Easy ejector seat with skeletal crash safety beam

• US 20020130540A1
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mmillenniumm Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arjuna Indraeswaran Rajasingham
• Inventors: Rajasingham, Arjuna Indraeswaran
• Granted Patent: US 6,609,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/284.6
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/36 for motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/723 Impact absorbing means, e.g. bumpers or airbags
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 3/02 Loading or unloading personal conveyances; Facilitating access of patients or disabled persons to, or exit from, vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 3/0808 Accommodating or securing wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/04 motor-driven A61G5/06 takes precedence; motor-operated rests A61G5/12; for vehicles with handlebars, equipped with three or more wheels B62K5/003, B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1054 Large wheels, e.g. higher than the seat portion
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/062 transversally slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/245 for handicapped persons
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4214 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4235 transversal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/64 Back-rests or cushions B60N2/2222 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/665 using inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7094 Upholstery springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/205 inflatable in the direction of an obstacle upon impending impact, e.g. using air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 : Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 : Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0039 : Body parts of the occupant or pedestrian affected by the accident
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/022 : mounted on seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/02 : Occupant safety arrangements or fittings , e.g. crash pads seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 : the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 : specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/15 : having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/152 : Front or rear frames
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/157 : for side impacts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/04 : Wheelchair

Abstract

An arrangement in passenger vehicles, that diverts the impact energy in impacts away from the passengers to the remaining mass of the vehicle thereby protecting the passengers, and in the same arrangement provides utilitarian access to the vehicle, such utilitarian access making it possible to both install multi-element contoured surround seats for passengers and the driver, and also a safety device for head-on collision protection that obviates the need for conventional seat belts and front impact airbags. An indo-skeletal structural arrangement proposed for the vehicle, provides further benefits by targeting the strength of the vehicle to protect passengers while minimizing other massive elements in the vehicle.

Claims

1. (I) A multi element contoured seat comprising anatomically accurate support for the human body comprising:

a) a shadow spine pivotally connected in the region of its lower end, to the support members of the passenger support mechanism along a lateral axis, to allow controlled motion about this axis, and constructed with a plurality of vertebrae that have one or more of force deflection and compression parameters designed to allow approximately propotionally smaller deflection or compression of each local area of the lumbar and thoractic regions under acceleration or gravitational forces, as compared to said deflection or compression without said shadow spine, said shadow spine having appendages connected to one or more of said vertebrae, and directly or indirectly in contact with each local area of one or more of the thorax, lumbar regions, head and neck of the human body;

b) Means for adjusting the length of said shadow spine and the orientation of said appendages to said shadow spine to customize the multi-element contoured seat to a rangeof users.

2. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 1, wherein the elasticity characteristics of the shadow spine may be controlled.

3. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 1, wherein said appendages of the shadow spine are each fitted with one or more inflatable and adjustable air cushions at the points of contact with the human body, thereby providing a custom fit for each user.

4. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 1, wherein each of said vertebrae comprise:

a) A vertebra body;

b) at least two laterally and symmetrically displaced cavities that host vertical support devices, said vertical support devices protruding from the top of said cavities thereby providing support for the vertibra body directly above said vertibra;

c) a lateral tilt return spring that is slidably mounted between said vertibra body and the vertibra body of the adjoining vertibra, allowing lateral angular deflection of the vertibra above said vertibra, but providing tortional resistance to such displacement to return the relative angular displacement of said vertebrae to the normal straight position, said lateral tilt return spring being mounted on said vertebrae body to allow in addition a small angular displacement in the vertical plane facing the user;

d) a support flange that is slidably and pivotally attached to said vertibra body to allow angular displacements of the vertibra body of the adjoining vertibra in a vertical plane in the direction facing the user but providing tortional resistance to such angular displacement, thereby supporting the user and protecting the user in the event of a bacward acceleration of the body relative to said multi element contoured seat;

e) a device to hold together said vertebrae in compression;

f) a pair of shadow ribs attached to at least one shadow vertibra to support the back and sides of the user;

thereby providing support for the human body with forces that augment in a controlled fashion the natural forces of the spine its structural and muscular appendages, in the event of the acceleration of elements of said human body relative to said multi element contoured seat.

5. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 4, Wherein said vertical support devices on each vertebra are inflated air cells that are connected together to provide a viscous coupling in lateral angular displacements of adjoining vertebrae.

6. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 4, wherein said vertical support devices are springs.

7. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 5, wherein said inflated air cells are each independently inflatable to a predetermined and controllable pressure.

8. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 4, further comprising inflatable air cushions attached to the surface of a plurality of shadow ribs adjustable and controllable by the user, to provide customized support and comfort to the user.

9. D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 5, further comprising Computer controlled multiple presets for air pressure in each of the air cells to provide the initial settings for a user based on user input data, and controls to fine tune these settings to the user'"'"'s preference.

10. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 8, further comprising Computer controlled multiple presets for air pressure in each of the aircushions to provide the initial settings for a user based on user input data, and controls to fine tune these settings to the user'"'"'s preference.

11. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 8, further comprising heating and cooling devices to adjust the temperature of the air inflated into said aircushions to meet the preferences of the user.

12. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 1, further use as a passenger support mechanism in a vehicle.

13. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 1, for use as a passenger support mechanism in a vehicle, further comprising appendages to the shadow spine that support the shoulders in the even of a lateral acceleration of the human body, such appendages being pivoted in the vicinity of the connection to the shadow spine allowing controlled motion in a vertical plane along an axis in the direction facing the user, said pivoting being controlled to allow normal motion speeds of the upper arm and shoulder but resisting rapid motion as in a collision.

17. (D) A multi element contoured seat as in claim 1, further comprising adjustable elements that may be adjusted for height, and roationally in at least one dimension for supporting the pelvis of the human body in a comfortable manner, without supporting other elements of the human body.

14. (I) A method for providing support for the human body in a sitting or reclining position comprising:

Providing support for the thorax and lumbar regions such that supportive resistive forces supplement and enhance the supportive resistive forces of the human skeletal structure comprising the spine and the ribs and muscular attachments thereof, such supplementary supportive resistive forces being designed to conterract external forces on the mass of the lumbar regions and the thorax that comprise forces resulting from gravitiational attraction and the acceleration of the human body at any time, and ensuring that, under said external forces, with said supplementary supportive resistive forces deflections of each local area of the lumbar and thoractic regions are similar to deflections of the same local areas without said method under a lower acceleration of the human body.

15. (I) A method for providing differential shock absorbtion for elements of the human body body in a vertical direction along one or more of the lumbar region, the thorax, the neck and head for passengers in a vehicle.

16. (I) A multi element contoured seat comprising anatomically accurate support for the human body comprising elements for local support for one or more of the sides of the hips and the pelvis, said elements being controllable for position and orientation with regard to the passenger in said multi-element contoured seat.