Vehicle air bag minimum distance apparatus, method and system
First Claim
1. A vehicle safety system for providing a minimum safe clearance distance between a front-seat passenger driver and a front air-bag arrangement in a vehicle, comprising:
- a position determining arrangement having a distance sensor arrangement to determine distance information for a distance between the passenger driver in a front seat arrangement of the vehicle and the front air-bag arrangement of a steering wheel assembly;
a clearance distance adjusting system to adjust the distance between the front seat driver and the front air-bag arrangement, the front seat arrangement of the front seat driver and the front air bag arrangement being movable, based on the distance information, with respect to one another within the vehicle, the clearance distance adjusting system including at least a front seat position adjusting arrangement that allows relative movement of the front seat arrangement with respect to the front air-bag arrangement to provide the minimum safe clearance distance between the passenger driver in the front seat arrangement and the front air-bag arrangement; and
a pedal adjusting arrangement that includes a positioning arrangement that is movable to move each of a plurality of pedals between a first position and a second position such that each pedal can be adjusted independently, each pedal being forward of the front seat arrangement, wherein a distance between the first position and the second position accommodates a range of passenger leg lengths.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle safety device includes a seat mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle and a seat position adjusting mechanism that allows the seat to move along an axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position. An air-bag is mounted within the passenger compartment in front of the forward-most position. In the forward-most position a distance between a passenger seated in the seat and the air-bag is equal to a minimum safe clearance. A method of maintaining a minimum safe clearance between an air-bag mounted in a vehicle and a vehicle passenger includes preventing motion of a seat toward the air-bag beyond a forward-most position, and providing a position adjusting mechanism for at least one vehicle control pedal to allow a passenger to adjust a distance between the seat and the at least one pedal seat positioning system may be used to position a passenger.
33 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A vehicle safety system for providing a minimum safe clearance distance between a front-seat passenger driver and a front air-bag arrangement in a vehicle, comprising:
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a position determining arrangement having a distance sensor arrangement to determine distance information for a distance between the passenger driver in a front seat arrangement of the vehicle and the front air-bag arrangement of a steering wheel assembly; a clearance distance adjusting system to adjust the distance between the front seat driver and the front air-bag arrangement, the front seat arrangement of the front seat driver and the front air bag arrangement being movable, based on the distance information, with respect to one another within the vehicle, the clearance distance adjusting system including at least a front seat position adjusting arrangement that allows relative movement of the front seat arrangement with respect to the front air-bag arrangement to provide the minimum safe clearance distance between the passenger driver in the front seat arrangement and the front air-bag arrangement; and a pedal adjusting arrangement that includes a positioning arrangement that is movable to move each of a plurality of pedals between a first position and a second position such that each pedal can be adjusted independently, each pedal being forward of the front seat arrangement, wherein a distance between the first position and the second position accommodates a range of passenger leg lengths. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification