Method of protecting vehicle occupants in a vehicle seat of a vehicle

• US 20110077826A1
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: BAUMANN, Karl-Heinz, Fehring, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest

Abstract

In a method of protecting the occupant in a vehicle seat, particularly in a passenger car (the vehicle seat comprising at least a seat surface, a backrest and a headrest), upon detection of a present or imminent rear impact, by means of an active movement of the backrest and/or of the headrest, a force is applied to the vehicle occupant in the direction of the effect of the impact force occurring as a result of the rear impact.

Claims

1. A method of protecting an occupant of a vehicle seat having at least a seat surface, a backrest and a headrest, said method comprising:

detecting a present or imminent rear impact; and

applying a force said occupant in the direction of an impact force occurring as a result of the rear impact, by causing an active movement of at least one of the backrest and the headrest.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the force acts planely upon the vehicle occupant.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the active movement of at least one of the backrest and the headrest is controlled or triggered as a function of a control signal that signals a presently occurring or imminent rear impact of the vehicle with an object or a predefined braking of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, by the active movement of at least one of the backrest and the headrest, a momentum is exercised on at least a body section of the vehicle occupant, by which the latter is accelerated and moved in a direction of an effect of the impact force acting as a result of the rear impact.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein acceleration and movement of the vehicle occupant as a result of active movement of at least one of the backrest and the headrest is started before occurrence of the rear impact.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein during a braking of the vehicle triggered before an imminent rear impact:

an active movement of at least one of the backrest and the headrest is triggered in a direction of at least a body section of the vehicle occupant; and

at least one of the backrest and the headrest is moved in a direction of at least a body section of the vehicle occupant, or at least a body section of the vehicle occupant rests against at least one of the backrest and the headrest of the vehicle seat.