Brake monitoring device, brake monitoring system and brake monitoring program

Abstract

To provide a technique for accurately counting the number of operations of a brake mechanism.SOLUTION: A brake monitoring device 100 includes a brake command acquisition part 102, a brake pressure acquisition part 104, a determination part 108, and a count part 110. The brake command acquisition part 102 acquires a brake command for commanding one of a brake state of a brake mechanism and a release state of the brake mechanism. The brake pressure acquisition part 104 acquires a brake pressure in a flow channel between a fluid pressure control valve 14 controlled according to the brake command, and the brake mechanism operated according to the pressure of the fluid. The determination part 108 acquires a brake command, and determines that the brake mechanism is in the brake state, when the acquired brake pressure is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold. The determination part 108 acquires a release command, and determines that the brake mechanism is in the release state when the acquired brake pressure is less than a threshold. The count part 110 counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism, on the basis of a determination result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a brake monitoring device, a brake monitoring system, and a brake monitoring program. [Background technology]

[0002] Brake mechanisms that apply brakes to vehicles such as railroad cars and automobiles are required to be maintained and replaced according to their wear and tear. Conventionally, the wear and tear of brake mechanisms has generally been judged based on the number of years of use. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which an operation history such as the number of times an air brake device has been operated, the number of times the brake force has been changed during operation, the operation time, and the time integral value of friction brake force and vehicle speed is recorded in a brake operation history recording unit, and an operating brake device determination unit refers to the brake operation history recording unit to determine a vehicle so as to prioritize the operation of an air brake device with a low operating record. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-035933 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the number of years of use is used to determine the wear state of the brake mechanism, the wear state varies depending on the usage conditions of the brake mechanism. It is also possible to determine the wear state of the brake by counting the number of operations of the brake mechanism, but the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not disclose how to count the number of operations of the brake mechanism.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for accurately counting the number of operations of a brake mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a brake monitoring device of one embodiment of the present invention includes a brake command acquisition unit that acquires a brake command commanding one of a braking state of a brake mechanism that brakes a vehicle and a released state of the brake mechanism; a brake pressure acquisition unit that acquires a brake pressure that is the pressure of a fluid in a flow path between a fluid pressure control valve controlled in accordance with the brake command and a brake mechanism that operates in accordance with the pressure of the fluid; a judgment unit that acquires a braking command that is the brake command commanding the braking state, and determines that the braking state is established if the acquired brake pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, and acquires a release command that is the brake command commanding the released state, and determines that the released state is established if the acquired brake pressure is less than the threshold value; and a counting unit that counts the number of times the brake mechanism operates based on the judgment result by the judgment unit.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a brake monitoring system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a brake monitoring system including a brake monitoring device, a brake mechanism, and a storage device, wherein the brake monitoring device includes a brake command acquisition unit that acquires a brake command commanding one of a braking state of a brake mechanism that brakes a vehicle and a released state of the brake mechanism, a brake pressure acquisition unit that acquires a brake pressure that is a fluid pressure in a flow path between a fluid pressure control valve controlled in response to the brake command and the brake mechanism that operates in response to a fluid pressure, a determination unit that acquires a braking command that is the brake command commanding the braking state, and determines that the braking state is established when the acquired brake pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, and acquires a release command that is the brake command commanding the released state, and determines that the released state is established when the acquired brake pressure is less than the threshold value; and a counting unit that counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism based on the result of the determination by a brake monitoring device that determines whether the brake mechanism is installed in a vehicle or a vehicle body ...

[0008] A brake monitoring program of one embodiment of the present invention is a brake monitoring program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: acquiring a brake command that commands one of a braking state of a brake mechanism that brakes a vehicle and a released state of the brake mechanism; acquiring a brake pressure that is the pressure of a fluid in a flow path between a fluid pressure control valve controlled in response to the brake command and a brake mechanism that operates in response to fluid pressure; acquiring a braking command that is the brake command that commands the braking state, and determining that the braking state is present if the acquired brake pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value; acquiring a release command that is the brake command that commands the released state, and determining that the released state is present if the acquired brake pressure is less than the threshold value; and counting the number of times the brake mechanism operates based on the judgment result in the judging step.

[0009] In addition, any combination of the above, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention among methods, devices, programs, temporary or non-temporary storage media recording programs, systems, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for counting the number of operations of a brake mechanism with high accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view that shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle to which a brake monitoring device according to a first embodiment is applied. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration relating to information processing in the vehicle of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration relating to a flow path in the vehicle of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the peripheral configuration of the planing control valve of FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the peripheral configuration of the planing control valve of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the peripheral configuration of the planing control valve of FIG. 2. [Figure 7] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a determination process performed by a determination unit of the brake monitoring device of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a counting process performed by a counting unit of the brake monitoring device of FIG. 2. [Figure 9] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a determination process performed by a determination unit of the brake monitoring device of FIG. 2. [Figure 10] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a counting process performed by a counting unit of the brake monitoring device of FIG. 2. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a change in brake pressure over time when a brake command is issued; [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle to which a brake monitoring device according to a second embodiment is applied. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a determination process performed by a determination unit of the brake monitoring device of FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a brake monitoring system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] 15 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing performed by the brake monitoring device of FIG. 14. [Figure 16] 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which the installation position of the brake mechanism in FIG. 14 is replaced with the installation position of another brake mechanism. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Among the embodiments disclosed in this specification, those that are composed of multiple objects may be integrated, and conversely, those that are composed of one object may be divided into multiple objects. Regardless of whether they are integrated or not, it is sufficient that they are configured to achieve the object of the invention.

[0013] Among the embodiments disclosed in this specification, those in which multiple functions are provided in a distributed manner may have some or all of the multiple functions integrated together, and conversely, those in which multiple functions are provided in a distributed manner may have some or all of the multiple functions integrated together. Regardless of whether the functions are integrated or distributed, it is sufficient that the configuration is such that the object of the invention can be achieved.

[0014] In addition, separate components that have something in common are distinguished by adding "first," "second," etc. to the beginning of their names, and these are omitted when referring to them collectively. In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components, and do not limit the components.

[0015] A brake monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a brake command acquisition unit, a brake pressure acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a count unit. The brake command acquisition unit acquires a brake command commanding one of a braking state of a brake mechanism that brakes a vehicle and a released state of the brake mechanism. The brake pressure acquisition unit acquires a brake pressure that is a fluid pressure in a flow path between a fluid pressure control valve controlled according to the brake command and a brake mechanism that operates according to a fluid pressure. The determination unit acquires a braking command that is the brake command commanding the braking state, and determines that the braking state exists when the acquired brake pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The determination unit acquires a release command that is the brake command commanding the released state, and determines that the released state exists when the acquired brake pressure is less than the threshold. The count unit counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism based on a determination result by the determination unit.

[0016] According to this configuration, the brake monitoring device determines the braking state on the condition of acquisition of a braking command and acquisition of a brake pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, determines the release state on the condition of acquisition of a release command and acquisition of a brake pressure less than a predetermined threshold, and counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism based on these determination results. Therefore, for example, when the brake pressure acquired by the pressure sensor temporarily becomes equal to or greater than the threshold even though a braking command is not issued due to the influence of disturbance or the like, or when the brake pressure acquired by the pressure sensor temporarily becomes less than the threshold even though a release command is not issued, the number of operations of the brake mechanism is not counted, so that the influence of noise of the pressure sensor can be reduced. Also, for example, when the brake pressure does not rise to or greater than the threshold even though a braking command is issued due to a malfunction of the brake control device or the like, or when the brake pressure does not drop to less than the threshold even though a release command is issued, the number of operations of the brake mechanism is not counted, so that erroneous counting can be suppressed when the brake pressure is not appropriately applied to the brake mechanism. In this way, the brake monitoring device can accurately count the number of operations of the brake mechanism.

[0017] As an example, the brake pressure acquisition unit acquires, as the brake pressure, the pressure of the fluid in the flow path between the brake mechanism and a slide control valve provided in the flow path between the fluid pressure control valve and the brake mechanism. When wheel slide occurs while the vehicle is being braked by the brake mechanism, the slide control valve discharges the fluid and reduces the brake pressure to eliminate the slide. In this case, the brake pressure acquisition unit acquires the brake pressure at a position closer to the brake mechanism, so that it is possible to acquire a brake pressure that is more suitable for counting the number of operations of the brake mechanism. Also, even when, for example, a spare fluid pressure control valve is used, it is possible to reduce the influence of changes on the upstream side of the flow path on the measured brake pressure. Therefore, it is possible to further increase the accuracy of counting the number of operations of the brake mechanism.

[0018] As an example, the brake monitoring device further includes a skid detection information acquisition unit that acquires skid detection information of the wheels. The determination unit determines that the brake is in the released state when the release command has not been acquired, the skid detection information has been acquired, and the brake pressure is less than the threshold value. In this case, even if the release command has not been issued, if fluid is discharged from the skid control valve to eliminate skid and the brake pressure falls below the threshold value, the number of operations of the brake mechanism is counted, so that the accuracy of counting the number of operations of the brake mechanism can be further improved.

[0019] As an example, the slide control valve includes a supply valve that controls the supply of the fluid to the brake mechanism and a discharge valve that controls the discharge of the fluid. The determination unit determines the state as a hold state if the slide detection information acquisition unit acquires the slide detection information and the acquired change in time of the brake pressure is an increase or decrease less than a predetermined value, determines the state as a discharge state if the slide detection information acquisition unit acquires the slide detection information and the acquired change in time of the brake pressure is a decrease equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and determines the state as a supply state if the slide detection information acquisition unit does not acquire the slide detection information. The counting unit further counts the number of operations of the supply valve and the number of operations of the discharge valve based on the determination result of the determination unit between the hold state, the supply state, and the discharge state. In this case, the number of operations of the supply valve and the discharge valve included in the slide control valve that operates by slide control can also be counted.

[0020] As an example, the brake monitoring device further includes a first generating unit that generates first information that associates the acquired information on the brake pressure with the counted number of operations of the brake mechanism. By using the first information that associates information on the brake pressure with the number of operations of the brake mechanism, the brake monitoring device can more accurately determine the wear state of the brake mechanism.

[0021] As an example, the brake monitoring device further includes a second generating unit that generates second information that associates the duration of the braking state with the number of braking operations. By using the second information that associates the duration of the braking state with the number of operations of the brake mechanism, the brake monitoring device can more accurately determine the wear state of the brake mechanism.

[0022] As an example, the brake mechanism includes a brake cylinder that is operated by being supplied with a fluid having the brake pressure, and a spring brake cylinder that is operated by the pressure of a fluid supplied from a flow path different from the flow path without passing through the fluid pressure control valve. The brake monitoring device further includes a parking brake command acquisition unit and a parking brake pressure acquisition unit. The parking brake command acquisition unit acquires parking brake commands including a parking brake command for activating the spring brake cylinder to park the vehicle, and a parking release command for releasing the spring brake cylinder. The parking brake pressure acquisition unit acquires a parking brake pressure that is the pressure of the fluid supplied to the spring brake cylinder. The determination unit acquires the parking brake command, and when the acquired parking brake pressure is less than a predetermined second threshold, determines that the vehicle is in the braking state. The determination unit acquires the parking release command, and when the acquired parking brake pressure is equal to or greater than the second threshold, determines that the vehicle is in the released state. In this case, the brake monitoring device also counts the number of times the brake mechanism is operated by the parking brake, so that the number of times the brake mechanism is operated can be counted more accurately.

[0023] A brake monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a brake monitoring device, a brake mechanism, and a storage device. The brake monitoring device includes a brake command acquisition unit, a brake pressure acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a count unit. The brake command acquisition unit acquires a brake command commanding one of a braking state of a brake mechanism that brakes a vehicle and a released state of the brake mechanism. The brake pressure acquisition unit acquires a brake pressure that is a fluid pressure in a flow path between a fluid pressure control valve controlled according to the brake command and a brake mechanism that operates according to a fluid pressure. The determination unit acquires a braking command that is the brake command commanding the braking state, and determines that the braking state exists when the acquired brake pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. The determination unit acquires a release command that is the brake command commanding the released state, and determines that the released state exists when the acquired brake pressure is less than the threshold value. The count unit counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism based on the determination result by the determination unit. The vehicle has a plurality of wheels. The brake mechanism has an IC tag that stores identification information of the brake mechanism and first installation position information indicating a wheel on which the brake mechanism is installed among the plurality of wheels. The storage device stores the identification information of the brake mechanism and second installation position information indicating a wheel on which the brake mechanism is currently installed in association with each other. The brake monitoring device further includes an information acquisition unit that acquires the information stored in the IC tag and the information stored in the storage device. The determination unit determines whether the first installation position information and the second installation position information match. When the determination unit determines that the first installation position information and the second installation position information do not match, the counting unit counts the number of subsequent operations of the brake mechanism separately from the number of previous operations of the brake mechanism.

[0024] According to this configuration, if the installation position of the brake mechanism is changed, the number of times the brake mechanism operates for each installation position can be counted, making it possible to grasp the wear state of the brake mechanism while taking into account the effect of the installation position on the degree of wear, etc.

[0025] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modified examples, the same or equivalent components and members are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The dimensions of the members in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted in each drawing.

[0026] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view that shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle 1 to which a brake monitoring device 100 according to the first embodiment is applied. In the following, a railway vehicle will be taken as an example of the vehicle 1. First, before proceeding with the description of the brake monitoring device 100, an overview of the vehicle 1 to which the brake monitoring device 100 is applied will be described.

[0027] Each functional block shown in each figure including Fig. 1 can be realized in hardware terms by electronic elements and mechanical parts such as a computer CPU, and in software terms by a computer program, but here, functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these are depicted. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by combining hardware and software.

[0028] 1, vehicle 1 includes a cab 2 provided at the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle body, a first bogie 4 disposed toward the front of the lower part of the vehicle body, a second bogie 6 disposed toward the rear of the lower part of the vehicle body, brake mechanisms 16 provided on first bogie 4 and second bogie 6, a fluid supply source 8, and a brake control device 50. Brake control device 50 includes a brake pressure supply unit 54 that supplies fluid pressure (hereinafter referred to as "brake pressure") to brake mechanism 16, and a brake control unit 52 that controls brake pressure supply unit 54 based on a brake command from cab 2.

[0029] The fluid supply source 8 is a tank that supplies pressurized fluid, and the pressure inside the tank is maintained within a predetermined range by a pump. The fluid supplied by the fluid supply source 8 may be a gas such as air, nitrogen, or an inert gas, or may be a liquid such as water or oil.

[0030] The first bogie 4 and the second bogie 6 each have two axles 10 spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Wheels 12 are attached to both ends of the axles 10. The brake mechanism 16 operates in response to brake pressure. The brake mechanism 16 has friction material 16s that generates a braking force on the wheels 12, and a brake cylinder 16t that drives the friction material 16s.

[0031] The friction material 16s is, for example, a brake pad. A brake pressure supply unit 54 is connected to the brake cylinder 16t via a flow path 20 (see FIG. 3) that supplies fluid. Fluid having a brake pressure is supplied from the brake pressure supply unit 54 via the flow path 20, and the brake cylinder pressure increases, thereby operating the brake cylinder 16t. When the brake cylinder 16t operates, the friction material 16s is pressed against the tread of the wheel 12, generating a braking force on the wheel 12.

[0032] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to information processing in the vehicle 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to a flow path 20 in the vehicle 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the brake pressure supply unit 54 has a fluid pressure control valve 14 and a slide control valve 18. As shown in Fig. 3, the fluid pressure control valve 14 is provided in a flow path 20 between the fluid supply source 8 and the brake cylinder 16t, and is a valve mechanism that adjusts the amount of fluid supplied to the brake cylinder 16t. The fluid pressure control valve 14 is controlled in response to a brake command from the cab 2. The flow path 20 is a space partitioned by piping or the like for supplying fluid.

[0033] The slide control valve 18 is provided in a flow path 20 between the fluid pressure control valve 14 and the brake mechanism 16. The slide control valve 18 is a valve mechanism that, when the wheels 12 slide while the vehicle 1 is being braked by the brake mechanism 16, discharges fluid and reduces the brake pressure to eliminate the slide. A plurality of slide control valves 18 are provided corresponding to each of the multiple axles 10 of the vehicle 1. Specifically, a total of four slide control valves 18 are provided, one for each of the four axles 10 of the vehicle 1. The operation of the slide control valve 18 will be described in detail later.

[0034] The fluid supplied from the fluid supply source 8 is supplied to the fluid pressure control valve 14 through a flow path 20. The amount of the fluid supplied to the fluid pressure control valve 14 is adjusted by the fluid pressure control valve 14, and is supplied to each of the four slide control valves 18. The amount of the fluid supplied to each of the four slide control valves 18 is adjusted by each of the four slide control valves 18, and is supplied to the brake cylinder 16t.

[0035] The following describes the brake control unit 52 of the brake control device 50. As shown in FIG.

[0036] The receiver 56 receives brake commands from the cab 2 and input signals from other devices. The brake commands include a braking command that commands the braking state of the brake mechanism 16 and a release command that commands the released state of the brake mechanism 16. The braking command is a command for operating the brake mechanism 16 so as to generate a target braking force designated in response to a brake operation.

[0037] The fluid pressure control unit 58 controls the fluid pressure control valve 14 based on a brake command. The fluid pressure control unit 58 starts or increases the supply of fluid from the fluid pressure control valve 14 in response to the braking command. The fluid pressure control unit 58 stops or decreases the supply of fluid from the fluid pressure control valve 14 in response to a release command.

[0038] The slide control unit 60 determines whether or not the wheel 12 is sliding while controlling the brake mechanism 16. The slide control unit 60 may detect the wheel 12 sliding by employing various known methods. For example, the slide control unit 60 can determine whether or not the wheel 12 is sliding based on a comparison between the rotational speed of the axle 10 and the translational speed of the vehicle 1. When the slide control unit 60 determines that the wheel 12 is sliding, it controls the slide control valve 18 to reduce the brake pressure, thereby eliminating the slide.

[0039] The transmission unit 62 transmits information regarding the detection of skid of the wheel 12 by the skid control unit 60 to the brake monitoring device 100 .

[0040] The operation of the plank control valve 18 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6. Figs. 4 to 6 are schematic diagrams showing the peripheral configuration of the plank control valve 18. Fig. 4 shows a supply state for generating a normal braking force in the brake mechanism 16. Fig. 5 shows a hold state in which a hold operation is performed to maintain the braking force in plank control. Fig. 6 shows a discharge state in which a discharge operation is performed to reduce the braking force in plank control.

[0041] The planing control valve 18 has a supply valve HV, a discharge valve RV, an inlet portion 18p, an outlet portion 18s, and an external discharge portion 18g. The supply valve HV controls the supply of fluid to the brake mechanism 16. The supply valve HV has a drive portion 17a, a valve body 17c, and a valve portion 17e. The discharge valve RV controls the discharge of fluid. The discharge valve RV has a drive portion 17b, a valve body 17c, and a valve portion 17f. When the drive portions 17a and 17b are energized and driven by the brake control portion 52, they electromagnetically move the valve body 17c forward and backward in the opening / closing direction (left and right direction in the figure). The valve body 17c closes and opens the valve portions 17e and 17f by moving a center portion forward and backward.

[0042] In the supply state shown in Fig. 4, both the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV are in a non-energized state (hereinafter referred to as an "off state"). At this time, the valve portion 17e of the supply valve HV is in an open state, and the valve portion 17f of the discharge valve RV is in a closed state. When the valve portion 17e of the supply valve HV is in an open state, compressed air Ap as a fluid supplied from the planing control valve 18 to the inlet portion 18p is supplied from the outlet portion 18s to the brake mechanism 16. Because the valve portion 17f of the discharge valve RV is closed, no fluid flows in or out of the external discharge portion 18g.

[0043] When compressed air Ap flows into the brake mechanism 16, the brake pressure increases, causing a piston rod (not shown) to advance and press the friction material 16s against the tread of the wheel 12. This action applies the brakes to the wheel 12.

[0044] 5, the supply valve HV is in an energized state (hereinafter referred to as an "ON state") and the discharge valve RV is in an OFF state. At this time, the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV are in a closed state, no fluid flows in or out of the inlet portion 18p and the external discharge portion 18g, the fluid inside the brake mechanism 16 does not increase or decrease, and the brake pressure is maintained.

[0045] In the discharge state shown in Fig. 6, both the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV are in the on state. At this time, the valve portion 17e of the supply valve HV is in the closed state, and the valve portion 17f of the discharge valve RV is in the open state. Because the valve portion 17e of the supply valve HV is closed, no fluid flows in or out of the inlet portion 18p. While the valve portion 17f of the discharge valve RV is in the open state, part of the fluid inside the brake mechanism 16 passes through the outlet portion 18s, the discharge valve RV, and is discharged to the outside from the external discharge portion 18g.

[0046] When some of the fluid inside the brake mechanism 16 is lost, the brake pressure drops accordingly, the pressure of the friction material 16s on the tread of the wheel 12 drops, and the braking force decreases. Therefore, the longer the period in which the exhaust valve RV is open, the greater the reduction in braking force becomes.

[0047] The brake monitoring device 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the brake monitoring device 100 includes a brake command acquisition unit 102, a brake pressure acquisition unit 104, a skid detection information acquisition unit 106, a judgment unit 108, a count unit 110, a first generation unit 112, a second generation unit 114, and a storage unit 116. The brake monitoring device 100 may be configured as one function of the brake control device 50, or may be configured as a device separate from the brake control device 50. In addition, the brake monitoring device 100 does not necessarily have to be attached to the vehicle 1, and may be communicably connected to the brake control device 50 via a network, for example.

[0048] The brake command acquisition unit 102 acquires a brake command from the cab 2. The brake command acquisition unit 102 may acquire the brake command directly from the cab 2, or may acquire the brake command via the brake control unit 52.

[0049] The brake pressure acquisition unit 104 acquires the brake pressure in the flow path 20 between the fluid pressure control valve 14 and the brake mechanism 16 from the pressure sensor 80. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the pressure sensor 80 acquires the brake pressure in the flow path 20 between the slide control valve 18 and the brake mechanism 16. The pressure sensor 80 may acquire the brake pressure in the flow path 20 between the fluid pressure control valve 14 and the slide control valve 18, but by acquiring the brake pressure in the flow path 20 between the slide control valve 18 and the brake mechanism 16, it is possible to acquire the brake pressure at a position closer to the brake mechanism 16, and therefore it is possible to acquire the brake pressure that is more closely correlated with the wear of the brake mechanism 16. Furthermore, by acquiring the brake pressure in the flow path 20 between the slide control valve 18 and the brake mechanism 16, it is possible to reduce the influence of, for example, a spare fluid pressure control valve 14 on the measured brake pressure.

[0050] Returning to Fig. 2, the slide detection information acquisition unit 106 acquires slide detection information of the wheel 12. For example, when the slide control unit 60 of the brake control device 50 detects a slide of the wheel 12, the brake control device 50 may transmit the slide detection information to the brake monitoring device 100. Then, the brake monitoring device 100 may acquire the slide detection information using the slide detection information acquisition unit 106.

[0051] The determination unit 108 determines the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 based on the brake command acquired by the brake command acquisition unit 102 and the brake pressure acquired by the brake pressure acquisition unit 104. The determination unit 108 may further determine the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 based on the slide detection information acquired by the slide detection information acquisition unit 106. The determination by the determination unit 108 will be described in detail later.

[0052] The counting unit 110 counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 based on the determination result by the determination unit 108. The counting unit 110 may further count the number of operations of the supply valve HV of the plank control valve 18 and the number of operations of the discharge valve RV of the plank control valve 18 based on the determination result by the determination unit 108. The counting by the counting unit 110 will be described in detail later.

[0053] The first generating unit 112 generates first information that associates information related to the brake pressure with the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 counted by the counting unit 110. The first information will be described in detail later.

[0054] The second generating unit 114 generates second information that associates the duration of the braking state with the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 counted by the counting unit 110. The second information will be described in detail later.

[0055] The memory unit 116 stores various data. For example, the memory unit 116 stores data input to and output from the brake monitoring device 100 in chronological order. The memory unit 116 also stores a control program for the brake monitoring device 100. The memory unit 116 stores the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 counted by the counter 110, the number of operations of the supply valve HV of the slide control valve 18, and the number of operations of the discharge valve RV of the slide control valve 18. The memory unit 116 stores the first information generated by the first generator 112 and the second information generated by the second generator 114.

[0056] An example of information processing by the brake monitoring device 100 will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a determination process by the determination unit 108 of the brake monitoring device 100. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a count process by the count unit 110 of the brake monitoring device 100. The information processing shown in Figs. 7 and 8 relates to counting the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16.

[0057] The determination unit 108 determines whether or not the brake command acquisition unit 102 has acquired a braking command (S10). If the determination unit 108 determines that a braking command has been acquired (Y in S10), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that a braking command has not been acquired (N in S10), the process proceeds to step S16.

[0058] In step S12, the determination unit 108 determines whether the brake pressure acquired by the brake pressure acquisition unit 104 is equal to or greater than a first threshold. If the determination unit 108 determines that the brake pressure is equal to or greater than the first threshold (Y in S12), it determines that the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 is in a braking state (S14) and proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that the brake pressure is less than the first threshold (N in S12), it does not determine the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 and proceeds to step S16.

[0059] In step S16, the determination unit 108 determines whether or not the brake command acquisition unit 102 has acquired a release command. If the determination unit 108 determines that a release command has been acquired (Y in S16), the process proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that a release command has not been acquired (N in S16), the process proceeds to step S18.

[0060] In step S18, the determination unit 108 determines whether or not the slide detection information acquisition unit 106 has acquired slide detection information. If the determination unit 108 determines that the slide detection information has been acquired (Y in S18), the process proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that the slide detection information has not been acquired (N in S18), the process returns to step S10.

[0061] In step S20, the determination unit 108 determines whether the brake pressure acquired by the brake pressure acquisition unit 104 is less than the first threshold value. If the determination unit 108 determines that the brake pressure is less than the first threshold value (Y in S20), it determines that the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 is in a released state (S22) and returns to step S10. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that the brake pressure is equal to or greater than the first threshold value (N in S20), it does not determine the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 and returns to step S10.

[0062] In this way, the determination unit 108 determines that the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 is the braking state when it acquires a braking command and the acquired brake pressure is equal to or greater than the first threshold. Also, the determination unit 108 determines that the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 is the released state when it acquires a release command and the acquired brake pressure is less than the first threshold. Furthermore, the determination unit 108 determines that the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 is the released state when it does not acquire a release command, acquires skid detection information, and the brake pressure is less than the first threshold.

[0063] The first threshold may be any value set in advance. For example, the first threshold may be a minimum brake pressure at which it is determined that the brake mechanism 16 operates and a braking force is generated on the wheel 12 by the control of the fluid pressure control valve 14 in response to a braking command. The first threshold may be a value within a certain range. In this case, for example, "not less than the first threshold" may mean not less than the maximum value of the first threshold having a certain range, and "less than the first threshold" may mean less than the minimum value of the first threshold having a certain range. This makes it possible to suppress the determination unit 108 from repeatedly determining the release state and the braking state when, for example, the brake monitoring device 100 obtains skid detection information without obtaining a release command and the brake pressure repeatedly changes slightly in a short period of time around the first threshold.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 8, the counting unit 110 judges whether the judgment result by the judging unit 108 has changed from the braking state to the released state (S30). When the counting unit 110 judges that the judgment result by the judging unit 108 has changed from the braking state to the released state (Y in S30), it counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 (S32) and returns to step S30. On the other hand, when the counting unit 110 judges that the judgment result by the judging unit 108 has not changed from the braking state to the released state (N in S30), it returns to step S30. Note that in step S30, the counting unit 110 may judge whether the judgment result by the judging unit 108 has changed from the released state to the braking state instead of judging whether the judgment result by the judging unit 108 has changed from the braking state to the released state.

[0065] In this way, the counting unit 110 counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 when the determination result changes from the braking state to the released state, or when the determination result changes from the released state to the braking state. The determination unit 108 does not need to execute step S18 in FIG. 7, and may return to step S10 when it determines in step S16 that a release command has not been acquired (N in S16). In this case, even if there is a reduction in the brake pressure based on the detection of a slide, the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 is not counted. However, if the determination unit 108 executes step S18, the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 due to the reduction in the brake pressure based on the detection of a slide is counted, so that the accuracy of counting the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 can be further improved.

[0066] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a determination process by the determination unit 108 of the brake monitoring device 100. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a count process by the count unit 110 of the brake monitoring device 100. The information processing shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 relates to counting the number of operations of the supply valve HV of the slide control valve 18 and the discharge valve RV of the slide control valve 18 in a state in which the fluid pressure control valve 14 is controlled in response to a braking command.

[0067] The determination unit 108 determines whether or not the slide detection information acquisition unit 106 has acquired slide detection information (S40). If the determination unit 108 determines that slide detection information has been acquired (Y in S40), the process proceeds to step S42. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that slide detection information has not been acquired (N in S40), the determination unit 108 determines that slide control valve 18 is in the supply state (see FIG. 4) since slide control is not being executed (S44), and the process returns to step S40.

[0068] In step S42, the determination unit 108 determines the change over time in the brake pressure acquired by the brake pressure acquisition unit 104. The change over time in the brake pressure can be determined based on a plurality of brake pressures acquired by the brake pressure acquisition unit 104 at different times. When the determination unit 108 determines that the change over time in the brake pressure is an increase of a predetermined value or more, it determines that the slide control valve 18 is in the supply state (see FIG. 4) (S44) and returns to step S40. When the determination unit 108 determines that the change over time in the brake pressure is an increase or decrease of less than a predetermined value, it determines that the slide control valve 18 is in the hold state (see FIG. 5) (S46) and returns to step S40. When the determination unit 108 determines that the change over time in the brake pressure is a decrease of a predetermined value or more, it determines that the slide control valve 18 is in the discharge state (see FIG. 6) (S48) and returns to step S40.

[0069] In this way, the determination unit 108 determines the state as the holding state if the slide detection information acquisition unit 106 acquires slide detection information and the acquired change in time of the brake pressure is an increase or decrease less than a predetermined value. Also, the determination unit 108 determines the state as the discharge state if the slide detection information acquisition unit 106 acquires slide detection information and the acquired change in time of the brake pressure is a decrease of a predetermined value or more. Furthermore, the determination unit 108 determines the state as the supply state if the slide detection information acquisition unit 106 does not acquire slide detection information. It has been explained that in step S42, if the determination unit 108 determines that the change in time of the brake pressure is an increase of a predetermined value or more, it determines that the slide control valve 18 is in the supply state (S44). However, if the configuration is such that control to increase the brake pressure is not executed during slide control, this determination does not need to be made.

[0070] The predetermined value may be any value that is set in advance. For example, the predetermined value may be a value that indicates that the brake pressure is being held in a holding state by the control of the slide control valve 18 if the change in the brake pressure over time is an increase or decrease that is less than the predetermined value.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 10, the counting unit 110 judges whether the judgment result by the judgment unit 108 has changed between the supply state and the holding state (S60). When the counting unit 110 judges that the judgment result by the judgment unit 108 has changed between the supply state and the holding state, that is, the state has changed from the supply state to the holding state, or the holding state has changed to the supply state (Y in S60), the counting unit 110 counts the number of times the supply valve HV has operated (S62) and proceeds to step S64. Note that, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, when the slide control valve 18 changes between the supply state and the holding state, the supply valve HV operates to transition between the off state and the on state, and the discharge valve RV does not operate. On the other hand, when the counting unit 110 judges that the judgment result by the judgment unit 108 has not changed between the supply state and the holding state, that is, the state has not changed from the supply state to the holding state, and the state has not changed from the holding state to the supply state (N in S60), the counting unit 110 proceeds to step S64 without counting.

[0072] In step S64, the counting unit 110 judges whether the judgment result by the judging unit 108 has changed between the holding state and the discharge state. When the counting unit 110 judges that the judgment result by the judging unit 108 has changed between the holding state and the discharge state, that is, the state has changed from the holding state to the discharge state, or the discharge state has changed from the discharge state to the holding state (Y in S64), the counting unit 110 counts the number of times the discharge valve RV has operated (S66) and proceeds to step S68. Note that, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, when the slide control valve 18 changes between the holding state and the discharge state, the supply valve HV does not operate, and the discharge valve RV operates to transition between the off state and the on state. On the other hand, when the counting unit 110 judges that the judgment result by the judging unit 108 has not changed between the holding state and the discharge state, that is, the state has not changed from the holding state to the discharge state, and the discharge state has not changed from the holding state to the holding state (N in S64), the counting unit 110 proceeds to step S68 without counting.

[0073] In step S68, the counting unit 110 judges whether the judgment result by the judgment unit 108 has changed between the supply state and the discharge state. When the counting unit 110 judges that the judgment result by the judgment unit 108 has changed between the supply state and the discharge state, that is, the state has changed from the supply state to the discharge state, or the state has changed from the discharge state to the supply state (Y in S68), the counting unit 110 counts the number of times the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV have operated (S70) and returns to step S60. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, when the planing control valve 18 changes between the supply state and the discharge state, the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV operate to transition between the off state and the on state, respectively. On the other hand, when the counting unit 110 judges that the judgment result by the judgment unit 108 has not changed between the supply state and the discharge state, that is, the state has not changed from the supply state to the discharge state, and the state has not changed from the discharge state to the supply state (N in S68), the counting unit 110 returns to step S60 without counting.

[0074] In this way, the counting unit 110 further counts the number of operations of the supply valve HV and the number of operations of the discharge valve RV based on the determination result of the determination unit 108 between the holding state, the supply state, and the discharge state. In the above example, the counting unit 110 counts the number of operations of the supply valve HV when the supply valve HV operates to transition between the off state and the on state, and counts the number of operations of the discharge valve RV when the discharge valve RV operates to transition between the off state and the on state. However, the counting unit 110 may count the number of operations of the supply valve HV when the supply valve HV transitions from the off state to the on state and then transitions to the off state, or when the supply valve HV transitions from the on state to the off state and then transitions to the on state. Similarly, the counting unit 110 may count the number of operations of the discharge valve RV when the discharge valve RV transitions from the off state to the on state and then transitions to the off state, or when the discharge valve RV transitions from the on state to the off state and then transitions to the on state. In this case, for example, the count unit 110 may treat each of the counts of the number of operations in steps S62, S66, and S70 in FIG. 10 as a 1 / 2 count, and may count the number of operations each time the count reaches one.

[0075] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic example of a change in brake pressure over time when a brake command is issued. FIG. 11 shows a graph of brake pressure with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing pressure. t1 to t11 respectively indicate characteristic timings in the change in brake pressure over time. Note that in FIG. 11, the graph of brake pressure is simplified and shown as a straight line.

[0076] At time t1, the hydraulic pressure control valve 14 is controlled in response to a braking command to increase the brake pressure. Between times t1 and t2, the brake pressure becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold value. At this time, the determination unit 108 determines that the vehicle is in a braking state and that the slide control valve 18 is in a supply state. At time t2, when the brake pressure reaches a target value, the hydraulic pressure control valve 14 controls the brake pressure to be constant. At time t3, the slide control unit 60 of the brake control device 50 detects a slide and controls the slide control valve 18 to change from the supply state to the discharge state. At this time, the determination unit 108 determines that the slide control valve 18 is in the discharge state. Thus, the counting unit 110 detects the change from the supply state to the discharge state and counts the number of times the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV are operated.

[0077] At timing t4, the slide control by the slide control unit 60 changes from the discharge state to the hold state. At this time, the judgment unit 108 judges that the slide control valve 18 is in the hold state. Therefore, the counting unit 110 detects the change from the discharge state to the hold state, and counts the number of times the discharge valve RV operates. At timing t5, the slide control by the slide control unit 60 changes from the hold state to the discharge state. At this time, the judgment unit 108 judges that the slide control valve 18 is in the discharge state. Therefore, the counting unit 110 detects the change from the hold state to the discharge state, and counts the number of times the discharge valve RV operates.

[0078] Between timing t5 and t6, the brake pressure becomes less than the first threshold. At this time, the judgment unit 108 judges that the brake is in the released state. Therefore, the counting unit 110 detects the change from the braking state to the released state, and counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16. At timing t6, the slide control by the slide control unit 60 changes from the discharge state to the hold state. At this time, the judgment unit 108 judges that the slide control valve 18 is in the hold state. Therefore, the counting unit 110 detects the change from the discharge state to the hold state, and counts the number of operations of the discharge valve RV. At timing t7, the slide control by the slide control unit 60 changes from the hold state to the discharge state. At this time, the judgment unit 108 judges that the slide control valve 18 is in the discharge state. Therefore, the counting unit 110 detects the change from the hold state to the discharge state, and counts the number of operations of the discharge valve RV. At timing t8, the slide control by the slide control unit 60 changes from the discharge state to the hold state. At this time, the determining unit 108 determines that the plank control valve 18 is in the hold state. Therefore, the counting unit 110 detects the change from the discharge state to the hold state, and counts the number of times the discharge valve RV is operated.

[0079] At timing t9, the slide control unit 60 detects the end of the slide and controls the slide control valve 18 to change from the hold state to the supply state. At this time, the judgment unit 108 judges that the slide control valve 18 is in the supply state. Therefore, the counting unit 110 detects the change from the hold state to the supply state and counts the number of operations of the supply valve HV. Between timings t9 and t10, the brake pressure becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold value. At this time, the judgment unit 108 judges that the brake state is applied. When the brake pressure reaches the target value at timing t10, the brake pressure is maintained constant by controlling the fluid pressure control valve 14. At timing t11, the fluid pressure control valve 14 is controlled in response to a release command to reduce the brake pressure. Between timings t11 and t12, the brake pressure becomes less than the first threshold value. At this time, the judgment unit 108 judges that the brake state is released. Therefore, the counting unit 110 detects the change from the brake state to the release state and counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16. Thereafter, at timing t12, the brake pressure is released.

[0080] 11, the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 is counted two times, the number of operations of the supply valve HV is counted two times, and the number of operations of the discharge valve RV is counted six times. As described with reference to FIG. 10, the counting unit 110 may treat each of the counts of the number of operations in steps S62, S66, and S70 in FIG. 10 as a half-time count, and count the number of operations each time a full time count is reached. In that case, the number of operations of the supply valve HV is counted one time, which is half of the two times, and the number of operations of the discharge valve RV is counted three times, which is half of the six times.

[0081] As described above, the brake monitoring device 100 can count the number of operations of each of the brake mechanism 16, the supply valve HV, and the drain valve RV. The brake monitoring device 100 may store the number of operations of each of the brake mechanism 16, the supply valve HV, and the drain valve RV in the storage unit 116. Information on the number of operations of each of these components can be used to determine the wear state of each component. For example, the brake monitoring device 100 may calculate the degree of wear and the recommended replacement time, etc., by comparing the number of operations of each component with the number of normal usage lives.

[0082] In addition, the brake monitoring device 100 can count the number of operations of the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV in the slide control valve 18, and can therefore calculate the difference in wear between the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV. As a result, for example, the brake monitoring device 100 can calculate the difference in wear between the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV by comparing the number of operations of the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV with the number of normal use times of each. The brake monitoring device 100 may calculate the recommended replacement time for the slide control valve 18 according to the supply valve HV or the discharge valve RV, whichever has a greater degree of wear. Furthermore, based on the difference in wear between the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV, the difference in durability required for each component can be understood, and this can be used in future product development. In the same manner as above, the brake monitoring device 100 may calculate the difference in wear between the brake mechanism 16 and the slide control valve 18, and can be used in the same manner as above. The brake monitoring device 100 may output the number of operations of each of the brake mechanism 16, the supply valve HV, and the discharge valve RV, as well as various information derived from these operation numbers, in any manner, such as display information, audio information, etc.

[0083] Here, the first information generated by the first generating unit 112 of the brake monitoring device 100 and the second information generated by the second generating unit 114 will be described in detail. As described above, the first generating unit 112 generates the first information that associates information about the brake pressure with the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 counted by the counting unit 110. The information about the brake pressure may be information about the brake pressure acquired by the brake pressure acquiring unit 104, or may be information about statistical values ​​calculated from a plurality of brake pressures acquired by the brake pressure acquiring unit 104 over a plurality of times. The information about the brake pressure may also include a brake command acquired by the brake command acquiring unit 102.

[0084] It is considered that the brake mechanism 16 not only wears out depending on the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16, but also the brake pressure when the brake mechanism 16 operates affects the degree of wear. Specifically, it is considered that the greater the brake pressure, the greater the burden on the brake mechanism 16 and the easier it is to wear out. The brake monitoring device 100 can more accurately determine the wear state of the brake mechanism 16 by using first information that associates the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 with information related to the brake pressure. Note that the brake monitoring device 100 may generate information that associates the number of operations of the supply valve HV with information related to the brake pressure, or information that associates the number of operations of the discharge valve RV with information related to the brake pressure, similar to the first information.

[0085] As described above, the second generating unit 114 generates the second information in which the duration of the braking state is associated with the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 counted by the counting unit 110. The brake mechanism 16 is not only worn out according to the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16, but also the duration of the braking state when the brake mechanism 16 is operated is considered to affect the degree of wear. Specifically, it is considered that the longer the duration of the braking state when the brake mechanism 16 is operated, the greater the burden on the brake mechanism 16 and the easier it is to wear out. The brake monitoring device 100 can more accurately determine the wear state of the brake mechanism 16 by using the second information in which the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16 is associated with the duration of the braking state. Specifically, for example, the estimated value of the load on the brake mechanism 16 can be calculated by multiplying the average duration of the braking state by the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16. Note that the brake monitoring device 100 may generate information in which the number of operations of the supply valve HV is associated with the duration of the braking state, or information in which the number of operations of the discharge valve RV is associated with the duration of the braking state, similar to the second information. The brake monitoring device 100 may generate information that is a combination of the first information and the second information.

[0086] According to the first embodiment, the brake monitoring device 100 can accurately count the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16. In addition, the brake monitoring device 100 can also count the number of operations of the supply valve HV and the discharge valve RV included in the slide control valve 18 that operates by slide control.

[0087] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the drawings and description of the second embodiment, the same or equivalent components and members as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that differ from the first embodiment.

[0088] 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle 1 to which a brake monitoring device 200 according to the second embodiment is applied. A brake mechanism (not shown) in this embodiment has a spring brake cylinder 16u in addition to a brake cylinder 16t. The spring brake cylinder 16u is operated by the pressure of fluid supplied from a second flow path 20b different from the first flow path 20a, without passing through the fluid pressure control valve 14. The first flow path 20a in this embodiment is the same as the flow path 20 in the first embodiment, and is connected to the fluid pressure control valve 14.

[0089] The spring brake cylinder 16u is mainly used to generate a braking force for maintaining the parking state of the vehicle 1 while it is parked. That is, the spring brake cylinder 16u mainly functions as a parking brake. The spring brake cylinder 16u has a cylinder body (not shown) and a spring (not shown). In a state where there is no parking brake command, the pressure of the fluid inside the second flow path 20b supplied to the spring brake cylinder 16u (hereinafter referred to as "parking brake pressure") is maintained at a certain value or higher. In this case, the spring is compressed by the parking brake pressure. On the other hand, when there is a parking brake command, the parking brake pressure decreases, and the pushing rod (not shown) connected to the spring is pushed out by the biasing force of the spring, so that the state where the friction material 16s is pressed against the tread of the wheel 12 is maintained. This causes the parking brake to function. The state where the parking brake functions by the parking brake command is also expressed as the spring brake cylinder 16u being operated. Also, the state in which there is no parking brake command and the parking brake is not functioning can be expressed as the spring brake cylinder 16u being relaxed.

[0090] The brake monitoring device 200 further includes a parking brake command acquisition unit 218 and a parking brake pressure acquisition unit 220 in addition to the same configuration as the brake monitoring device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0091] The parking brake command acquisition unit 218 acquires a parking brake command from the cab 2. The parking brake command includes a parking brake command for activating the spring brake cylinder 16u to park the vehicle 1, and a parking release command for releasing the spring brake cylinder 16u. The parking brake command acquisition unit 218 may acquire the parking brake command directly from the cab 2, or may acquire it via the brake control unit 52.

[0092] The parking brake pressure acquisition unit 220 acquires the parking brake pressure in the second flow path 20b from the pressure sensor 80. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the pressure sensor 80 is installed in the second flow path 20b and acquires the parking brake pressure in the second flow path 20b.

[0093] An example of information processing of the brake monitoring device 200 will be described. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the determination processing by the determination unit 108 of the brake monitoring device 200. Note that the counting unit 110 of the brake monitoring device 200 of this embodiment executes the same counting processing as the counting unit 110 of the brake monitoring device 100 of the first embodiment.

[0094] The determination unit 108 determines whether or not the brake command acquisition unit has acquired a parking brake command (S80). If the determination unit 108 determines that a parking brake command has been acquired (Y in S80), the process proceeds to step S82. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that a parking brake command has not been acquired (N in S80), the process proceeds to step S86.

[0095] In step S82, the determination unit 108 determines whether the brake pressure acquired by the parking brake pressure acquisition unit 220 is less than the second threshold. If the determination unit 108 determines that the parking brake pressure is less than the second threshold (Y in S82), it determines that the operating state of the brake mechanism is in a braking state (S84) and proceeds to step S86. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that the brake pressure is equal to or greater than the second threshold (N in S82), it does not determine the operating state of the brake mechanism and proceeds to step S86.

[0096] In step S86, the determination unit 108 determines whether or not the parking brake command acquisition unit 218 has acquired a parking release command. If the determination unit 108 determines that the parking release command has been acquired (Y in S86), the process proceeds to step S88. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that the parking release command has not been acquired (N in S86), the process returns to step S80.

[0097] In step S88, the determination unit 108 determines whether the parking brake pressure acquired by the parking brake pressure acquisition unit 220 is equal to or greater than the second threshold. If the determination unit 108 determines that the parking brake pressure is equal to or greater than the second threshold (Y in S88), it determines that the operating state of the brake mechanism is in a released state (S90) and returns to step S80. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that the parking brake pressure is less than the second threshold (N in S88), it does not determine the operating state of the brake mechanism 16 and returns to step S80.

[0098] In this way, the determination unit 108 determines that the vehicle is in a braking state when it acquires a parking brake command and the acquired parking brake pressure is less than the second threshold. Also, the determination unit 108 determines that the vehicle is in a released state when it acquires a parking release command and the acquired parking brake pressure is equal to or greater than the second threshold. The second threshold may be any value set in advance. For example, the second threshold may be a maximum parking brake pressure at which it can be determined that the spring brake cylinder 16u has been activated and a braking force has been generated on the wheels 12 by controlling the parking brake pressure in response to the parking brake command. Also, the second threshold may be the same as the first threshold or may be different from the first threshold.

[0099] According to the second embodiment, the brake monitoring device 200 also counts the number of times the brake mechanism is operated by the parking brake, so that the number of times the brake mechanism is operated can be counted with higher accuracy.

[0100] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described. For example, the brake mechanism 16 may be used in place of a brake mechanism 16 installed on another wheel 12. The third embodiment is an embodiment for dealing with such a situation. In the drawings and description of the third embodiment, the same components and members as those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals. Descriptions that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the configurations that differ from the first embodiment will be described in detail.

[0101] Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a brake monitoring system 400 according to the third embodiment. The brake monitoring system 400 includes a brake monitoring device 300, a brake mechanism 16a, and a storage device 90. Although two brake mechanisms 16a are shown in Fig. 14, the number of brake mechanisms 16a may be one, or three or more. The vehicle 1 of this embodiment has a plurality of wheels 12, and one brake mechanism 16a is provided on each of the plurality of wheels 12.

[0102] The brake mechanism 16a has an IC tag 82 in addition to the same configuration as the brake mechanism 16 of the first embodiment. The IC tag 82 can write and read data from the outside by communication such as radio waves, and is, for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag. The IC tag 82 stores identification information of the brake mechanism 16a and first installation position information indicating the wheel 12 on which the brake mechanism 16a is installed among the multiple wheels 12. The first installation position information includes, for example, information on the vehicle 1 and position information of the wheel 12 in the vehicle 1. The number of operations of the brake mechanism 16a counted by the counting unit 110 of the brake monitoring device 300 may be written in the IC tag 82. In addition to the first installation position information, the IC tag 82 may store identification information of the brake control device 50, identification information of the fluid pressure control valve 14, and the like.

[0103] The storage device 90 includes a storage unit 92 and a transmission unit 94. The storage unit 92 of the storage device stores identification information of the brake mechanism 16a and second installation position information indicating the wheel 12 on which the brake mechanism 16a is currently installed, in association with each other. When the brake monitoring system 400 includes a plurality of brake mechanisms 16a, the storage unit 92 of the storage device 90 stores identification information of each of the plurality of brake mechanisms 16a and second installation position information indicating the wheel 12 on which each of the brake mechanisms 16a is currently installed, in association with each other. The storage device 90 may be configured as one function of the brake monitoring device 300, or may be configured as a device separate from the brake monitoring device 300. In addition, the storage device 90 does not necessarily have to be attached to the vehicle 1, and may be communicably connected to the brake monitoring device 300 via a network, for example.

[0104] The storage device 90 may update the information stored in the storage unit 92 as needed. For example, each device, such as the multiple wheels 12, the brake control device 50, the fluid pressure control valve 14, and the multiple slide control valves 18, may be managed by attaching an IC tag storing the respective identification information, and in this case, the storage device 90 can update the information stored in the storage unit 92 by acquiring the information of the IC tag of each device as needed.

[0105] The transmission unit 94 of the storage device 90 transmits the information stored in the storage unit 92 to the brake monitoring device 300 .

[0106] The brake monitoring device 300 has the same configuration as the brake monitoring device 100 according to the first embodiment, and further includes an information acquisition unit 318. The information acquisition unit 318 has at least a wireless communication function, and acquires the information stored in the IC tag 82 and the information stored in the storage device 90.

[0107] 15 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing of the brake monitoring device 300. The information acquisition unit 318 acquires information on the IC tag 82 possessed by the brake mechanism 16a and information on the storage device 90 (S100). At this time, the information acquisition unit 318 may collectively acquire information on the IC tags 82 possessed by each of the multiple brake mechanisms 16a. Similarly, the information acquisition unit 318 may collectively acquire information on the multiple brake mechanisms 16a stored in the storage device 90.

[0108] The determination unit 108 compares the first installation location information and the second installation location information for the same identification information based on the acquired information of the IC tag 82 and the information of the storage device 90 (S102). The determination unit 108 determines whether the first installation location information and the second installation location information match (S104). If the determination unit 108 determines that the first installation location information and the second installation location information match (Y in S104), the process proceeds to step S110. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that the first installation location information and the second installation location information do not match (N in S104), the process proceeds to step S106.

[0109] In step S106, the counting unit 110 sets the number of subsequent operations of the brake mechanism 16a for which it has been determined that the first installation position information and the second installation position information do not match so as to count the number of subsequent operations separately from the number of previous operations. In addition, the brake monitoring device 300 updates the first installation position information of the IC tag to the contents of the second installation position information (S108), and proceeds to step S110.

[0110] In step S110, the determination unit 108 determines whether or not there is undetermined identification information (S110). If the determination unit 108 determines that there is undetermined identification information (Y in S110), the process returns to step S102. On the other hand, if the determination unit 108 determines that there is no undetermined identification information (N in S110), the process ends.

[0111] In this way, the determination unit 108 determines whether the first installation position information and the second installation position information match for the same identification information. When the determination unit 108 determines that the first installation position information and the second installation position information do not match, the count unit 110 counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16a after that separately from the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16a before that. In this way, when the installation position of the brake mechanism 16a is changed, the brake monitoring device 300 can count the number of operations of the brake mechanism 16a for each installation position, so that the wear state of the brake mechanism 16a can be grasped while taking into consideration the influence of the installation position on the degree of wear. Note that the total number of operations of the brake mechanism 16a can be calculated by adding up the number of operations of the previous brake mechanism 16a and the number of operations of the subsequent brake mechanism 16a, but the count unit 110 may also count the total number of operations of the brake mechanism 16a.

[0112] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which the installation position of the brake mechanism 16a is swapped with the installation position of another brake mechanism 16a. FIG. 16(a) is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle 1 before swapping the installation positions of the brake mechanisms 16a. FIG. 16(b) is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle 1 after swapping the installation positions of the brake mechanisms 16a. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the installation positions of the "brake mechanism B" installed on the wheel 12 on the "rear side" of the vehicle 1 of the "XX car (M car) of the XX formation" are swapped with the "brake mechanism E" installed on the wheel 12 on the "front side" of the vehicle 1 of the "△△ car (T car) of the ○○ formation". Even if the installation positions of the brake mechanisms 16a are swapped in this way, the brake monitoring system 400 of this embodiment can appropriately continue to count the number of operations of the brake mechanisms 16a before and after the swapping of the installation positions.

[0113] Above, examples of the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail. The above-mentioned embodiments merely show specific examples of implementing the present invention. The contents of the embodiments do not limit the technical scope of the present invention, and many design changes such as changing, adding, and deleting components are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. In the above-mentioned embodiments, the contents for which such design changes are possible are described with the notation "of the embodiment" or "in the embodiment", but design changes may also be permitted for contents without such notation.

[0114] [Variations] The following describes the modified examples. In the drawings and description of the modified examples, the same or equivalent components and members as those in the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Descriptions that overlap with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on configurations that differ from the embodiment.

[0115] In the embodiment, a railcar is shown as an example of the vehicle 1, but the vehicle 1 is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle 1 may be an automobile such as a truck or a bus.

[0116] In the description of the embodiment, an example in which one fluid pressure control is provided for each vehicle 1 has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of fluid pressure controls may be provided for each vehicle 1.

[0117] The above-described modified examples provide the same functions and effects as the respective embodiments.

[0118] Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. A new embodiment resulting from the combination has the combined effects of the respective embodiments and modifications.

[0119] Among the embodiments disclosed in this specification, those in which multiple functions are provided in a distributed manner may have some or all of the multiple functions integrated together, and conversely, those in which multiple functions are provided in a distributed manner may have some or all of the multiple functions integrated together. Regardless of whether the functions are integrated or distributed, it is sufficient that the configuration is such that the object of the invention can be achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 1 vehicle, 14 fluid pressure control valve, 16,18 skid control valve, 20 flow path, 82 IC tag, 90 storage device, 100 brake monitoring device, 102 brake command acquisition unit, 104 brake pressure acquisition unit, 106 skid detection information acquisition unit, 108 judgment unit, 110 counting unit, 112 first generation unit, 114 second generation unit, 200 brake monitoring device, 218 parking brake command acquisition unit, 220 parking brake pressure acquisition unit, 300 brake monitoring device, 318 information acquisition unit, 400 brake monitoring system.

Claims

1. a brake command acquisition unit that acquires a brake command that instructs one of a braking state of a brake mechanism that brakes a vehicle and a release state of the brake mechanism; a brake pressure acquisition unit that acquires a brake pressure, which is a pressure of a fluid in a flow path between a fluid pressure control valve that is controlled in response to the brake command and a brake mechanism that operates in response to a pressure of the fluid; a determination unit that acquires a braking command that is the brake command commanding the braking state, and determines that the braking state exists when the acquired brake pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and acquires a release command that is the brake command commanding the released state, and determines that the released state exists when the acquired brake pressure is less than the threshold; A counting unit that counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism based on a result of the determination by the determining unit; A brake monitoring device comprising:

2. The brake pressure acquisition unit is a slide control valve provided in a flow path between the fluid pressure control valve and the brake mechanism, and acquires, as the brake pressure, a pressure of a fluid in the flow path between the brake mechanism and the slide control valve, which, when wheel slide occurs while the vehicle is being braked by the brake mechanism, discharges the fluid to reduce the brake pressure to eliminate the slide.

2. The brake monitoring device of claim 1.

3. A skid detection information acquisition unit for acquiring skid detection information of the wheels, the determination unit determines that the brake is in the released state when the release command has not been received, the slide detection information has been received, and the brake pressure is less than the threshold value.

3. The brake monitoring device of claim 2.

4. the slide control valve includes a supply valve that controls the supply of the fluid to the brake mechanism and a discharge valve that controls the discharge of the fluid, the determination unit determines a holding state when the slide detection information acquisition unit acquires the slide detection information and the acquired change in time of the brake pressure is an increase or decrease less than a predetermined value, determines a discharge state when the slide detection information acquisition unit acquires the slide detection information and the acquired change in time of the brake pressure is a decrease equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and determines a supply state when the slide detection information acquisition unit does not acquire the slide detection information, The counting unit further counts the number of times the supply valve is operated and the number of times the discharge valve is operated based on a result of the determination by the determination unit of the holding state, the supply state, and the discharge state.

4. The brake monitoring device of claim 3.

5. a first generating unit configured to generate first information that associates the acquired information on the brake pressure with the counted number of operations of the brake mechanism; A brake monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. a second generating unit configured to generate second information in which the duration of the braking state is associated with the counted number of operations of the brake mechanism, A brake monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. the brake mechanism includes a brake cylinder that is actuated by being supplied with fluid having the brake pressure, and a spring brake cylinder that is actuated by the pressure of fluid supplied from a flow path different from the flow path without passing through the fluid pressure control valve, a parking brake command acquisition unit that acquires parking brake commands including a parking brake command for activating the spring brake cylinder to park the vehicle and a parking release command for releasing the spring brake cylinder; A parking brake pressure acquisition unit that acquires a parking brake pressure, which is the pressure of the fluid supplied to the spring brake cylinder, The determination unit determines that the vehicle is in the braking state when the parking brake command is acquired and the acquired parking brake pressure is less than a predetermined second threshold, and determines that the vehicle is in the released state when the parking brake release command is acquired and the acquired parking brake pressure is equal to or greater than the second threshold. A brake monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. A brake monitoring system including a brake monitoring device, a brake mechanism, and a storage device, The brake monitoring device includes: a brake command acquisition unit that acquires a brake command that instructs one of a braking state of a brake mechanism that brakes a vehicle and a release state of the brake mechanism; a brake pressure acquisition unit that acquires a brake pressure, which is a pressure of a fluid in a flow path between a fluid pressure control valve that is controlled in response to the brake command and a brake mechanism that operates in response to a pressure of the fluid; a determination unit that acquires a braking command that is the brake command commanding the braking state, and determines that the braking state exists when the acquired brake pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and acquires a release command that is the brake command commanding the released state, and determines that the released state exists when the acquired brake pressure is less than the threshold; A counting unit that counts the number of operations of the brake mechanism based on a result of the determination by the determining unit, The vehicle has a plurality of wheels; the brake mechanism has an IC tag that stores identification information of the brake mechanism and first installation position information indicating a wheel on which the brake mechanism is installed among the plurality of wheels; the storage device stores the identification information of the brake mechanism in association with second installation position information indicating a wheel on which the brake mechanism is currently installed; The brake monitoring device further includes an information acquisition unit that acquires the information stored in the IC tag and the information stored in the storage device, The determination unit determines whether the first installation position information and the second installation position information match, When the determination unit determines that the first installation position information and the second installation position information do not match, the count unit counts the number of subsequent operations of the brake mechanism separately from the number of previous operations of the brake mechanism. Brake monitoring system.

9. obtaining a brake command commanding one of an on state of a brake mechanism that brakes a vehicle and a released state of the brake mechanism; acquiring a brake pressure, which is a pressure of a fluid in a flow path between a fluid pressure control valve controlled in response to the brake command and a brake mechanism operated in response to a pressure of the fluid; acquiring a braking command which is the brake command commanding the braking state, and determining that the braking state exists when the acquired brake pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and acquiring a release command which is the brake command commanding the released state, and determining that the released state exists when the acquired brake pressure is less than the threshold; counting the number of operations of the brake mechanism based on a result of the determination in the determining step; A brake monitoring program for causing a computer to execute the above.

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