FR2787082A3 - BUS - Google Patents

Abstract

A full-length, low-floor single-decker bus with low front wheels (2) and wide rear wheels (4). The engine and transmission of the bus are located as far behind the rear axle as possible, so that their weight acts as a counterweight, so that the load on the front wheels (2) is limited to their nominal value. This preserves the seating capacity of the bus, one or more seats (16) being able to be positioned on top of one or two front wheel arches (8, 10). When the seats (16) are positioned on only one of the wheel arches (10), access for wheelchairs inside the bus is authorized through the passage located between said front wheel arches (8, 10). When the two front wheel arches (8, 10) carry seats, the bus could then have a second door located between the front and rear wheel axles (2, 4) so as to allow access to the wheelchairs at inside the bus.

Description

BUS The invention relates to buses, and more particularly buses to

low floor,

  without access steps inside the bus, both at the entrance and at the exit.

  Buses of short lengths are known, provided with low floors, having low wheels at the front and at the rear, that is to say typically wheels of 49.5 centimeters in diameter (19.5 inches) to be compared. with traditional wheels from

  Approximately 57 centimeters in diameter (22.5 inches).

  The use of low wheels at the front facilitates the implementation of passages of the front wheels or protective hood of appreciably reduced height, on which seats facing inwards can be mounted, thereby increasing the seating capacity from the bus, while leaving enough distance

  between said wheel arches for the passage of wheelchairs between them.

  However, the use of low wheels at the front and rear necessarily limits the transport capacity of the bus, taking into account the loads

applied to the wheels.

  In document US-A-5 813 487, a low-floor bus is described, the front wheels of which have a diameter smaller than that of the rear wheels. The rear wheels are not conventional non-directional twin wheels located at the end of the rear axle, but are simple, directional wheels,

  located at the end of said rear axis.

  It appears that the bus described in the figures in document US-A-5 813 487 is not a short bus and, therefore, the front wheels are of the conventional type, in particular 57 centimeters in diameter (22, 5 inches) of such

  so that it can support the required load.

  I; f-1 F 'FV It also appears that the rear wheels are larger in diameter than conventional wheels 57 centimeters in diameter (22.5 inches in diameter), taking into account the fact that they are simple wheels, directional, located at the end of the rear axle and, must also necessarily be of larger diameter to be able to support the rear load of the bus, and thus compensate for the absence of twin wheels of 57 centimeters in diameter (22.5 inches in diameter) which should normally be placed at each of the

ends of the rear axle.

  The present invention is characterized in that the motor of a low-floor bus having rear wheels of larger diameter than that of the front wheels, is located behind the rear wheels at a distance such that the load on the front wheels remains in their nominal limit. This invention aims to increase the transport capacity of a bus, while keeping a low floor, of a configuration with low front wheels, by using wheels

  wide at the rear and increasing the length and mass of the bus.

  According to the invention, the resulting larger mass of the bus is distributed disproportionately between the front wheels and the rear wheels, so that said low front wheels can operate within their nominal limit. This is achieved by positioning the engine as far behind the rear wheels as possible, so that its mass counterbalances part of

  the increase in weight that would otherwise be supported by the front wheels.

  It is described below by the embodiments of the invention in relation

with the attached figures.

  Figure 1 is a perspective representation of an embodiment

  of the bus according to the invention.

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  Figure 2 is a similar view showing a modified form of layout.

seating artwork.

  Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing an alternative form

seat placement.

  Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3, showing a

  new alternative form of seating.

  With reference to FIG. 1, the chassis of a bus (not shown) has front wheels, one of which is shown under the reference (2), rear wheels,

  one of which is represented under the reference (4).

  The front wheels are low, have a diameter of 49.5 centimeters (19.5 inches) and the rear wheels are of a conventional diameter of 57 centimeters (22.5 inches). The chassis has a floor (6) which, at the front,

  reaches a height of 320 - 370 millimeters above the ground.

  The front wheels (2) are separated from the passenger compartment of the bus by passages of

  arched wheels or covers (8) and (10).

  The wheel arch (10), located on the left side of the bus, includes a receptacle for receiving luggage. However, the wheel arch (8) is more complex and comprises a step (12) and a platform (14) carrying two seats (16) directed inwards. A passage (18) between the step (12) and the wheel arch (10) has a minimum width of 750 millimeters, which is sufficient to allow the passage of wheelchairs between the passages of

  wheel (8) and (10) to access the space (20) defined by three folding seats (22).

  In the following figures, the original references have been preserved.

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  Referring now to Figure 2, a modified configuration of the seats is shown, in which the wheel arch (8) is modified insofar as the separate seats (16) are replaced by a three-seat bench

(24) and an elongated step (12).

  FIG. 3 represents an alternative form of a modified configuration in seats in which the bench seat (24) is positioned on the left part of the wheel arch (10) and the opposite wheel arch (8) is arranged so as to

  serve as a container for receiving luggage.

  In FIG. 4, a new alternative form is shown, in which the configuration of the seats has been modified from the seat benches (24)

  being provided on the two wheel arches (8) and (10).

  With such a configuration, of course, with any configuration in which one or more seats are positioned on each of the wheel arches (8) and (10), the implementation of a step (12) for the passengers can reduce the spacing at ground level, so that the passage between them from a chair

rolling would no longer be possible.

  Consequently, with such a configuration, an additional door can be provided at the rear of the front wheels, to allow access for wheelchairs at the level of the part of the bus between the front wheels and the rear wheels (2) and ( 4). In this particular embodiment of the invention, the two wheel arches (8) and (10) each carry a bench seat with three seats, although

  each of the benches can be replaced by a pair of seats (7).

  For each of these embodiments of the invention, a space under the floor is positioned behind the rear wheels (4), within which a motor (not shown) is positioned and of which a housing (26) extends in height,

  containing heat exchangers and exhaust systems.

  1Il 1 I r l The bus shown is typically 12 meters long and could

  typically carry a load of more than 18 tonnes.

  According to the invention, the center of gravity of the engine and of the transmission system is located at a distance such from the rear wheels (4) that the engine acts as a counterweight. This effectively reduces the load on the front wheels (2) to

  a level such that said front wheels can operate according to their nominal limit.

  The invention therefore provides a bus, having all the advantages of the low wheels at the front, while retaining the advantages inherent in the long bus, as well as those inherent in the wide wheels allowing greater

charge capacity.

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Claims (6)

  1. Low-floor bus, having rear wheels (4) of diameter greater than that of the front wheels (2), characterized in that a motor is located behind the rear wheels (4) at a distance such that the load on the wheels   front is limited their nominal value.   2. Bus according to claim 1, characterized in that the front wheels (2) are each contained in one of the corresponding wheel arches (8,) and in that one of said wheel arches (8, 10) carries a seat (16, 24). 3. Bus according to claim 2, characterized in that the or each of   seats (16, 24) is directed inward.   4. Bus according to claim 3, characterized in that a step (12) is   provided for or each of the seats (16, 24).   5. Bus according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the   wheel arches (8, 10) are separated by a sufficient distance from each other, so as to allow the passage between them of a wheelchair.   6. Bus according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that each   wheel arches (8, 10) have at least one seat (16, 24) attached thereto, and in that the bus is provided with an additional door located in   rear of the front wheels (2) and in front of the rear wheels (4). I --- I - r