Abstract
An arrangement for lighting a rail vehicle includes at least one energy source, at least one controller, at least one lighting device, at least one electrical line for connecting the energy source to the at least one controller and an electrical line for connecting the controller to the at least one lighting device. Each lighting device includes at least one adjacent controller. A rail vehicle with the lighting arrangement is also provided.
Claims
1-15. (canceled)
16. An arrangement for lighting a rail vehicle, the arrangement comprising: at least one energy source; at least one controller; at least one lighting device; at least one electrical line for connecting said at least one energy source to said at least one controller; and at least one electrical line for connecting said at least one controller to said at least one lighting device; each said at least one lighting device being adjacent said at least one controller; and said at least one controller and said at least one lighting device being integral.
17. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said at least one controller and said at least one lighting device are formed as one module.
18. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said at least one controller and said at least one lighting device are encapsulated, welded, screwed or cast inside one another or to one another.
19. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said at least one controller has an interface to control technology of the rail vehicle.
20. The arrangement according to claim 19, wherein said control technology includes at least one central controller.
21. The arrangement according to claim 20, wherein said at least one controller adjacent said at least one lighting device and said at least one controller of said control technology have a wireless or wired communication connection.
22. The arrangement according to claim 21, wherein said wireless or wired communication connection has coding.
23. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said electrical lines are configured as a bus system.
24. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein each said at least one controller monitors said at least one lighting device.
25. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said at least one lighting device includes one or more light sources.
26. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said at least one lighting device uses LED technology, xenon technology or halogen technology.
27. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein each said at least one lighting device has a dedicated fuse.
28. The arrangement according to claim 27, wherein said fuse is configured to be actuated manually or automatically.
29. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said at least one lighting device is configured to be put into at least one operating state by said at least one controller.
30. The arrangement according to claim 29, wherein said at least one operating state includes an emergency lighting state, a daytime lighting state or a night-time lighting state.
31. A rail vehicle, comprising at least one driven or non-driven car, and an arrangement according to claim 16.
Description
[0021] The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which they are achieved become more clearly and distinctly comprehensible by way of the explanation of the following greatly simplified schematic illustrations of preferred exemplary embodiments. In the figures:
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an arrangement according to a first exemplary embodiment and
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an arrangement according to a second exemplary embodiment.
[0024] In the figures, the same structural elements in each case have the same reference numerals.
[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an arrangement 1 for lighting a rail vehicle according to the first exemplary embodiment. The arrangement 1 is illustrated in the form of a circuit diagram and is intended to clarify a connection of the relevant components of a rail vehicle. The arrangement 1 has a central controller 2 that is connected to control technology, not illustrated, and is able to be arranged in a region of a driver's cabin. The arrangement 1 furthermore has a plurality of separate controllers 4, 6, 8. The separate controllers 4, 6, 8 each have a standalone communication unit 10. The separate controllers 4, 6, 8 are able to be connected to one another and to the central controller 2 by way of the communication unit 10. The central controller 2 likewise has a communication unit 10. Information and commands are able to be exchanged by way of a communication connection 12. The commands may in this case be digital or analog control commands or regulation commands that trigger or report particular functions or operating states. The communication connection 12 is a wired bus system 12 according to the exemplary embodiment. The bus system 12 according to the exemplary embodiment does not connect each separate or decentralized controller 4, 6, 8 to the central controller 2. The separate controllers 4, 6, 8 are instead connected in a series circuit by way of the bus system 12. As a result, the bus system needs to be laid only once along the required length and not separately for each individual controller 4, 6, 8, and thus not multiple times in parallel next to one another. Each separate controller 4, 6, 8 has a plurality of connected lighting means 14, 16, 18. The controllers 4, 6, 8 are in this case configured so as to be integral with the lighting means 14, 16, 18. The lighting means 14 are for example headlights, direction indicators or position lights, and optionally switchable reverse lights, arranged on a front end of a rail vehicle. The lighting means 18, like the lighting means 14, may be arranged on a rear end of a rail vehicle. The lighting means 16 may be arranged in an external region of a rail vehicle and light surroundings of the rail vehicle in order to facilitate disembarking. As an alternative or in addition, the lighting means 16 may also be arranged inside wagons of the rail vehicle and serve as an internal lighting system. Each of the separate controllers 4, 6, 8 is connected to an energy supply 20, independently of the bus system 12. The separate controllers 4, 6, 8 may thus actuate the lighting means 14, 16, 18 depending on or independently of a signal transmitted by way of the bus system. By way of example, the separate controllers 4, 6, 8 may put the lighting means 14, 16, 18 into an emergency lighting state in the event of a missing signal. When the rail vehicle is started or during a starting phase, the separate controllers 4, 6, 8 may receive corresponding information from the central controller 2 and use the lighting system so as to save as much power as possible, such that the rail vehicle is ready for operation more quickly. The central controller 2 may furthermore transmit an operating state of the rail vehicle, such as for example a direction of travel, a stationary state, or a stop at a station, by way of the bus system 12. Depending on the operating state of the rail vehicle, the separate controllers 4, 6, 8 may actuate the lighting means 14, 16, 18 and thus jointly or separately switch on, switch off, dim or brighten the lighting means 14, 16, 18, or initiate flashing of the lighting means 14, 16, 18. In order that operational safety of the separate controllers 4, 6, 8 is able to be ensured, the separate controllers 4, 6, 8 have at least one fuse 22. The fuse 22 is tripped when a short circuit or a defect occurs in the region of the respective separate controller 4, 6, 8 or the respective lighting means 14, 16, 18. Depending on tripping of the respective fuse 22, the respective separate controllers 4, 6, 8 may transmit information about the tripping of the fuse 22 and the location of the fuse 22 to the central controller 2, and thus also transmit this indirectly to the control technology of the rail vehicle.
[0026] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an arrangement 1 according to a second exemplary embodiment. Unlike the arrangement 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment, the decentralized controllers 4, 6, 8 and the central controller 2 each have wireless communication units 24. Each wireless communication unit 24 has a radio antenna 26. The communication unit 24 is thus able to transmit and receive information by way of radio signals. The wireless connection 28 or wireless communication connection 28 may in this case be created between the decentralized controllers 4, 6, 8 with one another. Each decentralized controller 4, 6, 8 may in this case also separately create a wireless connection 28 to the central controller 2. The wireless connection 28 to the central controller 2 may in this case also be created indirectly by way of a controller lying in the radio path or an adjacent controller 4, 6, 8. In this case, the communication units 24 of the controllers 4, 6, 8 may act as signal amplifiers. Information or commands thus may be transmitted from the central controller 2 to a decentralized controller 4, 6, 8. This may also be carried out over long distances, such as for example in the case of long rail vehicles without wired communication. In the opposite direction, information may likewise be transmitted in series over a plurality of controllers 4, 6, 8. Commands or information thus may be transmitted from a wireless communication unit 24 to an adjacent wireless communication unit 24, which in turn forwards the commands or information to a next wireless communication unit 24. This procedure may be carried out for as long as the information or commands may be received by the central controller 2.
[0027] Although the invention has been described and illustrated in more detail by way of the preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by the disclosed examples and other variations may be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.
