JPH0840271A - Train approach alarm device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To alarm a railway maintenance worker of approaching a train so as to enhance the safety measures by emitting a laser beam forward from the train while receiving the emitted laser beam so as to determine the degree of approach of the train in order to issue an alarm. CONSTITUTION:A laser transmitter 6 is installed on a train 11 incorporating wheel 61 rolling on rails 20. Meanwhile, a railway maintenance worker 3 wears a helmet 4 incorporating an alarm part 5. With this arrangement, a laser beam 2 which suitably diverges is emitted from the transmitter 6. When the laser beam 2 is detected, approach of the train is determined so as to issue an alarm from the alarm part 5. Accordingly, the maintenance worker 3 is alarmed of approach of the train.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a collision accident prevention system for track maintenance work on railroad tracks.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Track maintenance work for railway lines is naturally carried out in consideration of train schedules, but accidents have occurred many times in the past due to misconnections and mismanagement.

As described above, as a method for preventing a train accident in track maintenance work, conventionally, a train schedule is used.
All they had to do was figure out the workable time, decide the schedule, and look for the times when trains would not pass. Computers are used to manage time to avoid contact errors and management errors, but the operation of the computer is troublesome, and the device becomes complicated and large. Moreover, even if a computer is used, there is still room for error.

[0004]

As described above, the conventional safety measures for track maintenance work involve errors in communication and management,
Consequently, the possibility of an accident in which a track maintenance worker was run over by a train cannot be denied. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an alarm device that ensures the safety of workers without depending on human contact or management.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following means.

A train approach alarm device for informing a maintenance worker or other workers of a railroad track located in or near the railroad track that a train is approaching is installed in the train and emits a laser beam in front of the train. A train approach warning device comprising: a light emitting means; and a means for detecting the laser light thereof, determining the approaching degree of the train, and issuing an alarm.

[0007] The train approach warning device as described above, wherein the warning means is mounted on a helmet equipped on the worker.

The train approach warning device as described above or in the above, wherein the laser light receiving optical system in the warning means is provided with an optical filter for attenuating light other than the laser light.

The alarm means converts an optical signal of the laser light focused through the light receiving optical system into an electric signal, and an alarm sound signal according to the level of a received signal output from the optical detector. The train approach warning device as described above, comprising: a buzzer drive circuit that generates the warning sound signal; and a warning buzzer that converts the warning sound signal into a sound.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the operation of a train alarm system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a train 1 is equipped with a laser transmitter 6. The laser transmitter 6 emits the laser light 2 toward the front of the train with an appropriate spread.
The worker 3 is wearing the helmet 4 and the helmet 4
An alarm unit 5 is attached to the.

FIG. 2 is a structural example of the alarm unit 5 in the embodiment of FIG. The optical filter 7 passes the laser light 2,
Block other light. The condenser lens 8 condenses the light transmitted through the optical filter 7 onto the photodetector 9. The photodetector 9 converts the condensed laser light into an electric signal. The amplifier 10 amplifies the received signal 109 output from the photodetector 9 to a required level. The buzzer drive circuit 11 includes an amplifier 10
Of the received signal 110, the buzzer drive signal 111 is generated according to the level of the received signal 110, and the buzzer 12
Drive. The power supply circuit 13 supplies DC power to the amplifier 10, the buzzer drive circuit 11, and the alarm buzzer 12.

The buzzer drive circuit 11 estimates the level of the received laser beam 2 from the level of the received signal 110. If the level of the received signal 110 is high, the level of the received laser beam 2 is high, and it can be seen that the train 1 is approaching. Therefore, the level of the received signal 110 is compared with a predetermined threshold,
The buzzer drive signal 111 is generated when the level of the received signal 110 exceeds the threshold value.

Note that the buzzer drive circuit 11 receives the received signal 1
Buzzer drive signal 1 of different frequency according to 10 levels
By generating 11, the alarm buzzer 12 may output an alarm sound of a frequency corresponding to the degree of approach of the train.

When the laser transmitter 6 intermittently emits a burst of laser light at a constant cycle, the buzzer drive circuit 11 determines the degree of train approach from the number of bursts and responds to the degree of approach. Buzzer drive signal 1
11 may be output.

The laser transmitter 6 in the above embodiment
Need only be one that emits the laser light 2 in front of the train 1, and may be a laser rangefinder, for example.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the track maintenance worker is inadvertent or there is a contact mistake, the train approaching person can be surely known, so that the safety of the track maintenance worker is ensured. It The only operation required for the operator to use the device of the present invention is to turn on the power switch of the alarm device, and since the device is also extremely small, the burden on the operator is small.
Further, since the degree of approach of the train can be known by using the device of the present invention, it is possible to judge whether to evacuate urgently or whether the evacuation action at normal speed is sufficient.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an operational state of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an alarm unit in the train approach warning device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Train 2 Laser light 3 Track maintenance worker 4 Helmet 5 Alarm part 6 Laser transmitter 7 Optical filter 8 Condensing lens 9 Photodetector 10 Amplifier 11 Buzzer drive circuit 12 Alarm buzzer 13 Power circuit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A train approach alarm device for informing a maintenance worker or other workers of a railway track located in or near the railway track that a train is approaching, which is mounted on the train and emits a laser beam in front of the train. A train approach warning device comprising: a laser light emitting means for controlling the train, and a means for detecting the laser light, determining the degree of approach of the train, and issuing an alarm. 2. The alarm means is mounted on a helmet equipped to the worker.
Train approach warning device described in. 3. The train approach warning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the laser light receiving optical system in the warning means is provided with an optical filter that attenuates light other than the laser light. 4. The alarm means is a photodetector for converting the laser light condensed through the light receiving optical system into an electric signal, and an alarm sound according to the level of a reception signal output from the photodetector. The train approach warning device according to claim 3, further comprising a buzzer drive circuit that generates a signal, and a warning buzzer that converts the warning sound signal into a sound.