressure, a lower pressure can also be set at the outlet opening.

[0053] Alternatively or additionally, the setpoint pressure at the at least one outlet opening is adjusted by means of at least one adjusting mechanism which is preferably connected to the outlet opening.

[0054] The setpoint pressure corresponds to the desired pressure that is to be applied at the at least one outlet opening.

[0055] The pressure level within the device is preferably adjusted by the at least one adjusting member, which is preferably connected to the inlet opening, being switched into a through-position.

[0056] Alternatively or additionally, the setpoint pressure is adjusted by switching the at least one adjusting member, which is preferably connected to the outlet opening, into a through-position.

[0057] The respective adjusting mechanism is preferably directly connected to the inlet opening or the outlet opening, or an intermediate element, such as another adjusting mechanism, is arranged between the respective adjusting mechanism and the inlet opening or the outlet opening.

[0058] Adjusting the pressure level by means of an adjusting member connected in the through-position advantageously reduces the number of switching gaps.

[0059] According to the present invention, a computer program product is also provided, which has a program code stored on a machine-readable carrier, wherein the program code is designed to cause the vehicle, the device according to the present invention or the control device to carry out the above-mentioned method when it is executed on an electronic data processing device in the vehicle, such as a control device, preferably a control device according to the present invention, a control device, a microcontroller, an FPGA or hardware-related features of a data processing device.

[0060] The invention is not limited to the above-mentioned features, but other embodiments that also fall within the scope of the protection claimed in the present application are conceivable, which can be obtained by exchanging or combining the individual features in a new way. For example, in the described method, the individual steps can be exchanged or can also be performed multiple times. For example, the selection of the strategy can also be carried out after the selection of the particle size. In addition, other pressure media, such as other gases, or liquid media, especially oil, can also be used instead of compressed air. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] Shown in detail:

[0063] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the principle of the device according to the present invention is shown,

[0064] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the principle of the system according to the present invention is shown,

[0065] Figure 3 A flow chart of the method according to the invention is shown,

[0066] Figure 4 A further flow chart of the method according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the principle of the device 1 according to the invention is shown. A pressure reservoir 10, in particular a compressed air reservoir, is shown, which is connected via a supply line 12, which is connected to an inlet opening 12a of a housing 8 of the device 1. The device 1 is supplied with a pressure medium, which is referred to below as compressed air, via the pressure reservoir 10. However, other embodiments using other media are also conceivable.

[0068] In this case, the pressure reservoir 10 does not have to be connected directly to the device 1 as shown. Instead, it can also be connected to a plurality of devices 1 , wherein the connection is then realized, for example, via branching supply lines 12 .

[0069] A relay valve 14 is arranged inside the device 1, which receives compressed air via a connecting line 13, which is connected to the inlet opening 12a. The relay valve 14 is designed to establish a connection between the inlet opening 12a and a connecting line 16 arranged downstream based on a control signal in the form of a control pressure. The relay valve 14 is designed to conduct pressure from the supply line 12 into the connecting line 16. In addition, the relay valve 14 is designed to vent the connecting line 16 in order to reduce the pressure present in the connecting line 16. In this figure, the lines for supplying the control pressure to the relay valve 14 and the lines and openings for venting are omitted.

[0070] The connecting line 16 has a branch which branches into two branches, wherein the two branches are each connected to a diaphragm valve 18 , 20 .

[0071] In other embodiments (not shown), other paths of the connecting line 16 can also be provided. Furthermore, other arrangements are also conceivable in which the supply line 12 also branches and supplies a plurality of relay valves 14, for example.

[0072] The diaphragm valves 18, 20 are in turn connected to the brake lines 22, 24 via connecting lines 19, 21 with outlet openings 22a, 24a, which are arranged on the housing 8 of the device 1, wherein the diaphragm valves 18, 20 are designed to conduct pressure from the connecting line 16 into the respective brake line 22, 24. Furthermore, the diaphragm valves 18, 20 are designed to vent the brake lines 22, 24 in order to reduce the pressure prevailing in the brake lines 22, 24.

[0073] For example, piston valves can also be provided here as an alternative to diaphragm valves 18 , 20 .

[0074] Brake lines 22, 24 are connected to outlet openings 22a, 24a of housing 8 of device 1. Two brake cylinders 26, 28 are arranged downstream thereof, wherein brake cylinders 26, 28 can be supplied with compressed air or vented via brake lines 22, 24 for activation or actuation in order to release the brakes.

[0075] Brake cylinders 26, 28 are designed to actuate brakes (not shown) of the vehicle. This is done by guiding compressed air through brake lines 22, 24 into brake cylinders 26, 28. To release the brakes, the air is exhausted from brake cylinders 26, 28 again.

[0076] exist Figure 1 The device 1 shown in the figure is only a general case of the invention. The preferred field of application of the device 1 according to the invention is the construction of rail vehicles. Rail vehicles usually have a plurality of wheel sets consisting of left wheels and right wheels, which are arranged on a common axle. Usually, a plurality of wheel sets are arranged in combination on a bogie, wherein such a bogie is connected to a carriage located thereon. Therefore, the device 1 shown in this figure can also be constructed in such a way that pressure is supplied to the individual bogies via brake lines 22, 24, wherein the lines are distributed there to a plurality of brake cylinders 26, 28. In addition, more than the two diaphragm valves 18, 20 shown here can also be provided, which, for example, respectively control the individual brake cylinders 26, 28. In addition, other arrangements or wiring of the regulating mechanisms 14, 18, 20 are also conceivable.

[0077] Therefore, different braking concepts can be affected. In particular, the following concepts are conceivable, wherein braking is performed wheel-wise, actuator-wise, wheel set-wise, bogie-wise or carriage-wise, wherein, in the case of braking by wheel set, the brake brakes the common axle of the wheel set.

[0078] The device 1 shown shows two stages through which the compressed air must flow in order to reach the brake cylinders 26, 28 from the pressure reservoir 10. The first stage is formed by the relay valve 14, the second stage by the diaphragm valves 18, 20. Other embodiments that are not shown are conceivable here. For example, the two stages can be interchanged so that the compressed air first flows into the diaphragm valve or piston valve and then into the two relay valves arranged in parallel. In addition, further stages can also be arranged before, between or after the stages shown, and other or additional valve types and / or valve types can be arranged.

[0079] For example, a distributor in the form of a bogie may also be connected to the brake lines 22, 24, which distributes the brake pressure of the brake lines 22, 24 to the wheelsets of the corresponding bogies on its side. It is also conceivable to provide other brake lines for supplying other brake devices.

[0080] Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the principle of a system 5 according to the invention is shown. The division into a pneumatic component 2 and an electronic component 3 is shown here.

[0081] In this case, the system 5 has in particular Figure 1 The device 1 according to the invention and the control device 40 according to the invention. The device 1 is not Figure 1 For reasons of clarity, only Figure 1 Related components in.

[0082] Pneumatic components 2 are included in Figure 1The regulating mechanism of the device 1 shown is specifically the relay valve 14 and the diaphragm valves 18, 20. Here, for reasons of clarity, they are not shown. Figure 1 In addition, the pneumatic component 2 has detection means 36, 38, which are designed to acquire and provide information of the individual regulating means 14, 18, 20. The detection means 36, 38 are generally sensors, which are designed to determine information in the form of state data of the corresponding regulating means 14, 18, 20, such as the degree of opening or the applied pressure. Usually, different detection means 36, 38 are assigned to different types of regulating means 14, 18, 20. In the illustrated diagram, the detection means 36 corresponds to the relay valve 14 and the detection means 38 corresponds to the diaphragm valves 18, 20. In another embodiment not shown, each diaphragm valve 18, 20 or each regulating means is equipped with its own detection means.

[0083] It should be noted here that the pneumatic component 2 can also be supplemented or replaced by a hydraulic component, but this does not limit the subject matter of the present invention.

[0084] The electronic component 3 includes control means 30, 32, for example, a computing unit, in particular a microcontroller, and / or a solenoid valve and / or a pilot control valve, which are designed to control the corresponding regulating means 14, 18, 20. In this diagram, the control means 30, 32 are also assigned to the corresponding type of regulating means 14, 18, 20. Thus, the control means 30 controls the relay valve 14 and the control means 32 controls the diaphragm valves 18, 20. For this purpose, control connections CR, CM are provided, for example, in the form of control lines of the pneumatic and / or electric type. In another embodiment not shown, each diaphragm valve 18, 20 or each regulating means is assigned its own control means.

[0085] Furthermore, the control means 30, 32 receive information about the respective regulating means 14, 18, 20 from the corresponding detection means 36, 38. Thus, the control means 30 controlling the relay valve 14 is provided with information about the relay valve 14 via the data connection MR. In the same way, the control means 32 controlling the diaphragm valves 18, 20 is provided with information about the diaphragm valves 18, 20 via the data connection MM. Thus, this information each forms a feedback loop, whereby the regulating means 14, 18, 20 can be adjusted by the control means 30, 32.

[0086] Furthermore, a control device 40 is provided in the electronic component 3 , which is arranged between the control devices 30 , 32 in the figure.

[0087] The control device 40 has a plurality of interfaces 45, 46, 47, 48, 51, 52, through which the control device 40 can obtain information of the vehicle, in particular information in the form of electronic data, and / or can also output information or control commands. In addition, the control device 40 has a control mechanism that allows the control device 40 to process the obtained information and issue corresponding control commands.

[0088] In the embodiment shown, the control device 40 does not have a direct connection to the pneumatic component 2, but has control connections 42, 44, via which the control device 40 can, on the one hand, actuate the control means 30, 32 and, on the other hand, access information from the detection means 36, 38. For this purpose, the control connections 42, 44 are connected to interfaces of the control device 40, in particular the input interfaces 45, 46 and the output interfaces 51, 52.

[0089] Furthermore, the control device 40 has a control and data connection 50 , by means of which the control device 40 can receive further information or commands from the vehicle. The data connection 50 is connected to the control device 40 via the input interface 48 .

[0090] The control device 40 is designed as an intelligent switching mechanism to select or adjust the strategy, i.e. the granularity and strategy, of the individual regulating mechanisms 14, 18, 20. This is done based on the information obtained about the control and data connections 42, 44, 50. Since there is no direct connection to the regulating mechanisms 14, 18, 20, the regulation can be carried out indirectly by triggering commands to the corresponding control mechanisms 30, 32.

[0091] In another embodiment (not shown), the control device 40 is designed to control the adjusting means 14, 18, 20 directly via its own control connection. This can be done instead of or in addition to the above-described control. In addition, a control device 34 is arranged in the electronic component 3, which has a control connection CWSP to all the adjusting means 14, 18, 20, as well as a control connection CWSP2 to other control means 30, 32 and the control device 40. Thus, direct control of the adjusting means 14, 18, 20 by the control device 34 and indirect control by influencing other control means 30, 32 and the control device 40 are possible.

[0092] The control device 34 is therefore designed to control and / or regulate all the regulating devices 14, 18, 20 and simultaneously influence the other control devices 30, 32 and the control device 40. The control device 34 is designed to implement an anti-slip regulation for the vehicle, wherein the control device can, via the control connection CWSP2, for example deactivate the control devices 30, 32 and the control device 40 or prevent the anti-slip regulation from being compromised by its control interventions.

[0093] The control devices 30 , 32 , 34 and the control device of the control unit 40 are designed, for example, as separate elements for data processing, in particular as microcontrollers or as individual control algorithms on a common control unit.

[0094] exist Figure 3 A flow chart of the method according to the invention is shown in FIG.

[0095] First, in step S10, it is checked whether there is a braking request. This check is performed continuously, for example, during driving. If there is a braking request, the method changes in step S12, in which the corresponding strategy and granularity are selected based on the information about the operating state of the brake or the vehicle.

[0096] Subsequently, in step S14, a check is made as to whether there is an anti-skid request which would lead to an interruption of the method according to the invention, wherein the anti-skid control (not shown) is subsequently changed. At the same time, in step S14, a check is made as to whether there is still a braking request or whether the braking is terminated. In this case, the method can also be terminated, but without having to change the anti-skid control. Step S14 can be considered optional. That is to say, there is an embodiment of the invention which is also designed to influence the brake pressure with regard to anti-skid.

[0097] If the query in step S14 is negative, the sequence of the method changes to step S13 , in which the brake pressure is influenced based on the granularity and strategy determined in step S12 .

[0098] exist Figure 4 The process of step S12 is shown in more detail in FIG.

[0099] In step S120 , a granularity selection is first performed, for example actuator-wise, wheel-wise, bogie-wise and / or carriage-wise.

[0100] Subsequently, in step S122, the strategy to be used to influence the brake pressure is selected. In addition, step S122 includes the selection of a regulating mechanism, which is used to influence the brake pressure. This selection is made according to the type of regulating mechanism, wherein other types of regulating mechanisms are selected depending on the situation. If, for example, emergency braking is to be carried out, a regulating mechanism is selected that, according to its type, allows a rapid build-up of brake pressure. If normal service braking is to be carried out, a regulating mechanism is selected that, according to its type, allows an influence on the brake pressure in order to achieve comfortable braking.

[0101] In principle, however, steps S120 and S122 can also be performed in the reverse order.

[0102] This process structure, which remains relatively general, allows for various combinations of granularity and brake pressure influencing strategies, which are explained in more detail below using preferred examples.

[0103] Wheel set adjustment

[0104] In the case of wheel set-based control, the device 1 is designed in such a way that it can control the brake pressure of individual wheel sets, for example, of a bogie. During braking, different brake pressures are set at the wheel sets, for example, based on the control strategy, because, for example, the wheels of the front wheel set remove moisture from the track and can therefore transmit less braking force. In contrast, the wheels running behind have significantly drier tracks, so that they can also be braked more strongly. Thus, a wheel set-based control is provided.

[0105] use Figure 1 The possibility of achieving regulation in the device 1 according to the invention is that the maximum required brake pressure, i.e. the brake pressure for the wheel group to be braked most strongly, is provided by the relay valve 14. The brake pressure is applied to the diaphragm valves 18, 20 after the relay valve 14 in the connecting line 16. In this example, it is assumed that the wheel group to be braked more strongly is connected to the brake cylinder 26. Since the pressure in the connecting line 16 is the pressure required for the wheel group to be braked most strongly, its diaphragm valve 18 is switched to the conducting position, so that the pressure regulated by the relay valve 14 and located in the connecting line 16 is now directly and unchangedly guided to the brake line 22 and the brake cylinder 26. The brake pressure of the brake cylinder 26 is therefore regulated by the relay valve 14. Since the brake cylinder 28 requires a lower brake pressure than the brake cylinder 26, its diaphragm valve 20 is not switched to the conducting position, but regulates the required pressure in the brake line 24 and thus the required pressure in the brake cylinder 28. Thus, based on the pressure in connecting line 16 , the pressure in brake cylinder 28 can be set to a lower pressure than connecting line 16 by diaphragm valve 20 without or only to a limited extent allowing compressed air to pass, or released to atmosphere and thus regulating the pressure.

[0106] The advantage of this type of control is that only one of the two diaphragm valves 18 , 20 is used for precise control of the brake pressure, whereby the number of switching gaps of the two diaphragm valves 18 , 20 is reduced overall, resulting in reduced wear of the components.

[0107] An alternative to the above-described regulation is to predetermine a certain pressure level in the connecting line 16 via the relay valve 14, wherein the regulation of the individual wheel sets is then carried out via the diaphragm valves 18, 20. The relay valve 14 predetermines a pressure level which, in the extreme case, corresponds to the maximum possible pressure from the pressure reservoir 10. In this case, the relay valve 14 assumes the task of precontrol, which increases the brake pressure in the connecting line 16 to a certain level. This is achieved relatively gently due to the damping characteristics of the relay valve 14. The actual regulation of the brake pressure is then achieved via the diaphragm valves 18, 20, which also require less switching play in this embodiment, since the diaphragm valves 18, 20 only have to differ slightly from the pre-adjusted pressure level of the relay valve 14.

[0108] Actuator mode adjustment

[0109] In the same way, actuator-based regulation can also be carried out, so that, for example, a brake actuator or brake cylinder is charged with full brake pressure, wherein other actuators assigned to the same wheelset are charged with compressed air in a controlled manner.

[0110] Adjustment when the differences between the wheel sets are small

[0111] If the wheel sets are loaded with approximately the same braking force, another control method can be selected. The pressure in the connecting line 16 is regulated by the relay valve 14, which corresponds, for example, to the maximum required pressure of all wheel sets connected to the device 1. The diaphragm valves 18, 20 connected downstream only regulate small pressure differences.

[0112] Thus, a gentle or comfortable braking is advantageously achieved, which likewise requires little switching play of the diaphragm valves 18 , 20 .

[0113] Adjustment of bogie mode

[0114] If, for example, a plurality of devices 1 are provided in a vehicle, there is the possibility of adjusting a specific pressure level for each individual bogie in the case of corresponding connection via the relay valve 14. Starting from this pressure level, the wheel group-wise regulation is then carried out via the individual diaphragm valves 18, 20.

[0115] Anti-slip adjustment

[0116] Furthermore, anti-slip adjustment can also be achieved with the device 1 .

[0117] During braking with the highest possible deceleration and / or when the wheels are in contact with the rail with a low force transmission capacity between the wheels and the rail, there is a risk that the individual wheels or wheelsets will lock and slip on the rail, which would lead to a reduction in braking force and damage to the wheels and rail. This situation must therefore be avoided, which can be achieved by anti-slip control.

[0118] For this purpose, for example, the relay valve 14 is brought into the through position in response to the braking request, which results in a defined pressure, for example the full pressure from the pressure reservoir 10, being applied to the diaphragm valves 18, 20 via the supply line 12, the relay valve 14 and the connecting line 16. Thus, in case of doubt, the full brake pressure can be directed to the brake cylinders 26, 28. The diaphragm valves 18, 20 now regulate the required brake pressure in the brake cylinders 26, 28. The advantage of this regulation is that the fast-responding diaphragm valves 18, 20 are able to regulate the brake pressure in the brake lines 22, 24 quickly between a maximum pressure, which corresponds to the pressure from the pressure reservoir 10, and a minimum pressure, which corresponds to atmospheric pressure, and between corresponding intermediate steps. Thus, the wheel slip of the individual wheel sets can be regulated with fast response.

[0119] Furthermore, the control methods described so far can be carried out not only in a wheel set or bogie manner. Rather, other features are conceivable, such as a combination of individual methods. The connection of the device 1 can also be realized in different ways, for example, a separate bogie can be provided on each brake line 22, 24, or there can also be a plurality of diaphragm valves or piston valves, which control the brake pressure in a bogie manner or a wheel set manner or a wheel manner or an actuator manner.

[0120] Reference numerals list

[0121] 1 Device

[0122] 2 Pneumatic components

[0123] 3 Electronic components

[0124] 5 System

[0125] 8 Housing

[0126] 10 Pressure storage (compressed air storage)

[0127] 12 Supply lines

[0128] 12a Entering the opening

[0129] 13 Connecting pipes

[0130] 14 Relay valve (regulating mechanism)

[0131] 16 Connecting pipes

[0132] 18 Diaphragm valve (regulating mechanism)

[0133] 19 Connecting pipes

[0134] 20 Diaphragm valve (regulating mechanism)

[0135] 21 Connecting pipes

[0136] 22 Brake line

[0137] 22a Discharge opening

[0138] 24 Brake line

[0139] 24a Discharge opening

[0140] 26 Brake cylinder (brake device)

[0141] 28 Brake cylinder (brake device)

[0142] 30 Control mechanism (relay)

[0143] 32 Control mechanism (diaphragm)

[0144] 34 Control mechanism (sliding protection)

[0145] 36 Detection mechanism (relay)

[0146] 38 Detection mechanism (diaphragm)

[0147] 40 Control device

[0148] 42 Control Connection

[0149] 44 Control Connection

[0150] 45 Input interface

[0151] 46 Input Interface

[0152] 47 Input Interface

[0153] 48 Input Interface

[0154] 50 Control and data connection (vehicle bus)

[0155] 51 Output interface

[0156] 52 Output Interface

[0157] CM Control Connection

[0158] CR Control Connection

[0159] CWSP Control Connection

[0160] CWSP2 Control Connection

[0161] MM Data Connection

[0162] MR Data Connection

[0163] S10 Is there a braking requirement?

[0164] S12 Selecting a regulation strategy

[0165] S13 Implementing regulatory strategies

[0166] S120 Selecting a regulation strategy

[0167] S122 Select the adjustment mechanism to be controlled

[0168] S14 Is there an anti-skid request or is the braking ended?

Claims

1. A system (5) for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle, comprising: At least one device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle, the device comprising: an inlet opening (12a) which is designed for connection to a pressure reservoir (10), at least one outlet opening (22a, 24a), which is designed to be connected to a brake device (26, 28) for actuating the brake device, at least two adjusting mechanisms, which are arranged between the inlet opening (12a) and the at least one outlet opening (22a, 24a) and are designed to influence the brake pressure between the inlet opening (12a) and the at least one outlet opening (22a, 24a), and a housing (8) having the inlet opening (12a) and the at least one outlet opening (22a, 24a), the regulating mechanism being arranged in the housing (8), in, The at least two regulating mechanisms are of the type of relay valve and piston valve, of the type of relay valve and diaphragm valve, or of the type of relay valve and other types, wherein the relay valve (14) performs a pre-control task which increases the brake pressure in the connecting line (16) to a certain level, which is achieved relatively gently due to the damping characteristics of the relay valve (14), and then the actual regulation of the brake pressure is achieved by the diaphragm valves (18, 20), which require less switching clearance because they only have to differ slightly from the pre-adjusted pressure level of the relay valve (14); and At least one control device (40) for selecting a regulating device of the device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle, the control device having: a control mechanism, which is designed to select a regulating mechanism to be controlled between the inlet opening (12a) and the at least one outlet opening (22a, 24a), and at least one input interface (45, 46, 47, 48) which is designed to receive a value of the device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle and / or at least one state variable of the vehicle, and at least one output interface (51, 52) which is designed to transmit a control variable to the device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle, The control device (40) is designed to influence the device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle in order to control and / or regulate the brake pressure, and The control device (40) is designed to select at least one relay valve as the regulating element to be used for influencing the brake pressure during service braking, and to select at least one piston valve, diaphragm valve or other valve type as the regulating element to be used for influencing the brake pressure during emergency braking, as long as there is no anti-slip requirement or braking is terminated.

2. The system (5) according to claim 1, wherein: The at least two adjusting devices are connected in parallel and / or in series with one another and / or are designed to influence the brake pressure by means of a control or regulating method and / or the brake pressure is built up pneumatically or hydraulically.

3. The system (5) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: When the at least two adjustment mechanisms are of the same type, the at least two adjustment mechanisms are connected in parallel.

4. The system (5) according to claim 3, wherein: When the at least two adjusting mechanisms are identical, the at least two adjusting mechanisms are connected in parallel.

5. The system (5) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle comprises: at least one control device (30, 32, 34) which is designed to control and / or regulate at least one of the at least two regulating devices in order to influence the brake pressure, and / or - A detection device (36, 38) which is designed to detect state variables of the at least two adjusting devices.

6. The system (5) according to claim 5, wherein: The output interface of the control device (40) is designed to transmit a control variable to the at least one control device (30, 32, 34).

7. The system (5) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one input interface (45, 46, 47, 48) of the control device (40) is designed to receive values ​​electronically and / or digitally and / or via detection means (36, 38) and / or via control means (30, 32, 34).

8. The system (5) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one input interface (45, 46, 47, 48) of the control device (40) is designed to receive a value via a bus connection (50).

9. The system (5) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The control device (40) comprises: a detection device which is designed to determine at least one state variable of the device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle and / or of the vehicle.

10. A system (5) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The control device (40) is designed to influence a regulating element of the device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle in order to control and / or regulate the brake pressure.

11. A brake system for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle, comprising: - A system (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, at least one braking device (26, 28) which is designed to be actuated by the system (5), and - at least one pressure reservoir (10) which is designed to supply pressure medium to the system (5).

12. Method for influencing brake pressure using a system (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the following steps: ——Select (S120) granularity, - Select (S122) a strategy, ——The impact of implementation (S13) on brake pressure.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: Set up another step: - Check (S14) whether there is an anti-skid requirement, or whether the braking is completed, and / or, wherein, Selecting (S120) the granularity includes affecting the brake pressure wheel-wise, wheelset-wise, bogie-wise, vehicle-wise and / or actuator-wise, and Selecting ( S122 ) a strategy includes selecting a regulation mechanism to be used.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: Selecting ( S122 ) a strategy comprises selecting the regulating mechanism to be used in terms of its type and / or characteristics.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, comprising at least one of the following steps: - regulating the pressure level in the device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of the vehicle by means of at least one regulating device, - Setting a setpoint pressure at at least one outlet opening (22a, 24a) by means of at least one adjusting mechanism.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The adjustment mechanism is connected to the inlet opening (12a).

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The regulating mechanism is connected to the discharge opening (22a, 24a).

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The pressure level within the device (1) for influencing the brake pressure of a vehicle is regulated by switching the at least one regulating member into a through position and / or the setpoint pressure is regulated by switching the at least one regulating member into a through position.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The adjustment mechanism is connected to the inlet opening (12a).

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The regulating mechanism is connected to the discharge opening (22a, 24a).

21. A machine-readable carrier having a program code stored thereon, wherein the program code is configured to cause the vehicle to implement a method according to any one of claims 12 to 20 when the program code is implemented on an electronic data processing device, a control unit, a microcontroller, an FPGA or a hardware feature close to the electronic data processing device in the vehicle.

22. A machine-readable carrier according to claim 21, wherein: The electronic data processing device is a control device of a system (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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