The present invention relates generally to transit pods that facilitates a standing passenger during transit. More particularly, the present invention is a standee transit pod having a safety restraint apparatus for the standing passenger, wherein the safety restraint apparatus can be adjusted to the passenger's physical dimensions. The invention potentially enables more standing passengers to be safely and comfortably transported on various types of transit vehicles.
Seat belt requirements for transit vehicle are inconsistent. For example, the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION in TP-210-09, in the 1st paragraph of page 4 states, that FMVSS 210 establishes requirements for seat belt assembly anchorages to insure their proper location for effective occupant restraint and to reduce the likelihood of their failure. The standard applies to passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs), trucks and buses. FMVSS 210 establishes requirements for seat belt assembly anchorages to insure their proper location for effective occupant restraint and to reduce the likelihood of their failure. The 2nd paragraph then states that the seat belt anchorages for a Type 1 (lap belt) or a Type 2 seat belt assembly shall be installed for each DSP, “except a passenger seat in a bus”. DSP is an acronym for Designated Seating Positions. The exception for buses in the 2nd paragraph contradicts the 1st paragraph, so FMVSS 210 does not in fact establish requirements for buses, and because a bus is a MPV the “except a passenger seat can be interpreted to include MPVs.
Except for side-facing seats, the anchorage, attachment hardware, and attachment bolts for a Type 1 seat belt assembly or the pelvic portion of a Type 2 seat belt assembly, if voluntarily installed, or the pelvic portion of a Type 2 seat belt assembly or automatic seat belt assembly, if equipped with a detachable upper torso belt, shall withstand a 5,000 pound force. The anchorage, attachment hardware, and attachment bolts for a Type 2 or automatic seat belt assembly, installed to comply with FMVSS 208, shall withstand 3,000-pound forces. The attachment hardware of a seat belt assembly subjected to S5.1 or FMVSS 208 other than due to FMVSS 208, S4.1.2.1(c)(2) does not have to meet these requirements. Permanent deformation or rupture of a seat belt anchorage or its surrounding area is not considered to be a failure. FMVSS 208, S4.1.2.1(c)(2) (c) Meet the frontal crash protection requirements of S5.1, in a perpendicular impact, with respect to anthropomorphic test devices in each front outboard designated seating position restrained only by Type 1 seat belt assemblies. The inventor notes that that the key phrase here is “if voluntarily installed” as making an installation optional, not a requirement.
49 CFR Part 665, [Docket No. FTA-2015-0019], RIN 2132-AB11 (Final Rule) states that it recognizes exceptions for a “standee”, stating revision to the pay-loading procedure to recognize the manufacturer's “standee” passenger rating. The final rule does not add any new tests to the existing bus testing program—in fact, per FMVSS 210 doesn't include any standards for a “standee”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,487 to Lee et al. in Col. 1, lines 45-55 teaches that passengers who are seated or stand at the end of the passenger compartment have only limited traveling comfort since, as a result of the rear overhang of the omnibus beyond the rear wheels, bumps in the road surface are passed on to the passengers in an amplified manner.
In summary, the prior art does not teach restraints for standing passengers, aka standees.
The invention is a transit pod having safety restraint apparatus for a standee, wherein the safety restraint apparatus can be adjusted to the passenger's physical dimensions. The invention potentially enables more standing passengers to be safely and comfortably transported on various types of transit vehicles. Transit vehicles include ships, certain ferries, most buses and shuttles, passenger cars on trains and subways, MPVs, and certain aircraft.
An aspect of the invention is the transit pod includes a padded backrest having a backside that is supported by a vertically inclined roll bar, wherein an upper portion of the vertical inclined roll bar is braced by at least one vertical brace bar.
A second aspect of the invention is that the transit pod has a platform having a front edge, a rear edge, a left side edge, and a right side edge; wherein the platform functions as a floor for the transit pod.
A third aspect of the invention is that the vertically inclined roll bar has a left lower portion with a left lower end and a right lower portion with a right lower end; wherein the left lower end is attached proximate to the left edge of the structural platform and the right lower end is attached proximate to the right edge of the structural platform; wherein the at least one vertical brace bar has a lower brace portion with a lower brace end that is attached proximate to a rear edge of the platform.
A fourth aspect of the invention is that the transit pod includes a belt assembly restraint system modified to accommodate the standee. Modification of the restraint system can include automated actuation, such that the belts align with a standee's waist and cross the standee's shoulder.
A preferred aspect of the invention is an adjustable knee brace for the standee, which is positioned forward of the standee's position. The adjustable knee brace can be moved forward or rearward to accommodate the size of the standee's lower legs. Pads on the adjustable knee brace can be moved upward or downward to accommodate the height of the standee's knees. When an adult standee relaxes their knees will come into contact with the pads. The standee's flexed legs are cushioned and supported by the knee brace, and the adult standee can stand with essentially very little effort. For standees that are children and/or smaller adults the adjustable knee brace additionally functions as a supplemental element of the belt assembly restraint system.
The foregoing invention will become readily apparent by referring to the following detailed description and the appended drawing in which:
The invention is a standee transit pod 10 having safety restraint apparatus for a standing passenger, wherein the safety restraint apparatus can be adjusted to the passenger's physical dimensions. The invention enables more passengers to be safely and comfortably transported on various types of transit vehicles. Transit vehicles include ships, certain ferries, MPVs, most buses and shuttles, rail passenger cars, subways, and certain aircraft.
In the embodiment 10 shown in
The inclined backrest 30 has the added advantage that there is enough space for the standee to wear a backpack and/or a sling for a baby.
The restraint apparatus shown in
The vertical inclined roll bar 11, as shown in
The illustrated embodiment of the standee transit pod is sized to accommodate passengers having a height over a range of about 36 inches (914 mm) to about 76 inches (1930 mm). The invention is not limited to this range.
The platform 100 has at least 3 mounting points 91 for affixing the invented pod 10 to a transit vehicle.
Referring again to
In the illustrated embodiment in
A webbed belt shoulder guide 57 and webbed belt waist guide 54 are typically not required when the standee is taller.
The invention can include a plurality of webbed belt shoulder guides and webbed belt waist guides, unless actuators, as shown in
As shown in
It is anticipated that additional webbed belt shoulder guides and webbed belt waist guides can be added for shorter standees.
As illustrated in
When a standee flexes his lower legs his knees contact the pads 24. The knee brace 20 is strong enough to support the standee 1 from his knees up. Recall, the inclined backrest reduced the weight of the standee by about 14%, where a 200 lb. standee feels-like he weighs about 170 lbs. Approximately 80% of the standee is above the knee brace 20, so an implemented knee brace 20 further reduces the standee's feels-like weight by about 80%. The remaining weight of a 200 lb. standee is about 34 lbs. The invention can impart a feeling of buoyancy to the standee, as he is supporting only about 17% of his actual weight.
The platform 100 as shown in
Furthermore, as shown in
The vertically inclined roll bar 11 of
As shown in
The second actuator 60′ and a third actuator 60″ are very similar to the first actuator 60, except their length of travel 60t′, 60t″ is about 26 inches (673 mm), as shown in
As shown in
A port 95 in the platform 100 or platform 100′ without a knee brace provides an inlet for electrical power and an interface to the smart actuated restraint system.
The HMI can calculate the position of the carts on the actuators, based on height and gender. The algorithm is given in Table 1 of
The illustrated transit vehicle 200 is based on General Motors Bus 5307, which is about 34 ft. long and about 7 ft. wide. It has two sets of stairs 202 (front side) and 204 (rearward side). There are 14 transit pods with knee braces, and 16 transit pods without knee braces 10′. The passenger count is 30, with plenty of waiting space to enter or exit. The General Motors Bus 5307 was estimated to carry 23 passengers. The invented standee transit pod increases the passenger load 30%; while there still remains head room for storage, and with sufficient de-boarding room and boarding room.
It is anticipated that a potential rider could book a ride on a standee transit pod using a webpage, and then track the movement of the transit pod having an updated GPS location. This information could be used to estimate traffic times, and to project an arrival time. Once on the transit vehicle, the passenger could track his movement to his ride destination using his cell phone, and a map app.
Although the present disclosure has been illustrated and described herein with reference to exemplary embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims.
Finally, any numerical parameters set forth in this Specification and the attached Claims are approximations (for example, by using the term “about”) that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the Claims, each numerical parameter should be construed in light of the number of significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding.
It is to be understood that the foregoing description and specific embodiments are merely illustrative of the best mode of the invention and the principles thereof, and that various modifications and additions may be made to the invention by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, which is therefore understood to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.