# US 10,118,585 B2 · Vehicle safety guard > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,585 B2 - Document ID: US10118585B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/247,423 - Filed: 2016-08-25 - Published: 2018-03-01 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-25 - Assignees: Public Transportation Safety Int'l Corp. - Applicants: Public Transportation Safety Int'l., Corp. - Inventors: Mark B. Barron - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118585B2 ## CPC - B60R 21/34: Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians {(B60R19/02 takes precedence)} - B60R 21/0134: responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle {, e.g. using radar systems} - B62D 25/02: Side panels {(B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023)} - B60Q 1/2661: {mounted on parts having other functions (on wheels B60Q1/326)} - B60Q 1/32: for indicating vehicle sides {, e.g. clearance lights} - B60R 2021/003: {characterised by occupant or pedestian} - B60R 2021/0067: {Buses} - B60R 2021/01013: {Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over} - B60R 2021/0104: {Communication circuits for data transmission} - B60R 2021/346: {means outside vehicle body} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL ## Abstract A safety guard which functions to push objects lying in the path of a vehicle out of the path of the wheels of the vehicle, such as a school bus, for safety purposes includes a front guard includes a first, fixed guard section and a second, movable guard section positioned at an angle of at least 30° in front of at least one wheel of the vehicle beneath the vehicle. More particularly, the first and second guard sections are hingedly interconnected such that the second guard section can pivot or otherwise shift from a first operational position to at least a second operational position relative to the first guard section upon engagement with an animate or inanimate object. At the same time, the second guard section is biased or otherwise forcibly shiftable by an actuator, such as a shock absorbing device, toward the first operational position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: a body having a side panel, a frame and a floor board; a pair of front steerable wheels spaced in a transverse direction of the body of the vehicle; at least one pair of transversely spaced rear wheels which are longitudinally spaced from the front steerable wheels; a door provided along the side panel; and a safety guard assembly for deflecting animate body parts from in front of at least one of the front and rear wheels, said safety guard assembly including a first guard section fixed to the body and a second guard section extending inwardly and forwardly of the first guard section and at an angle between 30°-45° relative to a lateral crosswise axis of the vehicle, in a first operational position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second guard section includes a terminal end portion, remote from the first guard section, which is angled an additional 10°-20° relative to the first guard section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the terminal end portion is angled an additional, approximately 15°. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second guard section is hingedly connected to the first guard section about a substantially vertical axis such that the second guard section can pivot relative to the first guard section. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising an actuator for forcibly shifting the second guard section relative to the first guard section. ### Claim 6 A vehicle comprising: a body having a side panel, a frame and a floor board; a pair of front steerable wheels spaced in a transverse direction of the body of the vehicle; at least one pair of transversely spaced rear wheels which are longitudinally spaced from the front steerable wheels; a door provided along the side panel; and a safety guard assembly for deflecting animate body parts from in front of at least one of the front and rear wheels, said safety guard assembly including a first guard section fixed to the body and a second guard section extending inwardly and forwardly of the first guard section and at an angle of at least approximately 30° relative to a lateral crosswise axis of the vehicle, in a first operational position, wherein the first guard section is mounted directly forward of one of the at least one pair of transversely spaced rear wheels and extends substantially parallel to the side panel. ### Claim 7 A vehicle comprising: a body having a side panel, a frame and a floor board; a pair of front steerable wheels spaced in a transverse direction of the body of the vehicle; at least one pair of transversely spaced rear wheels which are longitudinally spaced from the front steerable wheels; a door provided along the side panel; and a safety guard assembly for deflecting animate body parts from in front of at least one of the front and rear wheels, said safety guard assembly including: a first guard section fixed to the body; and a second guard section extending inwardly and forwardly of the first guard section in a first operational position while being hingedly connected to the first guard section such that the second guard section can pivot relative to the first guard section to a second operational position upon engagement with an animate or inanimate object while the vehicle is in motion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the first guard section extends substantially parallel to the side panel and the second guard section is hingedly connected to the first guard section for pivotal movement about a substantially vertical axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising an actuator for forcibly shifting the second guard section to the first operational position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the actuator constitutes a shock absorbing device biasing the second guard section toward the first operational position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a flap member pivotally attached to and extending downward from a lower end portion of the second guard section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising at least one safety light mounted to the first guard section so as to be exposed from a side of the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising means for sensing and signaling operation of the second guard section. ### Claim 14 A vehicle comprising: a body having a side panel, a frame and a floor board; a pair of front steerable wheels spaced in a transverse direction of the body of the vehicle; at least one pair of transversely spaced rear wheels which are longitudinally spaced from the front steerable wheels; a door provided along the side panel; and a safety guard assembly for deflecting animate body parts from in front of at least one of the front and rear wheels, said safety guard assembly including: a first guard section fixed to the body; a second guard section extending inwardly and forwardly of the first guard section in a first operational position while being deflectable to a second operational position upon engagement with an animate or inanimate object while the vehicle is in motion; and at least one actuator for forcibly shifting the second guard section to the first operational position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the second guard section is hingedly connected to the first guard section about a substantially vertical axis such that the second guard section can pivot relative to the first guard section to the second operational position upon engagement with an animate or inanimate object while the vehicle is in motion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the actuator constitutes a shock absorbing device biasing the second guard section toward the first operational position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising a flap member pivotally attached to and extending downward from a lower end portion of the second guard section. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising means for sensing and signaling operation of the second guard section. ### Claim 19 A method of deflecting animate body parts from in front of a wheel of a vehicle including a body having a side panel, a frame and a floor board, a pair of front steerable wheels spaced in a transverse direction of the body of the vehicle, at least one pair of transversely spaced rear wheels which are longitudinally spaced from the front steerable wheels, a door provided along the side panel and a frontal guard piece, including a first, fixed guard section and a second, movable guard section extending inwardly and forwardly of the first guard section in a first operational position, beneath the body and in front of the wheel, said method comprising: deflecting an animate body from in front of the wheel and in direct engagement with the second guard section while the vehicle is in motion by pivoting the second guard section to a second operational position relative to the first guard section about a hinge interconnecting the first and second guard sections upon engagement with the animate body and directing the animate body from beneath the vehicle so as to prevent the animate body part from being run-over and crushed by the wheel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: dampening pivoting movement of the second guard section through operation of at least one actuator. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: electrically sensing and signaling operation of the second guard section.