WO2018187818A1

WO2018187818A1 - A system and method for preventing unwanted fluids from entering a controlled area in a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2018187818A1
Application number: PCT/US2018/026771
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bryan SPATZ; Steven Thomas
Original assignee: Loopr, Llc
Priority date: 2017-04-08
Filing date: 2018-04-09
Publication date: 2018-10-11

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a novel system and method for preventing unwanted fluids from entering a controlled area in a vehicle. The present invention discloses a fluid control system for a vehicle which comprises a glass shield assembly, a ventilation fan system, a dual air conditioning system and a dual cannabis-level detection system. The dual air conditioning system services a controlled area with one air conditioning system and a non-controlled area with another air conditioning system. When the first cannabis-level detection unit is triggered, a first ventilation fan engages and when the second cannabis-level detection unit is triggered, a second ventilation fan engages.

Description

A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED FLUIDS FROM ENTERING A CONTROLLED AREA IN A VEHICLE

A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED FLUIDS FROM

ENTERING A CONTROLLED AREA IN A VEHICLE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/483,384. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present invention is directed to a novel system and method for preventing unwanted fluids from entering a controlled area in a vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, wherever possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. The drawings are not to scale and the relative dimensions of various elements in the drawings are depicted schematically and not necessarily to scale. The techniques of the present invention may readily be understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0004] FIG. 1A depicts a side profile of a glass shield assembly.

[0005] FIG. IB depicts a bottom portion of the glass shield, particularly a lower zip area.

[0006] FIG. 1C depicts the glass shield disposed ajar with a lip or flap portion exposed.

[0007] FIG. ID depicts a perspective view of a glass shield zipped open to expose the driver's cab area.

[0008] FIG 2 depicts an exemplary ventilation system disposed at a top inner portion of the bus.

[0009] FIG 3 depicts a passenger area of the vehicle with various stations displayed within the back passenger area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] The description of the different advantageous embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Further, different advantageous embodiments may provide different advantages as compared to other advantageous embodiments. The embodiment or embodiments selected are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

[0011] Before the present invention is described in detail, it is to be understood that, unless otherwise indicated, this disclosure is not limited to specific procedures or articles, whether described or not. It is further to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein and in the claims, the singular forms "a," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0012] Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limit of that range, and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range, is encompassed within the disclosure. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in the smaller ranges, and are also encompassed within the disclosure, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the disclosure. The term "about" generally refers to ±10% of a stated value.

[0013] The present invention provides a novel system and method of preventing cannabis smoke to enter a controlled area (e.g., a driver's area) In particular, the present invention may be adapted to various vehicles which are configured to transport passengers that may consume substances which, if ingested by the driver, may impair the driver's ability to safely operate the vehicle.

[0014] It should be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that the present invention is not limited to one controlled area (e.g., driver's cab) in the vehicle. As such, a vehicle as described herein may have two or more controlled areas so long as the fluids are contained within the controlled areas and the non-controlled areas respectfully.

[0015] For example, a party bus may be designed to have a front driver' s cab area and a back passenger area. In some embodiments, the back passenger area consists of a social

lounge with several stations where passengers can consume food, spirits, and enjoy entertainment. The front driver's cab is suitably located such that a driver can operate the vehicle and control access to a passenger door to allow passengers to enter and exit the bus.

[0016] FIG. 3 depicts a passenger area of the vehicle with various stations displayed within the back passenger area 301. The back passenger area 301 may be configured to accommodate one or more persons. This area may comprise a lounge area, lavatory, and one or more stations. In the figure, back passenger area 301 has tables 302 and televisions. In some implementations, the party bus has a passageway between the front driver's cab to the back passenger area 301. However, one having ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that the present invention is not limited to any particular implementation.

[0017] As the driver must maintain the ability to transport passengers safely, it is

necessary that cannabis smoke or other debilitating airborne fluids do not impair the driver's ability to operate a vehicle. As such, the present invention employs a system to prevent such debilitating airborne fluids from reaching the driver's cab area. Specifically, the present invention implements three sub-systems to achieve this objective as will be described in more detail below.

[0018] Primarily, a glass shield which is erected at a perimeter area of the driver's cab area. The glass shield may be in the form of an assembly (e.g., glass shield assembly 100). FIG. 1A depicts a side profile of a glass shield assembly 100. The glass shield assembly primarily comprises glass or any other transparent material. In some embodiments of the present invention, glass shield assembly 100 comprise a first glass component 101a and a second glass 101b component coupled together by a zipper assembly 102 as depicted in Figs. IB, ID.

[0019] Notably, the glass shield is suitable to prevent fluids from entering this area. Accordingly, in the event that onboard passengers are consuming cannabis or any other substance which can emit airborne fluids that could impair the driver's ability to operate the vehicle, such substances would be prevented from reaching the driver. In essence, a driver can safely operate a vehicle while passengers can enjoy consuming cannabis or other substance onboard.

[0020] The glass shield is preferably transparent such that the driver can view passengers as they enter and exit the bus. In some implementations, the glass shield is vinyl but the present invention is not limited thereto. For instance, the glass shield may comprise an Eisenglass material.

[0021] In addition, the glass shield may have a means to allow the driver to exit the driver's cab area. In one embodiment, the glass shield has a zipper strip by which a user can enter or exit the driver's cab area. In other embodiments, the glass shield is attached and detached via a fastener at least one end. Furthermore, perimeter portions of the glass shield may include flap or lip portions that instead to a surface (e.g., ceiling or ground) to further prevent unwanted fluids (e.g., cannabis smoke) from entering the driver's cab area. The flap/lip portions may comprise a rubber or plastic material as known in the art. In one embodiment of the present invention, the glass shield includes a flap or lip portion at its bottom therefore extending on a floor surface and a flap or lip portion at the top thereby extending to a ceiling area of the vehicle. FIG. 1C depicts the glass shield disposed ajar with a lip or flap portion 103 exposed. Notably, the lip or flap portion 103 may comprise any material that suitably prevents fluid from traveling from between the controlled and non-controlled areas of the vehicle.

[0022] The ingress and egress means for a driver to enter and leave the driver's cab area through the glass shield may be accomplished by various manners and therefore the present invention is not limited to any particular way so long as the glass shield is transparent and able to prevent unwanted fluids from entering the driver's cab area.

[0023] The driver's cab area may also have a cannabis-level detection unit disposed therein. In the event that cannabis smoke is detected within the driver's cab area, an alarm may be triggered throughout the vehicle to inform passengers (and the driver) that the driver's area is unsafe. The driver can promptly park the vehicle in a safe area and use one or more devices or techniques known in the art to remove the cannabis smoke from the driver's cab area.

[0024] In addition, a cannabis-level detection unit may also be placed in the passenger area of the vehicle. The cannabis-level detection unit in the passenger area may be coupled together within a single system. In some implementations, if the cannabis level exceeds a pre-determined threshold, an alarm may be triggered. Tripping the alarm may activate the ventilation fan system in some implementations. As such, in some embodiments, the cannabis-level detection units in the driver cab area and the passenger area are coupled to the ventilation system such that when the detection units are triggered (e.g., during an alarm), the ventilation fans are engaged to remove within the vehicle to outside of the vehicle.

[0025] FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary ventilation system disposed at a top inner portion of the bus. The ventilation system shown in the figure comprises three fans 201-203. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention for the controlled area to have its own ventilation system such that fans are disposed within to remove fluid therefrom under any of various conditions (e.g.., triggering of the cannabis-level detection unit) .

[0026] In some embodiments of the present invention, the ventilation fans have filters therein to capture cannabis airborne agents. Filters may reduce the odor associated with the cannabis smoke outside of the vehicle and may reduce pollution associated therewith. As the present invention is not limited to any particular embodiment, the filters are optional.

[0027] It should be noted that the vehicle's driver's cab area is isolated from the vehicle's primary air conditioning unit to prevent unwanted fluids (e.g., cannabis smoke) from entering this area via one or more vents in the cab area. In some embodiments, the vehicle has a dual air conditioning system such that an A/ C unit is for the exclusive use of controlling the temperature in the driver's cab area and another A/ C unit is for controlling the temperature in all other areas of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the driver's cab area does not have access to a temperature control system. Moreover, as some A/C systems may pull in air from outside of the vehicle, the A/ C system to some degree removes the cannabis smoke or other unwanted fluids from the vehicle.

[0028] The vehicle system may also be equipped with one or more ventilation fans. In some embodiments, ventilation fans are disposed in the passenger area of the vehicle. In addition, one or more ventilation fans may be disposed along any passageways of the vehicle, particularly between the driver's cab area and the back passenger area. For example, a vehicle consistent with the present invention may have at least six ventilation fans.

[0029] The ventilation fans can remove air from the vehicle which is particularly useful to remove cannabis smoke or any other unwanted fluid from the vehicle. As such, the ventilation fan system can help prevent cannabis smoke from reaching the drivers' cab area or other controlled area. The ventilation fans may be automatically engaged such that they operate at discrete times (e.g., predetermined schedule or time intervals). Alternatively, the ventilation fans may be engaged manually. Moreover, the ventilation fans may be the type that are normally engaged.

[0030] In addition, the vehicle may also include escape hatches intermixed amongst the ventilation fans. In case of an emergency, passengers can exit the vehicle (e.g., party bus) through an escape hatch. Accordingly, the escape hatch(es) provide alternative routes to exit the vehicle besides the passenger door at the front of the vehicle.

[0031] Moreover, the fans of the ventilation system may work independently of each other such that they are assigned zones and are triggered based upon the location of the detected cannabis level that exceeds a pre-determined threshold. Therefore, there may be a plurality of cannabis-level detection units in the controlled area or non-controlled area to serve as back-ups or to ensure the precise cannabis levels within the respective areas. Moreover, the ventilation fans may work together such that they are all engaged based upon the triggering of one or more cannabis-level detection units.

[0032] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] It will be understood that the descriptions of some embodiments of the present invention do not limit the various alternative, modified, and equivalent embodiments which may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the detailed description above, numerous specific details are set forth to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. However, some embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present embodiments.

Claims

We claim:

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a controlled area; and

a glass shield assembly, which has a first glass component and a second glass component, which prevents fluid from outside of the driver cab to enter therein and prevents fluid from inside of the controlled area from escaping to a non-controlled area;

a zipper assembly which couples the first glass component and the second glass component together when the zipper assembly is in a closed state and separates the first glass component from the second glass component when the zipper assembly is in an open state;

a first air conditioning system which distributes conditioned fluid only within the controlled area; a second air conditioning system which distributes conditioned fluid only within the non- controlled area of the vehicle; and

. cannabis -level detection unit within the driver cab.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the glass shield assembly comprises vinyl.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mechanism comprises a zipper component.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a flap portion at the bottom of the glass shield assembly which helps prevent fluid from the non-controlled area to enter the controlled area.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of passenger stations in a passenger area of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a ventilation system that only removes fluid from the areas of the vehicle that is outside of the controlled area.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the second air conditioning system and the ventilation fan system work together to remove contaminated fluid from the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controlled area is a driver cab area.

9. A fluid control system for a vehicle, comprising:

a glass shield assembly which isolates a driver cab from other areas of the vehicle;

a ventilation fan system disposed outside of the driver area of the vehicle;

a dual air conditioning system having a first air conditioning system and a second air conditioning system;

wherein the first air conditioning system services the driver cab and the second air conditioning system services the areas of the vehicle outside of the driver area; and

a first cannabis -level detection unit within the driver cab and a second cannabis-level detection unit outside of the driver cab area.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the ventilation system comprises six fans.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the glass shield assembly comprises an Eisenglass material.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the glass shield assembly comprises two or more lip portions along perimeter portions of the glass shield.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising a cannabis-level detection unit.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the ventilation system comprises two or more ventilation fans.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the ventilation system comprises a first ventilation fan disposed within the driver can and a second ventilation fan outside of the driver cab.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first ventilation fan engages when the first cannabis-level detection unit is tripped and the second ventilation fan engages when the second cannabis-level detection unit is tripped.