Abstract:
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for busses achieve improved air distribution at the front of the bus through a distribution system integrated with the dashboard and outlet vents shaped and oriented to provide clearing of mist and frost from vehicle windows, particularly those in and around an entry to the vehicle. A dedicated blower for an entry way door is provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to ventilation systems for busses, and, more particularly, to a dash integrated duct system for delivering heated and air conditioned air to the driver and entry areas of a school bus.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Problem  
         [0004]     School busses have often been equipped with primitive heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, sometimes added to the vehicle as an after market accessory. After market systems are often free air systems and can produce highly uneven temperatures through the vehicle&#39;s passenger compartment and may be of limited effectiveness at defogging and defrosting either the vehicle&#39;s windshield or the windows surrounding and in the entry door to the vehicle located opposite the driver&#39;s station at the front of the bus. Legal requirements exist relating to keeping windows in the entry area and well clear of frost and fog.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     According to the invention there is provided an air distribution system for a bus having a dashboard positioned at the front of an interior of the bus and running from side to side of the bus. An entry is provided at the front end and to one side of the bus with an entry well being located adjacent the entry below the floor level of the interior of the bus. A plurality of windows are collocated with and near the entry door to help a driver controlling the entry door in seeing people, particularly children, outside of the vehicle and near the door. A vertically elongated slit outlet, or multiple, smaller outlets vertically aligned on one another, from the dashboard are oriented toward the entry well adjacent the door to direct forced air against a plurality of the windows associated with the entry. A first blower provides for dash defrost and driver station air outlets and a second blower is provided for the entry way outlets. A further plurality of outlet ducts coupled to receive air from the air treatment unit and located under a vehicle windshield are oriented to direct treated air against the vehicle windshield. Outlet ducts from the dashboard near a steering wheel are oriented to direct air from behind the steering wheel toward the driver. Outlets are also directed from the dash toward driver side windows.  
         [0006]     Additional effects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description that follows. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a school bus of a type with which the invention is advantageously employed.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a driver&#39;s station and entry from the interior of the bus of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the ventilation system as adapted for use along the entry side of the vehicle.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the ventilation system as it fits in a dash with an alternative outlet for the entry side.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the ventilation system.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is an elevation showing air distribution patterns across an entry way door. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Referring now to the figures,  FIG. 1  shows a school bus  10  having an elongated body  12  enclosing a passenger compartment. Bus  10  has a driver&#39;s side  14  and an entry side  16 , on which passengers can embark on and disembark from the bus. A number of entry area windows  18  are located adjacent to and in a door on the entry side  16 . Driver side windows  13  are located toward the front of elongated body  12  along the driver&#39;s side  14 .  
         [0015]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a passenger entry way or door  20  has a plurality of entry way windows  18  through which a vehicle operator seated behind steering wheel  22  may observe events outside the vehicle adjacent the forward portion of bus  10  and along the entry side  16 . The ventilation system of the present invention distributes air to entry way windows  18  to clear the windows of fog and frost. A plurality of vertically aligned outlet ducts  22  are provided through entry side section  24  of dashboard  25  to distribute air across entry way windows  18  set in door  20  including downwardly into a well  17  adjacent the bottom end of door  20 . A side outlet  30  from entry side section  24  directs air forced from the ventilation system upwardly against an entry way window  18  located forward from door  20 . Well  17  can, due to frequent boardings during cool, wet mornings, become a repository of moisture contributing to fogging of windows  18 .  
         [0016]     Dashboard  25  extends from side to side across the front end of an enclosed passenger compartment for bus  10  under a windshield  26 . Various additional outlet ducts are incorporated into the dashboard  25  to provide air to the driver and air flow to the windows located in the front portion of the vehicle. Among the outlet ducts are a series of defrosting ducts  32  located under windshield  26  along the edge of dashboard  25  adjacent the bottom of the windshield. A side outlet duct  34  is positioned along the driver&#39;s side  14  of bus  10  for clearing windows on that side. Outlet ducts  36  from the dashboard  25  on either side of steering wheel  22  provide heating and possibly cooling air to a driver seated behind the wheel. All of the outlet ducts are molded into dashboard  25  and align with ductwork behind the dashboard and to direct air as required by the particular layout of the windows of a given vehicle.  
         [0017]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an HVAC unit  226  of a ventilation system  300  is illustrated. HVAC unit  226  draws air through a fresh air intake  232  located forward of the vehicle cowl and into a heater/evaporator coil plenum  261 . Above plenum  261  are two blowers, a dash blower  280  and a dedicated entry way blower  282  drawing treated air through the plenum. Both blowers are situated within entry side dashboard  24 . Entry way blower  282  has attached at one end thereof a turned duct  236  which spreads into a vertically elongated entry way fan vent  222 . Fan vent  222  provides an vertically elongated, narrow air outlet  223  directed rearwardly into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Entry way fan vent  222  fits butted against the back major face of the entry side dash board  24 , aligned with the plurality of entry way outlet vents  32 , which provide direction and widespread distribution for air flowing from outlet  223  toward the windows of the bus&#39;s entry way area.  
         [0018]     Dash blower  280  forces air upwardly through openings  290  and  292  into a central distribution plenum  227 . Located toward the driver&#39;s side of the vehicle from plenum  227  is a distribution duct  234  which transports air to a plurality of outlet ducts oriented to provide air to a driver. Mode door  251  is located below intake  232  behind plenum  261  and is used to direct air to other defrost/defog vents.  
         [0019]     In  FIG. 4 a  driver&#39;s side of the ventilation system  300  is illustrated including the main distribution duct  234  located within dashboard  25 . Extending back from distribution duct  234  to the passenger compartment face of dashboard  25  are a plurality of subsidiary ducts  304 ,  305  and  307 , each of which have outlets oriented into the passenger compartment and which are associated with, and aligned on, ducts from the panel into the passenger compartment. Parallel to and located above main distribution duct  260  is a defrost distribution duct  302  from the central plenum  227  which lies just under the upper surface of dashboard  25 . Ventilation system  300  is integrated into dashboard  25 .  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , which is a cross sectional view of ventilation system  300  taken along section lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 5 , the relative positions of main distribution duct  260  and defrost distribution duct  302  are illustrated. Defrost distribution duct  302  communicates with a plurality of outlet ducts  32  located along the top of dashboard  25 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  illustrates the distribution patterns A and B from outlet ducts  22  and  30 , respectively, illustrating the forced diffusion of air from the ducts toward the interior surfaces of entry way windows  18  in door  20  and above dashboard  25  forward from the door. Forced heated or cooled area should reach substantially all of the surface area of windows  18  facing the vehicle&#39;s interior to clear mist or frost from the windows. Pattern A is a narrow, vertically elongated fan of air, angled by ducts  22  to intersect the windows  18  mounted in door  20  substantially across the breadth of the windows. Duct  30  is similarly outwardly canted to direct air flow on a path intersecting windows  18  forward from door  20 .  
         [0022]     The invention provides an effective, dashboard integrated ventilation system which accommodates the need on school busses to provide fog and frost removal from entry way area windows.  
         [0023]     While the invention is shown in only one of its forms, it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.