Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-23
2001-01-09
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C296S068100, C297S216180
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170865
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to air bag deployment systems and, more specifically, to a car seat mounted on a track and having an electromagnetic lock maintaining a preselected position during normal operation of a vehicle and wherein an air bag deployment sensor will disengage said electromagnetic car seat upon deployment of said air bag allowing the force of the deployment of the air bag against the occupants of said car seat to move said seat in a rearward direction until said air bag is fully deployed and all conditions of said deployment have been met wherein said circuit will be closed therein engaging said electromagnetic lock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other air bag seat restraint systems designed to prevent injury to the occupants of the vehicle. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,893 issued to Ziegler on Jun. 16, 1998.
Another patent was issued to Meister et al on Oct. 21, 1997 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,854. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,903 was issued to Meister et al on Nov. 5, 1996 and still yet another was issued on Sep. 3, 1996 to Sedlack et al as U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,751.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,893
Inventor: Douglas K. Ziegler
Issued: Jun. 16, 1998
An improved restraint apparatus for use on an infant vehicle seat to reduce head and neck injury in infants. The improved restraint apparatus comprises a shell and padded lining shaped to partially enclose an infant when the restraint apparatus is attached to the infant vehicle seat. A first envelope of support is formed in an upper portion of tile shell and padded lining to receive and support an infant head, and the first envelope of support provides a support against head movement. A second envelope of support is formed in a lower portion of tile shell and padded lining and provides a support against torso movement comparable to the support against head movement. This produces a unified restraint system between the head and torso when the restraint apparatus is attached to the infant vehicle seat.
The padded lining has soft glove like pockets that are shaped to receive, support and restrain an infant head or torso. The lining is removable for lining replacement to fit different head and torso sizes. The lining also includes distinct areas of different density in the padding to better absorb energy generated by an impact. The areas of different density in the padding apply a gradual increase in resistance against the head and torso as they are forced against the padded lining.
The improved restraint further includes adjustment for fitting the restraint apparatus to different infant length sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,854
Inventor: Jack B. Meister
Issued: Oct. 21, 1997
An automotive vehicle supplemental restraint system that includes an air bag positioned within the vehicle opposite the passenger side of the front seat, and electronic coupled to one or more impact sensors for activating the air bag in the event of a vehicle impact. Occupancy sensors are provided at the passenger seat for sensing seat occupancy and inhibiting activation of the air bag when the seat is either unoccupied or occupied by a rear-facing infant seat. System status is displayed to a vehicle operator, and the operator is provided with an opportunity to override the occupancy sensors and enable activation;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,903
Inventor: Jack B. Meister
Issued: Nov. 5, 1996
An automotive vehicle supplemental restraint system that includes an air bag positioned within the vehicle opposite the passenger side of the front seat, and electronics coupled to one or more impact sensors for activating the air bag in the event of a vehicle impact. Occupancy sensors are provided at the passenger seat for sensing seat occupancy and inhibiting activation of the air bag when the seat is either unoccupied or occupied by a rear-facing infant seat. System status is displayed to a vehicle operator, and the operator is provided with an opportunity to override the occupancy sensors and enable activation of the air bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,751
Inventor: Mark A. Sedlack
Issued: Sep. 3, 1996
A NHTSA-safety compliant infant restraint with a number of advantageous features including a linkage mechanism that allows relative movement between the seat and underframe during an impact, to allow for an infant to be transported reclined while the restraint is in a rear-facing mode, while enabling the restraint to comply with NHTSA standards during a crash. The restraint may be used in a forward facing, non-rotatable position as well. A plurality of seat back incline positions may be selected for both the rearward and forward-facing modes.
While these air bag seat restraint systems may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention discloses a device which will release a vehicular seat in the event the vehicle air bag is deployed, for example, in the event of an accident. The apparatus discloses an electromagnetic lock assembly attached to the vehicle seat wherein the lock assembly is releasably attached to a track and wheel assembly which it fixedly mounted to the vehicle in such a manner that the electromagnetic lock assembly can slide back and forth upon the track and wheel assembly. The electromagnetic lock assembly of the present invention, normally keeps the lock assembly in a closed position so that the seat will not move. However, a sensor is provided which recognizes the deployment of the vehicle air bag and thereby sends an output signal to a relay switch which opens the circuit which normally keeps the electromagnetic lock assembly in its closed position thereby releasing the electromagnetic lock and allowing the vehicle seat to move in a rearward direction which movement is caused by the air bag making contact with the occupant and thereby pushing the occupant and the occupant's seat in the rearward direction.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide means for allowing the seat of a vehicle to travel in a rearward direction during deployment of a vehicles air bag.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a car seat mounted on a track.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a car seat mounted on a track having an electromagnetic lock maintaining the predetermined position of said seat.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a car seat mounted on a track having an electromagnetic lock maintaining the predetermined position of said seat and having means, for selectively changing the position of said seat.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a car seat mounted on a track having an electromagnetic lock maintaining the predetermined position of said seat and having means for disengaging said electronmagnetic lock during deployment of a vehicles air bag.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a car seat mounted on a track and having an electromagnetic lock maintaining a preselected position during normal operation of a vehicle and wherein an air bag deployment sensor will disengage said electromagnetic car seat upon deployment of said air bag allowing the force of the deployment of the air bag against the occupants of said car seat to move said seat in a rearward direction until said air bag is fully deployed and all conditions of said deployment have been met wherein said circuit will be closed wherein engaging said electromagnetic lock.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in t
Jasmin Lynda
Kroll Michael I
Mai Lanna
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