WO2019245453A1

WO2019245453A1 - Variable pitch platform screens or sliding doors in transit stations

Info

Publication number: WO2019245453A1
Application number: PCT/SG2019/050269
Authority: WO
Inventors: Li Yip KOH; Jong Chuan ONG; Nur Hidayah Binte OTHMAN; Rajkumar PADMANABAN
Original assignee: St Engineering Electronics Ltd
Priority date: 2018-06-20
Filing date: 2019-05-21
Publication date: 2019-12-26
Also published as: TW202012228A; TWM643932U

Abstract

The present invention describes a variable pitch platform screen system (100, 200, 300) associated with platform sliding doors (PSDs) (144), moveable platform screens (158, 258) or an emergency door (180) at a train platform (30). The variable pitch platform screen system allows the PSDs to align with doors on different trains (10), where each train has a different door pitch, or allows a position of the emergency door (180) to align with an emergency exit door (EED) on the train. In addition, the platform screen system is moveable in a substantially perpendicular direction to adjust to a kinematic envelope associated with a moving train pulling up at the platform.

Description

Variable Pitch Platform Screens Or Sliding Doors In Transit Stations

Field of Invention

[001] The present invention relates to platform screens and/or sliding doors that are operable to adjust centerlines of door openings to interact with trains having differing train door pitches or with trains that have stopped outside the designated stopping positions at a transit station.

Background

[002] Platform sliding doors and platform screens are often built along an edge of a platform at a transit station to ensure safety to commuters or passengers; these platform sliding doors or screens can be half-height or full-height. With full-height screens or sliding doors, these extend from the floor to the ceiling or to overhead header boxes disposed near the ceiling. Generally, a platform screen 20 includes a number of fixed panels and platform sliding doors (PSDs) 22. Each fixed panel or platform sliding door usually has a metal frame and a glass panel set in the metal frame. Each PSD 22 is guided by rollers, and is opened and closed using a belt system. In between the fixed panels of the platform screen, the PSDs 22 separate passengers on the platform from the track, road or quay side. In order to allow rapid embarkation and disembarkation of passengers, big doorways are provided by configuring the PSD 22 with bi-parting sliding doors and simultaneously opening the parting sliding doors.

[003] In many countries, the transit systems use different trains on the same line and track. This poses a challenge to conventional platform sliding doors, as different trains typically have different train door pitches and/or car pitches; FIG.1 A illustrates the meaning of train door pitches, Lp. Conventional platform sliding doors (PSDs) are designed to align with train doors of one train configuration but will misalign with train doors of another train configuration; in FIG. 1B, the difference in the door pitches of train 10A and train 10B is denoted ALp. One way to solve misalignment of train doors and PSD openings between different train configurations is to simply make the PSDs with wide door openings. However, with wide door openings, if structural loading requirements remain the same, the PSDs will be heavy, and, as a result, the PSDs must move/translate slower in order to meet closing kinetic energy safety requirements; this increases the time it takes for the PSDs to operate, specifically increases the train dwell time at the platform. [004] Additionally, some train systems have inaccurate train stopping positions or train pilots have differing experiences and judgments. In this approach, US patent no. 8,387,541, issued to OCLAP Srl, describes a platform screen made up of upright beams, each associated with a pair of sliding doors. The sliding door associated with an upright beam overlaps with a sliding door associated with an adjacent upright beam to form a gate, which gate centerline is varied according to the amount of translations of the cooperating sliding doors in response to the stopping positions of a train.

[005] The stopping distances Ls of the trains are often taken into account by making the above wide door opening even wider, as shown in FIG. 1C. This large PSD 22A opening may not be a viable solution, operationally or from the safety perspective. It can thus be seen that there exists a need for a new type of platform screens and PSDs that can translate to match with differing train door positions caused by differing door pitches or inaccurate train stopping positions at a transit station.

Summary

[006] The following presents a simplified summary to provide a basic understanding of the present invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention, and is not intended to identify key features of the present invention. Rather, it is to present some of the inventive concepts of this invention in a generalised form as a prelude to the detailed description that is to follow.

[007] The present invention seeks to provide a variable pitch platform screen and platform sliding door (PSD) system to match with differing door pitches of trains serving a transit platform. Prior to train arriving at the station, the PSD system will be informed of the type of train configuration that is incoming via a communications system (SCADA, etc.). During this time prior to train arrival, the doorways are programmed to adjust to their correct positions in preparation for the arriving train. The speed at which this is done can be slow for safety and this does not affect the dwell time of the train. Upon train arrival, the platform screen doors will operate as per conventional doorways. After the train has departed, the platform sliding doors (PSDs) can then vary the door pitch or readjust to match with the doorways of the next incoming train. With this design, this variable pitch PSD can also move to accommodate this sub-optimal stopping positions of trains. The “adjusted” opening position can be determined via additional sensors on the platform screen doors. [008] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a variable pitch platform screen system comprising: a moveable platform screen and associated platform sliding door (PSD) are slidable so that a pitch of the PSD on a platform matches substantially with a pitch of doors on a train that is pulling up at the platform, in order to allow unimpeded passenger passage between the train and the platform.

[009] In another embodiment, the present invention provides a moveable platform screen system associated with an emergency door, so that position of the emergency platform door is programmable to align with an emergency exit door on a train. [0010] The variable pitch platform screen system comprises a fixed platform screen disposed between two sets of the moveable platform screens. Preferably, a selected fixed platform screen comprises an emergency door. Alternatively, a selected moveable platform screen comprises an emergency door. [0011] Preferably, the PSD is each configured as a bi-parting sliding door. Preferably, the moveable platform screen is each configured as a 2-stage telescopic sliding screen.

[0012] Preferably, the moveable platform screen/associated PSD is slidable parallel to the fixed platform screen. It is also possible to displace the moveable platform screen/associated PSD perpendicularly to the sliding movement in response to a kinematic envelope around a train.

[0013] Preferably, a current sensor is disposed at a motor of a door control unit to detect any obstruction when the biparting sliding door is closing. Each door control unit controls the associated PSD, whilst a screen control unit controls the associated set of moveable platform screens. Preferably, a hand safety sensor is disposed to detect any hand that may be placed near a retracting edge on one pane or both panes of the biparting sliding door. [0014] Preferably, a wireless communication system is operable to transmit configuration information about the train doors and/or emergency exit doors on the train prior to the train arriving at a platform.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] This invention will be described by way of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1A illustrates part of a conventional train, with the train doors being spaced at a pitch distance Lp and shown with a platform sliding door (PSD); FIG. 1B illustrates a differential distance ALp between train door pitches of train A and train B; FIG. 1C illustrates a use of a large platform screen door opening after taking into account the train stopping distances and differential door pitches of trains serving a transit station; [0017] FIG. 2A illustrates part of a moveable platform screen system integral with a sliding door system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIGs. 2B and 2C illustrate the above moveable platform screen and platform sliding door systems being positioned to the extreme left- and right-hand sides, respectively; FIGs. 2D-2E illustrate alternative locations of emergency doors;

[0018] FIG. 3 A illustrates a plan view of the moveable platform screen doors shown in FIGs. 2A-2E. A moveable telescopic platform screen system is shown in FIGs. 3B-3D;

[0019] FIGs. 4A-4B illustrate platform screen and integral platform sliding door drive mechanisms according to two other embodiments of the present invention; and

[0020] FIG. 5A illustrates a cross-section view at the platform screen door where a hand safety sensor and an intrusion sensor are shown, whilst FIG. 5B illustrates train’s kinematic envelopes (KE) that vary with speeds of the train pulling up, departing or passing a transit station; and FIG. 5C illustrates a mechanism for varying a perpendicular distance between the platform screen/sliding doors and the sides of the train to meet clearances required for differing kinematic envelopes.

Detailed Description

[0021] One or more specific and alternative embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings. It shall be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that this invention may be practised without such specific details. Some of the details may not be described at length so as not to obscure the present invention. For ease of reference, common reference numerals or series of numerals will be used throughout the figures when referring to the same or similar features common to the figures.

[0022] FIG. 1A shows part of a conventional train 10, which is configured with train doors 12 that spaced at a certain door pitch Lp. When the platform 30 at which the train is to stop have security screens 20 (full-height or half-heights), the platform sliding doors (PSDs) 22, 22 A must match the train doors 12 to ensure unobstructed flow of human traffic between the train and the platform. Often, these PSDs 22, 22A have opening passages that are wider than the train doors to account for inaccuracies in train stopping positions or for variations in train stopping distances Ls.

[0023] Like any other transportation systems, trains and train systems do undergo upgrading or improvements. New trains may be put into service, and these trains may be configured with differing door pitches Lp. FIG. 1B shows the differential in train door pitches, delta- Lp between train 10A and train 10B; these delta-Lp may be caused by trains being supplied from different manufacturers, manufacturers from different continents or trains supplied at different time periods.

[0024] A solution to cater for differentials in train door pitches and differentials in train stopping distances Ls is to provide large PSDs 22A, as seen in FIG. 1C. These large PSDs 22A with wide openings may not be a viable solution, operationally or from the safety perspective; these large PSDs 22A may be too heavy to meet closing kinetic energy safety requirements; operationally, in one embodiment, train doors 12 are regulated to open in substantially 3 seconds or to close in substantially 3.5 seconds, for example. Additionally, trains dwell times are also regulated; a train dwell time is defined as the time period a train dwells at a platform for passengers to disembark and embark, and for the train doors 12 and PSDs to open and close. When large, heavy PSDs 22A were employed, the time periods for opening and closing of the PSDs would increase, causing an increase in the dwell time. A solution is to provide a variable pitch platform screen and platform sliding system 100 as shown in FIG. 2A.

[0025] In FIG. 2A, a full-height platform screen and associated platform sliding system 100 is shown as an embodiment. The platform sliding system 100 is made up of bi-parting PSDs 144, cooperating moveable platform screens 158 and fixed panels 170. In the overhead header box 120, the entire door mechanisms are supported by a linear rail 130 and linear guide blocks 131 are disposed to slide on the linear rail. The linear rail 130 may be made up of a two or more component linear rails that are joined end-to-end to form a long linear rail. An integrated J-track is formed along the linear guide blocks 131; carriages 132 on rollers are mounted on the integrated J-track to suspend the biparting PSDs 144 so that opposite doors of the biparting PSDs 144 are connected to opposite legs of an endless belt 142; when a motor 141 drives the endless belt 142, the belt causes the biparting PSDs 144 to open or close. At the same time, each movable platform screen 158 is supported by a pair of dollies 160. Near each of two ends of the linear rail 130, a separate J-track (or roller track) supports each associated pair of dollies 160; in the drawings, these J-tracks (or roller tracks) are located in front of the dollies 160, so these J-tracks/roller tracks are omitted in order to show locations of the dollies. To move the entire platform sliding system 100, the dollies 160 at each end are linked to the linear guide blocks 131 by separate connecting rods 161. The drive mechanism for the PSD 144 are controlled by a door control unit (DCU) 140, whilst the drive mechanism for the moveable platform screens 158 are controlled by a screen control unit (SCU) 150. The SCU 150 controls a servo motor 151, which drives a ball screw 152 and a nut unit 153; by rotating the servo motor 151 and ball screw 152, the nut unit 153 is driven to the left- or right-hand side depending on the direction of rotation; the nut unit 153 is coupled to a mounting unit 154, which is located on the linear guides 131, is then operated to adjust position of the entire platform sliding system 100. Operations of the DCU 140 and SCU 150 synchronise with each other, e.g., with use of sensors and switches (not shown in the figures). By operating the servo motor 151, the PSDs 144 are operable to translate so that the centerlines of the PSDs 144 match with the respective centerlines of doors 12 of the train that is pulling up at the platform.

[0026] In FIG. 2A, the centerline of the PSDs 144 coincide substantially with the centerline of the moveable platform screens 158 when these centerlines are near the centre of the door passageway. When the train stops early and the train doors 12 are just clear from the fixed panels 170, the PSDs 144 and moveable platform screens 158 have to translate to the extreme left-hand side as seen in FIG. 2B. When the train has overshot its optimum stopping distance and the train doors 12 are just clear from the fixed panels 170, the PSDs 144 and moveable platform screens 158 have to translate to the extreme right-hand side as seen in FIG. 2C.

[0027] Also as shown in FIGs. 2A-2C, an emergency platform door (EPD) 180 is provided next to the fixed panel 170. In one embodiment, the EPD 180 is of a swing-door type, which swings out into the platform side; as seen in FIGs. 2A-2C, the swing type EPD is double-leaf. In FIG. 2D, the EPD 180 is configured as part of the platform sliding door system 100. In another embodiment, it is also possible that the EPD is configured in a fixed panel by providing a breakable glass screen l80a, as shown in FIG. 2E; preferably, this breakable glass EPD l80a is marked with a notice and a hammer is provided near to the notice. [0028] Some trains may be equipped with emergency exit doors (EED); these EEDs are often located near a front or rear of each train 10. With the above moveable platform screen system 100, a moveable platform screen associated with an EED may be provided as an embodiment. Whilst the EED may not be operational for normal passenger usage, the platform equipped with moveable emergency platform screens can be programmed to adjust in positions to align with EEDs on the train. In this case, two separate moveable platform screen controls are provided, one for operating the (passenger) PSD/moveable platform screens 144, 158 and another for operating the emergency platform screens. [0029] FIG. 3A shows the PSD 144 and the moveable platform screen 158 in plan view. As each of the moveable platform screen 158 is wide, there must be sufficient space behind the fixed panels 170 for the moveable platform screen 158 to retract. Often, the pitch of the PSDs 144 does not give sufficient space for two adjacent moveable platform screens 158 to retract without collision; to avoid collision or mechanical interference, a solution is to provide a moveable telescopic platform screen system 200, where each telescopic platform screen 258 is operable to slide in a telescopic manner, such as, in 2 stages, or more; a 2- stage telescopic moveable platform screen 258a, 258b is shown in the plan view in FIGs. 3B-3D. The telescopic moveable platform screen 258a, 258b can be formed by configuring each of the above J-track or roller track to work in two stages.

[0030] In FIG. 3B, the PSDs 144 are centrally positioned in the door passageway, whilst in FIG. 3C, the PSDs 144 are located to the left side of the door passageway, and in FIG. 3D, the PSDs 144 are located to the right side of the door passageway. As seen in FIGs. 3B-3D, with the moveable platform screen 258a, 258b provided in a 2-stage telescopic configuration, the space behind the fixed panel 170 for the moveable platform screen to retract is substantially reduced by half; the telescopic moveable platform screens 258a, 258b thus allow two adjacent moveable telescopic platform screens 258 to retract without mechanical interference.

[0031] FIG. 4A shows a moveable platform screen and PSD system 300 according to an embodiment. The system 300 includes a linear rail or guide 330 on which the PSDs 144 are translated as controlled by the DCU 140, and an independent linear rail or guide 332 on which the moveable platform screens 158 are translated, as controlled by the SCU 150. As shown in FIG. 4A, the linear translations of the PSDs 144 and moveable platform screens 158 employ independent linear actuator mechanisms (not shown in the figure) and rollers 331 or roller bogeys/dollies 334.

[0032] In the above moveable platform screen and PSD system 100, a long linear rail 130 is shown as an embodiment. In another embodiment 300a, it is possible that the linear rail is made up of another linear rail 330a that is coupled or guided to translate on a long linear rail 332a via some roller bogeys/dollies 334, as shown in FIG. 4B. In this embodiment, the drive mechanism and the DCU 140 of the PSDs 144 are associated with the linear rail 330a, whilst the drive mechanism and the SCU 150 of the moveable platform screens 158 are associated with the long linear rail 332a.

[0033] In the above moveable platform screen systems 100, 200, 300, obstruction sensors are provided at both the platform side and track side. A current sensor (not shown in the figure) associated with the motor 141 of the DCU 140 senses a rise in current when closing of the PSD 144 is obstructed; once an obstruction is sensed, the biparting doors of the PSD would retract and then attempt to close again; depending on the system design, after three closing attempts, the PSD 144 may fully open and an alert is sent to the platform control station for a person to check on the obstruction at the PSD concerned. Another obstruction sensor or hand safety sensor l90a (shown in FIG. 2A) uses an infra-red beam to sense any hand placed on a retracting edge of the PSD 144; once a hand on the retracting edge is sensed, opening of the PSD 144 would be halted to prevent any injury to the hand. It is possible that another hand safety sensor l90a is also located in the header box to sense any hand placed on each of the retracting edge of the moveable platform screen 158, 258. FIG. 5 A shows a section view at a platform and shows use of the hand safety sensor l90a. FIG. 5 A also shows a laser intrusion sensor l90b disposed to detect any person trapped between the PSD and the train door 12. Preferably, the intrusion sensor l90b emits a wide sensing beam. Preferably, the intrusion sensor l90b is located at or above the header box 120.

[0034] Trains pulling up at a transit platform 30 slow down in speed in preparation to stop at a platform; in some situations, a train 10 may not stop at a transit platform 30 and is allowed to travel at a speed to pass the station. The speed at which the train arrives, pulls out or travels past a platform screen/PSD creates a corresponding kinematic envelope (KE) around the train 10, as shown in FIG. 5B. The kinematic envelope KE defines the limit or imaginary boundary that PSD 144 cannot encroach into to avoid possible interference. To cater for variable KEs of differing train speeds, it is desirable that the above moveable platform screen and PSD systems 100,200,300 are also moveable in a direction perpendicular to surfaces of the platform screen/PSD, i.e.. in the Y-coordinate direction shown in FIG. 5B. In one embodiment, this lateral moveable platform screen/PSD system 400 is provided by moving a linear track 430 (on which the above platform screens/PSDs slide on) in space away from or towards a stationary track 431, as shown in FIG. 5C. This may be configured by linking the linear track 430 to the stationary track 431 by pivot arms to move in a parallelogram manner, where the lateral gap movement (Gy) is perpendicular to the platform screen/PSD; such a movement can be provided by a linear actuator, preferably with a brake mechanism or brake valve; in FIG. 5C, only the centre line 405 line of the linear actuator is indicated. When the train speed is fast, the KE around the train is laiger; with this lateral moveable platform screen/PSD system 400, the entire moveable platform screen/PSD system 100, 200, 300 can be moved laterally in the Gy direction corresponding to the relevant KE associated with a moving train. The accompanying movement parallel to the platform screen (/. e. Gx) can be compensated for by actuating the screen linear drive mechanism by the SCU 150.

[0035] It is also possible to provide other lateral movement mechanisms to displace the linear track on which the moveable platform screen/PSD system is slidable. When such lateral movement mechanisms are provided, vertical edges of the PSDs 144, the moveable platform screens 158, 258 and vertical edges of the fixed screens 170 are provided with flexible seals or brushes to restrict free flow of air or to close any gap to prevent any passenger finger from accidents that may be caused by sliding of the moveable platform screens 158, 258 and/or PSDs 144.

[0036] With the above moveable platform screen/PSD system 100, 200, 300, the pitch of the moveable platform screen/PSD is varied to match with the pitch of the doors 12 of a train that is going to stop at the transit platform 30. Before arriving at the platform 30, configuration of the train doors is transmitted wirelessly via a communication system (such as SCADA) to the platform screen/PSD system 100, 200, 300, and in response the DCU 140 and the SCU 150 adjust positions/pitch of the PSDs 144 and the moveable platform screens 158, 258 to match with the pitch of the train doors 12; the response time for such adjustment is relatively longer than the PSD 144 opening/closing time, and the power for the driving mechanisms is correspondingly low. After the train 10 has stopped at the platform, only the PSDs 144 operate in tandem with the opening and closing of the train doors 12. After the train 10 has pulled out of the platform, the moveable platform screen/PSD system 100, 200, 300 would communicate with the next incoming train and adjust or re-adjust the pitch of the moveable platform screen/PSD to match with the door pitch of the incoming train. [0037] While specific embodiments have been described and illustrated, it is understood that many changes, modifications, variations and combinations thereof could be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. For e.g. , the hand safety sensors may be used to detect any hand that may be placed near the retracting edge of the moveable telescopic screen 258, 258a, 258b.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A variable pitch platform screen system comprising:

a moveable platform screen and associated platform sliding door (PSD) are slidable so that a pitch of the PSD on a platform matches substantially with a pitch of doors on a train that is pulling up at the platform, in order to allow unimpeded passenger passage to/from the train at the platform.

2. The platform screen system according to claim 1, further comprising a fixed panel disposed between two sets of the moveable platform screens.

3. The platform screen system according to claim 2, wherein a selected fixed panel comprises an emergency door.

4. The platform screen system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a selected moveable platform screen comprises an emergency door.

5. The platform screen system according to claim 2, wherein slidable movement of the moveable platform screen and an associated PSD is parallel to the fixed panel.

6. The platform screen system according to claim 5, wherein the moveable platform screen system comprises a plural sets of the moveable platform screens and the associated PSD, and the slidable movement of each set of moveable platform screens and the associated PSD is controlled by an associated screen control unit.

7. The platform screen system according to claim 5, further comprises a movement of the moveable platform screen/PSD that is substantially perpendicular to the parallel movement in response to a kinematic envelope of the train.

8. The platform screen system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the PSD is each configured as a bi-parting sliding door.

9. The platform screen system according to claim 8, further comprising a current sensor disposed at a motor of a door control unit to detect any obstruction when the bi parting sliding door is closing, wherein each door control unit controls the associated PSD.

10. The platform screen system according to claim 9, further comprising a hand safety sensor disposed to detect any hand that may be placed near a retracting edge on either one pane of the biparting sliding door.

11. The platform screen system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the moveable platform screen is each configured as a 2-stage telescopic sliding screen.

12. The platform screen system according to any one of claims 6-11, further comprising a moveable screen system associated with an emergency door, so that position of the emergency platform door is programmable to align with an emergency exit door on the train, such that there are two types of platform screen control units, one for operating the (passenger) PSD and the other for operating the emergency door.

13. The platform screen system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a wireless communication system in which configuration of the train doors on the train are transmitted prior to the train arriving at the platform.

14. The platform screen system according to claim 13, wherein the configuration of the train doors also includes configuration of the emergency exit door (EED) on the train.