New York Air Brake Corporation

Laura J Nabywaniec

Anthony W Lumbis

An ID module and terminal block for use in a train that includes at least one locomotive and a plurality of cars, each car being serially connected into a network by a power and communication trainline to an adjacent car. Each car is equipped with a local communication node connected to a car control device and to the network. A common housing, preferably made of a non-conductive material, encloses a circuit module and includes a second communication node and a current sensor. A terminal block is formed on the housing, and a plurality of stud terminals extend through apertures in the terminal block to electrically contact a circuit board, which is part of the circuit module. The novel arrangement of electronics and terminals and a connector cap allows one to perform tests of the power and communication trainline without having to mechanically disconnect the car communication device or the circuit module; rather, the connector caps electrically are configured to allow electrical isolation of the circuit board from the power and communication trainline. Additionally, the system includes a mating plug enabling disconnection of the car control device from the power and communication trainline without disturbing the leads connected to the terminal block.

Growing community of inventors

Calcium, NY, United States of America

Laura J Nabywaniec