Bus with Lower Floor

Function

Busses, especially if they are used in public transport, should allow an easy entry especially for disabled people. This lower floor should be provided in spite of possible slope technology in combination with air suspension. A convenient side effect of the lower floor is the resulting low overall height which lowers the air resistance.

How it works

To prevent misunderstandings, the above shown drive lets the bus go forward left. Going forward in the power flow, there is the in-line six-cylinder engine folded to the side followed by the torque converter and the automatic transmission. In order to maintain the abilities of the springs at the driven rigid axle it is necessary to build a short Cardan shaft. A comparatively small crown wheel increases the ground clearance. External planets enable a strong reduction which is necessary for a city bus. For the construction of the bus the short wheel base and – as a result – the large overhangs are beneficial namely in front and in the back. Even if the bus is extended, the low floor remains. Thus, even a bus with a shaft has its drive in the very last part of the bus. How otherwise people are supposed to walk trough the whole bus on a lower floor?