Rail Vehicle Door Module Coordinated Step and Leaf Opening

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current door modules in rail vehicles require a longer time to extend the sliding step and open the door leaf fully, which exceeds the legal limit of 400 mm before the sliding step is fully extended, leading to inefficiencies in passenger boarding and alighting processes.

Innovation Solution

The door module integrates a platform detection device that generates a detection signal upon contact or distance measurement, allowing the electronic control device to coordinate the movement of the door leaf and sliding step such that the door leaf starts opening before the sliding step reaches its intended extended position, reducing the overall time required for extension and opening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the door leaf is opened fully before the sliding step is fully extended, then passenger boarding time is reduced, but the risk of passengers falling into the gap increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger boarding timeVSAvoidgap between door leaf and platform
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The door leaf begins its opening movement before the sliding step reaches its fully extended position. The control device coordinates the movements so that the door leaf starts opening in advance, reducing total boarding time while ensuring the sliding step is extended far enough to bridge the gap safely before the door reaches its fully open position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses dynamic coordination between the door leaf drive device and sliding step drive device, with the control device continuously monitoring the positions of both components and adjusting their speeds and positions to optimize the opening sequence, allowing the door to open sooner while maintaining safety margins.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the sliding step extension and door opening are performed sequentially with strict safety margins, then passenger safety is ensured, but the total time for door operation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger safetyVSAvoidtotal door operation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The door leaf initiation of movement before the sliding step is fully extended reduces the total operation time while maintaining safety through coordinated control that ensures the sliding step extends far enough to bridge the gap before the door reaches its fully open position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control device monitors the positions of both the door leaf and sliding step in real-time, using feedback from sensors to coordinate their movements optimally, allowing the door to open sooner while ensuring the sliding step is extended far enough to bridge the gap safely.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If the door leaf opens faster, then passenger boarding efficiency improves, but the coordination with sliding step extension becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger boarding efficiencyVSAvoidcoordination control system
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device integrates the control of both the door leaf drive device and sliding step drive device into a single coordinated system, managing the timing and speed of both components simultaneously to optimize boarding efficiency while handling the complexity of coordination centrally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3571092B1Door module for arranging in a door opening of a wall of a wagon body of a rail vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.02.17 KNORR BREMSE GMBH
  • EP3571092B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3571092B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3571092B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a door module (30) for arranging in a door opening (42) of a wall (2) of a wagon body of a rail vehicle or a rail vehicle combination (1). According to the invention, the movement of the at least one door leaf (40) in the direction of the door leaf opening position together with the movement of the retractable step (3) in the direction of the extended end position is initiated and the detection signal is generated before the door leaf limit opening position is occupied by the at least one door leaf (40), and the at least one door leaf (40) is then moved into its door leaf opening position.