Patent ID: RE44060

Claim:
An electric car control apparatus that, with at least two cars coupled to each other as an object, from a third rail in which a dead section of a predetermined length at no voltage is provided, collects d.c. electrical power with at least one collector shoe disposed on each of the two cars, supplies the d.c. electrical power to a main circuit line connected between the two cars, supplies the d.c. electrical power from the main circuit line to drive control means mounted on each of the two cars, and controls car drive motors mounted on each of the two cars with the respective drive control means, comprising: connecting/disconnecting means disposed on each of the two cars for connecting and disconnecting the main circuit line and the drive control means on each of the two cars; speed detecting means for detecting the speed of at least one car among the two cars and outputting a speed signal; current detecting means disposed on at least the leading car among the two cars for detecting the current flowing through the collector shoe on at least the leading car among the two cars ; no-current detecting means for outputting a no-current signal when the current that the current detecting means detects is zero on at least the leading car ; a no-current signal train line disposed between the two cars for transmitting the no-current signal to the other car of the two cars ; and disconnection time setting means mounted on each of the two cars for, when the speed signal and the no-current signal are inputted, after a predetermined time which is set to a time such that it is possible to recognize the dead section in correspondence with the speed of the car, outputting a disconnection signal for causing the respective connecting/disconnecting means to disconnect, wherein when the no-current detecting means outputs the no-current signal, the no-current signal is supplied to the no-current signal train line, and the no-current signal is supplied to the connecting/disconnecting disconnection time setting means on each of the two cars.