An automatic orbit-changing inspection vehicle and an orbit-changing method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of railway inspection car, and more particularly to an automatic rail-changing inspection car and a rail-changing method. The inspection car comprises a car frame, a walking wheel arranged on the car frame, and a front-rear direction defined as the extension direction of the rail. The inspection car further comprises a guide wheel set, which comprises guide wheels arranged on the left and right sides of the car frame. The guide wheels are used to abut against the corresponding side rail to guide the movement of the car frame. The guide wheels are installed on the car frame through a longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism. The longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism comprises a transverse movement mechanism and a longitudinal movement mechanism. The guide wheels are driven to move transversely and vertically by the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism, so that the guide wheels abut against the target rail when the car frame moves to the turnout area, and the car frame is guided to move on the target rail. The walking wheel has a set wheel width, so as to roll to the target rail when the guide wheels abut against the target rail. The present application effectively solves the technical problems in the prior art that the inspection car needs manual intervention to change lanes in the turnout area, the detection efficiency is low, and the stability and precision cannot be considered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of railway inspection vehicle technology, and in particular to an automatic track-changing inspection vehicle and track-changing method. Background Technology

[0002] During long-term, high-load service, railway tracks are subjected to the combined effects of repeated train impacts, natural environmental erosion, and material fatigue, gradually leading to various defects and faults: fatigue cracks, tread wear, corrosion, and rail head peeling are common problems; turnouts, as the core weak link, often experience faults such as switch rail wear, frog deformation, and loose or detached connectors; sleepers may crack or break, and the ballast bed is prone to settlement and compaction, leading to deviations in track geometry parameters (elevation, level, and gauge); at the same time, loose bolts and increased gaps may occur at track joints. If these problems are not addressed in time, they will exacerbate vehicle vibration, affect train stability, and even cause major safety accidents such as derailment.

[0003] Traditional railway track inspection relies primarily on manual patrols, which suffers from low efficiency, a mismatch between manpower input and inspection coverage, and the quality of inspections depends heavily on the professional skills and working conditions of the inspectors, making it susceptible to factors such as fatigue, weather, and lighting conditions, leading to inconsistent results and hindering the comprehensive and accurate identification of potential safety hazards. To address this, patent document CN120270283B discloses a railway track inspection vehicle, comprising a vehicle body, an inspection mechanism, and a control box. The vehicle body is equipped with wheels for traveling on the rails; the inspection mechanism is located on both sides of the vehicle body, between adjacent wheels on the same side, and includes a mounting base, a high-speed camera, and an ultrasonic flaw detection wheel. The mounting base is connected to the vehicle body, and both the ultrasonic flaw detection wheel and the high-speed camera are mounted on the mounting base. The ultrasonic flaw detection wheel rolls across the rail surface, and the mounting base has a photographic area for capturing images of the rail within that area. The control box is connected to the inspection mechanism. This inspection vehicle organically combines contact flaw detection with non-contact imaging to form a multi-dimensional data complementarity mechanism, enabling simultaneous detection of surface and internal damage to the rails and eliminating the impact of human factors on the detection quality.

[0004] However, in actual railway networks, tracks not only include straight and curved sections but also switch zones that determine train direction. The aforementioned inspection vehicle uses a flanged wheel system, which relies on the contact between the wheel flange and the inner side of the track for guidance, representing a passive guidance mode. When the inspection vehicle passes through a switch zone, its travel path is strictly limited by the fixed geometry of the switch, making it unable to autonomously select its travel track according to the needs of the inspection task. This mechanical characteristic presents significant technical problems in practical use: rigid path selection and low inspection coverage. Although the aforementioned inspection vehicle is equipped with an inspection mechanism, this mechanism is only used to detect damage to the surface and interior of the rails and is unrelated to track changes. At switch points, the inspection vehicle can only travel along a pre-set single track direction. If full coverage inspection of all tracks in the turnout area is required, manual intervention or complex scheduling systems must be used for vehicle relocation or route planning, which severely restricts the continuity and efficiency of inspection operations. This is especially true for station throat areas, marshalling yards, and section stations with dense turnout distribution, where inspection vehicles need to be moved frequently. Manually moving inspection vehicles is difficult to adapt to the maintenance needs of high-density train lines with short maintenance windows and heavy inspection tasks.

[0005] Therefore, how to overcome the path limitations of existing flange-guided inspection vehicles and enable them to achieve autonomous, smooth, and precise track switching and path selection in complex turnout areas has become a key technical problem that must be solved to realize fully automated, intelligent, and comprehensive inspection of railway lines. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides an automatic track-changing inspection vehicle to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the inspection vehicle needs to be manually moved in the switch area to achieve track changing; the purpose of this invention is also to provide an automatic track-changing method.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle provided by the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] An automated track-changing inspection vehicle includes a frame with wheels mounted on it for rolling on a track, the track's extension direction being defined as the forward-backward direction, and further includes:

[0009] The guide wheel assembly includes guide wheels located on the left and right sides of the vehicle frame. The guide wheels are used to abut against the corresponding side rails to guide the movement of the vehicle frame. The guide wheels are mounted on the vehicle frame via a longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism. The longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism includes a transverse movement mechanism for driving the guide wheels to move laterally left and right and a longitudinal movement mechanism for driving the guide wheels to move vertically up and down. The guide wheels are driven to move laterally and move up and down by the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism so that when the vehicle frame moves to the turnout area, the guide wheels abut against the target rail and thus guide the vehicle frame onto the target rail.

[0010] The traveling wheel has a set wheel width so that it rolls onto the target track when the guide wheel comes into contact with the target track.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle provided by this invention are:

[0012] 1. By installing guide wheels on both sides of the chassis and a longitudinal and lateral movement mechanism, when a track change is required, the longitudinal and lateral movement mechanism controls the guide wheel on the side closest to the rail tip to disengage from the original track and move it towards the center of the chassis until the guide wheel is inside the rail tip. Simultaneously, the longitudinal and lateral movement mechanism controls the guide wheel on the other side to rise until its bottom surface is higher than the top surface of the original track by a preset height. This ensures that during a track change, one guide wheel contacts the inside of the rail tip, generating a lateral force on the inspection vehicle pointing towards the target track, thus assisting the traveling wheels in transitioning to the target track. The other guide wheel is raised off the original track, avoiding severe friction and impact between the wheel flange and the rail tip. After the track change, the guide wheel on this side also descends in a controlled manner, achieving smooth contact with the target track.

[0013] 2. The designed wheel width of the traveling wheels ensures sufficient lateral contact range when the guide wheels turn the vehicle frame, allowing for a smooth transition from the original track to the target track during rolling, without jamming or derailment due to changes in track spacing. The entire track-changing process is completed by the rolling of the traveling wheels themselves, eliminating the need for manual lifting of the inspection vehicle to transfer tracks.

[0014] 3. By integrating the traveling wheels, guide wheels, and longitudinal and lateral movement mechanisms into a single integrated design, the structure is compact. Through the decoupling and composite control of the two degrees of freedom of lifting and lateral movement, a single mechanism (guide wheel) can simultaneously undertake the two core functions of driving guidance and active track changing. While breaking through the limitations of passive guidance in existing technologies, it avoids the introduction of complex and cumbersome bogie systems, achieving a unity of structural simplification and functional integration.

[0015] In summary, the present invention effectively solves the technical problem in the prior art that the inspection vehicle needs to be manually moved in the turnout area to achieve track change.

[0016] Furthermore, the lateral movement mechanism is mounted on the frame and connected to the longitudinal movement mechanism, and the guide wheel is connected to the longitudinal movement mechanism so that the lateral movement mechanism drives the longitudinal movement mechanism and the guide wheel to move laterally left and right, and the longitudinal movement mechanism drives the guide wheel to move vertically up and down.

[0017] Furthermore, the longitudinal movement mechanism includes a plurality of longitudinally positioned cylinders, the telescopic end of each of the longitudinally positioned cylinders being connected to a guide wheel for independently driving the guide wheel to rise and fall.

[0018] Beneficial effects: Each guide wheel corresponds to an independent longitudinal cylinder, which can control the lifting and lowering sequence and height of a single guide wheel according to the track change path (such as rail tip position and target track spacing), satisfying the differentiated track change requirements of "one guide wheel leaving the track to provide lateral force, and the other guide wheel being lifted to leave the original track", completely breaking through the limitations of traditional synchronous drive in adapting to the dynamic track environment of turnout area, and ensuring the flexibility and adaptability of autonomous track change.

[0019] Furthermore, the lateral movement mechanism includes at least two transversely arranged cylinders facing away from each other. The cylinder bodies of the transverse cylinders are fixedly mounted on the vehicle frame, and the telescopic ends of the transverse cylinders are connected to the longitudinally arranged cylinders.

[0020] Beneficial effects: The horizontally arranged cylinders can output driving force in the left and right directions. In conjunction with the guide wheels carried by the longitudinally arranged cylinders, the lateral movement of the guide wheels towards the center or the outside of the frame can be precisely controlled. When changing tracks, the guide wheels on the side closest to the rail tip can be driven to move smoothly inward to the inside of the rail tip, or the guide wheels can be driven to move outward to connect with the target track. This avoids the guide wheels from deviating due to uneven load during lateral movement, ensuring the accuracy of the track changing path.

[0021] Furthermore, a slide rail is installed on the frame, and a slide frame is installed on the telescopic end of the transverse cylinder. The slide frame is mounted on the slide rail, and the longitudinal cylinder is installed at both the front and rear ends of the slide frame.

[0022] Beneficial effects: The slide rail and carriage form a rigid guiding constraint, strictly limiting the lateral movement trajectory to a straight line, avoiding deviation and skew caused by lateral force when driven by the transverse cylinder, and ensuring that the lateral movement stroke of the longitudinal cylinder and guide wheel is precise and controllable; combined with the different track gauges and alignment requirements of the target track in the turnout area, it can achieve precise fit between the guide wheel and the inner side of the target track, thereby solving the risk of track misalignment and jamming caused by lateral movement deviation when there is no guiding constraint.

[0023] Furthermore, pressure sensors are installed in the air lines of both the longitudinally placed cylinder and the transversely placed cylinder.

[0024] Beneficial effects: The air pressure sensor monitors the air circuit pressure in real time and provides timely feedback on the monitored air circuit pressure to form a closed-loop control: When the working conditions in the turnout area change (such as different track gauges or different rail tip positions), the air supply pressure can be adjusted according to the pressure feedback to ensure stable cylinder output thrust, completely solving problems such as insufficient guide wheel lifting height and lateral stroke deviation caused by air pressure fluctuations, and ensuring the accuracy and consistency of track changing actions.

[0025] Furthermore, a turnout identification module is installed on the chassis, located on the front and rear sides of the chassis, for identifying the turnout type and locating the rail tip.

[0026] Furthermore, the traveling wheel is a flat wheel, and its tread width is not less than the maximum distance between the switch point rail and the original track in the turnout area.

[0027] Beneficial effects: The difference in distance between the switch rail and the original track in the turnout area, and the width of the wheel tread not less than the maximum distance between the switch rail and the original track, ensure that the tread can always maintain sufficient contact area with the rail surface during the track change process (no matter what position the inspection vehicle shifts laterally), and will not cause wheel-rail contact failure due to the increase in distance. This provides continuous and stable support for the inspection vehicle, structurally eliminates the risk of derailment during track change, and ensures the reliability of track change operation.

[0028] To solve the above problems, the automatic track changing method provided by the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0029] An automatic track-changing method, implemented using the aforementioned automatic track-changing inspection vehicle, includes the following steps:

[0030] Of the guide wheels on the left and right sides, the guide wheel on the same side as the rail tip is the near guide wheel, and the guide wheel on the opposite side of the rail tip is the far guide wheel. The longitudinal and transverse moving mechanism drives the near guide wheel to contact the target track with the rail tip. At the same time, the longitudinal and transverse moving mechanism drives the far guide wheel to rise and leave the original track, so as to guide the inspection vehicle to complete the track change during the rolling of the traveling wheels. After the track change is completed, the longitudinal and transverse moving mechanism drives the far guide wheel to descend to contact the target track.

[0031] The beneficial effects of the automatic track-changing method provided by this invention are:

[0032] In this application, the longitudinal and lateral movement mechanism provides differentiated drive control for the guide wheels on both sides of the inspection vehicle. Combined with the guiding characteristics of the turnout rail tip, it completely solves the problem of manually handling the inspection vehicle for track changing in the turnout area. The longitudinal and lateral movement mechanism first drives the near guide wheel on the same side as the rail tip to contact the target track. It uses the constraint effect of the rail tip on the near guide wheel to provide the track changing guiding force. At the same time, it raises the far guide wheel on the opposite side of the rail tip to remove it from the original track, releasing the lateral limit of the original track on the inspection vehicle. This allows the inspection vehicle to smoothly complete the track change along the target track direction as the traveling wheels roll. After the track change, it drives the far guide wheel to descend and contact the target track to restore the dual-side guiding constraint. The entire process does not require manual intervention, realizing the automated track changing of the inspection vehicle in the turnout area.

[0033] In summary, the present invention effectively solves the technical problem in the prior art that the inspection vehicle needs to be manually moved in the turnout area to achieve track change.

[0034] Furthermore, after the track change is completed, the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism first controls the far guide wheel to descend at a speed of v1 to above the top surface of the target track, and then controls the far guide wheel to descend at a speed of v2 to contact the inside of the target track, v1>v2.

[0035] Beneficial effects: The first stage, with high-speed v1 descent, quickly brings the distal guide wheel from its raised position close to the top surface of the target track, significantly shortening the overall descent time of the distal guide wheel. This avoids excessively long track-changing procedures caused by a single low-speed descent, which would affect the continuous inspection efficiency of the inspection vehicle on multiple tracks in the turnout area. It is suitable for the maintenance needs of high-density lines with short track windows and heavy inspection tasks. The second stage, switching to low-speed v2 descent, actively reduces the motion inertia before the distal guide wheel contacts the inner side of the target track, avoiding rigid collision between the distal guide wheel and the track due to high-speed impact, and achieving smooth contact between the distal guide wheel and the inner side of the target track. Attached Figure Description

[0036] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation, and like or corresponding reference numerals denote like or corresponding parts, wherein:

[0037] Figure 1 This invention provides an application structure diagram of the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle. Figure 1 ;

[0038] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The main view;

[0039] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Top view;

[0040] Figure 4 This invention provides an application structure diagram of the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle. Figure 2 ;

[0041] Figure 5 This invention provides an application structure diagram of the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle. Figure 3 ;

[0042] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the application structure of the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle provided by the present invention before track changing;

[0043] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the application structure of the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle provided by the present invention after track change;

[0044] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the carriage provided by the present invention;

[0045] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the longitudinally mounted cylinder and the guide wheel provided by the present invention.

[0046] Figure 10This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the horizontally placed cylinder and the vertically placed cylinder provided by the present invention.

[0047] Figure 11 for Figure 10 Side view;

[0048] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the transversely mounted cylinder on the vehicle frame provided by the present invention.

[0049] Figure 13 for Figure 12 Side view.

[0050] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0051] 1. Chassis; 2. Running wheels; 3. Guide wheels; 4. Original track; 5. Target track; 6. Longitudinal cylinder; 7. Transverse cylinder; 8. Slide rail; 9. Carriage; 91. Horizontal plate; 92. Vertical plate; 93. First connecting plate; 94. Second connecting plate; 10. Turnout identification module; 11. Rail tip; 12. Flaw detector; 13. Base; 14. Bearing seat; 15. First solenoid valve; 16. Second solenoid valve; 17. Third solenoid valve; 18. Fourth solenoid valve; 19. Air guide pipe; 20. Main air intake pipe; 21. Main air exhaust pipe; 22. Onboard industrial control computer. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The principles and spirit of the present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to several representative embodiments.

[0053] An embodiment of the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle provided by the present invention:

[0054] like Figures 1 to 13 As shown, the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle includes a frame 1, a guide wheel assembly, a longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism, and a controller. The frame 1 is equipped with a drive motor, traveling wheels 2, and detection components. The drive motor is used to drive the traveling wheels 2 to roll along the track.

[0055] The direction of track extension is defined as the forward and backward direction.

[0056] Regarding the guide wheel assembly: The guide wheel assembly includes guide wheels 3 located on the left and right sides of the frame 1. The guide wheels 3 are used to abut against the corresponding side rails to provide guidance for the movement of the traveling wheels 2.

[0057] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the guide wheel group includes four guide wheels 3. The four guide wheels 3 are divided into two groups and arranged on the left and right sides of the frame 1. The two guide wheels 3 on each side are evenly distributed in the front-back direction. The guide wheels 3 are used to abut against the lower jaw of the rail head or the rail web on the inner side of the corresponding side rail.

[0058] During normal operation of the inspection vehicle, the guide wheel 3 maintains a gap of 2-5mm between its rim and the inner side of the track, which not only prevents jamming but also provides a limit.

[0059] Regarding the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism: The longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism includes a transverse movement mechanism for driving the guide wheel 3 to move laterally left and right and a longitudinal movement mechanism for driving the guide wheel 3 to move vertically up and down. The guide wheel 3 is driven by the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism to move laterally and move vertically up and down, so that when the frame 1 moves to the turnout area, the guide wheel 3 abuts against the target track 5 and guides the frame 1 onto the target track 5.

[0060] Regarding the longitudinal movement mechanism: The longitudinal movement mechanism is connected to the guide wheels 3 to independently drive each guide wheel 3 to move up and down in the vertical direction. Specifically, the longitudinal movement mechanism includes multiple longitudinally positioned cylinders 6, and the telescopic end of each longitudinally positioned cylinder 6 is connected to a guide wheel 3 to independently drive that guide wheel 3 to move up and down.

[0061] like Figure 1 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the longitudinal movement mechanism includes four longitudinally arranged cylinders 6, each cylinder being connected to a guide wheel 3. Specifically, as... Figure 9 As shown, the telescopic end of the longitudinally mounted cylinder 6 is connected to the guide wheel 3 by a threaded connection. When the inspection vehicle is driving normally, the guide wheel 3 clamps the rail from both sides, which plays a role in limiting the lateral displacement of the vehicle body and preventing derailment.

[0062] Regarding the lateral movement mechanism: The lateral movement mechanism is mounted on the frame 1 and connected to the longitudinal movement mechanism to drive the longitudinal movement mechanism to move in the left and right directions, thereby causing the guide wheel 3 to change track. Specifically, the lateral movement mechanism includes at least two transversely arranged cylinders 7. The cylinder body of the transverse cylinder 7 is fixedly mounted on the frame 1 via the base 13, and the telescopic end of the transverse cylinder 7 is connected to the longitudinal cylinder 6.

[0063] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, in this embodiment, there are two transverse cylinders 7. Each transverse cylinder 7 has a slide 9 installed at its telescopic end. A slide rail 8 is installed on the frame 1. The slide 9 is slidably mounted on the slide rail 8. Each slide 9 has two longitudinal cylinders 6 installed on it. Each slide 9 has a guide wheel 3 installed at its front and rear ends. The two longitudinal cylinders 6 can be moved left and right simultaneously by one transverse cylinder 7, thereby controlling the two guide wheels 3 to move left and right simultaneously.

[0064] like Figure 1 and Figure 8As shown, in this embodiment, the carriage 9 includes a horizontal plate 91, a vertical plate 92, a first connecting plate 93, and a second connecting plate 94. The vertical plate 92 is perpendicular to the horizontal plate 91 and is located on the side of the horizontal plate 91 closest to the horizontally positioned cylinder 7. The vertical plate 92 has a through hole for connecting to the output end of the horizontally positioned cylinder 7. There are two first connecting plates 93, both mounted on the horizontal plate 91 and spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each first connecting plate 93 has a through hole for the slide rail 8 to pass through. There are also two second connecting plates 94, respectively located at the left and right ends of the horizontal plate 91. The second connecting plates 94 are used to connect to the vertically positioned cylinder 6.

[0065] In this embodiment, both the longitudinally positioned cylinder 6 and the transversely positioned cylinder 7 are equipped with air pressure sensors and one-way throttle valves in their air circuits. The air pressure sensors are connected to the controller to monitor the air circuit pressure in real time and transmit the detected pressure value to the controller. When the pressure is abnormal, the controller can immediately trigger an alarm and execute a safety shutdown procedure. The one-way throttle valves are installed at the air outlet of each cylinder to precisely adjust the extension and retraction speed of each cylinder, ensuring smooth operation of the guide wheel assembly and avoiding impact.

[0066] Regarding the controller: The controller is signal-connected to the detection component, the lateral movement mechanism, and the longitudinal movement mechanism to receive detection information from the detection component and control the timing and stroke of the lateral and longitudinal movement mechanisms, thereby completing the track change.

[0067] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the controller is an on-board industrial computer 22, which is connected to the transverse and longitudinal movement mechanisms via a solenoid valve assembly. Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the solenoid valve group includes a first solenoid valve 15, a second solenoid valve 16, a third solenoid valve 17, and a fourth solenoid valve 18. The first solenoid valve 15 is connected to two longitudinally mounted cylinders 6 located on the right side of the frame 1. The second solenoid valve 16 is connected to a transversely mounted cylinder 7 located on the right side of the frame 1 via an air guide pipe 19. The third solenoid valve 17 is connected to a transversely mounted cylinder 7 located on the left side of the frame 1 via an air guide pipe 19. The fourth solenoid valve 18 is connected to two longitudinally mounted cylinders 6 located on the left side of the frame 1.

[0068] like Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the intake pipes of the two longitudinally mounted cylinders 6 located on the same side (left or right) of the frame 1 intersect and converge into the intake manifold 20, and the exhaust pipes of the two longitudinally mounted cylinders 6 intersect and converge into the exhaust manifold 21; the intake ports of the first solenoid valve 15 and the fourth solenoid valve 18 are connected to the air source; the working ports of the first solenoid valve 15 and the fourth solenoid valve 18 are connected to the intake manifold 20 to discharge the gas supplied by the air source to the intake manifold 20 through the working ports, thereby supplying air to the longitudinally mounted cylinders 6; the exhaust ports of the first solenoid valve 15 and the fourth solenoid valve 18 are connected to the exhaust manifold 21 to discharge the gas discharged by the longitudinally mounted cylinders 6.

[0069] In this embodiment, the first solenoid valve 15, the second solenoid valve 16, the third solenoid valve 17, and the fourth solenoid valve 18 are all center-closed three-position five-way solenoid valves. The center-closed three-position five-way solenoid valve is a three-position (three valve core positions) and five-way (five fluid interfaces) reversing solenoid valve. Its core feature is that when the valve core is in the middle position, all interfaces are closed to each other, and fluid cannot flow.

[0070] Regarding wheel 2. For example... Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, there are four wheels 2. The four wheels 2 are divided into two groups and arranged on the left and right sides of the frame 1. The two wheels 2 in each group are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction.

[0071] In this embodiment, the traveling wheel 2 is a wide-body flat wheel, and its tread width is not less than the maximum distance between the switch point rail and the original track 4.

[0072] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, a bearing seat 14 is installed on the frame 1, which is used to support and fix the traveling wheel 2.

[0073] Regarding the detection components. For example... Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the detection components include a turnout identification module 10 and a defect detection module. The turnout identification module 10 is located on the front and rear sides of the chassis 1 to identify the turnout type and locate the rail tip 11. The defect detection module is located on the left and right sides of the chassis 1 to identify the track damage status. The turnout identification module 10 includes a binocular camera and a laser ranging module; the defect detection module is a flaw detector 12.

[0074] The preferred binocular camera is the Intel RealSense D435 binocular camera, which has high frame rate depth perception capabilities; the preferred laser ranging module is the TOF050C module, which has a built-in VL6180 ranging chip and can achieve millimeter-level accuracy ranging.

[0075] The working principle and processing flow of the turnout recognition module 10 are as follows: First, the binocular cameras are calibrated to obtain the internal parameters (intrinsic parameter matrix, distortion coefficient) of each camera and the relative positional relationship between the two cameras (rotation matrix R and translation vector t); then, binocular correction is performed to constrain the matching relationship of corresponding image points in the left and right views to the same horizontal epipolar line, reducing the two-dimensional search to a one-dimensional search, so as to effectively improve the efficiency and accuracy of subsequent stereo matching.

[0076] The core processing flow of the turnout recognition module 10 includes original image input, distortion elimination, binocular correction, and image cropping. After correction, the binocular image is used to perform stereo matching using a block matching algorithm to calculate the pixel disparity of the target point (rail tip 11) in the left and right views.

[0077] Based on the principle of triangulation, and combined with the parallax data and camera calibration parameters, the preliminary distance information between rail tip 11 and the inspection vehicle is calculated. Simultaneously, the laser ranging module, based on the time-of-flight method, measures the time difference between laser emission and reception. According to the formula (In the formula, This represents the absolute distance between rail tip 11 and the inspection vehicle. At the speed of light, The absolute distance between the rail tip 11 and the inspection vehicle is calculated by taking the time difference between the laser emission and reception of the laser by the laser ranging module.

[0078] When the onboard industrial control computer 22 fuses the ranging results from the binocular camera and the laser ranging module, a consistency threshold is pre-set. If the deviation between the two ranging methods exceeds the threshold, the onboard industrial control computer 22 automatically triggers a dynamic calibration or anomaly detection process. If the deviation is within an acceptable range, the Kalman filter algorithm is used to preprocess and fuse the dynamic data from the binocular vision and laser ranging. The Kalman filter can optimize the distance estimate in real time based on the system dynamic model and measurement noise characteristics, ultimately outputting stable and accurate distance and position information for the track tip 11. This multimodal fusion strategy relies on the YOLO target detection algorithm (i.e., the You Only Look Once target algorithm, a real-time target detection technology based on end-to-end deep learning, whose core feature is that it can simultaneously complete the target localization and classification with only one forward computation of a convolutional neural network (CNN)) to provide the category and bounding box information of the track tip 11. It uses laser ranging data to construct an accurate spatial positioning benchmark, effectively correcting the cumulative error generated by the binocular vision system under complex lighting conditions, and significantly improving the reliability, measurement accuracy, and environmental adaptability of track tip 11 identification and positioning.

[0079] It should be noted that in the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle provided by this invention, the detection components, on-board industrial control computer 22, lateral movement mechanism, and longitudinal movement mechanism constitute a closed-loop control system. The turnout identification module 10 can not only identify the turnout type and locate the rail tip 11, but also generate point cloud data of the turnout area during operation. After the point cloud data is transmitted to the on-board industrial control computer 22, it is processed by the on-board industrial control computer 22 for noise reduction, registration, and stitching, which can construct a three-dimensional point cloud model that can truly reflect the three-dimensional structural morphology of the turnout area, providing data support for comprehensive defect detection and digital archiving of the turnout area.

[0080] The on-board industrial control computer 22 matches and compares the point cloud model established based on the point cloud data generated by the turnout identification module 10 with the built-in standard turnout database, calculates the optimal track changing parameters in real time (including the lateral movement starting point, lateral movement amount, and the action sequence of each cylinder, etc.), and sends control signals to the solenoid valve group to drive the lateral movement mechanism and the longitudinal movement mechanism to perform track changing actions.

[0081] Furthermore, it should be noted that the track data collected by the flaw detector 12 before and after the track change can also be used to assist in verifying the accuracy of the track change operation. For example, different tracks have different surface defect characteristics. By comparing the track surface defect characteristics measured by the flaw detector 12 before and after the track change, if the collected surface defect characteristics have changed, it can be determined that the guide wheel assembly has been correctly positioned on the target track 5.

[0082] The working principle of the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle provided by the present invention is as follows: the turnout identification module 10 identifies the turnout type and locates the rail tip 11. After measuring the distance between the rail tip 11 and the inspection vehicle, the on-board industrial control computer 22 receives the information detected by the turnout identification module 10 and makes a decision, controlling the solenoid valve group to perform precise timing control on each cylinder; at the same time, the flaw detector 12 identifies the damage status of the track in real time and transmits the detected information to the on-board industrial control computer 22.

[0083] As the two sets of traveling wheels continue to move forward, the controller, based on the turnout type and the position of the rail tip 11, controls the telescopic end of the transverse cylinder 7 near the rail tip 11 to retract at a constant speed via the solenoid valve group. This causes the two longitudinal cylinders 6 connected to it to move along the guide rail toward the center of the frame 1, thereby causing the guide wheel 3 on that side to detach from the original track 4 and move toward the center of the frame 1 until the guide wheel 3 is located inside the rail tip 11. At the same time, the two longitudinal cylinders 6 on the side away from the rail tip 11 act synchronously under the control of the solenoid valve group, and their telescopic ends retract at a set speed, causing the corresponding guide wheel 3 to lift upward, raising the ground of the guide wheel 3 to more than 15mm above the track surface, preparing for crossing the original track 4.

[0084] Afterwards, while maintaining the above state, the traveling wheels 2 drive the frame 1 to continue moving forward at a speed of 0.5 to 1 m / s. When the inspection vehicle reaches the turnout switching area, the transverse cylinder 7, which had previously retracted towards the center of the frame 1, begins to move in the opposite direction under the control of the solenoid valve group. The telescopic end of the transverse cylinder 7 extends outward with a constant thrust, so that the guide wheel 3 located inside the rail tip 11 moves towards the target track 5. During the movement, the guide wheel 3 contacts the rail tip 11. According to the principle of action and reaction, the inspection vehicle is subjected to a lateral component force pointing towards the target track 5. This component force allows the traveling wheels 2 to smoothly transition to the target track 5 while maintaining contact with the original track 4.

[0085] After the main body of the inspection vehicle completes the track change, the previously retracting longitudinal cylinder 6 extends downward under the control of the solenoid valve assembly, causing the guide wheel 3 connected to it to descend at a controlled speed until it forms stable contact with the inner side of the target track 5. This descent process adopts a two-stage control strategy: first, the longitudinal cylinder 6 controls the guide wheel 3 to descend at a speed v1 to a position 5mm away from the top surface of the target track 5, and then descends at a speed v2 (v1>v2) to contact the inner side of the target track 5, to ensure that the contact between the guide wheel 3 and the target track 5 is smooth and without impact.

[0086] Once all guide wheels 3 have established stable contact with the target track 5, the onboard industrial control computer 22 confirms the track change is complete via information transmitted from the turnout identification module 10 and the flaw detector 12. Subsequently, the inspection vehicle resumes normal operation, with the traveling wheels 2 providing the main driving force, the guide wheels 3 providing directional guidance for the traveling wheels 2, and the flaw detector 12 performing comprehensive defect detection on the target track 5 area.

[0087] An embodiment of the automatic track-changing method provided by this invention:

[0088] The automatic track-changing method is implemented using the aforementioned automatic track-changing inspection vehicle, and includes the following steps:

[0089] Of the guide wheels on the left and right sides, the guide wheel on the same side as the rail tip is the near guide wheel, and the guide wheel on the opposite side of the rail tip is the far guide wheel. The longitudinal and transverse moving mechanism drives the near guide wheel to contact the target track with the rail tip. At the same time, the longitudinal and transverse moving mechanism drives the far guide wheel to rise and leave the original track, so as to guide the inspection vehicle to complete the track change during the rolling of the traveling wheels. After the track change is completed, the longitudinal and transverse moving mechanism drives the far guide wheel to descend to contact the target track.

[0090] After the track change is completed, the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism first controls the far guide wheel to descend at a speed of v1 to above the top surface of the target track, and then controls the far guide wheel to descend at a speed of v2 to contact the inside of the target track, where v1 > v2.

[0091] Based on the above description in this specification, those skilled in the art will also understand that the following terms, such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "width," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," which indicate orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings of this specification. They are only for the purpose of facilitating the explanation of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not explicitly or implicitly suggest that the device or element involved must have the specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above-mentioned orientation or positional relationship terms should not be understood or interpreted as limitations on the present invention.

[0092] In addition, in the description of this specification, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three or more, etc., unless otherwise expressly and specifically defined.

Claims

1. An automatic track-changing inspection vehicle, comprising a frame, wherein the frame is provided with wheels for rolling on a track, the extension direction of the track being defined as the forward and backward direction, characterized in that, Also includes: The guide wheel assembly includes guide wheels located on the left and right sides of the vehicle frame. The guide wheels are used to abut against the corresponding side rails to guide the movement of the vehicle frame. The guide wheels are mounted on the vehicle frame via a longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism. The longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism includes a transverse movement mechanism for driving the guide wheels to move laterally left and right and a longitudinal movement mechanism for driving the guide wheels to move vertically up and down. The guide wheels are driven to move laterally and move up and down by the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism so that when the vehicle frame moves to the turnout area, the guide wheels abut against the target rail and thus guide the vehicle frame onto the target rail. The traveling wheel has a set wheel width so that it rolls onto the target track when the guide wheel comes into contact with the target track; The traveling wheel is a flat wheel, and its tread width is not less than the maximum distance between the switch rail and the original track in the turnout area. The longitudinal movement mechanism includes multiple longitudinally arranged cylinders, and the telescopic end of each longitudinally arranged cylinder is connected to one of the guide wheels for independently driving the guide wheel to rise and fall. The lateral movement mechanism includes at least two transversely arranged cylinders facing away from each other. The cylinder bodies of the transverse cylinders are fixedly mounted on the frame, and the telescopic ends of the transverse cylinders are connected to the longitudinal cylinders. When a track change is required, the guide wheel on the side closest to the rail tip is disengaged from the original track and moved toward the center of the frame by the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism until the guide wheel is inside the rail tip. At the same time, the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism controls the guide wheel on the other side to be raised until its bottom surface is higher than the preset height of the top surface of the original track.

2. The automatic track-changing inspection vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lateral movement mechanism is mounted on the frame and connected to the longitudinal movement mechanism. The guide wheel is connected to the longitudinal movement mechanism so that the lateral movement mechanism drives the longitudinal movement mechanism and the guide wheel to move laterally left and right, and the longitudinal movement mechanism drives the guide wheel to move vertically up and down.

3. The automatic track-changing inspection vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The frame is equipped with a slide rail, and the telescopic end of the transverse cylinder is equipped with a slide frame, which is mounted on the slide rail. The longitudinal cylinder is installed at both the front and rear ends of the slide frame.

4. The automatic track-changing inspection vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, Pressure sensors are installed in the air lines of both the longitudinally placed cylinder and the transversely placed cylinder.

5. The automatic track-changing inspection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The chassis is equipped with a turnout identification module, which is located on the front and rear sides of the chassis to identify the turnout type and locate the rail tip.

6. An automatic track-changing method, characterized in that, The implementation using the automatic track-changing inspection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 includes the following steps: Of the guide wheels on the left and right sides, the guide wheel on the same side as the rail tip is the near guide wheel, and the guide wheel on the opposite side of the rail tip is the far guide wheel. The longitudinal and transverse moving mechanism drives the near guide wheel to contact the target track with the rail tip. At the same time, the longitudinal and transverse moving mechanism drives the far guide wheel to rise and leave the original track, so as to guide the inspection vehicle to complete the track change during the rolling of the traveling wheels. After the track change is completed, the longitudinal and transverse moving mechanism drives the far guide wheel to descend to contact the target track.

7. The automatic track-changing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, After the track change is completed, the longitudinal and transverse movement mechanism first controls the far guide wheel to descend at a speed of v1 to above the top surface of the target track, and then controls the far guide wheel to descend at a speed of v2 until it contacts the inside of the target track, v1 > v2.

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