Vehicle safety system

• US 6,189,946 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abraham Levin
• Original Assignee: Abraham Levin
• Inventors: Levin, Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/235,446
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 296/68.1, 296/65.01, 296/63, 296/65.13, 297/216.19, 297/216.18, 297/216.16, 297/216.14, 297/216.11, 297/216.1, 297/344.1, 297/344.11, 297/329
• US Class Current: 296/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4214 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42781 mechanical triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

A safety system for a motor vehicle having a chassis, including a vehicle chair mounted on the chassis for slidably and rotational movement relative to the chassis under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold acting on the seat and rider in the event of vehicle collision. The vehicle seat is arranged for angular rotation through a gradually growing radius, simultaneously with, and in a direction opposite to, the slidable linear movement of the vehicle seat. Chest and abdomen safety belts are affixed to the vehicle chair. A spring damper system, capable of undergoing large deformation, couples the vehicle seat to the chassis. Preferably, the spring damper system is non-linear, whose stiffness and/or damping coefficients grow with displacement.

Claims

1. A safety system for a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a chassis;

a vehicle seat mounted on the chassis for slidable linear movement relative to the chassis, under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold, said vehicle seat arranged for angular rotation through a gradually growing radius, simultaneously with, and in a direction opposite to, the slidable linear movement of the vehicle seat;

a seat belt affixed to said vehicle seat; and

a spring damper system, which provides energy absorption, coupling said seat to the chassis, the spring damper system being capable of undergoing large, substantially plastic deformation.

2. The safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring damper system includes a non-linear spring damper system having resistance under tension only, and having a stiffness coefficient and a damping coefficient which grow gradually with displacement of said vehicle seat relative to the chassis.

3. The safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said non-linear spring damper system includes a plurality of thin-walled, elastic plastic rings filled with energy absorbent materials, two rigid cylinders mounted at opposite sides of each of said rings;

and rigid end connectors coupled to said rigid cylinders for coupling said thin-walled rings.

4. The safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said energy absorbent materials include energy absorbent foam.

5. The safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said energy absorbent materials include polyethylene foam.

6. The safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said energy absorbent materials include polyethylene foam in a plastic honeycomb frame.

7. The safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the stiffness coefficient and the damping coefficient of the spring damper system grow gradually with displacement of said vehicle seat relative to the chassis.

8. The safety system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the stiffness coefficient of the spring damper system grows gradually with displacement of said vehicle seat relative to the chassis and the damping coefficient is constant.

9. The safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring damper system includes a non-linear spring damper system having resistance under tension, and having a stiffness coefficient which grows gradually with displacement of said vehicle seat relative to the chassis, and a constant damping coefficient.

10. The safety system as claimed in claim 1, for a front end collision, further comprising:

means for angular rotation through a gradually growing radius, simultaneously with, and in a direction opposite to, the slidable linear movement of the vehicle seat, said means including a vehicle seat bottom defining, in an initial position, an upwardly inclined plane relative to the chassis, a front edge of said seat bottom being closer to a main horizontal axis of the chassis than a rear edge of said seat bottom;

a first support mounted on said front edge of said seat bottom for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, the chassis; and

a second support mounted on the chassis for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, said inclined plane.

11. The safety system as claimed in claim 10 for a front end collision, wherein the system further includes:

at least one track affixed to the chassis;

said first support element on said front edge of said seat bottom being arranged for sliding movement along the track affixed to the chassis; and

at least one track affixed to the inclined plane on the seat bottom;

said second support element on said chassis being arranged for sliding along the track affixed to the inclined plane.

12. The safety system as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said tracks includes a frangible portion arranged to break under identical forces above a pre-selected threshold.

13. The safety system as claimed in claim 1, for a rear end collision, further comprising:

means for angular rotation through a gradually growing radius, simultaneously with, and in a direction opposite to, the slidable linear movement of the vehicle seat, said means including a vehicle seat bottom defining, in an initial position, an upwardly inclined plane relative to the chassis, a rear edge of said seat bottom being closer to a main horizontal axis of the chassis than a front edge of said seat bottom;

at least one support mounted on said rear edge of said seat bottom for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, the chassis; and

a second support mounted on the chassis for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with said inclined plane.

14. The safety system as claimed in claim 13 for a rear end collision, and the system further includes:

at least one track affixed to the chassis;

said first support element on said rear edge of said seat bottom being arranged for sliding movement along the track affixed to the chassis; and

at least one track affixed to the inclined plane on the seat bottom;

said second support element on said chassis being arranged for sliding along the track affixed to the inclined plane.

15. The safety system as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of said tracks includes a frangible portion arranged to break under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold.

16. The safety system as claimed in claim 1, for a front or rear end collision, wherein:

said chassis includes a central groove;

and further comprising;

means for angular rotation through a gradually growing radius, simultaneously with, and in a direction opposite to, the slidable linear movement of the vehicle seat, said means including a vehicle seat bottom defining, in an initial position, a front and rear upwardly inclined planes, relative to the chassis, extending from a front edge of said seat bottom to a rear edge of said seat bottom in the form of a V, with the center of the V being closest to a main horizontal axis of the chassis, and the system further includes;

a first support mounted near said front edge of the seat;

a second support mounted near said rear edge of the seat;

a third support mounted in said groove in the chassis; and

wherein, during a front end collision, said first support is arranged for selective movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with the chassis, said third support is arranged for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, said rear inclined plane, and said second support is disabled; and

, during a rear end collision, said second support is arranged for selective movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with the chassis, said third support is arranged for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, said front inclined plane, and said first support is disabled.

17. The safety system as claimed in claim 16, further including:

at least first and second tracks affixed to the chassis;

said first support element attached to the front edge of the vehicle seat bottom being arranged for sliding movement along the first track affixed to the chassis;

said third support element attached to the front edge of the vehicle seat bottom being arranged for sliding movement along the second track affixed to the chassis; and

at least one track affixed to said inclined planes on said seat bottom;

said second support element on said chassis being arranged for sliding along the track affixed to the inclined plane.

18. The safety system as claimed in claim 18, wherein each of said first and second tracks affixed to the chassis includes a frangible portion arranged to break under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold in one direction.

19. A safety system for a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a chassis;

a vehicle seat mounted on the chassis for slidable linear movement relative to the chassis under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold, said vehicle seat having a bottom defining at least one inclined plane relative to the chassis, an edge of the seat bottom being closer to a main horizontal axis of the chassis than a center of the seat bottom;

a seat belt affixed to said vehicle seat;

a spring dampener system, which provides energy absorbent displacement, coupling said seat to the chassis, the spring dampener system being capable of undergoing large deformations;

at least one support mounted on the seat for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, the chassis; and

a second support mounted on the chassis for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, one of said inclined plane.

20. The safety system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said vehicle seat has sa bottom defining one inclined plane, the front of the seat bottom being closer to a main horizontal axis of the chassis than the rear of the seat bottom, and the system further includes:

a first support mounted on the seat for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, the chassis; and

a second support mounted on the chassis for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, the inclined plane.

21. A method for reducing deceleration during a substantially frontal collision on a rider in a vehicle seat in a motor vehicle having a chassis and an air bag, the method comprising the steps of:

retaining the rider in the vehicle seat by means of a seat belt affixed to the vehicle seat;

slidably mounting the vehicle seat on the chassis for slidably linear movement relative to the chassis under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold which justifies deployment of the air bag;

wherein the vehicle seat slides in a constrained trajectory relative to the vehicle chassis, the trajectory being a combination of linear motion, and angular rotation having a non-constant, growing radius in the direction opposite to the motion of the vehicle seat; and

when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, causing the vehicle seat to slide in said constrained trajectory while restrained by a spring damper system capable of undergoing large, substantially plastic deformation.

22. A method for reducing deceleration during a substantially front collision on a rider in a vehicle seat in a motor vehicle having a chassis and an air bag, the method comprising the steps of:

retaining the rider in the vehicle seat by means of a seat belt affixed to the vehicle seat;

slidably mounting the vehicle seat on the chassis for slidably linear movement relative to the chassis under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold which justifies deployment of the air bag, said step of slidably mounting includes slidably mounting the vehicle seat on the chassis for slidably forward movement relative to the chassis under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold which justifies deployment of the air bag, and

when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, causing the vehicle seat to slide in said constrained trajectory while restrained by a spring damper system capable of undergoing large, substantially plastic deformation and causing the vehicle seat to slide forward when restrained by a spring damper system capable of undergoing large deformations, so that the rider contacts the air bag after the air bag has deployed completely.

23. A method for reducing deceleration during a substantially frontal collision on a rider in vehicle seat in a motor vehicle having a chassis and an air bag, the method comprising the steps of:

retaining the rider in the vehicle seat by means of a seat belt affixed to the vehicle seat;

slidably mounting the vehicle seat on the chassis for slidably linear movement relative to the chassis under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold which justifies deployment of the air bag; and

when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, causing the vehicle seat to slide in said constrained trajectory while restrained by a spring damper system capable of undergoing large, substantially plastic deformation wherein the rider contacts the air bag at a velocity equal to the velocity of the vehicle seat relative to the chassis.

24. A method for reducing deceleration during a substantially frontal collision on a rider in a vehicle seat in a motor vehicle having a chassis and an air bag, the method comprising the steps of:

retaining the rider in the vehicle seat by means of a seat belt affixed to the vehicle seat;

slidably mounting the vehicle seat on the chassis for slidably linear movement relative to the chassis under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold which justifies deployment of the air bag;

the vehicle seat slides in a constrained trajectory relative to the vehicle chassis, the trajectory being a combination of linear and angular rotation having a nonconstant growing radius in the direction opposite to the motion of the vehicle seat, wherein said angular rotation is created by;

providing said vehicle seat with a bottom defining an inclined plane, the front of the seat bottom being closer to a main horizontal axis of the chassis than the center] of the seat bottom in an initial position;

mounting a first support on said vehicle seat for movement along the chassis; and

mounting a second support on the chassis for movement along the inclined plane;

whereby forwards movement of said vehicle seat relative to the chassis causes said first support to move along the chassis in substantially continuous engagement therewith, and causes said second support to move along the inclined plane, in substantially continuous engagement therewith; and

when the vehicle suddenly accelerates, causing the vehicle seat to slide linearly while restrained by a spring dampener system capable of undergoing large deformations.

25. A method for reducing acceleration during a rear end collision on a rider in a vehicle seat in a motor vehicle having a chassis, the method comprising the steps of:

retaining the rider in the vehicle seat by means of a seat belt affixed to the vehicle seat;

slidably mounting the vehicle seat on the chassis for slidable linear rearwards movement relative to the chassis under inertial forces above a pre-selected threshold; and

when the vehicle suddenly accelerates, causing the vehicle seat to slide rearwardly when restrained by a spring damper system capable of undergoing large deformations, so that a head of the rider contacts the head support of the vehicle seat after it has moved closer to the rider'"'"'s head.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the vehicle seat slides in a constrained trajectory relative to the vehicle chassis, the trajectory being a combination of linear linear, and angular rotation having a non-constant, growing radius in the direction opposite to the motion of the vehicle seat.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said angular rotation is created by:

providing said vehicle seat with a bottom defining two inclined planes extending in the form of a V, with the center of the V being closest to a main horizontal axis of the chassis, and the method further includes;

mounting at least one support on the seat for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, the chassis; and

mounting a second support on the chassis for movement along, and substantially continuous engagement with, one of said inclined planes;

whereby linear movement of said vehicle seat relative to the chassis causes one said support to move along the chassis in substantially continuous engagement therewith, and causes said second support to move along said inclined plane, in substantially continuous engagement therewith.