Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Bus or railway rolling stock
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-07
2004-06-22
Lee, Y My Quach (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Bus or railway rolling stock
C362S478000, C362S488000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06752521
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a lighting arrangement for public transport vehicles comprising a light source and a reflective surface for reflecting light emitted from the light source to a passenger cabin in a public transport vehicle, whereby the upper part of the passenger cabin in the public transport vehicle substantially comprises an upper structure arranged above the seats in the passenger cabin, the structure comprises one or more handrails in the passenger cabin.
Public transport vehicles, such as buses, minibuses, trams and trains, are typically illuminated using lighting fixtures attached to a ceiling structure of the vehicle. The lighting fixtures may for instance be implemented using fluorescent lamps, whereby the lighting fixtures should be fastened to the ceiling structure reliably and at the same time in a manner causing expenses owing to the large size of the lighting fixtures.
The lighting can be implemented either as direct lighting or indirect lighting. An advantage with direct lighting is a high luminous efficiency, and such lighting is typically used in places where high illuminance is required. A drawback with direct lighting is that it may cause a discomfort glare to some seats, as the lighting fixture glares straight at the passenger's eyes.
Particularly on long journeys in such vehicles, the lighting should be a comfortable general lighting that does not directly cause a discomfort glare to the passengers' eyes. Hence, the general lighting is often implemented as indirect lighting where the light sources are encased into a ceiling structure in such a manner that light is reflected from a case structure back towards the ceiling, and then from the ceiling as the general lighting of the passenger cabin. Particularly in such a case, the structure of the lighting fixture becomes complicated and expensive, as the casing should be carried out reliably, and the structure should harmoniously be fitted with the interior design of the vehicle.
In order to make it easier for the passengers to move, public transport vehicles are generally provided with handrails, which the passengers may take hold of to obtain support or to improve their balance. Handrails are generally made of a metal bar, the diameter of which allows the passengers to grip the bar and to use it as a hand hold. The handrails are placed in the vehicles approximately at shoulder or head level of an average built passenger when the passenger is standing in the aisle of the vehicle. The handrails are thus placed above the seats in the vehicle, for instance in a bus or a train.
Handrails may also be placed elsewhere in the vehicle. Such places may include the stairs at the exits of the vehicles as well as other locations where the handrail can be placed approximately at waist level without causing any inconvenience for the passengers while sitting down.
Patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,228 discloses a solution, where the lighting fixture is placed in a longitudinal cavity formed at the side of the handrail in the vehicle. The lighting fixture is then placed on the outer surface of the handrail and is used for illuminating both the handrail and the vehicle.
Patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,434 shows an illuminated bag-rack to be mounted on aircrafts. The publication discloses how an electroluminescent lamp implemented as an electroluminescent panel is placed at the edge of the bag-rack side of the handrail placed close to the bag-rack. Such a panel is intended to illuminate the signs placed at the edge of the luggage rack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement that avoids the above drawbacks and allows implementing the general lighting in a vehicle in a simpler and more economical way than previously available. This object is achieved with the arrangement of the invention, characterized in that the light source is arranged inside the handrail of the upper structure in the public transport vehicle, and that the handrail comprises one or more light-permeable apertures, and that the handrail apertures are arranged to direct the light generated from the light source to the upper structure of the passenger cabin in the public transport vehicle, the upper structure being arranged to function as the reflective surface for providing the passenger cabin with indirect lighting.
The invention is based on the idea that the handrails in public transport vehicles can be utilized for positioning the light source in such a manner that the light source provides the passenger cabin of the vehicle with indirect lighting using already existing structures in the passenger cabin as the reflective surface.
The arrangement of the invention enables reducing the amount of equipment to be mounted to the passenger cabin, and no separate lighting units need to be fastened to the ceiling structure. Since the handrails must naturally be of strong design in order to serve as a support, the light sources can reliably be placed inside the handrails.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2582738 (1952-01-01), Arenberg
patent: 2595858 (1952-05-01), Kuhler
patent: 2779862 (1957-01-01), Eichner
patent: 2779864 (1957-01-01), Eichner
patent: 2783365 (1957-02-01), Wilfert
patent: 3358134 (1967-12-01), Gonyea
patent: 4157584 (1979-06-01), Bhatt
patent: 5347434 (1994-09-01), Drake
patent: 5422794 (1995-06-01), Drake
patent: 5779228 (1998-07-01), Hansen
Lee Y My Quach
Teknoware Oy
LandOfFree
Lighting arrangement for public transport vehicles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Lighting arrangement for public transport vehicles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Lighting arrangement for public transport vehicles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3315800