Rail Brake Actuator Locking With Position-Verified Force Hold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rail vehicle braking systems, particularly electromechanical brakes, lack reliability in maintaining a specified braking force, especially during power outages, due to imprecise positioning and potential malfunctions.
Innovation Solution
A brake system incorporating a brake actuator, brake unit, gear assembly, stepper motor, position sensor, and self-locking mechanism, which ensures accurate positioning and locking of pressing members using a worm gear, hydraulic lock, motor-axle lock, or toothed-wheel lock, and a backup power unit to maintain braking force even during power failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electromechanical brakes are used with a locking mechanism to maintain brake force during power failure, then reliability of brake force maintenance is improved, but the system cannot verify that the brake's friction elements are truly kept in the intended braking position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a position sensor that provides feedback on the actual position of the pressing members. This feedback mechanism allows the control unit to verify whether the locking mechanism has successfully maintained the brake force at the intended position, resolving the verification problem while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical brake positioning systems with an electromechanical system controlled by a microcomputer. This substitution enables precise control and verification of brake force application through electronic sensors and control algorithms, improving both reliability and measurability
2Measurement precision
If a position sensor and control unit are added to verify brake position, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs multiple functions: it controls the locking mechanism, processes position sensor data, verifies brake force application, and manages emergency braking sequences. By consolidating these functions into a single microcomputer-based control unit, the system achieves high measurement precision without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The position sensor and control unit create a self- verifying system that automatically monitors and confirms proper brake force application. The system serves itself by using the position feedback to verify correct operation, reducing the need for additional manual verification mechanisms
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures reliable and precise application of braking force, with immediate identification of malfunctions and continuous operation through backup power, providing secure locking and accurate positioning of brake components.
Implementation Method 1
a stepper motor (230) configured to act on a gear assembly (220) so as to cause the first and second pressing members (211, 212) to move towards or away from the rotatable member (110)
Implementation Method 2
The self-locking mechanism is configured to automatically lock the first and second pressing members (211, 212) if a supply of electric power to the brake unit (200) fails
Data Source
AI summary
A rail vehicle (100) has a brake system containing a brake actuator (120) and a brake unit (200). The brake actuator (120) receives a brake command (cmdp) and produces a resulting electric brake-force signal (BF). The brake unit (200) contains first and second pressing members (211) and a rotatable member (110) being mechanically linked to at least one wheel (105) of the rail vehicle (100). When receiving the electric brake-force signal (BF), the brake unit (200) causes the first and second pressing members (211) to apply a braking force to the rotatable member (110). A gear assembly (220) in the brake unit (200) operates mechanically on the first and second pressing members (211). A stepper motor (230), in turn, acts on the gear assembly (120) in response to the electric brake-force signal (BF), thus causing the first and second pressing members (211) to move towards or away from the rotatable member (110) and attain a specified position interrelationship. Based on a position signal (P) indicating an angular position of the stepper motor's (230) power transmission shaft, the brake unit (200) determines if the specified position interrelationship has been attained; and if so, it stops producing the electric brake-force signal (BF) to allow a self-locking mechanism to lock the first and second pressing members (211).