JP7654385B2 - Air compressor and air suction device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air compression device and an air suction device.

In railway vehicles, compressed air is used as a driving source for door opening and closing devices, braking devices, etc. For this reason, railway vehicles are equipped with air compression devices to generate compressed air (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Some air compression devices used in railway vehicles have a compressor housed in a casing that is mounted on the vehicle. The casing is formed with an intake port for introducing air to be sucked in by the compressor, and an intake filter is attached to the intake port to remove dust and other particles that may be mixed in with the outside air. The discharge section of the compressor located inside the casing is connected to an external compressed air tank through piping.

JP 2014-152744 A

In conventional air compression devices, if the intake filter attached to the casing's intake becomes clogged with dust, if a large foreign object such as a plastic bag adheres to the intake filter, or if snow or ice accumulates on the intake filter, the amount of air that the compressor actually needs to take in is greatly restricted. This results in an increased load on the compressor, which increases the amount of heat generated by the compressor, or a shortage of intake air causes delays in filling the compressed air tank with air.

The present invention provides an air compressor and an air suction device that can introduce sufficient air to the intake side even when the airflow resistance of the main filter on the intake side increases.

An air compression device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a compressor that compresses and discharges intake air, a casing that houses the compressor and has a main intake port and an auxiliary intake port for introducing the air intake by the compressor, a main intake port filter that filters the air introduced into the main intake port, and an opening/closing mechanism that opens the auxiliary intake port when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing reaches a predetermined value or greater, thereby allowing air outside the casing to flow into the casing, wherein the auxiliary intake port is positioned at a position where the upstream part of the air flow does not communicate with the main intake port filter, and the casing is provided with a cover portion that covers the auxiliary intake port from the outside of the wall that forms the main intake port of the casing and forms an opening that opens vertically downward, and the opening is provided independently from the main intake port.

With the above configuration, when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing does not reach a predetermined value, the opening and closing mechanism closes the auxiliary intake port. In this case, outside air is sucked into the intake section of the compressor through the main intake port filter. On the other hand, when the airflow resistance of the main intake port filter section increases and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing exceeds a predetermined value, the opening and closing mechanism opens the auxiliary intake port. In this case, outside air is sucked into the intake section of the compressor through the auxiliary intake port. Therefore, even if the airflow resistance of the main intake port filter section increases, sufficient air can be introduced into the intake side of the compressor.

The opening and closing mechanism may include a lid body that is movable between an open position where the auxiliary air intake is open and a closed position where the auxiliary air intake is closed, and a regulating part that regulates the lid body in the closed position, the regulating part releasing the regulation when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing reaches or exceeds a predetermined value.

The restricting portion may be a spring that applies an elastic force to the lid body toward the closed position.

A stopper member may be provided to restrict further opening of the lid when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing exceeds the predetermined value and the displacement of the lid in the opening direction exceeds a predetermined amount.

The opening and closing mechanism may include a lid that is movable between an open position where the auxiliary intake port is open and a closed position where the auxiliary intake port is closed, a detector that detects whether the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing is greater than or equal to the predetermined value based on at least one of the pressure inside the casing, the discharge flow rate of the compressor, and the heat generation amount of the compressor, and an actuator that moves the lid to the open position when the detector detects that the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing is greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

The detector detects whether the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing is greater than or equal to the predetermined value based on at least one of the discharge flow rate and the heat generation amount of the compressor, and the compressor has an intake air inlet which draws in air that has flowed into the inside of the casing, and an intake filter which filters the air drawn in through the intake air inlet, and may be provided with an intake filter alarm which alerts of a decrease in the ventilation function of the intake filter when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing continues to be detected as being greater than or equal to the predetermined value even when the actuator operates in the direction of opening the lid.

The auxiliary air intake may be fitted with an auxiliary filter having lower collection performance than the main air intake filter.

It may also be provided with an open alarm that notifies the user that the auxiliary air intake has been opened by the opening/closing mechanism.

A cooling fan may be disposed inside the casing which sends outside air that has flowed into the casing through the main intake filter to the compressor as cooling air when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing is not greater than the predetermined value, and which sends outside air that has flowed into the casing through the auxiliary intake port opened by the opening and closing mechanism to the compressor as cooling air when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing is greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

The casing may be mounted underneath the body of the railway vehicle.

It is desirable that the intake side of the auxiliary air intake be open and facing in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the railway vehicle.

One form of the air suction device of the present invention comprises a suction machine that sucks in air, a casing that houses the suction machine and has a main suction port and an auxiliary suction port for introducing the air sucked by the suction machine, a main suction port filter that filters the air introduced into the main suction port, and an opening and closing mechanism that opens the auxiliary suction port when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing reaches a predetermined value or greater, thereby allowing air outside the casing to flow into the casing, wherein the auxiliary suction port is positioned at a position where the upstream part of the air flow does not communicate with the main suction port filter, and the casing is provided with a cover portion that covers the auxiliary suction port from the outside of the wall that forms the main suction port of the casing and forms an opening that opens vertically downward, and the opening is provided independently from the main suction port.

With the above configuration, when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the opening and closing mechanism closes the auxiliary suction port. In this case, outside air is sucked into the suction section of the suction machine through the main suction port filter. On the other hand, when the airflow resistance of the main suction port filter increases and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the opening and closing mechanism opens the auxiliary suction port. In this case, outside air is sucked into the suction section of the suction machine through the auxiliary suction port. Therefore, even if the ventilation function of the main suction port filter is reduced, sufficient air can be introduced into the suction side of the suction machine.

In the above-described air compression device, when the airflow resistance of the intake filter increases significantly, the auxiliary intake port is opened by the opening/closing mechanism, so that sufficient air can be introduced into the intake side of the compressor.
In addition, in the above-mentioned air suction device, when the air resistance of the main suction port filter increases significantly, the auxiliary suction port is opened by the opening and closing mechanism, so that sufficient air can be introduced into the suction side of the suction machine.

1 is a schematic side view of a railway vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic plan view of a railway vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view of an air compression device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a front view of an air compression device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the air compression device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to the portion V in FIG. 3 . 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an operating state of an air compression device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an operating state of an air compression device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an operating state of an air compression device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an operating state of an air compression device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an operating state of the air compression device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an operating state of the air compression device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of an air compression device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment described below, the same reference numerals will be used to designate common parts, and some overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

<Railway vehicles>
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a railway vehicle 100 equipped with an air compression device 1 according to an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1 , the air compression devices 1 are provided below a car body 100 a of a railway vehicle 100 , for example, two of them.
In the following description, the direction in which the railcar 100 travels is referred to as the “traveling direction,” and the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction is referred to as the “car width direction.” Additionally, “upper” and “lower” refer to the upper and lower sides of the railcar 100 when it is placed on the rails 103 (see FIG. 2 ).

The air compressor 1 draws in outside air and generates compressed air for use in the railcar 100. That is, the compressed air generated by the air compressor 1 is used to operate pneumatic equipment such as brake devices and door opening and closing devices mounted on the railcar 100.

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a railway vehicle 100 showing the arrangement of the air compression device 1. In Fig. 2, the air compression device 1, a rail 103 (track) on which the railway vehicle 100 runs, and sleepers 102 are shown by two-dot chain lines.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the two air compression devices 1 are arranged side by side in the front and rear along the traveling direction of the vehicle, but the number of air compression devices 1 mounted may be one.

<Air Compression Device of First Embodiment>
Fig. 3 is a side view of the air compressor 1 of the first embodiment as seen from the traveling direction, Fig. 4 is a front view of the same air compressor 1 as seen from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view cut along the vehicle width direction) of a portion of the air compressor 1 corresponding to the V portion in Fig. 3.
The air compression device 1 includes a compressor 10 that compresses and discharges the intake air, a cooling fan 11 that sends cooling air to the compressor 10, and a casing 12 that houses the compressor 10 and the cooling fan 11. The casing 12 of this embodiment includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing body 13 having an opening 9 (see FIG. 5) on one end side in the vehicle width direction, and an end cover 14 that is detachably attached to the end of the casing body 13 on the opening 9 side. The opening 9 of the casing body 13 is disposed near the upper part of the wall on one end side of the casing body 13. A main intake port 15 that opens vertically downward is formed between the wall on one end side of the casing body 13 and the end cover 14. A main intake port filter 16 that filters the air (outside air) introduced into the casing 12 through the main intake port 15 is attached to the main intake port 15.

The compressor 10 is driven by an electric motor (not shown). The type (structure) of the compressor 10 can be, for example, a scroll type. The compressor 10 of this embodiment has a compressor body 10A that compresses and discharges the intake air, and an intake introduction section 10B that is connected to the intake side of the compressor body 10A and draws in the air that has flowed into the inside of the casing 12. An introduction section filter 17 is installed inside the intake introduction section 10B to filter the air that has been drawn in through the intake port 10Ba of the intake introduction section 10B. The discharge side of the compressor body 10A is connected to a discharge pipe 19 (see Figures 6 and 7) that leads to an external compressed air tank 18 (see Figures 6 and 7).

A horizontally long rectangular auxiliary air intake 20 is formed on the end face of the end cover 14 near the top. The auxiliary air intake 20 penetrates the wall of the casing body 13 at a position facing the opening 9. The auxiliary air intake 20 can introduce outside air into the casing 12. An opening/closing mechanism 21 that opens and closes the auxiliary air intake 20 is attached to the end cover 14.

The opening/closing mechanism 21 includes a cover 22 that can move between an open position where the auxiliary intake 20 is open and a closed position where the auxiliary intake 20 is closed, and a spring 23 that applies an elastic force to the cover 22 toward the closed position. The cover 22 includes a horizontally elongated rectangular plate 22a that is slightly larger than the auxiliary intake 20, and a seal member 22b attached to the peripheral edge of the plate 22a. The upper edge of the cover 22 is rotatably supported on the upper edge of the auxiliary intake 20 of the end cover 14 inside the casing 12. The cover 22 is rotatably attached to the end cover 14 by a hinge 24. The hinge 24 is assembled with the spring 23 that applies an elastic force to the cover 22 around a support shaft 24a that extends along the upper side of the auxiliary intake 20. In this embodiment, the spring 23 is configured by a torsion spring.

The lid body 22 receives the elastic force of the spring 23, and the seal member 22b on the peripheral edge of the plate material 22a comes into tight contact with the periphery of the auxiliary air intake 20. The lid body 22 thereby closes the auxiliary air intake 20 from inside the casing 12. The air pressure inside the casing 12 acts on the surface of the lid body 22 facing the inside of the casing 12, and the air pressure outside the casing 12 (outside air) acts on the surface of the lid body 22 facing the auxiliary air intake 20. The lid body 22 opens and closes the auxiliary air intake 20 depending on the balance between the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 and the pressing force of the spring 23.

In a situation (normal situation) in which the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 has not increased above a predetermined value, the opening/closing mechanism 21, which is equipped with a lid 22 and a spring 23, closes the auxiliary intake port 20 with the lid 22 receiving the elastic force of the spring 23. If, from this state, the main intake port filter 16 becomes clogged, or large foreign matter adheres, or snow or ice accumulates, causing the airflow resistance of the main intake port filter 16 to increase and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 to exceed a predetermined value, the lid 22 of the opening/closing mechanism 21 opens the auxiliary intake port 20.
In this embodiment, the spring 23 of the hinge 24 constitutes a restricting portion that restricts the lid body 22 to the closed position. The spring 23 releases the restriction of the lid body 22 in the closed position when the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the casing 12 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

A stopper member 25 is attached to the lower edge of the auxiliary intake port 20 of the end cover 14, to restrict excessive displacement of the lid body 22 in the opening direction within the casing 12. The stopper member 25 has a locking claw 25a that is bent in a substantially L-shape in the direction of the rotation path of the lid body 22 at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the wall of the end cover 14 where the auxiliary intake port 20 is formed. A part of the locking claw 25a is positioned within the rotation path of the lid body 22.
When the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 becomes greater than a predetermined value and the displacement of the lid body 22 in the opening direction exceeds a predetermined amount, the stopper member 25 restricts further opening displacement of the lid body 22 by the locking claw 25a abutting the lower edge of the lid body 22.

The end cover 14 (casing 12) is provided with a cover portion 26 that covers the periphery of the auxiliary air intake 20 from the outside of the end cover 14 and opens vertically downward. The cover portion 26 covers the front of the auxiliary air intake 20 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, as well as the upper and left and right sides (sides in the direction of travel), and has an opening portion 26a on the lower side that opens vertically downward. When the auxiliary air intake 20 is opened by the lid body 22, outside air is introduced into the inside of the casing 12 through the opening portion 26a of the cover portion 26 and the auxiliary air intake 20.

Here, the cooling fan 11 arranged inside the casing 12 sends the outside air that has flowed into the inside of the casing 12 through the main intake filter 16 to the compressor 10 as cooling air when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Also, when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 increases to or exceeds a predetermined value due to clogging of the main intake filter 16, the cooling fan 11 sends the outside air that has flowed in from the auxiliary intake 20 opened by the opening/closing mechanism 21 to the compressor 10 as cooling air.

In the air compression device 1 of this embodiment, the suction sides of the main intake 15 and auxiliary intake 20, which take in outside air into the casing 12, are open so as to face in a direction approximately perpendicular to the traveling direction of the railway vehicle 100. In other words, the suction side of the main intake 15 is open so as to face vertically downward, and the suction side of the auxiliary intake 20 is open vertically downward by the opening 26a of the cover portion 26.

<Operation of the air compression device>
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operating state of the air compressor 1 in a normal state (when the airflow resistance of the main intake filter 16 is less than a predetermined value).
When the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the opening/closing mechanism 21 closes the auxiliary air intake 20, as shown in Fig. 6. When the compressor 10 and the cooling fan 11 are operated in this state, the air outside the casing 12 (outside air) is subjected to their suction force, passes through the main air intake filter 16, and is introduced into the casing 12. The air introduced into the casing 12 is sucked into the compressor body 10A from the intake air introduction part 10B of the compressor 10, pressurized by the compressor body 10A, and discharged as compressed air. The compressed air discharged from the compressor body 10A passes through the discharge piping 19 and fills the compressed air tank 18.

As described above, while the air compressor 1 is operating, outside air passes through the main intake filter 16 and is introduced into the casing 12, so that relatively large dust particles mixed in the outside air are removed by the main intake filter 16. In addition, dust particles that pass through the meshes of the main intake filter 16 and enter the inside of the casing 12 are removed by the introduction filter 17 provided in the intake introduction section 10B of the compressor 10.
The intake filter 17 has finer mesh than the main intake filter 16 .

In addition, a portion of the air that passes through the main intake filter 16 and is introduced into the casing 12 is sent to the compressor 10 as cooling air by the cooling fan 11. This allows the compressor 10 to be cooled by the relatively low-temperature outside air. As a result, the temperature rise of the compressor 10 is suppressed, and the compression performance of the compressor 10 is maintained at a good level.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air compression device 1, showing an operating state when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 increases to or exceeds a predetermined value.
When the airflow resistance of the main intake filter 16 increases, the introduction of outside air into the casing 12 through the main intake 15 is hindered. As a result, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 gradually increases, and when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 exceeds a predetermined value, the pressure difference overcomes the elastic force of the spring 23 and pushes open the lid 22 of the opening/closing mechanism 21, as shown in Fig. 7. As a result, the auxiliary intake 20 of the casing 12 is opened by the lid 22, and outside air is sucked into the compressor body 10A from the intake introduction part 10B of the compressor 10 through the auxiliary intake 20. The compressed air generated in the compressor body 10A is filled into the compressed air tank 18 through the discharge piping 19.

When the auxiliary air intake 20 is forced open by the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 as described above, outside air flows directly into the casing 12 through the auxiliary air intake 20. However, at this time, the outside air flows into the auxiliary air intake 20 through the opening 26a of the cover portion 26 that opens vertically downward (see Figures 3 and 4), so dust mixed in the outside air is less likely to enter the inside of the cover portion 26.
6 and 7, an auxiliary filter 35 may be installed in the auxiliary air intake 20. It is preferable that the auxiliary filter 35 used here has a coarser mesh than the main air intake filter 16.
6 and 7, an opening detection sensor 30 may be provided to detect that the lid 22 is open, and an opening notification device 31 may be activated when the opening detection sensor 30 detects that the lid 22 is open. The opening notification device 31 may be anything that can notify the driver or the vehicle manager that the lid 22 is open, and may be, for example, a lamp, a chime, a buzzer, or the like.

In addition, a portion of the air introduced into the casing 12 through the auxiliary air intake 20 is sent to the compressor 10 as cooling air by the cooling fan 11. This allows the compressor 10 to be cooled by the relatively low-temperature outside air.

Effects of the First Embodiment
As described above, in the air compression device 1 of this embodiment, when the air flow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 increases and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 exceeds a predetermined value, the auxiliary air intake 20 of the casing 12 is opened by the opening/closing mechanism 21, so that sufficient air can be introduced into the intake side of the compressor 10. Therefore, when the air compression device 1 of this embodiment is employed, even if the air flow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 increases, it is possible to suppress an increase in the load on the compressor 10 due to a shortage of intake air and a delay in filling the compressed air tank 18 with air.

In the air compressor 1 of this embodiment, the opening/closing mechanism 21 includes a cover 22 that can move between an open position and a closed position, and a restricting portion (spring 23) that restricts the cover 22 to the closed position. When the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 reaches or exceeds a predetermined value, the restricting portion (spring 23) releases the restriction of the cover 22 from the closed position. For this reason, when the air compressor 1 of this embodiment is employed, the auxiliary air intake 20 can be opened when the air flow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 increases, without using a large-scale device such as an actuator.
In this embodiment, the spring 23 is used as a restricting portion that restricts the lid body 22 to the closed position, but the restricting portion is not necessarily limited to the spring 23. For example, the restricting portion that restricts the lid body 22 to the closed position may be formed of a fragile member that breaks when a load equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied thereto.
In addition, in this embodiment, the cover body 22 rotates around the support axis 24a of the hinge 24 to open and close the auxiliary air intake port 20, but the cover body 22 may also be slid along the wall surface of the casing 12 to open and close the auxiliary air intake port 20.

However, in the air compression device 1 of this embodiment, the regulating portion is composed of the spring 23 that applies an elastic force to the cover body 22 toward the closed position. Therefore, if the ventilation of the main intake filter 16 is temporarily reduced due to the accumulation of snow or the like, the cover body 22 can naturally return to its original closed position when the ventilation of the main intake filter 16 is restored.
Furthermore, when the spring 23 is used as the restricting portion, the pressure at which the lid 22 starts to open can be easily adjusted by adjusting the initial load of the spring 23, for example.

The air compressor 1 of this embodiment also includes a stopper member 25 that restricts the further opening of the lid 22 when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 exceeds a predetermined value and the displacement of the lid 22 in the opening direction exceeds a predetermined amount. This allows the stopper member 25 to restrict excessive opening displacement of the lid 22. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, it is possible to avoid the lid 22 interfering with other components in the casing 12 when the auxiliary intake port 20 is opened, and to prevent damage to the lid 22 and other components.

In addition, in the air compression device 1 of this embodiment, a cover part 26 that covers the auxiliary air intake 20 from the outside of the casing 12 is attached to the casing 12, and the opening 26a of the cover part 26 opens vertically downward. Therefore, when the auxiliary air intake 20 is opened by the lid body 22, it is possible to prevent dust, snow, etc. mixed in the outside air from directly entering the auxiliary air intake 20 as much as possible.

In addition, in the air compression device 1 of this embodiment, when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the cooling fan 11 in the casing 12 sends the outside air that has flowed into the casing 12 through the main intake filter 16 to the compressor 10 as cooling air. When the airflow resistance of the main intake filter 16 increases and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the cooling fan 11 in the casing 12 sends the outside air that has flowed into the inside of the casing 12 through the auxiliary intake 20 to the compressor 10 as cooling air. Therefore, when the airflow resistance of the main intake filter 16 increases due to clogging or the like, sufficient outside air that has flowed in through the auxiliary intake 20 can be blown to the compressor 10 by the cooling fan 11. Therefore, when the air compression device 1 of this embodiment is used, even if the air flow resistance of the main intake filter 16 increases, the compressor 10 can be reliably cooled by outside air, and the performance of the compressor 10 can be prevented from decreasing due to heat generation by the compressor 10.

Furthermore, since the air compression device 1 of this embodiment is attached below the car body 100a of the railway vehicle 100, the casing 12 and the air introduced into it can be efficiently cooled by utilizing the wind generated when the railway vehicle 100 is moving.

In addition, in the air compression device 1 of this embodiment, the intake side of the auxiliary air intake 20 opens in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the railway vehicle 100. Therefore, when the auxiliary air intake 20 is opened while the railway vehicle 100 is running, it is possible to efficiently prevent dust, snow, etc. from entering the auxiliary air intake 20 due to the running wind.

In addition, as shown by the two-dot chain lines in Figures 6 and 7, if an auxiliary filter 35 with lower collection performance than the main intake filter 16 is installed in the auxiliary intake 20 of the casing 12, it is possible to more reliably prevent external dust from entering the casing 12 through the auxiliary intake 20 when the auxiliary intake 20 is opened.

In addition, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, if an open alarm 31 is provided to notify that the auxiliary air intake 20 has been opened by the opening/closing mechanism 21, the driver or railway manager can be quickly notified that the main air intake filter 16 needs to be inspected, replaced, cleaned, etc.

<Air Compression Device of Second Embodiment>
8 and 9 are schematic cross-sectional views of the air compression device 101 of the second embodiment. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the operating state of the air compression device 101 when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is less than a predetermined value, and Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the operating state of the air compression device 101 when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
The air compressor 101 of this embodiment has the same configuration as the air compressor 1 of the first embodiment, except for the configuration of an opening/closing mechanism 121 that opens and closes the auxiliary intake port 20 of the casing 12. For this reason, the configuration of the air compressor 101 will be described below, focusing on the opening/closing mechanism 121.

The opening/closing mechanism 121 includes a lid 22 that can move between an open position where the auxiliary air intake 20 is open and a closed position where the auxiliary air intake 20 is closed, a pressure sensor 41 that detects the pressure inside the casing 12, and an electric motor 40 that moves the lid 22 to the open position when the pressure sensor 41 detects a detection value indicating that the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 has reached a predetermined value or greater. The lid 22 is rotatably supported by the casing 12, and is rotated by the driving force of the motor 40. The motor 40 is controlled by a control device 42.

The pressure sensor 41 can detect an increase in the airflow resistance of the main air intake filter 16. In other words, when the airflow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 increases due to clogging or the like, the pressure inside the casing 12 gradually decreases as the airflow resistance increases. Therefore, by checking whether the pressure inside the casing 12 is below a predetermined value, it is possible to determine whether the airflow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 has increased.

The motor 40 constitutes an actuator that moves the lid 22 between the closed position and the open position. In this embodiment, the motor 40 constitutes the actuator, but the actuator is not limited to the motor 40 and may be a hydraulic actuator or a pneumatic actuator.

The control device 42 is also connected to an opening alarm 31. When the pressure sensor 41 detects that the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 has reached a predetermined value or more and the signal is input to the control device 42, the control device 42 controls the motor 40 to operate the lid body 22 in the opening direction and activates the opening alarm 31. This makes it possible to notify the driver or vehicle manager that the auxiliary air intake 20 has been opened.

<Operation of the air compression device>
As shown in Fig. 8, while the pressure sensor 41 does not detect an increase in the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 (the pressure difference becoming equal to or greater than a predetermined value), the opening/closing mechanism 121 closes the auxiliary air intake 20. When the compressor 10 and the cooling fan 11 are operated in this state, the air outside the casing 12 (outside air) is subjected to their suction force and passes through the main air intake filter 16 and is introduced into the casing 12. The air introduced into the casing 12 is sucked into the compressor body 10A from the intake air introduction part 10B of the compressor 10, pressurized by the compressor body 10A, and discharged as compressed air. The compressed air discharged from the compressor body 10A passes through the discharge piping 19 and fills the compressed air tank 18.

As described above, while the air compressor 101 is operating, relatively large dust particles mixed in the outside air are removed by the main air intake filter 16. Dust particles that pass through the meshes of the main air intake filter 16 and enter the inside of the casing 12 are removed by the intake filter 17 provided in the intake air introduction section 10B of the compressor 10.

A portion of the air that passes through the main intake filter 16 and is introduced into the casing 12 is sent to the compressor 10 as cooling air by the cooling fan 11. This allows the compressor 10 to be cooled by the relatively low-temperature outside air. As a result, the temperature rise of the compressor 10 is suppressed, the compression performance of the compressor 10 is maintained well, and compressed air can be quickly filled into the compressed air tank 18.

When the pressure sensor 41 detects an increase in the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 (the pressure difference exceeds a predetermined value), the motor 40 of the opening and closing mechanism 121 moves the lid 22 to the open position under the control of the control device 42, as shown in FIG. 9. As a result, the auxiliary intake port 20 of the casing 12 is opened by the lid 22, and outside air is sucked into the compressor body 10A from the intake introduction section 10B of the compressor 10 through the auxiliary intake port 20. The compressed air generated by the compressor body 10A is filled into the compressed air tank 18 through the discharge piping 19.

In addition, a portion of the air introduced into the casing 12 through the auxiliary air intake 20 is sent to the compressor 10 as cooling air by the cooling fan 11. This allows the compressor 10 to be cooled by the relatively low-temperature outside air.

Effects of the Second Embodiment
As described above, in the air compression device 101 of this embodiment, when the air flow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 increases and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 exceeds a predetermined value, the auxiliary air intake 20 of the casing 12 is opened by the opening/closing mechanism 121, so that sufficient air can be introduced into the intake side of the compressor 10. Therefore, when the air compression device 101 of this embodiment is employed, even if the air flow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 increases, it is possible to suppress an increase in the load on the compressor 10 due to a shortage of intake air and a delay in filling the compressed air tank 18 with air.

In particular, in the air compression device 101 of this embodiment, an increase in the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 (when the pressure difference reaches or exceeds a predetermined value) is detected by a detector (pressure sensor 41), and the actuator (motor 40) can open the lid 22 based on the detection result. Therefore, when the air compression device 101 of this embodiment is employed, the actuator (motor 40) can quickly and reliably open the auxiliary air intake 20 when the air flow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 increases.

In addition, the air compression device 101 of this embodiment is provided with an open alarm 31 that notifies the driver or railway manager that the main air intake filter 16 needs to be inspected, replaced, cleaned, etc., because the open alarm 31 notifies the driver or railway manager that the main air intake filter 16 needs to be inspected, replaced, cleaned, etc.

<Air Compression Device of Third Embodiment>
10 and 11 are schematic cross-sectional views of an air compressor 201 according to a third embodiment. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the operating state of the air compressor 201 when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is less than a predetermined value, and Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the operating state of the air compressor 201 when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
The air compressor 201 of this embodiment has a similar configuration to the air compressor 101 of the second embodiment, except for the configuration of the control system of the opening/closing mechanism 121 that opens and closes the auxiliary intake port 20 of the casing 12. For this reason, the configuration of the air compressor 201 will be described below, focusing on the differences from the air compressor 101 of the second embodiment.

The opening/closing mechanism 121 includes a cover 22 that can move between an open position where the auxiliary intake 20 is open and a closed position where the auxiliary intake 20 is closed, a temperature sensor 44 that detects the temperature of the compressor body 10A of the compressor 10, and an electric motor 40 that moves the cover 22 to the open position when the temperature sensor 44 detects a detection value indicating that the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. It is preferable that the temperature sensor 44 is not directly fixed to the compressor body 10A, but is attached to a portion of the casing 12 near the compressor body 10A on the inside of the casing 12. The motor 40 is controlled by a control device 42. When the temperature sensor 44 detects a detection value indicating that the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control device 42 controls the motor 40 to move the cover 22 to the open position (opens the auxiliary intake 20).

The opening/closing mechanism 121 of this embodiment differs from that of the second embodiment in that a temperature sensor 44 is used as a detector for determining whether the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. When the airflow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 increases, the amount of outside air introduced into the casing 12 decreases, increasing the intake load of the compressor 10, and as a result, heat is generated in the compressor body 10A. In this embodiment, focusing on this, it is determined whether the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (whether the airflow resistance of the main air intake filter 16 has increased to or greater than a predetermined value) based on the temperature of the compressor body 10A (the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 44).

Incidentally, as a cause of heat generation in the compressor body 10A of the compressor 10, in addition to an increase in the airflow resistance of the main air intake filter 16, an increase in the airflow resistance of the intake filter 17 of the intake air intake section 10B of the compressor 10 is also considered. For this reason, in the air compression device 201 of this embodiment, when the cover 22 is moved to the open position by the motor 40 (when the auxiliary air intake 20 is opened), the control device 42 judges whether the detection value of the temperature sensor 44 has fallen below a predetermined value (a value indicating an increase in the airflow resistance of the main air intake filter 16). Here, if the detection value of the temperature sensor 44 has not fallen below the predetermined value (when the detector continues to detect an increase in the airflow resistance of the main air intake filter 16), the control device 42 activates the intake filter alarm 46 that notifies of a decrease in the ventilation function of the intake filter 17.

In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 44 is used as a detector for determining whether the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (whether the airflow resistance of the main intake filter 16 has increased to or greater than a predetermined value), but it is also possible to use a flow sensor 48 (see the two-dot chain lines in Figures 10 and 11) that detects the discharge flow rate of the compressor 10 instead of the temperature sensor 44. In other words, when the airflow resistance of the intake filter 16 increases , the discharge flow rate of the compressor 10 decreases with the increase in intake resistance, so that it is also possible to determine whether the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (whether the airflow resistance of the main intake filter 16 has increased to or greater than a predetermined value) by detecting the change in the discharge flow rate with the flow sensor 48.

<Effects of the Third Embodiment>
As described above, the air compressing device 201 of this embodiment has a basic configuration substantially similar to that of the air compressing device 101 of the second embodiment, and therefore can obtain the same basic effects as those of the second embodiment.

In addition, in the air compression device 201 of this embodiment, even if the motor 40 (actuator) moves the lid body 22 to the open position, if the detector (temperature sensor 44 or flow sensor 48) continues to detect a value indicating an increase in the ventilation resistance, the control device 42 activates the inlet filter alarm 46. Therefore, when the air compression device 201 of this embodiment is adopted, it is possible to notify the driver or vehicle manager that the ventilation function of the inlet filter 17 has decreased without adding a dedicated detector for detecting the decrease in the ventilation function of the inlet filter 17.

<Air Compression Device of Fourth Embodiment>
FIG. 12 is a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of an air compression device 301 according to the fourth embodiment.
The air compression device 301 of this embodiment includes a compressor body 10A of the compressor 10 that compresses and discharges the intake air, and an intake air introduction section 310B of the compressor 10 that introduces air into the compressor body 10A. A compressed air tank 18 is connected to the discharge side of the compressor body 10A via a discharge pipe 19. The intake air introduction section 310B has a main intake air introduction port 50 and an auxiliary intake air introduction port 51, and an introduction section filter 17 that filters the air introduced into the main intake air introduction port 50 is disposed downstream of the main intake air introduction port 50. An opening/closing mechanism section 321 is provided in the auxiliary intake air introduction port 51.

The opening/closing mechanism 321 includes a lid 52 that can move between an open position where the auxiliary intake inlet 51 is open and a closed position where the auxiliary intake inlet 51 is closed. The opening/closing mechanism 321 closes the auxiliary intake inlet 51 with the lid 52 when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the intake air introduction section 310B is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and opens the auxiliary intake inlet 51 with the lid 52 when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the intake air introduction section 310B becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value. The mechanism of the opening/closing mechanism 321 for moving the lid 52 to the open position and the closed position may be the same as that of the opening/closing mechanism 21, 121 of the first to third embodiments.

<Operation of the air compression device>
When the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the intake air introduction section 310B is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value (when the airflow resistance of the introduction section filter 17 is not equal to or greater than a predetermined value), the cover 52 of the opening/closing mechanism section 321 closes the auxiliary intake air introduction port 51. When the compressor body 10A operates in this state, the outside air is subjected to a suction force from the compressor body 10A, and the outside air is introduced into the intake air introduction section 310B through the introduction section filter 17. The air introduced into the intake air introduction section 310B is pressurized by the compressor body 10A and discharged as compressed air. The compressed air discharged from the compressor body 10A passes through the discharge piping 19 and fills the compressed air tank 18.

On the other hand, when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the intake air introduction section 310B exceeds a predetermined value (when the airflow resistance of the introduction section filter 17 exceeds a predetermined value), the cover 52 of the opening and closing mechanism section 321 opens the auxiliary intake air introduction port 51. If the operation of the compressor main body 10A continues in this state, outside air is sucked into the compressor main body 10A through the auxiliary intake air introduction port 51. The compressed air generated by the compressor main body 10A is then filled into the compressed air tank 18 through the discharge piping 19.

Effects of the Fourth Embodiment
As described above, in the air compression device 301 of this embodiment, when the air flow resistance of the introduction filter 17 increases and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the intake air introduction section 310B becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the auxiliary intake air introduction port 51 is opened by the opening/closing mechanism 321, so that sufficient air can be introduced into the intake side of the compressor main body 10A. Therefore, when the air compression device 301 of this embodiment is employed, even if the air flow resistance of the introduction filter 17 increases, it is possible to suppress an increase in the load on the compressor 10 due to a shortage of intake air and a delay in filling the compressed air tank 18 with air.

<Embodiment of Air Suction Device>
Although the embodiments of the air compression device have been described above, by changing the compressor 10 of each of the above embodiments to a suction device, a suction device that is not intended to supply compressed air to a supply target can be obtained. The embodiment of the suction device can be obtained by replacing the terms of each of the above embodiments of the air compression device as follows. The suction device of each embodiment obtained in this way can achieve the same effects as each of the above embodiments of the air compression device.

<Embodiments of the air suction device corresponding to the first to third embodiments>
Compressor 10 → Suction machine 10
Main intake port 15 → Main suction port 15
Auxiliary intake port 20 → Auxiliary suction port 20
Main intake filter 16 → Main intake filter 16

<Embodiment of the air suction device corresponding to the fourth embodiment>
Compressor 10 → Suction machine 10
Compressor body 10A → Aspirator body 10A
Intake air introduction section 310B → suction introduction section 310B
Main intake inlet 50 → Main suction inlet 50
Auxiliary intake inlet 51 → Auxiliary suction inlet 51

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1,101,201,301...Air compression device, 10...Compressor, 10A...Compressor body, 10B...Intake introduction section, 11...Cooling fan, 12...Casing, 15...Main intake port, 16...Main intake port filter, 17...Introduction section filter, 20...Auxiliary intake port, 21...Opening and closing mechanism section, 22...Cover body, 23...Spring (regulating section), 25...Stopper member, 26...Cover section, 31...Opening alarm, 35...Auxiliary filter, 40...Motor (actuator), 41...Pressure sensor (detector), 44...Temperature sensor (detector), 46...Introduction section filter alarm, 48...Flow rate sensor (detector), 50...Main intake port, 51...Auxiliary intake port, 100...Railway vehicle, 100a...Car body, 310B...Intake introduction section, 321...Opening and closing mechanism section

Claims (12)

A compressor that compresses and discharges the intake air;
a casing that houses the compressor and has a main intake port and an auxiliary intake port for introducing air to be sucked by the compressor;
a main air intake filter for filtering air introduced into the main air intake;
an opening/closing mechanism that opens the auxiliary air intake port when a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, thereby allowing air outside the casing to flow into the casing;
Equipped with
The auxiliary air intake is disposed at a position where an upstream portion of the air flow does not communicate with the main air intake filter ,
a cover portion is provided in the casing, the cover portion covering the auxiliary air intake from the outside of a wall of the casing that forms the main air intake and forming an opening that opens downward in a vertical direction;
An air compression device , wherein the opening is provided separately and independently from the main intake port . The opening and closing mechanism includes:
a cover body movable between an open position where the auxiliary intake port is open and a closed position where the auxiliary intake port is closed;
a restricting portion that restricts the cover body to the closed position, the restricting portion releasing the restriction when a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value;
The air compression device of claim 1 . The air compressor according to claim 2, wherein the restricting portion is a spring that applies an elastic force to the lid body toward the closed position. The air compressor according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a stopper member that prevents the lid from opening further when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing exceeds the predetermined value and the displacement of the lid in the opening direction exceeds a predetermined amount. The opening and closing mechanism includes:
a cover body movable between an open position where the auxiliary intake port is open and a closed position where the auxiliary intake port is closed;
a detector that detects whether a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing is equal to or greater than the predetermined value based on at least one of the pressure inside the casing, the discharge flow rate of the compressor, and the heat generation amount of the compressor;
an actuator that moves the lid to an open position when the detector detects that the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the casing is equal to or greater than the predetermined value;
The air compression device of claim 1 . the detector detects whether or not a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the casing is equal to or greater than the predetermined value based on at least one of a discharge flow rate and a heat generation amount of the compressor;
The compressor includes:
an intake introduction section that draws in air that has flowed into the inside of the casing;
an introduction filter that filters the air taken in through the intake introduction portion;
6. The air compression device according to claim 5, further comprising an inlet filter alarm that notifies of a decrease in the ventilation function of the inlet filter when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing continues to be detected as being equal to or greater than the predetermined value even when the actuator operates in a direction to open the lid. The air compressor according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary air intake is provided with an auxiliary filter having a lower collection performance than the main air intake filter. The air compression device according to claim 1 , further comprising an opening alarm that notifies the user that the auxiliary intake port has been opened by the opening/closing mechanism. 9. The air compression device according to claim 1, wherein a cooling fan is disposed inside the casing for sending outside air that has flowed into the casing through the main intake filter to the compressor as cooling air when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and for sending outside air that has flowed into the casing through the auxiliary intake port opened by the opening and closing mechanism to the compressor as cooling air when the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. 10. The air compression device according to claim 1, wherein the casing is mounted below a body of a railway vehicle. 11. The air compression device according to claim 10 , wherein the intake side of the auxiliary intake port opens in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the railcar. A suction machine for sucking air;
a casing for accommodating the suction machine therein and having a main suction port and an auxiliary suction port for introducing air to be sucked by the suction machine;
a main suction port filter for filtering air introduced into the main suction port;
an opening/closing mechanism that opens the auxiliary suction port when a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the casing becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, thereby allowing air outside the casing to flow into the casing;
Equipped with
The auxiliary suction port is disposed at a position where an upstream portion of the air flow does not communicate with the main suction port filter ,
a cover portion is provided in the casing, the cover portion covering the auxiliary suction port from the outside of a wall forming the main suction port of the casing and forming an opening portion that opens downward in a vertical direction;
The opening is provided separately and independently from the main suction port .

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