An electronic continuously variable transmission system for locomotives

Abstract

This invention discloses an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) system for locomotives, which achieves precise control of the locomotive's speed change process through integrated electronic control technology. The system includes a controller, motor, sensors, a main control IC, a voltage conversion circuit, a main switch input circuit, a motor direction switch, a motor control circuit, a current reading circuit, and an LED display circuit. The system features memory function, overtime protection program, and overload protection, enabling stable operation under various conditions and improving the locomotive's driving experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of locomotive transmission systems, and more particularly to an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) system for locomotives. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, traditional locomotive CVT continuously variable transmission systems have mainly relied on the centrifugal force generated by engine speed to control the transmission mechanism. This method requires a large torque when starting and the centrifugal force drive is relatively sluggish.

[0003] To address this shortcoming, existing technologies incorporate a controller for forced shifting by controlling the motor's forward and reverse rotation. However, such systems still have room for improvement in terms of control precision, response speed, and intelligence. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this section is to outline some aspects of embodiments of the present invention and to briefly describe some preferred embodiments. Simplifications or omissions may be made in this section, as well as in the abstract and title of this application, to avoid obscuring the purpose of these documents; however, such simplifications or omissions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0005] In view of the aforementioned existing problems, the present invention is proposed.

[0006] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) system for locomotives, which integrates electronic control technology to achieve precise control of the locomotive's shifting process, thereby improving shifting efficiency and driving experience.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) system for locomotives, comprising a controller for controlling the rotation of a motor according to an engine speed signal; the motor is connected to a crankshaft and drives a connecting rod on a cam shaft to reciprocate to achieve gear shifting; sensors for detecting the motor's operating position, wheel speed, and origin position; a main control IC for logic control circuits; a voltage conversion circuit for converting input voltage into a suitable control voltage; a main switch input circuit for controlling the system's opening and closing; a motor steering switch for controlling the motor's direction of rotation, which controls the motor's direction of rotation according to speed and gear requirements to achieve gear switching; when the speed reaches a predetermined value, the motor steering switch is active, allowing the motor control circuit to change the motor's direction of operation, thereby achieving gear shifting; a motor control circuit for controlling the forward and reverse operation of the motor; a current reading circuit for detecting the motor's current magnitude, which the main control IC can calculate by measuring the voltage at the RX terminal to determine whether the motor is operating normally, stopping the motor rotation when the current is too high; and an LED display circuit for displaying the system status.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the controller further includes a Hall input circuit for detecting the motor's operating position. Each motor has a built-in magnetic protrusion, and a Hall sensor is installed near the motor on the locomotive to detect the motor's rotational speed signal. Each rotation of the motor transmits one or more square wave signals (depending on the type of magneto). The motor's operating position is determined by detecting the Hall signals. A wheel speed input circuit detects wheel speed signals. Hall signals are present at the locomotive wheels, and each rotation of the wheel transmits one or more square wave signals (depending on the type of vehicle). An origin input circuit detects the origin position and is used to determine whether a gear shift is complete. A memory function automatically saves the state when KEY SW.OFF or the speed is insufficient. An overtime protection program cuts off power when the motor runs continuously for a certain period. Overload protection cuts off power when the motor is overloaded.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the main control IC further includes a memory module for automatically memorizing the current state when the KEY SW.OFF or the speed is not reached during the operation of the motor; and a protection module for implementing power-off protection when the motor runs continuously for a certain period of time or is overloaded.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the LED display circuit further includes an initialization indicator light to indicate that the system is automatically searching for the origin; a running status indicator light to indicate that the system is working normally; and a fault indicator light to indicate that the system has a fault.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the locomotive starts, the system automatically initializes, and the LED display circuit displays a specific flashing pattern to indicate that the system is searching for the origin position. Once the system finds the origin position, the LED indicator lights up, indicating that the system is ready to operate. When the engine speed increases, the system intelligently controls the rotation of the motor according to the speed and wheel speed signals to achieve stepless speed regulation. During driving, if the system detects abnormal operation of the motor, such as excessive current or timeout protection, the LED display circuit will display the corresponding flashing pattern and automatically stop the motor rotation to protect the motor and ensure driving safety. If the main switch KEY.SW is pressed during driving, the system will record the current state and resume unfinished operations when restarted.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the controller controls the rotation of the motor, which in turn drives the pinion gear to rotate, which in turn drives the intermediate gear to rotate, which in turn drives the large gear to rotate. The forward and reverse rotation of the large gear is the gear shifting of the locomotive, thereby enabling the locomotive to perform the gear shifting function.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0014] 1) The LED display circuit displays the current status through different flashing modes according to the system status, such as the flashing mode during initialization, constant brightness in S mode, and flashing during overcurrent protection, providing intuitive visual feedback to the driver.

[0015] 2) The system's memory function ensures that the current operation state can be saved when KEY SW.OFF, and when KEY SW.ON, the system can resume and continue the previously unfinished operation, improving the continuity and convenience of operation;

[0016] 3) The system has memory function, timeout protection program and overload protection function to ensure stable and reliable operation of the system;

[0017] 4) The motor direction switch determines whether to shift gears based on the speed signal and the motor's operating status. When the speed is insufficient to maintain the current gear, the direction switch is inactive to avoid incorrect gear shifting.

[0018] 5) The current reading circuit detects the motor current to determine whether the motor is operating normally. If the current is too high, the system will immediately stop the motor to prevent overload damage.

[0019] 6) The overtime protection program monitors the motor running time. If it finds that the motor has been running for a long time without achieving the expected effect, the system will automatically cut off the power to prevent the motor from being damaged due to prolonged operation. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Wherein:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a system diagram of the controller of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the logic control of the LED display circuit under different states of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a circuit schematic diagram of the controller of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is an illustration of the controller I / O of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] Secondly, the term "one embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a single or selective embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0029] Secondly, the present invention is described in detail with reference to the schematic diagrams. When detailing the embodiments of the present invention, for ease of explanation, the cross-sectional views illustrating the device structure may be partially enlarged, not according to the usual scale. Furthermore, the schematic diagrams are merely examples and should not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, actual fabrication should include three-dimensional spatial dimensions of length, width, and depth.

[0030] Example

[0031] Reference Figure 1-5This invention provides a first embodiment of an electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) system for locomotives, comprising a controller 1 for controlling the rotation of a motor 2 based on an engine speed signal; the motor 2 is connected to a crankshaft 3 for driving a connecting rod on a camshaft 4 to reciprocate to achieve gear shifting; a sensor 5 for detecting the operating position, wheel speed, and origin position of the motor 2; a main control IC for logic control circuitry; a voltage conversion circuit for converting the input voltage into a suitable control voltage; a main switch input circuit for controlling the system's on / off state; and a motor steering switch for controlling the direction of the motor 2, which, based on speed and gear requirements, controls the direction of the motor 2 to achieve gear shifting. When the speed reaches a predetermined value... When the value is specified, the motor direction switch is active, allowing the motor control circuit to change the rotation direction of motor 2, thereby achieving gear shifting; the motor control circuit is used to control the forward and reverse operation of motor 2; the current reading circuit is used to detect the current magnitude of motor 2. The main control IC can calculate the current magnitude by measuring the voltage at the RX terminal, thereby determining whether motor 2 is operating normally. If the current is too high, motor 2 will stop rotating; the LED display circuit is used to display the system status; the controller 1 further includes a Hall input circuit for detecting the running position of motor 2; a wheel speed input circuit for detecting wheel speed signals; an origin input circuit for detecting the origin position; and a memory function for storing data in the KEY. The system automatically memorizes the state when KEY SW.OFF or the speed is not reached; the overtime protection program is used to cut off power when motor 2 runs continuously for a certain period of time; the overload protection is used to cut off power when motor 2 is overloaded; the main control IC further includes a memory module to automatically memorize the current state when KEY SW.OFF or the speed is not reached during motor 2 operation; the protection module is used to implement power-off protection when motor 2 runs continuously for a certain period of time or when the motor is overloaded; the LED display circuit further includes an initialization indicator to indicate that the system is automatically finding the origin; a running status indicator to indicate that the system is working normally; a fault indicator to indicate that the system has a fault; the current judgment circuit can determine the running status of motor 2 by monitoring the motor current. If the current is too high, it indicates that motor 2 may have an overload or other fault. The current judgment circuit will instruct the motor control circuit to stop motor 2 from rotating to protect motor 2 from damage.

[0032] The system features memory, an overtime protection program, and overload protection to ensure stable and reliable operation. The LED display circuit uses different flashing modes to indicate the system's operating status, providing the driver with intuitive visual feedback. For example, during automatic origin homing (initialization), the LED indicator flashes in a specific mode to indicate that the system is initializing; during overcurrent protection, the LED indicator flashes in a different mode to warn the driver of an overcurrent situation. The system's memory function ensures that the current operating state is saved when KEY SW.OFF, and when KEY SW.ON, the system can resume and continue previously unfinished operations, improving operational continuity and convenience. The overtime protection program monitors the running time of motor 2; if it detects that motor 2 has been running for an extended period without achieving the expected results, the system will automatically cut off the power to prevent damage to motor 2. Overload protection is achieved through a current reading circuit; when the current exceeds a set threshold, the system will immediately cut off the power to motor 2 to protect it from damage. The current calculation formula is:

[0033] V = R * I (that is, the voltage at pin 12 of IC12 = the resistance value of the sensing resistor * the motor operating current)

[0034] The resistance value of the detection resistor is R = 1 / (1 / R x 1 + 1 / RX).

[0035] During operation, controller 1 first converts the input voltage to a 5V control voltage via a voltage conversion circuit, supplying it to the main control IC and other module circuits. Based on the engine speed signal, the main control IC controls the forward and reverse rotation of motor 2 via the motor control circuit, driving the connecting rod on cam shaft 4 to reciprocate, thus achieving gear shifting. Sensor 5 continuously monitors the running position, wheel speed, and origin position of motor 2, transmitting the signals to the main control IC for logical judgment. The main switch input circuit is used to control the system's on / off state. When KEY SW.OFF, the system automatically memorizes the current state; when KEY SW.OFF... When SW.ON, the system continues to execute unfinished operations based on the memory state; the LED display circuit displays different LED indicator effects according to different system states, such as during initialization, S-mode, home position, overcurrent protection, and timeout protection; the motor direction switch determines whether gear shifting is needed based on the speed signal and motor operating status. When the speed is insufficient to maintain the current gear, the motor direction switch is inactive to avoid incorrect gear shifting; the current reading circuit determines whether motor 2 is operating normally by detecting the motor current. If the current is too high, the system will immediately stop motor 2 to prevent overload damage; the motor direction switch determines whether gear shifting is needed based on the speed signal and motor position signal, and controls the direction of motor 2 when necessary for gear switching; the LED display circuit provides intuitive system status information to the user through different flashing modes according to the system's operating status, facilitating user monitoring and operation; the system's operating status includes, but is not limited to, initialization, S-mode, home position, overcurrent protection, and timeout protection, etc. Each state has a corresponding LED indicator flashing pattern. When the locomotive starts, the system automatically initializes, and the LED display circuit displays a specific flashing pattern to indicate that the system is searching for the origin position. Once the system finds the origin position, the LED indicator lights up, indicating that the system is ready to operate. As the engine speed increases, the system intelligently controls the rotation of motor 2 based on the engine speed and wheel speed signals to achieve stepless speed change. During driving, if the system detects abnormal motor operation, such as excessive current or timeout protection, the LED display circuit will display the corresponding flashing pattern and automatically stop the rotation of motor 2 to protect motor 2 and ensure driving safety. If the main switch KEY.SW is pressed during driving, the system will record the current state and resume unfinished operations when restarted. The controller controls the rotation of motor 2. The rotation of motor 2 drives the pinion gear 6 to rotate, which in turn drives the intermediate gear 7, which in turn drives the large gear 8. The forward and reverse rotation of the large gear 8 is the gear shifting of the locomotive, thus enabling the locomotive to perform gear shifting.

[0036] The electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) system for locomotives of this invention achieves precise gear shifting control through electronic control technology, improving driving comfort and safety. The system's intelligent design makes locomotive gear shifting more flexible and efficient, better adapting to different driving conditions and meeting the needs of modern locomotives for transmission systems, providing drivers with a more comfortable and convenient driving experience.

[0037] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) system for locomotives, characterized in that: Includes a controller (1) for controlling the rotation of the motor (2) according to the engine speed signal; The motor (2) is connected to the crankshaft (3) and is used to drive the connecting rod on the camshaft (4) to reciprocate to achieve gear shifting; Sensor (5) is used to detect the running position, wheel speed and origin position of the motor (2); The main control IC is used for logic control loops; A voltage conversion circuit is used to convert the input voltage into a suitable control voltage. The main switch input circuit is used to control the system's opening and closing. The motor direction switch is used to control the direction of the motor (2). The motor direction switch controls the direction of the motor (2) according to the speed and gear requirements to realize gear switching. When the speed reaches the predetermined value, the motor direction switch is effective, allowing the motor control circuit to change the running direction of the motor (2) to realize gear switching. A motor control circuit is used to control the forward and reverse operation of the motor (2); The current reading circuit is used to detect the current of the motor (2). The main control IC can calculate the current by measuring the voltage at the RX terminal, thereby determining whether the motor (2) is operating normally. If the current is too large, the motor (2) will stop rotating. LED display circuit, used to display system status; The controller (1) further includes: Hall effect input circuit, used to detect the operating position of the motor (2); Wheel speed input circuit, used to detect wheel speed signals; Origin input circuit, used to detect the origin position; The memory function is used to automatically remember the state when KEY SW.OFF or the speed is not reached; An overdue protection procedure is used to cut off power when the motor (2) continues to run for a certain period of time; Overload protection is provided to disconnect power when the motor (2) is overloaded. The main control IC further includes: The memory module is used to automatically remember the current state when the key switch is off or the speed is not reached during the operation of the motor (2); The protection module is used to implement power-off protection when the motor (2) runs continuously for a certain period of time or is overloaded; The LED display circuit further includes: The initialization indicator light shows that the system is automatically searching for the origin. Operating status indicator lights are used to indicate that the system is working properly; Fault indicator lights are used to indicate that there is a fault in the system; The controller (1) controls the rotation of the motor (2). The rotation of the motor (2) will drive the small gear (6) to rotate, the small gear (6) will drive the medium gear (7) to rotate, the medium gear (7) will drive the large gear (8) to rotate, and the forward and reverse rotation of the large gear (8) is the gear shift of the locomotive, thereby enabling the locomotive to realize the gear shifting function.

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