AU2015100454B4 - one model of school bus seat 2 for 3 is capable of holding 3 under 12 years old students passed the relevant ADR (Australian Design Rules) tests in March, 2015 - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract Seats designed to allow seating for 3 small school children or 2 adults for regular school bus or charter, seat back and bottom cushion are both integrative, and the exquisite seat outline is designed according to somatological engineering, back and bottom cushion with high resilience and flame-retardant are made by adopting low temperature foam moulding technics, high strength seat frame and 3-point seat belt bring safety for passengers.

Description

1 MULTI-OCCUPANT CONVEYANCE SEAT Field of the invention This invention relates to a seat that is configurable for two or three occupants. In Particular it relates to seating for use on buses and other mass transportation conveyances. Background to the invention The development of seating with flexible configurations has been necessitated by the spreading of compliance requirements relating to seat restraints, especially now in buses where under different circumstances, a bus may be in service to carry adults on one journey and children on another. Although so called 3-for-2 seating configurations are known, none has entirely solved issues of safety and comfort. Summary of invention According to the invention, there is provided a multi-occupant seat for installation in a passenger conveyance, the seat having a seat base and connected seat back and being confgured to define, in a first alternative configuration, three side-by-side seating areas each of relatively small width, to accommodate 3 persons of relatively small size, and, in a second alternative configuration, two seating areas each of relatively greater width, to accommodate two persons of relatively larger size, wherein the aggregate width of the three seating areas of the first configuration exceeds the aggregate width of the two seating areas of the second configuration. In a preferred form of the invention, the seating areas of the second configuration are separated by a gap between opposed adjacent peripheral edges of each said wider area. In preferred embodiments, the gap is in the range from 30mm to 90mm. Ideally the gap is 40mm. In a further preferred form of the invention, the seat has no more than three lap-sash seatbelt fastener-engagement sockets. In a still further preferred form of the invention, each socket is located aisle-side of the seating area with which it is associated in use. Description of Drawings Reference is made to the accompanying figures: Key points on Left Drawing: 1. Side 'a' is aisle side 2. Wall side installation point is 230mm in height. 3. seat width is 900mm 4. perimeter of seat is 960mm 5. seat leg to wall is 830mm 2 6. 245mm between two centre anchorages 7. Seat height measures 109 1mm Key points on Right Drawing: 1. 95 degree reclining seat 2. Deep is 425mm 3. Back height is 695mm 4. Seat height is 445mm 5. distance between two fixing points of leg is 265mm 6. Side view perimeter measures 650mm 7. Pitch centre distance at height of 6 10mm measures approx. 660mm as standardised. Description of a preferred embodiment A '2 for 3' seat consists of two adults seating positions and incorporates an additional centre seating position. Model ZTZY301 '2 for 3' School Bus Seat is standardised with three seat belts and capable of holding up to 175kg in weight. Well over the Australian standardized requirements of holding three children, below the weight of 36kg. The 2 for 3 bus seat satisfies the 'Australian Design Rule' (ADR) criterion (ADR 68/00) and 'Australian National Heavy Vehicles Standards (2 for 3 Bus Seat) 2015 (No. 1), Commonwealth Gazette'. Currently model ZTZY3061 is the only one '2 for 3' bus seat in full ADR tests in Australia. The seat of model ZTZY3061 is designed to allow seating for 3 small school children (under 12 years old) or 2 adults for regular bus or charter. ZTZY3061 is a classic school bus seat for luxurious bus which seat back and bottom cushion are both integrative, and the exquisite seat outline is designed according to somatological engineering. Back and bottom cushion with highly resilience and flame-retardant are made by adopting low temperature foam moulding technics. High strength and seat frame and 3 point seat belts bring vey good safety for passengers. There are three main specifications in the innovated bus seat: 1. Three lap sash belts for each set of '2 for 3' seat: As a guarantee of the safety for passengers, as shown in the above image. This innovation is bringing not only economy but also much lighter to a seat kit. Before the innovated seat belt designed, there was an initial 5 buckles idea on a standard double bus seat to try two functions of holding two adults, or three kids, however, it was 3 not suitable for the actual practice of a real '2 for 3' seat, not only un-economical for each seat cost (costing too much for each seat: one buckle costs about USD20, two buckles would cost more than USD40), but also un-safe and un-comfortable for the potential passengers, as well as too heavy (as one buckle is about 1.5 kg, two more buckles will increase about 3 kg to the weight of each seat). 2. Enlarged width of seat by spacing the original seats apart with an intermediate additional seat position (also called a bridge) allows for the more ergonomic original seating position. In the innovation, the total cushion width for the whole seat is 900mm (±5mm), which allows three school kids comfortably seating on. In the innovated design, the total width of a seat was increased by 40mm, from 860 mm which is a standard double seat width to 900mm in order to allow three school age kids comfortably seating on, please find the attached drawing. - The added narrower width of the additional seating position m the two functions of saving on space in total and being able to hold one more kid in the middle. - The prominent headrests of the two original seating positions these can still comfortably fit for two adults. 3. Seat belts operation: the belts are operated from left to right for O/S seat, and belts are operated from right to left for N/S seat, it is called the unidirectional operation seat belts, there was no this kind of operation design and idea before the seat was actually developed. The seat belts of our design are all being fastened in the same way, left to right direction, or right to left direction. Namely, as the usual practice, the operation of belts are from left to right if seat installed on O/S (off side) as shown of the sample picture; or from right to left if seat installed on N/S (near side, or called driver side). Note: The supporting handle on the seat top comer is always by the aisle, to assist passengers passing down the aisle, or those wishing to enter a seating space or get out of the seat. These embodiments merely illustrate particular examples of the product of the invention providing a multi-occupant seat with alternative configurations. With the insight gained from this disclosure, the person skilled in the art is well placed to discern further embodiments by means of which to put the claimed invention into practice.

Claims (5)

1. A multi-occupant seat for installation in a bus having an aisle, the seat having a seat base and connected seat back and being configured, by means of three attached seat belt assemblies, each comprising an over-the-shoulder belt and fastener engagement socket, to define, in a first alternative configuration, three side-by-side seating areas each of relatively small, width, to accommodate 3 persons of relatively small size, and wherein each socket is located aisle-side of the seating area with which it is associated in use, and in a second alternative configuration, two seating areas each of relatively greater width, to accommodate two persons of relatively larger size.

2. The seat of claim 1 wherein the seating areas of the second configuration have peripheral edges and are separated by a gap between opposed adjacent peripheral edges of each said wider area.

3. The seat of claim 2 wherein the gap is in the range from 30mm to 90mm.

4. The seat of any one of claims 1-3 having no more than three seatbelt fastener engagement sockets.

5. The seat of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aggregate width of the three seating areas of the first configuration exceeds the aggregate width of the two seating areas of the second configuration.