GHE, Group Happich Ellamp, have come up with a novel idea for tourist and luxury coaches. Instead of conventional longitudinal luggage racks they have developed a coach overhead system with individual overhead stowage boxes attached laterally above each seat row. This means there is no longer any need for other passengers to be disturbed by someone moving to the centre aisle in order to stow or remove an object from the luggage rack. The height of the luggage boxes gives passengers a better view of what is inside, a distinct advantage over conventional coach luggage racks. Two passengers travelling together now have their own enclosed overhead luggage compartment which is also important with respect to safety as it deters thieves. The position of the boxes can easily be re-adjusted to allow for different seating configurations in the coach.
The additional height required for this layout has been achieved by engineering the air-ducts so that they run directly underneath the roof and are straight. This means there are no protuberances which disturb the airflow and this in turn means less annoying background noise. The air-duct's cross-section is amply dimensioned which in connection with the simplicity of the support brackets eliminates turbulence and provides a much improved airflow. Due to its modularity the system takes into consideration most coachwork configurations and customer installation requirements.
The system's modularity also means that it can be enlarged upon depending on the star rating of the luxury coach involved. As an example, the basic model can be upgraded by attaching a monitor to the stowage compartment which can be supplied in any colour the customer wants. Headliners can also be supplied in any colour the customer wants or laminated with textiles in order to cover the ceiling between the two "BoxR" layouts. The same applies to the luggage compartments and air-ducts.
The system additionally comprises of roller blinds, integrated curtains, ventilation (both from the aisle and the window), optional indirect or direct lighting above the centre aisle, ambient lighting from a panel fitted between the luggage boxes, stereo hi-fi audio for each passenger via earphones, individual reading lights and vents, volume controls, call-buttons, radio and TV controls.
With their manufacturing and sales locations in Italy, Germany, China, the Czech Republic, France, India, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the UK and USA, GHE who employ more than 800 worldwide are now well qualified to meet the demands of the global market. The internal structure of GHE's sales department has just been completely re-organised to place even more emphasis on following the directions in which their customers are going while simultaneously expanding their strong purchasing network.
| back |