The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 04, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 07, 2000
Anthony W. Lumbis, Watertown, NY (US);
Laura J. Nabywaniec, Calcium, NY (US);
New York Air Brake, Watertown, NY (US);
Abstract
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.