Equipment System

Abstract

To streamline the management of combinations of equipment installed in railway vehicles. [Solution] An equipment system comprising a first device and a second device that are pre-associated and attached to the same railway vehicle, wherein the first device has a first fitting portion that fits into a first mounting base of the railway vehicle, and the second device has a second fitting portion that fits into a second mounting base of the railway vehicle, and also has a combination confirmation base that fits into the first fitting portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an equipment system for railway vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-103182 (Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, it is described that "by combining combination keys, it is possible to prevent misinsertion of a plurality of card units." and "In an electronic device in which a plurality of card units 3 can be detachably mounted in a card cage provided in a housing, a first piece 7 is provided on a backboard 5 provided in the card cage, and a second piece 8 is provided on a daughter board 3a of the card unit 3 so as to face the first piece 7. A plurality of key holes 7c and 8b that fit together by combining a plurality of combination keys 7d and 8c are provided on the opposing surfaces of the first piece 7 and the second piece 8, and combination keys 7d and 8c selectively inserted into these key holes 7c and 8b are provided. By changing the combination of the combination keys 7d and 8c for each card unit 3, misinsertion of a plurality of card units 3 can be prevented."

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to the above patent document, it is possible to prevent incorrect installation of the equipment at an incorrect installation destination. Prevention of incorrect installation of the equipment is also a matter to be considered when installing the equipment on a railway vehicle.

[0005] In rail transport systems where vehicles travel on tracks, there is no means of avoiding obstacles on the track by steering. Therefore, obstacle detection on the track is crucial for improving safety and operability. In recent years, research has been conducted on obstacle detection systems that detect obstacles on the track and inform the driver of the detection results and reflect them in the operation. An obstacle detection system consists of multiple devices such as external sensors like laser radar and cameras, control devices, power supplies, and recording devices. In particular, a unique combination is established between the external sensors and the control device during the initial setup of the system. For example, if a control device with parameters set for an external sensor installed on one vehicle is removed and installed on another vehicle, the obstacle detection system may not function correctly. Therefore, it is important to guarantee the combination of external sensors and control devices.

[0006] However, if the technology described in Patent Document 1 were applied, it would be impossible to verify the combination of each device without bringing them to the railway vehicle. On the other hand, since railway vehicles have their devices attached and detached during periodic maintenance, there is a problem in that verifying the combination of multiple devices when removing obstacle detection system equipment requires a great deal of effort.

[0007] This invention has been made with the above in mind, and aims to guarantee the combination of equipment to be installed in railway vehicles, as well as to reduce the effort required to verify the combination of equipment when equipment is mixed together during attachment and detachment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, one representative equipment system of the present invention is an equipment system comprising a first equipment and a second equipment that are pre-associated and attached to the same railway vehicle, wherein the first equipment is provided with a first fitting portion that fits into a first mounting base of the railway vehicle, and the second equipment is provided with a second fitting portion that fits into a second mounting base of the railway vehicle, and also with a combination confirmation base that fits into the first fitting portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the management of combinations of equipment installed in railway vehicles can be streamlined. Other problems, configurations, and effects will be clarified by the following description of embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Diagram illustrating the obstacle detection system. [Figure 2] Perspective view showing the combination of each device and mounting base in the obstacle detection system. [Figure 3] Perspective view showing the combination of the first and second devices in the obstacle detection system. [Figure 4] Diagram illustrating a base for verifying equipment combinations that allows for the confirmation of multiple primary devices. [Figure 5] Explanatory diagram showing the types of external shapes of convex and concave parts. [Figure 6] Diagram (Part 1) showing all possible combinations of each convex and concave section. [Figure 7] Diagram (Part 2) showing all possible combinations of each convex and concave section. [Figure 8] Diagram (Part 3) showing all possible combinations of each convex and concave section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following examples will be described with reference to the drawings. [Examples]

[0012] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the obstacle detection system. The obstacle detection system is installed on railway vehicles and detects obstacles located on the tracks, etc., and improves safety and operability by notifying the driver of the results and incorporating them into the operation.

[0013] The obstacle detection system is a device system composed of multiple devices such as an external sensor, a control device, a power supply device, a recording device, etc. For each device, the external sensor is arranged in the driver's cab of the leading vehicle in the train or outside the leading vehicle. For devices other than the external sensor (control device, power supply device, recording device), they are arranged in the driver's cab, passenger compartment or under the vehicle floor outside the car.

[0014] The external sensor is a camera, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), etc. The obstacle detection system uses the external sensor to detect the front structure and track, and determines the position of the detected object relative to the running area in the control device to recognize whether it is an obstacle.

[0015] In FIG. 1, a state where a plurality of external sensors 120 and a plurality of control devices 130 are attached to a railway vehicle 110 located at the head of the train is shown. The external sensor 120 and the control device 130 are pre-associated. In other words, the obstacle detection system includes a plurality of sets of the pre-associated external sensor 120 and the control device 130. In the following embodiments, the external sensor 120 is shown as the first device 1, and the control device 130 is shown as the second device 5.

[0016] [[ID=第十二条]]FIG. 2 shows the combined configuration of the first device and the second device. Attachment points are provided on the train side for each of the first device 1 and the second device 5. The attachment point of the first device 1 is the first mounting base 3, and the attachment point of the second device 5 is the second mounting base 7. The first device 1 and the second device 5 construct a unique combination between these devices during the initial setting of the obstacle detection system before being mounted on the train.

[0017] For example, the first device 1 and the second device 5 are set with IP addresses and hold each other's IP addresses to combine the first device 1 and the second device 5. If the first device 1 is attached to a train at a position where the front is the detection range, the second device 5 can process the detection result received from the corresponding IP address of the first device 1 and determine the presence or absence of an obstacle in front of the train. However, when the combination of the two devices becomes different from the initial setting, an event occurs where the system does not operate normally. In the above example, if the first device 1 is attached to a train at a position where the side is the detection range, the second device 5 will process the detection result received from the corresponding IP address of the first device 1 and determine it as the presence or absence of an obstacle in front of the train. Incidentally, the first mounting base 3 and the second mounting base 7 are formed at predetermined positions of the railway vehicles constituting the train. The first mounting base 3 and the second mounting base 7 are fixed to the railway vehicle and it is not assumed that they can be removed for maintenance.

[0018] In a train, during regular maintenance, each device is removed from the train for inspection. However, at that time, there is a possibility that devices with different combinations are mixed. When reinstalling the devices on the train after inspection, there is a concern that they may be installed in a wrong combination.

[0019] To prevent the wrong combination during the above installation, a convex portion 2 is provided on the first device 1, a concave portion 4 into which the convex portion 2 fits is provided on the first mounting base 3. Similarly, a convex portion 6 is provided on the second device 5, and a concave portion 8 into which the convex portion 6 fits is provided on the second mounting base 7. By fitting the convex portion 2 and the concave portion 4 and the convex portion 6 and the concave portion 8 when installing the devices on the train to confirm the combination, the structure is such that the correctness of the combination of the first device 1 and the second device 5 can be confirmed.

[0020] The obstacle detection system includes multiple sets of first devices 1 and second devices 5. Each of the multiple first devices 1 has a unique protrusion 2 that is different from the other first devices 1 and is capable of fitting into a recess 4 provided on the corresponding first mounting base 3. Each of the multiple second devices 5 has a unique protrusion 6 that is different from the other second devices 5 and is capable of fitting into a recess 8 provided on the corresponding second mounting base 7. The unique protrusion is composed of a combination of the shape, size, number, and arrangement of the protrusions, and cannot be fitted into recesses other than the corresponding recess. Details of the shape of the protrusions will be described later, but they are circular in cross-section perpendicular to the fitting direction and are either a shape with a uniform diameter in the fitting direction, a shape with a diameter that gradually decreases in the fitting direction, or a shape with a diameter that continuously decreases in the fitting direction. Note that the shape and arrangement of the protrusions 2 of the first device 1 and the protrusions 6 of the second device 5 may be the same or different.

[0021] While the above structure can prevent incorrect combinations, it requires each piece of equipment to be brought to the train for verification. In some cases, if the first piece of equipment (1) is located in the driver's cab and the second piece of equipment (5) is located under the floor outside the train, the worker would have to move around carrying multiple pieces of equipment to verify the combinations, which would be extremely laborious and raise safety concerns. Figure 3 shows a structure that addresses this concern.

[0022] Figure 3 shows the configuration for verifying the combination of the first device 1 and the second device 5. As a solution to the above-mentioned concerns, a structure that allows for verification of the combination of devices even when there is no mounting base on the train side is useful. Therefore, by providing a base 9 for verifying the combination, which has a recess 10 into which the protrusion 2 of the first device 1 can be fitted, at one of the locations on the outer surface of the second device 5, the correctness of the combination can be verified using only the first device 1 and the second device 5.

[0023] In the above example, the equipment side has a protrusion and the base side has a recess, but a structure with the recess on the equipment side and the protrusion on the base side is also acceptable. Furthermore, while the above describes a structure in which a base 9 is provided on the second device 5 side and fitted with a protrusion 2 on the first device 1, it is also acceptable to have a structure in which the base 9 is provided on the first device 1 side and fitted with a protrusion 6 on the second device 5 to prevent incorrect combination. This structure allows for verification of equipment combinations when only the first equipment 1 and the second equipment 5 are available, reducing safety concerns and improving work efficiency.

[0024] Figure 4 shows the protrusion 12 and the mounting hole 13 for the protrusion on the lower surface 11 of the first device 1 or the second device 5. Since trains are operated over long periods with regular maintenance, the first piece of equipment 1 and the second piece of equipment 5 will need to be replaced when they malfunction or their functionality deteriorates due to aging. However, when an emergency replacement is necessary, replacing the entire assembly, including the equipment and the mounting base on the train side to prevent incorrect combinations, raises concerns about the time and cost involved in procuring parts. Therefore, the mounting bases 3 and 7 on the train side should be reused, and the number of additional parts should be kept to a minimum.

[0025] Therefore, the first device 1 and the second device 5 are further provided with mounting holes 13 on their lower surfaces 11 where the protrusions 12 are located, which are recesses shaped to fit with their own protrusions 12. This allows the protrusions on the device side to be aligned with the recess configuration of the first mounting base 3 or the second mounting base 7 on the train side when replacing the first device 1 or the second device 5, resulting in a structure that prevents incorrect combinations and is suitable for long-term train operation.

[0026] Figure 5 shows the different shapes of the protrusions and corresponding recesses. Since railway companies own many train sets of the same type, and the leading car is equipped with an obstacle detection system, the equipment miscombination prevention structure of the present invention also needs to accommodate many different combinations. Therefore, multiple types of protrusions 14-16 and corresponding recesses 17-19 are applied, resulting in a structure that can accommodate many types with a small number of protrusions and recesses.

[0027] The convex portion has a shape that combines a cylinder and a cone, and the concave portion has a shape that fits into it. The protrusion 14 is a cylindrical shape with a single diameter, the protrusion 15 is a shape formed by combining two cylinders with different outer diameters, and the protrusion 16 is a shape formed by combining a cylinder with a cone that has a part missing from its tip. The recesses are basically shaped to accommodate the protrusions described above, with recess 17 being shaped to accommodate only protrusion 14, recess 18 being shaped to accommodate only protrusion 15, and recess 19 being shaped to accommodate only protrusion 16. Each recess is designed to have a depth to the bottom that is greater than the length of the corresponding protrusion, taking into consideration the clearance when fitting with the protrusion and ease of manufacturing.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, by defining the relative sizes of the outer dimensions of each protrusion and the inner diameter of each recess, a structure is created in which fitting is possible only with the combination of protrusions and recesses shown above. Specifically, the outer diameter of the protrusion 14 is φa, the outer diameter of the base of the protrusion 15 is φb, the outer diameter of the tip is φc, and the outer diameter of the base of the protrusion 16 is φd, with the dimensional relationship being φb > φd > φa > φc. On the other hand, the inner diameter of recess 17 is φe, the inner diameter of the upper part of the hole in recess 18 is φf, the inner diameter of the lower part of the hole is φg, and the inner diameter of the base of recess 19 is φh, and the dimensional relationship between them is φf > φh > φe > φg. Furthermore, the dimensional relationship between the convex and concave parts combined is φf>φb>φh>φd>φe>φa>φg>φc.

[0029] The patterns resulting from combining all the convex and concave parts are illustrated in Figures 6 to 8. Furthermore, the fitting of the protrusions 14-16 and their corresponding recesses 17-19 also serves to position the first device when attaching or detaching it, thereby ensuring the reproducibility of the mounting position during attachment and detachment, and thus preventing a decrease in detection accuracy when the obstacle detection system is in operation.

[0030] Figure 6 shows patterns combining the convex portion 14 and concave portions 17-19, illustrating whether each combination can be fitted together. Combination 20 shows a combination of a convex portion 14 and a concave portion 17, and since each is a single cylindrical shape, they can be fitted together. Combination 21 shows a combination of a convex portion 14 and a concave portion 18. Because the inner diameter dimension φf at the top of the hole in the concave portion 18 is larger than the outer diameter dimension φa of the convex portion 14, insertion is possible up to a certain point. However, because the inner diameter dimension φg at the bottom of the hole in the concave portion 18 is smaller than the outer diameter dimension φa of the convex portion 14, it cannot be inserted all the way and therefore cannot be fitted. Combination 22 shows a combination of a convex portion 14 and a concave portion 19. Since the inner diameter φh of the concave portion 19 is larger than the outer diameter φa of the convex portion 14, it is possible to insert it partway. However, because the tip of the concave portion 19 is conical, the tip of the convex portion 14 interferes with the conical surface of the concave portion 19, preventing it from being fully inserted and thus making fitting impossible.

[0031] Figure 7 shows patterns combining the convex portion 15 and concave portions 17-19, illustrating whether each combination can be fitted together or not. Combination 23 shows a combination of a convex portion 15 and a concave portion 17. Because the inner diameter φe of the concave portion 17 is larger than the outer diameter φc of the tip of the convex portion 15, it is possible to insert it partway. However, because the inner diameter φe of the concave portion 17 is smaller than the outer diameter φb of the base of the convex portion 15, it cannot be inserted completely and therefore cannot be fitted. Combination 24 shows a combination of a convex portion 15 and a concave portion 18, and since each is a shape formed by combining two cylinders with different diameters, they can be fitted together. Combination 25 shows a combination of a convex portion 15 and a concave portion 19. Because the inner diameter φh of the concave portion 19 is larger than the outer diameter φc of the tip of the convex portion 15, it is possible to insert it partway. However, because the inner diameter φh of the concave portion 19 is smaller than the outer diameter φb of the base of the convex portion 15, it cannot be inserted completely and therefore cannot be fitted.

[0032] Figure 8 shows patterns combining the convex portion 16 and concave portions 17-19, illustrating whether each combination can be fitted together or not. Combination 26 shows a combination of a convex portion 16 and a concave portion 17. Because the tip of the convex portion 16 is conical, it can be inserted partway, but because the inner diameter dimension φe of the concave portion 17 is smaller than the outer diameter dimension φd of the base of the convex portion 16, it cannot be inserted all the way and therefore cannot be fitted. Combination 27 shows a combination of a convex portion 16 and a concave portion 18. The inner diameter dimension φf at the top of the hole in the concave portion 18 is larger than the outer diameter dimension φd at the base of the convex portion 16, so it can be inserted partway. However, the inner diameter dimension φg at the bottom of the hole in the concave portion 18 is smaller than the outer diameter dimension φd at the base of the convex portion 16, so it cannot be inserted completely and cannot be fitted. Combination 28 shows a combination of a convex portion 16 and a concave portion 19, and since each has a shape in which a cone is combined with the tip of a cylinder, they can be fitted together.

[0033] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the structure is designed so that the protrusions 14 and recesses 17, protrusions 15 and recesses 18, and protrusions 16 and recesses 19 can only be fitted together in the specified combinations.

[0034] As described above, the obstacle detection system disclosed in the embodiment is an equipment system including a first device 1 and a second device 5 that are pre-associated and attached to the same railway vehicle, wherein the first device 1 has a first fitting portion (2) that fits with a first mounting base 3 of the railway vehicle, and the second device 5 has a second fitting portion (6) that fits with a second mounting base 7 of the railway vehicle, and also has a combination confirmation base 9 that fits with the first fitting portion. This configuration ensures the correct combination of equipment installed in railway vehicles, thus streamlining the management of equipment combinations for railway vehicles.

[0035] Furthermore, the equipment system includes a plurality of pre-associated combinations of the first equipment 1 and the second equipment 5, each of the plurality of first equipment 1s having a unique protrusion different from that of the other first equipment 1s as the first fitting portion, and being able to fit into a recess provided on the corresponding first mounting base, and each of the plurality of second equipment 5s having a unique protrusion different from that of the other second equipment 5s as the second fitting portion, and being able to fit into a recess provided on the corresponding second mounting base. This configuration reduces the effort required to verify combinations of equipment when they are mixed together during installation and removal, thereby streamlining the management of equipment combinations installed on railway vehicles.

[0036] Furthermore, each unique protrusion is formed by a combination of the shape, size, number, and arrangement of the protrusions, and cannot be fitted into any recess other than the corresponding recess. Furthermore, the shape of the projection is circular in cross-section perpendicular to the fitting direction, and is one of the following: a shape with a uniform diameter in the fitting direction, a shape with a gradually decreasing diameter in the fitting direction, or a shape with a continuously decreasing diameter in the fitting direction. This configuration allows for more efficient management of equipment combinations installed on railway vehicles, even when numerous combinations exist.

[0037] Furthermore, the first device 1 and / or the second device 5 are further provided with recesses that are shaped to fit into their own protrusions. With this configuration, when replacing the first device 1 or the second device 5, the next device can be fitted with a protrusion similar to that of the original device, and can be securely attached to the base on which the original device was mounted.

[0038] Furthermore, the first device 1 is an external sensor mounted on the railway vehicle, and the second device 5 is a control device mounted on the railway vehicle. Therefore, the management of combinations of equipment related to obstacle detection can be streamlined.

[0039] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. For example, the embodiments described above are explained in detail to make the present invention easier to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace or add configurations, not just delete them. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1...First device, 2...Protrusion of the first device, 3...First mounting base, 4...Recess of the first mounting base, 5...Second device, 6...Recess of the second device, 7...Second mounting base, 8...Recess of the second mounting base, 9...Device combination confirmation base, 10...Recess of the device combination confirmation base, 11...Bottom view of the first or second device, 12...Protrusion of the first or second device, 13...Hole for additional mounting of the protrusion of the first or second device, 14...Shape of protrusion 1, 15...Shape of protrusion 2, 16...Shape of protrusion 3, 17...Shape of recess 1, 18...Recess 2 19…Shape of recess 3, 20…State where protrusion 1 and recess 1 are fitted together, 21…State showing that protrusion 1 and recess 2 cannot be fitted together, 22…State showing that protrusion 1 and recess 3 cannot be fitted together, 23…State showing that protrusion 2 and recess 1 cannot be fitted together, 24…State where protrusion 2 and recess 2 are fitted together, 25…State showing that protrusion 2 and recess 3 cannot be fitted together, 26…State showing that protrusion 3 and recess 1 cannot be fitted together, 27…State showing that protrusion 3 and recess 2 cannot be fitted together, 28…State where protrusion 3 and recess 3 are fitted together

Claims

1. An equipment system comprising a first piece of equipment and a second piece of equipment that are pre-associated and installed on the same railway vehicle, The first device comprises a first fitting portion that fits into the first mounting base of the railway vehicle, The second device includes a second fitting portion that fits with the second mounting base of the railway vehicle, and a combination confirmation base that fits with the first fitting portion. A device system characterized by the following features.

2. The equipment system according to claim 1, It includes a plurality of pre-associated combinations of the first device and the second device, Each of the plurality of first devices is provided with a unique protrusion, distinct from that of the other first devices, as the first fitting portion, and is capable of fitting into a recess provided on the corresponding first mounting base. Each of the plurality of second devices is provided with a unique protrusion, distinct from that of the other second devices, as a second fitting portion, which can be fitted into a recess provided in the corresponding second mounting base. A device system characterized by the following features.

3. The equipment system according to claim 2, The aforementioned unique protrusions are formed by a combination of the shape, size, number, and arrangement of the protrusions, and are incapable of being fitted into recesses other than the corresponding recesses. A device system characterized by the following features.

4. The equipment system according to claim 3, The shape of the projection is circular in cross-section perpendicular to the fitting direction, and is one of the following: a shape with a uniform diameter in the fitting direction, a shape with a gradually decreasing diameter in the fitting direction, or a shape with a continuously decreasing diameter in the fitting direction. A device system characterized by the following features.

5. The equipment system according to claim 2, The first device and / or the second device further comprises recesses shaped to engage with their own protrusions. A device system characterized by the following features.

6. The equipment system according to claim 1, The first device is an external sensor mounted on the railway vehicle, The second device is a control device installed on the railway vehicle. A device system characterized by the following features.

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