Detector for detecting train wheel bearing temperature

1. A detector for detecting a condition of a rail vehicle undercarriage component comprising:

a sensor having infrared sensing elements, each of the elements configured to scan regions of a target area of the rail vehicle undercarriage component, the sensor being oriented so that at least one of the elements receives unobstructed infrared emissions from the rail vehicle undercarriage component,

wherein the sensing elements are arranged in a matrix of a plurality of arrays, and wherein a first array of first sensing elements includes the first sensing elements arranged in a first straight line to scan a first portion of the rail vehicle undercarriage component along a perimetric segment of the rail vehicle undercarriage component, and a second array of second sensing elements includes the second sensing elements arranged in a second straight line that is parallel to the first straight line to scan a second portion of the rail vehicle undercarriage component that is at a different point along the perimetric segment of the rail vehicle undercarriage component to provide redundancy in the detection of the condition.

2. The detector of claim 1 wherein the elements scan different regions of a target area of the rail vehicle undercarriage component.

3. The detector of claim 1 wherein the first array and the second array are arranged in a complete overlap and the first straight line and the second straight line are transverse to the direction of travel of a rail vehicle.

4. The detector of claim 1 wherein the first array and the second array are arranged in a partial overlap and the first straight line and the second straight line are transverse to a direction of travel of a rail vehicle.

5. The detector of claim 4 wherein an overall length of the arrays in the matrix is in a range from 700 mm to 800 mm.

6. The detector of claim 4 wherein a length of the overlap between the arrays is in a range from 250 mm to 350 mm.

7. The detector of claim 1 wherein the first array and the second array are staggered transverse to a direction of travel of a rail vehicle.

8. The detector of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the sensing elements are located in close proximity to each other, and are configured to scan the same regions of a target area of the rail vehicle undercarriage component.

9. The detector of claim 1 wherein the matrix includes four first sensing elements in the first array and four second sensing elements in the second array.

10. A method for detecting a condition of a rail vehicle undercarriage component comprising the steps of:

scanning the rail vehicle undercarriage component with a sensor having infrared sensing elements, each of the elements scanning regions of a target area of the rail vehicle undercarriage component,

wherein the rail vehicle undercarriage component is scanned from positions corresponding to sensing elements arranged in a matrix of a plurality of arrays, and wherein a first array of first sensing elements includes the first sensing elements arranged in a first straight line to scan a first portion of the rail vehicle undercarriage component along a perimetric segment of the rail vehicle undercarriage component, and a second array of second sensing elements includes the second sensing elements arranged in a second straight line that is parallel to the first straight line to scan a second portion of the rail vehicle undercarriage component that is at a different point along the perimetric segment of the rail vehicle undercarriage component to provide redundancy in the detection of the condition.

11. The method of claim 10 including the step of scanning the rail vehicle undercarriage component at different regions of a target area.

12. The method of claim 10 including the step of scanning the rail vehicle undercarriage component from positions corresponding to the first array and the second array being arranged in a complete overlap, the first straight line and the second straight line being transverse to a direction of travel of a rail vehicle.

13. A method for detecting a condition of a rail vehicle undercarriage component comprising the steps of:

scanning the rail vehicle undercarriage component with a sensor having infrared sensing elements, each of the elements scanning regions of a target area of the rail vehicle undercarriage component, wherein the rail vehicle undercarriage component is scanned from positions corresponding to sensing elements arranged in a matrix of a plurality of arrays, and wherein a first array of first sensing elements includes the first sensing elements arranged in a first straight line and a second array of second sensing elements includes the first sensing elements arranged in a second straight line that is parallel to the first straight line; and

scanning the rail vehicle undercarriage component from positions corresponding to the first array and the second array being arranged in a partial overlap, the first straight line and the second straight line being transverse to a direction of travel of a rail vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10 including the step of scanning the rail vehicle undercarriage component at substantially the same regions in a target area.

15. The method of claim 10 including the step of scanning the rail vehicle undercarriage component from positions corresponding to sensing elements arranged in two arrays.

16. The detector of claim 1 wherein the first sensing elements of the first array detect first infrared (IR) emissions radiated from the first portion along the perimetric segment of the rail vehicle undercarriage component, and the second sensing elements of the second array detect second IR emissions radiated from the second portion along the perimetric segment of the rail vehicle undercarriage component.

17. The method of claim 10 comprising:

detecting first infrared (IR) emissions radiated from the first portion along the perimetric segment of the rail vehicle undercarriage component at the first sensing elements of the first array; and

detecting second IR emissions radiated from the second portion along the perimetric segment of the rail vehicle undercarriage component at the second sensing elements of the second array.