US4167286A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Entrance structure for a multi-passenger vehicle
Assignee: MAN AG
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Filing: 1978-03-20
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Granted: 1979-09-11
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Expires: 1998-03-20
Abstract
Abstract A multi-passenger vehicle such as a bus has a lateral entry and exit door which opens a stairwell. One or more passenger seats are arranged immediately adjacent to the stairwell. The passenger seat is oriented in such a manner relative to the longitudinal axis of the bus that the passenger either faces in the travel direction or in the opposite direction. A foot rest plate covers the stairwell when the door is closed. The foot rest plate is hinged about a horizontal axis extending across the longitudinal axis of the bus. In the upwardly tilted position the foot rest plate does not interfere with the free use of the stairwell for its purpose and in the closed position the foot rest plate makes the particular seat adjacent to the stairwell as comfortable as any other seat in the bus.
Inventors
- 👤 Ludwig Geyer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 10:07
CPC Classifications
B; B62; B62D; B62D47/00; B62D47/02; B60; B60R; B60R3/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
An entrance structure for a multi-passenger vehicle comprising a passenger compartment including floor means and a longitudinal axis, a stairwell leading into said passenger compartment, seat means arranged adjacent to the stairwell and in said passenger compartment and oriented so that a passenger's legs would be located above the stairwell, plate means adapted to cover said stairwell, said plate means being adapted to form part of said floor means, hinge means operatively securing said plate means to said floor means adjacent to said seat means, said hinge means having a hinging axis extending substantially across to said longitudinal vehicle axis, whereby said plate means are tiltable upwardly toward said seat means for opening said stairwell for its intended use, and whereby a passenger sitting on said seat means may rest his feet on top of said plate means when the latter is in the stairwell closing position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
147 words
An entrance structure for a multi-passenger vehicle comprising a passenger compartment including floor means and a longitudinal axis, a stairwell leading into said passenger compartment, seat means arranged adjacent to the stairwell and in said passenger compartment and oriented so that a passenger's legs would be located above the stairwell, plate means adapted to cover said stairwell, said plate means being adapted to form part of said floor means, hinge means operatively securing said plate means to said floor means adjacent to said seat means, said hinge means having a hinging axis extending substantially across to said longitudinal vehicle axis, whereby said plate means are tiltable upwardly toward said seat means for opening said stairwell for its intended use, and whereby a passenger sitting on said seat means may rest his feet on top of said plate means when the latter is in the stairwell closing position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The structure of claim 1, further comprising level means operatively secured to said plate means, and weight balancing means secured in said passenger compartment and to said lever means for facilitating the upward hinging of said plate means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The structure of claim 1, wherein said seat means comprise upwardly, tiltable, seating cushion means, said structure further comprising hinging lever means (8) operatively interconnecting said plate means and said upwardly tiltable seating cushion means for the simultaneous upward tilting of the seating cushion means and of the plate means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The structure of claim 3, wherein said hinging lever means have an inherent spring bias, whereby said seating cushion means and said plate means are automatically and simultaneously tilted upwardly when the seating cushion means is unoccupied.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The structure of claim 1, further comprising weight balancing means operatively connected to said seat means for automatically tilting the seat means into a vertical position when the seat means is unoccupied.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The structure of claim 1, further comprising sealing means as part of said plate means for tightly closing said stairwell.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The structure of claim 6, wherein said sealing means comprise elastic sealing strip means extending along the edges of said plate means substantially perpendicularly to said hinging axis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The structure of claim 1, further comprising noise absorbing means operatively secured to said plate means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The structure of claim 1, wherein said noise absorbing means comprise a layer of foam material secured to the under surface of said plate means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1982-09-10 | 1983-03-12 | 1983-09-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1986-09-10 | 1987-03-12 | 1987-09-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1990-09-10 | 1991-03-12 | 1991-09-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |