GB2276593A

GB2276593A - Vehicle having deployable screen behind driver

Info

Publication number: GB2276593A
Application number: GB9306981A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward Osmond
Original assignee: L T I Ltd; LTI Ltd
Current assignee: L T I Ltd; LTI Ltd
Priority date: 1993-04-03
Filing date: 1993-04-03
Publication date: 1994-10-05
Also published as: GB9306981D0

Abstract

A multi-purpose vehicle having access to its engine at a position behind the front seats thereof is provided with a roof-mounted protective screen (10) pivotal between a raised substantially horizontal position adjacent the roof and a lowered substantially vertical position in which the screen extends behind the front seats from the roof towards the floor of the vehicle at the position at which access to the engine may be required. The screen is formed of a rigid transparent plastics material and may be locked in its lowered position by the driver of the vehicle. The screen is intended for use in multi-purpose vehicles used for the transportation of fare-paying passengers. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: Road Vehicle This invention relates to an engine driven road vehicle of the type having a forwardly disposed drivers seat and wherein the engine is accessible only from positions to the rear of the drivers seat. Road vehicles of this configuration comprise for example those which have become known as multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) or "people carriers". Such vehicles typically include a first row of passenger seats immediately to the rear of the drivers seat and the front passenger seat, and in order to access the engine for repair and maintenance purposes it is necessary for the seats in said row of passenger seats to pivot rearwardly.

If a vehicle of the above type is to be used for the transportation of fare paying customers it is a requirement that the driver is isolated as far as possible from the customers. This isolation is to maintain the privacy of the customers as far as is possible and also to protect the driver from any untoward actions of the customers. Such isolation is accomplished in a conventional taxi type of vehicle by providing a fixed or slidable screen immediately to the rear of the drivers seat. It is not feasible to provide a fixed or slidable screen immediately to the rear of the drivers seat in an MPV since access to the vehicle engine would then be prevented.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved road vehicle of the MPV type which is adapted for the transportation of fare paying customers.

In accordance with the invention there is provided an engine driven road vehicle wherein access to the engine is to the rear of the drivers seat and wherein a screen member is mounted at or adjacent the roof of the vehicle for pivotal movement between a lowered position in which the screen member extends substantially vertically behind the drivers seat from the roof towards the floor of the vehicle at a position at which access to the engine may be required, and a raised position in which the screen member is pivoted towards the roof away from the floor thereby to permit access to the vehicle engine.

Conveniently the screen member extends, in its lowered position, to a position intermediate the roof and the floor of the vehicle, for example to a position at which the lower edge of the screen member is approximately intermediate the top and bottom of the drivers seat and the front passenger seat.

Convenientlv said lower edge of the screen member is co-operable in its said lowered position with a cashbox device having a slide movable in a direction longitudinally of the vehicle whereby the driver may receive payment from the customers and return change to them underneath the lower edge of the screen member.

The screen member may be releasably retained in both its lowered position and its raised position and, in its lowered position, releasable locking means may be employed to lock the screen member which are releasable only by the driver of the vehicle whereby the screen is not readily pivotable by the customers from its lowered position towards its raised position.

Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description given herein solely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is an illustrative perspective view of part of the interior of a vehicle in accordance with the invention showing a screen member in its lowered position; Figure 2 is a similar view to that of Figure 1 but showing the screen member in a raised position; and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic exploded view showing certain details of the screen member.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings there is shown part of the interior of an engine driven road vehicle such as a multi-purpose vehicle wherein the engine is located below the vehicle floor at least partially to the rear of the drivers seat and the front passenger seat. Access to the engine for repair and maintenance purposes is therefore only possible through the floor of the vehicle to the rear of the drivers seat and the front passenger seat by means of readily removable floor panels or the like. The vehicle illustrated is adapted for the transportation of fare paying customers and includes a pivotal screen 10 in accordance with the invention to isolate the driver from the customers for the purposes of preserving privacy for the customers and for protecting the driver from the customers.

As illustrated in the drawings, the screen 10 has a substantially planar central portion 12 and curved side portions 14 and is formed of a transparent material such as for example polycarbonate. One edge of the screen (the upper edge) is pivotally mounted to the roof of the vehicle by hinges such as of the type more clearly illustrated in Figure 3 wherein a hinge pin element 16 is fixedly secured to the vehicle roof and a hinge socket element 18 is fixedly secured adjacent the upper edge of the screen.

The top and side edges of the screen are conveniently fitted with an extruded elastomeric trim strip 20 whilst the lower edge of the screen is conveniently provided with an extrusion strip 22 such as for example of aluminium for protective and cosmetic purposes. Resilient catch sockets 24 are mounted at the sides of the vehicle for co-operation with co-operating pin elements 26 secured to the screen, two such sets of catches being shown in Figure 3 for retaining the screen in its lowered position. Also as shown in Figure 3 there are provided retention clips 28 which may conveniently be formed of a resilient material such as rubber with which the side edges of the screen may engage when it is in its lowered position.

The central portion 12 of the screen is provided with an apertured area 30 such as in the form of a plurality of parallel elongate slots whereby the customers and driver may communicate with one another. The lower edge of the screen and the strip 22 are recessed forwardly so as to overlie, when the screen is in its lowered substantially vertical poSitiOn, a slidable cash tray (see Figures 1 and 2) of a cash box device located between the drivers seat and the front passenger seat forwardly of the screen. There is sufficient clearance between the tray and the lower edge of the screen such that money placed in the tray by the passengers may be transferred under the edge of the screen by sliding the tray forwardly and conversely change may be given to the customers by the driver.

The cashbox device may be readily removable from the vehicle so that the driver may take it with him when he leaves the vehicle and does not have to bother with keeping cash in a separate purse or wallet or the like.

Although not illustrated in the drawings the screen may be releasably locked in its lowered position with the locking means only being operable from a position forwardly of the screen. Thus when the screen is locked in its lowered substantially vertical position as shown in Figure 1 the screen cannot be pivoted upwardly towards the position shown in Figure 2 by the customers. Thus in accordance with the invention there is provided a vehicle having means adapting it readily for the transportation of fare paying customers by providing a screen behind the driver and the customers but wherein access to the engine is readily available by pivoting the screen upwardly away from its lowered position.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. An engine driven road vehicle having access to the engine to the rear of a front seat of the vehicle wherein à screen member is mounted at or adjacent the roof of the vehicle for pivotal movement between a lowered position in which the screen member extends substantially vertically behind the said front seat from the roof towards the floor of the vehicle at a position at which access to the engine may be required, and a raised position in which the screen member is pivoted towards the roof away from the floor thereby to permit access to the vehicle engine.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the screen member extends transversely of the vehicle whereby in said lowered position of the screen member it extends transversely across substantially the full interior width of the vehicle behind the front seats thereof.

3. A vehicle as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2 wherein the screen member is formed of a transparent rigid plastics material.

4. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the screen member includes one or more apertures therein for enabling communication between a person in a said front seat of the vehicle in front of the screen member, when in its said lowered position, and a person or persons in seats behind the screen member.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the screen member extends in its said lowered position to a position intermediate the roof and the floor of the vehicle.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5 wherein in said lowered position of the screen member the lower edge thereof is co-operable with a cashbox device having a slide movable in a direction longitudinally of the vehicle whereby a driver of the vehicle may receive payment from customers and return change to them underneath the lower edge of the screen member.

7. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the screen member is releasably retainable in both its said raised position and in its said lowered position.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 7 wherein there is provided releasable locking means for locking the screen member in its said lowered positiOn, said locking means being releasable only from a position in front of the screen member.

9. An engine driven road vehicle having a pivotally mounted screen member therein substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.