EP2004300B1 - Device for identification of the vehicles in a model railway train set with remotely controllable coupling pairs - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to create a system in the case of a model railway train which is composed of locomotives and wagons via remotely controllable coupling pairs by means of which, for remote control capability purposes, the sequence of the individual vehicles in the train as well as the location of a wagon in front of or behind a driving locomotive can be identified automatically, the invention proposes that a decoder be arranged in all the vehicles in the train, that these be connected to one another by a data bus, and that the capability be provided to subdivide the latter into two group areas, specifically into a group which is located in front of and a group which is located behind the locomotive, with the coupling pairs for pulling even long trains being stable, and being composed of an active coupling part and a corresponding mating coupling, each having a train hook in the form of a two-armed rocker lever.

Description

The invention relates to a device for identifying the vehicles of a locomotive and wagons assembled via coupling pairs model train train and its remote control in combination with the model train train, with each arranged in the decoder and power transmission and data transmission via the vehicle coupling pairs.

A model railway train consists of a locomotive, on the back and / or front wagons are attached. The individual vehicles are connected to each other via coupling pairs. It is known z. B. from the DE 100 44 088 A1 an electromechanical coupling pair, in which the coupling and decoupling can be remotely controlled by means of actuators integrated in the coupling. This coupling pair is designed as a 2-pin connector and the actuator has a current-carrying coil. Currently, the so-called coupling UK-1 is the only available model railroad coupling, which provides both a conductive connection and has an integrated actuator.

However, the order of the vehicles in the train set as well as the orientation of the wagons relative to the locomotive can not be determined automatically in the known model railway train sets. However, the knowledge of this information is required to remotely control a model train train from a control center.

The invention has for its object to provide a device with which the order of the vehicles in a model railway train association and the orientation of a wagon with respect to the locomotive and the health of a wagon on the front or back of a locomotive are automatically recognizable to the to be able to remotely control the desired composition of the train.

This object is achieved with a device and circuit arrangement with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

According to the invention, a decoder is arranged in all vehicles of the train, so both in the locomotive and in the cars. All vehicles and their decoders are connected to each other via a data bus, and the respective vehicle coupling pairs are used in the coupled state for power transmission and data transmission. The data bus is subdivided according to the invention into two groups by means of a resistor arranged in the region of the locomotive decoder and a switchable electronic load, namely into a group located at the front and in a locomotive at the rear of the locomotive.

Further, the data bus per vehicle of the train association according to the invention on a voltage measurement and all train decoder measure the provided by the locomotive voltage, the coupled on one side of the resistance vehicle wagons with their decoders measure a smaller by the amount of voltage drop voltage than the waggons lying on the other side of the locomotive, ie these In this way, a division of all decoders into a group with the higher voltage value and into a group with the lower voltage value can be carried out, these groups corresponding to the vehicles and decoders coupled on both sides of the locomotive.

According to a further feature of the invention, the voltage drops measured in the data bus over the electrical resistance of each pair of couplings give the order of the vehicles within a group in the train. Advantageously, the voltage values are each transferable together with the unique address of the respective vehicle decoder and all decoders and thus all vehicles are to be arranged in their desired order.

From a central control unit, the clutch pairs connecting the train bandage vehicles can be controlled or remotely controlled, each consisting of an active coupling part having an activator and a counter-coupling. In this case, the active coupling part according to a particular feature of the invention have a pivotable about a joint two-armed rocker lever with angled nose, which can engage a sliding catch in a latching of the respective counter-coupling when the rocker lever. This type of vehicle clutch is very stable to pull long trains.

• Fig. 1 die erfindungsgemäße Einrichtung und deren Schaltung zur Identifizierung der Fahrzeuge eines Modelleisenbahn-Zugverbandes, und
• Fig. 2 als Einzelheit herausgezeichnet den einen Teil einer vorteilhaften fernsteuerbaren Kupplungsverbindung zweier Fahrzeuge im Zugverband der Fig. 1.

The invention and its further features and advantages will be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments schematically illustrated in the figures. It shows:

• Fig. 1 the inventive device and its circuit for identifying the vehicles of a model train train, and
• Fig. 2 singled out as a detail of a part of an advantageous remote controllable coupling connection of two vehicles in the train of the Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 1 shows a detail of a model railway system both lines 10, 11 of the data bus, which connects all train bandage vehicles and their decoder together, in the embodiment, the wagon decoder 12, the locomotive decoder 13 and the wagon decoder 14, via vehicle clutch pairs 15 and 16. At 17, a voltage source for powering the electric motor drive of the locomotive is displayed.

The vehicle identification system with automatic recognition of the order and orientation of the vehicles in the train set in relation to the locomotive is as follows:

In a model train train wagons or locomotives can be connected as desired on both sides of the vehicle hereinafter referred to as the master driving locomotive. In order to settle on the master the control command for the opening of a clutch pair 15, 16 at any point in the train, is a prerequisite that each wagon in the train is individually known and addressed for the master. In addition to the assignment of a unique address, the master must know how the order of addresses (wagons or locomotives) relative to the master exists. Furthermore, the master requires the information as to whether a chain or group of addresses is located on the front or the back of the master. As last information, the master needs a clear statement about the orientation of each address related to the master. With this information is a unique remote control of each pair of couplings 15, 16, which establishes a vehicle connection possible.

The system in detail: First step: Determine decoder quantity

Each vehicle decoder 12, 13, 14 receives a factory address, which can never be repeated due to production. The decoder hereby receives its individuality. These addresses can collect the master decoder 13 by appropriate data telegrams, z. B. by a request to all decoders in the train. The response of the individual decoders is thereby equalized in time, d. H. Data overlay is prevented by all decoders responding with a time delay. Random data overlays lead to faulty telegrams, which then have to be repeated accordingly. Upon completion of this step, the Master 13 has all the decoder addresses within a train.

Second step: group formation of two groups:

The master can divide by means of a resistor 18 and a switchable electronic load 19, the bus 10, 11 (2-pin conductive connection between each decoder via a respective pair of couplings) in two halves, which differ by different voltage levels. This happens because the master turns on its load 19. All decoders 12, 13, 14 measure this voltage provided by the master, with the wagons coupled on one side of the resistor 18 measuring a voltage smaller by the amount of the voltage drop than the wagon lying on the other side of the master. After the master has collected all voltage values, let division of all decoders into two groups, the group with the higher and the lower voltage value. These groups then correspond to the decoders (vehicles) which are coupled on the two sides of the master 13. The corresponding voltage measurements are in Fig. 1 with 20, 21, 22 displayed.

Third step: order of vehicles within a group

To establish the order within a group, it is necessary to produce a measurable effect, which leads to a different result of measurement in each decoder depending on its position within the group. This effect can be made by using the property of the coupling to provide the connection with a minimum resistance. In the aforementioned coupling UK-1, this resistance is in the order of 500 mOhm. Now, if the bus 10, 11, which connects all wagons together, at the end considerably burdened or even short-circuited, so there is a measurable voltage drop across the resistance of each pair of couplings. The order of the wagon now results from the arrangement of the voltage values. Since the voltage values are each transmitted with the unique address of the decoder, after this measurement all decoders can be arranged in their order.

Alternatively, a device could be installed in each decoder, which interrupts the flow of current to the next decoder. Such a device would also be able to detect the order of the vehicles by transmitting a data packet only to the decoder generating the current flow interruption by opening the bus connection. Then the order would be successively determined by each decoder sequentially separating it opens and the master asks which decoder can still be reached.

Fourth step: orientation of a decoder

The orientation of a decoder is basically determined by the polarity of the bus voltage to be measured. If a vehicle is rotated, the polarity reverses accordingly. When wiring the coupling, make sure that both poles of the bus line 10, 11 are not reversed by a vehicle. This must always be ensured during installation.

Fig. 2 shows the one part 23 of the coupling connection. The other part of the coupling connection is as in Fig. 2 not shown to part 23 identical component as a counter-coupling but rotated by 180 ° to understand.

The coupling part 23 (as well as the counter-coupling) have a pivotable about a hinge 24 designed as two-armed lever towing hook 25 with angled locking lug 26 and a compression spring 30 on the opposite lever arm. The tow hook 25 can lock with its locking lug 26 in the catch 28 of the counter-coupling. The actuator of the coupling connection is as follows:

In order to protect the cavity between a rotary lever contact 27 and a magnet 31 and to keep the tow hook 25 in the open position prior to engagement, the rotary contact 27 blocked in the in Fig. 2 During the coupling process, the pin 29 presses the in Fig. 2 not shown counter-coupling against the rotary contact 27, which then rotates about a pivot axis 32 counterclockwise to z. B. about 70 ° and an associated compression spring 34th compressed. During this rotation and also after reaching the end position (about 70 ° counterclockwise to the representation Fig. 2 ), the conductive rotary lever 27 makes an electrical connection via a contact spring 35, which presses on the axis of rotation 32, to the conductive pin 29 of the counter-coupling ago. As a result, a pole of the electrical connection is made. The second pole is correspondingly via the second, same arrangement with the pin 29 of the in Fig. 2 shown coupling part 23 and the corresponding elements 27, 32, 35 of the counter-coupling produced.

In the locked state, the latching hook 26 penetrates into the catch 28 of the counter-coupling. At this time blocked by now rotated by 70 ° rotary contact 27, the movement of the towing hook 25 is no longer blocked. During the coupling phase of the towing hook 25 slides with its locking lug 26 on the pin 29 of the counter-coupling along until the catch 28 of the counter-coupling. The compression spring 30 ensures that the latch 26 slips immediately into the catch 28 of the counter-coupling.

When uncoupling open both towing hooks 25 by pivoting through the stroke of the electrically controllable magnet 31 to the outside. The compression spring 34 ensures that the rotary contact 27 follows the pivoting out draw hook 25 of the counter-coupling and thus supplies the wagons to be disconnected until complete separation with power. In order to also achieve pre-locking when coupling in the curve, the pin 29 has an upstream catch on its round tip.

The detent 26 of the tow hook 25 may be angled at a slight angle over 90 ° from the longitudinal direction of the tow hook. This results in increasing tensile forces of the train a force component on the towing hook 25 in its closing the clutch Direction. Thus, the compression spring 30 can be dimensioned so small that it is responsible only for the closing or closing of the towing hook 25, but not for the locking of the clutch when high tensile forces occur. As a further advantage, it follows that the solenoid 31 can open the tow hook 25 with relatively small forces or open.

Claims (8)

1. A device for identification of the vehicles in a model railway train set composed of locomotives and waggons via remotely controllable coupling pairs (15, 16) for remote control in combination with the train set, wherein a decoder (12, 13, 14) being arranged in each vehicle and power and data transmitted via the train coupling pairs, characterised by:

   a data bus (10, 11), connecting all vehicles and their decoders (12, 13, 14) with each other, is being divided into two groups by a resistor (18) and a switchable electronic load (19) installed in the locomotive decoder (13), a first group located ahead of the locomotive and a second group located behind the locomotive,

   the data bus (10, 11) including a voltage metering (20 through 22) in each vehicle of the train set to permit all decoders within the train set to measure a voltage from the locomotive decoder (13), the decoders of those coupled waggons that are located on a side following the resistor (18) measuring a voltage that is decreased by an amount of a voltage drop at the resistor in comparison to the decoders of those coupled waggons that are located on a side prior to the resistor, wherein the groups with the higher and the lower voltage value correlate with the decoders and vehicles that are coupled in on either side of the locomotive (13).
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein each coupling pair (15, 16) comprises an electronic resistor, voltage drop values at the electronic resistors of each coupling pair in the data bus (10, 11) determine the succession of the vehicles within a group of the train set.
3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each vehicle decoder has a unique electronic address and wherein the voltage drop values can be transferred together with the unique address of the respective vehicle decoder (12, 13, 14), so that the position of all vehicles can be identified.
4. The device according to claim 1, wherein each decoder (12, 13, 14) includes a device that can interrupt the current flow to the next decoder permitting the vehicles' succession to be determined since, due to the opening of the bus connection, a data package from the locomotive will only be transferred to that decoder which has initiated the current flow's interruption.
5. The device according to one or multiple claim(s) 1 through 4, wherein the coupling pairs (15, 16) are controlled remotely via a control centre, each coupling pair comprising a first coupling part (23) and an identical second coupling part that is rotated 180° from the first coupling part (23), the coupling parts each having a coupling hook (25) that is a two armed lever which can be rotated around a hinge (24) and has an angled latch (26) that will snap into a notch of the opposite coupling part when the coupling hook (25) is closed.
6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the active coupling part (23) possesses a pressure spring (30) that engages at the rotatable two armed coupling hook (25) that is located on the opposite side of the angled latch (26) and that keeps the coupling hook in a locked position.
7. The device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the active coupling part (23) includes an electronically triggered lift magnet (31), such that when the lift magnet is triggered electronically, a lifting element will be extended that will hook onto the two armed coupling hook (25), swivel out and thus release the coupling pair.
8. The device according to claim one or multiple claim(s) 5 through 7, wherein the latch (26) of the coupling hook (25) is angled slightly greater than 90° from a longitudinal direction of the coupling hook (25).

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