Blast mitigating seat

• US 20100301647A1
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carter, James A., MacLeod, Donald, Callahan, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/216.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4242 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/643 shape of the back-rests B60N2/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/99 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/042 Floors or base plates for increased land mine protection
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/046 Shock resilient mounted seats for armoured or fighting vehicles

Abstract

A blast mitigating seat features a base and a seat frame. The seat frame includes a pan and a backrest including an open area for gear worn by a user. A first damping subsystem between the base and the seat frame has a first force/stroke relationship and a second damping subsystem between the base and the seat frame has a second force/stroke relationship.

Claims

1. A blast mitigating seat comprising:

a base;

a seat frame including;

a pan, and

a backrest including an open area for gear worn by a user;

a first damping subsystem between the base and the seat frame having a first force/stroke relationship; and

a second damping subsystem between the base and the seat frame having a second force/stroke relationship.

2. The seat of claim 1 further including rails between the seat frame and the pan for adjusting the pan fore and aft.

3. The seat of claim 1 in which the backrest includes two spaced columns attached to the seat frame.

4. The seat of claim 3 in which each column includes spaced pads.

5. The seat of claim 4 in which select pads include an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the pad on the column and the angle of the pad.

6. The seat of claim 1 in which the first damping subsystem and the second damping subsystem are configured to dissipate forces driving the seat frame down and the first damping subsystem is configured to dissipate forces driving the seat frame up.

7. The seat of claim 1 in which the first damping system applies a force F₁ over a stroke S₁, the second damping subsystem applies a force F₂ over a stroke S₂, and F₂>

F₁ and S₂<

S₁.

8. The seat of claim 1 in which the base includes a bottom plate and spaced risers extending upwards therefrom.

9. The seat of claim 2 in which the first damping subsystem includes a piston-style shock absorber between each riser and the seat frame.

10. The seat of claim 1 further including a spall liner on the pan.

11. The seat of claim 1 further including a restraint subsystem.

12. The seat of claim 11 in which the restraint subsystem includes lap belt members and shoulder strap members all releasably received in a single buckle.

13. The seat of claim 12 in which each lap belt member and shoulder strap member extend from an automatic retracting mechanism.

14. The seat of claim 1 in which the second damping subsystem is a piston-style shock absorber.

15. The seat of claim 14 in which the second damping subsystem piston-style shock absorber includes a piston connected to the seat frame and a cylinder connected to the seat base.

16. The seat of claim 15 in which the cylinder includes first and second different size cavities.

17. The seat of claim 1 further including springs between said base and said seat frame.

18. A blast mitigating seat comprising:

a base including a bottom plate and spaced rearward risers extending upwards therefrom;

a seat frame including;

a pan adjustable with respect to said frame; and

a backrest including spaced columns extending upwardly from the seat frame, each said column including one or more adjustable pads;

a shock absorber extending between each said riser and the seat frame; and

first and second snubbers between the seat frame and the base.

19. The blast mitigating seat of claim 18 further including a spall liner on the pan.

20. The blast mitigating seat of claim 18 further including a restraint subsystem.

21. The blast mitigating seat of claim 20 in which the restraint subsystem includes lap belt members and shoulder strap members all releasably received in a single buckle.

22. The blast mitigating seat of claim 21 in which each lap belt member and shoulder strap member extends from an automatic retracting mechanism.

23. A blast mitigating seat comprising:

a base;

a seat frame including;

a pan, and

a backrest including an open area for gear worn by a user;

means for dissipating forces driving the seat frame down; and

means for dissipating forces driving the seat frame up.

24. The seat of claim 23 in which the means for dissipating forces driving the seat frame up includes at least one damper applying force a force F1 over a stroke S₁, the means for dissipating forces driving the seat frame down includes at least one damper applying a force F₂ over a stroke S₂, F₂>

F₁, and S₂<

S₁.