Abstract:
A control apparatus has a control lever, in particular for controlling a locomotive or a traction vehicle, and a sensor device for detecting an operating position of the control lever. The sensor device has an angle measurement device which is suitable for measuring an adjustment angle of the control lever, forming a digitalized angle value. A measurement range of the angle measurement device is greater than an adjustment angle range of the control lever and an evaluation device is connected to the angle measurement device which determines the operating position of the control lever based on the digitalized angle value of the angle measurement apparatus.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an operator control having an operator control lever, in particular for controlling a locomotive or a traction vehicle, and having a sensor device for sensing the operator control position of the operator control lever. 
     In rail vehicles, for example locomotives or traction vehicles, operator control levers are generally used in which the operator control function which is to be carried out is selected by the operator by adjustment of the deflection angle of the operator control lever. Deflection angles which are assigned a specific operator control function are secured, for example, by a ratchet disk. For analogue determination of position of the operator control lever—for example for monitoring purposes—an angle measuring device is generally used whose measuring range is adapted by the manufacturer to the maximum pivot angle of the operator control lever using, for example, a conversion gear mechanism which is adapted to the operator control lever. This has the advantage that maximum measuring accuracy is achieved during the measurement of angles; but it is disadvantageous that when a component is changed, for example when the operator control lever is replaced, extensive adaptation operations are necessary if the adjustment angle range of the old operator control lever which is to be replaced differs from that of the new operator control lever—for example a new conversion gear mechanism has to be used. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is based on the object of specifying an operator control which is particularly maintenance-friendly and permits replacement of components with little expenditure. 
     Accordingly, there is provision according to the invention that the sensor device has an angle measuring device which is suitable for measuring the adjustment angle of the operator control lever by forming a digitized angle value, wherein the measuring range of the angle measuring device is larger than the adjustment angle range of the operator control lever, and wherein an evaluation device, which determines the operator control position of the operator control lever on the basis of the digitized angle value of the angle measuring device, is connected to the angle measuring device. 
     A significant advantage of the operator control according to the invention can be considered to be the fact that said operator control permits different operator control levers with different adjustment angle ranges to be used; this is because owing to the measuring range of the angle measuring device which is provided according to the invention and which is larger than the adjustment angle range of the operator control part, it is possible to use operator control levers with different adjustment angle ranges if a replacement is necessary, for example, for the purpose of maintenance or repair. The measuring results of the angle measuring device can be converted and evaluated electronically because the angle measuring device supplies digitized angle values. 
     According to one particularly preferred refinement of the operator control, there is provision that the evaluation device has an assignment module which maps each of the digitized angle values supplied by the angle measuring device to an angle of the 360° unit circle—referred to below as unit circle angle. In the evaluation device a lever-specific configuration module is stored in which the associated operator control position of the operator control lever is respectively assigned to each unit circle angle of the operator control lever. The evaluation device is also configured in such a way that it determines the respective unit circle angle with the assignment module, and determines the respective operator control position of the operator control lever with the configuration module and the determined unit circle angle of the operator control lever. A particular characteristic of this variant is that separate modules are used, specifically an assignment module and a configuration module. The function of the assignment module is to convert the digital angle values supplied by the angle measuring device into unit circle angles which are independent of the measuring device. The assignment module therefore describes the mode of operation of the angle measuring device and generates measuring-device-independent measured values on the output side. The function of the assignment module is to map the mode of operation of the operator control lever and to specify what operator control position of the operator control lever is reached for the respective unit circle angles. The assignment module therefore describes the mode of operation of the operator control lever and is independent of the angle measuring device used since the assignment module operates on the basis of the unit circle angles which, as already mentioned, are independent of the angle measuring device used. Using separate modules makes it possible to perform very easy adaptation of the operator control if individual components, such as for example the operator control lever or the angle measuring device, are replaced by another operator control lever or another angle measuring device, since all that is necessary is to adapt the corresponding module, that is to say the assignment module or the configuration module. 
     The assignment module and the configuration module are preferably formed by software modules, for example in the form of files. Such software modules may also be supplied, for example, by the suppliers of the angle measuring device or of the operator control lever in order to permit easy installation or replacement of the components supplied by them. 
     Moreover, it is considered advantageous if the angle resolution of the angle measuring device is set in such a way that the digitized angle values can cover the entire angle range of the unit circle of 360 degrees. The angle measuring device can therefore preferably measure adjustment angles in the entire angle range of the unit circle of 360°. With such a refinement of the operator control it is ensured that operator control levers can be used with any complete adjustment angle ranges and that it is always possible to evaluate and determine the respective operator control positions. 
     The evaluation device may be formed, for example, by a data processing system. 
     The invention also relates to a rail vehicle, in particular a locomotive or a traction vehicle, having an operator control such as that described above. 
     The invention also relates to a method for determining the operator control position of an operator control lever of an operator control. 
     With respect to such a method the invention provides that the adjustment angle of the operator control lever is measured with an angle measuring device by forming a digitized angle value, wherein the measuring range of the angle measuring device is larger than the adjustment angle range of the operator control lever, and wherein the operator control position of the operator control lever is determined with an evaluation device on the basis of the digitized angle value of the angle measuring device. 
     With respect to the advantages of the method according to the invention, reference is made to the statements above relating to the operator control according to the invention since the advantages of the operator control according to the invention correspond essentially to those of the method according to the invention. Advantageous refinements of the method according to the invention are specified in dependent claims. 
     The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments; in the drawings: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows by way of example an exemplary embodiment of an operator control according to the invention on the basis of which the method according to the invention is also explained by way of example, and 
         FIG. 2  shows by way of example the mode of operation of an evaluation device of the operator control according to  FIG. 1  if an operator control lever of the operator control is replaced by a new operator control lever with another adjustment angle range. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     For the sake of clarity, the same reference symbols are always used for identical or comparable components in the figures. 
     In  FIG. 1 , operator control  10  with an operator control lever  20  which can be pivoted about a lever axis  30  can be seen. The possible adjustment angle range of the operator control lever  20  is characterized in  FIG. 1  by the reference symbol Δα. It is apparent that the operator control lever can be pivoted between an angle αmin up to an angle αmax. 
     A ratchet disk  40 , which is equipped with recesses  50 ,  51  and  52 , is connected to the operator control lever  20 . The recesses  50 ,  51  and  52  interact with a locking element  60  which is pressure-loaded by a spring  70  and is pressed upward in  FIG. 1 . Operator control positions of the operator control lever  20  are predefined by the recesses  50 ,  51  and  52 : if in fact the ratchet disk  40  is pivoted in such a way that the locking element  60  can engage in one of the recesses, the respective operator control position of the operator control lever  20  is locked in a sprung fashion by means of the spring  70 . 
     An angle measuring device  80 , which measures the respective adjustment angle α of the operator control lever  20  and generates angle values D(α) which are digitized on the output side, is connected to the operator control lever  20  and respectively to the ratchet disk  40 . 
     An evaluation device  90  is connected on the output side to the angle measuring device  80 , the digitized angle values D(α) being fed to the evaluation device  90 . In order to process the digitized angle values D(α), the evaluation device  90  has an angle-measuring-device-specific assignment module ZM which processes the digitized angle values D(α) which are fed to the evaluation device  90 . 
     Arranged downstream of the angle-measuring-device-specific assignment module ZM is a lever-specific configuration module KM which generates on the output side a signal for the operator control position V(φ) of the operator control lever  20 . 
     The angle measuring device  80  and the evaluation device  90  form a sensor device  100  of the operator control  10 . 
     The operator control  10  can be operated, for example, as follows: 
     The digitized angle values D(α) which are formed by the angle measuring device  80  are fed to the angle-measuring-device-specific assignment module ZM and are processed thereby. In this processing step, the assignment module ZM generates a unit circle angle φ which corresponds to the digital angle value D(α), supplied by the angle measuring device  80 , on the 360° unit circle. 
     The unit circle angle φ which is generated by the assignment module ZM is transmitted to the configuration module KM in which the associated operator control position V(φ) of the operator control lever is respectively assigned for each unit circle angle φ of the operator control lever  20 . The configuration module KM therefore assigns the stored operator control position V(φ) to the unit circle angle φ which is received by the assignment module ZM, and outputs said stored operator control position V(φ) on the output side at the output of the evaluation device  90  in the form of a corresponding output signal. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of how the assignment module ZM carries out the assignment between the digitized angle values D(α) and the unit circle angle φ. The unit circle K on which unit circle angles φ in the form of dots are indicated can be seen. Angle values which are supplied by the angle measuring device  80  are assigned to the unit circle angles φ. Depending on the operator control lever  20  used, the adjustment angle range Δα according to  FIG. 1  can be of different sizes; the starting angles αmin at which pivoting of the operator control lever  20  begins can also differ. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates by way of example the respective starting angle and adjustment angle range by means of dashed lines for two different operator control levers; in this context, Δβ denotes the adjustment angle range of a first operator control lever, β 0  denotes the starting angle of this first operator control lever, Δ γ  denotes the adjustment angle range of a second, different operator control lever and γ 0  denotes the starting angle of this second, different operator control lever. 
     It is apparent that the adjustment angle ranges and the starting angles are mapped onto unit circle angles of the 360° unit circle. The assignment between the adjustment angles or the digitized angle values D(α) and the unit circle angles φ is independent of the operator control lever used and is determined only by the method of functioning of the angle measuring device  80 . As a result of the assignment of the adjustment angles α to unit circle angles φ, a pre-evaluation is therefore carried out which is determined merely by the mode of operation of the angle measuring device  80  and is independent of the operator control lever. The influence of the operator control lever  20  on the respective operator control position is taken into account by the lever-specific configuration module KM which specifies the respective operator control position as a function of the determined unit circle angle φ. The lever-specific configuration module KM is therefore independent of the angle measuring device  80  used since the mode of operation thereof is described by the assignment module ZM. 
     The separation of the assignment module ZM and of the configuration module KM then makes it possible to replace the angle measuring device  80  or replace the operator control lever  20  without a large degree of expenditure. If, for example, the operator control lever  20  is replaced by another operator control lever with another adjustment angle range Δα, the evaluation device  90  merely has to load and/or allow for a configuration module KM which describes the method of functioning of the operator control lever  20 . The assignment module ZM can remain unchanged since the angle measuring device  80  as such is not changed. 
     If on the other hand, the angle measuring device  80  is replaced by another angle measuring device, wherein the operator control lever  20  remains unchanged, all that is necessary is to install in the evaluation device  90  a new assignment module ZM which allows for the mode of operation of the new angle measuring device  80  and permits correct assignment of the digitized angle values D(α) to unit circle angles φ. The configuration module KM can remain unchanged at this point since nothing changes with respect to the operator control lever  20  and therefore with respect to the assignment between the unit angles φ and the respective operator control position. 
     In summary it is therefore to be noted that using assignment modules which describe the method of functioning of the angle measuring device  80  and configuration modules KM which describe the mode of operation of the operator control lever makes it possible to easily replace and modify individual components of the operator control  10 . 
     The described use of assignment modules ZM and configuration modules KM therefore makes it possible, in other words, to ensure that each lever position of an operator control lever has an assigned fixed unit circle angle or unit circle angle range independently of a specific operator control function. Therefore, identical unit circle angles are generated in the same position for all the operator control levers independently of specific deflection angles with the result that using a configuration module KM, which is, for example, supplied by the manufacturer of the operator control lever  20 , permits simple parameterization of the operator control  10  with respect to the operator control lever  20  used. If the operator control lever  20  is to be replaced by another operator control lever, all that is necessary after mechanical replacement of the operator control lever is to replace the old configuration module by a new configuration module which characterizes the mode of operation of the operator control lever  20  in terms of its operator control positions which are made available. The other components of the evaluation device  90 , in particular the assignment module ZM which characterizes the method of functioning of the angle measuring device  80 , can remain unchanged. 
     In summary it is to be noted that the described standardization or modulization of the evaluation device  90  reduces the expenditure on adaptation if parts of the operator control  10  are replaced by other parts, for example by another operator control lever or by another angle measuring device; this is because all that has to be done at the evaluation device is to update the corresponding modules which describe the replaced parts. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
     
         
           10  Operator control 
           20  Operator control lever 
           30  Lever axis 
           40  Ratchet disk 
           50  Recess 
           51  Recess 
           52  Recess 
           60  Locking element 
           70  Spring 
           80  Angle measuring device 
           90  Evaluation device 
           100  Sensor device 
         α Adjustment angle 
         Δα Adjustment angle range 
         Δβ Adjustment angle range 
         β 0  Starting angle 
         Δγ Adjustment angle range 
         γ 0  Starting angle 
         αmin Angle 
         αmax Angle 
         φ Unit circle angle 
         D(α) Angle value 
         K Unit circle 
         V(φ) Operator control position 
         KM Configuration module 
         ZM Assignment module