JP7466282B2 - Rail vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to railway vehicles, and in particular to railway vehicles that can improve the sense of openness inside the passenger compartment.

Railroad cars are known that are provided with luggage racks in the passenger compartment for passengers to place their luggage on. In conventional railroad cars, it is common to place luggage racks above the windows on the side walls (side structures) of the passenger compartment (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2015-016817 A (for example, paragraphs 0016 and 0018, FIG. 1)

However, with the conventional technology described above, the vertical dimension of the window must be reduced to make room for the luggage racks, which reduces the sense of openness inside the passenger compartment.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a railway vehicle that can improve the sense of openness inside the passenger compartment.

In order to achieve this object, the railway vehicle of the present invention comprises a car body having windows on the side sides, a passenger compartment formed inside the car body, and a luggage rack provided within the passenger compartment on which passenger luggage is placed, and is equipped with a drive means for raising and lowering the luggage rack up and down, an ascent instruction detection means for detecting an ascent instruction given by a passenger when raising the luggage rack, and an ascent start means for raising the luggage rack based on the detection result by the ascent instruction detection means, the luggage rack being provided on the ceiling surface on the widthwise center side of the passenger compartment, the ascent instruction detection means being configured as a load sensor for measuring the load applied to the luggage rack, and the ascent start means for raising the luggage rack based on the load sensor detecting that an upward load has been applied to the luggage rack.
The railway vehicle of the present invention comprises a car body having windows on both sides, a passenger compartment formed inside the car body, and a luggage shelf provided within the passenger compartment on which passenger luggage is placed, and is further provided with a drive means for raising and lowering the luggage shelf, and the luggage shelf comprises a lifting section that hangs down from a ceiling surface at the widthwise center of the passenger compartment and rises and falls up and down, and a placement section that protrudes from the lower end side of the lifting section in a direction approximately perpendicular to the lifting direction of the lifting section and has a placement surface on which the luggage is placed , the angle of the placement section is configured to be set to a first angle at which the placement surface slopes downward toward the lifting section, and a second angle at which the placement surface approaches horizontal more than the first angle or the placement surface slopes upward toward the lifting section, and when the luggage shelf is raised or lowered, the angle of the placement section is set to the first angle, and when the luggage shelf has descended to the bottom, the angle of the placement section is set to the second angle.

According to the railway vehicle of claims 1 and 2, the luggage rack is provided on the ceiling surface at the widthwise center of the passenger compartment, so that a larger space can be secured for the window on the side wall surface of the passenger compartment. That is, the vertical dimension of the window can be made larger than when the luggage rack is provided above the window, which has the effect of improving the sense of openness in the passenger compartment. Furthermore, since a driving means for raising and lowering the luggage rack is provided, after the luggage rack is lowered to load and unload luggage, the luggage rack can be raised to ensure a larger space in the passenger compartment. This also has the effect of improving the sense of openness in the passenger compartment.
According to the railway vehicle of claim 1, when a passenger issues a command to raise the luggage rack, the command is detected by the command detection means. The command to raise the luggage rack is started by the command start means based on the detection result, so that the luggage rack can be raised based on the passenger's wishes. This allows the passenger to raise the luggage rack while ensuring their own safety, which has the effect of improving safety when the luggage rack is raised.
Furthermore, according to the railway vehicle of claim 1, the command to lift the luggage rack issued by the passenger is detected by a load sensor that measures the load applied to the luggage rack. When the load sensor detects that an upward load is applied to the luggage rack, the lifting start means starts the lifting of the luggage rack, so that the luggage rack can be lifted when the passenger performs an action to lift the luggage rack. This prevents the luggage rack from lifting with the passenger's hands positioned above the luggage rack, so that the passenger's hands can be prevented from getting caught on the luggage rack when the luggage rack is lifted. This has the effect of improving safety when the luggage rack is lifted and preventing damage to the luggage rack.
In addition, according to the railway vehicle described in claim 2, the luggage shelf is equipped with a lifting section that hangs down from the ceiling surface and rises and falls up and down, and a loading section that protrudes from the lower end side of the lifting section in a direction approximately perpendicular to the lifting direction of the lifting section and has a loading surface on which luggage is placed, so that the loading section with luggage placed on the loading surface can be raised and lowered up and down by the lifting section.
When the luggage rack is raised or lowered, the angle of the loading section is set to a first angle at which the loading surface is inclined downward toward the lifting section, so that luggage can be prevented from sliding down toward the tip of the loading section (the side opposite the lifting section) when the luggage rack is raised or lowered. This has the effect of preventing luggage from falling off the loading section when the luggage rack is raised or lowered.
On the other hand, when the luggage rack is lowered to the bottom, the angle of the loading section is set to a second angle where the loading surface is closer to the horizontal direction than the first angle, or where the loading surface is inclined upward toward the lifting section side. This makes it easier for passengers to reach out toward the loading surface at the base end side (lifting section side) of the loading section when the luggage rack is lowered to the bottom, which has the effect of facilitating loading and unloading of luggage.

The railway vehicle according to claim 3 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the railway vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. When a passenger issues a command to lower the luggage rack, the command is detected by the command detection means. Based on the detection result, the lowering of the luggage rack is started by the command start means, so that the luggage rack can be lowered based on the passenger's wishes. The command detection means detects the command to lower the luggage rack from the passenger without contact, so that even if the luggage rack is located at a relatively high position (ceiling surface), the luggage rack can be lowered regardless of the passenger's height.

The railway vehicle of claim 4 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the railway vehicle of claim 3. When a passenger performs a specific action while directing his or her gaze toward the luggage rack, the specific action is detected by the lowering instruction detection means as a lowering instruction. The lowering start means lowers the luggage rack based on the detection of the specific action, so that it is possible to prevent the action of another passenger who has no intention of lowering the luggage rack from being erroneously detected as a lowering instruction, and the lowering of the luggage rack from being started due to such erroneous detection. This has the effect of preventing the luggage rack from lowering at an unnecessary time.

The railway vehicle according to claim 5 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the railway vehicle according to claim 3 or 4. When a lowering instruction is detected by the lowering instruction detection means with no baggage placed on the luggage rack, passenger information of the passenger who issued the lowering instruction is stored in the passenger information storage means when the luggage rack is lowered by the lowering start means. This makes it possible to store passenger information of the passenger who lowered the empty luggage rack, i.e., the passenger who will load luggage onto the luggage rack, in the passenger information storage means.

When a lowering command is detected by the lowering command detection means while baggage is placed on the luggage rack, the lowering of the luggage rack is started by the lowering start means if the passenger who issued the lowering command matches the passenger information stored in the passenger information storage means. This allows the luggage rack to be lowered if the passenger who is attempting to lower the luggage rack matches the passenger who has loaded luggage onto the luggage rack, which has the effect of preventing luggage theft.

The railway vehicle according to claim 6 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the railway vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An obstacle below the luggage rack is detected by an obstacle detection means. When an obstacle is detected, the lowering of the luggage rack is stopped by a descent stop means, so that obstacles such as passengers or luggage carried by passengers can be prevented from coming into contact with the luggage rack during its descent. This has the effect of improving safety when the luggage rack is lowered and preventing damage to the luggage rack.

The railway vehicle of claim 7 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect of the railway vehicle of claim 1. When the load measured by the load sensor while the luggage rack is rising increases by a predetermined amount or more from the load measured by the load sensor when the luggage rack starts to rise, the rise of the luggage rack is stopped by the rise stop means. This makes it possible to prevent the luggage rack from continuing to rise in abnormal situations, such as when a passenger's hand is caught on the luggage rack or when luggage on the luggage rack prevents the luggage rack from rising. This has the effect of improving safety when the luggage rack is rising and preventing damage to the luggage rack.

The railcar of claim 8 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect of the railcar of claim 7. If the load measured by the load sensor after the lifting of the luggage rack is stopped by the lifting stop means is greater than the load measured by the load sensor when the luggage rack starts to lift by a predetermined amount, the luggage rack is lowered. This prevents the abnormal state described above from continuing, improving safety when the luggage rack is lifted and preventing damage to the luggage rack. Note that the definition of "predetermined amount or more" in claim 9 does not necessarily match the definition of "predetermined amount or more" in claim 8.

According to the railway vehicle of claim 9, in addition to the effect of the railway vehicle of claim 1, the following effect is achieved. After an upward load is applied to the luggage rack, when the load sensor detects that the load has been removed from the luggage rack, the lift-initiating means starts lifting the luggage rack. This allows the luggage rack to be lifted when the passenger lifts the luggage rack and then releases their hands from the luggage rack. This prevents the luggage rack from lifting with the passenger's hands touching the luggage rack, which has the effect of improving safety when the luggage rack is being lifted.

According to the railway vehicle of claim 10, in addition to the effect of the railway vehicle of claim 2, when the luggage rack is lowered to the lowest part, the angle of the loading section is set to an angle at which the loading surface is inclined upward toward the lifting section, so that loading and unloading of luggage can be performed even more easily. When the loading section is at the second angle, luggage placed on the loading surface tries to slide down toward the tip of the loading section (the opposite side to the lifting section), but a restricting wall that protrudes upward from the loading surface is formed at the tip of the loading section. This allows the restricting wall to restrict the luggage from falling from the loading surface, so that there is an effect that the luggage can be prevented from falling from the loading section when loading and unloading luggage.

1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a railway vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the railway vehicle showing a state in which the luggage rack has been lowered from the state shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the shelf. 13A is a flowchart of a main process, and FIG. 13B is a flowchart of a timer process. 13 is a flowchart of a shelf lowering process. 13 is a flowchart of a descending process. 13 is a flowchart of a shelf lifting process.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the overall configuration of a railway vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a railway vehicle 1 in one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the railway vehicle 1 showing a state in which the luggage rack 5 has been lowered from the state shown in Fig. 1. Note that Figs. 1 and 2 show a cross-section cut along a plane perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction of the railway vehicle 1. Also, in Figs. 1 and 2, in order to simplify the drawings, part of the railway vehicle 1 (e.g., wheels, bogies, etc.) is omitted from the illustration, and the structure (cross-section) of the railway vehicle 1 is illustrated diagrammatically.

As shown in FIG. 1, in a railway vehicle 1, a car body 2 (structure) is supported on a bogie (not shown) having a number of wheels. Inside the car body 2, a passenger compartment R is formed, surrounded by an underframe, a side structure, a roof structure, etc. The passenger compartment R is formed to extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the car body 2 (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1), and a number of windows 3 are arranged in the fore-and-aft direction of the car body 2 on the side wall surface R1 (side structure) of the passenger compartment R.

The space of the passenger compartment R is divided by a partition 4 that extends in the fore-aft direction of the car body 2. The partition 4 is a member for supporting standing passengers P. The partition 4 is provided in the center of the passenger compartment R in the width direction of the car body 2 (left-right direction in FIG. 1), and the passenger compartment R is divided into two in the width direction of the car body 2 by the partition 4. Although not shown in the figure, multiple partitions 4 are provided intermittently in the fore-aft direction of the car body 2, allowing passengers P to move in the intermittent parts (gaps between the partitions 4).

The partition 4 is provided so as to extend from the floor surface of the passenger compartment R to the ceiling surface R2 (roof structure), and storage sections 6 for storing luggage shelves 5 are provided on both the left and right sides of the upper end portion of the partition 4. The storage section 6 is formed in a box shape with an opening at the bottom, and is configured so that the luggage shelves 5 on which passenger P's luggage B is placed can be stored in the storage section 6. The luggage shelves 5 include a loading section 50 for placing luggage B, and the upper surface of the loading section 50 is configured as a loading surface 50a for placing luggage B. In the storage state where the luggage shelves 5 are stored in the storage section 6, the lower surface of the loading section 50 forms part of the ceiling surface R2, so that in this storage state, passenger P cannot see the luggage B placed on the loading section 50.

Although not shown in the figure, multiple luggage shelves 5 are arranged in a row along the fore-and-aft direction of the car body 2 on the ceiling surface R2 of the passenger compartment R. If the multiple luggage shelves 5 arranged in a row are considered to be one row, then two rows of luggage shelves 5 are provided on either side of the widthwise center (partition 4) of the ceiling surface R2 of the passenger compartment R. Each of the multiple luggage shelves 5 has the same configuration, except for the orientation and position in which they are arranged.

In this way, in this embodiment, the luggage rack 5 is provided on the ceiling surface R2, which is closer to the center in the width direction of the passenger compartment R than the side wall surface R1 of the passenger compartment R on which the window 3 is provided, so that a larger space can be secured for arranging the window 3 on the side wall surface R1 of the passenger compartment R. This makes it possible to increase the vertical dimension of the window 3 and expand the arrangement area of the window 3 to near the upper end of the side wall surface R1 (side structure), for example, compared to when the luggage rack 5 is provided on the side wall surface R1 above the window 3. This improves the sense of openness inside the passenger compartment R.

On the other hand, by providing the luggage rack 5 on the ceiling surface R2, the luggage rack 5 is positioned at a relatively high position compared to when the luggage rack 5 is provided on the side wall surface R1. In contrast, the luggage rack 5 of this embodiment is configured to be able to descend from the storage section 6 or ascend toward the storage section 6. This configuration will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a camera 50c with a lens facing downward is provided on the underside of the loading section 50 of the luggage shelf 5. Details will be described later, but when a passenger P directs his or her gaze at the camera 50c and performs a specific action (in this embodiment, a waving action), the luggage shelf 5 begins to lower (see Figure 2). In other words, the luggage shelf 5 is configured to lower at the will of the passenger P.

The shelf 5 includes a first cylinder 51 and a second cylinder 52 (see FIG. 2) for raising and lowering the placement section 50, and a third cylinder 53 for changing the angle of the placement section 50 relative to the second cylinder 52.

The lowering of the load shelf 5 is carried out in the following order: a first stage in which the first cylinder 51 extends, a second stage in which the second cylinder 52 slides along the slide plate 51a of the first cylinder 51, and a third stage in which the second cylinder 52 extends after the first cylinder 52 slides. Figure 2 illustrates the third stage. On the other hand, when the load shelf 5 is raised, the stages are carried out in the reverse order to the lowering.

The first cylinder 51, the second cylinder 52, and the third cylinder 53 are each an actuator (e.g., an electric cylinder) that can be extended or retracted. Since each of these cylinders can be configured in a known manner, detailed explanations of the structure will be omitted. The first cylinder 51 and the second cylinder 52 each have a telescopic mechanism that allows them to be extended or retracted in multiple stages, but in FIG. 2, the extended states of the first cylinder 51 and the second cylinder 52 are shown diagrammatically to simplify the drawing.

In the following description, the portion of the first cylinder 51 (second cylinder 52) that is located at the upper end when the first cylinder 51 (second cylinder 52) is fully extended will be referred to as the "upper end portion," and the portion that is located at the lower end will be referred to as the "lower end portion."

The first cylinder 51 is provided so that its upper end portion is connected to the roof structure and hangs down from the ceiling surface R2 (inside the storage section 6), and a slide plate 51a for sliding the second cylinder 52 is fixed to the lower end portion of the first cylinder 51. The slide plate 51a is a plate that holds the second cylinder 52 so that it can slide.

The first cylinders 51 are arranged in a pair at a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2, and the second cylinder 52 is slidably held between the pair of first cylinders 51 (slide plates 51a). Therefore, as the first cylinder 51 extends, the second cylinder 52 (in a contracted state) held by the slide plate 51a of the first cylinder 51 descends from the storage section 6.

A pair of slide holes 51b are formed in the slide plate 51a, spaced a predetermined distance above and below (see the enlarged portion in FIG. 2), and a pair of protrusions 52a are formed at the upper end of the second cylinder 52, which are inserted into the slide holes 51b. Thus, the second cylinder 52 is configured to be displaceable relative to the first cylinder 51 as the protrusions 52a of the second cylinder 52 slide along the slide holes 51b of the slide plate 51a. This sliding displacement of the second cylinder 52 is performed by the expansion and contraction of an actuator (not shown).

The slide hole 51b is inclined downward so as to protrude further toward the side of the vehicle body 2 (in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first cylinder 51) than the first cylinder 51, so that the second cylinder 52 is configured to protrude further toward the side of the vehicle body 2 than the first cylinder 51 by sliding and displacing along the slide hole 51b. As a result, even if an obstacle (partition 4 in this embodiment) is placed on the extension line of the first cylinder 51 in the extension direction, the second cylinder 52 can be extended at a position that avoids the obstacle.

After sliding the second cylinder 52 in the contracted state along the slide plate 51a, the second cylinder 52 is extended, so that the placement section 50 connected to the lower end portion of the second cylinder 52 is lowered to the lowest position (as shown in FIG. 2). As a result, even if the luggage rack 5 is placed at a relatively high position on the ceiling surface R2, the luggage rack 5 can be lowered to easily load and unload luggage B. In addition, since the camera 50c detects the lowering command issued by the passenger P in a non-contact manner, the luggage rack 5 can be lowered regardless of the height of the passenger P, even if the luggage rack 5 is placed at a relatively high position (ceiling surface R2).

The mounting portion 50 is formed in a plate shape that protrudes from the lower end portion of the second cylinder 52 toward the side of the vehicle body 2, and the base end portion of the mounting portion 50 is rotatably supported on the lower end portion of the second cylinder 52. One end of the third cylinder 53 is supported on the upper end side of the second cylinder 52 from the support position between the mounting portion 50 and the second cylinder 52, and the other end of the third cylinder 53 is supported on the tip side of the mounting portion 50 from the support position between the mounting portion 50 and the second cylinder 52.

As a result, the angle of the placement portion 50 relative to the second cylinder 52 can be changed by extending and retracting the third cylinder 53. When the second cylinder 52 is fully extended and the placement portion 50 is lowered to the bottom (as shown in FIG. 2), the third cylinder 53 is extended to a predetermined length. The extension of the third cylinder 53 causes the placement surface 50a of the placement portion 50 to be at an angle that is upwardly inclined toward the second cylinder 52 side (downwardly inclined toward the passenger P side). As a result, when the placement portion 50 of the luggage shelf 5 is lowered to the bottom, the passenger P can easily reach out toward the placement surface 50a on the base end side (second cylinder 52 side) of the placement portion 50, making it easy to load and unload luggage B.

In addition, when the loading surface 50a is at an angle that inclines upward toward the second cylinder 52, the luggage B placed on the loading surface 50a tries to slide down toward the tip of the loading section 50, but a restricting wall 50b that protrudes upward from the loading surface 50a is formed at the tip of the loading section 50 (see FIG. 2). This allows the restricting wall 50b to restrict the luggage B from falling from the loading surface 50a, so that the luggage B can be prevented (suppressed) from falling from the loading section 50 when loading or unloading the luggage B.

The third cylinder 53 is provided with a load sensor 53a for measuring the load applied to the placement portion 50 of the luggage shelf 5. Details will be described later, but when a passenger P performs an action to lift the placement portion 50 of the luggage shelf 5, the change in the load applied to the placement portion 50 is measured by the load sensor 53a, and the lifting of the luggage shelf 5 is initiated based on the measurement result.

The luggage shelf 5 is raised by shortening the first cylinder 51 and the second cylinder 52 in the reverse order to when the luggage shelf 5 is lowered, and when the luggage shelf 5 is raised to the top, it is stored in the storage section 6 (as shown in FIG. 1). In this way, after loading and unloading of luggage B is completed, the luggage shelf 5 can be raised to secure more space in the passenger compartment R, improving the sense of openness in the passenger compartment R. Furthermore, by raising the luggage shelf 5 based on the passenger P's wishes, the luggage shelf 5 can be raised while the passenger P is ensuring his or her own safety. This improves safety when the luggage shelf 5 is raised.

In addition, while the luggage shelf 5 is being raised or lowered, the third cylinder 53 is shortened to a predetermined length, and the loading surface 50a of the loading section 50 is set to an angle (the angle of the loading section 50 shown in FIG. 1) that inclines downward toward the second cylinder 52. This prevents the luggage B from sliding down toward the tip of the loading section 50 when the luggage shelf 5 is raised or lowered. This prevents the luggage B from falling from the loading section 50 when the luggage shelf 5 is raised or lowered. The inclination angle of the loading section 50 should be set to an angle that prevents the luggage B from falling from the loading surface 50a.

In this embodiment, the load shelf 5 (receiving section 50) is configured to be able to rise and fall. The control of the lifting and lowering of the load shelf 5 will be further explained with reference to Figs. 3 to 7. First, the electrical configuration of the load shelf 5 will be explained with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the load shelf 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the railcar 1 is provided with multiple luggage racks 5. Each luggage rack 5 has a CPU 10, a flash ROM 11, and a RAM 12, which are each connected to an input/output port 14 via a bus line 13. The above-mentioned camera 50c, first cylinder 51, second cylinder 52, and third cylinder 53 are each connected to the input/output port 14.

The CPU 10 is a calculation device that controls each part connected by the bus line 13. The flash ROM 11 is a rewritable non-volatile memory that stores programs executed by the CPU 10, fixed value data, etc., and stores the control program 11a. When the control program 11a is executed by the CPU 10, the main processing and timer processing (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, are executed.

RAM 12 is a memory that stores various work data, flags, etc. in a rewritable manner when CPU 10 executes programs such as control program 11a. RAM 12 is provided with owner memory 12a, load memory 12b, and pre-rise load memory 12c.

The owner memory 12a is a memory for storing the owner of the luggage B placed on the luggage shelf 5. The load memory 12b is a memory for storing the value measured by the load sensor 53a of the third cylinder 53, and the pre-rise load memory 12c is a memory for storing the value measured by the load sensor 53a before the luggage shelf 5 is raised.

As mentioned above, the lifting and lowering of the load shelf 5 (loading section 50) is achieved by the extension and contraction of the first cylinder 51 and the second cylinder 52. In the following explanation, however, the explanation of the extension and contraction of the first cylinder 51 and the second cylinder 52 will be omitted, and the lifting and contraction of the load shelf 5 will simply be referred to as "lifting" or "lowering."

Next, each process executed by the CPU 10 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. Figure 4(a) is a flowchart of the main process, and Figure 4(b) is a flowchart of the timer process. The main process and the timer process are executed when the control device of the railway vehicle 1 is powered on.

As shown in FIG. 4, the main process is a process for controlling the raising and lowering of the shelf 5. The timer process is a process for storing the value measured by the load sensor 53a, and is processed in parallel with the main process. In the timer process, the value measured by the load sensor 53a is added (stored) in the load memory 12b (S11). This timer process is repeatedly executed every 1 ms, and the value measured by the load sensor 53a, i.e., the change in the load applied to the shelf 5, is stored in the load memory 12b for a predetermined time (for example, the past minute).

In the main process, first, the luggage racks 5 are raised to the top (S1). This process of S1 makes it possible to raise all luggage racks 5 to the top (the state shown in FIG. 1) when the railway vehicle 1 starts to move, including the luggage racks 5 that are in a lowered state before the railway vehicle 1 starts to move.

After the process of S1, a sensor (not shown) is used to check whether the load shelf 5 (loading section 50) has risen to the top (S2). If the load shelf 5 has risen to the top (S2: Yes), the load shelf lowering process is executed (S3). This load shelf lowering process (S3) will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the luggage rack lowering process (S3). In the luggage rack lowering process (S3), first it is confirmed whether the gaze of the passenger P has been detected by the camera 50c (S21). That is, it is confirmed whether the passenger P is looking up at the luggage rack 5 and about to issue a command to lower it. If the gaze of the passenger P has not been detected by the camera 50c (S21: No), the passenger P has not issued a command to lower the luggage rack 5, and it is not yet time to perform the lowering process of S26 to lower the luggage rack 5 (details of the lowering process will be described later), so the subsequent processes are skipped and the luggage rack lowering process (S3) is terminated.

On the other hand, if the camera 50c detects the line of sight of passenger P (S21: Yes), it is checked whether the camera 50c has detected a specific action of passenger P (in this embodiment, a waving action) (S22). If the camera 50c has not detected a specific action of passenger P (S22: No), as in the case where the line of sight of passenger P is not detected as described above, it is not yet time to perform the process of lowering the luggage rack 5, so the subsequent process is skipped and the luggage rack lowering process (S3) is terminated.

In this way, in the luggage shelf lowering process (S3), the lowering process (S26) for lowering the luggage shelf 5 is not performed unless the passenger P performs a specific action while directing his or her gaze toward the luggage shelf 5. This prevents the action of another passenger P who has no intention of lowering the luggage shelf 5 from being erroneously detected as a lowering instruction, thereby preventing the luggage shelf 5 from being lowered due to such erroneous detection. In other words, it is possible to prevent the luggage shelf 5 from being lowered at an unnecessary time.

When the camera 50c detects the line of sight of the passenger P (S21: Yes) and detects a specific movement of the passenger P by the camera 50c (S22: Yes), it is checked whether the value of the load memory 12b is greater than the margin α, i.e., whether the baggage B is placed on the placement section 50 of the shelf 5 (S23). The margin α is a variable value that is set in consideration of measurement errors of the load sensor 53a and erroneous detection of the load caused by vibrations while the vehicle is traveling.

If the value of the load memory 12b is equal to or less than the margin α (S23: No), it is assumed that no luggage B is placed on the loading section 50, the luggage shelf 5 is empty, and luggage B will be loaded after the luggage shelf 5 is lowered. Therefore, if the luggage shelf 5 is empty (S23: No), in order to identify the owner of the luggage B that will be loaded after the lowering, an image of the face of the passenger P (passenger P photographed by the camera 50c) performing a specific action is stored in the owner memory 12a (S24), and the lowering process of the luggage shelf 5 is executed (S26). This makes it possible to store in the owner memory 12a an image of the face (passenger information) of the passenger P who lowered the empty luggage shelf 5, i.e., the passenger P who is the owner of the luggage B that is about to be loaded.

On the other hand, if the value of the load memory 12b is greater than the margin α (S23: Yes), then baggage B has already been placed on the loading section 50 of the luggage shelf 5. In this case, in order to prevent a passenger P who is not the owner of the baggage B from lowering the luggage shelf 5, it is confirmed whether the passenger P performing the specific action described above is the owner stored in the owner memory 12a (S25).

If the passenger P performing the specific action is not the owner stored in the owner memory 12a (S25: No), the luggage shelf 5 should not be lowered, so the subsequent processing is skipped and the luggage shelf lowering processing (S3) is terminated. On the other hand, if the passenger P performing the specific action is the owner stored in the owner memory 12a (S25: Yes), the luggage shelf 5 lowering processing is executed (S26).

By the process of S25, the process of lowering the luggage shelf 5 (S26) is executed only if the passenger P who is trying to lower the luggage shelf 5 matches the passenger P who has loaded luggage B onto the luggage shelf 5. In other words, only the owner of luggage B can lower the luggage shelf 5 when it is loaded, so theft of luggage B can be prevented. Next, the process of lowering the luggage shelf 5 will be explained with reference to FIG. 6.

Figure 6 is a flowchart of the lowering process. In the lowering process (S26), first, the lowering of the luggage shelf 5 is started (S31). Then, while the luggage shelf 5 is lowering, it is confirmed whether an obstacle has been detected by the camera 50c below the luggage shelf 5 (S32). If an obstacle is detected by the camera 50c (S32: Yes), the lowering of the luggage shelf 5 is stopped (S33). This makes it possible to prevent obstacles such as passenger P or luggage carried by passenger P from coming into contact with the luggage shelf 5 during its lowering. This improves safety when the luggage shelf 5 is lowered, and prevents damage to the luggage shelf 5.

After the lowering of the load shelf 5 is stopped by the process of S33, it is confirmed whether an obstacle has been detected by the camera 50c below the load shelf 5 (S34). If an obstacle has been detected by the camera 50c (S34: Yes), the lowering of the load shelf 5 should not be resumed, and the process of S34 is repeated. On the other hand, if an obstacle is no longer detected by the camera 50c while the load shelf 5 is stopped (S34: No), the process from S31 onwards is repeated. By the process of S34, if the obstacle has been removed from below the load shelf 5, the lowering of the load shelf 5 can be resumed.

On the other hand, after the process of S31, if the camera 50c does not detect an obstacle while the luggage shelf 5 is lowering (S:32: No), a sensor (not shown) is used to check whether the luggage shelf 5 has been lowered to the bottom (S35). If the luggage shelf 5 has not been lowered to the bottom (S35: No), the process from S32 onwards is repeated to detect an obstacle until the luggage shelf 5 has been lowered to the bottom, and if the luggage shelf 5 has been lowered to the bottom (S35: Yes), the lowering of the luggage shelf 5 is stopped (S36) and the lowering process (S26) is terminated.

As a result, the empty luggage rack 5 is lowered to the bottom, making it possible to load and unload luggage B. When the lowering of the luggage rack 5 stops, a process is performed to extend the third cylinder 53. As described above, the third cylinder 53 is extended in order to tilt the loading section 50 downward toward the passenger P, facilitating the loading and unloading of luggage B.

Let us return to Figures 4 and 5 for further explanation. In the load shelf lowering process (S3) (see Figure 5), after the lowering process (S26) is completed, the load shelf lowering process (S3) is terminated and the process returns to the main process (see Figure 4). In the main process, after the load shelf lowering process (S3) is completed, the load shelf raising process is executed (S4). This load shelf raising process (S4) will be described with reference to Figure 7.

Figure 7 is a flowchart of the luggage shelf raising process. As described above, the luggage shelf 5 starts to rise when the passenger P lifts the loading section 50 of the luggage shelf 5. Therefore, in the luggage shelf raising process (S4), the load memory 12b is first referenced to check whether an upward load has been continuously measured by the load sensor 53a for a predetermined time (e.g., one second) (S41). If an upward load has not been continuously measured for the predetermined time (S41: No), the luggage shelf 5 has not been raised by the passenger P. Therefore, in such a case, it is not yet time to perform the process of raising the luggage shelf 5 (the process of S45 described later), so the subsequent processes are skipped and the luggage shelf raising process (S4) is terminated.

On the other hand, if the load sensor 53a continues to measure an upward load for a predetermined period of time (S41: Yes), this means that the passenger P has attempted to raise the luggage shelf 5 by lifting the loading section 50 of the luggage shelf 5 from below (raise instruction), so the third cylinder 53 is shortened before the luggage shelf 5 is raised (S42). As described above, the third cylinder 53 is shortened to prevent luggage B from falling from the loading section 50 when the luggage shelf 5 is raised.

After processing S42, it is checked whether an upward load is being measured by the load sensor 53a (S43). If an upward load is being measured by the load sensor 53a (S43: Yes), the passenger P has not released his/her hands from the loading section 50, and there is a risk of danger if the luggage rack 5 is raised in this state, so processing S43 is repeated.

On the other hand, if the load sensor 53a no longer measures an upward load (S43: No), it can be determined that the passenger P has released his/her hands from the luggage rack 5, and the value of the load sensor 53a is stored in the pre-rise load memory 12c (S44), and the luggage rack 5 begins to rise (S45). The reason the value of the load sensor 53a is stored in the pre-rise load memory 12c before the luggage rack 5 rises is to detect any abnormalities during the rise of the luggage rack 5 by comparing the load applied before the luggage rack 5 rises with the load applied during the rise.

In this way, the luggage shelf 5 can be raised when the passenger P lifts the loading section 50 of the luggage shelf 5 from below (a lowering command), and the luggage shelf 5 can start to rise with the passenger P's hands positioned on the underside of the loading section 50. This prevents the passenger P's hands or clothes from getting caught on the loading section 50 when the luggage shelf 5 is raised, improving safety when the luggage shelf 5 is raised and preventing damage to the luggage shelf 5.

Furthermore, by processing S43, the luggage shelf 5 can be raised when the passenger P lifts the luggage shelf 5 (loading section 50) and then releases his/her hands from the luggage shelf 5, thereby preventing the luggage shelf 5 from rising while the passenger P's hands are touching it. This further improves safety when the luggage shelf 5 is rising.

After the process of S45, which starts the lifting of the luggage rack 5, it is confirmed whether the value of the load sensor 53a while the luggage rack 5 is lifting is greater than the value of the load memory 12c before lifting plus a margin β (S46). The margin β is a variable value that is set in consideration of measurement errors of the load sensor 53a and erroneous detection of the load caused by vibrations while the vehicle is traveling.

If the value of the load sensor 53a while the luggage rack 5 is rising is greater than the value of the pre-rise load memory 12c plus the margin β (S46: Yes), an abnormal condition may be occurring, such as passenger P's hand being caught on the luggage rack 5 (loading section 50) or luggage B on the luggage rack 5 preventing the luggage rack 5 from rising, so the rising of the luggage rack 5 is stopped (S47). This prevents the luggage rack 5 from continuing to rise in such an abnormal condition, improving safety when the luggage rack 5 is rising and preventing damage to the luggage rack 5.

After a predetermined time has elapsed since the processing of S47 (e.g., after 3 seconds), it is confirmed whether the value of the load sensor 53a is greater than the value of the pre-rise load memory 12c plus a margin γ (S48). The margin γ is a fluctuation value that is set in consideration of measurement errors of the load sensor 53a and erroneous detection of the load caused by vibrations while the vehicle is traveling.

If the value of the load sensor 53a is equal to or less than the value of the load memory 12c before ascent plus the margin γ (S48: No), it can be determined that the abnormal condition described above has been resolved, and the process returns to S45 to start (resume) the ascent of the shelf 5.

On the other hand, if the value of the load sensor 53a is greater than the value of the load memory 12c before ascent plus the margin γ after the predetermined time has elapsed since the processing of S47 (S48: Yes), the lowering process of the shelf 5 is performed (S26) to prevent the above-mentioned abnormal state from continuing. The lowering process performed in this shelf raising process (S4) is the same process as the lowering process (see FIG. 6) performed in the above-mentioned shelf lowering process (S3), so a detailed description is omitted.

In this way, in the load shelf raising process (S4), if it is determined that an abnormal condition has not been resolved even after a predetermined time has elapsed since an abnormal condition occurred while the load shelf 5 was being raised, the load shelf 5 is configured to lower. This makes it possible to prevent the abnormal condition from continuing, thereby improving safety when the load shelf 5 is being raised and preventing damage to the load shelf 5.

In order to prevent unnecessary repetition of the processes of S45 to S48 (raising and stopping the shelf 5), the margin γ value in the process of S48 is set to a value smaller than the margin β value in the process of S46. In other words, the margins β and γ values in S46 and S48 are set to different values, but the margins β and γ may be set to the same value.

On the other hand, if the value of the load sensor 53a while the load shelf 5 is rising is equal to or less than the value of the load memory 12c before rising plus the margin β (S46: No), a sensor (not shown) is used to check whether the load shelf 5 has risen to the top (S49). If the load shelf 5 has not risen to the top (S49: No), the process from S46 onwards is repeated to detect an abnormal state until the load shelf 5 rises to the top (S49: Yes). If the load shelf 5 has risen to the top (S49: Yes), the rise of the load shelf 5 is stopped (S50) and the load shelf rise process (S4) is terminated.

Returning to the main process in FIG. 4, the main process repeats the processes from S2 onward after the shelf raising process (S4) is completed. Thus, if the shelf 5 has not risen to the top at the end of the shelf raising process (S4) (S2: No), the shelf lowering process (S3) is skipped and the shelf raising process is executed again (S4). On the other hand, if the shelf 5 has risen to the top at the end of the shelf raising process (S4) (S2: Yes), the shelf lowering process is executed (S3).

As described above, according to the railway vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the luggage rack 5 is provided on the ceiling surface R2 of the passenger compartment R, which allows for a larger space to be provided for the windows 3, improving the sense of openness within the passenger compartment R. Furthermore, since the luggage rack 5 is configured to be liftable, after the luggage rack 5 is lowered to load and unload the baggage B, the luggage rack 5 can be lifted to ensure a larger space within the passenger compartment R. This also improves the sense of openness within the passenger compartment R.

The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it can be easily imagined that various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the case where the shelf 5 is stored in the storage section 6 when it is raised to the top has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the storage section 6 may be omitted, and the loading surface 50a of the loading section 50 may be configured to be always exposed.

In the above embodiment, the case where the luggage rack 5 is lowered based on a lowering command issued by the passenger P has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, instead of (or in addition to) a lowering command issued by the passenger P, a configuration may be applied in which the luggage rack 5 is automatically lowered at a preset timing, such as when the train arrives at the terminal station, or a configuration in which the luggage rack 5 is lowered based on a lowering command issued by a crew member (or a combination of these configurations).

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the passenger P's command to descend is detected in a non-contact manner using the camera 50c, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a contact-type sensor, a button, or other means for detecting a command to descend may be provided on the luggage shelf 5.

In the above embodiment, the camera 50c is described as an example of a descent instruction detection means for non-contact detection of a descent instruction from passenger P, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, other examples of such means include known means such as an infrared sensor or other non-contact type sensors. Also, instead of a sensor, a configuration may be used in which a descent instruction is received from an electronic device such as a smartphone operated by passenger P.

In the above embodiment, the camera 50c is used to detect both the command to descend for the passenger P and the obstacles below the luggage rack 5, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, a means for detecting the command to descend and a means for detecting the obstacles may be provided separately. Furthermore, in addition to the function of detecting the command to descend and the obstacles, the camera 50c may also have a function as a security camera.

In the above embodiment, a waving motion was described as an example of a specific motion performed by passenger P while directing his or her gaze toward the luggage rack 5 (camera 50c), but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, blinking, eye movement, or other hand motions (other than waving), such as a beckoning motion, may be detected as specific motions. Also, instead of a configuration that detects only one specific motion as a descending instruction, a configuration may be adopted in which multiple different types of motions are set as specific motions and any one of the specific motions performed by passenger P is detected as a descending instruction, or a configuration in which a combination of multiple specific motions performed by passenger P is detected as a descending instruction.

In the above embodiment, the case where the luggage rack 5 is raised based on an up command issued by the passenger P has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, instead of (or in addition to) an up command issued by the passenger P, a configuration may be applied in which the luggage rack 5 is automatically raised when the vehicle departs or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the luggage rack 5 was lowered to the bottom, or a configuration in which the luggage rack 5 is raised based on an up command issued by the crew member (or these configurations may be combined).

In the above embodiment, the case where the action of the passenger P lifting the luggage shelf 5 (receiving section 50) is detected as an upward command has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a configuration may be used in which a camera 50c (lowering command detection means) is used to detect an upward command from the passenger P. Also, a configuration may be used in which an upward command detection means such as a contact sensor or a button is provided on the luggage shelf 5. In either configuration, it is preferable to provide the upward command detection means on the underside of the luggage shelf 5 (receiving section 50). This allows the upward command to be detected with the passenger P's hands positioned on the underside of the luggage shelf 5, improving safety when the luggage shelf 5 is raised.

In the above embodiment, a guide means such as a display or speaker may be provided on the underside of the shelf 5 (loading section 50), and the procedure for raising and lowering the shelf 5 may be guided by the image or sound of the guide means.

In the above embodiment, a facial image of passenger P who lowered the luggage shelf 5 is stored as passenger information, and whether or not the passenger P is the owner of luggage B is determined based on the passenger information. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, when the luggage shelf 5 is lowered by operating a smartphone as described above, the information sent from the smartphone may be stored as passenger information.

In the above embodiment, the presence or absence of luggage B is detected by providing a load sensor 53a on the third cylinder 53, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, other sensors or cameras that detect the presence or absence of luggage B may be provided on the luggage shelf 5 (storage section 6). Also, instead of providing the load sensor 53a on the third cylinder 53, a load sensor may be provided on the first cylinder 51, the second cylinder 52, or the support portion between the second cylinder 52 and the third cylinder 53. In other words, the position of the load sensor can be set appropriately as long as the load of luggage B on the luggage shelf 5 can be detected.

In the above embodiment, the loading section 50 of the luggage shelf 5 protrudes toward the side of the vehicle body 2, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the loading section 50 may protrude in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle body 2, or may protrude in a direction inclined relative to the fore-aft direction of the vehicle body 2. In other words, the protruding direction of the loading section 50 can be set appropriately so long as it is a direction approximately perpendicular to the lifting direction of the second cylinder 52 (lifting section). In other words, the protruding direction of the loading section 50 can be set according to the configuration of the vehicle (seat arrangement, etc.) so that loading and unloading of luggage B is easy.

In the above embodiment, a cylinder with a telescopic mechanism has been described as an example of a driving means (lifting section) for raising and lowering the load shelf 5 (mounting section 50), but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, any known driving device or actuator can be used as long as it is capable of linear motion. Also, such actuators and slide rails can be combined to raise and lower the load shelf 5.

In the above embodiment, the second cylinder 52 is slid sideways relative to the first cylinder 51, and then the second cylinder 52 extends, but this is not necessarily limited to the above. For example, the mounting portion 50 may be simply moved linearly by a single cylinder (driving means).

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the angle of the mounting part 50 relative to the second cylinder 52 (lifting part) is variable, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the mounting part 50 may be fixed to the second cylinder 52 (lifting part) so as not to rotate.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the angle of the placement section 50 is set so that the placement surface 50a is inclined upward toward the second cylinder 52 when the luggage shelf 5 is lowered to the lowest position, but this is not necessarily limited to this. If the angle of the placement section 50 when the luggage shelf 5 is lowered to the lowest position is closer to the horizontal than the inclination angle of the placement section 50 when the luggage shelf 5 is raised or lowered (the angle at which the placement surface 50a is inclined downward toward the second cylinder 52), loading and unloading of luggage B can be facilitated when the luggage shelf 5 is lowered to the lowest position.

In the above embodiment, a case where the luggage rack 5 is provided in a vehicle (without seats) in which standing passengers ride is described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the luggage rack 5 may be provided in a regular car or an express car equipped with long seats or cross seats.

1 Railway vehicle 2 Car body 3 Window 5 Luggage shelf 50 Placement section 50a Placement surface 50b Restriction wall 50c Camera (lowering instruction detection means, obstacle detection means)
51 First cylinder (driving means, lifting section)
52 Second cylinder (driving means, lifting section)
53a Load sensor (ascent instruction detection means)
12a Owner memory (passenger information storage means)
R Guest room R2 Ceiling surface S3 Luggage shelf lowering process (lowering start means)
S4 Rise shelf process (rise start means)
S33: Descending stop means S47: Ascending stop means

Claims (10)

A railway vehicle having a car body with windows on the side thereof, a passenger compartment formed inside the car body, and a luggage rack provided in the passenger compartment on which passenger luggage is placed,
A driving means for raising and lowering the shelf;
an ascending instruction detection means for detecting an ascending instruction issued by a passenger when the luggage rack is to be ascended;
and a lift start means for lifting the rack based on the detection result by the lift command detection means,
The luggage rack is provided on the ceiling surface at the center of the width direction of the passenger compartment,
The lift instruction detection means is configured as a load sensor that measures a load applied to the shelf,
The railcar, wherein the ascent start means raises the luggage rack based on the load sensor detecting that an upward load has been applied to the luggage rack. A railway vehicle having a car body with windows on the side thereof, a passenger compartment formed inside the car body, and a luggage rack provided in the passenger compartment on which passenger luggage is placed,
A driving means for raising and lowering the shelf is provided,
The shelf includes:
A lift section that is suspended from a ceiling surface at a widthwise center of the passenger compartment and moves up and down;
a loading section protruding from a lower end side of the lifting section in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lifting direction of the lifting section and having a loading surface on which the luggage is loaded ,
the angle of the placement section can be set to a first angle at which the placement surface is inclined downward toward the lifting section side, and a second angle at which the placement surface approaches a horizontal direction more than the first angle or the placement surface is inclined upward toward the lifting section side,
A railway vehicle characterized in that when the luggage shelf is raised or lowered, the angle of the storage section is set to the first angle, and when the luggage shelf is lowered to the bottom, the angle of the storage section is set to the second angle. a lowering instruction detection means for detecting, in a non-contact manner, a lowering instruction issued by a passenger when lowering the luggage rack;
3. The railway vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a descent start means for starting the descent of the luggage rack based on a result of detection by the descent command detection means. The railway vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the lowering start means lowers the luggage rack when the lowering command detection means detects that a passenger has performed a specific action while directing their gaze toward the luggage rack. a passenger information storage means for storing passenger information of the passenger who issued the descent instruction,
When the lowering instruction is detected by the lowering instruction detection means while no baggage is placed on the luggage rack, the lowering start means stores the passenger information in the passenger information storage means when lowering the luggage rack,
5. A railway vehicle as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that when the lowering instruction is detected by the lowering instruction detection means while luggage is placed on the luggage shelf, the lowering start means lowers the luggage shelf if the passenger who issued the lowering instruction matches the passenger information stored in the passenger information storage means. An obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle below the shelf;
6. The railway vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a descent stop means for stopping the descent of the rack when the obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection means. The railway vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a lift stop means for stopping the lift of the luggage rack when the load measured by the load sensor during the lift of the luggage rack increases by a predetermined amount or more from the load measured by the load sensor at the start of the lift of the luggage rack. The railway vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that the luggage rack is lowered when the load measured by the load sensor after the lifting stop means has stopped the lifting of the luggage rack is greater than or equal to a predetermined value compared to the load measured by the load sensor when the luggage rack started to lift. The railway vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the ascent start means raises the luggage rack when the load sensor detects that an upward load has been applied to the luggage rack and then removed from the luggage rack. the second angle is an angle at which the placement surface is inclined upward toward the lifting section,
3. The railway vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a restricting wall is formed at a tip portion of the loading surface opposite the lifting section, the restricting wall protruding upward from the loading surface.

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