Overhead line position measuring kit and overhead line position measuring system

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of easily measuring an overhead line position as a part of track maintenance work, and easily correcting the overhead line position as a part of the track maintenance work even if the overhead line position is inappropriate.SOLUTION: An overhead wire position measuring system includes a track maintenance vehicle 6 traveling on a rail, an overhead wire position measuring kit 4 including an attachment tool having an attachment part 1 attachable to an arbitrary place of the track maintenance vehicle 6 and a holding part 2 connected to the attachment part, and a terminal 3 held by the attachment tool and capable of laser positioning, and a conventional overhead wire position measuring instrument 100. Positioning terminal 3 includes controller 10. The control unit 10 includes the laser positioning unit 13, the reference point overhead line position input unit 11, the calibration value calculation unit 14 that calculates the calibration value based on the reference point measurement result by the laser positioning unit and the reference point input value by the reference overhead line position input unit, and the overhead line position calculation unit 15 that calculates the overhead line position based on the target point measurement result by the laser positioning unit and the calibration value by the calibration value calculation unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to measuring the position of an overhead line. [Background technology]

[0002] Electric railways use overhead contact line facilities to transmit electricity from substations to trains. A typical simple catenary system consists of a catenary wire, a contact wire suspended from the catenary wire via a hanger, and a feeder wire.

[0003] To ensure a stable supply of power to rolling stock, it is important for the contact wire to maintain good contact with the pantograph. This means that the contact wire's height above ground must be within a certain range, and its horizontal lateral deviation must also be within a certain range. Furthermore, to prevent wear at the contact point between the pantograph and the contact wire from concentrating in a single location, it is preferable for the contact wire's lateral deviation to be in a zigzag pattern relative to the direction of rail travel. Furthermore, because the ground is not always level and the suspension wire is in a flexed state, it is not easy to keep the contact wire suspended from the suspension wire at the same height.

[0004] If the position of contact wires and other overhead lines is not appropriate, the power supply will become unstable, which can be a contributing factor to accidents and vehicle breakdowns.

[0005] To address this issue, an overhead contact line position measuring device mounted on the roof of a railway vehicle has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, railway vehicles travel at relatively high speeds, and the configuration is complex to ensure accuracy. Furthermore, sufficient preparation is required for railway operation. Furthermore, the overhead contact line position is measured when the contact wire is pushed up by the pantograph, and is not in a stationary state.

[0006] Incidentally, as part of track maintenance work, overhead line adjustment work is performed daily using a track maintenance vehicle (for example, Patent Document 2). At this time, it is necessary to check whether the overhead line is in the correct position. Even if it is incorrect, it can be easily corrected as part of track maintenance work. On the other hand, the overhead line position measuring device of Patent Document 1 is not suitable for use as part of daily track maintenance work. Sufficient preparation is required to operate a railway vehicle equipped with the overhead line position measuring device of Patent Document 1, making it difficult in practice.

[0007] As part of daily track maintenance work, overhead line height and deflection are generally measured using a dedicated overhead line position measuring device (see, for example, Patent Document 3). Conventional overhead line position measuring devices have an installation section that is installed on the rail, a support section that stands upright from the installation section and is extendable in the vertical direction, and a horizontal section that extends horizontally from the top of the support section and has a scale. The support section is located midway between the running section and the position corresponding to the rail. The installation section may be capable of running on the rail.

[0008] In a conventional overhead contact line position measuring device, the support pole is extended and the horizontal part is brought into contact with the overhead line. The overhead contact line height is calculated based on the extended length of the support pole, and the overhead contact line deviation is calculated based on the scale marked on the horizontal part. The measurer reads the measurement value, writes down the reading by hand, and then, upon returning to the office, enters the measurement value into a file in a specified format, such as spreadsheet software. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-008026 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-35924 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-049910 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Measurements using conventional overhead line position measuring devices are largely manual, requiring a lot of work. Furthermore, manual measurements can lead to typographical and input errors. Track maintenance work is often carried out at night, which makes it less efficient than daytime work. Furthermore, conventional overhead line position measuring devices are too heavy to move manually, which also makes them less efficient.

[0011] Although many improvements to conventional overhead line position measuring devices have been proposed, in practice they have not produced the expected results, and the improved overhead line position measuring devices have not yet become widespread. As a result, conventional overhead line position measuring devices continue to be used in practice.

[0012] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technique that enables the position of overhead wires to be easily measured as part of track maintenance work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The overhead line position measurement kit of the present invention includes a mounting fixture having a mounting portion that can be attached to any location on a track maintenance vehicle traveling on a rail and a holding portion that is connected to the mounting portion, and a terminal capable of laser positioning that is held by the mounting fixture.

[0014] This allows the position of overhead wires to be easily measured as part of track maintenance work.

[0015] In the above invention, preferably, the attachment portion is one of a magnet, a suction cup, and a clip.

[0016] This allows the device to be attached to any location on a track maintenance vehicle, and is also easy to remove after track maintenance work is complete.

[0017] In the above invention, preferably, the laser positioning is performed by LIDAR.

[0018] That is, the terminal is equipped with a LIDAR sensor. Note that in recent years, smartphones and tablets equipped with LIDAR sensors have become commercially available, and these may also be used.

[0019] In the above invention, preferably, the light emitting unit in the laser positioning is a surface light emitting array.

[0020] The LIDAR sensors installed in smartphones, tablets, etc. are surface-emitting arrays.

[0021] In the above invention, preferably, the terminals are two or more terminals capable of short-distance communication with each other, and each terminal has a display unit.

[0022] This allows the other terminal to be used as a user interface.

[0023] The overhead line position measuring system of the present invention comprises a track maintenance vehicle that travels on rails, the measuring kit described above, an overhead line position measuring device having an installation section that can be installed on the rails, a support section that stands upright from the installation section and is extendable in the vertical direction, and a horizontal section that extends horizontally from the top of the support section and has a scale.

[0024] This allows calibration with conventional overhead line position measuring devices. As a result, devices such as smartphones and tablets can be used as positioning terminals. Note that improved versions of conventional overhead line position measuring devices are also included in the technical concept of this application.

[0025] In the above invention, preferably, the terminal has a control unit, and the control unit has a laser positioning unit, a reference point overhead line position input unit, a calibration value calculation unit that calculates a calibration value based on the reference point measurement result by the laser positioning unit and the reference point input value by the reference overhead line position input unit, and an overhead line position calculation unit that calculates the overhead line position based on the target point measurement result by the laser positioning unit and the calibration value by the calibration value calculation unit.

[0026] This means that after calibration using a conventional overhead line position measuring device, positioning becomes possible almost automatically.

[0027] In the above invention, preferably, the control unit has a calibration value update unit that updates the calibration value based on the operation of the track maintenance vehicle when it is not traveling.

[0028] This allows the calibration values ​​to be updated even when the terminal is placed on a workbench.

[0029] The overhead wire position measuring method of the present invention uses the above-mentioned overhead wire position measuring system, and at a reference point, the overhead wire position measuring device extends its support section to measure the absolute overhead wire height and abuts its horizontal section against the overhead wire to measure the absolute overhead wire deviation, attaches the measurement kit to an arbitrary location on the track maintenance work vehicle, and at the reference point, the measurement kit measures the relative overhead wire height and relative overhead wire deviation, determines the difference between the absolute overhead wire height and the relative height at the reference point, determines the difference between the absolute overhead wire deviation and the relative overhead wire deviation, moves the track maintenance work vehicle, and performs track maintenance work, and at the work location, the measurement kit measures the relative overhead wire height and relative overhead wire deviation, and based on the difference from the reference point, measures the absolute overhead wire height and absolute overhead wire deviation.

[0030] The present invention is a program that runs on a terminal of the overhead contact line position measurement system, and executes a laser positioning process, a reference point overhead contact line position input process, a calibration value calculation process that calculates a calibration value based on the reference point measurement results obtained by the laser positioning process and the reference point input value obtained by the reference overhead contact line position input process, and an overhead contact line position calculation process that calculates the overhead contact line position based on the target point measurement results obtained by the laser positioning process and the calibration value obtained by the calibration value calculation process.

[0031] The overhead line position measurement kit of the present invention includes a mounting fixture having a mounting portion that can be attached to any location on a vehicle running on rails and a holding portion that is connected to the mounting portion, and a terminal capable of laser positioning that is held by the mounting fixture. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] According to the present invention, the position of the overhead contact wire can be easily measured as part of the track maintenance work. Even if the position of the overhead contact wire is inappropriate, it can be easily corrected as part of the track maintenance work. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] Overall concept diagram [Figure 2] System configuration diagram of the present application [Figure 3] Conceptual diagram of surface-emitting array [Figure 4] Functional Block Diagram [Figure 5] Conventional overhead line position measuring device configuration diagram [Figure 6] Processing flow diagram [Figure 7] Modified terminal [Figure 8] Terminal screen example [Figure 9] Modified Operation [Figure 10] Modified flow DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] ~Configuration~ Figure 1 shows an example of a track maintenance work site where the present system can be applied. An electric train line is a facility that supplies electricity to trains. It consists of utility poles, beams, and supports placed at regular intervals, and overhead wires suspended from the supports. The overhead wires are mainly composed of feeder wires that carry current, contact wires that supply electricity by directly contacting the train's pantograph, and suspension wires that keep the contact wires horizontal via hangers.

[0035] The system of the present invention measures, for example, the height and deviation of a contact wire T. The height of the contact wire is the vertical height from a horizontal reference line connecting rails R and R. The deviation of the contact wire is the deviation from a vertical reference line extended from the center position of rails R and R.

[0036] 2 is a schematic diagram of the system of the present invention. The system of the present invention is composed of a track maintenance vehicle 6, a conventional overhead contact line position measuring device 100, and a measurement kit 4.

[0037] The track maintenance vehicle 6 has been commonly used for track maintenance work for a long time. It is an improved version of a road-traveling truck. It is equipped with a structure that allows for high-altitude work such as maintenance and inspection of overhead lines (for example, a boom and work platform that can be raised, lowered, extended, rotated, etc.), and wheels that can run on rails.

[0038] The measurement kit 4 is composed of attachments 1 and 2 and a positioning terminal 3. The attachment is composed of an attachment part 1 and a holding part 2.

[0039] The mounting part 1 can be attached to any location on the track maintenance vehicle 6. For example, the mounting part 1 is a magnet, a suction cup, a clip, etc. Any form is acceptable as long as it can be temporarily fixed during work and is easily removed.

[0040] In the illustrated example, the measurement kit 4 is attached to the cabin roof of a track maintenance vehicle 6 .

[0041] The holding part 2 is connected to the mounting part 1. The mounting part 1 and the holding part 2 may be finely adjustable, but it is more preferable that they are integrated. The holding part 2 holds the positioning terminal 3. In the example shown, the positioning terminal 3 is clamped. Any mode is acceptable as long as it can be held temporarily during work.

[0042] The positioning terminal 3 is capable of laser positioning. A terminal dedicated to LIDAR sensors is preferable. Meanwhile, as of 2024, smartphones and tablets equipped with a laser positioning function called LIDAR are commercially available. Laser positioning applications are also commercially available. This makes laser positioning easy. Note that LIDAR in smartphones and tablets is used in conjunction with the camera function to focus the camera based on the distance to the subject.

[0043] The laser light emitting unit installed in the positioning terminal 3 is a surface-emitting array. By combining a surface-emitting array with a diffractive optical element, physical scanning becomes unnecessary, making it possible to install the array in small terminals such as smartphones and tablets. Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of a surface-emitting array.

[0044] Furthermore, smartphones and tablets are equipped with network communication functions, short-range communication functions, screen display functions, information input functions, GPS positioning functions, acceleration sensor functions, gyro sensor functions, memory functions, various calculation functions, operating systems, etc. They also have the CPU, ROM, RAM, memory, input / output interfaces, buses, etc., which are essential for control devices. Considering the functions they have, they are inexpensive, easily available, and highly versatile. They are also frequently used in everyday life and are easy to operate.

[0045] 4 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 10 of the positioning terminal 3. The CPU executes each function via a program. The processing order of each function will be described later using a flowchart (FIG. 6).

[0046] The device main body 10 has input units 11 and 12, a laser positioning unit 13, a calibration value calculation unit 14, an absolute position calculation unit 15, an output unit 16, a recording unit 17, a GPS positioning unit 18, and a communication unit 19. For convenience, the figure also shows a calibration value update unit 24, which is a configuration of a modified example (described later).

[0047] The input unit 11 inputs a reference value via a screen interface etc. The input unit 12 inputs an operation instruction via a screen interface etc.

[0048] Based on an operational instruction, the laser positioning unit 13 emits a laser and receives the reflected light to measure the distance from the terminal to the target object.

[0049] The calibration value calculation unit 14 calculates a calibration value based on the difference between the laser positioning value at the reference point and the input reference value at the reference point.

[0050] The absolute position calculation unit 15 calculates the overhead line position based on the target point measurement results by the laser positioning unit 23 and the calibration value by the calibration value calculation unit 14. It is determined whether the overhead line position is correct.

[0051] The output unit 16 outputs the overhead line position and the determination result on a screen or by voice, and the recording unit 17 records the overhead line position and the determination result.

[0052] The GPS positioning unit 18 measures the latitude and longitude of the overhead line measurement position. The communication unit 19 transmits and receives data to and from the outside.

[0053] 5 is a schematic diagram of a conventional overhead contact line position measuring device. The conventional overhead contact line position measuring device 100 has an installation section 101, a support section 102, a support section 103, and a horizontal section 104.

[0054] The installation section 101 can be installed to correspond to two rails. It may also be possible to make it run on rails. The support section 102 integrates the installation sections 101 on both ends.

[0055] The support column 103 is erected from the midpoint of the support section 102, that is, the midpoint of the position corresponding to the rail. The support column 103 is extendable in the vertical direction, and the extension length can be measured using a scale or the like.

[0056] The horizontal portion 104 extends horizontally from the top of the support portion 103. It has a scale in the horizontal direction.

[0057] In the conventional overhead contact line position measuring device 100, the support section 103 is extended and the horizontal section 104 is brought into contact with the overhead contact line T. The overhead contact line height is determined based on the extended length of the support section 103, and the overhead contact line deviation is determined based on the scale marked on the horizontal section 104.

[0058] The conventional overhead contact line position measuring device 100 is a representative example, and the conventional overhead contact line position measuring device of the present invention includes slightly improved types.

[0059] ~Operation~ 6 is a flowchart showing an example of calculation processing. The overhead line position measurement operation using the system of the present invention will be described along with each process in the flowchart.

[0060] First, at an arbitrary reference point, the conventional overhead line position measuring device 100 is used to measure the overhead line height and the overhead line deviation using the conventional method. The measurement kit 4 is attached to an arbitrary location on the track maintenance vehicle 6. The overhead line height and overhead line deviation obtained using the conventional method are input into the measurement kit 4 (step S1). Note that the measurement using the conventional overhead line position measuring device 100 and the attachment of the measurement kit 4 may be performed in any order.

[0061] At the reference point, the operator issues a calibration instruction (step S2), and laser positioning is performed using the measurement kit 4 (step S3). A calibration value is calculated based on the difference between the laser positioning value at the reference point and the input reference value at the reference point (step S4). This completes the measurement preparation.

[0062] The system of the present invention is used during track maintenance work. A track maintenance vehicle is moved to adjust the overhead line as part of the track maintenance work. The system easily measures the overhead line position at the track maintenance work location and determines whether the overhead line position is appropriate.

[0063] GPS positioning is performed at the target work location (step S5) to identify the target work location. Laser positioning is performed using the measurement kit 4 (step S6). The overhead line position is calculated based on the laser positioning value and the calibration value (step S7).

[0064] It is determined whether the overhead line position is appropriate or not, and the overhead line position and the determination result are output on a screen or the like (step S8).

[0065] If it is inappropriate, the overhead line adjustment work is carried out again. If it is appropriate, the overhead line position is recorded and the worker moves on to the next work location. At the next work location, the overhead line adjustment work is carried out and it is determined whether the overhead line position is appropriate (S5 → S6 → S7 → S8). This process is repeated for each work location.

[0066] After the series of operations is completed, the measurement kit 4 is removed from the track maintenance vehicle 6. The work record is automatically saved in the measurement kit 4.

[0067] The conventional overhead contact line position measuring device 100 is used only for calibration and is not used during track maintenance work. The conventional overhead contact line position measuring device 100 is also not moved over long distances.

[0068] ~Effects~ According to the present invention, the position of the overhead contact wire can be measured more easily as part of the track maintenance work than with the conventional method of measuring the position of the overhead contact wire. Even if the position of the overhead contact wire is inappropriate, it can be easily corrected as part of the track maintenance work.

[0069] Conventional overhead line position measuring devices can be effectively utilized. This makes it easy for workers to switch to the proposed system. At the same time, there is no burden of transporting conventional overhead line position measuring devices over long distances.

[0070] The above embodiment focuses on the contact wire. The cross section of the contact wire is relatively simple (for example, the contact part is an arc), while the suspension wire is made of steel stranded wire. Laser light is reflected on the surface of the contact wire, but scattered on the surface of the suspension wire. As a result, the position of the contact wire can be measured without accidentally measuring the position of the suspension wire.

[0071] The positioning terminal 3 of the present invention is equipped with a LIDAR sensor. Incidentally, smartphones and tablets equipped with LIDAR sensors are commercially available, and these may be used. Attachments that make it easy to attach and detach smartphones and tablets are also commercially available. As a result, maintenance and inspection of the positioning terminal is also easy. Smartphones, tablets, etc. are commercially available after thorough testing and are highly reliable.

[0072] ~Variation 1~ Fig. 7 shows a modified example using two terminals. In the above embodiment, a single terminal was used for the sake of convenience, but in the system of the present invention, the LIDAR device of a smartphone, tablet, or the like is oriented in the direction of the overhead wires, so the display screen cannot be used effectively.

[0073] On the other hand, devices such as smartphones and tablets are commercially available and relatively inexpensive, so using two of them does not require much expense. Furthermore, they are equipped with short-range communication functions such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Therefore, in this modified example, two devices 3, 3 are used.

[0074] The control units 10 of the terminals 3, 3 have communication units 19, and are capable of communicating with each other. One terminal is attached via a mounting fixture, and the other terminal is used as a user interface.

[0075] An example of a terminal screen is shown in Figure 8. The terminal screen at the worker's hand makes it easy to input reference values, give instructions for calibration, give instructions for laser positioning, display the judgment results (see Figure 8A), and display the approximate position of the overhead line (see Figure 8B).

[0076] ~Variation 2~ 9 shows a modified example in which the terminal is attached to a work bench. In the above embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the measurement kit 4 is attached to the cabin roof of the track maintenance vehicle 6. On the other hand, attaching it to a work bench improves workability, reduces the distance to the overhead wire, and improves accuracy.

[0077] However, since the work platform moves during track maintenance work, the calibration value needs to be updated. A calibration value update unit 24 is added to the functional block diagram shown in FIG.

[0078] 10 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the calculation process. The overhead line position measurement operation using the modified example will be described together with the process in the flowchart.

[0079] The track maintenance vehicle 6 has a traveling function and a work platform operation function. As a characteristic of track maintenance work, the work platform is almost never operated while traveling.

[0080] Incidentally, smartphones and tablets are equipped with acceleration sensor and gyro sensor functions as standard features, which allow the calibration value update unit 24 to easily distinguish between the traveling state and the operation of the work platform.

[0081] First, the calibration value at the previous work location is stored (step S4).

[0082] Based on the difference in the acceleration pattern, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is moving (step S51). If it is determined that the vehicle is moving, the determination is repeated.

[0083] If it is determined that the vehicle is not moving, that is, that the vehicle is stopped, GPS positioning is performed at the target work location (step S5) to identify the target work location.

[0084] As part of the track maintenance work, the work platform is operated to perform adjustment work of the overhead line. The calibration value update unit 24 calculates a displacement trajectory based on, for example, acceleration data and gyro data (step S52).

[0085] The calibration value is updated based on the calibration value at the previous work location and the displacement trajectory at the current work location (step S53).

[0086] Laser positioning is performed by the measurement kit 4 (step S6). The overhead line position is calculated based on the laser positioning value and the updated calibration value (step S7).

[0087] This improves workability and measurement accuracy. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1 Mounting part 2 Fixture holder 3 Positioning terminal 4 Measurement Kit 6 Track maintenance vehicle 10 Control Unit 11 Input section 12 Input section 13 Laser positioning unit 14 Calibration Value Calculation Section 15 Absolute position calculation unit 16 Output section 17 Recording Section 18 GPS positioning unit 19 Communications Department 24 Calibration value update unit 100 Conventional overhead line position measuring device 101 Running part 102 Support part 103 Pillar section 104 Horizontal section

Claims

1. a mounting fixture having a mounting part that can be attached to any location of a track maintenance vehicle that travels on a rail and a holding part that is connected to the mounting part; a laser positioning capable terminal held by the mounting fixture; An overhead line position measuring kit comprising:

2. The attachment part must be a magnet, a suction cup, or a clip.

2. The overhead contact line position measuring kit according to claim 1.

3. The laser positioning is LIDAR.

2. The overhead contact line position measuring kit according to claim 1.

4. The light emitting unit in the laser positioning is a surface emitting array.

2. The overhead contact line position measuring kit according to claim 1.

5. The terminals are two or more terminals that can communicate with each other in short distances, The terminal has a display unit.

2. The overhead contact line position measuring kit according to claim 1.

6. A track maintenance vehicle running on the rails, The assay kit according to claim 1; an overhead line position measuring device having an installation section that can be installed on a rail, a support section that is erected from the installation section and is extendable in the vertical direction, and a horizontal section that is extended horizontally at the top of the support section and has a scale; An overhead contact line position measuring system comprising:

7. the terminal has a control unit; The control unit a laser positioning unit; a reference point overhead line position input unit; a calibration value calculation unit that calculates a calibration value based on a reference point measurement result by the laser positioning unit and a reference point input value by the reference overhead line position input unit; an overhead line position calculation unit that calculates an overhead line position based on the target point measurement result by the laser positioning unit and the calibration value by the calibration value calculation unit; have 7. The overhead contact line position measuring system according to claim 6.

8. The control unit a calibration value update unit that updates the calibration value based on the operation of the track maintenance vehicle when the vehicle is not traveling; 8. The overhead contact line position measuring system according to claim 7.

9. At the reference point, the overhead contact line position measuring device extends the support pole to measure the absolute overhead contact line height, and abuts the horizontal part against the overhead contact line to measure the absolute overhead contact line deviation, Attach the measurement kit to any location on the track maintenance vehicle, At the reference point, the measurement kit measures the relative overhead line height and the relative overhead line deviation; At the reference point, the difference between the absolute overhead line height and the relative height is calculated, and the difference between the absolute overhead line deviation and the relative overhead line deviation is calculated. Move the track maintenance vehicle and perform track maintenance work, At the work site, the measurement kit measures the relative overhead line height, measures the relative overhead line deviation, and measures the absolute overhead line height and absolute overhead line deviation based on the difference from the reference point.

7. A method for measuring the position of an overhead contact line by the overhead contact line position measuring system according to claim 6.

10. 7. A control program for a terminal according to claim 6, comprising: Laser positioning processing; Reference point overhead line position input processing; a calibration value calculation process for calculating a calibration value based on a reference point measurement result obtained by the laser positioning process and a reference point input value obtained by the reference overhead line position input process; an overhead line position calculation process that calculates an overhead line position based on the target point measurement result obtained by the laser positioning process and the calibration value obtained by the calibration value calculation process; Run A control program comprising:

11. a mounting fixture having a mounting portion that can be attached to any location on a vehicle that runs on a rail and a holding portion that is connected to the mounting portion; a laser positioning capable terminal held by the mounting fixture; An overhead line position measuring kit comprising:

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