Coupler system of rail wagon, rail wagon and control method of rail wagon

Abstract

The invention discloses a coupler system of a railway wagon, the railway wagon and a control method of the railway wagon. The motion control assembly is mechanically connected with the car coupler and used for controlling unlocking and locking of the car coupler; a wireless communication device; the controller is electrically connected with the motion control assembly and the wireless communication device, and the controller is used for obtaining a remote instruction from the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device receives the remote instruction of a user; controlling a motion control assembly based on the remote instruction; wherein the remote instruction comprises one of an unlocking instruction for indicating to unlock the car coupler and a locking instruction for indicating to lock the car coupler. The technical problem that the operation safety of the coupler of the railway wagon is low is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of coupler technology, and particularly relates to a coupler system for railway freight cars, railway freight cars and their control methods. Background Technology

[0002] In current technology, the control of railway freight car couplers mainly relies on manual operation, which results in low operational safety and potential safety accidents. Therefore, the low operational safety of railway freight car couplers is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a railway freight car coupler system, a railway freight car, and a control method thereof, which solves the technical problem of low operational safety of railway freight car couplers.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a coupler system for railway freight cars, comprising: a coupler; a motion control component mechanically connected to the coupler for controlling the unlocking and locking of the coupler; a wireless communication device; and a controller electrically connected to the motion control component and the wireless communication device, wherein the controller is configured to: acquire a remote instruction from the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device receives a remote instruction from a user; and control the motion control component based on the remote instruction; wherein the remote instruction includes one of an unlocking instruction indicating unlocking of the coupler and a locking instruction indicating locking of the coupler.

[0005] In conjunction with the first aspect of the present invention, in some embodiments, the motion control component includes: a compressed air source; a pneumatic cylinder mechanically connected to the coupler; a solenoid valve, wherein the air inlet of the solenoid valve is connected to the compressed air source, the air outlet of the solenoid valve is connected to the working chamber of the pneumatic cylinder, and the control end of the solenoid valve is connected to the controller; the controller is further configured to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve, the opening and closing of the solenoid valve correspondingly controlling the air supply and air cut-off of the pneumatic cylinder.

[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect of the present invention, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: if the remote command is the unlocking command, control the solenoid valve to open so that the air source is connected to drive the pneumatic cylinder to move in a first direction to unlock the coupler; if the remote command is the locking command, control the solenoid valve to close so that the air source is shut off to drive the pneumatic cylinder to move in a second direction to lock the coupler, wherein the first direction is the opposite direction to the second direction.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect of the present invention, in some embodiments, the coupler system of a railway freight car further includes: a first proximity switch and a second proximity switch, wherein the first proximity switch is disposed on the pneumatic cylinder and the second proximity switch is disposed on the coupler; the controller is further configured to: during the unlocking process of the coupler, determine whether the coupler state is unlocked or fully open based on the switching states of the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch; during the locking process of the coupler, determine whether the coupler state is locked based on the switching states of the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect of the invention, in some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: control the wireless communication device to send the coupler status to a user terminal.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect of the present invention, in some embodiments, the wireless communication device includes: a wireless communication circuit, the wireless communication circuit being 4G or 5G; and an antenna electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect of the present invention, in some embodiments, the coupler system of a railway freight car further includes: an alarm device electrically connected to the controller; the controller is further configured to: control the alarm device to sound an alarm when the coupler is in an abnormal state.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect of the present invention, in some embodiments, the alarm device is a signal light and / or a buzzer; the controller is further configured to: control the signal light to flash and / or control the buzzer to sound continuously when the coupler is in an abnormal state.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a railway freight car including the coupler system of the railway freight car described in any one of the first aspects.

[0013] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a control method for a coupler system, applied to a coupler system of a railway freight car as described in any one of the first aspects, the method comprising: when the wireless communication device receives a remote command from a user, acquiring the remote command from the wireless communication device; controlling the motion control component based on the remote command; wherein the remote command includes one of an unlocking command indicating to unlock the coupler and a locking command indicating to lock the coupler.

[0014] The one or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention achieve at least the following technical effects or advantages: This invention provides a railway freight car coupler system, comprising: a coupler; a motion control component mechanically connected to the coupler for controlling the unlocking and locking of the coupler; a wireless communication device; and a controller electrically connected to the motion control component and the wireless communication device. The controller is used to: acquire a remote command from the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device receives a remote command from a user; and control the motion control component based on the remote command. The remote command includes either an unlocking command instructing the coupler to unlock or a locking command instructing the coupler to lock. By receiving the user's remote command through the wireless communication device and then controlling the motion control component to unlock and lock the coupler through the controller, the system avoids reliance on manual operation, thus improving the operational safety of the railway freight car coupler. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the coupler system of a railway freight car in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the control method for the coupler system in an embodiment of the present invention; Among them, 10 is the coupler, 20 is the motion control component, 30 is the wireless communication device, and 40 is the controller. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] In this invention, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the coupler system for railway freight cars in an embodiment of the present invention. (Reference) Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a railway freight car coupler system comprising: a coupler; a motion control component mechanically connected to the coupler for controlling the unlocking and locking of the coupler; a wireless communication device; and a controller electrically connected to the motion control component and the wireless communication device, wherein the controller is configured to: acquire a remote command from the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device receives a remote command from a user; and control the motion control component based on the remote command; wherein the remote command includes one of an unlocking command instructing the coupler to be unlocked and a locking command instructing the coupler to be locked.

[0020] It should be noted that a coupler refers to the coupler located between two carriages of a railway freight car, used to connect the carriages.

[0021] In some embodiments, the motion control component includes: a compressed air source; a pneumatic cylinder mechanically connected to the coupler; a solenoid valve, the air inlet of which is connected to the compressed air source, the air outlet of which is connected to the working chamber of the pneumatic cylinder, and the control end of which is connected to a controller; the controller is also used to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve, the opening and closing of the solenoid valve correspondingly controlling the air supply and air cut-off of the pneumatic cylinder.

[0022] It should be noted that the connection between the pneumatic cylinder and the coupler requires power transmission through a mechanical structure, while also considering connection strength, motion synchronization, and safety. The following are the specific connection methods and key design points: First, the direct connection method (rigid connection): The piston rod of the pneumatic cylinder is directly connected to the coupler push rod (or locking mechanism) via a flange or thread. The linear motion of the piston directly drives the coupler to close or separate. This method is suitable for scenarios with short coupler strokes and small loads (such as light rail trains), or situations requiring rapid response (such as emergency separation of automatic couplers). The advantages of the direct connection method are simple structure, high transmission efficiency, ease of maintenance, and low cost. Key design details for the direct connection method include the strength of the connecting parts. Specifically, the flange or threaded connection must use high-strength materials (such as alloy steel) and undergo quenching treatment. The connecting bolts must be selected according to the maximum separation force of the coupler (usually several tons) and equipped with anti-loosening devices (such as spring washers). Second, the indirect connection method (flexible connection): A spherical bearing (or fisheye joint) is installed at the end of the piston rod, connecting it to the coupler push rod via a pin, allowing a certain angle of misalignment to compensate for installation errors. Indirect connection methods are suitable for scenarios where coupler installation space is limited or needs to adapt to complex motion trajectories (such as subway train formations), or where vibration or shock absorption is required (such as heavy-duty freight car couplers). Advantages of indirect connections include compensating for installation errors, reducing alignment accuracy requirements, and the flexible connection reducing damage to the pneumatic cylinder from impact loads. Key design details for indirect connections include the selection of spherical plain bearings. Specifically, self-lubricating spherical plain bearings can be selected based on the maximum swing angle of the coupler, with the inner diameter matching the piston rod diameter, and the bearing's rated load must be greater than 1.5 times the coupler separation force.

[0023] In some embodiments, the controller is also configured to: if the remote command is an unlocking command, control the solenoid valve to open so that the air source is connected to drive the pneumatic cylinder to move in a first direction to unlock the coupler; if the remote command is a locking command, control the solenoid valve to close so that the air source is turned off to drive the pneumatic cylinder to move in a second direction to lock the coupler, wherein the first direction is the opposite of the second direction.

[0024] In some embodiments, the coupler system of a railway freight car further includes: a first proximity switch and a second proximity switch, the first proximity switch being disposed on a pneumatic cylinder and the second proximity switch being disposed on the coupler; the controller is further configured to: during the unlocking process of the coupler, determine whether the coupler state is unlocked or fully open based on the switching states of the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch; during the locking process of the coupler, determine whether the coupler state is locked based on the switching states of the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch.

[0025] Referring to Table 1, which shows the relationship between the first proximity switch, the second proximity switch, and the coupler status in an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, if both the first and second proximity switches are closed, the coupler status is determined to be locked; if both are open, a system fault is determined; if both are unlocked, the coupler status is unlocked; and if both are fully open, the coupler status is fully open.

[0026] Table 1:

[0027] It should be noted that the first proximity switch detects the piston position of the pneumatic cylinder, indirectly reflecting whether the air circuit is open and whether the cylinder is actuating. When the first proximity switch is closed, it indicates that the piston of the pneumatic cylinder has not extended, the air circuit is not open, or the pneumatic cylinder is not driven by air pressure. When the first proximity switch is open, it indicates that the piston of the pneumatic cylinder has extended, the air circuit is open, and the cylinder is actuating normally. The second proximity switch detects the position of the coupler locking mechanism, directly reflecting the locked or unlocked state of the coupler. When the second proximity switch is closed, it indicates that the coupler locking mechanism is in the locked position, and the coupler is not unlocked. When the second proximity switch is open, it indicates that the coupler locking mechanism is open, and the coupler is in the unlocked or fully open state.

[0028] It should be noted that the locked state means the pneumatic cylinder is not activated, the coupler is fully locked, and the system is in its initial state or has completed the locking operation. Then, if the first proximity switch is closed and the second proximity switch is open, a system fault is determined. A fault means the pneumatic cylinder is not activated but the coupler is abnormally opened. Possible causes include mechanical faults in the coupler mechanism (such as spring failure or jamming causing the coupler to open on its own), false alarms from the proximity switches or wiring faults, and external interference (such as vibration causing the coupler to loosen). In this case, the coupler mechanism and proximity switches must be manually inspected immediately. The unlocked state means the pneumatic cylinder has activated but the coupler is not fully open. The fully open state means the pneumatic cylinder has activated and the coupler is fully open, with the coupler in the fully open position, allowing for coupling or uncoupling operations.

[0029] In some implementations, the controller is also used to: control the wireless communication device to send the coupler status to the user terminal.

[0030] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device includes: a wireless communication circuit, which is 4G or 5G; and an antenna electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit.

[0031] It should be noted that the wireless communication circuit can also be 2G or 3G.

[0032] In some embodiments, the railway freight car coupler system further includes: an alarm device electrically connected to a controller; the controller is also used to: control the alarm device to sound an alarm when the coupler condition is abnormal.

[0033] In some implementations, the alarm device is a signal light and / or a buzzer; the controller is also used to: control the signal light to flash and / or control the buzzer to sound continuously when the coupler is in an abnormal state.

[0034] It should be noted that currently, the connection and disassembly of couplers in some freight cars on my country's railways require direct manual operation, resulting in problems such as low efficiency, high labor intensity, and operational safety issues in freight train marshalling and disassembly. This invention addresses these issues by controlling the connection or disassembly of couplers based on received 4G / 5G signal commands. This invention solves the problems of low efficiency, high labor intensity, and operational safety associated with the direct manual connection and disassembly of couplers in my country's railways. Furthermore, this invention eliminates the need for on-site personnel, enabling remote operation, and sensors can monitor the coupler status, providing real-time feedback on the operation results.

[0035] It should be noted that the solenoid valve can control the air supply or de-air supply to the pneumatic cylinder, which in turn drives the coupler to connect or disconnect. The proximity switch can detect the coupler status and feed the signal back to the controller. If the coupler status is abnormal, manual intervention is required to control the coupling. The detected coupler status is uploaded to the backend in real time via a wireless communication device. It can also determine whether the coupler status has responded to commands. After a coupler action command is issued, it checks whether the coupler status meets expectations; any discrepancies trigger an alarm. While the train is running, the coupler status is monitored in real time, and an alarm is triggered when the coupler status is abnormal.

[0036] It should be noted that a proximity switch consists of an oscillation circuit, a detection coil, a signal processing circuit, and an output circuit. Its core principle is electromagnetic induction: when a metal object approaches the detection coil, eddy currents are generated inside the metal. The magnetic field generated by these eddy currents cancels out the original magnetic field of the coil, causing a decrease in the coil inductance and a change in the oscillation frequency or amplitude of the oscillation circuit. The signal processing circuit detects this change and outputs a switching signal (e.g., changing from a high level to a low level, or from a low level to a high level) to determine whether a metal object is approaching. A metal detection sensor (i.e., a proximity switch) can determine whether the coupling is closed or open by detecting the position of the hook lock. When the coupling is closed, the hook lock (the metal part used to lock the hook tongue) is in the locked position. At this time, the hook lock is close to the sensing surface of the proximity switch, and the proximity switch detects the hook lock and outputs a closed signal. When the coupling is open, the hook lock moves to the unlocked position, away from the sensing surface of the proximity switch. The proximity switch cannot detect the hook lock and outputs an open signal.

[0037] It should be noted that during the locking process, the pneumatic cylinder can be in its initial state (e.g., piston retraction), or the initial position of the hook lock can be maintained by the pneumatic cylinder, or the spring can be reset by air pressure to ensure locking stability. During the unlocking process, compressed air enters the pneumatic cylinder and pushes the piston forward. The piston rod acts directly or indirectly on the hook lock, overcoming the tension of the hook lock spring and pulling the hook lock from the locked position, thus removing it from the obstruction of the hook tongue. After the hook lock is disengaged, the hook tongue rotates to the unhooking position under the action of the spring or external force, and the two couplers separate.

[0038] It should be noted that during the coordinated operation of the solenoid valve and the pneumatic cylinder, the controller supplies power to the solenoid valve coil according to instructions, changing the air circuit state and driving the pneumatic cylinder to move. Then, the position sensor of the pneumatic cylinder (such as a proximity switch) feeds back the action completion signal to the controller, ensuring that the air supply stops after the coupler is in position.

[0039] It should be noted that, in terms of safety and redundancy design, critical components of the coupler system (such as the coupler locking mechanism) may employ dual solenoid valves or mechanical interlocks to prevent malfunctions. In an emergency, the cylinder pressure can be directly released via the manual exhaust valve to forcibly separate the coupler.

[0040] This invention provides a railway freight car coupler system, comprising: a coupler; a motion control component mechanically connected to the coupler for controlling the unlocking and locking of the coupler; a wireless communication device; and a controller electrically connected to the motion control component and the wireless communication device. The controller is used to: acquire a remote command from the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device receives a remote command from a user; and control the motion control component based on the remote command. The remote command includes either an unlocking command instructing the coupler to unlock or a locking command instructing the coupler to lock. By receiving the user's remote command through the wireless communication device and then controlling the motion control component to unlock and lock the coupler through the controller, the system avoids reliance on manual operation, thus improving the operational safety of the railway freight car coupler.

[0041] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0042] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present invention provide a railway freight car including a coupler system of the railway freight car of any of the above embodiments.

[0043] It should be understood that further implementation details of the railway freight cars in the embodiments of the present invention are described in the aforementioned railway freight car coupler system, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0044] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present invention provide a control method for a coupler system, applied to the coupler system of railway freight cars, see reference. Figure 2 As shown, the method includes: when the wireless communication device receives a remote command from the user, obtaining the remote command from the wireless communication device; controlling the motion control component based on the remote command; wherein the remote command includes one of an unlock command that instructs the coupler to be unlocked and a lock command that instructs the coupler to be locked.

[0045] In some embodiments, the method further includes: if the remote command is an unlocking command, controlling the solenoid valve to open so that the air source is connected to drive the pneumatic cylinder to move in a first direction to unlock the coupler; if the remote command is a locking command, controlling the solenoid valve to close so that the air source is turned off to drive the pneumatic cylinder to move in a second direction to lock the coupler, wherein the first direction is the opposite of the second direction.

[0046] In some embodiments, the method further includes: during the unlocking process of the coupler, determining whether the coupler state is unlocked or fully open based on the switching states of the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch; during the locking process of the coupler, determining whether the coupler state is locked based on the switching states of the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch.

[0047] In some implementations, the method further includes controlling a wireless communication device to send the coupler status to a user terminal.

[0048] In some implementations, the method further includes: controlling the alarm device to sound an alarm when the coupler is in an abnormal state.

[0049] In some implementations, the method further includes: controlling a signal light to flash and / or controlling a buzzer to sound continuously when the coupler is in an abnormal state.

[0050] This invention provides a control method for a coupler system applied to a railway freight car coupler system. The method includes: acquiring the remote command from the wireless communication device when it receives a remote command from a user; and controlling a motion control component based on the remote command. The remote command includes either an unlocking command instructing the coupler to unlock or a locking command instructing the coupler to lock. By receiving the user's remote command through the wireless communication device and then controlling the motion control component to unlock and lock the coupler through the controller, the method avoids reliance on manual operation, thus improving the operational safety of the railway freight car coupler.

[0051] It should be understood that further implementation details of the control method of the coupler system in the embodiments of the present invention are as described in the aforementioned coupler system of railway freight cars, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0052] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A coupler system for railway freight cars, characterized in that, include: Coupler; A motion control component, mechanically connected to the coupler, is used to control the unlocking and locking of the coupler; Wireless communication devices; A controller, electrically connected to the motion control component and the wireless communication device, is configured to: acquire the remote command from the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device receives a remote command from the user; and control the motion control component based on the remote command; wherein the remote command includes one of an unlocking command instructing the coupler to be unlocked and a locking command instructing the coupler to be locked.

2. The railway freight car coupler system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motion control component includes: Compressed air source; A pneumatic cylinder is mechanically connected to the coupler. The solenoid valve has its inlet end connected to the compressed air source, its outlet end connected to the working chamber of the pneumatic cylinder, and its control end connected to the controller. The controller is also used to control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve, and the opening and closing of the solenoid valve corresponds to controlling the air supply and air cut-off of the pneumatic cylinder.

3. The railway freight car coupler system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controller is also used for: If the remote command is the unlock command, control the solenoid valve to open, so that the air source is connected to drive the pneumatic cylinder to move in the first direction, so as to unlock the coupler; If the remote command is the locking command, the solenoid valve is controlled to shut off, so that the air source is shut off and the pneumatic cylinder moves in the second direction to lock the coupler, where the first direction is the opposite of the second direction.

4. The railway freight car coupler system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A first proximity switch and a second proximity switch, wherein the first proximity switch is disposed on the pneumatic cylinder and the second proximity switch is disposed on the coupler; The controller is also used for: During the unlocking process of the coupler, the coupler status is determined to be either unlocked or fully open based on the switching status of the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch. During the locking process of the coupler, the coupler status is determined to be locked based on the switching status of the first proximity switch and the switching status of the second proximity switch.

5. The coupler system for railway freight cars according to claim 4, characterized in that, The controller is also used for: The wireless communication device is controlled to send the coupler status to the user terminal.

6. The coupler system for railway freight cars according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wireless communication device includes: A wireless communication circuit, wherein the wireless communication circuit is 4G or 5G; The antenna is electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit.

7. The coupler system for railway freight cars according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: An alarm device is electrically connected to the controller; The controller is also used to: control the alarm device to sound an alarm when the coupler is in an abnormal state.

8. The coupler system for railway freight cars according to claim 7, characterized in that, The alarm device is an indicator light and / or a buzzer; the controller is also used for: When the coupler is in an abnormal state, control the signal light to flash and / or control the buzzer to sound continuously.

9. A railway freight car, characterized in that, The coupler system of the railway freight car included in any one of claims 1-8.

10. A control method for a coupler system, applied to the coupler system of a railway freight car as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The method includes: When the wireless communication device receives a remote instruction from the user, the remote instruction is obtained from the wireless communication device; The motion control component is controlled based on the remote command; wherein the remote command includes one of an unlock command that instructs the coupler to be unlocked and a lock command that instructs the coupler to be locked.

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