EP3784545B1 - Cab for an interoperable rail vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a driver's cab for an interoperable rail vehicle and an interoperable rail vehicle.

When developing driver's cabs for interoperable rail vehicles, numerous normative requirements must be observed, so that there is little freedom of design. Significant influencing factors are the field of vision to the outside, anthropometric data, the placement of operating and display devices within the driver's reach and field of vision, and crash requirements.

Accordingly, for example, the driver's cab must be designed in such a way that the driver, from his seated driving position, has an unrestricted field of vision to see fixed signals to the left and right of the track when the vehicle is moving on straight track or in curves with a radius of at least 300 m.

The usable space available in the driver's cab is usually sufficient for the intended functionalities with 1-man operation by a vehicle driver. However, in some European countries (e.g. Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland), a second employee is required for operational tasks, for example for actions according to the four-eyes principle or for additional security of driving operations. Accommodating the second employee (co-worker) in the driver's cab under the aforementioned conditions sometimes requires complex solutions.

From the pamphlet WO 2011/009643 A1 a driver's cab of a rail vehicle driver is known.

It is an object of the present invention to specify a structurally more favorable construction for a driver's cab of an interoperable rail vehicle.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a driver's cab for an interoperable rail vehicle according to patent claim 1 and an interoperable rail vehicle according to patent claim 3 .

The driver's cab mentioned at the outset for an interoperable rail vehicle comprises a windscreen and a seat arrangement. The latter has two seats for operating personnel, for each of which a standard field of vision is defined. The standard fields of view overlap at least partially in their projection onto the windscreen.

A cabin or a room or a place for the vehicle driver is referred to as the driver's cab or driver's cab of a rail vehicle. It is preferably essentially enclosed by walls, for example arranged in a railcar and is usually located at one end of the rail vehicle. It includes controls and preferably display elements that are necessary to operate the rail vehicle.

The operating staff includes the vehicle driver, who controls the rail vehicle directly or indirectly in a responsible manner. It also includes another person as a co-man who, as already described, has other tasks or an additional control of the vehicle driver, e.g. B. according to the dual control principle. Essentially, the same requirements for visibility conditions apply to the passenger as to the vehicle driver, since this is the only way he can fulfill his control tasks.

The seat arrangement according to the invention comprises two seats which are preferably arranged in the driver's cab in such a way that the requirements for interoperability, in particular the standardized requirements for visibility conditions, are met. One of the seats is assigned to the driver and the other to the passenger. The seats are preferably fixed connected to other components of the driver's cab, for example screwed, riveted, welded or the like. This means that the seats are positioned and installed in the driver's cab at their respective seating position in such a way that, as prescribed, a sufficient field of vision is guaranteed for both the driver and the passenger.

The seats preferably have adjustment options and therefore adjustment means with which they can be ergonomically adapted to the physical characteristics of the operating personnel. For example, the positions, in particular the height and/or the angular position of seat surfaces, the backrests, armrests and/or headrests can be adjusted as required. Furthermore, the seats are preferably designed in such a way that they meet the other standard requirements.

The standard field of view is defined for the operating personnel based on the respective seating position. The standard field of view takes anthropometric data into account. Essentially, when the driver is looking straight ahead, it indicates an area around the central vision that ensures at least the detection of trackside reference points (e.g. signals) defined by relevant standards for interoperable vehicles (EN 16186-1). It therefore generally represents the minimum requirements for a standardized field of vision.

The standard field of view can vary in the vertical plane depending on the size of the driver. For example, when characterizing a so-called eye reference point, standard sizes of the operating personnel between 1.55 m and 1.92 m and an allowance of 30 mm (for shoes) are assumed. However, this size dependency is essentially of negligible relevance for the invention, since it has no or only insignificant influence on the distance between the seats.

With regard to the invention, the expansion of the field of view in the horizontal plane is of greater relevance. These can preferably be described using the trackside reference points, which extend in the horizontal direction around a vehicle central axis (see above). The vehicle center axis is arranged in the longitudinal direction, ie in the direction of the longest extension of the rail vehicle or in the direction of travel (x-direction). A line of sight describes the center of the field of vision and extends essentially in the direction of travel, ie essentially parallel to the center axis of the vehicle. Deviations in the direction of the line of sight from the direction of travel can result due to the standard definition of the field of view. An origin of the field of vision lies in an eye reference point, which in turn lies on a center plane of the seat. The center plane of the seat is defined for each seat and extends centrally through it in a plane in the direction of travel and perpendicular thereto in the vertical direction (xz plane). The visual axis in the direction of travel and starting from the eye reference point thus represents the center of a view of the respective operator or employee, which is essentially directed straight ahead in the direction of travel.

The standard field of vision assigned to the respective seat can be projected onto the windscreen by means of a simple geometric construction. The windscreen is arranged in front of the seats in the direction of travel and is preferably designed in such a way that it meets the normative requirements, such as bullet resistance, transparency, reflection properties and the like. The standard fields of vision of the vehicle driver and passenger therefore run through the windshield. Accordingly, there must be no permanent structures in the standard fields of vision that represent an obstruction to the view. This means that no columns, supports, struts, etc. may be arranged in this area. Even if the distance between the seats and the windscreen is basically variable, it cannot be chosen arbitrarily within the scope of the technical and normative possibilities. Because the size of the projection surface of the standard fields of vision on the windshield increases with the distance, so that due to the normative vision requirements, a Larger area must be kept clear of structural or load-bearing elements such as supports and/or struts. Accordingly, the seats must be positioned relatively close to the windscreen to ensure adequate structural integrity of the cab.

According to the invention, the standard fields of vision of the two seats intersect or cover or overlap. This means that, unlike in the prior art, there is an overlapping area between the standard field of vision of the vehicle driver and that of the passenger. Previously, these were usually arranged so far apart from each other that the vehicle driver and the passenger were each assigned their own area of the windscreen. The individual viewing areas are often separated by a support in the usual practice. In contrast, according to the invention, the seats are arranged more centrally, i. H. more central in relation to the side walls of the driver's cab (or in the y-direction). As a result, they are also positioned or arranged closer to one another and have a smaller distance than was previously the case.

With essentially the same distance between the seats and the windshield as in the prior art, the arrangement of the seats according to the invention means that the windshield can be made narrower without restricting the two standard fields of vision and still satisfies the normative requirements for visibility. This advantageously results in more favorable structural design options for the driver's cab. For example, a smaller glass area is required for the field of vision and there are new design options for the front end. For example, a simpler arrangement of the supporting structure and/or an aerodynamically more favorable shape can be achieved in this way.

The smaller distance between the two seats (in the y-direction) also means that, for example, display and operating elements arranged in front consoles can also be seen better by the respective passenger can be viewed or operated. This is a TSI requirement that has so far only been met to a critical extent. As a result, in an emergency situation, the co-driver can advantageously also directly intervene in the vehicle driver's corresponding instruments and take control of them.

As will be explained in more detail later, the arrangement of the seats according to the invention allows a different design of the escape routes. As a result, the overall length of the driver's cab can be shortened, so that with the same length of the rail vehicle as before, more usable area is available according to the invention.

The interoperable rail vehicle mentioned at the beginning comprises at least one driver's cab according to the invention. In the context of the invention, a rail vehicle is understood to mean a vehicle that travels or is guided on a track by means of one or more rails. The vehicle and the rail are a closely coordinated system, which is usually referred to as the wheel-rail system. The rails are preferably made of steel and are arranged in pairs and parallel as tracks.

In the present case, interoperability refers to the ability for cross-border interaction, i.e. international compatibility, of different systems for rail vehicles. It is essentially achieved through standardization. In order to ensure interoperability, detailed (minimum) requirements for rail vehicles are specified by comprehensive standards and regulations, particularly within the European Union.

The rail vehicle according to the invention is designed in particular as a traction vehicle, ie it is a rail vehicle that is preferably motor-driven. For example, the traction vehicle may be an electric, fuel cell, and/or internal combustion engine powered rail vehicle be. The rail vehicle according to the invention comprises at least one driver's cab according to the invention, ie exactly one or more than one. For example, a driver's cab according to the invention can be arranged at one end of the rail vehicle.

Further particularly advantageous configurations and developments of the invention result from the dependent claims and the following description, whereby the independent claims of a claim category can also be developed analogously to the dependent claims of another claim category and their description and in particular also individual features of different exemplary embodiments or variants can be combined to form new exemplary embodiments or variants.

The two seats each have a seat center plane. The distance (y-distance) between the center planes of the seat is preferably less than 95 cm, particularly preferably less than 90 cm, and is very particularly preferably approximately 80 cm.

These distances between the two seats are much smaller than was previously the case, so that structurally particularly favorable configurations of the driver's cab are possible, as already explained above. However, there is advantageously a sufficient distance between the two seats, which is not perceived as uncomfortable by the operating personnel.

The two seats each have a seat center plane. According to the invention, their distance from one side wall, in particular the closest side wall, is more than 50 cm. The center plane of the seat is a plane that extends vertically and in the direction of travel and divides or bisects the seat in the middle. In an emergency, this provides the operating personnel with a sufficient escape route to the rear, ie away from the windscreen in the opposite direction of travel. The escape route is a side corridor adjacent to each other arranged on the nearest side wall of the driver's cab, so that the operating personnel do not have to share the escape route in this first section. In the first section, the escape routes for the vehicle driver and passenger are thus advantageously separate. The side aisles also enable easier arrangement and accessibility of the entry doors.

In addition, with this configuration of the arrangement there is still enough free space in the front area in front of the seats towards the side walls, so that an installation space can be provided. This can be used, for example, for 19-inch built-in devices.

A center console is preferably arranged between the two seats. The center console represents a spatial separation and can be designed, for example, as an armrest. Alternatively or additionally, it can preferably include a cup/bottle holder, a cool box, storage options and/or the like.

According to the invention, the center console comprises operating elements. The control elements of the center console are advantageously easily accessible for both the vehicle driver and the passenger, so that duplication of the control elements that might otherwise be necessary can be avoided in a cost-saving manner. When not driving, the center console can be folded to the side or lowered, making it even more convenient for the operating staff.

In order to meet the intra-Community requirements for rail vehicles, the interoperable rail vehicle and in particular the driver's cab according to the invention is preferably designed in accordance with the "TSI Loc&Pas" regulation (REGULATION (EU) No. 1302/2014 of the Commission of November 18, 2014). Accordingly, the standard fields of vision are preferably defined according to the "EN 16186" standard, to which reference is made in the "TSI Loc&Pas" regulation.

FIG 1

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung eines Führerraums eines Schienenfahrzeugs nach dem Stand der Technik,

FIG 2

eine schematische Frontansicht des Führerraums aus FIG 1,

FIG 3

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Führerraums eines Schienenfahrzeugs und

FIG 4

eine schematische Frontansicht des Führerraums aus FIG 3.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figures using exemplary embodiments. The same components are provided with identical reference numbers in the various figures. Relative directions such as "up", "down", "in front", "back" etc. relate to a rail vehicle used as intended on rails. "Front" and "rear" are to be understood in relation to the direction of travel. The figures are generally not to scale. Show it:

FIG 1

a schematic sectional view of a driver's cab of a rail vehicle according to the prior art,

FIG 2

a schematic front view of the driver's cab FIG 1 ,

3

a schematic sectional view of an embodiment of a driver's cab according to the invention of a rail vehicle and

FIG 4

a schematic front view of the driver's cab 3 .

FIG 1 shows an example of a schematic sectional view of a driver's cab 20 'for a rail vehicle 40' according to the prior art. The rail vehicle 40' has a direction of travel FR, in which it usually travels during operation. i.e. it is driven on rails in the direction of travel FR (x-direction). Without loss of generality, in the description a vertical, upward-pointing direction is referred to as the z-direction and a direction perpendicular to the x-direction and to the z-direction is referred to as the y-direction. The x, y and z directions together form a right-handed coordinate system.

The rail vehicle 40' includes a driver's cab 20'. It is surrounded by a front wall 22 pointing in the direction of travel FR, a rear wall 23 opposite the front wall 22 and two side walls 21 opposite one another. The driver's cab 20' also has a floor and a ceiling (not shown here). In the front wall 22 a transparent, essentially rectangular front pane 25 is arranged.

Two seats 24 for operating personnel, ie for a vehicle driver and a passenger, are arranged in the driver's cab 20'. The seats 24 are positioned in such a way that operating personnel sitting on them during operation look straight ahead through the windscreen 25 in the direction of travel FR. They each have a seat center plane that extends vertically and in the direction of travel FR. The center plane of the seat divides the seat in half. The center planes of the seats are arranged at a distance d' of 130 cm. The distance a' between the center planes of the seat and the side walls 21 is approximately 35 cm.

A side console 26 ′ with operating elements and/or display elements (not shown here) is arranged diagonally forward from a seat 24 towards the respective nearest side wall 21 . In addition, a center console 27' is arranged in front of and in the middle between the seats 24, which has different control surfaces facing the vehicle driver and the passenger, which in turn include control elements and/or display elements.

In FIG 2 the rail vehicle 40 is off FIG 1 shown in a front view, ie with a view of the front wall 22 . The front wall 22 has the elements customary for rail vehicles, such as lighting means 30, a windshield wiper system comprising two windshield wipers 31 which, driven by a motor, sweep over a wiping area 32, and the like.

On the front pane 25 of the front wall 22, two projections 33' of standard fields of view are shown in dashed lines, as is currently the state of the art. They therefore characterize the standard fields of view of the operating personnel for the assigned seat 24. Due to the large distance d′ between the center planes of the seats compared to the invention, the projections 33′ of the standard fields of view are spaced apart and therefore have no overlapping area. The front pane 25 is approximately as large as required to provide the space for the standard fields of view.

3 shows an exemplary and schematic sectional view through an embodiment of a rail vehicle 40 according to the invention with an embodiment of a driver's cab 20 according to the invention, which has a seat arrangement 29 . Since the basic features of the driver's cab 20 correspond to the in 1 and 2 shown is similar, only the differences will be discussed below.

In the seat arrangement 29 according to the invention, the two seats 24 are arranged closer to one another. i.e. the center planes of the seats are preferably arranged at a distance d of less than 95 cm, particularly preferably less than 90 cm. The distance d is very particularly preferably approximately 80 cm. Consequently, the seats 24 are also arranged further away from the side walls of a 20, so that there is a distance a of at least 50 cm between a seat 24 and the nearest side wall 21.

A center console 27 is arranged between the two seats 24 and spatially separates the two seats 24 from one another. The center console 27 has two operating elements 28 here, for example, which can be reached equally well by the vehicle driver and the passenger and can be operated by both. In principle, however, any number of operating elements 28 can be arranged on the center console 27 . Since, according to the invention, more space is available between the seats 24 and the side walls 21, the side consoles arranged obliquely to the side walls 21 in front of the seats 24 can 26 advantageously larger, for example, to accommodate installations such as 19-inch racks.

A significant difference to the in 1 and 2 The state of the art illustrated consists in the fact that the standard fields of vision 37 of the vehicle driver and passenger overlap in their projection 32 on the windscreen 25 due to the more compact seat arrangement 29 . As a result, an intersection or overlapping area 35 is formed. As in particular in FIG 4 as can be seen, almost the entire surface of the front pane 25 is now no longer taken up by the projections 32 of the standard fields of view 37 . Consequently, the front pane 25 can be reduced in size compared to the prior art while complying with the standard requirements (TSI Loc&Pas, EN 16186). As a result, it is advantageously possible to design the front end of the rail vehicle 40 in a more favorable aerodynamic and/or static manner.

Finally, it is pointed out once again that the devices described in detail above are merely exemplary embodiments which can be modified in a wide variety of ways by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude the possibility that the characteristics in question can also be present more than once. Likewise, the terms “arrangement” and “element” do not rule out the component in question consisting of a plurality of interacting subcomponents, which may also be spatially distributed.

Claims (3)

1. Driver's compartment (20) for an interoperable rail vehicle (40) having a front window (25) and a seat arrangement (29) which comprises two seats (24) for operating personnel, for each of which seats a standard field of view (37) is defined,

   - wherein one of the seats is assigned to the vehicle driver and the other is assigned to a driver's assistant,

   - wherein the standard fields of view (37) at least partially intersect in the projection (33) thereof onto the front window (25),

   - wherein a center console (27) is arranged between the two seats (24),

   - wherein the center console (27) comprises operator-control elements (28) which are required for operating the rail vehicle, wherein the operator-control elements of the center console are conveniently accessible both for the vehicle driver and for the driver's assistant,

   - wherein the two seats (24) each have a seat center plane (36), and the distance (a) of the seat center planes (36) from a side wall (21) is more than 50 cm,

   - with the result that there is provided for the operating personnel, in an emergency situation, a sufficient escape route to the rear, that is to say counter to the direction of travel away from the front window, wherein the escape route is arranged as a side corridor in each case adjacent to a nearest side wall of the driver's compartment.
2. Driver's compartment according to Claim 1, wherein the two seats (24) each have a seat center plane (36), and a distance (d) between the seat center planes (36) is less than 95 cm, preferably less than 90 cm, particularly preferably approximately 80 cm.
3. Interoperable rail vehicle (40), in particular traction vehicle, having at least one driver's compartment (20) according to one of the preceding claims.

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