In-expensive head and upper torso restraint with u-shaped air bag

• US 7,445,284 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sten R. Gerfast
• Original Assignee: Sten R. Gerfast
• Inventors: Gerfast, Sten R.
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US11/732,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12, 297/216.13, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4235 transversal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• 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: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/214 in roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

A headrest and upper torso restraint relates to a vehicle seat having a pivoted head rest and a pivoted seat back that follows a human head and torso forward during the accident of the vehicle, but prevents backwards motion. A U-shaped air bag, the head rest, and scat back prevent whip-lash and also side-impact whip-lash by immobilizing the head and torso during a frontal or side impact crash.

Claims

1. A four part immobilizing restraint for a human head and upper torso comprising:

a) a V-shaped vehicular head rest,

b) connected with a pivot and ratchet assembly to a seat back in a vehicle, said pivot and ratchet assembly allowing only forward pivotal movement during an collision;

said seat back also forwardly pivoting and ratcheting via a pivot and ratchet assembly during an collision,

c.) a seat belt anchored and latched to said seat back for securely restraining said head, and upper torso,

d.) a rapidly deployable U-shaped airbag adapted to be contained in a head liner of a vehicle and deployed on left and right sides of the head of a person seated in said seat back, with said head rest, said seat back, said seat belt and said air bag providing an immobilizing cradle for any inertia responsive forward, backward, or sideways movement of said head and upper torso when moving together in unison with the inertia of said head rest and said seat back during the first seconds of a front or side impact collision of said vehicle.

2. A restraint according to claim 1 wherein said pivoting forward motion is limited to 25 degrees.

3. A restraint according to claim 1 wherein said head rest and said seat back are free to move backwards after release of said seat belt.

4. A restraint according to claim 1 wherein said head rest is pivotal and has a ratchet assembly, and said seat back is pivotal and has a ratchet assembly, said ratchet assemblies allowing said head rest and said seat back to move forward separately or move forward together.

5. A restraint according to claim 4 wherein said headrest and seat back pivotal movements are actuated by a pyro-technic cartridge.

6. An inexpensive head and upper torso restraint system having a head-liner mounted air bag comprising one or more vehicle seats, said vehicle seats including:

each of said vehicle seats having vehicular seat backs and head rests both mechanically ratcheted to follow forward motion of a human head and upper torso, but preventing snap-back of said head and torso during a vehicular frontal or side collision;

seat belts attached and anchored in each of said seat backs;

a U-shaped air bag adapted to be contained in a cavity in a head liner of a vehicle;

said seat belts and said air bag mounted around each said seat back;

and pyro-technic cartridges rapidly actuating said air bags when a collision occurs.

7. A restraint according to claim 6 wherein each said airbag, each said head rest, and each said seat belt cradles and immobilizes said head during the first seconds of a collision.

8. A restraint according to claim 7 wherein a side collision retards the forward vehicle speed at least 10 miles per hour with said retardation actuating said cartridge.

9. A restraint according to claim 6 wherein said cartridge actuation occurs at impact when the vehicle speed is above 18 miles per hour.

10. A restraint according to claim 6 wherein each said U-shaped airbag has a center section, each said U-shaped airbag allows sight through the center section of said U, and said center section avoids hitting eye glasses worn by a person seated in each said seat back.

11. A restraint according to claim 6 wherein the use of one or more U-shaped head-liner mounted air bags is less expensive than using two standard dashboard mounted airbags.

12. An inexpensive head and upper torso restraint system having head-liner mounted air bags comprising one or more vehicle seats, said vehicle seats including:

vehicular seat backs and head rests both mechanically pivoted with ratchets to follow forward motion of a human head and upper torso, but preventing snap-back of said head and torso in a vehicular frontal or side collision;

seat belts attached and anchored in each of said seat backs;

one or more rapidly deployable U-shaped airbags adapted to be contained in cavities in a head liner of a vehicle;

said head rest, said seat belt, and said airbags around each said seat back providing head and upper torso immobilization for persons seated in said seat backs when a collision occurs.

13. A restraint according to claim 12 wherein said one or more head-liner mounted airbags are positioned as an opened V around the head of a person seated in a seat back of said vehicle seats.

14. A restraint according to claim 12 wherein said one or more head-liner mounted airbags are positioned as an opened V around the head of a person seated in the seat back of the vehicle seat, the head-liner mounted airbags mounted in cavities above front seats of the vehicle are mounted adjacent to the front wind-shield.

15. A restraint according to claim 12 wherein said one or more airbags are connected pneumatically, each forming a substantially U-shaped airbag inflated by a single pyro-technic cartridge.

16. A restraint according to claim 12 wherein said airbags are actuated by one or more pyro-technic cartridges that in turn are actuated by a micro-controller.

17. A restraint according to claim 12 wherein said airbags are cradling said head on both sides preventing sideways snap-back during a side collision as well as preventing front to back during a frontal collision.

18. A restraint according to claim 12 wherein said cavities make it unnecessary to cosmetically hide said airbags.