Head and neck restraint system

• US 20060260027A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Survival Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Survival Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Jason, Hawkins, Phillip J., Rhodes, Carrol Leon, Bradley, Gary F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/421
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/0473 Neck restraints
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 35/00 Safety belts or body harnesses; Similar equipment for limiting displacement of the human body, especially in case of sudden changes of motion buckles A44B11/00; accessories for children's furniture A47D15/00; children's seats B60N2/24; safety belts or body harnesses for land vehicles B60R22/00; harnesses for parachutes B64D17/30; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/06; releasable fastenings F16B
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/00 Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles safety belts or body harnesses in general A62B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/001 Knee, leg or head belts
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 10/00 Flight suits helmets in general A42B3/00; breathing helmets A62B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/02 Supports or holding means for living bodies

Abstract

A head and neck restraint system includes a headpiece, a saddle, and tensioners connecting the headpiece to the saddle. The headpiece resides on top of a crew member'"'"'s head and the saddle includes a saddle strap residing under the crew member'"'"'s buttocks. The tensioners are pneumatic muscles which contract when a flow of gas is provided by gas generators. The gas generators are triggered by a G-sensor or by the initiation of a predetermined event. Triggering signals pass through a manifold from an ejection seat, aircraft, or vehicle. Contraction of the pneumatic muscles pulls the headpiece toward the saddle, thereby restraining the head, neck, and spine. The system is worn as an undergarment or incorporated into a garment. A manual adjustment provides head support during flight. The system is particularly useful for preventing head and neck injuries during ejection from or crash of an aircraft or vehicle

Claims

1. A restraint system comprising:

a headpiece configured for wearing on a crew member head;

a harness configured for wearing on a crew member body;

tensioning members connecting the headpiece to the harness; and

a triggering device responsive to a triggering event and causing the tensioning members to contract upon the occurrence of the triggering event and to pull the headpiece toward the harness, thereby creating tension between the crew member head and the crew member body.

2. The restraint system of claim 1, further including a G-sensor wherein the G-sensor senses the triggering event and causes the tensioning members to contract.

3. The restraint system of claim 1, wherein the triggering device is connected to a G-sensor wherein the G-sensor senses the triggering event and causes the tensioning members to contract.

4. The restraint system of claim 1, further including at least one gas generator triggered by the triggering device and generating gas to cause the tensioning members to contract.

5. The restraint system of claim 4, wherein the tensioning members are pneumatic muscles which receive a flow of gas from the at least one gas generator and shorten in length in response to the flow of gas.

6. The restraint system of claim 4, further including at least one manifold assembly configured to provide a flow of gas to the tensioning members thereby causing the tensioning members to contract.

7. The restraint system of claim 1, wherein the headpiece comprises a cap configured to reside over the crew member head.

8. The restraint system of claim 7, wherein the tensioning members comprise a plurality of pneumatic muscle connected to spaced apart points on the headpiece.

9. The restraint system of claim 8, wherein the tensioning members comprise a right front pneumatic muscle, a left front pneumatic muscle, a right rear pneumatic muscle, and a left rear pneumatic muscle connected to respective spaced apart points on the headpiece.

10. The restraint system of claim 8, further including a garment assembly worn on a torso of the crew member, wherein the garment includes channels for positioning the pneumatic muscles.

11. The restraint system of claim 10, wherein:

the pneumatic muscles are connected to the headpiece by tension cords;

the tension cords enter the garment passing through grommets;

tension limiters reside on each tension cord above the grommets; and

wherein the grommets restrict the passage of the tension limiters into the garment and thereby limit the tension placed on the headpiece.

12. The restraint system of claim 11, wherein the garment includes a yoke portion residing on the interior of the garment above shoulders of the crew member thereby transferring the tension to the shoulders of the crew member when the tension limiters are pulled against the grommets.

13. The restraint system of claim 1, wherein the harness comprises a saddle portion including a saddle strap residing under buttocks of a crew member.

14. The restraint system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event produces at least one signal selected from the group consisting of a mechanical signal, a gas-pressure signal, an electrical signal, and a wireless signal to the triggering device and causes the tensioning members to contract.

15. The restraint system of claim 1, further including self-wicking material, thereby regulating body temperature by removing perspiration from skin surfaces.

16. A restraint system comprising:

a headpiece configured for wearing on top of a crew member head;

a saddle configured for wearing on a crew member lower body;

pneumatic muscles connected between the headpiece and the harness;

a gas source for providing a flow of gas to the pneumatic muscles; and

a triggering device responsive to a triggering event and causing the gas source to provide the flow of gas to the pneumatic muscles and causing the pneumatic muscles to contract upon the occurrence of the triggering event and to pull the headpiece toward the harness, thereby creating tension between the crew member head and the crew member body.

17. A restraint system comprising:

a headpiece configured for wearing on top of a crew member head;

a saddle configured for wearing on a crew member lower body;

pneumatic muscles connected between the headpiece and the harness;

a gas source for providing a flow of gas to the pneumatic muscles; and

a G-sensor responsive to an ejection event and causing the gas source to provide the flow of gas to the pneumatic muscles and causing the pneumatic muscles to contract upon the occurrence of the triggering event and to pull the headpiece toward the harness, thereby creating tension between the crew member head and the crew member body.