Rear impact occupant protection apparatus and method
DCFirst Claim
1. A vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant'"'"'s head and neck during a rear impact, comprising:
- an anticipatory crash sensor which predicts a rear impact prior to impact of an object into a rear of the vehicle to cause the rear impact;
a support structure which supports the occupant including an upper body support portion which supports the occupant'"'"'s head and neck, said support structure having a plurality of different positions selectable by the occupant, said upper body support portion having an outer surface facing a rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck and which is adapted to come into contact with the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck; and
a positioning system coupled to said anticipatory crash sensor and arranged to adjust the position of said upper body support portion after prediction of the rear impact by said anticipatory crash sensor and before the rear impact such that said outer surface of said upper body support portion is closer to the occupant'"'"'s head and neck during the rear impact to thereby reduce the distance between the rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck and said outer surface of said upper body support portion,said positioning system adjusting the position of said upper body support portion by moving said upper body support portion in a direction toward the rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck while also moving said upper body support portion in its entirety relative to a remaining part of said support structure.
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Abstract
Vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant'"'"'s head and neck during a rear impact includes a support structure for supporting the occupant including an upper body support portion for supporting the occupant'"'"'s head and neck, the support structure having a plurality of different positions selectable by the occupant, and a positioning system for adjusting the position of the support structure prior to the rear impact such that the upper body support portion is closer to and preferably in contact with the occupant'"'"'s head and neck during the rear impact. As a result, motion of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck relative to the occupant'"'"'s back is thereby reduced and preferably eliminated during the rear impact. Whiplash injuries are therefore reduced if not eliminated using the invention.
112 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant'"'"'s head and neck during a rear impact, comprising:
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an anticipatory crash sensor which predicts a rear impact prior to impact of an object into a rear of the vehicle to cause the rear impact; a support structure which supports the occupant including an upper body support portion which supports the occupant'"'"'s head and neck, said support structure having a plurality of different positions selectable by the occupant, said upper body support portion having an outer surface facing a rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck and which is adapted to come into contact with the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck; and a positioning system coupled to said anticipatory crash sensor and arranged to adjust the position of said upper body support portion after prediction of the rear impact by said anticipatory crash sensor and before the rear impact such that said outer surface of said upper body support portion is closer to the occupant'"'"'s head and neck during the rear impact to thereby reduce the distance between the rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck and said outer surface of said upper body support portion, said positioning system adjusting the position of said upper body support portion by moving said upper body support portion in a direction toward the rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck while also moving said upper body support portion in its entirety relative to a remaining part of said support structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 32, 35)
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10. A vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant'"'"'s head and neck during a rear impact, comprising:
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an anticipatory crash sensor which predicts the rear impact prior to impact of an object into a rear of the vehicle to cause the rear impact; a support structure which supports the occupant including an upper body support portion which supports the occupant'"'"'s head and neck, said support structure having a plurality of different positions selectable by the occupant, said upper body support portion having an outer surface facing a rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck and which is adapted to come into contact with the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck; and a positioning system coupled to said anticipatory crash sensor and arranged to adjust the position of said upper body support portion before the rear impact from a first position in which said outer surface of said upper body support portion is apart from the occupant'"'"'s head and neck to a second position in which said outer surface of said upper body support portion is closer to the occupant'"'"'s head and neck, said positioning system being activated to adjust said upper body support portion to the second position after prediction of the rear impact by said anticipatory crash sensor to thereby reduce the distance between the rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck and said outer surface of said upper body support portion, said positioning system adjusting the position of said upper body support portion by moving said upper body support portion in a direction toward the rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck while also moving said upper body support portion in its entirety relative to a remaining part of said support structure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 26, 27, 30, 33, 36)
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16. A method for preventing injury to a vehicular occupant'"'"'s head and neck during a rear impact involving the vehicle, comprising:
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enabling the occupant to selectively adjust a support structure which is designed to support the occupant'"'"'s head and neck into one of a plurality of different positions, the support structure including an upper body support portion having an outer surface facing a rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck and which is adapted to come into contact with the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck; predicting the rear impact prior to impact of an object into a rear of the vehicle to cause the rear impact; determining that the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck require support for the rear impact; and adjusting the position of the support structure after prediction of the rear impact and before the rear impact such that the outer surface of the upper body support portion of the support structure is closer to the occupant'"'"'s head and neck during the rear impact whereby motion of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck relative to the occupant'"'"'s back is thereby reduced during the rear impact, the step of adjusting the position of the support structure comprising moving the upper body support portion in a direction toward the rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck while also moving the upper body support portion in its entirety relative to a remaining part of the support structure. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 28, 29, 31, 34, 37)
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Specification