Vehicle safety seat with fluid manifold
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a vehicle seat having a tubular seat frame defining a fluid manifold;
at least two deployable vehicle occupant protection devices for helping to protect a vehicle seat occupant from injury in the event of a vehicle collision, said at least two protection devices being spaced apart from each other, said at least two protection devices being in fluid communication with said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame and being deployable by fluid directed into said at least two protection devices from said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame; and
a single actuatable device for providing pressurized fluid for deploying one or more of said at least two protection devices, said actuatable device being in fluid communication with said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame, said actuatable device further being disposed at a location spaced apart from said at least two deployable vehicle occupant protection devices, each one of said at least two deployable occupant protection devices being associated with a respective diffuser portion of said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame, said diffuser portions being spaced apart from each other along said tubular seat frame, said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame comprising a fluid conduit for directing the pressurized fluid from said actuatable device to said at least two deployable vehicle occupant protection devices, said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame further comprising a valve disposed in said fluid conduit for blocking flow of said pressurized fluid to one of said at least two deployable occupant protection devices to prevent deployment of said one of said at least two deployable occupant protection devices when said actuatable device is actuated.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus includes a vehicle seat (10) having a tubular seat frame (60) defining a fluid manifold (66). The apparatus also includes at least two deployable vehicle occupant protection devices (120, 130, 140, 142) for helping to protect a vehicle seat occupant from injury in the event of a vehicle collision. The protection devices (120, 130, 140, 142) are spaced apart from each other. The protection devices (120, 130, 140, 142) are in fluid communication with the fluid manifold (66) and are deployable by fluid directed into the protection devices from the fluid manifold. A single actuatable device (150) provides pressurized fluid for deploying one or more of the protection devices (120, 130, 140, 142). The actuatable device (150) is in fluid communication with the fluid manifold (66).
78 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a vehicle seat having a tubular seat frame defining a fluid manifold;
at least two deployable vehicle occupant protection devices for helping to protect a vehicle seat occupant from injury in the event of a vehicle collision, said at least two protection devices being spaced apart from each other, said at least two protection devices being in fluid communication with said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame and being deployable by fluid directed into said at least two protection devices from said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame; and
a single actuatable device for providing pressurized fluid for deploying one or more of said at least two protection devices, said actuatable device being in fluid communication with said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame, said actuatable device further being disposed at a location spaced apart from said at least two deployable vehicle occupant protection devices, each one of said at least two deployable occupant protection devices being associated with a respective diffuser portion of said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame, said diffuser portions being spaced apart from each other along said tubular seat frame, said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame comprising a fluid conduit for directing the pressurized fluid from said actuatable device to said at least two deployable vehicle occupant protection devices, said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame further comprising a valve disposed in said fluid conduit for blocking flow of said pressurized fluid to one of said at least two deployable occupant protection devices to prevent deployment of said one of said at least two deployable occupant protection devices when said actuatable device is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus comprising:
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a vehicle seat having a seat cushion, a seat back, and a tubular seat frame;
said seat frame defining a fluid manifold and including at least one L-shaped manifold member, said manifold member being located within said seat cushion and said seat back of said vehicle seat, said L-shaped manifold member having a first branch extending along said seat cushion, a second branch extending along said seat back, and a connecting member in fluid communication with both said first and second branches;
at least one deployable vehicle occupant protection device for helping to protect a vehicle seat occupant from injury in the event of a vehicle collision, one of said at least one protection device being in fluid communication with said first branch and being deployable by fluid directed into said connecting member; and
an actuatable device for providing pressurized fluid for deploying said at least one protection device, said actuatable device being spaced from said at least one protection device and being in fluid communication with said connecting member, said actuatable device further being disposed at a location spaced apart from said at least two deployable vehicle occupant protection devices, said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame comprising a fluid conduit for directing the pressurized fluid from said actuatable device, through said connecting member, to said at least two deployable vehicle occupant protection devices, said fluid manifold defined by said tubular seat frame further comprising a valve disposed in said fluid conduit for blocking flow of said pressurized fluid to one of said at least two deployable occupant protection devices to prevent deployment of said one of said at least two deployable occupant protection devices when said actuatable device is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification