Chairs and seats – Crash seat – Bottom and back movable as unit in response to force
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-04
2001-10-16
Barfield, Anthony D. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Crash seat
Bottom and back movable as unit in response to force
C297S216190, C297S216100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302481
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection system and, more particularly, to a vehicle seat that moves to help protect a vehicle occupant during a frontal vehicle collision.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of systems have been devised for vehicle occupant protection. The most commonly employed systems have belts or harnesses to fasten about vehicle occupants, as well as inflatable air bags. These systems help to control occupant motion and absorb the occupant's kinetic energy during a vehicle collision.
Both upper and lower body protection can be achieved by purely “passive” systems. “Passive” refers to the fact that the occupant does not have any active participation in the actuation or application of the protection system. “Passive” systems include automatically applied seat belts and automatically actuated air bags and knee bolsters. One such passive protection system includes an air bag to help protect the upper torso and head of a vehicle occupant and a knee bolster to provide lower body restraint.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus includes a seat for a vehicle occupant, a support for the seat, and an actuator mechanism. The seat has a forward position in the vehicle and a rearward position in the vehicle. The support enables the seat to move on the support from the forward position to the rearward position in the vehicle during a frontal vehicle collision. The actuator mechanism, when actuated, moves the seat from the forward position to the rearward position in a first stage of movement and raises the front portion of the seat in a second stage of movement subsequent to the completion of the first stage.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 5344204 (1994-09-01), Liu
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Al-Amin Ahmad K.
Cuevas Jess A.
Shirk Bryan W.
Swann Timothy A.
Van Wynsberghe Roy D.
Barfield Anthony D.
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Inc.
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