Rear impact occupant protection apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck during a rear impact, comprising:
- a support structure which supports the occupant including an upper body support portion for supporting the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck, said upper body support portion being movable relative to a remaining portion of said support structure and in a direction toward a rear of the occupant,said support structure having a plurality of different positions,said upper body support portion being partially deformable to support a neck and/or head of the occupant during the rear impact,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,said upper body support portion including a pre-inflated bag that is pre-inflated with fluid during normal use and is configured or arranged to enable movement of the fluid within or out of said pre-inflated bag after contact by the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck against said upper body support portion, anda positioning system which adjusts the position of said upper body support portion of said support structure prior to movement of the occupant toward said support structure arising from 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,wherein said positioning system is arranged to adjust the position of said support structure based on a determined position of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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 has a deformable upper body support portion which may be filled with a fluid such as air, liquid or a gel and deforms during a rear impact to support the entire back, neck and/or head of the occupant. The upper body support portion may be moved to a support location, regardless of the detection of a crash (a passive mode), or moved only prior to an anticipated impact as determined by a crash sensor (an active mode).
124 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck during a rear impact, comprising:
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a support structure which supports the occupant including an upper body support portion for supporting the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck, said upper body support portion being movable relative to a remaining portion of said support structure and in a direction toward a rear of the occupant, said support structure having a plurality of different positions, said upper body support portion being partially deformable to support a neck and/or head of the occupant during the rear impact, 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, said upper body support portion including a pre-inflated bag that is pre-inflated with fluid during normal use and is configured or arranged to enable movement of the fluid within or out of said pre-inflated bag after contact by the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck against said upper body support portion, and a positioning system which adjusts the position of said upper body support portion of said support structure prior to movement of the occupant toward said support structure arising from 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, wherein said positioning system is arranged to adjust the position of said support structure based on a determined position of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck during a rear impact, comprising:
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a support structure which supports the occupant including an upper body support portion for supporting the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck, said upper body support portion being movable relative to a remaining portion of said support structure and in a direction toward a rear of the occupant, said support structure having a plurality of different positions, said upper body support portion being partially deformable to support a neck and/or head of the occupant during the rear impact, 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, said upper body support portion including a pre-inflated bag that is pre-inflated with fluid during normal use and is configured or arranged to enable movement of the fluid within or out of said pre-inflated bag after contact by the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck against said upper body support portion, a positioning system which adjusts the position of said upper body support portion of said support structure prior to movement of the occupant toward said support structure arising from 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, and a position determining system which determines the position of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck, said positioning system being activated to adjust the position of said support structure based on the position of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck as determined by said position determining system prior to the rear impact. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck during a rear impact, comprising:
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a support structure which supports the occupant including an upper body support portion for supporting the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck, said upper body support portion being movable relative to a remaining portion of said support structure and in a direction toward a rear of the occupant, said upper body support portion being partially deformable to support a neck and/or head of the occupant during the rear impact, said upper body support portion including a pre-inflated bag that is pre-inflated with fluid during normal use and is configured or arranged to enable movement of the fluid within or out of said pre-inflated bag after contact by the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck against said upper body support portion, a positioning system which adjusts the position of said upper body support portion of said support structure prior to movement of the occupant toward said support structure arising from 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, and a position determining system which determines the position of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck, said positioning system being arranged to adjust the position of said support structure prior to movement of the occupant'"'"'s head toward said outer surface of said upper body support portion arising from the rear impact based on the position of the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck as determined by said position determining system. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. 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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detecting or predicting the rear impact; and
thereafterdetermining that the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck require support for the detected or predicted rear impact whereby that the determination that the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck require support is different than the detection or prediction of the rear impact; and when it is determined that the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck require support, adjusting a support structure prior to movement of the occupant'"'"'s head toward an outer surface of an upper body support portion of the support structure arising from 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 outer surface of the upper body support portion facing a rear of the occupant'"'"'s head and neck and being adapted to come into contact with the occupant'"'"'s head and/or neck. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification