Impact-injury-minimizing seat structure and methodology
First Claim
1. A vehicle safety seat for use in a vehicle having a vehicle frame comprisinga fixed-position, anti-spring-back, broad-expanse, generally planar seatpan mounted above and spaced from the vehicle frame having a generally upwardly facing, fixed-position support surface, adapted to provide effective underlying support for an overlying seat-occupant cushioning structure disposed above said support surface,a triggerable acceleration structure disposed cooperatively relative to, and over and above, said support surface in a manner whereby said triggerable acceleration structure is operatively disposed between said support surface and any person occupying the seat, triggerable to accelerate such a person, translationally, and without rotation, upwardly away from, and relative to, said fixed-position support surface, thus to increase the vertical distance between such a person and said support surface, andtrigger structure responsive to a preselected downward deceleration of said fixed-position seatpan to trigger said acceleration structure.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle safety seat and related methodology featuring (a) an anti-spring-back seat platform having a generally upwardly facing support surface, (b) a triggerable acceleration structure disposed cooperatively relative to that support surface in a manner whereby the acceleration structure is operatively interposed that surface and any person occupying the seat, with this acceleration structure being triggerable to accelerate such a person generally upwardly away from the support surface, and (c) trigger structure responsive to the detection of a preselected downward deceleration of the seat platform to trigger the acceleration structure. A viscoelastic, acceleration-rate-sensitive cushioning structure is selectively interposed the acceleration structure and any seated occupant.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A vehicle safety seat for use in a vehicle having a vehicle frame comprising
a fixed-position, anti-spring-back, broad-expanse, generally planar seatpan mounted above and spaced from the vehicle frame having a generally upwardly facing, fixed-position support surface, adapted to provide effective underlying support for an overlying seat-occupant cushioning structure disposed above said support surface, a triggerable acceleration structure disposed cooperatively relative to, and over and above, said support surface in a manner whereby said triggerable acceleration structure is operatively disposed between said support surface and any person occupying the seat, triggerable to accelerate such a person, translationally, and without rotation, upwardly away from, and relative to, said fixed-position support surface, thus to increase the vertical distance between such a person and said support surface, and trigger structure responsive to a preselected downward deceleration of said fixed-position seatpan to trigger said acceleration structure.
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6. A vehicle-associated, seated-occupant, catastrophic-impact safety practice comprising
providing a non-springy seatpan for carrying the load of a seat occupant, mounting the seatpan on a seat frame, which is fixed to a vehicle floor, wherein the seatpan is spaced apart from and above the vehicle floor; -
detecting downward deceleration of such an occupant, and on such detected deceleration exceeding a predetermined threshold value, and utilizing the provided seatpan as a non-moveable reaction structure, explosively upwardly, and translationally without rotation, accelerating the occupant relative to the seatpan thus to reduce that occupant'"'"'s downward vertical velocity. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A vehicle safety seat for use in a vehicle having a vehicle frame comprising
a seat frame fixed to the vehicle frame, a fixed-position, anti-spring-back, broad-expanse, generally planar seatpan mounted on said seat frame, and carried thereby above and spaced from the vehicle frame, and having a generally upwardly facing, fixed-position support surface, a triggerable acceleration structure disposed cooperatively relative to, and over and above, said support surface in a manner whereby said triggerable acceleration structure is operatively disposed between said support surface and any person occupying the seat, triggerable to accelerate such a person, translationally, and without rotation, upwardly away from, and relative to, said fixed-position support surface, thus to increase the vertical distance between such a person and said support surface, and trigger structure responsive to a preselected downward deceleration of said fixed-position seatpan to trigger said acceleration structure.
Specification