Device for detecting excessively heated components or locations in moving objects

• US 5,478,151 A
• Filed: 12/15/1993
• Issued: 12/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VAE Aktiengesellschaft
• Original Assignee: Vae Eisenbahnsysteme AG (Voestalpine AG)
• Inventors: Duhrkoop, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HIRSHFELD, ANDREW HOWARD
• Application Number:
  US08/166,632
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 374/124, 374/129, 374/130, 374/121, 374/153, 250/330, 250/336.1, 250/338.1, 250/339.01, 250/339.02, 250/347, 250/350, 250/351, 250/353, 250/252.1 A, 250/342, 246/DIG. 1, 246/DIG. 2, 246/169 A, 246/169 D
• US Class Current: 374/124
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/06 by detecting or indicating heat radiation from overheated axles
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2066/001 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/00 Arrangements for monitoring working conditions, e.g. wear, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0066 for hot spots detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0803 Arrangements for time-dependent attenuation of radiation signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0806 Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0808 Convex mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0814 Particular reflectors, e.g. faceted or dichroic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0831 Masks; Aperture plates; Spatial light modulators
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/084 Adjustable or slidable
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0879 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, holograms, cubic beamsplitters, non-dispersive prisms or particular coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/53 Reference sources, e.g. standard lamps; Black bodies

Abstract

In a device for detecting excessively heated components or locations in moving objects, in particular in moving rail vehicles, such as bearings, brakes and/or wheel rims, having at least one infrared beam detector (7) and optical devices for representing the image of the measuring point on the infrared beam detector (7), a separate lens (1, 2) is aimed toward each measuring point, which focuses the image of the measuring point on different points (4, 5) of an image-correcting system (3), and a scanning device (9), which periodically picks up the measuring beams, is disposed between the image-correcting system (3) and the detector (7) and focuses the measuring beams onto the detector (7) which is common to all measuring points.

Claims

1. A device for detecting the temperature of components of moving rail vehicles, comprising:

an infrared beam detector and optical devices for directing infrared beams from separate points on said components to the detector, said optical devices including;

a separate lens associated with each of said points for directing beams of infrared radiation from said points to respective separate locations on an image-correcting system; and

a scanning device positioned between the image-correcting system and said detector for periodically scanning said locations and directing the respective beams onto said detector; and

a reflective area located on said image-correcting system for reflecting an infrared reference beam received from said detector back to the detector.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a reduction filter is inserted in a path between one of said lenses and the image-correcting system.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said reduction filter is adjustable in several coordinates relative to said one lens.

4. A device in accordance with claim 2 or 3, wherein said reduction filter is a dichroic mirror.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said reflective area is located in the image-correcting system between the locations where the infrared beams from the points of said components are directed.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising reflecting elements disposed on opposite sides of the image-correcting system facing the detector.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said scanning device is a pivoting mirror.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said scanning device is a prism.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the detector is one of a HgTe:

HgCd or PbSe type.