Integrated I.D. module and terminal block for ECP brake application (NY-1084)

• US 6,283,765 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: New York Air Brake Corporation (Knorr-Bremse GmbH)
• Original Assignee: New York Air Brake Corporation (Knorr-Bremse GmbH)
• Inventors: Nabywaniec, Laura J., Lumbis, Anthony W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zarroli, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US09/610,680
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 439/76.1, 439/34, 439/35, 439/104, 439/346, 439/709, 174/59
• US Class Current: 439/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/665 the systems being specially adapted for transferring two or more command signals, e.g. railway systems B60T13/662 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/228 for railway vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2466 using a planar conductive structure, e.g. printed circuit board

Abstract

An ID module and terminal block for use in a train that includes at least one locomotive and a plurality of cars, each car being serially connected into a network by a power and communication trainline to an adjacent car. Each car is equipped with a local communication node connected to a car control device and to the network. A common housing, preferably made of a non-conductive material, encloses a circuit module and includes a second communication node and a current sensor. A terminal block is formed on the housing, and a plurality of stud terminals extend through apertures in the terminal block to electrically contact a circuit board, which is part of the circuit module. The novel arrangement of electronics and terminals and a connector cap allows one to perform tests of the power and communication trainline without having to mechanically disconnect the car communication device or the circuit module; rather, the connector caps electrically are configured to allow electrical isolation of the circuit board from the power and communication trainline. Additionally, the system includes a mating plug enabling disconnection of the car control device from the power and communication trainline without disturbing the leads connected to the terminal block.

Claims

1. In a network for a train including at least one locomotive and a plurality of cars, each car being serially connected by a power and communication trainline to an adjacent car and having a local communication node connecting a car control device to the network, each car further including:

a housing;

a circuit module within the housing and including a second communication node and a current sensor;

a terminal block on the housing;

a plurality of stud terminals extending through apertures in the terminal block such that a first end of each stud terminal is outside the housing and a second end of each stud terminal is inside the housing, the second end of the plurality of stud terminals contacting the circuit module;

at least two input leads, comprising an input from the power and communication trainline, being connected to the first end of first and second stud terminals, such that each input lead from the trainline is connected to its own stud terminal;

a number of electrical output leads equal to the number of input leads, comprising an output to the power and communication trainline, being connected to the first end of third and fourth stud terminals, such that each output electrical lead to the trainline extends from the first end of its own stud terminal; and

a jumper wire in the circuit module passing through the current sensor and interconnecting the second ends of the second and fourth terminals.

2. The network as in claim 1, wherein the first ends of the first and third stud terminals are connected by a first conductive strip.

3. The network as in claim 1, including a third input lead, comprising a shield input from the power and communication trainline, connected to the first end of a fifth stud terminal;

a third output lead, comprising a shield output to the power and communication trainline, connected to the first end of a sixth stud terminal; and

a second conductive strip connecting the first ends of the fifth and sixth stud terminals.

4. The network as in claim 3, wherein the second end of one of the fifth and sixth stud terminals is connected to the ground of the circuit module.

5. The network as in claim 1, including seventh and eighth stud terminals having second ends connected to supply input ports of the circuit module;

and

leads connecting the first ends of the seventh and eighth stud termninals to supply output ports of the car control device.

6. The network as in claim 5, including ninth and tenth stud terminals having second ends connected to communication ports of the circuit module;

and

leads connecting the first ends of the ninth and tenth stud terminals to the car control device.

7. The network as in claim 5, including at least two leads connecting trainline ports of the car control device to the first end of one of the first and second stud terminals and one of the third and fourth stud terminals.

8. The network as in claim 1, including ninth and tenth stud terminals, having second ends connected to supply input ports of the circuit module;

and

leads connecting the first ends of the ninth and tenth stud terminals to supply output ports of the car control device.

9. The network as in claim 1, including at least two leads connecting trainline ports of the car control device to the first end of one of the first and second stud terminals and one of the third and fourth stud terminals.

10. The network as in claim 1, including a load and a switch connected in series to second ends of eleventh and twelfth stud terminals;

the first ends of the eleventh and twelfth stud terminals are connected to the first ends of one of the first and second stud terminals and one of the third and fourth stud terminals, respectively; and

the second communication node controls the switch.

11. The network as in claim 1, wherein the housing is made from a non-conductive material.

12. The network as in claim 1, including eleventh and twelfth terminals each having a second end electrically connected to the circuit module;

a first conducting strips extending from one of the first and second terminals toward the eleventh and twelfth terminal;

a second conducting strip extending from one of the third and fourth terminals toward the twelfth terminal;

and a connector cap positioned on each of the eleventh and twelfth terminals;

wherein,

each connector cap is selectively adjustable between a connected position electrically connecting the respective terminal and the respective conducting strip, and a disconnected position electrically disconnecting the respective terminal from the respective conducting strip.

13. The network as in claim 12, wherein the first ends of first, second, and eleventh terminals are spaced apart in a first channel;

the first conductive strip lies in the first channel to electrically connect the first ends of the first and second terminals, and selectively to the eleventh terminal.

14. The network as in claim 13 wherein the first ends of fifth and sixth terminals are spaced apart in a second channel;

the second conductive strip lies in the second channel to electrically connect the first ends of the fifth and sixth terminals.

15. The network as in claim 12, wherein the first ends of third, twelfth, and fourth terminals are spaced apart in a third channel;

a third conductive strip lies in the third channel to selectively electrically connect the first ends of the third and twelfth terminals.

16. The network as in claim 15, wherein a dividing structure lies in the third channel between the twelfth and fourth terminals, the dividing structure preventing the third conductive strip from creating electrical contact between the first ends of the fourth and twelfth terminals.

17. The network as in claim 1, wherein the circuit module includes electronics mounted to a circuit board displaced from the housing and mounted to the second ends of the plurality of the stud terminals, thereby forming a space between the circuit board and the housing.

18. The network as in claim 17, wherein the circuit module and the space between the circuit board and the housing is potted.

19. The network as in claim 17, wherein the current sensor is mounted to the circuit board.

20. The network as in claim 1 including leads connecting the stud terminals to the car control device are combined into a cable and the cable includes a disconnect for the car control device, the disconnect positioned between ends of the cable.

21. The network as in claim 1, wherein the terminal block comprises first, second and third channels wherein the apertures for the terminals are formed in each of the channels.

22. The network as in claim 17, wherein the plurality of stud terminals comprises fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth stud terminals;

and, the second ends of fifth through tenth terminals are electrically affixed to the circuit board.

23. The network as in claim 22 wherein the second ends of the fifth through tenth stud terminals are each secured to the circuit board by bolts extending through apertures in the circuit module, the bolts are threadedly received by the second end of the stud terminals.

24. The network as in claim 22, wherein the second ends of the fifth through tenth stud terminals are affixed to the circuit board by soldering.

25. The network as in claim 17 wherein the second ends of eleventh and twelfth terminals are spaced from and electrically connected to the circuit board by an electrical lead extending from the circuit board to the second end of the respective terminal.

26. The network as in claim 1, wherein the second ends of the first, second, third and fourth terminals do not make electrical contact with the circuit module.

27. The network as in claim 26, further comprising apertures formed in the circuit board, wherein the second ends of the second and fourth terminals extend through the apertures and past a plane defined by the circuit board.

28. The network as in claim 27, wherein the apertures are sufficiently large to allow the second end of the second and fourth terminals to pass through the circuit module without contacting the circuit module.

29. The network as in claim 12, wherein each connector cap includes an engaging section that threadedly contacts the first end of a respective stud terminal, and an extending section extending toward the conductive strip.

30. The network as in claim 29, further comprising extruding rims extending from a face of the housing to encircle each first end of each respective stud terminal to thereby provide a nonconductive barrier between the terminal and the extending section of the connector cap and the conductive strip.