TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the attachment of a dual display pod to a saloon ceiling of a public transportation vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] The saloons of public transportation vehicles are usually equipped with display screens for displaying information to the passengers. These display screens can be located on end walls or intermediate transverse partition walls of the saloon. They can also advantageously be fixed to the ceiling of the saloon to be more visible in particular in public transportation vehicle in which a number of passengers are likely to stand during transportation or to board and alight from the vehicle rapidly at stations. As display units suspended to the ceiling are necessarily at an angle to the vertical to be seen and generally face towards one end of the vehicle, a compact solution is to provide two display unit back to back in a common pod, to provide information simultaneously in both end directions of the vehicle from an intermediate position where the pod is placed.

[0003] The installation and maintenance of the display unit in such pods has proved particularly challenging and time consuming because of a lack of easy access.

[0004] The same applies to CCTV cameras often associated with the display units in the same pods with the additional challenge of precisely positioning the cameras to monitor the saloon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The invention aims to improve the installation and maintenance of display units hanged back-to-back from the ceiling of a public transportation vehicle.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a dual display pod assembly for an interior of a public transportation vehicle, in particular a saloon ceiling, comprising a housing for supporting a first display unit and a second display unit back-to-back, characterised in that the dual display pod assembly comprises a linkage mechanism for linking the housing to a structural part of the interior, which comprises :

- a support bracket assembly;

- a first pivot assembly for pivoting the support bracket assembly relative to the structural part of the interior about a first pivot axis, at least between a retracted position and an extended position; and

- a second pivot assembly for pivoting the housing relative to the support bracket assembly about a second pivot axis parallel to and at a distance from the first pivot axis between a first maintenance position and a second maintenance position when the support bracket assembly is in the extended position.

[0007] The first pivot assembly enables the housing to move away from the stationary support structure, whereas the second pivot assembly provides the additional latitude to access each of the two display units in the extended position.

[0008] Preferably, the dual display pod assembly further comprises an elastic accumulator for biasing the support bracket assembly towards the retracted position. When the dual suspension device is fixed to the ceiling, the housing is lowered from the retracted position to the extended position and this movement is assisted by gravity. The elastic accumulator, which can include e.g. a gas or coil spring, stores elastic potential energy when the support bracket assembly pivots from the retracted to the extended position and delivers kinetic energy when the support bracket assembly returns to the retracted position. The suspension device may be provided with a maintenance lock for locking the support bracket assembly with respect to the stationary support structure in the extended position to avoid an uncontrolled upward movement of the suspension mechanism when one of the display units is removed from the housing. The dual display suspension device may be provided with damping means for decreasing a rotation speed of the support bracket assembly towards the retracted position and/or towards the extended position. [0009] Preferably, a rotation angle between the first maintenance position and the second maintenance position is less than 180°.

[0010] Preferably, the dual display pod assembly further comprises a locking mechanism for locking the housing with respect to the bracket assembly in the first maintenance position, and preferably in the second maintenance position. The removal of a display unit from the housing may change the balance of the housing and the locking mechanism will prevent a sudden uncontrolled pivoting movement of the housing.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the housing comprises first guiding means for guiding the first display unit into a first mounting position when the support bracket assembly is in the extended position and the housing is in the first maintenance position, and second guiding means for guiding the second display unit into a second mounting position when the support bracket assembly is in the extended position and the housing is in the second maintenance position. The first guiding means may include slides for sliding the display units into the mounting position, and the overall movement is preferably a translation.

[0012] Preferably, a first display unit and a second display unit are fixed back to back into the housing.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the housing comprises a first screen frame wall with a first screen opening located in a first plane for a first screen of the first display unit and a second screen frame wall with a second screen opening located in a second plane for a second screen of the second display unit, the first plane and the second plane being at an angle δ of more than 45°, preferably more than 60°, and less than 90°. [0014] Advantageously, a rotation angle φ of the housing between the first maintenance position and the second maintenance position is such that:

170°≤ 5 + <p≤ 200° [0015] This ensures that the position of the first plane in the first maintenance position of the housing is very close to the position of the second plane in the second maintenance position, which provides similar access conditions to both display units.

[0016] Preferably, the first display unit has a first screen framed into the first screen opening and the second display unit has a second screen framed into the second screen opening.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the housing is provided with at least a first CCTV support bracket for supporting at least a first CCTV camera and the first screen frame wall is provided with a camera opening for the first CCTV camera. Preferably, the housing is further provided with a second CCTV support bracket for supporting a second CCTV camera and the second screen frame wall is preferably provided with a camera opening for the second CCTV camera.

[0018] Preferably, the housing comprises at least a first removable end cap extending in a plane perpendicular to the first and second pivot axes to close access to the first CCTV support bracket . The first end cap is removed to provide access to the CCTV camera into the housing and adjust its position when the display suspension device is in the retracted position. If a second CCTV support bracket is provided, the housing comprises a second removable end cap extending in a plane perpendicular to the first and first pivot axes to close access to the second CCTV support bracket. [0019] According to a preferred embodiment, the dual display pod assembly further comprises at least a first CCTV camera fixed to first CCTV support bracket into the housing between the first screen frame wall and the second screen frame wall, wherein a lens of the CCTV camera is aligned with the camera opening.

[0020] The pod can be fixed to the ceiling of the public transportation vehicle, in which case the first and second pivot axes will be preferably horizontal. Alternatively, it can be fixed to a side wall of the public transportation vehicle, in which case the first and second pivot axes can be vertical.

[0021] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided, asaloon ceiling of a public transportation vehicle comprising a structural part and the dual display pod assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the linkage mechanism links the housing to the structural part. Preferably, the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are horizontal. Advantageously, the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the ceiling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0022] Other advantages and features of the invention will then become more clearly apparent from the following description of a specific embodiment of the invention given as non-restrictive examples only and represented in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a ceiling of a public transportation vehicle with a dual display pod assembly in a retracted, operational position;

- Figure 2 is an isometric view of the dual display pod assembly of figure 1 in the retracted position;

- Figure 3 is an isometric view of the dual display pod assembly of figure 1 with an empty housing;

- Figure 4 is a detail of the housing of the dual display pod assembly of figure 1;

- Figure 5 is a detail of a connection between the housing and a linkage of the display pod assembly of figure 1;

- Figure 6 is a cross-section through a lock between the housing and the linkage of the display pod assembly of figure 1;

- Figure 7 is a side view of a dual display pod assembly in the retracted position;

- Figure 8 is a side view of the dual display pod assembly with a linkage mechanism in an extended position and an empty housing in the first maintenance position; - Figure 9 is a side view of the dual display pod assembly with a linkage mechanism in an extended position and an empty housing in a second maintenance position;

- Figure 10 is an isometric view of the housing of the dual display pod assembly in the first maintenance position with the suspension assembly in the extended position and a display unit being inserted into the housing;

- Figure 11 is an isometric view of a CCTV camera being installed in the housing. [0023] Corresponding reference numerals refer to the same or corresponding parts in each of the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] With reference to figure 1, a saloon ceiling 10 of a public transportation vehicle is provided at an intermediate location between its longitudinal ends with a dual display pod assembly 12. The pod assembly 12 extends in transverse direction of the public transportation vehicle. In this example, the pod is positioned above a central aisle of the vehicle interior in the area of a row of central ceiling panels 14. A row of side ceiling panels 16, 56 extends on each side of the row of central ceiling panels 14.

[0025] The pod assembly 12, illustrated in mode detail in figures 2 to 6, comprises a housing 18 for accommodating two passenger information display units back to back. The housing 18 comprises a first screen frame wall 20 with a first screen opening 22 located in a first plane PI for a first screen of the first display unit and a second screen frame wall 24 with a second screen opening 26 located in a second plane P2 for a second screen of the second display unit. As best seen in figures 7 to 9, the first plane and the second plane are at an angle δ of more than 30°, preferably more than 60°, and less than 90°. The first screen frame wall and second screen frame wall are preferably made of a single sheet of aluminium. The housing comprises two trapezoidal end caps 27 to close the space between the two screen frame walls 20, 24.

[0026] The pod housing 18 is articulated to a structural part of the ceiling by means of a linkage mechanism 28, which comprises a stationary element 30 and a support bracket assembly 34 connected to the stationary element 30 by means of a first pivot assembly for pivoting the support bracket assembly 34 about a first pivot axis A, at least between a retracted position illustrated in figures 1 and 3 and an extended position illustrated in figures 2, 4 and 5. The first pivot axis A is perpendicular to a longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle body. A gas spring 35 dampens the opening of the support bracket assembly 34.

[0027] A second pivot assembly is provided for pivoting the housing 18 relative to the support bracket assembly 34 about a second pivot axis B parallel to and at a distance from the first pivot axis A between a first maintenance position illustrated in figure 2 and 4 and a second maintenance position illustrated in figure 5. [0028] More specifically, the support bracket assembly 34 comprises two side brackets 36 each comprising a side arm 361 and a side plate 362 welded together and connected by a pivot shaft 38 to side frame elements 40 of the housing 18. At least one of the side plates 362 is provided with a row of plungers 421, 422, which in an operational position enter corresponding holes 441, 442 provided in the corresponding side frame elements 40 to lock the housing 18 in the first maintenance position illustrated in figure 2 and 4. The plungers 421, 422 can be pulled out to exit the holes 441, 442 and allow rotation into the second maintenance position of figure 9. Only one of the plungers 421 is pushed back into one of the holes 442 to lock the housing 18 in the second maintenance position. The gas spring 35 is connected between one of the side arms 361 of the bracket assembly 34 and a structural part of the ceiling 10.

[0029] In order to pivot the support bracket assembly 34 to the retracted position, it is necessary to pivot back the housing 18 to the first maintenance position and to lock the housing 18 into the first maintenance position. [0030] As illustrated in figures 7 to 9, the rotation angle φ of the housing 18 between the first maintenance position and the second maintenance position is preferably such that:

165°<6+cp≤195 ^c [0031] Preferably:

6+cp=180 ^c

[0032] This ensures that the orientation of the first plane PI in the first maintenance position is substantially the same as the orientation of the second plane P2 in the second maintenance position. Preferably, the first plane PI is horizontal or substantially horizontal in the first maintenance position while the second plane P2 is horizontal or substantially horizontal in the second maintenance position, as illustrated in figures 8 and 9. "Substantial" here means within a range of plus or minus 5°. The horizontal position is particularly appropriate in terms of ergonomics because the operator can easily slide the display unit into place, and the display unit will not fall out of the housing 18 while it being is fixed to the housing 18.

[0033] Preferably the first plane PI and second plane P2 are symmetrical with respect to a vertical transverse reference plane, which contains the pivot axis B. Hence, the rotation angle Θ about the first pivot axis A from the retracted position to the first maintenance position is preferably such that:

0 - 90° - - δ

2 and φ

β = Ί

[0034] The housing 18 is provided with a first CCTV support bracket 48 for supporting at least a first CCTV camera and the first screen frame wall 20 is provided with a camera opening 50 for the first CCTV camera. Similarly the housing 18 is provided with a second CCTV support bracket 52 for supporting a second CCTV camera and the second screen frame wall 24 is provided with a camera opening 54 for the second CCTV camera.

[0035] The installation process of display units in the housing will now be described. [0036] Referring to figure 1, two side panels 56 directly adjacent to the dual display pod assembly 12 are opened to give access to two lateral latches 58, which lock the linkage mechanism 28 in the retracted position.

[0037] The operator pivots the pod assembly 12 from the retracted position of figure 7 to the extended position of figure 8 and removes the two end caps 27. As described above, the housing 18 is locked with respect to the support bracket assembly 34 in the first maintenance position. In this position, it is possible to insert a first display unit 60 into the housing 18 and fix the first display unit 60 to the housing 18 by means of fixing screws 62, as illustrated in figure 10. The housing 18 is provided with slide plates 64 that guide the movement of the first display unit 60 towards the mounting position. The first display unit 60 has the protective glass 66 attached directly to the screen before it is mounted into the opening 22 of the first screen frame wall 20. This ensures that the display unit 60 is closer to the front face of the screen frame wall 20, thus reducing parallax errors. The housing 18 is subsequently unlocked and moved to the second maintenance position of figure 9 to insert and fix a second display unit 68 in a similar way. The housing 18 is provided with slide plates 69 that guide the movement of the second display unit 68 towards the mounting position.

[0038] If required, two CCTV cameras 70 are fitted within the housing each aligned with one of the CCTV openings 50, 54, as illustrated in figure 11, before the end caps 27 are put back in place and the pod assembly 12 is moved back to the retracted position.

[0039] While the above example illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, various other arrangements can also be considered. The locks between the linkage and the housing in the first and second maintenance positions can be of any suitable kind.