Arrangement for a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, or for a building and a method of operating the vehicle or the building

Abstract

An arrangement for a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, or for a building, has a control system adapted to control a plurality of different devices, a cabinet having a lock that can be locked in order to prevent access to a valuable device within the cabinet, and a control unit of the control system adapted to remotely control unlocking the lock. The control system is adapted to unlock the lock automatically if a predetermined condition is fulfilled or to unlock the lock on demand.

Claims

1. An arrangement, the arrangement comprising: a control system of a rail vehicle, the control system being adapted to control a plurality of different devices; a cabinet having a lock configured for locking in order to prevent access to a valuable device within the cabinet; a control unit of the control system adapted to remotely control unlocking the lock, an electric line adapted to supply the lock with electric energy from an electric energy supply network of the rail vehicle; and a fire detector connected to the control system to transmit a signal indicative of a fire on the rail vehicle to the control system; wherein the control system is adapted to: unlock the lock automatically if a signal indicative of a fire is received from the fire detector, and unlock the lock automatically by disconnecting the electric line adapted to supply the lock with electric energy; and wherein the lock is operated using the electric energy supply network of the rail vehicle, and wherein the lock is adapted to unlock if the electric energy supply network stops applying an electric voltage to the lock via the electric line.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control system is adapted to unlock the lock on demand of a user inside or outside of the rail vehicle.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control system is adapted to display a signal that can be recognized by a user if the fire detector connected to the control system detects a fire within the rail vehicle.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the lock comprises an unlocking device that can be actuated by a user by directly acting on the unlocking device, and wherein the unlocking device can only be actuated to unlock the lock using at least one of secret knowledge and a key.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of cabinets, each cabinet of the plurality of cabinets having a lock configured for locking in order to prevent access to a valuable device within the cabinet, wherein the control system is adapted to use a single control line to control the plurality of cabinets as a group, and wherein the control unit of the control system is adapted to remotely control unlocking of the lock of each cabinet so that the lock of each cabinet opens if the electric energy supply network stops applying the electric voltage to the lock of each cabinet via the electric line.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises an interface for communication from a location outside of the rail vehicle.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control system is adapted to trigger display of video data from a camera monitoring an area where the cabinet is placed within the rail vehicle.

8. The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the control system is adapted to display the video data in a location to be viewed by an operator of the rail vehicle.

9. A method, the method comprising: using a control system onboard a rail vehicle to control a plurality of different devices onboard the rail vehicle, wherein the control system is used to remotely unlock automatically a lock of a cabinet in order to prevent access to a valuable device within the cabinet that is otherwise locked; and wherein the control system is adapted to: unlock the lock automatically if a signal indicative of a fire on the rail vehicle is received from a fire detector of the rail vehicle that is connected to the control system, and unlock the lock automatically by disconnecting an electric line adapted to supply the lock with electric energy; and wherein the lock is operated using an electric energy supply network of the rail vehicle, and wherein the lock unlocks if the electric energy supply network stops applying an electric voltage to the lock.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control system is adapted to unlock the lock on demand of a user inside or outside of the rail vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising: unlocking the lock using the control system automatically if the fire detector connected to the control system detects a fire within the rail vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the lock comprises an unlocking device configured to be actuated by a user by directly acting on the unlocking device, and wherein the unlocking device can only be actuated to unlock the lock using at least one of secret knowledge or a key.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a train having two vehicles coupled together, wherein the figure shows a top view.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a block diagram with a fire extinguisher cabinet having a door and a lock that can remotely be unlocked.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) A railway train comprises a plurality of vehicles coupled together. In the example schematically shown in FIG. 1, two vehicles 2, 3 are coupled together (as indicated by three parallel horizontal lines) to form a train 1. Each of the vehicles 2, 3 is an end vehicle that has a driver's cab 5, 6. Communication lines 8 connect the two diver's cabs 5, 6 which means that the communication lines extend through the whole train 1.

(4) In the example shown, each vehicle 2, 3 comprises two fire extinguisher cabinets 11, 12, 13, 14. Devices (not shown in FIG. 1) that are capable of controlling the cabinets 11, 12, 13, 14 to be unlocked are connected to the communication lines 8. These lines are part of the onboard control system of the vehicle 1. An example of a control system which can easily be modified to control unlocking fire extinguisher cabinets is the train control and management system (TCMS) offered by Bombardier Transportation under the brand name MITRAC.

(5) FIG. 2 schematically shows a fire extinguisher 22 within a cabinet 21. A door 23, which is schematically shown in the open state, prevents removing the fire extinguisher 22 if it is in the closed state and if a lock 24 is in the locked state.

(6) In the example shown, the lock 24 is an electric lock that is supplied with electric energy via an electric line 25 by an electric energy supply 20.

(7) There is an actuating device 26 (for example a relay) combined with the electric line and the actuating device 26 can be controlled via a control line 29 by a control unit 27 to interrupt the electric line 25 and thereby the energy supply to the lock 24.

(8) The control unit 27, communication lines 28 and connections to an onboard interacting device 30 and to an onboard radio interface are parts of an onboard control system 19. The communication lines 28 may form a data bus and/or other lines for communication between the devices that are connected to the communication lines 28. In particular, communication is performed by transferring signals, in particular control signals. It is also possible, that monitoring signals are transferred. Other devices which are controlled and/or monitored by the onboard control system 19 are not shown in FIG. 2.

(9) FIG. 2 also shows a wayside radio interface 32 which can transmit communication signals wirelessly to the onboard radio interface 31 and also can receive signals wirelessly from the onboard radio interface. The wayside radio interface 32 is connected to a wayside interacting device 39 via a wayside communication line. The term “wayside” includes devices and lines which are not located next to the railway on which the vehicle which comprises the onboard device described above travels. For example, the wayside interacting device may be a control center for controlling traffic on a railway network. The wayside radio interface 32 may be placed next to the railway or at a distance to the railway which still allows for reliable wireless communication between rail vehicles on the railway and the wayside radio interface 32.

(10) In the following, examples of operating the vehicle with respect to the use of the fire extinguisher 22 are described. During normal operation, when passengers are transported by the rail vehicle, for example by the train 1 shown in FIG. 1, the door 23 is closed so that there is no opening in the cabinet 21 that is large enough to remove the fire extinguisher 22. The closed state of the door 23 is secured by the lock 24 which is in the locked state during normal operation.

(11) There are different cases in which the lock 24 should be in the unlocked state. One of these cases is the case of fire onboard the vehicle. Another case is maintenance and service. In particular, in case of fire, a fire detector (not shown in FIG. 2) may detect a fire. The fire detector may be connected—as shown for optional fire detectors 15, 16 in FIG. 1—to the communication lines 8 shown in FIG. 1 or to the communication lines 28 shown in FIG. 2.

(12) If a fire detector detects a fire, it transmits a signal via the communication lines to the control system 19, for example to a computer of the control system that is performing monitoring functions including fire monitoring. The control system 19 then automatically transmits at least one signal to at least one of the following devices, an onboard display or other signaling device, or a plurality of displays and signaling devices, a monitoring device of the control system, such as the computer mentioned before, and a wayside device or a plurality of wayside devices, such as a device in a control center. In case of displays and signaling devices, the fire detection signal causes a picture or signal that can be recognized by a user, such as a member of staff, in particular the driver of the vehicle. In case of a monitoring device, the fire detection signal causes an automatic process in reaction to the detected fire. The preferred process is the automatic unlocking of the lock 24. In addition or alternatively, unlocking the lock 24 may be demanded by a user, in particular the user which has recognized the corresponding picture or signal. This user is not necessarily a user within the rail vehicle. Alternatively, a person in the control center or another member of staff on the wayside or in other rail vehicles may demand the lock 24 to be unlocked.

(13) If the control system 19 receives a signal including the demand to unlock the lock 24, for example from the onboard interacting device 30 (via the communication lines 28) or from the wayside interacting device 39 (via the wayside communication line 38, the wayside radio interface 32, the onboard radio interface 31 and the onboard communication lines 28), the control unit 27 of the control system 19 controls the actuating device 26 to open the electric line 25. Therefore, the lock 24, which is now disconnected from its energy supply, automatically unlocks so that the door 23 can be opened or is opened automatically.

(14) Other embodiments of an electric lock have been described before and different processes of unlocking the lock 24 can also be realized with the arrangement schematically shown in FIG. 2.

(15) In case of required maintenance or service, the demand to unlock the lock 24 can be entered by a user in the same manner as mentioned above. Alternatively, as preferred, a user can directly act on the cabinet, for example by using a key. Alternatively, the lock may be combined with a keypad and may type in a secret code so that the lock is brought automatically into the unlocked state.