Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60T—VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
  • B60T13/00—Transmitting braking action from initiating means to ultimate brake actuator with power assistance or drive; Brake systems incorporating such transmitting means, e.g. air-pressure brake systems
  • B60T13/10—Transmitting braking action from initiating means to ultimate brake actuator with power assistance or drive; Brake systems incorporating such transmitting means, e.g. air-pressure brake systems with fluid assistance, drive, or release
  • B60T13/66—Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
  • B60T13/68—Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems by electrically-controlled valves
  • B60T13/683—Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems by electrically-controlled valves in pneumatic systems or parts thereof
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G17/00—Resilient suspensions having means for adjusting the spring or vibration-damper characteristics, for regulating the distance between a supporting surface and a sprung part of vehicle or for locking suspension during use to meet varying vehicular or surface conditions, e.g. due to speed or load
  • B60G17/02—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means
  • B60G17/04—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means fluid spring characteristics
  • B60G17/052—Pneumatic spring characteristics
  • B60G17/0523—Regulating distributors or valves for pneumatic springs
  • B60G17/0525—Height adjusting or levelling valves
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60T—VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
  • B60T13/00—Transmitting braking action from initiating means to ultimate brake actuator with power assistance or drive; Brake systems incorporating such transmitting means, e.g. air-pressure brake systems
  • B60T13/10—Transmitting braking action from initiating means to ultimate brake actuator with power assistance or drive; Brake systems incorporating such transmitting means, e.g. air-pressure brake systems with fluid assistance, drive, or release
  • B60T13/66—Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
  • B60T13/665—Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems the systems being specially adapted for transferring two or more command signals, e.g. railway systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2206/00—Indexing codes related to the manufacturing of suspensions: constructional features, the materials used, procedures or tools
  • B60G2206/01—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs
  • B60G2206/011—Modular constructions
  • B60G2206/0116—Integrated distribution control units with valves, accumulators, PCB's or the like
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2300/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of vehicle
  • B60G2300/10—Railway vehicles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2500/00—Indexing codes relating to the regulated action or device
  • B60G2500/20—Spring action or springs
  • B60G2500/203—Distributor valve units comprising several elements, e.g. valves, pump or accumulators

Definitions

• the present invention relates to braking systems for railway or tramway vehicles .
• the invention relates to a braking system for a railway or tramway vehicle with at least two axles .
• One object of the invention is to provide a braking system which has a notable structural simplicity, a large versatility in terms of performance and which results in a drastic reduction in the number of connections and operations required for installation thereof.
• Figure 1 is a block diagram of a braking system for a railway or tramway vehicle according to the invention
• Figure 2 is a partial block diagram of a system according to the invention.
• Figure 3 is a block diagram which shows the structure of a compact electro-pneumatic control assembly included in a braking system according to the invention.
• RV denotes overall a railway or tramway vehicle such as a carriage of a train or a locomotive.
• This vehicle RV has at least two bogies Bl and B2 comprising typically (in a manner known per se) at least two axles.
• the vehicle RV comprises a braking system including at least one main pneumatic braking line MP which extends along this vehicle and which is connected, at its ends, to the corresponding lines of similar vehicles connected to the one in question.
• the vehicle RV has, passing through it, a communication bus VB which extends throughout the train of which the vehicle RV forms part, forming a local communication network among electronic data acquisition and control equipment situated for example on the engine .
• the braking system of the vehicle RV comprises two electro- pneumatic control assemblies, denoted overall by Gl and G2, each of which is associated with a respective bogie Bl and B2.
• Gl and G2 The internal architecture of each of the electro- pneumatic control assemblies Gl and G2 will be further described below.
• Each of the assemblies Gl and G2 comprises an electronic communication and control unit ECU which is formed, for example, using a microprocessor and other electronic components .
• each electro-pneumatic assembly Gl and G2 is connected to the communication bus VB by means of an interface device INT of the two-way type.
• This interface device which may be for example of the type known as a "gateway", may be preset to interpret command signals which are introduced onto the communication bus VB and convert them into the communication protocol of the units ECU of the individual electro-pneumatic assemblies .
• Each assembly Gl, G2 has an inlet connector a connected to the main braking line MP by means of a single connection line CP on which a protective throttle or choke constriction PC and a shut-off tap IC are arranged.
• Each electro-pneumatic assembly Gl and G2 has a plurality of outlet or inlet/outlet connectors which are denoted by b-n and connected to various actuator devices such as braking actuators and other actuators, with which the associated bogie Bl and B2 are equipped respectively.
• Each assembly Gl and G2 has at least one additional inlet/outlet connector f to which an external auxiliary reservoir indicated by AR is connected.
• an electro- pneumatic assembly Gl or G2 the pressurized air which is supplied from the main line MP via the connection line CP is conveyed to said auxiliary reservoir AR and to any additional reservoirs connected to the assembly.
• Each assembly comprises internally a plurality of pneumatic circuits for controlling the activation of the actuators connected to the connectors b-n of the assembly.
• these pneumatic circuits comprise a plurality of electromagnetic control valves controlled by the electronic unit ECU as well as sensors/transducers intended to provide electric signals indicating parameters or conditions which are monitored in these pneumatic circuits .
• a first and a second outgoing conductor Ia and 2a extend inside the vehicle RV, a first and a second return conductor Ib and 2b being connected to said outgoing conductors respectively.
• These conductors extend through the whole train and each outgoing conductor is connected to the corresponding return conductor at one end of the railway or tramway train of which the vehicle RV forms part, so as to form a first and a second safety loop Rl and R2.
• the conductors Ia, Ib and 2a and 2b are connected to a power supply device denoted by SD in Figure 1, which keeps them at respective different potentials .
• a line y connected to a control apparatus CU installed preferably inside a cabin may also extend along the vehicle RV.
• the line y there is arranged at least one interlocking device ID which can be operated by means of an enabling key.
• the line y is connected to the control unit ECU of each assembly Gl, G2 by means of branched lines y 1 and y 2 .
• enabling of the device ID allows the sending of "breakdown repair" signals (for example of the on/off or PWM type) from the apparatus CU to the unit ECU of each assembly Gl, G2 , ensuring an acceptable braking and brake-releasing action and continued operation.
• the braking system described above has an architecture which is extremely simplified and requires the need for a limited number of electrical and pneumatic connections in order to install it.
• each bogie Bl and B2 of the vehicle has, associated with it, respective electro-pneumatic control assemblies Gl and G2, the electronic communication and operating units ECU of which are directly connected to the communication bus VB.
• electro-pneumatic control assemblies Gl and G2 respectively associated with the bogies Bl and B2 may be physically installed directly on these bogies.
• the braking system of a vehicle RV comprises a single compact electro-pneumatic control assembly coupled to both the bogies Bl and B2 of the vehicle.
• the assembly may be installed on one of the bogies, or underneath the vehicle, in an intermediate position between these bogies.
• the invention is also applicable to railway or tramway vehicles equipped with only two axles, with which a single electro-pneumatic control assembly is associated.
• FIG 2 in which only one bogie Bl is shown, blocks graphically indicate some actuator devices with which the bogie is provided and which are connected to the electro- pneumatic assembly Gl associated therewith.
• the cylinders BCl and BC2 of the service and emergency brakes of the two axles of the bogie Bl are connected to the inlet/outlet connectors bl and b2 of the assembly Gl.
• the connector c of the assembly Gl is connected to the actuators EMA for emergency braking, while the connector d is connected to the cylinders PBR for braking during parking.
• a further connector of the assembly Gl may be connected, for example, to the cleaning shoes actuating cylinders .
• the electro-pneumatic assembly G associated with a bogie may have an inlet g connected to the system for controlling the pneumatic suspension systems VSS of the vehicle, in order to extract data regarding the weight of the vehicle, which can be used in particular to regulate the braking pressure applied to the actuators during emergency braking.
• this vehicle weight data may be supplied to the electro-pneumatic assembly by other sensor or transducer devices of the type known per se, such as load sensors and the like, associated with said vehicle.
• an electro-pneumatic control assembly Gl has a plurality of inlet and outlet connectors fl, f2, f3 which are connected to specific reservoirs indicated by AR, ER and PR, respectively.
• the reservoir AR is associated in particular with service braking and with emergency braking as well as (for example) with control of the actuators (bellows) associated with the pneumatic suspension systems and the sanding ejectors of the sandboxes.
• the reservoir ER is associated with control of the emergency braking actuators, while the reservoir PR is associated with control of the stopping or parking braking actuators .
• the electro-pneumatic assembly Gl in Figure 3 comprises a plurality of pneumatic control circuits which are denoted by PNCl to PNCn.
• a pneumatic circuit PNCl is connected between the connector fl and the connectors bl and b2 and controls activation and deactivation of the cylinders BCl and BC2 of the service and emergency brakes .
• a pneumatic circuit PNC2 is connected between the connector f2 and the connector c and is intended to control activation and deactivation of the emergency braking actuators EMA.
• a pneumatic circuit PNC3 is arranged between the connectors f3 and d and is intended to control the actuators PBR for braking during stopping or parking.
• a pneumatic circuit PNCm is situated between the connectors fl and m and controls the actuators PS (bellows) associated with the pneumatic suspension systems.
• a pneumatic circuit PNCn is situated between the connectors fl and n and controls the sanding ejectors SE of the sandboxes .
• the pneumatic control circuits PNCl to PNCn comprise respective electromagnetic control valves which are driven by the electronic communication and control unit ECU.
• Ll denotes a plurality of conductors by means of which the electronic unit ECU is connected to the electromagnetic control valves of the pneumatic control circuit PNCl . So as not to overcomplicate the illustration in Figure 3, the corresponding connections by means of which the unit ECU controls the devices included in the other pneumatic control circuits PNC2 to PNCn have not been shown.
• the pneumatic circuits PNC may also comprise sensor or transducer devices which are intended to provide the unit ECU with electric signals indicating parameters or conditions which are monitored in these circuits.
• L2 denotes overall the lines which connect the sensors or transducers of the circuit PNCl to the unit ECU. However, the lines which connect the sensors or transducers of the other pneumatic control circuits to the unit ECU have not been shown, again with the aim of not overcomplicating the illustration.
• the pneumatic circuit PNCm is also controlled by the unit ECU and is designed to control the pneumatic suspension systems VSS of the vehicle by driving in a predetermined manner actuator devices PS, such as electromagnetic valves which control the supply and release of pressurized air to the bellows of these suspension systems.
• actuator devices PS such as electromagnetic valves which control the supply and release of pressurized air to the bellows of these suspension systems.
• the control unit ECU is in particular designed to drive the pneumatic circuit PNCm so as to be able to selectively keep the vehicle at a predetermined height from the rail level or vary the height of the vehicle from said rail level or also vary the inclination of the vehicle relative to the rail level .
• the pneumatic circuit PNCn is also driven by the control unit ECU and controls in turn auxiliary devices such as sanding ejector devices SE and/or edge-greasing devices.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Braking Systems And Boosters (AREA)
• Hydraulic Control Valves For Brake Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=35160111

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2005
  • 2005-04-01 IT ITTO20050215 patent/ITTO20050215A1/it unknown
• 2006
  • 2006-03-31 EP EP06727783A patent/EP1868863A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-03-31 WO PCT/IB2006/050978 patent/WO2006103636A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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