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US 12,637,040 B1Granted
Emergency braking trigger system for a railcar
OwnerJason Bierwerthinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An emergency braking trigger system for a railcar includes an exhaust valve module mechanically coupled to a brake pipe of a railcar, a sensor suite operable to sense a threshold event of the railcar, and a control system in communication with the exhaust valve and the sensor, the control system operable to actuate the exhaust valve in response to the sensor, wherein activation comprises triggering an emergency braking function of the railcar.
Claims15
An emergency braking trigger system for a railcar, comprising:
- an exhaust valve mounted to a brake pipe of a railcar via an aperture drilled into the brake pipe;
- a first enclosure magnetically attachable to the railcar;
- a wireless control to control the exhaust valve, the wireless control within the first enclosure;
- a power source to power the exhaust valve and the wireless control, the power source within the first enclosure;
- a sensor suite operable to sense a threshold event of the railcar;
- a second enclosure magnetically attachable to the railcar;
- a data hub in wireless communication with the sensor suite, the data hub within the second enclosure;
- a power source to power the data hub and the control system, the power source within the second enclosure;
- and
- a control system within the second enclosure, the control system in wireless communication with the wireless control to actuate the exhaust valve in response to the sensor suite, wherein activation comprises triggering an emergency braking function of the railcar via opening the exhaust valve which vents air from the brake pipe through the exhaust valve to cause the railcar air brakes to activate, placing the railcar into emergency mode.
7 more elements
A method of triggering an emergency braking system for a railcar, comprising:
- magnetically attaching a first enclosure to the railcar, the first enclosure containing a wireless control and a power source to electromagnetically actuate an exhaust valve mounted to a brake pipe of a railcar to selectively vent air from the brake pipe resulting in actuation of an emergency braking mode;
- magnetically attaching a second enclosure to the railcar, the second enclosure containing a data hub, a power source and a control system, the data hub in wireless communication with the wireless control in the first enclosure and a sensor suite, the power source operable to power the data hub, and the control system, continuously monitoring sensor data from the sensor suite on the railcar with the control system;
- identifying an unsafe condition from the sensor suite with the control system;
- communicating from the control system to the wireless control via the data hub in response to the identifying;
- and
- triggering the exhaust valve with the wireless control.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.