Apparatus for counteracting whiplash injuries
First Claim
1. A protection apparatus for reducing whiplash injuries for a person seated in a vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle seat including (a) a seat back having a forward surface for engaging the person, and (b) a separate neck support extending upwardly from said seat back having a forward surface adapted to be adjacent the person;
a strong and flexible material connected to said seat so as to extend in a non-actuated configuration along said neck support and seat back from an upper end of said flexible material adjoined to the forward surface of said neck support to a lower end of said flexible material adjoined to the forward surface of said seat back;
an activation means, which is actuated when the person in the seat is thrown rearward during a whiplash inducing event and which is mounted in said seat back of the vehicle seat, for moving said flexible material from the non-actuated configuration to an actuated configuration, the actuated configuration being where said upper end of said flexible material is moved forwardly and hence stretched forwardly away from adjacent parts of the forward surfaces of said neck support and seat back to act as a resilient catcher for an upper part of a back, a neck, and a head of the person when the person is thrown rearward to reduce whiplash injuries.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A protection apparatus is mounted in the seat of newly made or available vehicles of any kind for preventing or reducing so-called whiplash injuries when a person in the vehicle is thrown rearwardly in case the vehicle is run into from behind, or as a reaction of a violent movement forwardly in case of a crash with an object in front. The apparatus includes an activation device (4) for a protection apparatus mounted in the seat back (3) of the vehicle seat (2), which activation device is connected to a neck support (9) or to an equivalent, and which upon actuation of the protection apparatus forms a forwardly and preferably also upwardly expelled catcher canvas (10) for the upper part of the back, the neck and the head of the person in the vehicle seat.
63 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A protection apparatus for reducing whiplash injuries for a person seated in a vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle seat including (a) a seat back having a forward surface for engaging the person, and (b) a separate neck support extending upwardly from said seat back having a forward surface adapted to be adjacent the person; a strong and flexible material connected to said seat so as to extend in a non-actuated configuration along said neck support and seat back from an upper end of said flexible material adjoined to the forward surface of said neck support to a lower end of said flexible material adjoined to the forward surface of said seat back; an activation means, which is actuated when the person in the seat is thrown rearward during a whiplash inducing event and which is mounted in said seat back of the vehicle seat, for moving said flexible material from the non-actuated configuration to an actuated configuration, the actuated configuration being where said upper end of said flexible material is moved forwardly and hence stretched forwardly away from adjacent parts of the forward surfaces of said neck support and seat back to act as a resilient catcher for an upper part of a back, a neck, and a head of the person when the person is thrown rearward to reduce whiplash injuries. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification