Combat vehicle seat installation for protection of occupants from the effects of ground explosions
First Claim
1. A seat installation for a combat vehicle seat including a seat pan supported on a floor of said vehicle by a breakaway structure which connects said seat pan and said floor so as to initially cause said floor to drive up said seat pan immediately after an explosion occurs but thereafter disconnects said connection therebetween by breaking away quickly enough to thereby avoid an injurious spinal compression said breakaway structure comprising:
- a pair of V plates, each V plate located on respective ends of said seat pan and having a bend line extending side to side across a middle region of said V plate to divide said V plate into two sections extending at a shallow angle with respect to each other;
a top section of each V plate attached at a top end to an undersurface of said seat pan and a bottom section of each V plate attached to said floor of said vehicle, whereby said seat pan is initially driven upward by said V plates at a bottom end by movement of said combat vehicle floor upon detonation of an explosion beneath said combat vehicle;
each of said V plates breaking apart after a sufficiently brief interval after said explosion so as to reduce spinal compression injuries.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A seat installation for a combat vehicle which protects an occupant from the effects of an explosion detonated beneath the vehicle in which breakaway structures are interposed between a seat pan and the vehicle floor which initially rapidly drives the seat up after the explosion, but which quickly breaks away to avoid spinal compression injury. A crushable energy absorbing structures thereafter absorb the floor motion, each structure comprised with a vertical stack of crushable energy absorbing cells which are successively crushed at higher force levels to adapt the seat installation to varying weight occupants. A pivoted foot rest provides spaced above the floor which mitigates injuries to the feet and legs by allowing the feet to avoid contact with the floor and which swing up and away from the floor while avoiding tipping of the seat.
38 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A seat installation for a combat vehicle seat including a seat pan supported on a floor of said vehicle by a breakaway structure which connects said seat pan and said floor so as to initially cause said floor to drive up said seat pan immediately after an explosion occurs but thereafter disconnects said connection therebetween by breaking away quickly enough to thereby avoid an injurious spinal compression said breakaway structure comprising:
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a pair of V plates, each V plate located on respective ends of said seat pan and having a bend line extending side to side across a middle region of said V plate to divide said V plate into two sections extending at a shallow angle with respect to each other; a top section of each V plate attached at a top end to an undersurface of said seat pan and a bottom section of each V plate attached to said floor of said vehicle, whereby said seat pan is initially driven upward by said V plates at a bottom end by movement of said combat vehicle floor upon detonation of an explosion beneath said combat vehicle; each of said V plates breaking apart after a sufficiently brief interval after said explosion so as to reduce spinal compression injuries. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A seat installation for a combat vehicle seat, including a foot rest pivotally connected to a seat pan at a forward end thereof to allow an occupant'"'"'s feet to rest thereon, said foot rest normally spaced above said floor, but pivoted up by contact with said floor caused by a severe explosion, said foot rest comprising a platform extending away from a front side of said pan and pivotally mounted to said floor, said platform having an angled connector plate attached and sloping downwardly at an angle from a front end of said seat pan and joined at an angle to said platform;
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said angled connector plate pivotally mounted to said seat pan, and a stop plate connected to said angled connector plate and extending beneath said seat pan to engage an underside thereof and normally position said platform section spaced above said floor.
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Specification