Load setting device for railway cars

• US 5,544,057 A
• Filed: 11/03/1995
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nabco Ltd. (Nabtesco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nabco Ltd. (Nabtesco Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US08/552,441
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 364/426.05, 364/426.03, 318/52, 303/3, 303/20, 303/100
• US Class Current: 701/20
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1893 especially adapted for railway vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed is a load-setting device for railway cars which is installed on each such railway car and which sends an output to at least one of a power-running control unit and a brake control unit. The output is sent in the form of a load signal corresponding to an actual load applied on such railway car. The device comprises a preset-value generator which sets an initially preset pseudo-load signal corresponding to such railway car; a load-calculation circuit; and a load signal generator. The load calculation circuit is connected to receive the pseudo-load signal, at least one of power-running command and braking command as determined by acceleration-deceleration signals, an actual acceleration and deceleration signal on the basis of a railway car speed signal, and a slip-sliding detection signal. The load-calculation circuit modifies the pseudo-load signal in response to such at least one of such power running command and such brake command and such acceleration and deceleration signal. When such slip-sliding detection signal is input to the load-calculation circuit, the load-calculation circuit further modifies the pseudo-load signal in response to such slip-sliding detection signal and produces on its output an initial load signal. The load-signal generator stores the initial load signal and communicates same as an actual load signal. The actual load signal is usable by such at least one of such brake control unit and such power-running control unit to improve riding characteristics of such railway car.

Claims

1. An improved railway car load-setting device disposed on a railway car for determining an actual load weight being exerted on such railway car and communicating an electrical signal value, which is representative of such actual load weight on such railway car, to at least one of a brake control unit and a power-running control unit, said improved railway car load-setting device comprising:

(a) a preset-value generator means disposed on such railway car for communicating, as an output, a pseudo-load weight electrical signal value representative of and corresponding to a preset initial load weight of such railway car;

(b) a load-calculation circuit means disposed on such railway car for generating and communicating a load weight electrical signal value, said load-calculation circuit means including;

(i) a load-calculation unit connected to receive at a fourth input thereto said pseudo-load weight electrical signal value from said preset-value generator means and connected to receive at a first input thereto a brake command electrical signal value from a brake command communication line and connected to receive at a second input thereto an electrical signal value representative of both acceleration and deceleration of such railway car and connected to receive at a third input thereto an electrical signal value representative of a slip-sliding condition,

(ii) an empty car verification circuit for generating and communicating an electrical signal value representative of a weight of such railway car when empty, and

(iii) a high-ranking priority unit, having a first input connected to receive said load weight electrical signal value output from said load-calculation unit and a second input connected to receive said empty weight railway car electrical signal value from said empty car verification circuit, for comparing said load weight electrical signal with said empty weight railway car electrical signal and communicating as an output one of said load weight and said empty weight electrical signals as said load weight electrical signal so as to ensure that said load weight electrical signal represents a weight of such railway car that generally exceeds such weight of such railway car when empty; and

(c) a load-signal generator means connected to receive said load weight electrical signal value from said high-ranking priority unit;

wherein (i) said load calculation unit modifies said pseudo-load weight electrical signal in response to said electrical signals received at said first, second and third inputs thereto and generates therefrom for output to said high-ranking priority unit said load weight electrical signal which more accurately represents such load exerted on such railway car and (ii) said load-signal generator means communicates said load weight electrical signal received from said high-ranking priority unit as said actual load weight electrical signal which is usable by such at least one of such brake control unit and such power-running control unit to improve riding characteristics of such railway car.

2. The improved railway car load-setting device, according to claim 1, wherein said actual load weight electrical signal value is communicated to such brake control unit.

3. The improved railway car load-setting device, according to claim 1, wherein said actual load weight electrical signal value is communicated to such power-running control unit.

4. The improved railway car load-setting device, according to claim 1, wherein said load-calculation unit further includes a fifth input connected to receive a power-running command electrical signal indicative of propulsion of such railway car, wherein said load calculation unit modifies said pseudo-load weight electrical signal in response to said electrical signals received at said first, second, third and fifth inputs thereto and generates therefrom said load weight electrical signal for output to said high-ranking priority unit.

5. The improved railway car load-setting device, according to claim 4, wherein said load-setting device further includes a delay circuit for delaying at least one of said brake command electrical signal and said power-running command electrical signal in time so as to assure that at least one of said brake command electrical signal and said power-running command electrical signal and said acceleration and deceleration electrical signal are received approximately matched in time at said first, fifth and second inputs, respectively, of said load calculation unit.

6. The improved railway car load-setting device, according to claim 1, wherein said acceleration and deceleration electrical signal is indicative of at least one of a value of and variations of a speed of such railway car derived from a speed sensor disposed on such railway car adjacent a wheel of such railway car.

7. An apparatus for generating and communicating an electrical signal value representative of an actual load weight of a railway vehicle to at least one of a brake control unit and a power-running control unit disposed on such railway vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a load calculation unit for generating and communicating a load weight electrical signal;

(b) a first means for communicating a brake command electrical signal value to a first input disposed on said load calculation unit, said brake command electrical signal being indicative of a command to operate brakes on such railway vehicle;

(c) a second means for communicating an acceleration and deceleration electrical signal value to a second input disposed on said load calculation unit, said acceleration and deceleration electrical signal being indicative of at least one of a value of and variations of a speed of such railway vehicle;

(d) a third means for communicating a slip-sliding detection electrical signal value to a third input disposed on said load calculation unit, said slip-sliding detection electrical signal being indicative of at least one of a slip of a wheel wherein a rotational speed of such wheel increases relative to movement of such railway vehicle and a slide of such wheel wherein such rotational speed of such wheel decreases approximately to zero relative to movement of such railway vehicle;

(e) a preset-value generator means for communicating a pseudo-load weight electrical signal, representative of a preset initial load weight of such railway vehicle, to a fourth input disposed on said load calculation unit;

(f) a fourth means for communicating a power running command electrical signal to a fifth input disposed on said load calculation unit, said power running command electrical signal being indicative of propulsion of such railway vehicle; and

(g) a load signal generator means connected at an input thereto to receive said load weight electrical signal value from said load calculation unit;

wherein (i) said load calculation unit modifies said pseudo-load weight electrical signal in response to said electrical signals received at said first, second, third and fifth inputs and generates therefrom said load weight electrical signal which more accurately represents such load exerted on such railway vehicle and (ii) said load signal generator means communicates said load weight electrical signal as said actual load weight electrical signal which is usable by such at least one of such brake control unit and such power-running control unit to improve riding characteristics of such railway vehicle.

8. The apparatus for generating and communicating said actual load weight electrical signal, according to claim 7, wherein said modification of said pseudo-load weight electrical signal by said load calculation unit in response to said electrical signals received at said first, second, third and fifth inputs involves:

(a) one of increasing and decreasing said pseudo-load weight signal in response to a comparison between said at least one of said brake command electrical signal and said power running command electrical signal with said acceleration and deceleration electrical signal; and

(b) decreasing said pseudo-load weight electrical signal in response to said slip-sliding detection electrical signal.

9. The apparatus for generating and communicating said actual load weight electrical signal, according to claim 7, wherein said preset-value generator means has memory for storing a plurality of load weight values representative of said preset initial load weights of such railway vehicle.

10. The apparatus for generating and communicating said actual load weight electrical signal, according to claim 9, wherein said apparatus further includes:

(a) an empty car verification circuit for generating and communicating an electrical signal value representative of a weight of such railway vehicle when empty; and

(b) a high-ranking priority unit, connected between said load calculation unit and said load signal generator means, having a first input connected to receive said load weight electrical signal from said load calculation unit and a second input connected to receive said empty weight railway vehicle electrical signal value from said empty car verification circuit;

wherein said high-ranking priority unit compares said load weight electrical signal with said empty weight railway vehicle electrical signal and communicates one of said load weight and said empty weight electrical signals as said load weight electrical signal to said load signal generator means so as to ensure that said load weight electrical signal represents a weight of such railway vehicle that generally exceeds such weight of such railway vehicle when empty.

11. The apparatus for generating and communicating said actual load weight electrical signal, according to claim 10, wherein said apparatus further includes a delay circuit for delaying at least one of said brake command electrical signal and said power running command electrical signal in time so that said at least one of said brake command electrical signal and said power running command electrical signal and said acceleration and deceleration electrical signal are received approximately matched in time at said first, fifth, and second inputs, respectively, of said load calculation unit.

12. The apparatus for generating and communicating said actual load weight electrical signal, according to claim 9, wherein said apparatus further includes a speed sensor disposed on such railway vehicle adjacent a wheel for generating and communicating a railway vehicle speed signal value to an input of said second means wherein said second means at least converts said railway vehicle speed signal value into said acceleration and deceleration electrical signal.