Since bus drivers for Nishi-Nippon Railroad have to work late at night and early in the morning, they need to be able to take quality naps before work or during breaks as necessary. However, until now, napping rooms only consisted of beds in a room that had been split up by simple partitions. Therefore, the bus drivers were left exposed in the room as they slept and had their sleep interrupted by sound and light when people enter and exit the room. Therefore, Sleep Capsules (also known as capsule beds) by Kotobuki Seating were chosen as “napping rooms that allow users to rest well without being bothered by the sounds and glances of others.”
Since the Hibaru automobile office is a hub among the offices, there are many drivers that use the napping room, but there was a shortage of beds and the environment was not properly equipped. Beds had been set up in the large napping room that was separated by partitions, but there were many points that required improvement in order to provide quality sleep, as the room was crowded with many users, noise of people speaking and getting in and out of bed could be heard easily, and light entered the room whenever the door was opened.
The implementation of Sleep Capsules resolved these issues. By lowering the screen roll at the entrance, the Sleep Capsule provides an environment that is as close as possible to a private room. The Sleep Capsules by Kotobuki Seating use sound absorbing materials for the panels that form it, minimizing the sounds of people snoring and turning in the beds above, below, and side to side. In addition, since capsule beds are stacked in two layers, twice as many beds can be placed in the same space compared to standard beds. Being able to fit more beds in the same amount of space also contributed greatly to resolving existing issues.
Drivers with sleep apnea are mandated to use a machine while sleeping, so Kotobuki Seating also installed special racks to hold these machines as a custom order.
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