Blast attenuation seat

• US 8,939,502 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Med-Eng, LLC (Cadre Holdings, Inc.), Safariland LLC
• Original Assignee: Med-Eng, LLC (Cadre Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grant, Neil, Almstedt, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US13/701,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.1, 297/216.15, 297/216.16, 297/216.17
• US Class Current: 297/216.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02258 characterised by the mounting of the electric motor for adjusting the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/164 Linear actuator, e.g. screw mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4235 transversal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4242 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42709 involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/12 which protect the occupants against personal attack from the inside or the outside of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/046 Shock resilient mounted seats for armoured or fighting vehicles

Abstract

Vehicle seats that reduce the potential for injury to occupants when the vehicle is subjected to a mine or similar explosive device. The seats are ceiling or wall mounted and include a trailing arm which allows for deflection while providing stability. The seat isolates the occupants from the chassis of the vehicle via a pneumatic or other shock absorber and/or a crushable element to provide protection from vertical and horizontal oriented blasts. These seats can also be combined with shock absorbing/isolating foot rests, appendage (leg) restrain systems and an occupant four-point harness to offer a completely integrated system. This integrated system reduces acceleration/deceleration related injuries, shock injuries to the lower legs, flailing injuries to the lower legs and internal collision injuries. Other options and alternatives are also described.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a vertically disposed post, having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of said post having a bracket for mounting to a vehicle;

a vertically disposed tube slidably engaged about said post;

a passenger seat, mounted to said tube;

a shock absorber, one end of said shock absorber being fixed to said post and the other end of said shock absorber being fixed to said tube; and

a trailing arm, one end of said trailing arm being pivotally connected to the lower end of said post, and the other end of said trailing arm for being pivotally connected to said vehicle;

further comprising a linear actuator for adjusting the height of the passenger seat.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said one end of said linear actuator is fixed to said post with a shear pin, and the other end of said linear actuator is fixed to said tube, the shear pin bearing the weight of said passenger seat until failing, at which point the shock absorber bears the weight of said passenger seat.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said shock absorber comprises a spring shock.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said trailing arm is connected to the lower end of said post with a universal joint, pivoting in both vertical and horizontal planes.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said trailing arm pivots with respect to said vehicle in a vertical plane.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said post comprises a bracket for roof mounting.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said post comprises a bracket for wall mounting.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising a fabric tether assembly to prevent rotation of said seat about said post.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein a first end of said tether is pinned to a seat pan.

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein all of the components of said vehicle seat are fabricated out of steel.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein all of the components of said vehicle seat are fabricated out of aluminum.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat comprises a crushable material/deformable material.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising a lateral energy attenuation system.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 13, wherein the lateral energy attenuation system comprises:

a crushable element;

a mechanical portage allowing the crushable element to deform while protecting it from damage during day to day use in a military vehicle; and

brackets for mounting ends of the mechanical portage on the seat and the vehicle.

15. A shock absorbing seat comprising:

a shock absorber fixed to a roof or wall of a vehicle;

a seat suspended from said shock absorber;

a linkage providing a multi-degree of freedom connection between a bottom of said seat and said vehicle, to maintain stability of said seat; and

wherein said linkage comprises a trailing arm.

16. A shock absorbing seat according to claim 15 further comprising a shear pin connected between the seat and the roof or wall of the vehicle, the shear pin bearing a weight of the seat until failing, at which point the shock absorber bears the weight of the seat.

17. The shock absorbing seat of claim 15, wherein said trailing arm has a fixed length.

18. The shock absorbing seat of claim 17, wherein said trailing arm is pivotal in a vertical plane with respect to said vehicle.

19. The shock absorbing seat of claim 18, wherein said trailing arm is connected to said seat via a universal joint.

20. A vehicle seat comprising:

a vertically disposed post having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of said post having a bracket for mounting to a vehicle;

a vertically disposed tube slidably engaged about said post;

a passenger seat, mounted to said tube;

a shock absorber, one end of said shock absorber being fixed to said post and the other end of said shock absorber being fixed to said tube;

a trailing arm, one end of said trailing arm being pivotally connected to the lower end of said post, and the other end of said trailing arm for being pivotally connected to said vehicle; and

wherein said shock absorber is disposed within said post and tube.

21. A vehicle seat according to claim 20 further comprising a shear pin connected between the passenger seat and the post, the shear pin bearing the weight of the seat until failing, at which point the shock absorber bears the weight of the seat.

22. A vehicle seat comprising:

a vertically disposed post having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of said post having a bracket for mounting to a vehicle;

a vertically disposed tube slidably engaged about said post;

a passenger seat, mounted to said tube;

a shock absorber, one end of said shock absorber being fixed to said post and the other end of said shock absorber being fixed to said tube;

a trailing arm, one end of said trailing arm being pivotally connected to the lower end of said post, and the other end of said trailing arm for being pivotally connected to said vehicle; and

further comprising a fabric tether assembly to prevent rotation of said seat about said post, wherein a first end of said tether is pinned to a seat pan, and a second end of said tether is pinned to the trailing arm base.

23. A vehicle seat according to claim 22 further comprising a shear pin connected between the passenger seat and the post, the shear pin bearing the weight of the seat until failing, at which point the shock absorber bears the weight of the seat.

24. A vehicle seat comprising:

a vertically disposed post having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end of said post having a bracket for mounting to a vehicle;

a vertically disposed tube slidably engaged about said post;

a passenger seat, mounted to said tube;

shock absorber, one end of said shock absorber being fixed to said post and the other end of said shock absorber being fixed to said tube; and

a trailing arm, one end of said trailing arm being pivotally connected to the lower end of said post, and the other end of said trailing arm being pivotally connected to said vehicle; and

a shear pin fixed between said post and said tube, the shear pin bearing the weight of said passenger seat until failing, at which point the shock absorber bears the weight of said passenger seat.

25. A shock absorbing seat comprising:

a shock absorber fixed to the roof or wall of a vehicle;

a seat suspended from said shock absorber; and

a linkage, pivotable in multiple dimensions, between the bottom of said seat and said vehicle, to maintain stability of said seat; and

a shear pin fixed between said seat and said shock absorber, the shear pin bearing the weight of said passenger seat until failing, at which point the shock absorber bears the weight of said passenger seat.