Brake control device, brake control method, brake control program, and non-release determination device

Abstract

To provide a brake control device, a brake control method, a brake control program, and an insufficient brake release determination device, which determine insufficient brake release even if a railway vehicle is not traveling.SOLUTION: A brake control device 20 brakes a wheel 2 by pressing a brake shoe 14 against a tread surface 2A of the wheel 2 of a railway vehicle. The brake control device 20 includes: a drive information acquiring unit 22 that detects whether it is in a brake application state in which the brake shoe 14 is pressed against the tread surface 2A of the wheel 2; a command acquiring unit 24 that acquires a brake release command for releasing pressing against the tread surface 2A of the wheel 2 by the brake shoe 14; and a determination unit 25 that determines whether the brake application state is maintained by using a detection result provided by the drive information acquiring unit 22 after the command acquiring unit 24 has acquired the brake release command.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a brake control device, a brake control method, a brake control program, and a brake release determination device. [Background technology]

[0002] A railway vehicle is provided with a braking device that applies brakes to the wheels. When the railway vehicle is traveling, the braking device is in a released state in which the braking of the wheels is released. Patent Document 1 describes a non-release detection device that detects non-release of a brake device. The non-release detection device detects non-release of the brake device by measuring the temperature of the wheels when the railroad vehicle is running. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-040171 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in the unrelaxed gear detection device described in the above Patent Document 1, the railway vehicle runs with the gear unrelaxed, so there is a demand for determining whether the gear is unrelaxed even when the railway vehicle is not running. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A brake control device that solves the above problem is a brake control device that brakes a wheel by pressing a friction material against a friction target material, which is either a wheel of a railway vehicle or a rotating body that rotates integrally with the wheel, and is equipped with a detection unit that detects whether the friction target material is in a braking state in which it is pressed against the friction material, an acquisition unit that acquires a release command to release the pressure of the friction material against the friction target material, and a judgment unit that judges whether the braking state is maintained using the detection result of the detection unit after the acquisition unit acquires the release command.

[0006] According to the above configuration, it is determined whether or not the braking state is maintained after the release command is obtained. Therefore, unlike the conventional technology in which it is not possible to determine whether or not the braking state is maintained until the railway vehicle is running and the temperature of the wheels increases, it is possible to determine whether or not the braking state is maintained even when the railway vehicle is not running.

[0007] With regard to the above brake control device, it is preferable that the detection unit detects whether or not the braking state is being established based on at least one physical quantity of the force applied to the friction material in a braking state, the force applied to a transmission unit that transmits driving force to the friction material in a braking state, the movement distance of the friction material, and the movement distance of the transmission unit.

[0008] In the above brake control device, it is preferable that the judgment unit judges whether the braking state is maintained or not based on a change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time from when the release command is acquired until the braking state is released normally.

[0009] In the above brake control device, it is preferable that the determination unit determines whether or not the braking state is maintained by comparing the physical amount with a past physical amount. In the above brake control device, it is preferable that the friction material is driven by an electric actuator via the transmission unit, and a control unit is provided to control the electric actuator, and when the determination unit determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit drives the electric actuator again in a direction to release the friction material.

[0010] In the above-mentioned brake control device, when the judgment unit judges that the braking state is maintained, it is preferable that the control unit drives the electric actuator in a direction opposite to the direction for releasing the friction material, and then drives the electric actuator in the direction for releasing the friction material.

[0011] In the above brake control device, the friction material is driven by pressure supplied from a pressure source via a relay valve and an anti-slip valve, and a control unit is provided which controls the anti-slip valve, and it is preferable that when the determination unit determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit drives the friction material in a direction to release the friction material by exhausting air through the anti-slip valve.

[0012] In the above brake control device, it is preferable that the detection unit detects the force applied to at least one of the friction material and the transmission unit in the braking state, and is installed in multiple units on at least one of the friction material and the transmission unit, and the judgment unit predicts a failure from the difference between the physical quantities detected by the multiple detection units.

[0013] In the above brake control device, it is preferable that the judgment unit predicts a failure due to a malfunction based on the elapsed time from when the release command is acquired until the brake is released. A brake control method that solves the above problem is a brake control method that brakes a wheel by pressing a friction material against a friction target material, which is either a wheel of a railway vehicle or a rotating body that rotates integrally with the wheel, and includes a detection step of detecting whether the friction target material is in a braking state in which it is pressed against the friction material, an acquisition step of acquiring a release command to release the pressure of the friction material against the friction target material, and a determination step of determining whether the braking state is maintained using the detection result of the detection step after acquiring the release command in the acquisition step.

[0014] According to the above method, it is determined whether or not the braking state is maintained after the release command is obtained. Therefore, unlike the conventional technology which cannot determine whether or not the braking state is maintained until the train runs and the temperature rises, it is possible to determine whether or not the braking state is not maintained even if the train is not running.

[0015] A brake control program that solves the above problem is a brake control program that causes a computer to brake a wheel by pressing a friction material against a friction target material, which is either a wheel of a railway vehicle or a rotating body that rotates integrally with the wheel, and executes the following steps: a detection step of detecting whether the friction target material is in a braking state in which it is pressed against the friction material, an acquisition step of acquiring a release command to release the pressure of the friction material against the friction target material, and a determination step of determining whether the braking state is maintained using the detection result of the detection step after acquiring the release command in the acquisition step.

[0016] According to the program, it is determined whether or not the braking state is maintained after the release command is received. Therefore, unlike the conventional technology, which cannot determine whether or not the braking state is maintained until the railcar is running and the temperature of the wheels increases, it is possible to determine whether or not the braking state is maintained even when the railcar is not running.

[0017] The non-release determination device that solves the above problem is a non-release determination device that determines the release of a brake device that brakes a wheel by pressing a friction material against a friction target material, which is either a wheel of a railway vehicle or a rotating body that rotates integrally with the wheel, and is equipped with a detection unit that detects whether the friction target material is in a braking state in which it is pressed against the friction material, an acquisition unit that acquires a release command to release the pressure of the friction material against the friction target material, and a determination unit that uses the detection result of the detection unit to determine whether the braking state is maintained after the acquisition unit acquires the release command.

[0018] According to the above configuration, it is determined whether or not the braking state is maintained after the release command is obtained. Therefore, unlike the conventional technology in which it is not possible to determine whether or not the braking state is maintained until the railway vehicle is running and the temperature rises, it is possible to determine whether or not the braking state is not maintained even when the railway vehicle is not running. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not a train is loose even when the train is not running. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a brake device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing a braking state detection process of the brake control device of the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a process of determining whether or not the brake is released by the brake control device according to the embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a brake device according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a brake device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a failure prediction process of a fourth embodiment of the brake control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of a brake device including a brake control device and a brake release determination device will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The brake device is provided in a railway vehicle.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the braking device 10 is a tread brake device that generates a braking force by pressing a brake shoe 14 against a tread 2A of a wheel 2 of a railway vehicle. The braking device 10 includes a rotary motor 11 and is driven by the motor 11. The braking device 10 includes a transmission unit 12 that transmits the driving force of the motor 11 to the brake shoe 14, and a brake shoe holding member 13. The transmission unit 12 displaces the brake shoe holding member 13 by the driving force of the motor 11. The brake shoe 14 is attached to the brake shoe holding member 13, and is displaced in the radial direction of the wheel 2 by the transmission unit 12. The brake shoe 14 is displaced together with the brake shoe holding member 13 and pressed against the tread 2A of the wheel 2. The brake shoe 14 wears as a result of being pressed against the tread 2A of the wheel 2, and the thickness of the brake shoe 14 decreases. The motor 11 corresponds to an electric actuator. Moreover, the wheel 2 corresponds to the friction target material, and the brake shoe 14 corresponds to the friction material.

[0023] The brake device 10 is controlled by a control device 20. The control device 20 may be configured as one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program (software). The processes executed by the control device 20, i.e., the processor, include a brake control method. The brake control method includes a braking state detection process and a non-relaxation determination process, which will be described later. The control device 20 may be configured as a circuit including one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a combination thereof, that executes at least a part of the various processes. The processor includes a CPU and memories such as a RAM and a ROM. The memory stores program codes or instructions that are configured to cause the CPU to execute the processes. The memory, i.e., the computer readable medium, includes any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer. The programs stored in the computer readable medium include a brake control program. The brake control program causes a computer to execute a detection step, an acquisition step, and a determination step. The control device 20 corresponds to a brake control device and a non-relaxation determination device.

[0024] The control device 20 controls the braking force based on a braking command from the vehicle control panel 5. The control device 20 includes a control unit 21 that controls the brake device 10. The control unit 21 drives and controls the motor 11 according to the required braking force. When releasing the brake shoe 14, the control unit 21 controls the brake shoe 14 to move to a position a predetermined distance away from the position where the brake shoe 14 contacts the tread 2A of the wheel 2. By controlling in this manner, the time from when the brake shoe 14 contacts the tread 2A of the wheel 2 until braking begins can be made constant. The transmission unit 12 is provided with a stress sensor 12A. The stress sensor 12A is provided with, for example, a strain gauge, measures the force applied to the transmission unit 12, and outputs the measurement information to the control device 20. Thus, the control device 20 can obtain the force applied to the transmission unit 12 in the braking state. Similarly, the brake shoe holding member 13 is provided with a stress sensor 13A. The stress sensor 13A is, for example, a strain gauge, which measures the force applied to the brake shoe holding member 13 and outputs the measurement information to the control device 20. Thus, the control device 20 can obtain the force applied to the brake shoe 14 in the braking state. Since the stress becomes almost zero when released, a threshold value may be set and released may be detected when the stress falls below the threshold value. A stress sensor may be provided in the brake shoe 14 to measure the force applied to the brake shoe 14 by the braking operation.

[0025] The control device 20 includes a drive information acquisition unit 22, a memory unit 23, a command acquisition unit 24, and a judgment unit 25. The drive information acquisition unit 22 acquires drive information of the motor 11. The drive information acquisition unit 22 calculates the movement distance of the transmission unit 12 and the brake shoe 14 from at least one of the product of the current and time of the motor 11 and the rotation speed of the motor 11. The drive information acquisition unit 22 also acquires measurement information of the stress sensors 12A and 13A. The drive information acquisition unit 22 calculates the force applied to the transmission unit 12 in a braking state from the measurement information of the stress sensor 12A. The drive information acquisition unit 22 also calculates the force applied to the brake shoe 14 in a braking state from the measurement information of the stress sensor 13A.

[0026] The drive information acquisition unit 22 detects whether or not the vehicle is in a braking state in which the brake shoe 14 is pressed against the tread 2A of the wheel 2. That is, the drive information acquisition unit 22 detects whether or not the vehicle is in a braking state based on a physical quantity. The physical quantity is at least one of the force applied to the brake shoe 14 in a braking state, the force applied to the transmission unit 12 in a braking state, the movement distance of the brake shoe 14, and the movement distance of the transmission unit 12. The memory unit 23 stores the movement distance of the transmission unit 12, the movement distance of the brake shoe 14, the force applied to the transmission unit 12, and the force applied to the brake shoe 14, which are calculated by the drive information acquisition unit 22. The command acquisition unit 24 acquires a release command from the vehicle control panel 5 to release the pressure of the brake shoe 14 against the tread 2A of the wheel 2. The drive information acquisition unit 22 corresponds to a detection unit that detects whether or not the vehicle is in a braking state.

[0027] The determination unit 25 determines whether or not the braking state is maintained using the detection result of the drive information acquisition unit 22 after the command acquisition unit 24 acquires the release command. The determination unit 25 determines whether or not the braking state is maintained based on the change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time from when the release command is acquired until the braking state is normally released. The change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time until the braking state is normally released is stored in the storage unit 23. When the change in the physical quantity during normality matches the change in the physical quantity stored in the storage unit 23, the braking state is released, and the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is not maintained. Alternatively, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the braking state is maintained by comparing the physical quantity with a past physical quantity. The past physical quantity is stored in the storage unit 23. When the change in the physical quantity matches the past physical quantity stored in the storage unit when the braking state is released, the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is not maintained, and the braking state is not maintained. The determination unit 25 may determine whether or not the braking state is maintained based on at least one of the change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time and the past physical quantity.

[0028] When the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit 21 drives the motor 11 again in the direction to release the brake shoe 14. By retrying in this manner, the possibility of releasing the brake shoe 14 can be increased. Alternatively, when the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit 21 drives the motor 11 in the direction opposite to the direction to release the brake shoe 14, and then drives the motor 11 in the direction to release the brake shoe 14. When a jam occurs in the transmission unit 12, there is a possibility that the jam will disappear if the brake shoe 14 is driven in the direction opposite to the direction to release the brake shoe 14. Therefore, when the vehicle is jammed and unable to move, it is possible to increase the possibility that the jam will be released and the vehicle will be released.

[0029] The brake device 10 is equipped with a notification unit 26. The notification unit 26 issues a notification when the brake becomes unreleased after being released. The notification unit 26 is a speaker that emits sound, a light that turns on, a display unit, or the like. The notification unit 26 is preferably provided on the vehicle control panel 5 so that the driver can notice it. In addition, the notification unit 26 is preferably installed near the brake device 10 so that an operator can notice it during a start-of-days inspection, a finish-of-days inspection, or the like.

[0030] Next, the procedure of the braking state detection process by the control device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows the process in which the braking device 10 stores data to detect the braking state when the braking device 10 is activated.

[0031] First, the control device 20 acquires driving information (step S1). That is, the driving information acquisition unit 22 acquires at least one of the current value of the motor 11 and the rotation speed of the motor 11. The driving information acquisition unit 22 also acquires measurement information of the stress sensors 12A and 13A.

[0032] Next, the control device 20 calculates the physical quantity (step S2). That is, the driving information acquisition unit 22 calculates the moving distance of the transmission unit 12 and the brake shoe 14 from at least one of the product of the current and time of the motor 11 and the rotation speed of the motor 11. The driving information acquisition unit 22 also calculates the force applied to the transmission unit 12 by the braking operation from the measurement information of the stress sensor 12A. The driving information acquisition unit 22 calculates the force applied to the brake shoe 14 by the braking operation from the measurement information of the stress sensor 13A.

[0033] Next, the control device 20 stores the physical quantity (step S3) and ends the process. That is, the drive information acquisition unit 22 stores the moving distance and the force applied by the braking operation in the storage unit 23. When the drive information acquisition unit 22 acquires a release command, it acquires the change in the physical quantity for a predetermined time until release and stores it in the storage unit 23.

[0034] Next, a procedure of the non-release determination process by the control device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows the process of determining whether or not the release is in progress when a release command is received from the vehicle control panel 5.

[0035] First, the control device 20 judges whether or not a release command has been acquired when the railway vehicle is stopped (step S11). That is, the control unit 21 judges whether or not the command acquisition unit 24 has acquired a release command from the vehicle control panel 5. Then, when the control unit 21 judges that a release command has not been acquired (step S11: NO), it waits until the release command is acquired.

[0036] On the other hand, when the control unit 21 determines that a release command has been acquired (step S11: YES), it performs a release operation to release the braking state (step S12). That is, the control unit 21 controls the drive of the motor 11 to move the brake shoe 14 in a direction away from the tread surface 2A of the wheel 2. Note that step S12 corresponds to an acquisition step.

[0037] Next, the control device 20 performs the above-described braking state detection process (step S13). That is, the driving information acquisition unit 22 acquires the change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time from when the release command is acquired until release under normal circumstances, or the physical quantity after the predetermined time has elapsed. Note that step S13 corresponds to a detection step.

[0038] Next, the control device 20 judges whether or not the braking state is in progress (step S14). That is, the judgment unit 25 judges whether or not the braking state is in progress based on the change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time from when the release command is acquired until the braking state is released under normal circumstances. When the change in the physical quantity in the normal circumstances matches the change in the physical quantity stored in the memory unit 23, the braking state is released, and the judgment unit 25 judges that the braking state is not in progress. Alternatively, the judgment unit 25 judges whether or not the braking state is in progress by comparing the physical quantity with a past physical quantity. When the change in the physical quantity matches the past physical quantity stored in the memory unit when the braking state is released, the braking state is released, and the judgment unit 25 judges that the braking state is not in progress. When the judgment unit 25 judges that the braking state is not in progress (step S14: NO), the judgment unit 25 judges that the braking state is in progress as "released" (step S19), and ends the process. Note that step S14 corresponds to the judgment step.

[0039] On the other hand, when the change in the physical quantity does not match the change in the normal state, the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained since the braking state is not released. Alternatively, when the change in the physical quantity does not match the past physical quantity, the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained since the braking state is not released. When the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is in progress (step S14: YES), it determines whether or not the number of times is less than a predetermined number (step S15). That is, the control unit 21 retries the release operation until the number of times that it is determined that the braking state is in progress reaches a predetermined number. Then, when the control unit 21 determines that the number of times that it is determined that the braking state is in progress is less than a predetermined number (step S15: YES), it drives the motor 11 in the direction opposite to the release (step S16) and proceeds to step S12. That is, the control unit 21 increases the possibility that the state in which the transmission unit 12 or the brake shoe 14 is stuck or immobilized due to a foreign object or the like is released by driving the motor 11 in the direction opposite to the release. Then, the control unit 21 retries the release operation in step S12.

[0040] On the other hand, if the control unit 21 determines that the number of times is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (step S15: NO), it determines that the braking state is "not released" (step S17) and outputs "not released" (step S18). That is, since the braking state is maintained even after driving the motor 11 in the direction opposite to the direction for releasing it and performing the release operation a predetermined number of times, the control unit 21 gives up on retries and processes the situation as "not released". Then, the control unit 21 notifies the notification unit 26 that the braking state is "not released". Thus, it is possible to determine that the braking state is "not released" without causing the railroad vehicle to run. Note that the vehicle control panel 5 may restrict the start of the railroad vehicle.

[0041] Next, the effects of the first embodiment will be described. (1-1) After the command acquisition unit 24 acquires a release command, it is determined whether or not the braking state is being maintained using the detection result of the drive information acquisition unit 22. Therefore, unlike the conventional technology in which it is not possible to determine whether or not the braking state is being maintained unless the railway vehicle is running and the temperature of the wheels rises, it is possible to determine whether or not the braking state is being maintained even if the railway vehicle is not running.

[0042] (1-2) When a release command is obtained, the physical quantity changes. Therefore, by detecting whether or not the braking state is being applied based on the physical quantity, the detection accuracy can be improved. (1-3) Since it takes a certain amount of time from when the release command is obtained until the braking is released under normal circumstances, the accuracy of the judgment can be further improved by judging whether the braking state is maintained based on the change in the physical quantity over the certain amount of time.

[0043] (1-4) By determining whether the braking state is being maintained by comparing with past physical quantities, the accuracy of the determination can be improved. (1-5) By driving the motor 11 again when it is determined that the braking state of the brake device 10 is being maintained, the possibility of releasing the braking state can be increased.

[0044] (1-6) When a jam occurs in the transmission portion 12, there is a possibility that the jam will disappear if the brake shoe 14 is driven in the direction opposite to the direction of release, thereby increasing the possibility of release.

[0045] Second embodiment Hereinafter, a second embodiment of a brake device including a brake control device and a brake release determination device will be described with reference to Fig. 4. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the brake device is a disc brake device. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 4, the brake device 30 is a disc brake device that generates a braking force by pressing brake shoes 34A, 34B against a disc 3 that rotates integrally with a wheel 2 of a railway vehicle. The brake device 30 includes a rotary motor 31 and is driven by the motor 31. The brake device 30 includes a transmission unit 32 that transmits the driving force of the motor 31 to the brake shoes 34A, 34B, and a left arm 33A and a right arm 33B. The transmission unit 32 displaces the left arm 33A and the right arm 33B by the driving force of the motor 31. The brake shoe 34A is attached to the left arm 33A, and the brake shoe 34B is attached to the right arm 33B. The left arm 33A and the right arm 33B are displaced in a vertical direction with respect to the side surface 3A of the disc 3 by the transmission unit 32. The brake shoes 34A, 34B are displaced together with the left arm 33A and the right arm 33B and pressed against the side surface 3A of the disc 3. The brake shoes 34A, 34B wear down as they are pressed against the side surface 3A of the disk 3, and the thickness of the brake shoes 34A, 34B decreases. The motor 31 corresponds to the electric actuator. The disk 3 is a rotating body and corresponds to the friction target material, and the brake shoes 34A, 34B correspond to the friction material. The wheel 2, instead of the disk 3, may be the friction target material.

[0047] The brake device 30 is controlled by the control device 20 similar to that of the first embodiment. The control device 20 controls the braking force based on a braking command from the vehicle control panel 5. The control device 20 includes a control unit 21 that controls the brake device 30. The control unit 21 drives and controls the motor 31 according to the required braking force. When releasing the brakes, the control unit 21 controls the brake shoes 34A and 34B to move to a position a predetermined distance away from the position where the brake shoes 34A and 34B contact the side surface 3A of the disk 3. By controlling in this manner, the time from when the brake shoes 34A and 34B contact the side surface 3A of the disk 3 until braking begins can be made constant. The transmission unit 32 is provided with a stress sensor 32A. The stress sensor 32A is provided with, for example, a strain gauge, and measures the force applied to the transmission unit 32 and outputs the measurement information to the control device 20. Thus, the control device 20 can obtain the force applied to the transmission unit 32 by the braking operation. Similarly, the left arm 33A is provided with a stress sensor 33C. The stress sensor 33C is, for example, a strain gauge, which measures the force applied to the left arm 33A and outputs the measurement information to the control device 20. Thus, the control device 20 can obtain the force applied to the brake shoes 34A, 34B by the braking operation. Since the stress becomes almost zero when released, a threshold value may be set and the release may be detected when the stress falls below the threshold value. A stress sensor may be provided in the brake shoes 34A, 34B to measure the force applied to the brake shoes 34A, 34B by the braking operation.

[0048] The control device 20 includes a drive information acquisition unit 22, a storage unit 23, a command acquisition unit 24, and a judgment unit 25. The drive information acquisition unit 22 acquires drive information of the motor 31. The drive information acquisition unit 22 calculates the movement distance of the transmission unit 32 and the brake shoes 34A, 34B from at least one of the product of the current and time of the motor 31 and the rotation speed of the motor 31. The drive information acquisition unit 22 also acquires measurement information of the stress sensors 32A, 33C. The drive information acquisition unit 22 calculates the force applied to the transmission unit 32 by the braking operation from the measurement information of the stress sensor 32A. The drive information acquisition unit 22 also calculates the force applied to the brake shoes 34A, 34B by the braking operation from the measurement information of the stress sensor 33C.

[0049] The driving information acquisition unit 22 detects whether or not the brake shoes 34A, 34B are in a braking state in which they are pressed against the side surface 3A of the disk 3. That is, the driving information acquisition unit 22 detects whether or not the brake shoes 34A, 34B are in a braking state based on a physical quantity. The physical quantity is at least one of the force applied to the brake shoes 34A, 34B by the braking operation, the force applied to the transmission unit 32 by the braking operation, the movement distance of the brake shoes 34A, 34B, and the movement distance of the transmission unit 32. The memory unit 23 stores the movement distance of the transmission unit 32, the movement distance of the brake shoes 34A, 34B, the force applied to the transmission unit 32, and the force applied to the brake shoes 34A, 34B, which are calculated by the driving information acquisition unit 22. The command acquisition unit 24 acquires a release command from the vehicle control panel 5 to release the pressure of the brake shoes 34A, 34B against the side surface 3A of the disk 3. The drive information acquisition unit 22 corresponds to a detection unit that detects whether or not the vehicle is in a braking state.

[0050] The determination unit 25 determines whether or not the braking state is maintained using the detection result of the drive information acquisition unit 22 after the command acquisition unit 24 acquires the release command. The determination unit 25 determines whether or not the braking state is maintained based on the change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time from when the release command is acquired until the braking state is normally released. The change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time until the braking state is normally released is stored in the storage unit 23. When the change in the physical quantity during normality matches the change in the physical quantity stored in the storage unit 23, the braking state is released, and the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is not maintained. Alternatively, the determination unit 25 determines whether or not the braking state is maintained by comparing the physical quantity with a past physical quantity. The past physical quantity is stored in the storage unit 23. When the change in the physical quantity matches the past physical quantity stored in the storage unit when the braking state is released, the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is not maintained, and the braking state is not maintained. The determination unit 25 may determine whether or not the braking state is maintained based on at least one of the change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time and the past physical quantity.

[0051] When the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit 21 drives the motor 31 again in a direction to release the brake shoes 34A, 34B. By retrying in this manner, the possibility of releasing the brake shoes can be increased. Alternatively, when the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit 21 drives the motor 31 in a direction opposite to the direction to release the brake shoes 34A, 34B, and then drives the motor 31 in a direction to release the brake shoes 34A, 34B. When a jam occurs in the transmission unit 32, there is a possibility that the jam will disappear if the brake shoes 34A, 34B are driven in a direction opposite to the direction to release them. Therefore, when the vehicle is jammed and does not move, the possibility of the jam being released and released can be increased.

[0052] The braking device 30 is equipped with a notification unit 26. The notification unit 26 issues a notification when the brakes become unreleased after being released. The notification unit 26 is a speaker that emits sound, a light that turns on, a display unit, or the like. The notification unit 26 is preferably provided on the vehicle control panel 5 so that the driver can notice it. In addition, the notification unit 26 is preferably installed near the braking device 30 so that an operator can notice it during a start-of-days inspection, a finish-of-days inspection, or the like.

[0053] Next, the procedure of the braking state detection process by the control device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows the process in which the braking device 30 stores data to detect the braking state when the braking device 30 is activated.

[0054] First, the control device 20 acquires driving information (step S1). That is, the driving information acquisition unit 22 acquires at least one of the current value of the motor 31 and the rotation speed of the motor 31. The driving information acquisition unit 22 also acquires measurement information of the stress sensors 32A and 33C.

[0055] Next, the control device 20 calculates the physical quantity (step S2). That is, the driving information acquisition unit 22 calculates the moving distance of the transmission unit 32 and the brake shoes 34A, 34B from at least one of the product of the current and time of the motor 31 and the rotation speed of the motor 31. The driving information acquisition unit 22 also calculates the force applied to the transmission unit 32 by the braking operation from the measurement information of the stress sensor 32A. The driving information acquisition unit 22 calculates the force applied to the brake shoes 34A, 34B by the braking operation from the measurement information of the stress sensor 33C.

[0056] Next, the control device 20 stores the physical quantity (step S3) and ends the process. That is, the drive information acquisition unit 22 stores the moving distance and the force applied by the braking operation in the storage unit 23. When the drive information acquisition unit 22 acquires a release command, it acquires the change in the physical quantity for a predetermined time until release and stores it in the storage unit 23.

[0057] Next, a procedure of the non-release determination process by the control device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows the process of determining whether or not the release is in progress when a release command is received from the vehicle control panel 5.

[0058] First, the control device 20 judges whether or not a release command has been acquired when the railway vehicle is stopped (step S11). That is, the control unit 21 judges whether or not the command acquisition unit 24 has acquired a release command from the vehicle control panel 5. Then, when the control unit 21 judges that a release command has not been acquired (step S11: NO), it waits until the release command is acquired.

[0059] On the other hand, when the control unit 21 determines that a release command has been acquired (step S11: YES), it performs a release operation to release the braking state (step S12). That is, the control unit 21 controls the driving of the motor 31 to move the brake shoes 34A, 34B in a direction away from the side surface 3A of the disk 3. Note that step S12 corresponds to an acquisition step.

[0060] Next, the control device 20 performs the above-described braking state detection process (step S13). That is, the driving information acquisition unit 22 acquires the change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time from when the release command is acquired until release under normal circumstances, or the physical quantity after the predetermined time has elapsed. Note that step S13 corresponds to a detection step.

[0061] Next, the control device 20 judges whether or not the braking state is in progress (step S14). That is, the judgment unit 25 judges whether or not the braking state is in progress based on the change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time from when the release command is acquired until the braking state is released under normal circumstances. When the change in the physical quantity in the normal circumstances matches the change in the physical quantity stored in the memory unit 23, the braking state is released, and the judgment unit 25 judges that the braking state is not in progress. Alternatively, the judgment unit 25 judges whether or not the braking state is in progress by comparing the physical quantity with a past physical quantity. When the change in the physical quantity matches the past physical quantity stored in the memory unit when the braking state is released, the braking state is released, and the judgment unit 25 judges that the braking state is not in progress. When the judgment unit 25 judges that the braking state is not in progress (step S14: NO), the judgment unit 25 judges that the braking state is in progress as "released" (step S19), and ends the process. Note that step S14 corresponds to the judgment step.

[0062] On the other hand, when the change in the physical quantity does not match the change in the normal state, the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained since the braking state is not released. Alternatively, when the change in the physical quantity does not match the past physical quantity, the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained since the braking state is not released. When the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is in effect (step S14: YES), it determines whether or not the number of times is less than a predetermined number (step S15). That is, the control unit 21 retries the release operation until the number of times that it has been determined that the braking state is in effect reaches a predetermined number. Then, when the control unit 21 determines that the number of times that it has been determined that the braking state is in effect is less than a predetermined number (step S15: YES), it drives the motor 31 in the direction opposite to the release (step S16) and proceeds to step S12. That is, the control unit 21 increases the possibility that the transmission unit 32 and the brake shoes 34A and 34B are released from the state where they are stuck or immobilized due to a foreign object, etc., by driving the motor 31 in the direction opposite to the release. Then, the control unit 21 retries the release operation in step S12.

[0063] On the other hand, if the control unit 21 determines that the number of times is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (step S15: NO), it determines that the braking state is "not released" (step S17) and outputs a not-released signal (step S18). That is, since the braking state is maintained even after the control unit 21 drives the motor 31 in the direction opposite to the release and performs the not-released operation a predetermined number of times, it gives up on the retry and processes the situation as "not-released". Then, the control unit 21 notifies the notification unit 26 that the braking state is "not released". Thus, it is possible to determine that the braking state is "not released" without causing the railroad vehicle to run. Note that the vehicle control panel 5 may restrict the start of the railroad vehicle.

[0064] Next, the effects of the second embodiment will be described. In addition to the effects (1-1) to (1-4) of the first embodiment, the following effects are achieved. (2-5) By driving the motor 31 again when it is determined that the braking state of the braking device 30 is being maintained, the possibility of releasing the braking state can be increased.

[0065] (2-6) When a jam occurs in the transmission portion 32, the jam may disappear if the brake shoes 34A, 34B are driven in the direction opposite to the direction of release, thereby increasing the possibility of release.

[0066] Third embodiment Hereinafter, a third embodiment of a brake device including a brake control device and a brake release determination device will be described with reference to Fig. 5. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the driving source is compressed air. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 5, in the braking device 40, compressed air is supplied to the air cylinder 41 from a pressure source 51 via a relay valve 52 and an anti-skid valve 53. The anti-skid valve 53 is a valve that discharges the compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 41 when the wheel skids on the track. The braking device 40 may be a tread brake device or a disc brake device. When compressed air is supplied to the air cylinder 41, the air cylinder 41 drives the friction material 43 in the braking direction via the transmission unit 42. When compressed air is discharged, the air cylinder 41 drives the friction material 43 in the releasing direction, which is opposite to the braking direction, via the transmission unit 42.

[0068] The transmission unit 42 and the friction material 43 are provided with stress sensors (not shown), which output the forces applied to the transmission unit 42 and the friction material 43, respectively, to the control device 20. In the control device 20, the judgment unit 25 performs the unrelease judgment process, as in the first and second embodiments. When the judgment unit 25 judges that the braking state is maintained as unreleased by the unrelease judgment process, the control unit 21 causes the anti-skid valve 53 to exhaust air. When air is exhausted from the anti-skid valve 53, the friction material 43 is driven in the direction of releasing air via the air cylinder 41 and the transmission unit 42.

[0069] Next, the effects of the third embodiment will be described. In addition to the effects (1-1) to (1-4) of the first embodiment, the following effects are achieved. (3-1) By discharging air through the anti-skid valve 53 and driving the friction material 43 in a direction to release it, it is possible to increase the possibility of release even if a malfunction of the relay valve 52 occurs.

[0070] (Fourth embodiment) Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of a brake device equipped with a brake control device will be described with reference to Fig. 6. This embodiment differs from the first to third embodiments in that a failure prediction determination process is performed. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. Although the brake device 10 will be described, the brake devices 30 and 40 may also be used.

[0071] Since it is desirable that the brake device 10 does not allow railway vehicles to run with the brake device 10 left in an unreleased state, there is a need to predict failures in the brake device 10. Therefore, the judgment unit 25 of the brake device 10 predicts failures from differences in physical quantities acquired by the drive information acquisition unit 22. The physical quantities are the force applied to the brake shoe 14 in a braking state measured by the stress sensor 13A of the brake shoe holding member 13, and the force applied to the transmission unit 12 in a braking state measured by the stress sensor 12A of the transmission unit 12. The drive information acquisition unit 22, which acquires the detection results from the stress sensors 12A and 13A, corresponds to the detection unit. A plurality of stress sensors may be provided in the transmission unit 12, or a plurality of stress sensors may be provided in at least one of the brake shoe holding member 13 and the brake shoe 14.

[0072] Since these physical quantities are the same, the judgment unit 25 compares two or more physical quantities, and judges that a failure has been predicted if there is a difference between the physical quantities. The judgment unit 25 also predicts a failure due to malfunction based on the elapsed time from when the command acquisition unit 24 acquires the release command until the relaxation. If the elapsed time is normal, it will be the same every time, so if there is a malfunction, it will take time. If the movement becomes sluggish due to aging, it will take time. Therefore, the judgment unit 25 judges that a failure due to malfunction has been predicted when the elapsed time is different. A failure is predicted when there is no failure but the possibility of a failure is increasing. The judgment unit 25 may judge a failure to be predicted based on at least one of two or more physical quantities and the elapsed time.

[0073] Next, the procedure of the braking state detection process by the control device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows the process in which the braking device 10 stores data to detect the braking state when the braking device 10 is activated.

[0074] First, the control device 20 acquires measurement information (step S21). That is, the driving information acquisition unit 22 acquires the measurement information from the stress sensors 12A and 13A. Next, the control device 20 calculates a physical quantity (step S22). That is, the driving information acquisition unit 22 calculates the force applied to the transmission unit 12 in a braking state from the measurement information of the stress sensor 12A. The driving information acquisition unit 22 also calculates the force applied to the brake shoe 14 in a braking state from the measurement information of the stress sensor 13A.

[0075] Next, the control device 20 stores the physical quantities (step S23). That is, the drive information acquisition unit 22 stores the moving distance and the force applied by the braking operation in the storage unit 23. When the drive information acquisition unit 22 acquires a release command, it acquires the change in the physical quantities for a predetermined time until release, and stores it in the storage unit 23.

[0076] Next, the control device 20 judges whether or not the failure prediction indicates an increased possibility of failure (step S24). That is, the judgment unit 25 judges the failure prediction based on two or more physical quantities. The judgment unit 25 also judges the failure prediction due to a malfunction based on the elapsed time from when the command acquisition unit 24 acquires the relaxation command until relaxation. Then, when the judgment unit 25 judges that the failure is not predicted (step S24: NO), it outputs "no failure prediction". That is, the judgment unit 25 judges that the failure is not predicted when two or more physical quantities are the same and the elapsed time is the same.

[0077] On the other hand, when it is determined that a failure is predicted (step S24: YES), the judgment unit 25 outputs "failure prediction." That is, the judgment unit 25 judges that a failure is predicted when there is a difference between two or more physical quantities or when the elapsed times differ. Thus, it is possible to predict a failure before a failure occurs. Then, the control unit 21 notifies the notification unit 26 of "failure prediction."

[0078] Next, the effects of the fourth embodiment will be described. In addition to the effects (1-1) to (1-6) of the first embodiment, (2-5) and (2-6) of the second embodiment, and (3-1) of the third embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0079] (4-1) The brake shoe 14 and the transmission part 12 to which the driving force is transmitted change forces in the same way, so that failure can be predicted based on the difference in physical quantities. (4-2) By observing the elapsed time from when the command acquisition unit 24 acquires the release command to when the command is released, it is possible to predict a failure due to a malfunction.

[0080] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiments may be modified as follows: The above-described embodiments and the following modifications may be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

[0081] In the above embodiments, the applied force is measured using a strain gauge, but a limit switch may be used instead. Specifically, the force may be detected by detecting the deformation that occurs during braking or the travel distance of the friction material of the brake device to determine whether or not the brake is released when a release command is issued.

[0082] In the first and second embodiments described above, when the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit 21 drives the motor 11 in the direction opposite to the direction for releasing the brake shoe 14, and then drives the motor 11 in the direction for releasing the brake shoe 14. However, when the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit 21 does not have to drive the motor 11 in the direction opposite to the direction for releasing the brake shoe 14.

[0083] In the first and second embodiments, when the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit 21 drives the motor 11 again in the direction to release the brake shoe 14. However, when the determination unit 25 determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit 21 does not have to drive the motor 11 again in the direction to release the brake shoe 14.

[0084] In the first and second embodiments, the drive information acquisition unit 22 may acquire only one of the change in physical quantity at a predetermined time and the past physical quantity, and the determination unit 25 may determine whether or not the braking state is maintained.

[0085] In the first and second embodiments described above, at least one of the force applied to the brake shoe 14 in the braking state, the force applied to the transmission unit 12 in the braking state, the movement distance of the brake shoe 14, and the movement distance of the transmission unit 12 is obtained as the physical quantity. However, only one of the force applied to the brake shoe 14 in the braking state, the force applied to the transmission unit 12 in the braking state, the movement distance of the brake shoe 14, and the movement distance of the transmission unit 12 may be obtained as the physical quantity.

[0086] In the fourth embodiment, the brake device 10 may only perform failure prediction by acquiring physical quantities, without performing the non-release determination process. In the fourth embodiment, the drive information acquisition unit 22 may acquire only one of two or more physical quantities and the elapsed time, and the determination unit 25 may determine whether or not a failure is predicted.

[0087] In each of the above-described embodiments, the brake devices 10, 30, 40 are provided with the notification unit 26 that notifies when the amount of wear of the friction material reaches or exceeds a predetermined value. However, the notification unit 26 may be omitted.

[0088] In each of the above embodiments, the friction material is driven to a position where the gap between the friction material and the friction target material becomes constant after the friction material comes into contact with the friction target material in order to brake the control unit 21, and then the friction material is stopped. However, the friction material may be driven to an arbitrary position and then stopped after the friction material comes into contact with the friction target material in order to brake the control unit 21.

[0089] In the first and second embodiments described above, the friction material is driven via a transmission unit using the rotary motor 11, 31. However, the friction material may be driven via a transmission unit using a direct-acting actuator or a linear actuator.

[0090] In each of the above embodiments, if a product is made up of multiple objects, the multiple objects may be integrated, and conversely, if a product is made up of a single object, it may be divided into multiple objects. Regardless of whether the objects are integrated or not, it is sufficient that the product is configured to achieve the object of the invention.

[0091] In each of the above embodiments, where multiple functions are provided in a distributed manner, some or all of the multiple functions may be provided in an integrated manner, and conversely, where multiple functions are provided in an integrated manner, some or all of the multiple functions may be provided in a distributed manner. Regardless of whether the functions are integrated or distributed, it is sufficient that the configuration is such that the object of the invention can be achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 2 Wheels (frictional material) 2A Tread 3 Disc (friction material) 3A side 5 Vehicle control panel 10 Brake device 11 Motor 12 Transmission section 12A Stress Sensor 13 Brake shoe holding member 13A Stress Sensor 14 Bracelet (friction material) 20 Control device 21 Control section 22 Driving information acquisition unit 23 Memory section 24 Command acquisition part 25 Judgment section 26. Notification Department 30 Brake device 31 Motor 32 Transmission section 32A Stress Sensor 33A Left Arm 33B Right Arm 33C Stress Sensor 34A Brake shoe (friction material) 34B Brake shoe (friction material) 40 Brake device 41 Air Cylinder 42 Transmission section 43 Friction material 51 Pressure Source 52 Relay valve 53 Anti-skid valve

Claims

1. 1. A brake control device that applies brakes to a wheel of a railway vehicle by pressing a friction material against a friction target material, the friction target material being either a wheel of the railway vehicle or a rotating body that rotates integrally with the wheel, a detection unit that detects whether the friction material is in a braking state in which the friction target material is pressed against the friction material; an acquisition unit that acquires a release command to release the pressure of the friction material against the friction target material when the railcar is stopped; a determination unit that determines whether the braking state is maintained by using a detection result of the detection unit after the acquisition unit acquires the release command when the railway vehicle is stopped. Brake control device.

2. The detection unit detects whether the vehicle is in the braking state based on at least one physical quantity of a force applied to the friction material in the braking state, a force applied to a transmission unit that transmits a driving force to the friction material in the braking state, a moving distance of the friction material, and a moving distance of the transmission unit. The brake control device according to claim 1.

3. The determination unit determines whether the braking state is maintained based on a change in the physical quantity during a predetermined time from when the release command is acquired until when the braking state is normally released. The brake control device according to claim 2.

4. The determination unit determines whether the braking state is maintained by comparing the physical amount with a past physical amount. The brake control device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The friction material is driven by an electric actuator via the transmission unit, A control unit for controlling the electric actuator is provided. The control unit drives the electric actuator again in a direction to release the friction material when the determination unit determines that the braking state is maintained. The brake control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. When the determination unit determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit drives the electric actuator in a direction opposite to a direction for releasing the friction material, and then drives the electric actuator in a direction for releasing the friction material. The brake control device according to claim 5.

7. The friction material is driven by pressure supplied from a pressure source through a relay valve and an anti-skid valve; A control unit for controlling the anti-skid valve, When the determination unit determines that the braking state is maintained, the control unit drives the friction material in a direction to release the friction material by discharging air through the anti-skid valve. The brake control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. the detection unit detects a force applied to at least one of the friction material and the transmission unit in the braking state, and is provided in plurality on at least one of the friction material and the transmission unit; The determination unit predicts a failure based on a difference between the physical quantities detected by the plurality of detection units. The brake control device according to claim 2.

9. The determination unit predicts a failure due to a malfunction based on an elapsed time from when the release command is acquired until the release command is issued. The brake control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. 1. A brake control method for braking a wheel of a railway vehicle by pressing a friction material against a friction target material, the friction target material being either a wheel of the railway vehicle or a rotating body that rotates integrally with the wheel, comprising: a detection step of detecting whether or not the friction material is in a braking state in which the friction target material is pressed against the friction material; an acquisition step of acquiring a release command to release the pressure of the friction material against the friction target material while the railcar is stopped; and a determination step of determining whether or not the braking state is maintained using a detection result of the detection step after acquiring the release command in the acquisition step when the railway vehicle is stopped. Brake control method.

11. A brake control program for causing a computer to brake a wheel by pressing a friction material against a friction target material, the friction target material being either a wheel of a railway vehicle or a rotating body that rotates integrally with the wheel, the program comprising: a detection step of detecting whether or not the friction material is in a braking state in which the friction target material is pressed against the friction material; an acquisition step of acquiring a release command to release the pressure of the friction material against the friction target material while the railcar is stopped; and a determination step of determining whether or not the braking state is being maintained using a detection result of the detection step after the release command is acquired in the acquisition step while the railway vehicle is stopped. Brake control program.

12. A braking device that brakes a wheel of a railway vehicle by pressing a friction material against a friction target material, which is either a wheel of the railway vehicle or a rotating body that rotates integrally with the wheel, and determines whether the wheel is released or not, a detection unit that detects whether the friction material is in a braking state in which the friction target material is pressed against the friction material; an acquisition unit that acquires a release command to release the pressure of the friction material against the friction target material when the railcar is stopped; a determination unit that determines whether the braking state is maintained by using a detection result of the detection unit after the acquisition unit acquires the release command when the railway vehicle is stopped. Non-remitive determination device.

Images