ARBOC Specialty Vehicles LLC, a U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., announced the receipt of patent number US 10,023,243 B2 for its Spirit of Independence model.

The Independence is a small low-floor bus used primarily for transit or shuttle applications. The bus is produced using a monocoque body attached to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cab frame having the chassis removed. The patented passenger compartment floor structure improves accessibility for wheelchairs, passengers assisted by walkers, and other riders by providing a sloped entrance with a deployable ramp and by eliminating any step-up over the rear axle. The continuous low passenger floor resides at a lower level than the OEM cab frame

“ARBOC is proud to develop another fully low-floor option for the transit industry,” said ARBOC President Don Roberts. “We are already experiencing a significant amount of success with this new product offering and expect it to escalate well into the future.”

Roberts is a co-holder of the patent assigned to ARBOC, along with Kelvin Tetzloff, research and development technician, and Barry Hines, VP, engineering.

The addition of patent number US 10,023,243 B2 brings ARBOC’s total patent count to six for both its cutaway and rail products.