ROBOTIC MOWING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY TRACK VEGETATION, MAINTENANCE VEHICLE AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

Abstract

ROBOTIZED MOWING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY TRACK VEGETATION, MAINTENANCE VEHICLE AND ASSOCIATED METHOD The invention relates to a robotic mowing system for vegetation present on a railway track having rails arranged on a railway surface, said track having a central zone extending between the rails and two lateral zones arranged on either side of the rails along said central zone, said system comprising at least one main bar; means for detecting the railway surface and obstacles present on the railway track; a plurality of cutting elements each mounted movable in translation relative to said main bar and a control unit configured to adjust the cutting height of each cutting element according to the railway surface and obstacles present on the railway track, the invention also relates to a maintenance vehicle equipped with such a system and an associated method.Figure for the abbreviation: figure 3.

Description

Title of the invention: ROBOTIZED MOWING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY TRACK VEGETATION, MAINTENANCE VEHICLE AND ASSOCIATED METHOD Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to the field of vegetation control on and around railway lines using a robotic mowing device. More particularly, the invention relates to a robotic mowing system for vegetation present on a railway line, as well as to a method for managing railway mowing and to a railway maintenance vehicle equipped with such a mowing system. Technological background

[0002] Railway tracks must be subject to regular maintenance and inspections in order to ensure the safety and good condition of railway traffic tracks.

[0003] In most cases, these tracks include a railway surface, which may be ballasted or paved. Ballast consists of a layer of stones and / or gravel laid along the track and comprising the sleepers and rails. The purpose of ballast is, in particular, to hold the sleepers and rails in position when they are subjected to mechanical stresses during the passage of railway vehicles. It allows the transfer and distribution of these mechanical stresses to the ground, facilitates the drainage of rainwater from the track, and acts as a temporary barrier to plant growth.

[0004] However, despite the presence of ballast, vegetation can persist and develop over time along the tracks and in the inter-rail zone. Since manual clearing is a lengthy and tedious process, solutions have been developed for mowing railway tracks.

[0005] Nowadays, rail-road brush cutters are widely used for trackside maintenance. However, operating such machines is cumbersome. Furthermore, although mowing along the outer edges of the track can be carried out more easily than mowing the area between the rails, the result is still rough and not entirely satisfactory.

[0006] Moreover, when used in the area between rails, commonly employed means include mowing bars equipped with fixed-height cutting elements. Consequently, when an obstacle is present, even over a small portion of the track width, the bar must be lifted in its entirety. Therefore, only through lengthy maneuvers can the track be cleared more precisely.

[0007] The known means for mowing railway tracks also do not allow for the simultaneous treatment of the center of the track, hereinafter referred to as the interrail zone, and the sides of the track, hereinafter referred to as the lateral zones.

[0008] Current mechanized mowing devices do not allow for precise weed control. Indeed, on some railway lines, particularly sidings, the upper surface of the ballast can be very uneven. The ballast may therefore be at the level of the rail pads, directly above them, but it may also form mounds or depressions in the area between the rails. Treating the entire track section at the highest cutting height leaves the track open to significant vegetation growth. Treating all the vegetation with an intermediate cutting height risks damaging the cutting tools if they strike an obstacle on the track.

[0009] Finally, chemical brush clearing is a usable alternative, but not always effective, as it does not allow for the rapid and immediate treatment of dense and well-established vegetation. Furthermore, there are ecological and logistical drawbacks related to the quantity of product to be transported and applied.

[0010] The inventors therefore sought a solution to overcome the drawbacks of current railway mowing solutions. Objectives of the invention

[0011] The invention aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, a robotic mowing system enabling fine weeding on and around a railway line.

[0012] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, a mowing system equipped with a means for detecting obstacles and irregularities present on a railway track.

[0013] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, a mowing system comprising a plurality of cutting elements with a retractable movable part.

[0014] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, a mowing system allowing simultaneous weeding of inter-rail and lateral areas.

[0015] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, a mowing system limiting the risks of breakage of the cutting elements.

[0016] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, a system comprising compact and lightweight cutting elements.

[0017] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, a method for managing the mowing of vegetation on a railway line using a robotic mowing system.

[0018] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, a railway maintenance vehicle equipped with a robotic mowing system.

[0019] The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, a mowing system to optimize and facilitate the mowing of railway tracks during and after mowing. Description of the invention

[0020] To this end, the invention relates to a robotic mowing system for vegetation present on at least a portion of a railway line having rails arranged on a railway surface, said line further having a central zone extending between the rails and two lateral zones arranged on either side of the rails along said central zone, said system comprising:

[0021] - at least one main bar extending transversely above the area central of the railway, once the system is arranged above the rails, and comprising two ends configured to extend above the lateral areas of said railway;

[0022] - means for detecting the railway surface and obstacles present on the railway line;

[0023] - a plurality of cutting elements each mounted movable in translation relative to said main bar, said plurality of cutting elements being distributed along said bar;

[0024] - a control unit configured to adjust the cutting height of each cutting device in relation to the railway surface and according to the obstacles present on said section of railway track and detected by said detection means.

[0025] Throughout this text, it is understood that the system according to the invention comprises at least one main bar configured to extend transversely and perpendicularly above the rails when used for mowing a railway track. The main bar can be considered a load-bearing beam whose web extends in a transverse direction, perpendicular to the direction of the rails, once the system is installed. This bar may further have an I-shaped profile in its cross-section and comprises a lower end and an upper end defining the height of the beam along a vertical axis.

[0026] For the purposes of this invention, "railway surface" means any surface on which the rails rest; this may include tracks or sections of tracks comprising ballast and / or slabs, for example, so the term "railway surface" extends to ballasted or paved railway surfaces or any other railway surface that can be used to support rails.

[0027] The "central zone" is defined as the area extending between the two rails of a track railway, this zone corresponds to an inter-rail zone corresponding to the inner area located between the two rails of said railway track.

[0028] The "lateral zone" is defined as the zones located on either side along the central zone; this zone corresponds to the lateral zones located outside the rails of said railway.

[0029] The mowing system according to the invention thus allows mowing not only between the rails but also outside the rails over a width corresponding to the railway surface of the track. When the system is used above the rails, the main bar is arranged transversely above the rails and thus has two ends configured to extend over said lateral areas.

[0030] According to the invention, the system comprises means for detecting the railway surface and obstacles present on the track. As such, the system may be equipped with one or more sensors for detecting obstacles and the railway surface. These detection means may be arranged directly on the cutter bar or on the cutting elements, or on an auxiliary structure placed in front of said cutter bar, or at the front of a vehicle equipped with such a cutter bar. Thus, the mowing system may include one or more sensors such as a profilometer, a two- or three-dimensional laser remote sensing system known by the English acronyms "LiDAR 2D" or "LiDAR 3D," a mono / stereo camera, a sonar, a radar, etc., or any other equivalent system that can be used to detect obstacles present on the railway track.These detection methods thus make it possible to acquire data relating to the topography, the terrain, the presence of obstacles on the railway, or the height or density of the vegetation present on said railway.

[0031] The system according to the invention comprises a plurality of motorized cutting elements. These cutting elements have a main body and a cutting head comprising a cutting member. The cutting elements are arranged perpendicularly along the direction of the main bar, corresponding to the transverse direction when the system is used above rails. For the purposes of this invention, a motorized cutting element is defined as each cutting element being mechanically or electrically connected to at least one motor. This motor provides the energy required for mowing and can be controlled by a control unit.

[0032] To achieve finer mowing, the cutting elements are arranged on the main bar so as to extend over the central and lateral areas of the railway when the mowing system is in use. This arrangement advantageously allows the central and lateral areas of the railway to be treated simultaneously.

[0033] Each of the cutting elements of the system comprises a cutting head arranged in so as to be opposite the railway surface to be treated when using said system. Each cutting head thus comprises a cutting element arranged at its end.

[0034] The system further comprises a plurality of motorized cutting elements, each cutting member being mechanically connected to a motorized cutting element, said motorized cutting elements being arranged each perpendicularly along the main bar.

[0035] The motorized cutting elements of the invention are arranged along the main bar and allow variable height movement of the cutting heads and consequently of the cutting elements arranged at the end of the latter.

[0036] The cutting elements are therefore capable of translating relative to the direction of the main bar. Preferably, each of the cutting elements is arranged perpendicularly along said main bar. By "movable mounts in vertical translation" is meant, in the context of the invention, that each cutting element comprises at least one movable part configured to perform such a movement relative to the direction of the main bar.

[0037] The system according to the invention also includes a control unit configured to adjust the cutting height of each cutting element according to the railway surface and any obstacles present on the track. This control unit may include control modules connected to the detection means of the mowing system. Furthermore, the invention may include a plurality of control units for analyzing and processing the data acquired by the detection means and / or the various sensors. The control unit allows for the adjustment and / or setting of the cutting head height of the cutting elements of said mowing system based on data from the detection means and the obstacles detected on the surrounding section of track.Furthermore, the control unit allows a cutting height to be defined based on data acquired by the detection means or data from an external or historical database. This unit is thus configured to adjust the height of the cutting elements according to the obstacles detected by the detection means.

[0038] The control unit can also control the cutting speed of the system's cutting element. This system can also be controlled remotely, notably via a human-machine interface. Furthermore, the control unit can control the rotational speed of the cutting element's motor between different operating speeds. The system according to the invention can thus benefit from variable cutting power as needed.

[0039] Thus, according to the invention, the height of each of the cutting elements can be adjusted independently based on data from the means of detection, with said data being analyzed and processed by the control unit. In addition, having multiple cutting elements along the main bar allows for closer mowing to the ballast and finer mowing around obstacles that may be encountered and that may be present between or beside the rails, while ensuring simultaneous mowing of different areas of the railway track.

[0040] Advantageously and according to the invention, the system comprises, for at least one cutting element, preferably for each cutting element:

[0041] - a fixed part integral with at least a portion of the main bar, said part fixed, having a lower end and an upper end that are vertically opposed,

[0042] - a movable part mounted to move vertically relative to said part fixed, between a position, called deployed position, in which the moving part is in a position adjacent to the lower end of the fixed part, and a position, called retracted position, in which the moving part is in a position adjacent to the upper end of said fixed part.

[0043] According to this embodiment, the fixed part can be considered as all or part of the main body of the cutting element, said body being at least partly attached to said main bar.

[0044] The moving part can be considered as any element or part of the mowing system capable of performing a translational movement.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the moving part includes a cutting element.

[0046] Thus, according to the invention, the moving part is arranged between two fixed ends of the cutting element allowing the vertical translation stroke of said moving part to be delimited.

[0047] Advantageously and according to the invention, the system further comprises, for at least one cutting element, preferably for each cutting element, an actuator configured to ensure the vertical translation of the moving part relative to the fixed part of the cutting element.

[0048] The actuators that may be used can be electric, pneumatic, and / or hydraulic. These actuators can be selected from a cylinder, a rack and pinion assembly, a worm gear and motorized wheel, or any other actuator known to those skilled in the art. The actuators are controlled by the control unit, which allows for the control of the actuator's positioning and / or movement.

[0049] Thus and according to the invention, the actuator allows to translate vertically all the elements linked to it in this movement as well as to ensure to hold in position at the desired location.

[0050] Advantageously and according to the invention, at least one cutting element, preferably Each cutting element includes a transmission shaft fixed in vertical translation to said moving part, said shaft having a proximal part arranged in the vertical axis of said cutting element and a distal part comprising a cutting member.

[0051] According to this embodiment, the transmission shaft is arranged vertically in the axis of the cutting element and is fixed to the moving part.

[0052] The drive shaft of the mowing system is configured to perform a rotational movement about the vertical axis of the cutting element and a vertical translational movement.

[0053] Thus and according to the invention, the transmission shaft allows on the one hand the transmission of the mechanical rotational energy of a motor of the cutting element to the cutting member located at its distal part, and on the other hand, to ensure the connection with the actuator and the moving part.

[0054] Advantageously and according to the invention, the system further comprises, for at least one cutting element, preferably for each cutting element, a rotation drive unit for said transmission shaft mechanically linking the fixed part and the moving part of the cutting element, said unit being configured to allow the rotation of the transmission shaft independently of its vertical position.

[0055] By vertical position of the transmission shaft we mean a position similar to that of the moving part of the cutting element, said shaft being fixed in translation to said moving part.

[0056] Advantageously and according to the invention, the drive group comprises, for at least one cutting element, preferably for each cutting element:

[0057] - a deformable transmission element configured to transmit the torque from minus one motor on the vertical drive shaft;

[0058] - a set of drive gears mechanically connected to at least one motor, said assembly being configured to drive in rotation the deformable transmission element, said assembly being arranged on the lower and upper ends of the fixed part of the cutting element;

[0059] - a set of gears driven by said deformable transmission element, said assembly being arranged on the moving part and fixed in vertical translation of said moving part relative to the fixed part of the cutting element;

[0060] - at least one right-angle gear fixed in rotation and translation said set of driven gears, said gearing also being fixed in translation to the transmission shaft of said cutting element.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, the drive pinion assembly comprises at least four drive pinions arranged in pairs on each of the upper and lower ends of the fixed part of a cutting element.

[0062] The drive gears provide mechanical energy to the transmission element and can be connected to one or more motors.

[0063] The deformable transmission element can be a flexible transmission element, such as a synchronized or non-synchronized belt or a chain.

[0064] Thus and according to the invention, the drive path of the deformable transmission element and the return of the movement by the mechanical coupling of the right-angle gears on the transmission shaft allows the moving part to translate vertically without it being necessary to move the motor(s) supplying the torque to the cutting member of the cutting element, the system can thus gain in compactness and weight with a distribution of the drive elements rather than having a single motor for the plurality of cutting elements.

[0065] Advantageously and according to the invention, the fixed part of at least one cutting element, preferably each cutting element, includes means for guiding the moving part in vertical translation relative to the fixed part.

[0066] Preferably, the guiding means are formed by two vertical bars on which the moving part slides. In this embodiment, the moving part is a sliding housing comprising means enabling the sliding of said housing.

[0067] Thus and according to the invention, the guiding means make it possible to ensure movement of the moving part during vertical translation.

[0068] Advantageously and according to the invention, the system further comprises a power supply battery electrically connected to the plurality of cutting elements.

[0069] Thus and according to the invention, the system according to the invention can be powered autonomously as needed, without depending on the energy of a vehicle.

[0070] Advantageously and according to the invention, the system according to the invention comprises a protective housing arranged on the main bar or on each cutting head.

[0071] Thus and according to the invention, the system benefits from additional protection aimed at preventing projections towards users or surrounding objects during the use of the system.

[0072] Advantageously and according to the invention, the plurality of cutting elements of the system includes a pivot joint or a ball joint arranged on the distal part of the transmission shaft between the main bar and the cutting member.

[0073] Furthermore, the invention also provides a system comprising a joint located on the distal part of the transmission shaft. Such a joint can be selected from an angular position adjustment means and / or an angular power transmission element such as a universal joint or Oldham joint, for example.

[0074] Thus and according to the invention, the cutting heads can benefit from additional degrees of freedom whose rotation can be controlled during operation.

[0075] The invention also relates to a maintenance vehicle for a section of railway having a longitudinal direction corresponding to the direction of movement of said vehicle on said section of railway, said vehicle being characterized in that it comprises a robotic mowing system according to all or part of the preceding characteristics, said system being controlled by the advance of the vehicle on the railway.

[0076] The invention also relates to a method for controlling the cutting height of a plurality of cutting elements of a mowing system according to all or part of the preceding characteristics, for the robotic mowing of vegetation present on at least a portion of a railway line having rails arranged on a railway surface, said line further having a central zone extending between the rails and two lateral zones arranged on either side of the rails along said central zone, said method being characterized in that it comprises:

[0077] - a step of acquiring the topography of the central zone and the lateral zones of the railway line;

[0078] - a step of detecting obstacles present on said railway track from the processing of acquired data;

[0079] - a step of determining a cutting height of each cutting element in based on previous data;

[0080] - a step of adjusting the cutting height of each of the cutting elements to starting from the height determined according to the topography of said section of railway and the obstacles present on said railway.

[0081] For the purposes of this invention, the topography acquisition step is a step that enables the acquisition of data relating to the relief and topography of the ground, including data relating to the presence of vegetation, in particular data on the height and density of the vegetation present. List of figures

[0082] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, given by way of non-limiting example only, and which refers to the accompanying figures in which: • [Fig.1] is a schematic cross-sectional view of the arrangement of the cutting elements on the main bar of the mowing system according to one embodiment of the invention. • [Fig.2] is a detailed view of a section element showing the detail of the drive group according to an embodiment of the invention, the cutting element being in a neutral position. • [Fig. 3] is a schematic view of the use of the mowing system according to a method of implementing the invention on a railway track. • [Fig. 4] is a simplified diagram representing one embodiment of the mowing system in the presence of obstacles on a railway track.

[0083] Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention

[0084] In the figures, scales and proportions are not strictly observed for illustrative and clarity purposes. Throughout the detailed description that follows with reference to the figures, identical, similar, or analogous elements are designated by the same reference numerals in all figures.

[0085] Figures 1, 3 and 4 represent a system 1 for mowing vegetation present on a railway according to an embodiment of the invention in which the main bar 20 comprises a plurality of cutting elements 40 arranged on said bar 20. The cutting elements 40 are arranged on either side of the bar 20 along the direction of said bar 20 which corresponds to the transverse direction when the latter is used perpendicularly above the rails 11 of the railway track 10.

[0086] Fig. 2 represents a sectioning element of the system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention comprising the drive group with an "H" shaped path of the deformable transmission element 81.

[0087] The mowing system 1 comprises a plurality of motorized cutting elements 40, each extending perpendicularly to the bar 20 and distributed along the main bar 20. Said cutting elements 40 are fixed to said main bar 20 and have a main body 41 and a cutting head 42, the end of which includes a cutting member 43. The main body 41 of the motorized cutting elements 40 has a substantially parallelepiped shape and is arranged vertically according to the height of the main bar so that the cutting head 42, and in particular the cutting member 43, is positioned in the direction of the railway track 10. The cutting head 42 and the cutting member 43 are mounted to move vertically, corresponding to a movement perpendicular to the direction of the main bar 20, so as to be able to vary the cutting height of the system.

[0088] In one embodiment, the main body 41 of a cutting element 40 extends substantially over the entire height of the main bar 20. Each of the cutting elements 40 is mounted perpendicularly on the main bar 20. The cutting elements 40 are distributed along said bar 20 and include a movable portion configured to perform a vertical translational movement perpendicular to the direction of said main bar 20. More specifically, the main body 41 comprises a fixed portion and a movable portion arranged along the vertical axis of the cutting element 40. Said fixed portion of the main body 41 of the cutting element 40 comprises an upper end 41a and a lower end 41b, said ends 41a and 41b being vertically opposite along the vertical axis of the element. The moving part of the cutting element 40 is an assembly capable of being driven in a vertical translational movement relative to the fixed part. The moving part comprises a movable housing 45 configured to slide vertically on the two guide bars 44. For this purpose, the housing 45 may include sockets 45a shaped to the guide bars. In this way, when the housing 45 undergoes a vertical translational movement, it can slide along the bars 44.

[0089] The guide bars 44 extend along the height of the main body 41 of the cutting elements 40 of the mowing system 1. These guide bars 44 are respectively fixed to the upper end 41a and the lower end 41b of the main body 41. The ends 41a and 41b thus define the vertical stroke of the moving housing 45. The fixed part of the cutting element 40 therefore comprises the guide bars 44 and the ends 41a and 41b of the main body 41 of the cutting elements 40. Furthermore, each motorized cutting element 40 is fixed to at least a portion of the main bar 20; preferably, each cutting element comprises a main body 41 whose ends 41a and 41b are fixed to the main bar 20 of the mowing system 1.

[0090] The motorized cutting elements 40 of the mowing system include a drive unit configured to transmit motor torque to the cutting member 43 arranged at the end of the cutting head 42 and integral with it. The drive unit connects the fixed and moving parts of the cutting element 40 via a deformable transmission element 81. The cutting head 42 corresponds to the distal part of the transmission shaft 70, the vertical axis of which corresponds to the axis of the cutting element 40.

[0091] The transmission shaft 70 comprises a portion, referred to as the proximal portion, arranged vertically within the main body 41 of the cutting element 40. The shaft 70 also comprises a portion, referred to as the distal portion, which corresponds to a portion of the shaft located at the output of the lower end 41b of the main body 4L. The transmission shaft 70 is arranged along the vertical axis of the cutting element 40 and is also fixed in vertical translation to the movable housing 45 of the movable part of the cutting element 40. The ends 41a and 41b of the main body 41 of the cutting elements 40 each comprise an axial bore conforming to the diameter of the transmission shaft 70.

[0092] In order to transmit the rotational motion required to the cutting element 43, the drive unit of the mowing system 1 comprises a deformable transmission element 81 driven by a set of drive gears 82 mechanically connected to at least one motor of the motorized cutting element 40, said motor being able to be arranged on the fixed part of the cutting element 40. The entire assembly of drive pinions 82 is rotationally linked to said motor and thus provides mechanical energy to the deformable transmission element. The transmission element 81 connects the fixed part to the moving part of the cutting element 40. In this configuration, the transmission element 81 drives the rotation of a set of driven gears 83 arranged on the moving housing 45 of the cutting element 40. The driven gears 83 are thus fixed in vertical translation relative to the fixed part of the motorized cutting element 40. The set of driven gears 83 then allows one or more right-angle gears located in the housing 45 to be driven in rotation. These right-angle gears are thus fixed in translation and can transmit the mechanical rotational energy to other gears fixed in rotation to the transmission shaft 70 on which the cutting element 43 is mounted.For the purposes of the invention, the drive group comprises the transmission element 81, the pinion assembly 82, the driven pinion assembly 83 and the various right-angle gears necessary to transmit the rotational motion to the final transmission shaft 70.

[0093] The moving part of the cutting element 40 corresponds to an assembly capable of translating vertically relative to the fixed part; this assembly includes the housing 45, the driven pinions 83, the transmission shaft 70, and the various right-angle gears fixed in rotation and translation with said shaft 70. The moving part thus includes the cutting head 42 and the cutting element 43.

[0094] The vertical translational movement can be achieved using an actuator 60, which may be a hydraulic cylinder. For this purpose, the actuator 60 is connected to the transmission shaft 70 at the upper end 41a of the motorized cutting element 40. The actuator 60 is mechanically and / or electrically connected to various elements to ensure the kinematic links and the desired load transfers during the translational movement and positioning.

[0095] The mowing system 1 also includes means 30 for detecting obstacles and the railway surface of the railway track 10.

[0096] Said detection means 30 can be arranged directly on the main bar 20, on the fixed part of the cutting element 40, or on an annex structure to said main bar 20, ahead of said bar 20 on a railway track 10. Said means 30 can further comprise several modules capable of transmitting data to a control unit 50.

[0097] When using the robotic mowing system 1, the main bar extends perpendicularly to the direction of the rails 11 of the railway track 10 so that the plurality of cutting elements 40 have cutting heads 42 opposite the railway surface of the track 10. If, during weeding and while the system is moving along said track, an obstacle or irregularity is detected by the means detection 30, the system according to the invention will be able to vertically translate the moving part of the cutting elements 40 and consequently the cutting head 42.

[0098] The detection means according to the invention can detect and establish the topographic data of the railway surface during the progression of the mowing system on the railway track 10 and consequently detect the obstacles potentially present on said track.

[0099] Thus, when an obstacle is detected, the data from the detection means 30 are processed by at least one control unit 50 configured to analyze said data and determine a cutting height for each cutting element 40 of the main bar 20. Advantageously, the control unit 50 makes it possible to determine a cutting height specific to each cutting element present on the main bar, which allows the system to progress in weeding the path 10 while avoiding damage to the cutting heads 42 of the cutting elements 40 reaching the height of said obstacle, or even to the obstacles themselves, which may be safety elements arranged on the path and which must also be preserved.

[0100] The control unit 50 thus allows the height of each cutting element to be adjusted according to the topography and obstacles present on the railway track. Said control unit 50 thus allows the actuators 60 to vertically translate the transmission shaft 70 of each cutting element between a position, referred to as the deployed position, in which the movable housing 45 abuts against the lower end 41b of the main body 41 of a cutting element 40, and between a position, referred to as the retracted position, in which the movable housing 45 abuts against the upper end 41a of the cutting element 40. Notwithstanding, the system according to the invention may also provide means for maintaining the position of each of the cutting elements 40, such as, for example, maintaining them in one of the intermediate positions between said retracted position and said deployed position.These means of maintaining the position can be included in the actuator 60 or arranged on the fixed part of a cutting element 40.

[0101] The control unit 50 can also be configured to control the rotational speed of the motors of the cutting elements 40. In this case, the control unit 50 can drive the speed or torque applied to the cutting element 43 and the system can include speed sensors and various motor control elements.

[0102] Although robotic, the mowing system can be controlled manually by a remote user via a human-computer interface, for example.

[0103] In addition, the mowing system can be connected to motion and / or position and / or speed sensors, in order to acquire information necessary for more precise operation, such as geolocation means allowing the system to be geolocated in real time on the road.

[0104] Furthermore, the system according to the invention can operate with or without pre-established mapping that can indicate or list obstacles to be avoided. Other information, such as the curvilinear abscissa of the track to be weeded, can be used when the system is mounted on a railway vehicle, for example.

[0105] When the main bar 20 is mounted on a rail vehicle, the vehicle's forward movement can be linked to the bar's position. For example, if the vegetation is very dense and the detection means 30 have difficulty detecting the ground, a first pass can be made by placing the cutter heads 42 at a sufficient height to avoid damaging the cutting elements 40. Once this first mowing is complete, the vehicle can be reversed, and a second pass allows the detection means to better read the railway surface.

[0106] Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a mowing system according to an embodiment of the invention in which the main bar 20 can be considered as a beam having a web perforated along its longitudinal direction. The perforated web is located between the upper portion 20a and the lower portion 20b of the main bar 20. This embodiment allows for a lighter and more practical bar 20 to be handled.

[0107] In this figure, the motorized cutting elements 40 are arranged alternately and perpendicularly on the bar 20. Each of the cutting elements 40 comprises a main body 41 of substantially parallelepiped shape fixed to the beam 20 at its upper end 41a and lower end 41b.

[0108] The mowing system is arranged above a railway track 10 comprising a central zone 12 and a lateral zone 13, said zones being separated by a rail 11. The beam 20 further comprises a lateral end 21 arranged above the lateral zone 13. In this way the system comprises motorized cutting elements 40 capable of covering the entire railway surface of the track 10.

[0109] Figure 2 shows a detail of a motorized cutting element 40 according to an embodiment of the invention. According to this variant, at least one of the ends 41a or 41b of the main body comprises a motor mechanically meshed with one of the drive pinions 82. The set of pinions 82 comprises four drive pinions 82, distributed in pairs on each of the ends 41a and 41b. The vertically moving part of the cutting element 40 is considered to be the housing 45, which comprises a set of driven gears 83 arranged along the vertical axis of the cutting element 40. In this variant, the set of driven gears comprises two driven gears arranged on the vertical axis of the moving housing 45. The deformable transmission element 81 is a belt connecting the set of drive gears 82 with the set of driven gears 83. The moving housing 45 includes a right-angle gear system rotationally linked to the assembly 83 but also vertically linked to a transmission shaft 70 arranged in the vertical axis of the main body 41 of the cutting element 40. The cutting head 42 corresponds to the distal part of the transmission shaft 70, and emerges from the lower end 41b of the main body 41. Said head includes a cutting member 43 fixed to its distal end.

[0110] In this configuration, the actuator 60, the transmission shaft 70 and all the elements connected to it share the same vertical axis, namely the axis of the cutting element 40.

[0111] The main body 41 further includes an end 41a in which an axial bore is formed to the diameter of the actuator 60 integral with the cutting element 40.

[0112] The actuator 60 is arranged axially to each cutting element 40 and includes two guide rings 61a and 61b respectively located outside the main body 41 at its ends 41a and 41b. The actuator shown in this figure is a hydraulic cylinder.

[0113] In addition, a cutting element 40 as shown in [Fig.2] comprises two guide bars 44 extending vertically and parallel to each other in the main body 41, each of the bars 44 connecting on either side an end 41a and an end 41b of said main body 4L. The movable housing 45 comprises four sockets 45a having a bore conforming to the diameter of the guide bars 44 so as to allow the sliding in vertical translation of the movable part of the cutting element 40 when the cylinder is actuation.

[0114] The cutting element 40 has an "H" shaped belt drive path allowing the moving part to be translated vertically without it being necessary to move the motor(s) supplying the torque to the transmission shaft 70.

[0115] Fig. 3 is an overview of the mowing system 1 according to an embodiment of the invention schematically showing a control unit 50 and detection means 30 comprising modules 30a and 30b.

[0116] The control unit and modules 30a and 30b can be arranged directly on the main bar 20 or on an auxiliary structure.

[0117] The main bar 20 is a beam with an "I"-shaped profile extending transversely over the railway track 10. Each of the ends 21 and 22 of the main bar 20 extends respectively over the lateral areas 13 and 14 of the track 10 and includes a motorized cutting element 40 according to [Fig. 2]. The system 1 according to this embodiment comprises nine cutting elements 40 arranged alternately along the main bar 20. The mowing system thus ensures optimal treatment for weed control in the central area 12 and the lateral areas. 13 and 14.

[0118] Fig. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the management of obstacles when using a mowing system according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0119] According to this variant, the track 10 includes an obstacle A and an obstacle B. Obstacle A is located on the central area 12 and obstacle B is located on the lateral area 13. In this diagram, the detection means 30 are arranged on the main bar 20 and the control unit 50 adjusts the cutting height of each of the cutting elements 40 according to the presence of obstacles on the track 10.

Claims

Demands

1. System (1) for robotic mowing of vegetation present on at least a portion of a railway track (10) having rails (11) arranged on a railway surface, said track 10 further having a central zone (12) extending between the rails 11 and two lateral zones (13,14) arranged on either side of the rails (11) along said central zone (12), said system (1) being characterized in that it comprises: • at least one main bar (20) extending transversely over the central zone (12) of the railway track (10), once the system (1) is arranged over the rails (11), and comprising two ends configured to extend over the lateral zones (13,14) of said railway track (10); • means of detecting (30) the railway surface and obstacles present on the railway track (10);• a plurality of cutting elements (43) each mounted movable in translation relative to said main bar (20), said plurality of cutting elements (43) being distributed along said bar (20); • a control unit (50) configured to adjust the cutting height of each cutting element (43) relative to the railway surface and according to the obstacles present on said section of railway track (10) and detected by said detection means (30).

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of motorized cutting elements (40), each cutting member (43) being mechanically connected to a motorized cutting element (40), said motorized cutting elements (40) being arranged each perpendicularly along the main bar (20).

3. Mowing system according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one cutting element (40) - preferably each cutting element (40) - comprises: • a fixed part integral with at least a portion of the main bar (20), said fixed part having a lower end and an upper end that are vertically opposed, • a movable part mounted movable in vertical translation relative to said fixed part, between a position, called deployed position, in which the movable part is in a position adjacent to the lower end of the fixed part, and a position, called retracted position, in which the movable part is in a position adjacent to the upper end of said fixed part.

4. System according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises, for at least one cutting element (40) - preferably for each cutting element (40) - an actuator (60) configured to ensure the vertical translation of the moving part relative to the fixed part of the cutting element (40).

5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises, for at least one cutting element (40) - preferably for each cutting element (40) - a transmission shaft (70) fixed in vertical translation to said moving part, said shaft having a proximal part arranged in the vertical axis of said cutting element and a distal part comprising a cutting member (43).

6. System according to claim 5, characterized in that it further comprises, for at least one cutting element (40) - preferably for each cutting element (40) - a rotation drive unit for said transmission shaft (70) mechanically linking the fixed part and the moving part of the cutting element (40), said unit being configured to allow the rotation of the transmission shaft (70) independently of its vertical position.

7. A system according to claim 6, characterized in that, for at least one cutting element (40) – preferably for each cutting element (40) – the drive unit comprises: • a deformable transmission element (81) configured to transmit the torque from at least one motor to the drive shaft (70); • a set of drive gears (82) mechanically connected to at least one motor, said set being configured to drive the deformable transmission element (81) in rotation, said set being arranged on the lower and upper ends of the fixed part of the element. cutting (40); • a set of gears driven (83) by said deformable transmission element (81), said set being arranged on the moving part and fixed in vertical translation to said moving part with respect to the fixed part of the cutting element (40); • at least one right-angle gear fixed in rotation and translation to said set of driven gears (83), said gear also being fixed in translation to the transmission shaft (70) of said cutting element (40).

8. System according to claim 7, characterized in that, for at least one cutting element (40) - preferably for each cutting element (40) - the fixed part of the cutting element comprises means for guiding the moving part in vertical translation relative to said fixed part.

9. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a power supply battery electrically connected to the plurality of cutting elements (40).

10. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a protective housing arranged on the main bar (20) or on the cutting element (40).

11. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of cutting elements (40) comprises a pivot joint or a ball joint arranged on the distal part of the transmission shaft (70), between the main bar (20) and the cutting member (43).

12. A railway track maintenance vehicle (10) having a longitudinal direction corresponding to the direction of movement of said vehicle on said railway track (10), said vehicle being characterized in that it comprises a robotic mowing system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 controlled by the advance of the vehicle on the railway track (10).

13. Method for controlling the cutting height of a plurality of cutting elements (43) of a mowing system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, for the robotic mowing of vegetation present on at least a portion of a railway track (10) having rails (11) arranged on a railway surface, said track further having a central zone (12) extending between the rails (11) and two lateral zones (13,14) arranged on either side of the rails (11) along said central zone (12), said method being characterized in that it comprises: • a step of acquiring data on the topography of the central area (12) and the lateral areas (13,14) of the railway; • a step of detecting obstacles present on said section of railway (10) from the processing of said acquired data; • a step of determining a cutting height of each cutting element (43) according to the previously processed data; • a step of adjusting the cutting height from the determined height of each of the cutting elements (43) according to the topography of said section of railway (10) and the obstacles present on said railway (10).

Images