Device and method for controlling a drive apparatus for traction of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875405-B2
Application number	US-201816620105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A device which is configured for controlling a vehicle drive (40) for traction of a vehicle has a drive control apparatus and a monitoring apparatus. In order to ensure a high degree of safety when using the vehicle drive during rapid deceleration of the vehicle, the monitoring apparatus provides a traction release control signal value to the drive control apparatus, under the effect of which the drive control apparatus is enabled to control the vehicle drive, if, in addition to a traction release request signal value due to a rapid deceleration request and an additional traction lock request signal value due to a traction lock request, an additional traction release request signal value due to a traction release condition has effect on the monitoring apparatus. There is also described a vehicle with such a device and to a method for controlling a vehicle drive for traction of a vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for controlling a vehicle drive for traction of a vehicle, the device comprising:
a drive control apparatus;
a monitoring apparatus connected to said drive control apparatus and configured to provide said drive control apparatus with a traction release control signal value, the traction release control signal value releasing said drive control apparatus for actuation of the vehicle drive if, in addition to a traction release request signal value due to an emergency braking request and a traction lock request signal value due to a traction lock request, an additional traction release request signal value due to a traction release condition acts on said monitoring apparatus.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said monitoring apparatus is configured for providing said drive control apparatus with a traction lock control signal value, instead of the traction release control signal value, wherein the traction lock control signal value locks the drive control apparatus for actuation of the vehicle drive if, in addition to the traction release request signal value due to the emergency braking request and the traction lock request signal value due to the traction lock request, an additional traction lock request signal value due to a traction lock condition acts on said monitoring apparatus instead of the additional traction release request signal value.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said monitoring apparatus is configured for providing the traction release request signal value as the traction release control signal value.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said drive control apparatus, upon receiving an emergency braking signal value, is configured for providing said monitoring apparatus with the traction release request signal value.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein said drive control apparatus is configured for providing said monitoring apparatus with a traction lock request signal value due to a traction lock test request, instead of the traction release request signal value, if the emergency braking signal value is not present.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said monitoring apparatus is a hardware apparatus.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said monitoring apparatus is an electrical circuit.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein: said monitoring apparatus has a control signal path, at which the traction release request signal value is present due to the emergency braking request, and a switching apparatus with two parallel-connected switching units in said control signal path; said control signal path is released for signal transmission by said switching if one of said switching units is kept open by way of the traction lock request signal value due to the traction lock request and another of said switching units is kept closed by way of the additional traction release request signal value due to the traction release condition.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said control signal path is locked for signal transmission by said switching apparatus if the one of said switching units is kept open by way of the traction lock request signal value due to the traction lock request and the other of said switching units is kept open by way of an additional traction lock request signal value due to a traction lock condition.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
said drive control apparatus has a control unit, an output unit forming a control output, and an actuation control unit forming a control input;
said control unit is configured for outputting a drive control command to said actuation control unit, and said actuation control unit is configured to convert the drive control command into a drive control signal;
said control unit is configured for outputting, by way of an emergency braking signal value, which is present at said control unit due to the emergency braking request, a request for traction release to said output unit, and said output unit is configured to convert the request for traction release into the traction release request signal value and to output the traction release request signal value at said control output; and
said actuation control unit is configured for releasing an output of the drive control signal when said traction release control signal value is present at the control input of said actuation control unit, and to block the output of the drive control signal when a traction lock control signal value is present at the control input of said actuation control unit instead of the traction release control signal value.

11. A vehicle, comprising:
at least one vehicle drive for traction of the vehicle; and
the device according to claim 1 for controlling said at least one vehicle drive.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , comprising: a hard-wired safety loop configured for providing said monitoring apparatus with the traction lock request signal value when said safety loop is interrupted due to the traction lock request, and for providing the additional traction release request signal value, instead of the traction lock request signal value, when said safety loop is closed.

13. The vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising a speed detection apparatus configured for providing the additional traction release request signal value if at least one detected speed value or a speed value of the vehicle derived from the at least one detected speed value is greater than a predefined minimum speed value, and for providing an additional traction lock request signal value due to a traction lock condition, instead of the additional traction release request signal value, if each of the detected speed values or the derived speed value of the vehicle is less than or equal to the predefined minimum speed value.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13 , further comprising a sensor device, wherein said sensor device or said speed detection apparatus is configured for forming the at least one detected speed value based on measurement signals which are detected by said sensor device on a bogie provided with the vehicle drive.

15. A method for controlling a vehicle drive for traction of a vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a traction release control signal value with a monitoring apparatus of a drive control apparatus, in order to release the drive control apparatus for actuation of the vehicle drive if, in addition to a traction release request signal value due to an emergency braking request and a traction lock request signal value due to a traction lock request, an additional traction release request signal value due to a traction release condition also acts on the monitoring apparatus.

16. The method according to claim 15 , which comprises: using the monitoring apparatus to provide the drive control apparatus with a traction lock control signal value, instead of the traction release control signal value, in order to lock the drive control apparatus for actuation of the vehicle drive if, in addition to the traction release request signal value due to the emergency braking request and the traction lock request signal value due to the traction lock request, an additional traction lock request signal value due to a traction locking condition acts on the monitoring apparatus instead of the additional traction release request signal value.

Assignees

• Siemens Mobility GmbH

Inventors

• Amler Gerald

Classifications

• B60L7/06 Primary

  for vehicles propelled by AC motors · CPC title

• B60L2200/26

  Rail vehicles · CPC title

• B60L9/16

  using AC induction motors · CPC title

• B60L15/2009

  for braking · CPC title

• B60L7/14

  for vehicles propelled by AC motors · CPC title