Control device and control method

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of dealing with failure of unlocking a door by a locking device at the time of a door opening operation of a railway vehicle.SOLUTION: A door control device controls a locking device 30 which includes: a lock hole 32A provided at an opening / closing interlocking member 32 moving according to the opening / closing operation of a door 10 of a railway vehicle; and a lock pin 31 provided at a vehicle body of the railway vehicle, and for achieving a lock state of the door 10 by being inserted in the lock hole 32A. Specifically, after the door control device allows the locking device 30 to perform an unlocking operation, at the time of the opening operation of the door 10, in the case where the door 10 is not properly unlocked, the door control device allows the locking device 30 to perform the unlocking operation once again.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, locking devices for locking and unlocking doors of railway vehicles are known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-89406 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-143521 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a railroad car door is opened, the locking device may not operate properly, resulting in failure to unlock the door.

[0005] In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can deal with failure of a locking device to unlock a door when opening the door of a railway vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, A control device for controlling a door locking device of a railway vehicle, If the door is not properly unlocked despite the locking device having been caused to perform an unlocking operation during the door opening operation, the locking device is caused to perform the unlocking operation again. A control device is provided.

[0007] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, A control method in which a control device controls a locking device of a door of a railway vehicle, comprising: If the door is not properly unlocked despite the locking device having been caused to perform an unlocking operation during the door opening operation, the locking device is caused to perform the unlocking operation again. A control method is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to deal with a failure of the locking device to unlock the door during the operation of opening the door of a railway vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration related to door control of a railway vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a door locking device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a door locking device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a drive circuit for a locking device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a control sequence during a door opening operation. [Figure 6] 4 is a time chart showing a normal unlocking operation of the locking device. [Figure 7] 10 is a time chart showing a first example of an unlocking operation of a locking device including a retry. [Figure 8] 10 is a time chart showing a second example of the unlocking operation of the locking device including a retry. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [Configuration for controlling railway vehicle doors] An exemplary configuration for controlling a door 10 of a railway vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration related to control of a door 10 of a railway vehicle 1. As shown in FIG.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the railway vehicle 1 includes a door 10, a door drive mechanism 20, a locking device 30, an encoder 40, a lock detection switch 50, a full-close detection switch 60, a current sensor 70, and a door control device 80.

[0014] The railway vehicle 1 may be a single-car formation consisting of one vehicle, or may be a multi-car formation consisting of a plurality of vehicles connected in a chain.

[0015] The door 10 is provided in an opening (hereinafter referred to as "door opening" for convenience) on the side of the body of the railway vehicle 1. The door 10 is, for example, a double-swing sliding door.

[0016] The door drive mechanism 20 is capable of mechanically driving the door 10 in an opening direction and a closing direction. The door drive mechanism 20 is provided, for example, above the interior side of the door opening in the body of the railway vehicle 1. The door drive mechanism 20 includes, for example, an electric motor, and drives the door 10 in an opening direction and a closing direction using the electric motor as a power source. The electric motor may be a rotary motor (for example, motor 22 described below) or a linear motor.

[0017] The door drive mechanism 20 operates under the control of the door control device 80. For example, the door drive mechanism 20 is electrically driven by power supplied from the door control device 80.

[0018] The locking device 30 locks and unlocks the door 10. Like the door drive mechanism 20, the locking device 30 is provided above the interior of the vehicle body of the railway vehicle 1 on the passenger side of the door opening, for example.

[0019] The locking device 30 operates under the control of the door control device 80. For example, the locking device 30 is electrically driven by power supplied from the door control device 80.

[0020] The encoder 40 outputs detection information related to the position of the door 10. For example, the encoder 40 detects the rotation position and rotation speed of the rotary motor included in the door drive mechanism 20 and the displacement position of the mover of the linear motor, and outputs the detection information. The detection information of the encoder 40 is input into the door control device 80.

[0021] The lock detection switch 50 is a momentary switch for detecting the locking state of the door 10 by the locking device 30. The lock detection switch 50 is attached, for example, directly or indirectly to the body of the railway vehicle 1. When the door 10 is locked by the locking device 30, the lock detection switch 50 is in an ON state because an actuator unit is mechanically pressed by a predetermined member of the locking device 30. On the other hand, when the door 10 is not locked by the locking device 30, i.e., when the door 10 is locked, the actuator unit is not pressed by the member, and the lock detection switch 50 is in an OFF state. A detection signal (i.e., an ON signal or an OFF signal) indicating the ON / OFF state of the lock detection switch 50 is input to the door control device 80. As a result, the door control device 80 can determine that the door 10 is locked by the locking device 30 when the detection signal of the lock detection switch 50 is an ON signal, and that the door 10 is locked when the detection signal of the lock detection switch 50 is an OFF signal.

[0022] The fully closed detection switch 60 is a momentary switch for detecting whether the door 10 is fully closed. The fully closed detection switch 60 is attached, for example, directly or indirectly to the body of the railway vehicle 1. When the door 10 is fully closed, the fully closed detection switch 60 is turned on by mechanically pressing an actuator unit by a member linked to the opening and closing operation of the door 10. On the other hand, when the door 10 is not fully closed, the actuator unit is no longer pressed by the member, and the fully closed detection switch 60 is turned off. A detection signal (i.e., an on signal or an off signal) indicating the on / off state of the fully closed detection switch 60 is input to the door control device 80. As a result, when the detection signal of the fully closed detection switch 60 is an on signal, the door control device 80 can determine that the door 10 is in the fully closed state, and when the detection signal of the fully closed detection switch 60 is an off signal, the door control device 80 can determine that the door 10 is not in the fully closed state, i.e., that the door 10 is in the open state.

[0023] The current sensor 70 detects the current of a solenoid 34 (described later) included in the locking device 30. A detection signal of the current sensor 70 is input to the door control device 80.

[0024] The door control device 80 controls the operation of the door 10 .

[0025] Specifically, the door control device 80 controls the operation of the door 10 by electrically driving the door drive mechanism 20 in accordance with the sequence of the opening or closing operation of the door 10. For example, the door control device 80 has a built-in power conversion device that converts direct current supplied from a predetermined power source of the railway vehicle 1 into three-phase alternating current of a predetermined voltage and a predetermined frequency, and controls the power conversion device to supply drive power to the door drive mechanism 20. The power conversion device may also be located outside the door control device 80.

[0026] The door control device 80 also electrically drives the locking device 30 in accordance with the sequence of the opening or closing operation of the door 10, thereby locking the door 10 and controlling the locking operation.

[0027] The functions of the door control device 80 are realized by, for example, any hardware or a combination of any hardware and software. For example, the door control device 80 is mainly configured with a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory device, an auxiliary storage device, an interface device for input / output with the outside, and the like.

[0028] [Locking device configuration] Next, the configuration of the locking device 30 according to this embodiment will be described by way of example with reference to FIGS.

[0029] 2 and 3 are diagrams showing an example of the locking device 30 of the door 10. FIG.

[0030] Specifically, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the locking device 30 when the door 10 is in a fully closed position and is locked by the locking device 30. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the locking device 30 when the door 10 is in a fully closed position and is locked by the locking device 30. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a drive circuit DRC for electrically driving the locking device 30 of Figs. 2 and 3.

[0031] 2 and 3, in this example, the door 10 is a double-swing sliding door and includes door panels 10A and 10B. In addition, in this example, the door drive mechanism 20 includes a motor 22 and rack portions 23 and 24.

[0032] The motor 22 is a rotary electric motor that operates under the control of the door control device 80. The motor 22 is driven by three-phase AC driving power supplied through the door control device 80, for example.

[0033] The rack portion 23 is connected to the door panel 10A by a connecting member 11, and is disposed above the door panels 10A and 10B. The rack portion 23 includes a rack bar 23A and a rack gear 23B.

[0034] Rack bar 23A is provided above door panel 10A to extend in the fore-and-aft direction of railway vehicle 1, and has rack gear 23B provided on its underside. The fore-and-aft direction of railway vehicle 1 corresponds to the opening and closing direction of door 10. Rack bar 23A is provided above the door opening of the body of railway vehicle 1, slightly above the rotation shaft of motor 22, which is disposed so that its rotation shaft is aligned along the width direction (i.e., the left-right direction) of railway vehicle 1. This allows a pinion gear (not shown) that is disposed coaxially with the rotation shaft of motor 22 to engage with rack gear 23B on the underside of rack bar 23A. Therefore, rack bar 23A can be moved in the fore-and-aft direction of railway vehicle 1 in accordance with the rotation of motor 22, thereby achieving the opening and closing operation of door panel 10A.

[0035] The rack portion 24 is connected to the door panel 10B by a connecting member 12, and is disposed above the door panels 10A and 10B. The rack portion 24 includes a rack bar 24A and a rack gear 24B.

[0036] Rack bar 24A is provided above door panel 10B to extend in the front-to-rear direction of railway vehicle 1, and has rack gear 24B provided on its upper surface. Rack bar 24A is provided above the door opening of the body of railway vehicle 1, slightly below the rotation shaft of motor 22, which is disposed so that its rotation shaft extends along the width direction (i.e., the left-to-right direction) of railway vehicle 1. This allows a pinion gear (not shown) that is disposed coaxially with the rotation shaft of motor 22 to engage with rack gear 24B on the upper surface of rack bar 24A. Therefore, rack bar 24A can be moved in the front-to-rear direction of railway vehicle 1 in accordance with the rotation of motor 22, thereby achieving the opening and closing operation of door panel 10B.

[0037] The movement of the door panels 10A, 10B in the front-rear direction of the railcar 1 is guided by slide rails provided around the door openings of the railcar 1. The connecting member 11 is also provided with, for example, a pressing portion 11A that can press an actuator 61 of a full-close detection switch 60. As a result, when the door panel 10A is in the fully closed position, the pressing portion 11A presses the actuator 61 of the full-close detection switch 60, thereby turning the full-close detection switch 60 on. On the other hand, when the door panel 10A moves from the fully closed position in the opening direction, the pressing portion 11A moves in a direction away from the actuator 61, thereby turning the full-close detection switch 60 off. Therefore, the full-close detection switch 60 can detect the full-close state of the door 10.

[0038] In this example, the locking device 30 includes a lock pin 31, an opening / closing interlocking member 32, a solenoid , and a vertical slider .

[0039] The lock pin 31 has an upper end connected to the vertical slider 35, and is supported directly or indirectly on the body of the railway vehicle 1 so as to be movable together with the vertical slider within a predetermined range (movable range) in the up and down direction.

[0040] The opening / closing interlocking member 32 is provided at the end of the rack portion 24 in the opening direction of the door 10 and at the upper end of the connecting member 12, and moves in the opening and closing directions in conjunction with the opening and closing movement of the door panel 10B. As in the first example described above, the opening / closing interlocking member 32 is positioned below the lock pin 31 and has a lock hole 32A.

[0041] The lock hole 32A is a recess provided on the upper surface of the opening / closing interlocking member 32, and is arranged so that the lock pin 31 can be inserted from above when the door 10 is in the fully closed position. For example, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lock hole 32A has an opening only on the upper side of the opening / closing interlocking member 32. The lock hole 32A may also penetrate the opening / closing interlocking member 32 from top to bottom.

[0042] The solenoid 34 is a self-holding type and includes a housing 34A, and a plunger 34B, a locking coil 34C, and a locking coil 34D, which are housed in the housing 34A.

[0043] When current flows through coil 34C while plunger 34B is in its lowest position, it is attracted to the fixed iron core magnetized by coil 34C, causing it to move upward and its upper end to protrude significantly upward from housing 34A. Furthermore, plunger 34B is attracted to a permanent magnet built into housing 34A for maintaining the locked state, allowing it to remain in its uppermost position even after current flow through coil 34C is stopped.

[0044] Furthermore, when current flows through coil 34D while plunger 34B is in its uppermost position, it is attracted to the fixed iron core magnetized by coil 34D, causing it to move downward and be drawn into housing 34A. Furthermore, plunger 34B is attracted to a permanent magnet built into housing 34A for maintaining the locked state, allowing it to remain in its lowermost position even after current flow through coil 34D is stopped.

[0045] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the drive circuit DRC of the locking device 30 includes a power supply 90, coils 34C and 34D, and an inverter circuit 83 built into the door control device 80.

[0046] One end of the coil 34C is connected to the U-phase output of the inverter circuit 83, and the other end is connected to the W-phase output of the inverter circuit 83. One end of the coil 34D is connected to the V-phase output of the inverter circuit 83, and the other end is connected to the W-phase output of the inverter circuit 83.

[0047] Under the control of the control circuit 82, the inverter circuit 83 can apply a voltage in a predetermined pattern to either the coil 34C or the coil 34D, thereby energizing the coil 34C or the coil 34D, using power supplied from the power supply 90. The control circuit 82 can control the current in the coil 34C or the coil 34D by appropriately turning on and off the switching element SW of the inverter circuit 83 using a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal in accordance with the current command Ic.

[0048] The current sensor 70 is disposed to detect the current of the W-phase output of the inverter circuit 83. As a result, the current sensor 70 detects the current Is in the coil 34C or the coil 34D, and the detection signal is input to the control circuit 82. As a result, the control circuit 82 can feedback control the current Is in the coil 34C or the coil 34D based on the detection signal of the current sensor 70.

[0049] The vertical slider 35 is attached directly or indirectly to the carbody of the railway vehicle 1 and can move up and down with the carbody serving as a fixed part as a reference. The vertical slider 35 is arranged to cover the lock pin 31 and the solenoid 34 from above, is connected to the lock pin 31 directly or indirectly via another member, and can abut against the plunger 34B. As a result, in the locking device 30, the plunger 34B of the solenoid 34 protrudes significantly upward from the housing 34A, thereby moving the vertical slider 35 upward and, as a result, moving the lock pin 31 upward. Therefore, when the door 10 is in the fully closed position, the solenoid 34 energizes the coil 34C to release the state in which the lower end of the lock pin 31 is inserted into the lock hole 32A, thereby transitioning the door 10 from a locked state to an unlocked state. In addition, in the locking device 30, the plunger 34B of the solenoid 34 moves downward from a state where it is widely protruded, causing the vertical slider 35 to move downward by its own weight, and as a result, the lock pin 31 can be moved downward. Therefore, when the door 10 is in the fully closed position, the solenoid 34 energizes the coil 34D to insert the lower end of the lock pin 31 into the lock hole 32A, thereby transitioning the door 10 from an unlocked state to a locked state.

[0050] 2 and 3, the lock detection switch 50 is provided below the vertical slider 35. The lock detection switch 50 includes a main body portion 51 and an actuator portion 52.

[0051] The lock detection switch 50 is a momentary switch, and a biasing force acts on the actuator part 52 so that the actuator part 52 is kept in a state where it projects largely upward from the main body part 51, that is, in an OFF state.

[0052] When the vertical slider 35 is at its lowest position, the lower surface of the vertical slider 35 comes into contact with the actuator unit 52, and the weight of the vertical slider 35 presses the actuator unit 52. This causes the vertical slider 35 to push the actuator unit 52 into the main body 51 against the biasing force, and as a result, the lock detection switch 50 can maintain its ON state. On the other hand, when the vertical slider 35 is at its upper stroke end (i.e., the upper limit position) in a state where it is pushed up by the plunger 34B, the lower surface of the vertical slider 35 does not come into contact with the actuator unit 52. This allows the lock detection switch 50 to maintain its OFF state due to the biasing force acting on the actuator unit 52. The lock detection switch 50 can transition from an OFF state to an ON state when the lock pin 31 connected to the vertical slider 35 is inserted into the lock hole 32A and the door 10 transitions from the locked state to the unlocked state. In addition, the lock detection switch 50 can transition from an ON state to an OFF state as the plunger 34B moves upward and the lock pin 31 transitions from a state in which it is inserted into the lock hole 32A to a state in which it is released from the insertion.

[0053] For example, the lock detection switch 50 switches between an ON state and an OFF state when the lower end of the lock pin 31 is positioned somewhat below the opening position of the lock hole 32A in the vertical direction. The opening position of the lock hole 32A corresponds to the position in the vertical direction where the lower end of the lock pin 31 switches between an inserted state and an unlocked state in the lock hole 32A. In other words, the lock detection switch 50 switches between an ON state and an OFF state when the lower end of the lock pin 31 is inserted somewhat into the lock hole 32A. As a result, the lock detection switch 50 can detect the locked state of the door 10 when the lock pin 31 is securely inserted into the lock hole 32A and the door 10 is securely locked.

[0054] [Control sequence when the door is opened] Next, a control sequence during the opening operation of the door 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0055] 5 is a diagram showing a control sequence during the opening operation of the door 10. This control sequence starts when the railway vehicle 1 stops and the open command signal and open permission signal for the door 10 are turned on.

[0056] The open command signal is a signal that indicates whether or not a command to open the door 10 has been issued by the crew of the railway vehicle 1. The open permission signal is a signal that indicates permission to open the door 10 from the crew of the railway vehicle 1. Of the left door 10 and the right door 10, only the door on the platform side of the railway vehicle 1 is opened and closed. Therefore, at each stop, in response to the operation of the operating tool by the crew of the railway vehicle 1, the open permission signal that is input to the door control device 80 corresponding to either the left door 10 or the right door 10 on the platform side is turned on.

[0057] (Normal unlocking operation) As shown in FIG. 5, in step S10, the door control device 80 activates the solenoid 34 while applying a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 from the motor 22, thereby starting the unlocking operation of the locking device 30.

[0058] For example, there is a possibility that the door 10 will be locked with an obstacle caught between the door panels 10A and 10B. In this case, the positional relationship between the lock pin 31 and the lock hole 32A will change from the normal state (i.e., when there is no obstacle) in the opening and closing direction of the door 10, and the lock pin 31 may be inserted into the lock hole 32A while contacting the inner surface of the lock hole 32A. In response to this, during the unlocking operation of the locking device 30, by applying a thrust force from the motor 22 to the door 10 in the closing direction, the thrust of the motor 22 acts in a direction that alleviates the contact state between the lock pin 31 and the inner surface of the lock hole 32A. Therefore, the door control device 80 can increase the possibility that the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 will properly unlock the door 10.

[0059] When the process of step S10 is completed, the door control device 80 proceeds to step S20.

[0060] (Unlock confirmation) In step S20, the door control device 80 checks whether the door 10 is unlocked while the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 is being performed in step S10.

[0061] If the transition condition TC23 is met within the time limit, the door control device 80 proceeds to step S30, and if the transition condition TC23 is not met within the time limit, that is, if the transition condition TC26 (time-up) is met, the door control device 80 proceeds to step S60.

[0062] The transition condition TC23 is that the lock detection signal transitions to the OFF state. As a result, the door control device 80 can confirm that the door 10 is unlocked when the transition condition TC23 is met.

[0063] On the other hand, if the transition condition TC26 is satisfied, the door control device 80 can determine that the door 10 has not been properly unlocked and has failed to unlock the door 10. Therefore, the door control device 80 proceeds to step S60 and retries the unlocking operation of the locking device 30.

[0064] For example, the plunger 34B of the solenoid 34 may become stuck or jammed in the lowermost position. In this case, even if the coil 34C of the solenoid 34 is energized, the plunger 34B may not be able to move upward, or even if it can move, the appropriate amount of movement may not be achieved. Furthermore, depending on the structure of the locking device 30, the lock pin 31 or the vertical slider 35 may become stuck or jammed in the lowermost position. In this case, even if the coil 34C of the solenoid 34 is energized, the plunger 34B may not be able to move upward, or even if it can move, the appropriate amount of movement may not be achieved due to the restriction of the locked or jammed lock pin 31 or the vertical slider 35. Furthermore, for example, as described above, the door 10 may be locked with an obstacle caught between the door panels 10A and 10B. In this case, the positional relationship between the lock pin 31 and the lock hole 32A changes from normal in the opening and closing direction of the door 10, and the lock pin 31 may be inserted into the lock hole 32A while contacting the inner surface of the lock hole 32A. The resistance caused by the contact between the lock pin 31 and the inner surface of the lock hole 32A may prevent the plunger 34B from moving upward even when the coil 34C of the solenoid 34 is energized, or may not move the plunger 34B the appropriate distance. In these cases, the bottom end of the lock pin 31 may remain inserted in the lock hole 32A, causing the lock detection switch 50 to remain off.

[0065] (Door opening operation 1) In step S30, the door control device 80 applies a thrust to the door 10 in the opening direction and controls the motor 22 to cause the door 10 to perform an opening operation with a speed command value of speed V1 (>0).

[0066] As a result, the door 10 can start the opening operation under the control of the door control device 80.

[0067] After starting the control process of step S30, the door control device 80 monitors whether the transition condition TC34 is satisfied within the time limit. If the transition condition TC34 is satisfied within the time limit, the door control device 80 proceeds to step S40, and if the transition condition TC34 is not satisfied within the time limit, that is, if the transition condition TC36 (time-up) is satisfied, the door control device 80 proceeds to step S60.

[0068] The transition condition TC34 is that the lock detection signal is in the OFF state and the fully closed detection signal is in the OFF state, or the amount of movement D of the door 10 in the opening direction from the fully closed position is equal to or greater than the threshold value Dth1 (>0). As a result, when the transition condition 34 is satisfied, the door control device 80 can confirm that the door 10 is unlocked and has moved in the opening direction from the fully closed position.

[0069] On the other hand, when the transition condition TC36 is satisfied, the door control device 80 can confirm that although the lower end of the lock pin 31 has risen to a position where the lock detection signal is turned off, it is highly likely that it has not risen above the opening position of the lock hole 32A. In other words, the door control device 80 can confirm that the door 10 has not been properly unlocked and has failed to unlock the door 10. Therefore, the door control device 80 proceeds to step S60 and retries the unlocking operation of the locking device 30.

[0070] For example, as described above, due to the sticking of the plunger 34B, the lock pin 31, or the vertical slider 35 or the influence of an obstacle caught between the door panels 10A and 10B, the plunger 34B may not move an appropriate distance even when the coil 34C of the solenoid 34 is energized. As a result, during the unlocking operation of the locking device 30, the lower end of the plunger 34B may not rise above the opening position of the lock hole 32A.

[0071] (Door opening operation 2) In step S40, the door control device 80 applies a thrust force in the opening direction to the door 10 and controls the motor 22 so that the door 10 performs an opening operation with a speed command value of speed V2 (>V1).

[0072] After starting the control process in step S40, if the transition condition TC45 is satisfied, the door control device 80 proceeds to step S50, whereas if the transition condition TC41 is satisfied, the door control device 80 returns to step S10.

[0073] The transition condition TC45 is that the movement amount D of the door 10 in the opening direction from the fully closed position is equal to or greater than a threshold value Dth2 (>Dth1). When the transition condition TC45 is satisfied, the door control device 80 can confirm that the door 10 has moved in the opening direction to a position that is relatively far away from the fully closed position.

[0074] The transition condition TC41 is that the lock detection signal or the fully closed detection signal is in an ON state, and the movement amount D of the door 10 in the opening direction from the fully closed position is less than the threshold value Dth1. As a result, when the transition condition TC41 is satisfied, the door control device 80 can confirm that the door 10 has not been properly unlocked and that the door 10 cannot move in the opening direction to a position relatively far from the fully closed position. In other words, the door control device 80 can confirm that the door 10 has not been properly unlocked and that the unlocking of the door 10 has failed. Therefore, the door control device 80 returns to step S10 and retries the control sequence from the beginning (i.e., the unlocking operation of the locking device 30).

[0075] For example, as described above, during the unlocking operation of the locking device 30, even if the lower end of the plunger 34B does not rise above the opening position of the lock hole 32A, the door 10 may still move to some extent in the open direction. In this case, the door 10 may move to a position near the position where the full-close detection signal switches between the ON state and the OFF state, and after the full-close detection signal transitions to the OFF state (i.e., after the transition condition TC34 is satisfied), the full-close detection signal may return to the ON state, and the transition condition TC41 may be satisfied. Also, in this case, after the movement amount D of the door 10 becomes equal to or greater than Dth1 (i.e., after the transition condition TC34 is satisfied), the plunger 34B may interfere with the lock hole 32A, and the door 10 may move in the closing direction due to the reaction, and the movement amount D of the door 10 may become less than Dth1, and the transition condition TC41 may be satisfied. Furthermore, for example, as described above, there is a possibility that the lock detection signal will transition to the OFF state even if the lower end of the plunger 34B does not rise above the opening position of the lock hole 32A during the unlocking operation of the locking device 30. In this case, if the position of the plunger 34B is near the position where the lock detection signal switches between the ON state and the OFF state, there is a possibility that the lock detection signal will return to the ON state again after the lock detection signal transitions to the ON state (i.e., after the transition condition TC34 is satisfied), and the transition condition TC41 will be satisfied.

[0076] (Door opening operation 3) In step S50, the door control device 80 applies a thrust to the door 10 in the opening direction and controls the motor 22 so that the door 10 performs an opening operation in accordance with a speed command having a predetermined speed pattern.

[0077] When the door 10 reaches the fully open position through the control process of step S50, the door control device 80 ends the current control sequence.

[0078] (Prepare to retry unlocking operation) On the other hand, in step S60, the door control device 80 applies a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 and controls the motor 22 to cause the door 10 to perform a closing operation at a speed command value of speed V3. At this time, the thrust applied from the motor 22 to the door 10 is set to be larger than the thrust applied from the motor 22 to the door 10 in steps S10 and S20, for example (see FIGS. 7 and 8 described below).

[0079] This allows the door control device 80 to return the door 10 to the fully closed state.

[0080] After starting the control process in step S60, if the transition condition TC67 is satisfied, the door control device 80 proceeds to step S70.

[0081] The transition condition TC67 is that a predetermined time T1 has elapsed after the start of the control process in step S60.

[0082] (Retry unlocking operation) In step S70, the door control device 80 applies a thrust force to the door 10 in the closing direction, and while maintaining the state of controlling the motor 22 so that the door 10 performs a closing operation at a speed command of speed V3, activates the solenoid 34, thereby starting the unlocking operation of the locking device 30.

[0083] As a result, for example, if there is an obstacle caught between the door panels 10A and 10B, and this may cause contact between the lock pin 31 and the inner surface of the lock hole 32A, the locking device 30 can perform an unlocking operation while the motor 22 operates in a direction that alleviates the contact. Therefore, the door control device 80 can increase the possibility that the door 10 will be properly unlocked by retrying the unlocking operation of the locking device.

[0084] After starting the control process in step S70, if the transition condition TC72 is satisfied, the door control device 80 returns to step S20.

[0085] The transition condition TC72 is that the lock detection signal is in the OFF state, or that the time limit has elapsed (i.e., time is up) after the start of the control process in step S70. When the lock detection signal becomes OFF, the door control device 80 confirms that the retry of the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 has been successful, and can proceed to the processing of step S30 via step S20. On the other hand, when the lock detection signal does not become OFF within the time limit, that is, when the time is up, the door control device 80 confirms that the retry of the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 has failed, and can return to the processing of step S60 again via step S20.

[0086] In this way, in this example, the door control device 80 can retry the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 if a condition is met during the main control sequence (steps S10 to S50) during the door opening operation that indicates that the door 10 is not properly unlocked.

[0087] For example, if the lock detection signal does not transition to the OFF state due to the unlocking operation of the locking device 30, the door control device 80 retries the unlocking operation of the locking device 30. Also, for example, even if the lock detection signal transitions to the OFF state due to the unlocking operation of the locking device 30, if the door 10 cannot move relatively far in the opening direction from the fully closed position, the door control device 80 retries the unlocking operation of the locking device 30. In this way, the door control device 80 can deal with failure of the locking device 30 to unlock the door 10 during the opening operation of the door 10 of the railway vehicle 1.

[0088] [Time chart showing normal unlocking operation of the locking device] Next, a time chart showing the normal unlocking operation of the locking device 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0089] Fig. 6 is a time chart showing the normal unlocking operation of the locking device 30. Specifically, Fig. 6 is a time chart showing the normal unlocking operation of the locking device 30 and the opening operation of the door 10. Fig. 6 includes Figs. 6A to 6H.

[0090] FIG. 6A is a time chart of an open command signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 6B is a time chart of an open permission signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 6C is a time chart of an opening operation in progress signal inside the door control device 80. The opening operation in progress signal is a signal that is turned on during the opening operation of the door 10. FIG. 6D is a time chart of a full-close detection signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 6E is a time chart of a lock detection signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 6F is a time chart showing the operating state of the solenoid 34. FIG. 6G is a time chart showing a speed command value for the door 10 generated by the door control device 80. FIG. 6H is a time chart of the thrust applied to the door 10 from the motor 22.

[0091] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, at time t01, the open command signal switches from OFF to ON, and both the open command signal and the open permission signal are turned ON. As a result, the opening operation of the door 10 is started, as shown in Figure 6C, and the opening operation in progress signal switches from OFF to ON at time t01. Then, as shown in Figures 6F and 6H, at time t01, the solenoid 34 starts operating, and the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 is started in a state in which a thrust in the closing direction is applied to the door 10 from the motor 22 (see step S10 in Figure 5).

[0092] 6H, in this example, when the door 10 is in the fully closed state, the motor 22 applies a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 under the control of the door control device 80. Then, during the period from time t01 to t02, the state in which the same magnitude of thrust in the closing direction is applied to the door 10 is maintained. However, after the start of the opening operation of the door 10, that is, during the period from time t01 to t02, the magnitude of the thrust applied to the door 10 may be different from the magnitude of the thrust applied when the door 10 is in the fully closed state. Also, when the door 10 is in the fully closed state, the motor 22 may not apply a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10, and application of a thrust in the closing direction from the motor 22 to the door 10 may start at time t01.

[0093] After time t01, the door control device 80 starts to check whether the door 10 is unlocked, that is, to check whether the lock detection signal has transitioned from ON to OFF (see step S20 in FIG. 5).

[0094] The unlocking operation of the locking device 30 due to the activation of the solenoid 34 moves the lock pin 31 upward, and as shown in FIG. 6E, at time t02 after time t01, the lock detection signal switches from ON to OFF (see transition condition TC23 in FIG. 5). As a result, as shown in FIG. 6H, starting from time t02, the motor 22 transitions to a state in which it applies a thrust force in the opening direction to the door 10, and the door 10 starts its opening operation (see step S30 in FIG. 5). At this time, as shown in FIG. 6G, the speed command value starts from zero at time t02 and increases toward speed V1.

[0095] Thereafter, at time t03, the full-close detection signal switches from ON to OFF in response to the opening operation of the door 10. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6G, the speed command value increases toward speed V2, and when speed V2 is reached, the speed command value is maintained at speed V2 (see step S40 in FIG. 5).

[0096] Thereafter, as the door 10 starts to open, the speed command value changes in accordance with a predetermined speed pattern (see step S50 in FIG. 5).

[0097] Thereafter, as the door 10 reaches the fully open state, the opening operation of the door 10 ends at time t04, as shown in FIGS. 6C, 6G, and 6H.

[0098] [Time chart showing the first example of the unlocking operation of the locking device including retries] Next, a time chart showing a first example of the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 including retries will be described, as shown in FIG.

[0099] Fig. 7 is a time chart showing a first example of the unlocking operation including retries of the locking device 30. Fig. 7 includes Figs. 7A to 7G.

[0100] FIG. 7A is a time chart of an open command signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 7B is a time chart of an open permission signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 7C is a time chart of an opening operation in progress signal inside the door control device 80. FIG. 7D is a time chart of a full-close detection signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 7E is a time chart of a lock detection signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 7F is a time chart showing the operating state of the solenoid 34. FIG. 7G is a time chart of the thrust applied to the door 10 from the motor 22.

[0101] In FIG. 7, for convenience, the preparation for retrying the unlocking operation (step S50 in FIG. 5) and the retrying the unlocking operation (step S60 in FIG. 5) are collectively referred to as "unlocking retry."

[0102] As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, at time t11, the open command signal switches from OFF to ON, and both the open command signal and the open permission signal are turned ON. As a result, at time t11, the opening operation in progress signal switches from OFF to ON, as shown in Figure 7C. Then, as shown in Figures 7F and 7G, at time t11, the solenoid 34 starts operating, and the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 starts with the motor 22 applying a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 (see step S10 in Figure 5).

[0103] 7G, in this example, when the door 10 is in the fully closed state, the motor 22 applies a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 under the control of the door control device 80. Then, during the period from time t11 to t13, the state in which the same magnitude of thrust in the closing direction is applied to the door 10 is maintained. However, after the start of the opening operation of the door 10, that is, during the period from time t11 to t13, the magnitude of the thrust applied to the door 10 may be different from the magnitude of the thrust applied when the door 10 is in the fully closed state. Also, when the door 10 is in the fully closed state, the motor 22 may not apply a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10, and application of a thrust in the closing direction from the motor 22 to the door 10 may begin at time t11.

[0104] At time t12 after time t11, the door control device 80 starts to check whether the door 10 is unlocked, that is, to check whether the lock detection signal has transitioned from ON to OFF (see step S20 in FIG. 5).

[0105] As shown in Fig. 7F, the solenoid 34 operates from time t11 until after time t12, and the locking device 30 performs an unlocking operation. However, as shown in Fig. 7E, the lock detection signal remains on and does not switch to an off state. Therefore, at time t13, the time limit elapses (transition condition TC26 in Fig. 5), and the motor 22, under the control of the door control device 80, transitions to a state in which it applies a relatively large thrust in the closing direction corresponding to the speed command value of speed V3 to the door 10. Then, under the control of the door control device 80, the motor 22 maintains this state until time t14 (see step S60 in Fig. 5).

[0106] At time t14, the solenoid 34 starts operating, and the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 (i.e., a retry of the unlocking operation) is initiated in a state in which the motor 22 applies a relatively large thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 corresponding to the speed command value of speed V3 (see step S70 in Figure 5).

[0107] However, in this example, as shown in Fig. 7E, the lock detection signal remains on and does not switch to the off state even during the first retry of the unlocking operation. Therefore, at time t15, the time limit elapses (see transition condition TC72 in Fig. 5), and the door control device 80 returns the thrust in the closing direction applied to the door 10 from the motor 22 to a relatively small state, and starts checking whether the door 10 is unlocked (see step S20 in Fig. 5).

[0108] 7E, the lock detection signal remains on even during the first retry of the unlocking operation, and therefore, at time t16, the time limit elapses (transition condition TC26 in FIG. 5), and the motor 22, under the control of the door control device 80, transitions to a state in which it applies a relatively large thrust in the closing direction corresponding to the speed command value of speed V3 to the door 10. Then, under the control of the door control device 80, the motor 22 maintains this state until time t17 (see step S60 in FIG. 5).

[0109] At time t17, the solenoid 34 starts operating, and the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 (i.e., a second retry of the unlocking operation) is initiated in a state in which the motor 22 applies a relatively large thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 corresponding to the speed command value of speed V3 (see step S70 in Figure 5).

[0110] However, in this example, as shown in Fig. 7E, the lock detection signal remains on and does not switch to the off state even during the second retry of the unlocking operation. Therefore, at time t15, the time limit elapses (see transition condition TC72 in Fig. 5), and the door control device 80 returns the thrust in the closing direction applied to the door 10 from the motor 22 to a relatively small state, and starts checking whether the door 10 is unlocked (see step S20 in Fig. 5).

[0111] Thereafter, the flow of retrying the unlocking operation in accordance with the control sequence of FIG. 5 (that is, the loop of step S20 → step S60 → step S70 in FIG. 5) is repeated until the door 10 is properly unlocked.

[0112] In this way, in this example, if the lock detection signal does not switch from on to off by the normal unlocking operation (step S10 in FIG. 5), the door control device 80 can cause the locking device 30 to retry the unlocking operation.

[0113] [Time chart showing a second example of the unlocking operation of the locking device including retries] Next, a time chart showing a second example of the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 including a retry will be described with reference to FIG.

[0114] Fig. 8 is a time chart showing a second example of the unlocking operation including retries of the locking device 30. Fig. 8 includes Figs. 8A to 8G.

[0115] FIG. 8A is a time chart of an open command signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 8B is a time chart of an open permission signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 8C is a time chart of an opening operation in progress signal inside the door control device 80. FIG. 8D is a time chart of a full-close detection signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 8E is a time chart of a lock detection signal input to the door control device 80. FIG. 8F is a time chart showing the operating state of the solenoid 34. FIG. 8G is a time chart of the thrust applied to the door 10 from the motor 22.

[0116] In FIG. 8, for convenience, the preparation for retrying the unlocking operation (step S50 in FIG. 5) and the retrying the unlocking operation (step S60 in FIG. 5) are collectively referred to as "unlocking retry."

[0117] As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, at time t21, the open command signal switches from off to on, and both the open command signal and the open permission signal are turned on. As a result, at time t21, the opening operation in progress signal switches from off to on, as shown in Figure 8C. Then, as shown in Figures 8F and 8G, at time t21, the solenoid 34 starts operating, and the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 starts with the motor 22 applying a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 (see step S10 in Figure 5).

[0118] 8G, in this example, when the door 10 is in the fully closed state, the motor 22 applies a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 under the control of the door control device 80. Then, during the period from time t21 to t23, the state in which the same magnitude of thrust in the closing direction is applied to the door 10 is maintained. However, after the start of the opening operation of the door 10, that is, during the period from time t21 to t23, the magnitude of the thrust applied to the door 10 may be different from the magnitude of the thrust applied when the door 10 is in the fully closed state. Also, when the door 10 is in the fully closed state, the motor 22 may not apply a thrust in the closing direction to the door 10, and at time t21, the application of a thrust in the closing direction from the motor 22 to the door 10 may begin.

[0119] After time t21, the door control device 80 starts to check whether the door 10 is unlocked, that is, to check whether the lock detection signal has transitioned from ON to OFF (see step S20 in FIG. 5).

[0120] The lock pin 31 moves upward due to the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 caused by the activation of the solenoid 34, and at time t22 after time t21, the lock detection signal switches from ON to OFF (see transition condition TC23 in FIG. 5). As a result, as shown in FIG. 8G, starting from time t22, the motor 22 transitions to a state in which it applies a thrust force to the door 10 in the opening direction, attempting to open the door 10 (see step S30 in FIG. 5).

[0121] However, in this example, as shown in FIG. 8G, between time t22 and time t23, the motor 22 applies a thrust in the opening direction to the door 10, but the full-close detection signal remains on and does not switch to an off state, as shown in FIG. 8D. That is, in this example, although the door control device 80 attempts to start the opening operation of the door 10, the door 10 remains in the fully closed state and does not start the opening operation because the door 10 is not properly unlocked. Therefore, at time t23, the time limit elapses (transition condition TC36 in FIG. 5), and the motor 22, under the control of the door control device 80, transitions to a state in which it applies a relatively large thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 corresponding to the speed command value of speed V3. Then, under the control of the door control device 80, the motor 22 maintains this state until time t24 (see step S60 in FIG. 5).

[0122] At time t24, the solenoid 34 starts to operate, and the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 (i.e., a retry of the unlocking operation) is initiated in a state in which the motor 22 applies a relatively large thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 corresponding to the speed command value of speed V3 (see step S70 in Figure 5).

[0123] In this example, since the lock detection signal is already OFF (see transition condition TC72 in FIG. 5), at time t24, the door control device 80 returns the thrust in the closing direction applied to the door 10 from the motor 22 to a relatively small state and starts checking whether the door 10 is unlocked (see step S20 in FIG. 5). Then, in this example, since the lock detection signal is already OFF (see transition condition TC23 in FIG. 5), as shown in FIG. 8G, starting from time t25 after time t24, the motor 22 transitions to a state in which it applies a thrust in the opening direction to the door 10, and attempts to cause the door 10 to perform an opening operation (see step S30 in FIG. 5).

[0124] However, as shown in FIG. 8G, between time t25 and time t26, the motor 22 applies a thrust in the opening direction to the door 10, but as shown in FIG. 8D, the full-close detection signal remains on and does not switch to an off state. That is, in this example, the door control device 80 attempts to start the opening operation of the door 10, but the door 10 remains in an inappropriately unlocked state even after the first retry of the unlocking operation. As a result, the door 10 remains in the fully closed state and does not start the opening operation. Therefore, at time t26, the time limit elapses (transition condition TC36 in FIG. 5), and the motor 22, under the control of the door control device 80, transitions to a state in which it applies a relatively large thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 corresponding to the speed command value of speed V3. Then, under the control of the door control device 80, the motor 22 maintains this state until time t27 (see step S60 in FIG. 5).

[0125] At time t27, the solenoid 34 starts operating, and the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 (i.e., a second retry of the unlocking operation) is initiated in a state in which the motor 22 applies a relatively large thrust in the closing direction to the door 10 corresponding to the speed command value of speed V3 (see step S70 in Figure 5).

[0126] In this example, since the lock detection signal is already OFF (see transition condition TC72 in FIG. 5), at time t27, the door control device 80 returns the thrust in the closing direction applied to the door 10 from the motor 22 to a relatively small state and starts checking whether the door 10 is unlocked (see step S20 in FIG. 5). Then, in this example, since the lock detection signal is already OFF (see transition condition TC23 in FIG. 5), as shown in FIG. 8G, starting from time t28 after time t27, the motor 22 transitions to a state in which it applies a thrust in the opening direction to the door 10, and attempts to cause the door 10 to perform an opening operation (see step S30 in FIG. 5).

[0127] Thereafter, the flow of retrying the unlocking operation in accordance with the control sequence of FIG. 5 (i.e., the loop of step S20 → step S30 → step S60 → step S70 in FIG. 5) is repeated until the door 10 is properly unlocked.

[0128] Thus, in this example, if the door 10 is not properly unlocked by the normal unlocking operation (step S10 in Figure 5) and therefore cannot move from the fully closed position in the opening direction, the door control device 80 can cause the locking device 30 to retry the unlocking operation.

[0129] [Method for diagnosing the deterioration of locking devices] Next, a method for diagnosing the deterioration state of the locking device 30 will be described.

[0130] The door control device 80 performs a diagnosis of the deterioration state of the locking device 30 (hereinafter referred to as "deterioration diagnosis") based on the number of times N and the frequency F of failures to unlock the door 10 in the sequence of the door 10 opening operation.

[0131] The deterioration diagnosis of the locking device 30 is, for example, a diagnosis of whether or not the deterioration of the locking device 30 has progressed to a certain extent, that is, a diagnosis of whether or not the deterioration of the locking device 30 has progressed. The deterioration diagnosis of the locking device 30 may also be a diagnosis of the degree of deterioration of the locking device 30. The degree of deterioration of the locking device 30 may be specified in stages or as a continuous numerical value.

[0132] Whether the locking device 30 has deteriorated to a certain extent corresponds to whether the locking device 30 is in a relatively high deterioration state. Therefore, diagnosing whether the locking device 30 has deteriorated may correspond to diagnosing the deterioration level of the locking device 30 in two stages, that is, whether the locking device 30 is in a high deterioration state or a low deterioration state.

[0133] A failure to unlock the door 10 means that any one of the transition conditions TC26, TC36, and TC41 described above is satisfied, and the number of occurrences N and frequency F of failures to unlock the door 10 correspond to the number of occurrences and frequency of retries of the unlocking operation of the locking device 30. In other words, the door control device 80 performs a deterioration diagnosis of the locking device 30 based on the number of occurrences and frequency of retries of the unlocking operation of the locking device 30 in the sequence of the door 10 opening operation.

[0134] The frequency F of failure to unlock the door 10 is, for example, the number of sequences in which a failure to unlock the door 10 occurs among the most recent predetermined number (e.g., 10) of sequences of opening the door 10. In this case, the frequency F of failure to unlock the door 10 corresponds to the probability that a failure to unlock the door 10 occurs in a sequence of opening the door 10, assuming that a failure to unlock the door 10 occurs in the most recent predetermined number of sequences of opening the door 10.

[0135] For example, the door control device 80 diagnoses that the locking device 30 is deteriorating if the number of times N that the door 10 fails to unlock in the sequence of the door 10 opening operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold Nth. Alternatively, the door control device 80 may diagnose the degree of deterioration of the locking device 30 by setting a plurality of thresholds Nth in stages.

[0136] The door control device 80 may also diagnose that the locking device 30 is deteriorating on the condition that the frequency F of unlocking failures of the door 10 in the sequence of the door 10 opening operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold Fth. The door control device 80 may also diagnose the degree of deterioration of the locking device 30 by setting a plurality of thresholds Fth in stages.

[0137] Furthermore, the door control device 80 may grasp the trend of an increase in the number of occurrences N over time based on the history of the number of occurrences N of failures to unlock the door 10 for each sequence of the door 10 opening operation, and may perform a deterioration diagnosis of the locking device 30 based on the trend of increase. For example, the door control device 80 may diagnose that deterioration of the locking device 30 is progressing when a condition indicating a significant trend of increase in the number of occurrences N is met for the history of the number of occurrences N for the most recent predetermined period or predetermined number of times.

[0138] A condition indicating that the trend of increase in the number of occurrences N is significant is, for example, that the slope of the linear regression line of the history of the number of occurrences N for the most recent specified period or specified number is equal to or exceeds a specified threshold. Alternatively, a condition indicating that the trend of increase in the number of occurrences N is significant may be that, when comparing the history of the number of occurrences N for the most recent specified period or specified number with the same period or number immediately before that, the increase in the slope of the linear regression line of the history of the number of occurrences N is equal to or exceeds a specified threshold.

[0139] Furthermore, the door control device 80 may detect a time-series increase trend in the occurrence frequency F based on the history of the frequency F of unlocking failures of the door 10 in the sequence of the door 10 opening operation, and may perform a deterioration diagnosis of the locking device 30 based on the increase trend. For example, the door control device 80 may diagnose that the locking device 30 is deteriorating if a condition indicating a significant increase trend in the occurrence frequency is met for the history of the occurrence frequency F for the most recent predetermined period or predetermined number of times.

[0140] A condition indicating that the tendency of an increase in the occurrence frequency F is significant is, for example, that the slope of the linear regression line of the history of the occurrence frequency F for the most recent specified period or specified number of times is equal to or exceeds a specified threshold. Alternatively, a condition indicating that the tendency of an increase in the occurrence frequency F is significant may be that, when comparing the history of the occurrence frequency F for the most recent specified period or specified number of times with the same period or number of times immediately before that, the increase in the slope of the linear regression line of the history of the occurrence frequency F is equal to or exceeds a specified threshold.

[0141] The door control device 80 may also output information regarding maintenance of the locking device 30 based on the results of the deterioration diagnosis of the locking device 30. Maintenance of the locking device 30 includes, for example, adjustment, lubrication, replacement, etc. of the locking device 30. For example, if the results of the deterioration diagnosis of the locking device 30 indicate that deterioration of the locking device 30 is progressing or that the degree of deterioration of the locking device 30 exceeds a predetermined standard, the door control device 80 outputs information to a higher-level device prompting the maintenance of the locking device 30. The higher-level device may be, for example, a vehicle control device mounted in the driver's cab of the railway vehicle 1 or a management device installed outside the railway vehicle 1 that manages the operation of the railway vehicle 1. This allows the higher-level device to notify persons involved in the operation of the railway vehicle 1 of information prompting the maintenance of the locking device 30. Therefore, the door control device 80 can prompt persons involved in the operation of the railway vehicle 1 to maintain the locking device 30 via the higher-level device.

[0142] [Other embodiments] Next, another embodiment will be described.

[0143] The above-described embodiment may be modified or changed as appropriate.

[0144] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the solenoid 34 does not have to be a self-holding type. In this case, for example, the solenoid 34 operates only during the unlocking operation or locking operation of the locking device 30, and does not operate during the latter operation. In this case, another member is provided to hold the vertical slider 35 so that the lock pin 31 is located above the opening position of the lock hole 32A when the door 10 is in the open state after moving from the fully closed position to the open direction.

[0145] In the above-described embodiment and its modified and altered examples, the opening / closing interlocking member 32 provided with the lock hole 32A may be configured to rotate instead of translationally move in conjunction with the movement of the door 10 (see, for example, "cam 31" in the above-described Patent Document 2). Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and its modified and altered examples, the lock pin 31 may be inserted into or released from the lock hole 32A by linear motion in a direction other than the up-down direction (for example, the horizontal direction) (see, for example, "plunger 33" in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2).

[0146] In the above-described embodiment and its modifications and variations, the lock pin 31 may be configured to be inserted into or released from the lock hole 32A by a rotational movement.

[0147] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and its modified and altered examples, the lock pin 31 is provided on the body side of the railway vehicle 1 (i.e., the fixed part), and the lock hole 32A is provided on the door 10 side (i.e., the movable part) that is linked to the opening and closing operation of the door 10, but the reverse may also be true.

[0148] In the above-described embodiment, the deterioration diagnosis of the locking device 30 may be performed by a diagnostic device separate from the door control device 80. For example, the deterioration diagnosis of the locking device 30 may be performed by a higher-level device of the door control device 80.

[0149] [Effect] Next, the operation of the control device and control method according to this embodiment will be described.

[0150] In a first aspect of this embodiment, a control device controls a locking device of a railway vehicle door. The control device is, for example, the door control device 80 described above. The railway vehicle is, for example, the railway vehicle 1 described above. The door is, for example, the door 10 described above. The locking device is, for example, the locking device 30 described above. Specifically, when the control device causes the locking device to perform an unlocking operation during an opening operation of the door, if the door is not properly unlocked despite the control device causing the locking device to perform the unlocking operation again.

[0151] In a control method according to a first aspect of the present embodiment, a control device controls a locking device of a railway vehicle door. Specifically, in the control method of this aspect, if the control device causes the locking device to perform an unlocking operation when the door is opened but the door is not properly unlocked, the control device causes the locking device to perform the unlocking operation again.

[0152] This allows the control device to deal with a failure of the locking device to unlock the door when the door of the railway vehicle is being opened.

[0153] In addition, in a second aspect of this embodiment, based on the first aspect described above, the control device may cause the locking device to perform an unlocking operation in a state where a thrust in the closing direction is applied to the door.

[0154] For example, if an object gets caught in the door, the relative positions of the components of the locking device may shift when the door is locked, which may result in contact between the components of the locking device. As a result of this contact, the components of the locking device may not be able to move to unlock the door, or even if they can move, the amount of movement they can make during the unlocking operation may be inappropriate.

[0155] In contrast, in this aspect, the control device applies a thrust to the door in the closing direction, thereby applying a thrust to the door in a direction that eliminates misalignment between the components of the locking device, i.e., in a direction that alleviates contact between the components of the locking device. Therefore, even if the door is locked with the components of the locking device in contact with each other, the control device can increase the likelihood that the components of the locking device can move enough to unlock the door. Therefore, the control device can reduce failures in unlocking the door by the locking device.

[0156] In a third aspect of this embodiment, based on the first or second aspect described above, the control device may cause the locking device to perform an unlocking operation again when the output of a first detection unit that detects whether the door is locked or not based on the positional relationship of the pin with respect to the recess indicates that the door is locked, or when the output of a second detection unit that detects whether the door is fully closed does not detect that the door is fully closed even though the output of the first detection unit indicates that the door is unlocked, or when the amount of movement of the door from the fully closed position does not transition to a state equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The first detection unit is, for example, the lock detection switch 50 described above. The second detection unit is, for example, the fully closed detection switch 60 described above. The predetermined threshold is, for example, a threshold Dth1 corresponding to the amount of movement D described above.

[0157] This allows the control device to cause the locking device to perform the unlocking operation again depending on the specific situation in which it can be determined that the door has not been properly unlocked.

[0158] In a fourth aspect of this embodiment, based on the third aspect described above, the control device may, after causing the locking device to perform an unlocking operation during an opening operation of the door, if the output of the first detection unit indicates that the door is locked, apply a thrust in the closing direction to the door for a predetermined time, and then cause the locking device to perform an unlocking operation again while applying a thrust in the closing direction to the door. The predetermined time is, for example, the above-mentioned predetermined time T1.

[0159] As a result, for example, when the door is locked with the components of the locking device in contact with each other and the components of the locking device cannot move enough to transition the output of the first detection unit to unlock the door, the control device can apply a thrust to the door in a direction that alleviates the contact between the components of the locking device. Therefore, the control device can increase the likelihood that the components of the locking device can move enough to unlock the door. Therefore, when the control device causes the locking device to retry the unlocking operation, the control device can reduce failures in unlocking the door by the locking device.

[0160] Furthermore, in a fifth aspect of this embodiment, based on the fourth aspect described above, when the door is opened, the control device may cause the locking device to perform an unlocking operation while applying a thrust force in the closing direction to the door, and if the output of the first detection unit indicates that the door is locked, the control device may cause the locking device to perform an unlocking operation again while applying a thrust force in the closing direction to the door that is greater than that applied during the initial unlocking operation of the locking device.

[0161] This allows the control device to reduce failure of the locking device to unlock the door when causing the locking device to retry the unlocking operation.

[0162] Furthermore, in a sixth aspect of this embodiment, assuming any one of the third to fifth aspects described above, when the door is opened, if the output of the first detection unit indicates that the door is not locked after the locking device has performed the unlocking operation, a thrust in the opening direction is applied to the door, and in that state, if the output of the second detection unit does not indicate that the door is fully closed, or if the amount of movement of the door from the fully closed position does not transition to a state equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the locking device may be caused to perform the unlocking operation again.

[0163] This allows the control device to cause the locking device to retry the unlocking operation, for example, when the output of the first detection unit has transitioned to an unlocked state but the door cannot move properly in the opening direction.

[0164] In addition, in a seventh aspect of this embodiment, assuming any one of the third to sixth aspects described above, the locking device may have a recess provided in either a movable part that moves with the opening and closing operation of the door or a fixed part, and a pin part that is provided in the other of the movable part or the fixed part and that is inserted into the recess to lock the door. The movable part is, for example, the opening and closing interlocking member 32 described above. The fixed part is, for example, the body of the railway vehicle 1 described above. The recess is, for example, the lock hole 32A described above. The pin part is, for example, the lock pin 31 described above. The output of the first detection part may switch between locking and unlocking the door when the pin part is inserted a predetermined amount into the recess.

[0165] This allows the control device to cause the locking device to retry the unlocking operation, for example, when the output of the first detection unit has transitioned to an unlocked state but the pin portion has not yet transitioned to a state where it is completely removed from the recess.

[0166] In addition, in an eighth aspect of this embodiment, assuming any one of the first to seventh aspects described above, a diagnosis of the deterioration state of the locking device may be made based on the number of times or frequency of occurrences in which the door is not properly unlocked despite the locking device performing an unlocking operation when the door is opened.

[0167] This allows the control device to diagnose the deterioration state of the locking device.

[0168] In addition, in a ninth aspect of this embodiment, on the premise of the above-mentioned eighth aspect, information regarding maintenance of the locking device may be output based on the result of the diagnosis.

[0169] This allows the control device to, for example, urge those involved in the operation of the railway vehicle to perform maintenance on the locking device in accordance with the results of the diagnosis regarding the deterioration state of the locking device.

[0170] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0171] 1. Railway vehicles 10 doors 10A, 10B door panels 20 Door drive mechanism 22 Motor 23 Rack section 23A Rack Bar 23B rack gear 24 Rack section 24A Rack Bar 24B rack gear 30 Locking device 31 Lock pin 32 Opening and closing interlocking member 32A Rock Hall 34 Solenoid 34A housing 34B Plunger 34C, 34D coil 35 Vertical Slider 40 Encoder 50 Lock detection switch 51 Main body 52 Actuator section 60 Fully closed detection switch 61 Actuator 70 Current Sensor 80 Door control device 82 Control circuit 83 Inverter circuit 90 power supply DRC drive circuit

Claims

1. A control device for controlling a door locking device of a railway vehicle, If the door is not properly unlocked despite the locking device having performed an unlocking operation during the door opening operation, the locking device is caused to perform the unlocking operation again. Control device.

2. causing the locking device to perform an unlocking operation while applying a thrust force in the closing direction to the door; The control device according to claim 1 .

3. After the locking device performs an unlocking operation during the door opening operation, if the output of a first detection unit that detects whether the door is locked or not indicates that the door is locked, or if the output of a second detection unit that detects a fully closed state of the door does not detect that the door is fully closed even though the output of the first detection unit indicates that the door is unlocked, or if the amount of movement of the door from the fully closed position does not transition to a state equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the locking device is caused to perform an unlocking operation again. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the door is opened, if the output of the first detection unit indicates that the door is locked after the locking device has performed the unlocking operation, a thrust in the closing direction is applied to the door for a predetermined period of time, and then the locking device is caused to perform the unlocking operation again while the thrust in the closing direction is being applied to the door. The control device according to claim 3 .

5. When the door is opened, the locking device is caused to perform an unlocking operation while a thrust force in the closing direction is being applied to the door, and if the output of the first detection unit indicates that the door is locked, the locking device is caused to perform an unlocking operation again while a thrust force in the closing direction that is greater than that applied during the initial unlocking operation of the locking device is being applied to the door. The control device according to claim 4.

6. When the door is opened, if the output of the first detection unit indicates that the door is unlocked after the locking device has performed the unlocking operation, a thrust in the opening direction is applied to the door. In this state, if the output of the second detection unit does not indicate that the door is fully closed, or if the amount of movement of the door from the fully closed position does not transition to a state equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the locking device is caused to perform the unlocking operation again. The control device according to claim 3 .

7. The locking device has a recess provided in either a movable part that moves with the opening and closing operation of the door or a fixed part, and a pin part that is provided in the other of the movable part or the fixed part and that is inserted into the recess to lock the door, the first detection unit switches its output between locking and unlocking of the door when the pin is inserted into the recess by a predetermined amount; The control device according to claim 3 .

8. a diagnosis of a deterioration state of the locking device based on the number of occurrences or frequency of occurrences of a state in which the door is not properly unlocked despite the locking device performing an unlocking operation during an opening operation of the door; The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. outputting information regarding maintenance of the locking device based on the result of the diagnosis; The control device according to claim 8.

10. A control method in which a control device controls a locking device of a door of a railway vehicle, comprising: If the door is not properly unlocked despite the locking device having performed an unlocking operation during the door opening operation, the locking device is caused to perform the unlocking operation again. Control method.

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