A new Australian-designed auto-retracting coach recliner was launched at the recent BusVic Expo
By David Goeldner | July 5, 2010
A new auto-return ‘intelligent seat’ attracted plenty of interest at the recent BusVic Maintenance Conference and Bus Expo.
Transport Seating Technology Director Rod Ferguson launched the gas ram auto-retracting seat on his Extreme Coach Seat range in June.
Ferguson designed the seat which uses two gas rams to bring a coach recliner’s position back to upright without the need to manually readjust.
He says when a passenger gets out of a bus or coach recliner, the driver – or the next passenger – is often left to push the seat forward manually back to the upright position.
“Airlines have the same problem,” Ferguson says.
The use of the gas rams under the seat ‘springs’ the seat back to upright without any manual adjustment.
Coach operators at the Expo flocked to Ferguson’s exhibit to see the Intelligent Seat – the only one of its type in Australia.
He says many were ‘overwhelmed’ with the design, with three orders placed so far from the Expo.
Ferguson says he used his aviation knowledge to develop the Intelligent Seat.
Each seat features a sprung cushion using moulded foams and cushion covers.
He says most bus and coach cushions seats on the Australian market are stapled onto a board.
Ferguson’s design uses a frame increasing comfort levels and making seats easier to maintain.
He adds all ADR 68 seats developed by his company have been tested and passed at the NSW crash testing laboratory.