Abstract:
A bus construction has a front entry door assembly with adjacent front and rear panels, wherein the rear panel is wider than the front panel so that the front panel does not block the driver&#39;s view to the side rear view mirror when the door is in the open position. The front entry door assembly is disposed in the front portion of the sidewall of the bus that is inwardly tapered to provide easy access into the interior of the bus through the opened panels by a wheel-chair bound passenger. A destination sign is configured in a support spaced from the front windshield to eliminate frost or moisture condensation on the destination sign when the bus is in use. Panels are also provided along the upper edges of the sidewalls of the bus for providing sequential displays advertising. The advertising presentation is protected and viewed through the upper portions of the glass of the sidewall window assemblies.

Description:
This application claims priority of Provisional Application No. 60/735,030 filed on Nov. 9, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to buses and more particularly to several improved constructions for buses. 
     A typical bus provides an elongate skeletal construction forming a front end with the windshield for viewing the road, two sidewalls, and a rear end for housing the engine. At an upper corner of the windshield in the front end is displayed a destination sign instructing oncoming passengers of the route number and final destination of the bus. During humid or frigid temperatures, the destination sign is subject to fog or frost which diminishes the visibility of the sign to waiting passengers. 
     Another feature of existing bus construction is that the sidewalls of the bus are parallel and the front access door has sliding panels that open in the line of site of the side rearview mirror. These panels obstruct the vision of the bus driver for viewing potential passengers leaving or approaching the bus from the rear direction. Further the combination of the door entry and the sidewall being perpendicular to the front of the bus makes entry of the bus by a handicapped person in a wheelchair, a walker, or a small motorized chair from entering the bus. 
     In another feature offered by the current bus construction is a planar wall formed by the sidewalls of the bus for use for advertising. Generally, the advertising is only attached on the space not occupied by windows. However, screen advertisement is now available which also covers the windows but allow for passengers to view the outside. The disadvantage of this advertising scheme is that the amount of advertising is limited and must be physically installed and later removed in order to apply another advertisement on the sidewall. Further the screened advertisement placed over the windows minimized the viewing pleasure of the passengers in the bus. Although viewing through the screened advertisement is possible, the view is distorted. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is the intent of this invention to address the aforementioned concerns. 
     In one aspect of the invention an improved designation sign is provided that is positioned and configured for maintaining the sign free from frost and moisture when the vehicle is in use. 
     In another aspect of the invention, an improved bus construction is provided that facilitates entry into the bus by wheelchair bound passengers and prevents visual obstruction for the driver when the front door is open. One means for accomplishing these advantages includes an inwardly tapered front side having the front door assembly disposed therein. The front door assembly includes a pair of panels that move between an open position and a closed position and are configured for moving out of a driver&#39;s line of vision to the side mirror when the pair of panels are in the opened position. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention an improvement to the bus construction includes an advertising presentation positioned along an upper portion of the sidewalls and visible through the panes of glass of the window assemblies when the window is in the closed position. 
     Other applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bus according to the invention; 
         FIG. 1A  is a fragmentary perspective view of the bus skeletal main body structure. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view taken along lines  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary elevational view of a sidewall of the bus illustrating certain features; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the circled area in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a side window assembly; 
         FIG. 7  is a side sectional view of the window assembly in the open position; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic drawing to a pathway of the interior of the bus at the front door according to the prior art; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic drawing to the pathway of the interior of the bus at the front door according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing illustrating a tapered front side wall on the bus; 
         FIG. 11  is a top view of the skeletal main body structure; 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged view of the front section of the skeletal main body structure shown in  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is an elevational view of the front door according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic view of front doors in the open position according to the prior art; 
         FIG. 15  is a schematic view of the front doors shown in  FIG. 13  in the open position according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 16  is a fragmentary side view of the front of the bus illustration location of a destination box. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the  FIGS. 1-16 , the bus  10  as best seen in  FIG. 1  includes, in known manner, front steer wheels  12 , rear drive wheels  14 , a main body structure  16 , a roof and side window construction  18 , and a front end  20 , including a front door assembly  22  and a destination box  24 . 
     Main body structure  16  comprises a plurality of welded together metallic members and, specifically, includes a roof longitudinal tubular member  70 , an upper longitudinal tubular member  72 , a waist longitudinal tubular member  74 , an angle longitudinal member  76 , a lower longitudinal, tubular member  78 , vertical tubular pillars  80 , and a plurality of diagonal tubular truss members  82  arranged in crossed fashion. 
     Roof member  70  is arranged in a canted fashion and the upper ends  80   a  of pillars  80  are beveled and welded to a canted, lower side face  70   a  of the roof member. The lower ends  80   b  of the pillars are beveled and secured to the inboard face  74   a  of waist member  74  and a reinforcing gusset  83  is weldingly secured between the outboard face of each pillar and the upper face of the waist member  74 . 
     Upper tubular member  72  is constituted by a plurality of tubular member sections  72   a  extending between respective adjacent pillars  80 . 
     Truss members  82  extend in cross fashion between waist member  74  and lower member  78 . 
     Main body structure  16  further includes an inner skin member  84  and an outer skin member  86 . 
     Inner skin  84  has a planar, lower main body portion  84   a  and an upper portion  84   b  offset outboard with respect to lower portion  84   a . Upper portion  84   b  includes an offset section  84   c , a vertical section  84   d , an upper horizontal section  84   e , and a downturned lip section  84   f.    
     Outer skin  86  includes a main body planar portion  86   a  and an offset upper edge portion  86   b . Offset upper edge portion  86   b  includes an inwardly and upwardly angled section  86   c  terminating in a vertical lip section  86   d . Angled section  86   c  is positioned against gussets  83  with lip section  86   d  extending upwardly in general alignment with inner skin lip section  84   f.    
     The roof and side window construction  18  of the bus is best seen in  FIGS. 2-8 . 
     The roof and side window construction  18  includes a plurality of window assembles  26  arranged in side-by-side relation along each side of the vehicle and each including a glass pane  28 , a frame  30 , and a pivot member  32 . 
     Each pane  28  has a curved configuration conforming to the desired cross-sectional configuration of the bus. 
     Each frame  30  has a U-shaped configuration and is adhesively secured to the inner face  28   a  of the pane with the individual frame sections  30   a ,  30   b , and  30   c  inwardly spaced relative to the respective side edges  28   b ,  28   c , and  28   d  of the pane and the top of the frame en masse spaced significantly downwardly down from the top edge  28   e  of the pane. 
     Each pivot member  32  includes a lower socket portion  32   a  fitted over the upper edge  28   e  of the respective pane and adhesively secured to the pane and an upper arcuate pivot portion  32   b.    
     Successive pivot members  32  are pivotally received in an aluminum extrusion member  36  extending along each upper side of the bus. Each extrusion member  36  includes an upper socket portion  36   a  receiving a roof panel  38  forming the roof of the bus, a socket portion  36   b  pivotally receiving the pivot members  32 , and an arcuate connector portion  36   c . Roof panel  38  has a laminated construction including a central balsa wood core  38   a  and fiberglass upper and lower sheets  38   b . Socket portion  36   b  defines an arcuate socket  36   d  receiving the pivot portion  32   b  of each pivot member  32 , whereby the successive window assemblies are pivotally mounted along each side of the bus and may move selectively between lowered or closed positions and raised or open positions. 
     In their lowered position, a side edge  28   b  of the pane of one glass assembly is positioned immediately adjacent the side edge  28   d  of an adjacent window assembly with the lower frame member  30   b  nesting within an immediately above horizontal section  84   e  of inner skin  84 , side frame members  30   a  and  30   c  of adjacent window assemblies positioned in flanking but somewhat outboard relation to respective pillars  80 , and the side edge portions  28   f  of the panes  28  outboard of the respective frame members  30   a / 30   c  positioned proximate the outboard face  80   a  of the pillar with seals  42  ( FIG. 5 ), carried either by the pillar or the panes, interposed therebetween. Further seals  44  are provided on each pillar  80  for sealing engagement with a respective frame member  30   a / 30   c  of a respective window assembly with the window assemblies in their closed positions. 
     With the window assemblies in their closed positions, the top of each window assembly frame  30  is positioned proximate a tubular section  72   a  and the lower edge portion  28   g  of each glass pane below the lower frame member  30   b  may rest against the upper edge  86   d  of outer skin  86  with a seal  50 , carried either by the glass or by the skin, interposed between the glass and the skin. The glass assemblies may be moveable between their open and closed positions either manually or with the aid of strut assist devices (not shown). The described window construction also allows ready access to a compartment  49  over the windows within the extrusion member  36 , allowing access to wire harnesses, compressed air plumbing, and other accessory components positioned within the extrusion member. 
     An improved advertising presentation for the bus is best seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  7 . The advertising presentation is provided by a plurality of panels  88  positioned between adjacent pillars  80  above, and mounted on, tubular section  72   a . These panels are clearly visible through the upper portion  28   h  of each glass pane with the window assemblies in their closed positions. These panes  28 , taken together, provide a convenient and readily-visible advertising space or media extending continuously along each side of the bus. This space, because of its height, is clearly visible above most traffic and the space, because of its continuous elongated nature, lends itself to sequential displays either aesthetic or animated, of various types of advertising media which may be incorporated along this space including but not limited to LEDS. This space can also be used for real-time information like news flashes, time until the next bus arrives, public interest messages, and security warnings (terrorist alerts, ozone warnings, etc.). 
     The improved front end construction of the bus is best seen in  FIGS. 9-13  and  15 - 16 . As seen, the front of bus, rather than terminating in parallel sides intersecting a front end disposed at right angles with respect to the sides, includes a taper at the front end of the right side of the bus which has the result of cocking the front doorway  52  at an angle with respect to the sides of the bus and with respect to the centerline of the bus. This angle is useful in accommodating access to the interior of the bus by a handicapped person in a wheelchair  54 . As best seen in  FIG. 8 , with a conventional entryway where the front door entrance is substantially parallel to the sides and centerline of the bus, it is virtually impossible for a wheelchair-bound person to enter the bus since the wheelchair will either engage and interfere with one of both of the wheel housings  56  and/or the raised platform  58  on which the driver&#39;s seat  60  is typically positioned. This difficulty is illustrated by the dash lines in  FIG. 8 , which illustrate the track that the wheels of the wheelchair would follow as an attempt is made to access the bus through the conventional front door opening. As shown, this track interferes with one or more of the wheel wells  56  and/or the driver&#39;s platform  58 . This problem is solved by the construction of the invention wherein the front entry door is cocked with respect to the side edges of the bus so that, as seen in  FIG. 9 , the wheelchair  54  may gain ready access to the bus with the track of the wheels of the wheelchair moving readily into the interior of the bus and avoiding any contact with either the wheel housings  56  or the raised driver platform  58 . This smooth access to the interior of the bus, as opposed to the difficult if not impossible access with the conventional front-door opening, is of course made possible by the fact that the wheelchair starts out already tilted significantly with respect to the side edges and the centerline of the bus so that the turning that the wheelchair must make to gain access to the center aisle of the bus is significantly less than the turning required with the conventional front door opening. 
     The improved front door construction of the invention is best seen in  FIGS. 13 and 15 . As seen, the front door  22  of the bus, rather than being, as is conventional, divided into two equal-sized panels, is instead divided into a rear relatively wide panel  22   a  and a front relatively narrow panel  22   b . This has the effect of getting the front panel  22   b  out of the way of the driver&#39;s line of vision to the right outside rearview mirror  54  when the door panels are in their open position. 
     Specifically, as seen in  FIG. 14 , illustrating a conventional front door wherein the front and rear door panels  22   c  and  22   d , respectively, are of equal width, as the doors move in a generally parallelogram manner from their closed to their open positions, the front panel  22   c  assumes a position immediately in front of and blocking the line of vision  56  of the driver to the mirror  54  whereas, by comparison, with the arrangement of the invention, shown in  FIG. 15 , utilizing the relatively narrow front panel  22   b , the front panel  22   b  can be arranged to move substantially out of the driver&#39;s line of vision  56  and substantially forwardly of the mirror  54  with the door in its open position. This is an important safety consideration since it is critical that the driver, using the right hand rearview mirror, be able to watch the rear door of the bus and the right rear drive wheel of the bus at each stop to ensure that no passengers are getting on or off the bus via the rear door before resuming forward motion of the bus and closing the front doors. 
     An improved destination sign box construction is best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 16 . As seen, the destination sign  61  is positioned in a free standing and open support box  62 . Specifically, the lower wall  62   a  of the support box  62  is spaced back rearwardly from the windshield  64  of the bus to provide ready access to the destination sign from the front for service and cleaning and, specifically, to allow conditioned air  66  from the existing heating and defrost system to enter into the support box  62  and keep the sign  60 , as well as the upper portion  64   a  of the windshield, clear of frost and moisture. Orientation of the support box  62  relative to the windshield  64  allows a hand to enter the support box to clean the destination box without removing the sign from the support box  62  and removal or change of the destination sign  61  can be installed from the back. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.