JP7112315B2 - Handbrake detection system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a detection system for a handbrake device that can detect the use state of a handbrake device provided in a vehicle.

A hand brake device has been developed as a brake device used to prevent rolling of a parked rail car (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Handbrake devices installed on railway vehicles, especially freight cars, are used for shunting and detention within the premises. It is known to mechanically press the brake shoe against the wheel through the

JP-A-2002-37067

In the case of the handbrake device, tightening and loosening operations are mainly performed manually by station staff. are required to be In order to meet such a demand, the inventors of the present invention have investigated the use of a detection unit such as a sensor to detect the force acting on the spring member of the link mechanism of the handbrake device. Since the spring member exerts a force in the direction of pulling the brake shoe away from the wheel when loosened, the handle is operated against the force of the spring member to bring the shoe closer and into contact with the wheel when tightened.

In the detection of the use state of the handbrake device, the initial value of the force acting on the spring member in the tightened state, for example, is detected by the detection unit, and a predetermined range including the initial value is set in advance for the process of judging the tightened state. Then, if the detected value of the force acting on the spring member falls within the predetermined range, it is conceivable that the tightened state is determined. The upper limit value and the lower limit value of the predetermined range can be obtained by multiplying the initial value by a predetermined coefficient, and it is possible to cope with the detection error in the detection unit.

However, in the case of freight cars and hand brake devices, there are multiple types, and there are individual differences even within the same type. Therefore, the detected value of the force acting on the spring member during tightening may vary in a range wider than the predetermined range obtained as described above. In addition, such changes may also occur due to aging of the handbrake device, before and after maintenance, and the like. When the detected value of the force acting on the spring member changes in this way, there is a problem that the detected value does not fall within the predetermined range, and there is a high possibility that the tightened state cannot be determined.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the actual situation as described above. intended to provide

A detection system for a handbrake device of the present invention is a detection device for detecting a tightening state of a handbrake device provided in a vehicle running on a railroad track, wherein the handbrake device is in a released state and a tightened state. A detecting unit that detects the tensile force of the spring member at predetermined intervals, and the hand brake device according to the output value from the detecting unit. a comparison and determination unit for determining a tightening state, wherein the comparison and determination unit compares the current output value of the detection unit with a past output value detected before the detection of the current output value, and the handbrake device is operated based on the comparison. It is characterized by judging whether or not it is in a tightened state.

According to the present invention, the tightening state of the handbrake device is determined based on the comparison between the past output value and the current output value. can be detected. As a result, even if the output value varies due to differences in the type of vehicle or handbrake device, individual differences when the type is the same, and changes over time such as spring members, it is possible to compare the most recent output value. It can be determined whether or not it is in a tightened state. Since it is possible to deal with variations in the detected values in this way, it is possible to stably determine the tightening state of the handbrake device.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a released state of a handbrake device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a tightened state of a handbrake device according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the inside of a detection unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a detection system for a handbrake device according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a handbrake apparatus. FIG. 6A is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server, and FIG. 6B is a functional block diagram of the controller. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between time and the output value of the detection unit; FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing the flow of detection of a tightened state and a loosened state; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram relating to the flow of threshold correction processing; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example when a threshold value is corrected;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be modified appropriately without changing the gist of the invention. In the following diagrams, part of the configuration may be omitted for convenience of explanation.

First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the configuration of the handbrake device according to the embodiment will be described below. 1 and 2 are schematic configuration diagrams of a handbrake device according to an embodiment, FIG. 1 showing the loosened state of the handbrake device and FIG. 2 showing the tightened state of the handbrake device. In the following description, the left-right direction is used as the width direction of the railroad vehicle, and the front-rear direction is used as the running direction of the railroad vehicle. 2 are indicated by arrows.

In the present embodiment, the handbrake device is provided on a freight car 2 (see FIG. 4) as a railway vehicle, and is used to prevent rolling of the freight car during storage. As shown in FIG. 1, the handbrake device 10 includes a link mechanism 11 provided inside the vehicle body of a freight car (not shown), a brake shoe 12 that contacts and separates from a wheel W through the operation of the link mechanism 11, and a link mechanism. and an operation handle 13 for operating 11 .

The link mechanism 11 includes a rotating shaft 15 extending in the left-right direction and having an operation handle 13 fixed to one end (right end); and a chain 17 to be wound up.

The rotating shaft 15 is rotatable around the axis by rotating the operating handle 13 . As a result, by rotating the operation handle 13 in the direction of arrow R1 in FIG. One end of the chain 17 is connected to the take-up part 16 so as to be able to be wound up, and the intermediate part of the chain 17 is provided so as to be wound around the roller 19 and the extending direction is reversed. The other end of the chain 17 (not shown) is fixed to a portion of the vehicle body near the winding portion 16 . Therefore, by rotating the operating handle 13 and the rotary shaft 15 to increase the winding amount of the chain 17 in the winding portion 16, the roller 19 is moved in the direction (forward direction, arrow D1 direction) approaching the winding portion 16. can be made

The link mechanism 11 further includes a brake shaft 20 having one end (front end) connected to the roller 19 and extending in the front-rear direction, and a horizontal lever 21 and a spring member 22 connected to the other end (rear end) of the brake shaft 20 . I have. The brake shaft 20 and the spring member 22 are arranged along substantially the same axis extending in the front-rear direction.

The horizontal lever 21 is a plate member elongated in the left-right direction and having a generally rhomboidal planar shape. Near the left vertex of the horizontal lever 21, the other end side of the brake shaft 20 and one end (front end) side of the spring member 22 are connected. Further, the horizontal lever 21 is provided so as to be rotatable in the horizontal plane via a pin 25 at a position on the right side of the central portion. Therefore, when the brake shaft 20 moves in the direction of arrow D1, the horizontal lever 21 rotates in the direction of arrow R3.

The spring member 22 is configured by a tension coil spring and extends in the front-rear direction in the present embodiment. The other end (rear end) of the spring member 22 is supported by the vehicle body via the detector 30 . A specific configuration of the detection unit 30 will be described later.

The spring member 22 pulls the brake shaft 20 and the roller 19 rearward toward the horizontal lever 21 and exerts an elastic force to rotate the horizontal lever 21 counterclockwise in FIG. Therefore, when the brake shaft 20 moves in the direction of arrow D1 and the horizontal lever 21 rotates in the direction of arrow R3, the spring member 22 expands and exerts a tensile force in those directions.

The link mechanism 11 further includes a support member 28 arranged behind the horizontal lever 21 to support the brake shoe 12 behind the wheel W, and a shaft 29 extending in the longitudinal direction and connecting the support member 28 and the horizontal lever 21. I have. The support member 28 is supported by the vehicle body so as to be able to move forward and backward via a slide mechanism (not shown). One end (front end) of the connecting shaft 29 is connected to the rear side of the horizontal lever 21 and to the left of the pin 25 . Therefore, when the horizontal lever 21 rotates in the direction of the arrow R3, the support member 28 moves forward in the direction of the arrow D2 through the connecting shaft 29, and the brake shoe 12 can be pressed against the wheel W.

Next, the operation of the handbrake device 10 when shifting from the loosened state to the tightened state will be described. Here, in the relaxed state shown in FIG. 1, the spring member 22 is extended from its natural length and applies a predetermined biasing force to the brake shaft 20 and the horizontal lever 21 .

To shift from the loosened state to the tightened state, the operating handle 13 is rotated in the direction of arrow R1 in FIG. As a result, the winding portion 16 rotates in the direction of the arrow R2 via the rotating shaft 15, and the chain 17 is wound around the winding portion 16, so that the roller 19 and the brake shaft 20, which are wound around the chain 17, move forward. move in the direction of arrow D1. Since the brake shaft 20 is connected to the spring member 22, it receives a rearward tensile force from the spring member 22 when moving forward, and the tensile force increases in proportion to the amount of movement of the brake shaft 20. It will be done. The tensile force of the spring member 22 is detected by the detector 30 .

When the brake shaft 20 moves forward due to the rotation of the operating handle 13, the horizontal lever 21 rotates in the direction of arrow R3, and the connecting shaft 29 and the support member 28 move forward in the direction of arrow D2. As a result, the brake shoe 12 also moves forward in the arrow D2 direction and is pressed against the wheel W, resulting in a tightened state as shown in FIG.

A ratchet mechanism (not shown) is provided on the rotating shaft 15. The ratchet mechanism permits rotation in the direction of arrow R1, but restricts rotation in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow R1 via a stopper. Therefore, even if the tensile force of the spring member 22 is transmitted and a force that rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow R1 acts, the rotation is restricted by the ratchet mechanism, and the operation of each component of the link mechanism 11 is also restricted. It becomes possible to maintain a tightened state.

Further, when the stopper of the ratchet mechanism is released in the tightened state, the rotation restriction of the rotary shaft 15 by the stopper is released. As a result, the horizontal lever 21 is allowed to rotate by the tensile force of the spring member 22, and the connecting shaft 29 and the support member 28 are moved rearward to separate the brake shoe 12 from the wheel W (see FIG. 1). becomes. Here, the spring member 22 expands and contracts according to the amount of movement of the brake shaft 20 between the loosened state and the tightened state, and according to the switching operation between the loosened state and the tightened state by the stopper and the operating handle 13. the tensile force changes.

Next, the configuration of the detection unit according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the inside of the detection unit according to the embodiment. In the following description of the detection unit, the left-right direction and the front-rear direction are the same as those described above, and the directions "left", "right", "front", and "rear" are indicated by arrows in FIG. .

As shown in FIG. 3, the detection unit 30 is attached to a bracket 31 that is integrated with the vehicle body of the freight car and constitutes a part of the vehicle body. A bolt 32 that is connected to the rear end of the spring member 22 and extends in the front-rear direction penetrates the bracket 31 , and the rear end side of the spring member 22 is supported by the bracket 31 via the bolt 32 and the detection portion 30 . The bolt 32 is inserted in a hole penetrating the bracket 31 in the thickness direction with a sufficient space.

The detection unit 30 has a load cell 35 fixed to the rear surface side of the bracket 31 via a spacer 33 . The spacer 33 and the load cell 35 are provided at positions surrounding the bolt 32 around its axis. The load cell 35 is provided so as to be able to detect compressive force from the front-rear direction.

The detection unit 30 further includes a cylindrical body 36 into which the bolt 32 is inserted, and a pressing body 37 projecting outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 36 . Two nuts 39 are provided on the rear end side of the bolt 32 so as to contact the rear end of the cylindrical body 36 . The pressing body 37 is provided so as to contact the rear portion of the load cell 35 , and the front end of the cylindrical body 36 is formed so as to be separated from the bracket 31 when they are in contact with each other.

A forward force acts on the bolt 32 when the spring member 22 exerts a tensile force as described above. This force is received by the rear end surface of the cylindrical body 36 via the nut 39, and the front force acts on the cylindrical body 36 as well. The forward force acting on the tubular body 36 is received by the load cell 35 via the pressing body 37 , and while the pressing body 37 presses the load cell 35 , a reaction force against this pressing is applied from the spacer 33 to the load cell 35 , thereby causing the load cell 35 to move. compressive force acts on That is, a compressive force corresponding to the tensile force of the spring member 22 acts on the load cell 35, and the tensile force of the spring member 22 can be detected by detecting the applied compressive force.

The spacer 33 , the load cell 35 , the pressing body 37 and most of the cylindrical body 36 are arranged inside the case 40 . A battery 41 and a substrate 42 are arranged in the space around the cylindrical body 36 in the case 40 , and various chips having a communication function and a detection function for detecting the remaining amount of the battery 41 are mounted on the substrate 42 .

Next, the configuration of the detection system for the handbrake device according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the detection system of the handbrake device according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, a handbrake device detection system 1 (hereinafter referred to as a "detection system") includes a handbrake device 10 provided on each freight car 2 and information transmitted from the handbrake device 10 via an Internet network. and a server 5 communicating via 3. The freight car 2 and the locomotive 6 that pulls it can run on a railway track (not shown).

The server 5 inputs and outputs (interlocks) various types of information with respect to a vehicle management system and a driving support system that are different from the detection system 1 . The server 5 also has a function of transmitting information transmitted from the handbrake device 10 and information processed based on the information. As a specific destination, the information is transmitted to the terminal device 6a carried by the driver of the locomotive 6 or installed in the driver's cab, or to the terminal device 7a at the facility 7 such as a station or command center. The terminal devices 6a and 7a may be dedicated processing devices used for operation of the locomotive 6 or railway operation, or may be general-purpose computers, tablets, or the like.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the handbrake device. As shown in FIG. 5, the handbrake device 10 includes a control unit 101, an input unit 102, a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal reception unit 103, a remaining amount detection unit 104, and a communication unit 105. and have.

The control unit 101 is composed of a central processing unit (CPU) or the like, and controls each part of the handbrake device 10 based on commands, programs, and other input signals received via the communication unit 105 . The control unit 101 functions as means for controlling the timing of detection by the load cell 35, the communication by the communication unit 105, the reception by the GPS signal reception unit 103, the remaining amount detection unit 104, and the like.

The input unit 102 has a function of acquiring the output from the load cell 35 and outputting it to the control unit 101 .

The GPS signal receiving unit 103 has a function of receiving GPS radio waves emitted from the GPS satellites S and outputting them to the control unit 101 . The remaining amount detection unit 104 has a function of detecting the remaining amount of the battery 41 and outputting it to the control unit 101 . The control unit 101 controls the timing and frequency of receiving GPS radio waves by the GPS signal receiving unit 103 and the timing and frequency of detecting the remaining amount of the battery 41 by the remaining amount detection unit 104 .

The communication unit 105 constitutes an external communication interface of the handbrake device 10 . The communication unit 105 has a function of transmitting the output value of the load cell 35, the data received by the GPS signal receiving unit 103, and the remaining battery level detected by the remaining battery level detection unit 104 to the server 5 via the Internet network 3. . The communication unit 105 has a function of receiving various information, programs, instructions, etc. from the server 5 via the Internet network 3 and outputting them to the control unit 101 .

FIG. 6A is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server. As shown in FIG. 6A, the server 5 includes a control unit 121, a storage unit 122, and a communication unit 123.

The control unit 121 is composed of a central processing unit (CPU) or the like, and controls each unit of the server 5 based on a program stored in the storage unit 122 or the like, an output value of the detection unit 30 received by the communication unit 123, and other input signals. Control. Specific functions of the control unit 121 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6B.

The storage unit 122 includes RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The RAM is used as a work area for the control unit 121, and information such as a threshold value calculated by the control unit 121 and the output value of the load cell 35 output from the communication unit 123 is stored via the control unit 121. stored. The ROM stores programs for the control unit 121 to perform various calculations and controls, programs for functioning as applications, data, and the like.

The communication unit 123 constitutes an external communication interface of the handbrake device 10 . The communication unit 123 has a function of transmitting the control program, data, etc. of the handbrake device 10 stored in the storage unit 122 to the handbrake device 10 via the Internet network 3 . The communication unit 123 has a function of receiving the output value and the like of the load cell 35 from the handbrake device 10 via the Internet network 3 and outputting them to the control unit 121 . The communication unit 123 also has a function of transmitting and receiving various types of information to and from the various terminal devices 6a and 7a as well as a vehicle management system and a driving support system that are separate from the detection system 1 .

FIG. 6B is a functional block diagram of the controller. As shown in FIG. 6B, the control unit 121 functions as a calculation unit 121a, an update unit 121b, a comparison determination unit 121c, and a threshold correction unit 121d. These functional blocks are implemented by the control unit 121 executing programs stored in the storage unit 122 . Note that the functional blocks of the control unit 121 shown in FIG. 6B only show the configuration related to the present invention, and other configurations are omitted.

The calculation unit 121 a calculates various values based on information stored in the storage unit 122 . Specifically, based on the output values of the load cell 35 in the loosened state and tightened state stored in the storage unit 122, the calculation unit 121a calculates a threshold for determining these states. The calculation unit 121a also calculates the difference between the current output value, which is the latest output value of the load cell 35, and the past output value detected before the detection of the current output value, and also calculates the absolute value of the difference.

When the communication unit 123 receives the new output value of the load cell 35, the updating unit 121b updates the current output value stored in the storage unit 122 to the previous output value, and stores the latest output value as the current output value. 122.

Based on the comparison between the current output value and the past output value stored in the storage unit 122, the comparison/determination unit 121c determines whether the handbrake device 10 is in the tightened state or whether it is in the tightened state or the released state. The comparison determination unit 121c determines whether switching between the tightening state and the loosening state is being performed based on a comparison between the difference between the current output value and the past output value output by the load cell 35 calculated by the calculation unit 121a and the threshold. judge.

The threshold correction unit 121d corrects the threshold based on the current output value and past output value of the load cell 35, and updates the threshold stored in the storage unit 122. FIG. In the threshold correction unit 121d, correction of the threshold can be performed using the difference between the current output value and the past output value stored in the storage unit 122, the threshold before updating, and various coefficients.

Next, a process for detecting the tightening state and the loosening state of the handbrake device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between time and the output value of the detector. In the graph of FIG. 7 , the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates the output value of the detection unit 30, in other words, the magnitude of the tensile force acting on the spring member 22. In FIG. In the graph of FIG. 7, the black circle mark indicates the output value in the tightened state, and the white circle mark indicates the output value in the relaxed state. Furthermore, in the graph of FIG. 7, the upward triangular mark indicates the threshold for determining switching from the relaxed state to the tightened state, and the downward triangular mark indicates the threshold for determining switching from the tightened state to the relaxed state.

In the handbrake device 10, as shown in the graph of FIG. 7, the relaxed state and the tightened state are alternately repeated. In the graph of FIG. 7, the loosened state and the tightened state are repeated at the same time intervals, but the present invention is not limited to this. Arbitrarily set according to the state. First, a method for setting the threshold will be described below.

When setting the threshold, as shown in FIG. 1, a stopper (not shown) in the ratchet mechanism of the handbrake device 10 is operated to release the brake shoe 12 away from the wheel W. As shown in FIG. In the relaxed state, due to the operation of the link mechanism 11 described above, the output value (pulling force of the spring member 22) is reduced by a predetermined amount compared to the tightened state, as shown in the graph of FIG. Next, the output value of the load cell 35 in the detection unit 30 is acquired at a timing desired by the operator, and the output value is transmitted from the handbrake device 10 to the server 5 via the Internet network 3 . The output value of the detection unit 30 here can be exemplified as the initial value of the output value in the remission state.

Although it is not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the detection unit 30 detects the load cell 35 at regular time intervals, and the detection unit 30 has a physical structure that is waterproof to the outside. switch is not installed. Therefore, the detection unit 30 employs a configuration including a non-contact switch, and the non-contact switch forcibly acquires the output value of the load cell 35 when the magnet approaches. can be exemplified. It should be noted that the use of a switch having a physical structure for the detection unit 30 is not prohibited as long as the desired waterproof performance can be exhibited.

When the server 5 receives the transmitted output value of the load cell 35 in the relaxed state, it stores it in the storage unit 122 . After that, the operator accesses the server 5 via the terminal devices 6a, 7a, etc., and registers the stored output value as the remission output value.

After registering the output value of the released state, the operating handle 13 of the handbrake device 10 is operated to press the brake shoe 12 against the wheel W to put it in a tightened state. In the tightened state, due to the operation of the link mechanism 11 described above, the output value (pulling force of the spring member 22) is increased by a predetermined amount compared to the loosened state, as shown in the graph of FIG. Next, at a timing desired by the operator, the output value of the load cell 35 is acquired in the same manner as described above, and the output value is transmitted from the handbrake device 10 to the server 5 via the Internet network 3 . The output value of the detection unit 30 here can be exemplified as the initial value of the output value in the tightened state.

When the server 5 receives the transmitted output value of the load cell 35 in the tightened state, it stores it in the storage unit 122 . Then, the operator accesses the server 5 through the terminal devices 6a, 7a, etc., and registers the stored output value as the tightened state output value. After that, the calculation unit 121 a of the control unit 121 in the server 5 calculates a threshold based on the output value of the relaxed state and the output value of the tightened state stored in the storage unit 122 . As a calculation formula for this calculation, the following formula (1) can be exemplified.
Threshold = {(relaxed state output value) + (tightened state output value)} x coefficient (1)

Here, the coefficient of the formula (1) is set to a value greater than 0 and less than 1, and it is preferable to calculate the optimum value from experimental data and use it for calculation. For example, if the coefficient is 0.5, it will be the intermediate value between the relaxed state and tightened state output values. In the graph of FIG. 7, a triangular mark represents the threshold when the coefficient is set to 0.5 as an example. As the value of the coefficient increases within the above range, erroneous detection is less likely to occur when the state of the handbrake device does not change between the tightened state and the relaxed state. On the other hand, the smaller the value of the coefficient within the above range, the more difficult it is for the undetected state of the handbrake device to change between the tightened state and the released state. Therefore, the coefficients of formula (1) are adjusted and set to appropriate values in consideration of the above tendency.

By the way, the inventors of the present invention examined a method for comparison with the present embodiment with respect to the process of detecting the tightened state and the released state of the handbrake device. In the comparison method, first, the output values, which are the initial values of the tightened state and the relaxed state, were obtained as described above. Then, as the threshold value of the tightening state in the comparison method, a predetermined range Ra (see FIG. 7) in which the acquired initial value of the tightening state is approximately the middle value is set, and as the threshold value of the relaxed state, the acquired initial value of the relaxed state is set. A predetermined range Rb (see FIG. 7), which is approximately an intermediate value, is set. Then, if the detected value of the tensile force of the spring member 22 falls within these predetermined ranges Ra and Rb, it is determined to be in a tightened state or a loosened state.

However, if there are multiple types of freight cars and handbrake devices, and individual differences occur even in the same type, the tensile force of the spring member in the tightened state and the loosened state may vary over a range wider than the predetermined ranges Ra and Rb. have a nature. In addition, changes in the tensile force of the spring members may also occur due to changes in the handbrake device over time, before and after maintenance, and the like. When the tensile force of the spring member changes in this way and the detection value of the detection unit that detects the tensile force of the spring member does not fall within the predetermined ranges Ra and Rb, it becomes impossible to determine the tightening state and the loosening state. was there.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to solve this problem, the tightened state and released state of the handbrake device 10 are detected as described below. A flow for detecting the tightening state and the loosening state of the handbrake device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flow diagram showing the flow of detection of the tightened state and relaxed state.

Here, in the handbrake device 10, switching between the tightened state and the relaxed state is performed at intervals of several hours to several days. is carried out. The output value of the detection unit 30 is transmitted from the handbrake device 10 to the server 5 via the Internet network 3 in the same manner as described above, and is continuously stored.

The server 5 stores the received latest output value of the detection unit 30 as a current output value (step (hereinafter referred to as "S") 101). Also, the current output value detected and registered immediately before the current output value is detected is stored as the previous output value (past output value) (S102). That is, when receiving a new output value, the control unit 121 of the server 5 updates the current output value stored in the storage unit 122 to the previous output value, and stores the latest output value in the storage unit 122 as the current output value. The update unit 121b controls to store the information.

After performing S102, the calculation unit 121a of the control unit 121 in the server 5 calculates a difference obtained by subtracting the previous output value from the current output value (S103). Then, the comparison determination unit 121c of the control unit 121 compares the absolute value of the difference calculated in S103 with the threshold value calculated as described above (S104). If the absolute value of the difference is equal to or less than the threshold (S104: No, |difference|≤threshold), the comparison/determination unit 121c determines that switching between the tightened state and the relaxed state has not been performed, and returns to S101. In other words, when the absolute value of the difference is equal to or less than the threshold, the output value does not change in two consecutive detections by the detection unit 30, or the output value changes but the amount of change is small, and the vibration and temperature It is assumed that it is only a change due to factors such as. Therefore, it is assumed that the state of use of the handbrake device 10 is maintained without change, and control is performed so that detection by the detection unit 30 is continued.

Conversely, if the absolute value of the difference is greater than the threshold (S104: Yes, |difference|>threshold), the comparison/determination unit 121c determines that switching between the tightened state and the relaxed state is being performed. perform the processing to proceed to In other words, two consecutive detections by the detection unit 30 result in a change in the tensile force of the spring member 22 that is considerably larger than the change due to factors such as vibration and temperature, and the output value changes greatly in the graph of FIG. Then, a switch is made between the tightened state and the relaxed state.

After it is determined that |difference|>threshold in S104, the comparison determination unit 121c determines whether the difference is greater than 0 (whether the current output value is greater than the previous output value) (S105). If the difference is greater than 0 (S105: Yes, difference > 0), the current output value becomes greater than the previous output value and the tensile force of the spring member 22 increases, so it is determined that the relaxed state has been switched to the tightened state. (S106). If the difference is 0 or less (S105: No, difference ≤ 0), the current output value becomes smaller than the previous output value and the tensile force of the spring member 22 decreases, so that the tightened state is switched to the loosened state. (S107). The determination results of S106 and S107 are controlled to be transmitted from the server 5 to various systems and the terminal devices 6a and 7a as the detection results of the tightening state and the loosening state of the handbrake device 10. FIG. As a result, the driver, the station staff, etc. can be made aware of the state of the handbrake device 10 by the display on the display, the generation of an alarm, or the like.

According to the above process, the difference between the current output value and the previous output value is calculated, and the difference is compared with the threshold to determine whether the handbrake device 10 has switched between the tightening state and the loosening state. It is possible to determine (detect) whether In other words, unlike the comparison method described above, the hand brake is applied according to the amount of change between the output value a predetermined time ago and the current output value, instead of determining whether or not the output value falls within the predetermined ranges Ra and Rb of FIG. The state of the device 10 can be determined. As a result, the link mechanism 11 and the handbrake device 10 are of a plurality of types, and the state of the handbrake device 10 can be determined even if the detection values vary due to individual differences and changes in the spring member 22 over time. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the influence of the variation. As a result, it is possible to stably determine whether the handbrake device 10 is tightened or loosened.

By the way, in the above description, the case where the threshold value is kept unchanged has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and when the output value in the tightening state and the loosening state changes, the threshold value is corrected according to the change. You may make it In this case, after performing S106 and S107 in the flow of FIG. 8, the process of correcting the threshold value is performed.

When correcting the threshold, it can be exemplified by calculating the threshold using the correction formula of the following formula (2).
Threshold=|difference|×coefficient×α+previous threshold×(1−α) (2)

In equation (2), the difference is a value obtained by subtracting the previous output value from the current output value. The coefficient is set to a value greater than 0 and less than 1 as in equation (1), and "α" is also set to a value greater than 0 and less than 1. For the coefficient and "α", the optimum values are preferably calculated from experimental data and used for calculation, and an example is setting the coefficient to 0.5 and "α" to 0.3. Here, for "α", as the value increases within the above range, it becomes easier to set a threshold that responds well to changes in the output value over time. On the other hand, as the value of "α" decreases within the above range, it is possible to avoid a large change in the threshold due to sudden changes in the output value. Therefore, "α" in formula (2) is adjusted and set to an appropriate value in consideration of the above tendency. The flow of threshold correction processing will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram relating to the flow of threshold correction processing.

As shown in FIG. 9A, when the relaxed state at time t0 is switched to the tightened state at time t1, the threshold used for the determination process is "threshold (t0)". At this time, the difference between the current output value and the previous output value at time t1 is calculated as "difference (t1)". After determining the switching to the tightening state at time t1, the threshold correction unit 121d of the control unit 121 in the server 5 calculates the threshold (t1) shown in FIG. ), and stored in the storage unit 122 . The calculation of the threshold value (t1) is performed by the correction formula of the following formula (2a) obtained by substituting the above condition into the formula (2).
Threshold (t1)=|difference (t1)|×coefficient×α+threshold (t0)×(1−α)
(2a)

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9C, when the tightening state at time t1 is switched to the relaxed state at time t2, the threshold used for the determination process is the "threshold (t1)”. At this time, the difference between the current output value and the previous output value at time t1 is calculated as "difference (t2)". After determining the switching to the remission state at time t2, the threshold correction unit 121d of the control unit 121 in the server 5 calculates the threshold (t2) shown in FIG. ), and stored in the storage unit 122 . The calculation of the threshold value (t2) is performed by the correction formula of the following formula (2b) obtained by substituting the above condition into the formula (2).
Threshold (t2)=|difference (t2)|×coefficient×α+threshold (t1)×(1−α)
(2b)

When the relaxed state at time t2 is switched to the tightened state (not shown) after that, the threshold used for the determination process is the "threshold (t2)" corrected by the calculation of formula (2b). be. In the illustrated example, since the absolute value of the difference (t1) and the absolute value of the difference (t2) are the same, the threshold (t1) and the threshold (t2) are the same.

As a result, for example, when the output value in the tightening state decreases with time as shown in FIG. can be corrected. Therefore, even if the output value of the detection unit 30 changes with time and the value of the difference between the current output value and the previous output value changes, the threshold value can also be changed accordingly. As a result, it is possible to prevent the tightening state and the loosening state of the handbrake device 10 from becoming undeterminable during use, and the determination can be made more stably.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications. In the above embodiments, the sizes, shapes, directions, etc. shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited to these, and can be changed as appropriate within the scope of exhibiting the effects of the present invention. In addition, it is possible to carry out by appropriately modifying the present invention as long as it does not deviate from the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the server 5 performs the use state determination process and the threshold value correction process in the handbrake device 10. Alternatively, the control unit 101 may perform the processing.

In addition, in the processing in the above embodiment, the previous output value detected immediately before the current output value is used as the past output value. value.

Further, in detecting the state of use of the handbrake device 10, in the above-described embodiment, the process of detecting both the tightened state and the loosened state is performed, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the loosened state is not detected. A process of detecting whether or not it is in a tightened state may also be performed.

In addition, in the processing in the above embodiment, the same threshold is used for each determination from the loosened state to the tightened state and from the tightened state to the relaxed state, but different thresholds may be used for them. In this case, when comparing the difference between the current output value and the previous output value and the threshold, the process of calculating the absolute value of the difference may be omitted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a detection system for detecting the tightness of a handbrake device provided on a vehicle running on a railroad track.

1 detection system 2 wagon (vehicle)
5 Server 10 Handbrake Device 22 Spring Member 30 Detection Part 121a Calculation Part 121c Comparison Judgment Part 121d Threshold Correction Part 122 Storage Part 123 Communication Part

Claims (5)

A detection system for detecting a tightening state of a handbrake device provided in a vehicle running on a railroad track,
The handbrake device includes a spring member whose tensile force changes according to a switching operation between a relaxed state and a tightened state,
a detection unit that detects the tensile force of the spring member at predetermined intervals;
The comparison/determination unit determines whether or not the handbrake device is in a tightened state based on a comparison between the current output value of the detection unit and a past output value detected before the detection of the current output value. Sensing system of hand brake device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the comparison determination unit determines whether the handbrake device is in a tightened state or a released state based on a comparison between a current output value and a past output value of the detection unit. , hand brake device detection system. a calculation unit that calculates the difference between the current output value and the past output value of the detection unit;
Further comprising a storage unit that stores a threshold value for comparison with the difference calculated by the calculation unit,
3. The detection of the handbrake device according to claim 2, wherein the comparison determination unit determines whether the handbrake device is in a tightened state or a relaxed state based on a comparison between the difference and the threshold value. system. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a threshold correction unit that corrects the threshold based on the current output value and past output value of the detection unit and updates the threshold stored in the storage unit. Detection system of the handbrake device. Further comprising a server having a communication unit capable of receiving the output value of the detection unit,
5. A detection system for a handbrake device according to claim 4, wherein said server comprises said calculation unit, said storage unit, said comparison determination unit, and said threshold value correction unit.

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