Guided ground vehicle including a device for managing a derailment of the vehicle, and associated derailment management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475509-B2
Application number	US-201414567884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A guided ground vehicle that travels on a track having an electric contact rail for supplying electricity to the vehicle, the rail including several electrical circuits, each electrical circuit being connected to at least one electric switching member. The vehicle includes a device for managing a derailment of the ground vehicle and generating means for generating a control signal for controlling one of the electric switching members connected to the electrical circuits positioned across from the ground vehicle, to close that electrical circuit. The device includes detecting means for detecting the derailment of the ground vehicle and processing means connected to the detecting means and to the generating means. The processing means are adapted to deactivate the generating means to inhibit the generation of the control signal, in order to cause the opening of the circuits across from the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for managing a derailment of a guided ground vehicle traveling on a track, the track comprising an electric contact rail for supplying electricity to the vehicle via the ground, the rail including a plurality of electrical circuits, each electrical circuit being connected to at least one electric switching member,
the method being implemented by an onboard device within the vehicle, the device including a detector and a processing unit connected to the detector, wherein the detector operates to detect the derailment of the ground vehicle, the vehicle including generating means for generating a control signal for controlling the at least one electric switching member connected to at least one of the plurality of electrical circuits positioned across from the ground vehicle, to close said electrical circuit, the generating means being connected to the processing unit,
the method including detecting, by the detector, the derailment of the ground vehicle,
wherein, after detection of derailment by the detector, the processing unit deactivates the generating means so as to inhibit the generation of the control signal, in order to cause the opening of the circuit(s) across from the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the generating means include at least one transmission antenna for transmitting the control signal and one electrical power supply module for supplying electric power to the antenna, and during the deactivation step, the processing unit is adapted to generate a control signal to stop the electrical power supply module.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises a visual and/or sound alert device for alerting inside and/or outside the vehicle, connected to the processing unit, and the method further includes a step for generating, by the processing unit, a control signal for controlling said alert device, and for sending said signal for controlling said alert device to the alert device after the detection of the derailment of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the vehicle comprises a brake for braking the vehicle, connected to the processing unit, and the method further includes a step for generating, by the processing unit, a braking control signal, the step for generating a braking control signal being carried out after the step for generating a control signal for controlling said alert device inside the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises storage means for storing electricity, connected to the processing unit, and the method further includes a step for generating, by the processing unit, a control signal to discharge the electricity contained in the storage means, and for sending said signal to discharge the electricity to the storage means after the detection of the derailment of the vehicle.

6. The method according claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises communication means, connected to the processing unit, and the method further includes a step for elaborating, by the processing unit, a message indicating the derailment of the vehicle, and for sending said message to the communication means after the detection of the derailment of the vehicle.

7. A guided ground vehicle able to travel on a track, the track comprising an electrical contact rail of the vehicle supplying electricity via the ground, the rail including a plurality of electrical circuits, each electrical circuit being connected to at least one electric switching member,
the vehicle including an onboard device for managing a derailment of the vehicle and generating means for generating a control signal for controlling the electric switching member(s) connected to one or more electrical circuits positioned across from the ground vehicle, to close said electrical circuit,
the device including a detector and a processing unit connected to the detector and the generating means, wherein the detector operates to detect the derailment of the ground vehicle,
wherein the processing unit is adapted to deactivate the generating means to inhibit the generation of the control signal, in order to cause the opening of the circuit(s) across from the vehicle.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the vehicle comprises communication means, connected to the processing unit, and the processing unit is adapted to elaborate a message indicating the derailment of the vehicle and to send this message to the communication means after the detection of the derailment of the vehicle.

9. A set including, in combination, a plurality of guided ground vehicles each constructed according to claim 8 and an installation for managing the travel of each guided ground vehicle,
each guided ground vehicle receiving electricity via the electrical contact rail,
the installation including a remote communication center,
wherein each guided ground vehicle is adapted to communicate with the remote communication center via a data link, the communication means of each guided ground vehicle being adapted to send a message indicating the derailment of one guided ground vehicle to the remote communication center via the data link.

10. The set according to claim 9 , wherein the installation further includes a plurality of signaling devices, each signaling device having a signaling state from among a plurality of predetermined signaling states, and the remote communication center comprises control means for controlling each signaling device, the control means being adapted to generate a signal modifying the signaling state of at least one of the signaling devices, based on the receipt of the message indicating the derailment of the one guided ground vehicle.

11. The set according to claim 9 , wherein the installation further includes a power supply system for supplying electric power to the electrical circuits of the contact rail, and the remote communication center comprises control means for controlling the power supply system, the control means being adapted to generate a control signal to stop the power supply system, based on the receipt of the message indicating the derailment of the one guided ground vehicle.

12. The set according to claim 9 , wherein the remote communication system comprises location means for locating each guided ground vehicle, and a transceiver for sending the location of the one guided ground vehicle that has derailed to other guided ground vehicles.

Assignees

• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Flamanc Emmanuel

Classifications

• B61L15/0081

  On-board diagnosis or maintenance · CPC title

• B61F9/00 Primary

  Rail vehicles characterised by means for preventing derailing, e.g. by use of guide wheels · CPC title

• B60T7/12

  for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)} · CPC title

• B61F9/005 Primary

  by use of non-mechanical means, e.g. acoustic or electromagnetic devices · CPC title

• B60T7/124 Primary

  Brakes for railway vehicles coming into operation in case of accident, derailment or damage of rolling stock or superstructure (self-acting brakes in general F16D59/00) · CPC title