TRACK-BOUND VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a track-bound vehicle with at least one measuring device and at least one display device for displaying at least one measured value, as well as a method for operating the track-guided vehicle.

[0002] The fill levels of various tanks on a rail vehicle are usually displayed on the outside of the vehicle. These can include tanks for fresh and wastewater from toilets and galleys, as well as washrooms and showers in passenger cars. Similarly, the fill levels of other tank systems, such as fuel tanks, windshield washer system tanks, etc., can also be displayed externally.

[0003] The fill level of the affected tank is detected linearly or in steps using sensors, processed in the measuring and evaluation electronics and displayed on the outside of the vehicle.

[0004] Additionally, fill levels can also be transmitted to control or service centers. A typical display is the bar graph, in which the levels of the fresh and wastewater tanks are shown for the sanitary module by a series of LEDs. A power supply is required to maintain this functionality.

[0005] Checking fluid levels on vehicles that are parked and disconnected is not possible without further measures. To take a reading, the electronics must be supplied with power, at least briefly. A continuous power supply is not feasible, as this would unduly strain the vehicle batteries.

[0006] WO 2018 / 019476 A1 describes a reed contact designed to switch a power supply for the level indicator and for the evaluation electronics of the level gauge when a magnetic field is applied.

[0007] US 2016 / 351927 A1 discloses an electronic multi-stable display to indicate a fill level in a tank.

[0008] The invention is based on the objective of further simplifying the maintenance of a track-bound vehicle.

[0009] The problem is solved by the subject matter of independent patent claims 1 and 6. Further developments and embodiments of the invention are found in the features of the dependent patent claims.

[0010] A track-bound vehicle according to the invention, in particular a passenger rail vehicle, comprises at least one measuring device, comprising at least one sensor for acquiring measured values ​​of a measured quantity, and at least one display device for displaying at least one measured value. The display device serves to optically output at least one measured value acquired by the measuring device. The measured value is, in particular, the current value or at least the last measured value acquired. According to the invention, the display device has at least one electromagnetic-mechanical bistable display element, which retains the last display value in the de-energized state. In the de-energized, de-energized state, the electromagnetic-mechanical bistable display element thus displays the measured value last acquired in the powered-on state.An example of an electromagnetic-mechanical bistable display element is a so-called flip-dot display.

[0011] According to a first embodiment of the invention, the display device is arranged on the vehicle so that it can be read from the outside. The display device is, in particular, arranged on an outer side of the vehicle.

[0012] According to a further embodiment, the track-bound vehicle comprises at least one tank, in particular for receiving and storing fluid, for example, fresh, grey, or wastewater, wherein the measuring device for detecting a fill level in the tank is suitably designed and arranged in or on the tank. The measuring device thus comprises at least one sensor for detecting measured values ​​of a fill level in the tank. The tank is further described as a fresh, grey, or wastewater tank of a sanitary facility or a galley of the vehicle. The display element accordingly indicates the fill level of the tank.

[0013] According to the invention, the track-bound vehicle comprises a control button which is arranged in the area of ​​the display device and is connected to the display device in a suitable manner, and the display device and the control button are designed to produce a predetermined display state of the bistable display element when the control button is actuated.

[0014] By pressing the control button, the display content of the indicator changes. The control buttons on the indicator are advantageously designed to establish a predefined display state of the bistable indicator and change the displayed content even when the vehicle is de-energized and the indicator is therefore unpowered. The predefined display states of the indicator represent, in more detail, the fill level of an empty, full, or partially filled tank.

[0015] The actuating button is designed according to the invention and is connected to the display device in such a way that by actuating the actuating button a force is exerted on the display element to mechanically move it into the desired display position.

[0016] The control button has been further developed and is located in the immediate vicinity of the display unit on the outside of the vehicle, allowing it to be freely operated from the outside. In this further developed form, the display unit includes the control button.

[0017] To operate a track-bound vehicle according to the invention, at least one current measured value is acquired by the measuring device and output by the display device, in particular displayed by the display element, when the track-bound vehicle is equipped and ready for operation. After the track-bound vehicle is dismantled and the display device is de-energized, at least one final measured value acquired in the equipped state of the vehicle is output by the display device, in particular displayed by the display element, so that it can be read when the vehicle is dismantled.

[0018] If the track-bound vehicle includes a tank and a measuring device for recording the tank level, the tank can also be filled or emptied when the vehicle is dismantled, for example, by draining or pumping out water. By manually operating the control button, for example, the display can then be set to show a level representative of a full or empty tank. For example, a service technician first fills the tank. He then operates the corresponding control button so that the display shows a full tank.

[0019] The invention enables the display of tank levels even when the vehicle is parked without power, as the display device retains its last reading in the de-energized state. When checking levels, the measuring electronics and the associated power supply can remain deactivated.

[0020] The display content is continuously updated during normal operation. After a power failure, the tank level remains unchanged, and the corresponding display content also remains unchanged.

[0021] Fuel levels are thus displayed continuously, particularly on the exterior of the vehicle. Complex circuits for activating and later deactivating measuring equipment and displays are no longer necessary. Likewise, service personnel no longer need to access internal switchgear to activate the power supply. Waiting times for the information to become available are eliminated. Furthermore, service personnel benefit from improved comfort, as fuel levels can be checked easily and quickly even in vehicles that are not equipped with the system.

[0022] The invention allows for numerous embodiments. It is explained in more detail with reference to the following figures, each of which illustrates an exemplary embodiment. Identical elements in the figures are identified by the same reference numerals. Fig. 1 schematically shows a rail vehicle with a fresh water tank and an externally mounted display device for indicating the fill level, Fig. 2 shows a display device for indicating the fill level, Fig. 3 shows a display device for indicating the fill level with pushbuttons.

[0023] In Fig. 1 The diagram schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a rail vehicle 5. It has a fresh water tank 6 in the roof area. A float 7, part of a measuring device for detecting the fill level in the fresh water tank 6, is provided in the tank. A display device 1 is arranged on the outside of the vehicle 5. This device displays the fill level in the tank 6, as measured by the measuring device, in such a way that it can be read from the outside. The display device 1 is in Fig. 2The diagram shows that the device is designed to output a value representing the fill level in tank 6, depending on the fill level measured by the measuring device. Here, the display device 1 has a discrete scale. "0" represents an empty tank, "1 / 1" a full one. The fill levels in between are displayed, for example, in "quarter-step" increments.

[0024] The invention is based on the premise that tank levels only change through the use of connected appliances or active intervention. Following this premise, determining the fill level and updating the corresponding display are only necessary if the fill level has actually changed.

[0025] Rail vehicles typically require a supply of electrical energy to operate their electrical systems. Therefore, once a train has been decommissioned, the fuel levels in decommissioned and parked vehicles no longer change.

[0026] With a suitable display, the last measured fill level can now be shown continuously and unchanged. In principle, analog pointer displays are suitable for this purpose, as they do not revert to a starting value in their passive state but maintain the pointer or display position. Analog mechanical solutions appear to be prone to failure and structurally complex.

[0027] Bistable display elements 2, as in [reference], seem to be more suitable. Figure 3 This is illustrated. Electromechanical designs such as flip-dot displays can be used for this purpose. With this type of display, a movable display element is turned towards or away from the viewer. For example, the two halves of the display can be colored differently. Through active control, they assume a display state and then retain this state even when power is off.

[0028] The display is kept constantly up-to-date during normal operation. After vehicle 5 is decommissioned, the display unit 1 is de-energized, and the display remains unchanged. In the decommissioned state, the levels of the tanks 6 also remain unchanged, as the consumers are likewise de-energized and out of operation. The display therefore permanently shows the actual level, as long as level changes only occur when the power supply is switched on. This ensures that the levels are always readable, regardless of the operating status of vehicle 5.

[0029] To accurately record filling or emptying processes on vehicles 5 that are parked without power, additional manual control buttons 3 and 4 can be provided. These control buttons 3 and 4 are used to manually set the display elements 2 and / or 8 to the corresponding display state. For this purpose, after filling a parked vehicle 5 that is without power, the "full" button – control button 3 – is pressed on the display unit 1. An "empty" button is conceivable for updating the display element 2 after emptying the fresh water tank 6 of a parked vehicle 5 that is without power. However, this will likely be used less frequently, as emptying a fresh water tank 6 is usually initiated from inside the vehicle. Therefore, a power supply can be assumed to be switched on. For wastewater tanks with external suction, however, the "empty" button is useful for displaying the wastewater tank level.

[0030] Fig. 3Figure 1 illustrates an example of the implementation of a display device with level indicators for both the fresh water and wastewater tanks. Display element 2 shows the fill level of tank 6 for fresh water, while display element 8 shows the fill level of the wastewater tank. The display device further includes a control button 3 to change the display content of display element 2 to represent a full fresh water tank, and a control button 4 to change the display content of display element 8 to represent an empty wastewater tank. If a vehicle is being filled or emptied while dismantled, the display can be manually set to "full" for the fresh water tank and "empty" for the wastewater tank using these control buttons 3 and 4.

[0031] When using the electromechanical display, the display is manually moved to the desired display position by pressing the control buttons. No power supply is required.

Claims

1. Track-bound vehicle (5) having at least one measuring facility (7) and at least one display facility (1) for displaying at least one measured value, characterised in that the display facility (1) comprises at least one electromagnetic-mechanical bistable display element (2, 8), wherein the track-bound vehicle (5) comprises a control button (3, 4) which is arranged in the region of the display facility (1) and is connected to the display facility (1), wherein the display facility (1) and the control button (3, 4) are suitably embodied to establish a predetermined display state of the bistable display element (2, 8) when the control button (3, 4) is actuated, wherein the control button (3, 4) is embodied and connected to the display facility (1) in such a way that a force is exerted onto the display element (2, 8) by actuating the control button (3, 4) in order to move this mechanically into the desired display position.

2. Track-bound vehicle according to claim 1, characterised in that the display facility (1) is arranged so as to be readable on the vehicle (5) from the outside.

3. Track-bound vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it comprises at least one tank (6), wherein the measuring facility (7) is suitably embodied and arranged to detect a fill level in the tank (6).

4. Track-bound vehicle according to claim 3, characterised in that the tank (6) is a fresh water, grey water or wastewater tank of a sanitary facility or a galley in the vehicle (5).

5. Track-bound vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the predetermined display states represent the fill level of an empty or a full tank (6).

6. Method for operating a track-bound vehicle (5) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterised by the following method steps: a. Detecting at least one measured value by means of the measuring facility (7); b. Displaying at least one current measured value by means of the display facility (1); c. Demobilising the track-bound vehicle (5) and disconnecting the voltage of the display facility (1); d. Displaying at least one last measured value detected in the activated state of the vehicle (5) by means of the display facility (1); e. Filling or emptying the tank (6) in the deactivated state of the track-bound vehicle (5); f. Actuating the control button (3, 4) in order to establish a display state of the bistable display element (2, 8) which is representative of a fill level of a full or empty tank (6).