Bus cabin structure

• US 8,109,551 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Flyer Industries Canada ULC (NFI Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: New Flyer Industries Canada ULC (NFI Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kerr, Andrew, Naylor, Glen, Cantin, Paul, Cychowski, Tomasz, Egilson, Kristopher, Fast, Jordan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROMAIN, PINEL E
• Application Number:
  US12/365,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20090195015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 296/178, 296/179, 296/193.01, 296/193.04, 296/193.07, 296/37.13, 296/191, 296/204, 296/25, 296/65.04, 296/61, 296/210, 414/537, 414/522, 414/921
• US Class Current: 296/25
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 31/02 for carrying large numbers of passengers, e.g. omnibus
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 47/02 for large numbers of passengers, e.g. omnibus

Abstract

Bus cabin structures including improved configurations of floors, passenger aisles and steps, interior roofs or ceilings, and door frames.

Claims

1. A bus cabin structure comprising:

a floor with an axially extending central aisle, the floor comprising;

a lower floor section; and

an upper floor section rearward of the lower floor section;

the lower floor section comprising laterally spaced apart front wheel wells and a transversely extending raised portion between the front wheel wells having a top surface at a level above the lower floor section, a forward ramp and a rearward ramp, both the forward ramp and the rearward ramp extending between the top surface and the lower floor section;

a roof, a forward wall, a rear wall, curbside wall and driverside wall;

wherein

the roof upward of the upper floor section comprises a rear roof section including a central raised panel having an underside surface disposed at a higher level than an underside surface of a forward roof section and an upwardly rearwardly sloped transition panel between the central raised panel and the forward roof section.

2. A bus cabin structure according to claim 1 wherein:

the roof includes a pair of continuous longitudinal rails spanning the forward roof section and laterally bounding the central raised panel and the transition panel, the longitudinal rails being disposed substantially parallel to at least one floor section of the bus cabin.

3. A bus cabin structure according to claim 1 wherein:

the forward portion of the lower floor section forward of the front wheel wells includes a front lateral aisle extending between a front door in the curbside wall and the central aisle, the front lateral aisle including a laterally downwardly sloping front ramp toward the front door.