Rail vehicle system

• US 6,474,242 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Rail Systems GmbH (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baier, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jules, Frantz F.
• Application Number:
  US09/530,624
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 105/34.1, 105/35, 105/34.2, 105/4.1, 105/4.2, 105/49, 105/61, 105/133, 105/136, 105/3, 105/182.1, 105/1.5
• US Class Current: 105/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 3/00 Electric locomotives or railcars characterised by power transmission B61C9/00; electrical features B60L; H02
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/10 Articulated vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/12 comprising running gear interconnected by loads
• CPC Class Codes: B61F 3/125 with more than one axle or wheel set

Abstract

A rail vehicle system that has connecting bogies, supply units, control units, and transportation units, which can be placed on said connecting bogies in order to form a train with a modular construction. The connecting bogies contain at least two axles, one of which is equipped with an electrical drive/brake unit, and which are configured to be separable. The supply units may contain vital devices such as current collectors, transformers and power converters for extracting power form a contact line and feeding it back into the contact line or converters of primary energy into electrical energy. The control units can be configured to be independent of current and load. The transportation units may differ according to whether they are for transporting passengers or goods and according to the type of good being transported. The interfaces of all of the units are uniform and are configured in such a way that the units can be interchanged quickly and easily. The resulting consistent division of train into functional units enables the driving power to be better adapted to the load, creates possibilities for generating and using energy and reduces operating/maintenance costs.

Claims

1. A rail vehicle system comprising:

connecting bogies;

supply units;

control units; and

transport units;

each of which can be mounted on said connecting bogies as functional units which can be combined in a modular manner to form a train;

wherein

the connecting bogies are separable, have at least two axles, of which at least one is provided with an electrical driving/braking unit, and are available with different driving/braking power;

the supply units are adapted for drawing current from and feeding back into an overhead traction wire, and are available for different electrical power outputs or are also designed to be compatible with diesel-driven/diesel-electric-driven units;

the control units are designed to be universally usable independently of load or power;

the transport units are designed to differ for passenger or freight transport and also according to the type of freight to be transported;

the control units, the supply units and the transport units are connected to one another by the connecting bogies;

interfaces of the supply, the control and the transport units are standardized and are adapted for simple and quick exchange; and

decentralized controllers are integrated in the connecting bogies, such that the current loading, detected by load sensors, of the individual axles can be communicated to the decentralized controllers, and the decentralized controllers drive or brake the individual axles separately in line with demand as a function of the current type of loading.

2. The rail vehicle system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a central vehicle control computer is provided in a control unit and is in communication with the decentralized controllers via a bus system.

3. A rail vehicle system comprising:

connecting bogies;

supply units;

control units; and

transport units;

each of which can be mounted on said connecting bogies as functional units which can be combined in a modular manner to form a train;

wherein

the connecting bogies are separable, have at least two axles, of which at least one is provided with an electrical driving/braking unit, and are available with different driving/braking power;

the supply units are adapted for drawing current from and feeding back into an overhead traction wire, and are available for different electrical power outputs or are also designed to be compatible with diesel-driven/diesel-electric-driven units;

the control units are designed to be universally usable independently of load or power;

the transport units are designed to differ for passenger or freight transport and also according to the type of freight to be transported;

the control units, the supply units and the transport units are connected to one another by the connecting bogies;

interfaces of the supply, the control and the transport units are standardized and are adapted for simple and quick exchange;

connecting-bogies halves are capable of being connected mechanically, magnetically/electromagnetically, or in a non-contact manner and with controlled devices; and

decentralized controllers are integrated in the connecting bogies, such that the current loading, detected by load sensors, of the individual axles can be communicated to the decentralized controllers, and the decentralized controllers drive or brake the individual axles separately in line with demand as a function of the current type of loading.

4. A rail vehicle system comprising:

connecting bogies;

supply units;

control units;

transport units; and

a unit for converting primary energy into electrical energy and for producing electrical drive energy for connecting-bogie drives, each of which can be mounted on said connecting bogies as functional units which can be combined in a modular manner to form a train;

wherein

the connecting bogies are separable, have at least two axles, of which at least one is provided with an electrical driving/braking unit, and are available with different driving/braking power;

the supply units are adapted for drawing current from and feeding back into an overhead traction wire, and are available for different electrical power outputs or are also designed to be compatible with diesel-driven/diesel-electric-driven units;

the control units are designed to be universally usable independently of load or power;

the transport units are designed to differ for passenger or freight transport and also according to the type of freight to be transported;

the control units, the supply units and the transport units are connected to one another by the connecting bogies;

interfaces of the supply, the control and the transport units are standardized and are adapted for simple and quick exchange; and

decentralized controllers are integrated in the connecting bogies, such that the current loading, detected by load sensors, of the individual axles can be communicated to the decentralized controllers, and the decentralized controllers drive or brake the individual axles separately in line with demand as a function of the current type of loading.