Vehicle seat adapted to protect occupant from injury in rear end collision

• US 6,189,969 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: McLaughlin, Jay, Walter T. Ackermann
• Original Assignee: McLaughlin, Jay, Walter T. Ackermann
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Jay, Ackermann, Walter T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/363,618
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.14, 297/216.1, 297/216.13, 297/284.6, 297/391
• US Class Current: 297/216.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/803 fixed
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape

Abstract

Seat back rapidly deflates on occurrence of a rear end impact to permit upper torso of vehicle occupant to sink into the seat rather than be propelled forward. This permits his head to meet the headrest. Particulate material in headrest absorbs energy.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety seat assembly comprising:

a. a seat portion,

b. a backrest including a frame secured to the seat portion and having an upper portion defined by a cover portion adapted to be engaged by the shoulders and upper torso of a vehicle occupant and a pressurized bladder disposed between the frame and the cover portion and supporting the occupant away from the frame to a given level,

c. a headrest secured to the frame and positioned above the backrest, the headrest having a cover adapted to be engaged by the head of an occupant, the cover of the headrest being closer to the frame than the cover so that the head of the occupant is normally spaced from the headrest,

d. rear end collision detecting means, and

e. means activated by the detecting means for promptly evacuating the pressure in the bladder, the evacuation thereby reducing the level of the cover of the backrest to the same level as the cover of the headrest to avoid injury to the neck of the occupant.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein a portion of the bladder is destroyed by the means for promptly evacuating the pressure.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the headrest is formed with a flexible container filled with absorbing material to absorb the energy of the occupant'"'"'s head as it is engaged by the head of the occupant.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the absorbing material is buckwheat husks.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the absorbing material is irregular plastic particles.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for destroying the portion of the bag is an electrically heated wire which melts the portion of the wall of the bag.