Vehicle safety device

• US 5,022,707 A
• Filed: 10/25/1988
• Issued: 06/11/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Life Forece Associates LP
• Original Assignee: Life Forece Associates LP
• Inventors: Beauvais, Randall, Meade, Albert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US07/261,300
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216, 297/325, 297/311, 297/329, 297/344, 248/371, 248/424, 248/429, 296/68.1
• US Class Current: 297/216.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4214 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat

Abstract

A vehicle safety device designed to respond to a sudden stopping of a vehicle by controlling movement of both the front and the rear of a vehicle seat in forward and upward directions. In various embodiments the movement is controlled by ramps and linkages and by various combinations of ramps and links. The linkage may be a single component link or a linkage of two components pivotally connected together. The ramp may be defined by a straight slot or by an arcuate slot or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A seat tilting device comprising:

a seat support having front and rear portions for supporting front and rear ends of a seat;

a base for supporting the seat support, said base having means for attachment to a vehicle chassis;

a rear link having a first end pivotally connected to the rear portion of said seat support and a second end pivotally connected to said base;

a front link having a length longer than that of the rear link, a first end pivotally connected to the front portion of said seat support, and a second end pivotally connected to the base;

said second ends of the links being supported in said base for limited rear to front sliding movement with respect to the base; and

said base including means for elevating the links during such sliding movement;

wherein the links are pivotable from a first position in which the seat support is in contact with the base to a second position in which said seat support is disposed forwardly of the first position and the front portion of the seat support is spaced from the base at a distance greater than that by which the rear portion of the seat support is spaced from the base.

3. The device of claim 3, wherein the second ends of the links are supported for said limited rear to front sliding movement in first slots disposed in the base and said elevating means comprises second slots in the base inclined with respect to said first slots for guiding portions of said links engaged in said second slots to elevate the links during the rear-to-front sliding movement with respect to the base.

2. The seat tilting device of claim 3 wherein the seat support supports a seat and the seat is part of a seat assembly that includes a seat back having a lower portion connected to the seat and an upper portion disposed rearwardly of the lower portion.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the second slots are open at their tops to enable the links to be swung independently thereof.

5. A seat tilting device for a vehicle having a base member supported by a floor of the vehicle and a seat above the floor, said tilting device comprising:

a forward link and a rear link, the forward link being longer than the rear link;

means for pivotally attaching upper ends of the forward and rear links to forward and rear parts of the seat, respectively;

means for pivotally attaching lower ends of the links to the base member including slots of limited length disposed in the base member, with the lower ends of the links being received in said slots to restrict the lower ends from vertical movement;

means for elevating the forward link to raise the forward part of the seat and the rear link to raise the rear part of the seat when the seat moves forward relative to the base member; and

means for supporting the seat in its inactivated position with pivots of the links to the seat being rearward of the connection of the links to the floor whereby the links swing about their pivotal connections to the floor in automatic response to the impact of a collision.

6. A seat tilting device comprising:

a base member,

a seat supporting member attached to a seat,

a rear link having front and back ends pivotally connected between a rear part of the base member and a rear part of the seat supporting member,

a forward link having front and back ends pivotally connected between a forward part of the seat supporting member and a forward part of the base member, the rear link being shorter than the forward link,

said base member having upstanding portions adjacent the forward link and adjacent the rear link, said upstanding portions having horizontal slots, at least one of said horizontal slots being adjacent to the front end of the forward link, and at least another one of said horizontal slots being adjacent to the front end of the rear link, each link having a pin at its front end engaged in one of said horizontal slots,

said upstanding portions also having rear sloping slots into which a portion of the respective forward and rear links can fit for moving the links upwardly substantially as soon as forward movement of the seat occurs.

7. The seat tilting device of claim 6 wherein the seat is free of an upwardly depending seat back connected to it.

8. A safety device for a vehicle seat disposed between a seat frame supporting the seat and a base member supporting the seat frame on a vehicle chassis, said safety device being responsive to forward movement of the seat to raise the seat relative to the base member, and including:

a first slidable connection between a rear part of the seat frame and a rear part of the base member for guiding forward movement of the seat frame and raising the rear part of the seat frame relative to the base member at a first average rate of movement less than the average rate of forward movement of the seat; and

a second slidable connection between a forward part of the seat frame and a forward part of the base member for guiding forward movement of the seat frame relative to the base member and raising the front part of the seat frame relative to base member at a second average rate of movement greater than the first average rate whereby the seat will push an occupant thereon upwardly and moves forwardly with the occupant upon abrupt slowing of the vehicle as occurs upon collision with another object that produces inertial effects upon the seat and upon the occupant.

9. The safety device of claim 8 wherein the base member comprises a seat cushion support frame and the seat frame comprises a seat cushion frame, the seat cushion support frame having a front leg and a rear leg, the rear leg being inclined upwardly and rearwardly and having a lower end, means for pivotally supporting the lower end from the seat cushion support frame, means for supporting the front leg in fixed relation to the seat cushion support frame, means for pivotally connecting a rear portion of the seat cushion frame to the rear leg at a point spaced above the lower end whereby when the rear leg pivots forwardly about said lower end, said pivot has an upward and forward path and moves the rear portion of the seat upwardly and forwardly, and means connected between a front portion of the seat cushion frame and the front leg for controlling movement of said front portion in an upward and forward path when said seat cushion frame moves forwardly.

10. The safety device of claim 9 wherein the means for controlling movement of said front portion comprises a pin and slot connection between said front portion of the seat cushion frame and the front leg.

11. The safety device of claim 10 wherein the slot has a substantially straight section and an introductory section, the substantially straight section being at an angle of inclination relative to horizontal, the introductory section being substantially more horizontal than is the straight section and having one end opening to the straight section and the other end closed, said pin normally resting against said closed end in an unactivated condition of the device.

12. The safety device of claim 11 wherein the slot is supported from the front leg and the pin is supported from the seat cushion frame.

13. The safety device of claim 11 wherein the introductory section is substantially arcuate on a radius that is at least 1/2 inch long with the arc beginning at about a horizontal direction and curving to align with said straight section at said one end.

14. The safety device of claim 13 wherein the angle of the substantially straight section relative to horizontal is between about 20°

and about 50°

.

15. The safety device of claim 14 wherein the angle of the rear leg relative to horizontal is about 70°

in the unactivated condition of the device.

16. The safety device of claim 8 wherein the first average rate of movement is approximately one-half the average rate of forward movement and the second average rate of movement is approximately equal to the average rate of forward movement.

17. The safety device of claim 8 or 16 wherein said first and said second slidable connections each comprise a pin carried by one of the seat frame and base member and a slot carried by the other of the seat frame and base member, with the pin being engaged in the slot.

18. The safety device of claim 17 wherein the pins are carried by the seat frame and the slots are carried by the base member.

19. The safety device of claim 17 wherein at least one of the slots is arcuate.

20. A safety device for a vehicle seat comprising a mechanism coupled to a seat frame attached to the seat and to a base member supporting the seat on a vehicle chassis, said mechanism being responsive to forward movement of the seat to raise the seat relative to the base member and including:

a rear pin and slot connection between a rear part of the seat frame and a rear part of the base member for guiding forward movement of and raising the rear part of the seat frame relative to the rear part of the base member in response to forward movement of the seat, said rear pin and slot connection including a rear slot extending upwardly and forwardly from a lower rearward end thereof at a first angle relative to horizontal;

a front pin and slot connection between a front part of the seat frame and a front part of the base member for guiding forward movement of and raising the front part of the seat frame relative to the front part of the base member, said front pin and slot connection including a front slot extending upwardly and forwardly from a lower rearward end thereof at a second angle relative to horizontal; and

wherein the first angle is less than the second angle whereby the pins of the pin and slot connections rest in the lower rearward ends of the slots in an unactivated condition of the device and in an activated condition the seat will push an occupant thereon upwardly and moves forwardly with the occupant upon abrupt slowing of the vehicle as occurs upon collision with another object that produces inertial effects upon the seat and upon the occupant.

21. The safety device of claim 20 wherein the slots are supported from the base member and the pins are supported from the seat frame.

22. The safety device of claim 21 wherein the slots are substantially straight.

23. The safety device of claim 20 wherein said first angle is between about 15°

and about 40° and

said second angle is between about 25° and

about 50°

.

24. The safety device of claim 20 wherein said rear slot further includes an additional rear slot extending upwardly and rearwardly from the lower end of said rear slot at a third angle relative to horizontal;

and

said front slot further includes an additional front slot extending upwardly and rearwardly from the lower end of said front slot at a fourth angle relative to the horizontal whereby said mechanism also is responsive to rearward movement of the seat to raise the seat relative to the base member.

25. The safety device of claim 24 wherein said fourth angle is less than said third angle.

26. The safety device of claim 25 wherein said first and fourth angles are between about 15°

and about 40° and

said second and third angles are between about 25° and

about 50°

.

27. The safety device of claim 26 wherein said first and fourth angles are approximately equal and said second and third angles are approximately equal.

29. The safety device of claim 20 or 28 wherein said rear pin and slot connection includes two rear slots supported from opposite sides of the base member and two rear pins supported from opposite sides of the seat frame, and said front pin and slot connection includes two front slots supported from opposite sides of the base member and two front pins supported from opposite sides of the seat frame.

28. A safety device for a vehicle seat comprising a mechanism coupled to a seat frame attached to the seat and to a base member supporting the seat on a vehicle chassis, said mechanism being responsive to forward movement of the seat to raise the seat relative to the base member and including:

a rear pin and slot connection between a rear part of the seat frame and a rear part of the base member for guiding forward movement of and raising the rear part of the seat frame relative to the rear part of the base member in response to forward movement of the seat, said rear pin and slot connection including a rear slot extending upwardly and forwardly from a lower rearward end thereof;

a front pin and slot connection between a front part of the seat frame and a front part of the base member for guiding forward movement of and raising the front part of the seat frame relative to the front part of the base member, said front pin and slot connection including a front slot extending upwardly and forwardly from a lower rearward end thereof; and

wherein each slot has a substantially straight section and an introductory section, the substantially straight section being at an angle of inclination relative to horizontal, the introductory section being more horizontal than is the straight section and having one end opening to the straight section and the other end closed, whereby the pins normally rest against the respective closed ends in an unactivated condition of the safety device and in an activated condition the seat will push an occupant thereon upwardly and moves forwardly with the occupant upon abrupt slowing of the vehicle as occurs upon collision with another object that produces inertial effects upon the seat and upon the occupant.

30. The safety device of claim 28 wherein the slots are supported from the base member and the pins are supported from the seat frame.

31. The safety device of claim 28 wherein each introductory section is substantially arcuate on a radius that is at least 1/2 inch long with the arc beginning at about a horizontal direction at said closed end and curving to align with said straight section at said one end.

32. The safety device of claim 28 wherein the angle of the substantially straight section of the rear slot relative to horizontal is less than the angle of the substantially straight section of the front slot.

33. The safety device of claim 32 wherein said rear slot angle is between about 15°

and about 40° and

said second front slot angle is between about 25° and

about 50°

.

34. In a vehicle for transporting an occupant, the vehicle having a seat with a sitting area on which the occupant sits, the sitting area having a front and a rear, a vehicle safety device for automatically absorbing forces resulting from collision of the vehicle that would otherwise tend to propel and injure the occupant, said safety device comprising:

a vehicle member beneath the seat to which the seat is mounted, said vehicle member being securable with the vehicle chassis such that the vehicle member stops with the chassis upon impact of the vehicle upon collision; and

means for connecting the seat to the vehicle member including means for controlling the direction of initial movement of the entire sitting area, under forces caused by sudden deceleration upon impact of the vehicle, substantially initially to lift the entire sitting area including the front and rear thereof relative to said vehicle member immediately upon impact, the direction of movement of the front and rear of the sitting area being controlled along separate paths such that the path of movement of the rear of the seat is generally along a straight path, and the path of movement of the front of the seat is generally along an arcuate path, said generally straight path being at an angle relative to horizontal of approximately between 14 and 40 degrees, and the direction of initial movement upon impact of the front of the seat is from a point on an arc whose tangent at that point is from 25 to 50 degrees.

35. The vehicle safety device of claim 34 wherein said control means permits said sitting area to maintain close contact with the occupant in response to said impact.

36. The vehicle safety device of claim 34 wherein said connecting means comprises a pin and slot connection between the vehicle member and the rear of the seat and a link including two components pivotally connected together, one component being forward of the other and being pivotally connected to the vehicle member, the other component being pivotally connected to the front of the seat wherein said pin and slot connection and said link controls the direction of initial movement of the entire sitting area, under forces caused by sudden deceleration upon impact of the vehicle, to lift the front of the sitting area upwardly further than the rear of the sitting area.

37. The vehicle safety device of claim 36 wherein the slot of the pin and slot connection is carried by one of the vehicle member and the seat and the pin of the pin and slot connection is carried by the other of the vehicle member and the seat.

38. In a vehicle for transporting an occupant, the vehicle having a seat with a sitting area on which the occupant sits, the sitting area having a front and a rear, a vehicle safety device for automatically absorbing forces resulting from collision of the vehicle that would otherwise tend to propel and injure the occupant, said safety device comprising:

a vehicle member beneath the seat to which the seat is mounted, said vehicle member being securable with a vehicle chassis such that the vehicle member stops with the chassis upon impact of the vehicle upon collision; and

means for connecting the seat to the vehicle member including means for controlling the direction of initial movement of the entire sitting area, under the forces caused by sudden deceleration upon impact of the vehicle, substantially initially to lift the entire sitting area including the front and rear thereof relative to said vehicle member immediately upon impact, the direction of movement of the front and rear of the sitting area being controlled along separate paths, the path of movement of the rear of the seat being along an arcuate path provided by a first pin on the seat extending into a first arcuate slot in the vehicle member, said slot having a center disposed above the pin.

39. The vehicle safety device of claim 38 wherein the path of movement of the front of the seat is arcuate.

40. The vehicle safety device of claim 39 wherein the arcuate path of movement of the front of the seat is provided by second pin on the seat extending into a second arcuate slot in the vehicle member.

41. The vehicle safety device of claim 39 wherein the arcuate path of movement of the front of the seat is provided by a link having one end pivotally connected to the seat and another end pivotally connected to the vehicle member.

42. The vehicle safety device of claim 38 wherein said controlling means lifts the front of the sitting area upwardly further than the rear of the sitting area along the separate paths of movement under the forces caused by sudden deceleration upon impact of the vehicle.

43. The vehicle safety device of claim 38 wherein the path of movement of the front of the sitting area is provided by a second pin on the seat extending into a second slot in the vehicle member, said second slot having a substantially straight section and an introductory section, said substantially straight section being at an angle of inclination relative to horizontal, said introductory section being more horizontal than is the straight section and having one end opening to the straight section and the other end closed.

44. A seat tilting device comprising:

a seat support having front and rear portions for supporting front and rear ends of a seat;

a base attached to a vehicle for supporting the seat support;

a first link having a first end pivotally connected to the rear portion of the seat support and second end pivotally connected to the base;

a second link having a length longer than that of the first link, said second link having a first end pivotally connected to the front portion of the seat support and a second end pivotally connected to the base;

said links being wide enough to extend across enough of the seat to enable them to support a seat, thereby eliminating the necessity of two such devices that would require individual alignment; and

wherein said first and second links are pivotable from a first position in which the seat support is in contact with the base to a second position in which the seat support is disposed forwardly of the first position and the front portion of the seat support is spaced from the base at a distance greater than that by which the rear portion of the seat support is spaced from the base.

45. In a vehicle safety device, a bottom plate adapted to be connected to a base of a vehicle below a seat thereof, a top plate adapted to be connected to the seat, the two plates having offsets in opposite directions to provide a recess between them, a safety seat device within the said recess, the device comprising a base member extending fore and aft of the seat and its plates and secured to the bottom plate, said base member having opposite upstanding slotted flanges at its sides, and an inverted seat supporting channel member adapted to be secured to the top plate with its flanges downturned, a rearward link and a forward link extending across the device to the areas of the flanges on the base member, a forward pin for each of the two links extending transversely of each of them, each base member flange having a horizontal slot into which one of the forward pins is mounted for horizontal movement without vertical movement, each of the links having a rear pin extending across from side to side and engaged within the downturned flanges of the seat supporting channel member for pivotal movement therein, each of the base member flanges having a sloping slot open to the top in which a portion of one of the links can be located and can slide, such sliding movement being adapted to raise the two links from their initial positions upon forward movement of the forward pins within the horizontal slots, the forward link being longer than the rearward link such that upon forward movement, the seat supporting channel member will be offset from the base member a greater degree at the front than at the rear.

46. The safety device of claim 45 wherein said portion of one of the links comprises an intermediate pin disposed between said forward and rear pins of said one link.

47. A safety device for installation between a vehicle and a vehicle seat having a first member attached to the vehicle at a location below the seat and a second member attached to the seat, said safety device comprising a front link pivotally connected between the first and second members and a rear link pivotally connected between the first and second members, for moving the second member relative to the first member in substantially direct and substantially immediate response to sudden deceleration such as results from a collision of the vehicle, said front and rear links directing the seat in both forward and upward directions relative to the frame, with both front and rear portions of the seat moving both forwardly and upwardly and the front portion of the seat moving upwardly further than the rear portion of the seat.

48. The safety device of claim 47 wherein the moving means comprises articulated connections between the first and second members.

49. The safety device of claim 47 wherein the front link is substantially longer than the rear link.

51. The safety device of claim 47 or 50 wherein said control means directs the movement of the front portion of the seat at an angle of between about 40°

and about 50°

relative to horizontal and the movement of the rear portion of the seat at an angle of between about 25° and

about 35°

relative to horizontal.

50. A safety device for installation between a vehicle and a vehicle seat having a first member attached to the vehicle at a location below the seat and a second member attached to the seat, said safety device comprising a front pin and slot connection between the first and second members and a rear pin and slot connection between the first and second members for moving the second member relative to the first member in substantially direct and substantially immediate response to sudden deceleration such as results from a collision of the vehicle, said pin and slot connections directing the seat in both forward and upward directions relative to the frame, with both front and rear portions of the seat moving both forwardly and upwardly and the front portion of the seat moving upwardly further than the rear portion of the seat.

52. The safety device of claim 50 wherein the slots of said front and rear pin and slot connections are carried by one of the first and second members and the pins of said front and rear pin and slot connections are carried by the other of the first and second members.

53. The safety device of claim 50 wherein said moving means comprises:

two front pin and slot connections between the first and second members, with one of the front connections being adjacent one side of the seat and the other front connection being adjacent another side of the seat;

two rear pin and slot connections between the first and second members, with one of the rear pin and slot connections being adjacent one side of the seat and the other rear connection being adjacent another side of the seat; and

wherein the slots of the front and rear connections are carried by the first member and the pins of the front and rear connections are carried by the second member.

54. A safety device comprising a first element attached to a normally moving frame movable in a first direction, a second element attached to a component movable relative to the frame, and means, connected between the elements, for moving the second element in the first direction upon sudden deceleration of the first element and for moving a leading portion of the second element in a second direction generally normal to the first direction a first distance and a trailing portion of the second element in said second direction a second distance of substantially less magnitude than the first distance, said moving means including at least two links of different lengths supported by one of the elements through a connection permitting limited sliding movement between said one element and the links, and means for gradually decreasing the rates of lateral movement in said second direction in response to continued movement of the second element in the first direction.

55. A safety device comprising:

(a) a frame movable in a first direction,

(b) an element for attachment to a component for normally causing the component to move parallel with the frame when the frame moves in the first direction, and

(c) means, including a linkage connected between the element and the frame, for moving the element relative to the frame in the first direction upon sudden deceleration of the frame and for moving leading and trailing portions of the element in a second direction generally normal to the first direction, said linkage comprising at least two components pivotally connected together and with a first one of the components pivotally connected to the frame and a second one of the components pivotally connected to the element.

56. The safety device of claim 55 wherein a first pivot stage following initial deceleration of the frame occurs as the first component pivots through a predetermined arc relative to the frame and relative to the second component and a second pivot stage occurs thereafter as the second component is locked to pivot with the first component as the first component pivots beyond said predetermined arc.

57. The safety device of claim 55 or 56 wherein said means for moving the element moves the leading portion of the element a first distance in the second direction and moves the trailing portion of the element a second distance in the second direction less than said first distance in response to sudden deceleration of the frame.

58. A safety device for a vehicle seat comprising a mechanism coupled to a seat frame attached to the seat and to a base member supporting the seat on a vehicle chassis, said mechanism being responsive to forward movement of the seat to raise the seat relative to the base member and including:

a rear pin and slot connection between a rear part of the seat frame and a rear part of the base member for guiding forward movement of and raising the rear part of the seat frame relative to the rear part of the base member in response to forward movement of the seat;

a front pin and slot connection between a front part of the seat frame and a front part of the base member for guiding forward movement of and raising the front part of the seat frame relative to the front part of the base member;

at least one of said pin and slot connections including at least one slot arcuate about a center disposed above the slot whereby the pins of the pin and slot connections rest in the lower rearward ends of the slots in an unactivated condition of the device and in an activated condition the seat will push an occupant thereon upwardly and moves forwardly with the occupant upon abrupt slowing of the vehicle as occurs upon collision with another object that produces inertial effects upon the seat and upon the occupant.

59. The safety device of claim 58 wherein each of said pin and slot connections include a slot arcuate about a center disposed above the slot.

60. The safety device of claim 58 or 59 wherein the front pin and slot connection raises the front part of the seat frame upwardly further than the rear pin and slot connection raises the rear part of the seat frame upwardly in response to forward movement of the seat.

61. The safety device of claim 60 wherein the slots are supported from one of the base member and the seat frame and the pins are supported from the other of the base member and the seat frame.

62. In a vehicle for transporting an occupant, the vehicle having a seat with a sitting area on which the occupant sits, the sitting area having a front and a rear, a vehicle safety device for automatically absorbing forces resulting from collision of the vehicle that would otherwise tend to propel and injure the occupant, said safety device comprising:

a vehicle member beneath the seat to which the seat is mounted, said vehicle member being securable with a vehicle chassis such that the vehicle member stops with the chassis upon impact of the vehicle upon collision; and

means for connecting the seat to the vehicle member including means for controlling the direction of initial movement of the entire sitting area, under forces caused by sudden deceleration upon impact of the vehicle, substantially initially to lift the entire sitting area including the front and rear thereof relative to said vehicle member immediately upon impact, the direction of movement of the front and rear of the sitting area being controlled along separate paths such that the direction of movement of the front of the sitting area averages between about 38° and

about 52°

relative to horizontal along at least most of the front path and the direction of movement of the rear of the sitting area averages between about 23° and

about 37°

relative to horizontal along at least most of the rear path.

63. The safety device of claim 62 wherein the control means comprises:

a rear pin and slot connection between a rear part of the first member and a rear part of the second member; and

a linkage pivotally connected between a forward part of the first member and a forward part of the second member such that the pivotal connection of the link to the base member is forward and below the connection of the link to the seat frame, said linkage having an at-rest angle relative to a horizontal plane of between about 20° and

about 30° and

a height between its pivot connections of between about 3-1/2 inches and about 4 inches whereby the seat will push an occupant thereon upwardly and moves forwardly with the occupant upon abrupt slowing of the vehicle as occurs upon collision with another object that produces inertial effects upon the seat and upon the occupant.

64. The safety seat device of claim 63 wherein the slot of the rear pin and slot connection is in the first member and the pin of the rear pin and slot connection is supported by the second member, the slot being elongated at an upward and forward angle between an upper forward end and a lower rearward end, the pin normally resting in the lower rearward end and being thrust forward and upward guided by the slot upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle.

65. The safety device of claim 63 wherein the length of the slot is at least about 2 1/2 inches.

66. The safety device of claim 63 wherein the slot of the rear pin and slot connection is substantially straight.

67. The safety device of claim 63 wherein the slot of the rear pin and slot connection is arcuate.

68. The vehicle safety device of claim 62 wherein at least most of the front path is defined by a substantially straight front ramp carried by said vehicle member, said front ramp being engaged by a front projection carried by the seat, and at least most of the rear path is defined by a substantially straight rear ramp carried by said vehicle member, said rear ramp being engaged by a rear projection carried by the seat.

69. The vehicle safety device of claim 62 or 68 wherein the direction of movement of the front of the sitting area averages between about 42°

and 48°

relative to horizontal along at least most of the front path and the direction of movement of the rear of the sitting area averages between about 27° and

33°

relative to horizontal along at least most of the rear path.

70. A safety device for installation between a vehicle and a vehicle seat, said safety device having a first member attached to the vehicle at a location below the seat and a second member attached to the seat, and comprising means connected between the first member and the second member for moving the second member relative to the first member in substantially direct and substantially immediate response to sudden deceleration such as results from a collision of the vehicle, said moving means including control means for directing the seat in both forward and upward directions relative to the frame, with both front and rear portions of the seat moving both forwardly and upwardly, and means responsive to extremely high deceleration forces for thrusting the front portion of the seat upwardly and the rear portion of the seat downwardly subsequent to both portions having moved upwardly.

71. The safety device of claim 70 wherein said control means moves the front portion of the seat upwardly further than the rear portion of the seat in substantially direct and substantially immediate response to sudden deceleration.

72. A safety device for installation between a vehicle and a vehicle seat having a first member attached to the vehicle at a location below the seat and a second member attached to the seat, said safety device comprising means, connected between the first member and the second member, for moving the second member relative to the first member in substantially direct and substantially immediate response to sudden deceleration such as results from a collision of the vehicle, said moving means including control means for directing the seat in both forward and upward directions relative to the frame, with both front and rear portions of the seat moving both forwardly and upwardly and the front portion of the seat moving upwardly further than the rear portion of the seat, and means responsive to extremely high deceleration forces for thrusting the front portion of the seat upwardly and the rear portion of the seat downwardly subsequent to both portions having moved upwardly.