Platform Door, System Comprising the Platform Door and Method of Actuating the Platform Door

The platform door of the present invention is of the type which enables the platform to be separated from the track area in which trains transit and park, and form passageways to access the train doors of a parked train.

In a railway system consisting of a set of train stations and a set of trains transiting between the stations, it is important that the boarding and alighting of passengers from trains parking at each station is carried out in a very agile manner in order to avoid accumulating delays that would affect the overall operation of the train service. Therefore, it is crucial that after the arrival of a train at a platform, passengers are already close to the track area and, after the train has stopped and the train doors have been quickly opened, the interchange between passengers alighting and boarding can be carried out.

In order for the passengers to be located on the platform close to the parking area of the train, platform doors are typically used, which allow the passengers to be located safely very near the area where the train doors will be situated, without the danger of falling into the track area, since these platform doors are provided with closed doors that only open when a train is parked at the platform.

Normally, platform doors are provided by way of a barrier with a set of doors, normally sliding doors, which once a train is parked, allow the opening thereof forming passageways in correspondence with the train doors, thus allowing the passengers to exit and enter the train. For example, document EP1964747 describes one of these platform doors.

However, this type of platform door exhibits the drawback that the position of the doors is fixed, so that they can only be used in stations in which trains with doors of the same composition and configuration transit, or with coinciding door arrangements. This entails that the use thereof is very difficult in stations in which trains with different composition and configuration stop. This drawback can even entail that the train fleet cannot be renewed if the new trains have a different door arrangement without replacing the doors, a progressive renewal of trains not being possible as the same train doors cannot be used in old and new trains.

In addition, it must be taken into account that trains exhibit a tolerance regarding the breaking distance, so that it cannot be unequivocally established where the train doors will be arranged after the train stops. Therefore, in order to allow a passageway from the train doors regardless of the stopping position of the train, the platform doors must be oversized taking into account this tolerance. The oversizing of the doors implies that these will be of greater size, greater weight and therefore, it means greater opening and closing times as the doors have to travel a greater distance between the opening and the closing position thereof, in addition to being more difficult to control. This drawback can be solved using faster means for closing and opening the doors. However, this makes the doors even more difficult to control, as they will have to reach high speeds especially when they are oversized.

However, even if the doors are oversized, this does not prevent the train doors from not being correctly aligned with the platform doors due to braking tolerances, meaning that passengers will not be able to exit or enter the train and the train will have to be moved, with the consequent loss of time, which may affect the overall service of the railway system.

To solve this problem, platform doors such as those described in document WO201273658 are known, wherein the platform door is made up of a plurality of mobile units, wherein each unit is provided with expandable doors, such that the units can be placed in a target position prior to the arrival of a train to the platform according to the door distribution of the next train arriving to the platform, which must be known. Even then, due to the braking tolerances of the train, a readjustment of the position of the mobile units will always be required depending on the final stop position of the train that oftentimes will prevent the train doors from opening immediately.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to disclose a platform door that allows the use thereof with different train models, with different door arrangement and sizes, and that further achieves optimal opening and closing times after the train stops regardless of the breaking position of the train.

The platform door for accessing train doors from a platform of the present invention is of the type comprising a plurality of sliding mobile panels that can slide horizontally along the platform, i.e., laterally, in an independent manner by means of respective traction means.

Essentially, the platform door is characterised in that each mobile panel has a fixed panel length and is adapted to slide laterally, for example on one or more rails, and be arranged adjacent to other mobile panels adopting a closing position leaving no passageway between mobile panels, i.e., the adjacent panels touching each other or leaving a negligible space between them, and each mobile panel being further adapted to slide laterally and at least partially overlap with one of the adjacent mobile panels thereof, adopting an opening position defining passageways between mobile panels for accessing train doors, such that the mobile panels of the platform door can adopt different positions and thus leave different passageways between mobile panels, even with different passageway sizes to thus adapt to the arrangements of the doors of a train that is parked in the platform, in the opening position, and allow users to board and alight comfortably and easily, and the mobile panels being able to adopt a position in which the mobile panels do not allow a passageway, in the closing position, to prevent the users from accessing the tracks when there is no train parked at the platform. In this way, the interoperability of trains with different composition and configuration is facilitated, since the platform doors can be adapted to the train door configuration of each type of train, configuration that can vary between train companies or even between train models of the same company or that will vary depending on the type of cars forming each train.

In a variant embodiment, from the closing position the mobile panels are adapted to slide laterally and separate from any of their adjacent mobile panels, in one or other side, thus allowing to leave passages between any pair of adjacent mobile panels from the closed position.

In a variant embodiment, from the closing position, the mobile panels are adapted to at least partially and telescopically overlap with one of the adjacent mobile panels thereof, such that smaller size ones can be introduced inside larger size ones, generally in the shape of an arch defining a hollow, by way of a tunnel, in which the adjacent mobile panel with smaller size can at least be partially housed. It is also foreseen that all the mobile panels have an arch shape, thus allowing each end of the arch to rest on a rail and achieving at least two support points and therefore better stability and resistance to lateral forces.

In a variant embodiment, from the closing position, each mobile panel is adapted to telescopically and completely overlap with one of the adjacent mobile panels thereof, such that a smaller size panel can be completely concealed inside a larger size panel.

In a variant embodiment, from the closing position, each mobile panel is adapted to exceed, i.e., pass through one of the adjacent panels thereof, two adjacent mobile panels being able to entirely cross each other, thus enabling two adjacent mobile panels to exchange position.

In a variant embodiment, the panel length of each mobile panel is equal, such that in the closing position, all the mobile panels exhibit a homogeneous display of the platform door, further enabling, when the mobile panels are telescopic, a mobile panel to be able to be inserted and perfectly adjusted inside another mobile panel, during the opening position or during the transitions between the closing position and the opening position.

In a variant embodiment, in the closing position, at least one mobile panel of each pair of adjacent mobile panels is provided with a hollow, which defines a tunnel that passes through the inside of the mobile panel, for the other mobile panel to pass therethrough.

In a variant embodiment, in the closed position, at least one mobile panel of each pair of adjacent mobile panels has a general arch shape, determining two support points on the ground and achieving greater resistance to lateral forces, such as the force that can be exerted by people waiting for the train on the platform.

In a variant embodiment, in the closing position, adjacent mobile panels have a first panel width and a second panel width in an alternate manner, such that the mobile panels are telescopic two by two.

In a variant embodiment, the platform door comprises at least one rail on which mobile panels of the platform door slide and are mounted, the traction means being adapted to move the mobile panels mounted on the rail in an independent manner. Naturally, the one or more rails may be mounted on the platform floor, so that the mobile panels will be held by the platform floor, or with the platform ceiling, so that the mobile panels will be held by the platform ceiling, i.e., the mobile panels will be hanging from the platform ceiling. It is also intended that the rails are distributed between the platform floor and the ceiling, such that some mobile panels are held on the floor and others will be held in the platform ceiling. In this way, each mobile panel will be able to move independently from the rest of mobile panels and, in turn, between the closing position and the opening position, thus adopting the configurations required to adapt to the configuration of the train doors of a train that is parked at the platform. These traction means can be wheels actuated by motors that move the mobile panels which in turn can be directed as appropriate, preferably in a straight line since they are mounted on straight rails. Naturally, it is intended that there are different sets of rails if a mobile panel must pass through another adjacent mobile panel, or exceed another mobile panel in a parallel plane. Other traction means are envisaged such as electromagnetic movement means.

In a variant embodiment, the platform door comprises pairs of rails, each mobile panel being mounted on a pair of rails and thus allowing greater stability and resistance to lateral forces.

In a variant embodiment, each mobile panel comprises return means adapted for actuating the traction means of each mobile panel to return to the closing position from the opening position. These return means can memorise the original position or the movement performed by each mobile panel between the closing position and the opening position to undo this movement by actuating the traction means in a timely manner, the mobile panels thus quickly returning to the closing position.

A system is also disclosed comprising a platform door installed on a platform, and a train with one or more train doors parked at the platform, the system being provided with detection means for detecting the position of the train doors of the train, and control means adapted for defining the one or more mobile panels of the platform door that are arranged in front of each train door and actuate these mobile panels to open respective passageways in front of each train door to adopt the opening position.

In a variant embodiment, the panel length of each mobile panel is equal to or greater than the train door length of each train door, i.e., the width or free passageway thereof, such that only one or two panels must be moved per train door for opening the platform door.

In one variant embodiment, the detection means comprise a detector of the position of the head of the train parked by the platform, such that misalignments in the stopping area of the train due to tolerances can be quickly reported, for a fast preparation of the mobile panels.

In a variant embodiment, the distance between train doors is greater than the panel length, such that several mobile panels can be arranged between train doors, the mobile panels being able to have a smaller size, facilitating the movement and modularity thereof.

A method of actuating the platform door of the system described is also disclosed, from a closing position, in which there are no passageways between the mobile panels, comprising, upon the arrival of a train provided with train doors, the steps of detecting the one or more mobile panels that are arranged in front of each train door once the train is parked on the platform; and laterally slide the one or more mobile panels detected, opening respective access passageways before each train door, adopting an opening position. In an embodiment of interest, the method further comprises after adopting the opening position, the step of returning each panel that has been laterally moved until it adopts the previous closing position of the platform door again.

show platform doorsfor accessing the train doorfrom a platform, the platform door comprising a plurality of sliding mobile panelsthat can slide laterally in an independent manner, for example on one or more rails, by means of respective traction means. The figures show that each mobile panelis rigid and has a fixed panel length l, preferably the panel length lof each panelis equal, and is arranged adjacent to other mobile panelsadopting a closing position A leaving no passageway between mobile panels, and each mobile panelbeing further adapted to slide laterally and at least partially overlap with one of the adjacent mobile panelsthereof, thus being able to adopt an opening position B and defining passagewaysbetween mobile panelsfor accessing the train doorsparked at the platform. Also, from the closing position A, the mobile panelsare adapted to slide laterally and separate from any one of its adjacent mobile panels. Thus, from the closed position A, each mobile panel can slide and move independently of the other mobile panels, even at different speeds and in different directions, and being able to determine different strokes, and without the movement of a mobile panelfrom the closed position A causing movement of another mobile panel.

The platform doorrepresented inis formed by telescopic mobile panels, adapted to at least partially and telescopically overlap with one of the adjacent mobile panelsthereof, such that the mobile panelscan slide and form a single body with at least the adjacent mobile panel, one penetrating inside the other.

shows an embodiment with two levels, i.e., two panel widths w, w, such that the mobile panelscan telescopically overlap and form a single body every two mobile panels, whileshows an embodiment with three levels, i.e., three panel widths, such that the mobile panelscan slide and form a single body in groups of three. Naturally, other platform doorswith several telescopic levels can be envisaged, such that the mobile panelscan be joined together and be combined with the adjacent mobile panelsthereof.

It is also intended that the mobile panelsare arranged in several rows, in the manner illustrated infor example, wherein the mobile panelsare arranged in two rows, and that they can be arranged adjacent to other mobile panelsof the other row, adopting a closing position A leaving no passageway between mobile panels. As can be seen, in the closing position A the mobile panelsare arranged one after the other in a continuous manner, for example in alternating rowsleaving no passageway between mobile panels. In addition, each sliding mobile panelis adapted to slide laterally and at least partially overlap with one of the adjacent mobile panelsthereof, in this case, the adjacent panel in the other row, thus being able to adopt an opening position B and defining passagewaysbetween mobile panelsfor accessing the train doorsparked at the platform. Naturally, although not illustrated by these figures, it is intended that the mobile panelsare even able to exceed the adjacent mobile panelthereof to adopt the closing position A or opening position B as appropriate, thus conferring great flexibility in the arrangement of mobile panels. The flexibility in the arrangement of mobile panelsbeing a feature that is shared by all the displayed embodiments of platform dooris highlighted. Although thisdisplays all the mobile panelshaving a same panel length l, it is also intended that the panels are able to have different panel lengths las appropriate, for example, with a greater panel length lin the end mobile panelsand a smaller panel length lin the central mobile panels, thus facilitating the quick movement of the central mobile panels. In this case, the mobile panelheight can be the same.

In the telescopic mobile panelsdisplayed in, for example, each mobile panelis adapted to telescopically and completely overlap with one of the adjacent mobile panelsthereof from the closing position A. From the closing position A, it is also intended that each mobile panelis adapted not only to overlap with one of the adjacent mobile panelsthereof, but even so that a mobile panelexceeds one of the adjacent mobile panelsthereof, different combinations being thus possible between mobile panelsand defining passagewaysas appropriate, such that when a trainparks at a platformthe passagewaysof the train doorcoincide with the train doors, thus allowing passengers to access and exit the train.

shows the platform doorpreviously displayed inbut in an opening position B wherein passagewaysare defined between mobile panels, for example for accessing the doors of the trainparked at the platformas will be described later. Some mobile panelscan be seen partially overlapped with the adjacent mobile panelsthereof, while some mobile panelsare completely overlapped with the adjacent mobile panelsthereof, the mobile panelswith the same panel width w, w, being locked. In this way, a great versatility is achieved for forming passagewaysin the platform doorand being able to adapt to different arrangements of train doors.

displays a C-C cross-sectional view of. This figure shows that, in the closing position A, at least one mobile panelof each pair of adjacent mobile panels, is provided with a hollowfor the other mobile panelto pass therethrough, by way of a tunnel that traverses the mobile panel, so that one mobile panelcan pass through the other one. An embodiment is displayed for telescopic mobile panelswith two levels. For telescopic mobile panelswith three levels, two mobile panelswith an eyewould be provided, the smaller panel being able to pass through the inside of the eyeof the greater one, and a mobile panelthat could have no hollowto pass through the eye of the smaller mobile panelwith hollow. Thus, in the closed position A, at least one mobile panelof each pair of adjacent mobile panelshas a general arch shape, and all the mobile panels may even have a general arch shape, which confers greater stability and resistance to lateral forces, such as the force that can be exerted by people waiting for trainon platform.

shows that the mobile panelsof the platform doorhave a first panel width wand a second panel width w, in an alternate manner and such that a mobile panelcan pass through the hollowof another mobile panel. The height of each mobile panelwill also be that which is suitable to be able to carry out the telescopic effect, heights will be typically alternated, the mobile panelwith the lesser height being that which must pass through the hollowof another mobile panel.

In addition, the mobile panelsare mounted on a set of rails, which can be one or more, and the mobile panelsare in turn provided with traction meansadapted to move the mobile panelsmounted on the railor railsin an independent manner, these traction meanscan be for example, drive wheels. Naturally, other traction meansthat enable the lateral movement of the mobile panelsalong the platformare also intended.

display different configurations that can be adopted by the sliding mobile panelsof a platform door, specificallydisplays a position wherein the mobile panelsare arranged adjacent leaving no space between them;displays the movement of one of the mobile panels, a smaller panel, until it is partially inserted inside another mobile panel, a greater panel, through the hollowof this greater panel, leaving a passagewaybetween mobile panels.illustrates the way the smaller mobile panelcan completely traverse the greater mobile panel, moving in one direction while the greater panel moves in the opposite direction, said greater and smaller panels being exchanged relative to the position previously shown in. Since each mobile panelcan move in an independent manner, these can even move away from each other, enabling respective passagewaysin the way illustrated in

display the sliding mobile panelsof another platform doorwherein the mobile panelsare rigid, can slide laterally and can move in two rows, in two parallel planes, such that they can be overlapped with at least the adjacent mobile panelsthereof.displays the mobile panelsin a closing position A of the platform door, wherein there is no passagewaybetween mobile panels, the mobile panelsbeing arranged in an alternate manner in each row, andshows the mobile panelsin an opening position B of the platform doorwherein there is passagewaybetween the mobile panelsand the mobile panelsare at least overlapped or even exceeding the adjacent mobile panelthereof.

It is further noted that the platform doorspresented inpresent pairs of rails, each movable panelbeing mounted on a pair of rails, such that, for example, the movable panels having a general arch shape can support each of their ends on a raildifferent from a pair of rails, thus conferring more stability and resistance to lateral forces.

display a systemcomprising a platform door, installed on a platform, and a trainwith one or more train doors, in this case three train doors, the trainbeing parked at the platform.illustrate the systemwith the platform doorin the closing position A. The systemis provided with detection meansfor detecting the position of the train doors, and control meansadapted to define the one or more sliding mobile panelsof the platform doorarranged in front of each train doorand actuate these mobile panelsto move them and open respective passagewaysin front of each train doorto adopt the opening position B shown in. Said detection meanscan obtain information from the trainfor example from the railway signalling system and can incorporate a transponder adapted to directly receive information from the train, as well as detecting the stopping point thereof in the platform. It is intended that the detection meanscomprise a detector of the position of the headof the trainparked by the platform, such that misalignments in the stopping area of the train due to tolerances can be quickly reported, for a fast preparation of the mobile panels. Thus, the detection meanscan obtain information from the train, such as the length and door configuration thereof, and transfer this information to the control meansthat will define the mobile panelsthat must be moved to adopt the opening position B. Naturally, it is also intended that the detection meansare able to be arranged along the platform, or in the platform door, for example in the mobile panels, and are adapted to detect passive signals placed in the trainthat make it possible to define the position of the train doorswhen the train parks at the platformso that the control meansactuate the mobile panels. It is also intended that the detection meanscan be adapted to communicate with active devices arranged in the trainsuch that communication is established between the trainand the platformto obtain the door configuration of the train. It is also intended that the detection meansare also envisaged to be able to be arranged away from the platformand be provided, for example, with a camera directed towards the platform, such that the door configuration of the trainand the position of the mobile panelscan be obtained by processing the images captured to thus define the mobile panelsthat must be moved for opening the platform door. It is intended that the detection meansand the control meansare able to be integrated in the same device. It is also intended that each mobile panelhas dedicated detection meansand control meanswhich, for example, detect that upon a trainparking at the platform, one of the train doorsis arranged in front of the mobile panel, the mobile panelthus being moved in an autonomous manner between the closing position A, in which it is arranged in front of the train doorand the opening position B in which it is away from the train door.

After moving the defined mobile panels, represented by respective arrows in dashed lines, and upon adopting an opening position B shown in, the passengers can board and alight from the train. Preferably, the panel lengths lof each mobile panelwill be equal to or greater than the train door length lof each train doorto minimise the number of mobile panelsto be moved between the closing position A and the opening position B. However, since oftentimes the train door lengths lor the arrangement thereof will not be known beforehand, the required movements of the mobile panelsto be able to access the trainfrom the platformwill have to be carried out. It is also desirable that the distance between train doors lis greater than the panel length lto thus minimise the movements of the mobile panels. However, as explained before, if the type of trainand the arrangement of train doorsor the distance between train doors lis not known, the required movements of the mobile panelsto open passagewaysand be able to access the trainfrom the platformwill have to be carried out.

Each mobile panelof the platform dooris intended to further comprise return means adapted to actuate the traction meansof each mobile panelto return the mobile panelsto the closing position A, such that the passagewaysthat could be between mobile panelsare closed and the platform doorcan get ready to receive another train. The return means can be a computer programmed to undo the path that has been travelled by each mobile panelbetween the closing position A and the opening position B, or even simply a rotary encoder that counts the turns of the wheels of each mobile panelduring the movement over the railsand actuates the traction meansso that the wheels turn the same number of times but in the reverse direction to return the mobile panelto the previous closing position A. It is intended that these return means are also able to be centralised and to allow for instructions to be sent to each one of the mobile panelsto return them to the closing position A.

Thus, upon the arrival of a trainas illustrated inin which the platform dooris in a closing position A, with no passagewaybetween the mobile panels, and wherein the trainis provided with train doors, a method of actuating for opening the platform door will be performed comprising the steps of detecting the one or more mobile panelsthat are arranged in front of each train dooronce the trainis parked by the platform; and laterally sliding or moving the one or more mobile panelsdetected opening respective access passagewaysin front of each train door, asillustrates by means of arrows, adopting the opening position B displayed in

Naturally, after adopting the opening position B, and preferably before the trainleaves the platform, for example, once the train doorsare closed, or while the train doorsare being closed, the platform doorwill carry out the step of returning each mobile panelthat has been laterally moved until it adopts the previous closing position A of the platform dooragain, such that the passagewaysthat could be between the platformand the trainare closed, thus preventing access to the tracks when there is no trainparked by the platform.

The platform doorof the present invention allows for adaptations to a great variety of train doorarrangements, without requiring the adaptation or pre-programming to be made in advance, moving the mobile panelsthereof as appropriate. Therefore, if the trainarriving to the platformhas another number and arrangement of train doors, such as the traindisplayed in, the traindisplayed inor the traindisplayed iny, the detection meansfor detecting the position of the train doorswill allow actuating and moving the required mobile panelsto open respective passagewaysin front of each train doorto adopt the opening position B and thus, to be able to access the train doorsfrom the platform, and subsequently return the mobile panelsto the initial position thereof closing the passagewaysand returning to the closing position A again pending the arrival of a new train.

Although the mobile panelsof the platform doorare sliding and move in a straight lateral line in the previous embodiments, according to the shape of each platform, it is intended that the platform doorcan have other shapes. For example,display another embodiment of a platform doorof the present invention arranged in a curve,illustrating the closing position A andillustrating the opening position B.