Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2006-08-29
2006-08-29
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C074S512000, C296S068100
Reexamination Certificate
active
07097202
ABSTRACT:
A vehicle safety device includes a seat mounted within a passenger compartment of the vehicle, in which the seat is movably connected to a vehicle frame by a seat position adjusting mechanism that allows the seat to move along an axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position. An air-bag is mounted within the passenger compartment in front of the forward-most position of the seat, with the forward-most position of the seat defined as a position of the seat in which a distance between a passenger seated in the seat and the air-bag is equal to a minimum safe clearance. In addition, an exemplary method of maintaining a minimum safe clearance between an air-bag mounted in a vehicle and a vehicle passenger includes the steps of preventing motion of a seat toward the air-bag beyond a forward-most position, in which, when in the forward-most position, a passenger seated in the seat is separated from the air-bag by a predetermined minimum safe clearance, and providing a position adjusting mechanism for at least one vehicle control pedal to allow a passenger seated in the seat to adjust a distance between the seat and the at least one pedal by moving the at least one pedal toward and away from the seat. An automatic seat positioning system, which takes into account both seat to air-bag distance and eye height and automatically, may be used to optimally and automatically position a passenger to maximize safety and comfort.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3691868 (1972-09-01), Smuith
patent: 3975972 (1976-08-01), Muhleck
patent: 4870871 (1989-10-01), Ivan
patent: 5071160 (1991-12-01), White et al.
patent: 5074583 (1991-12-01), Fujita et al.
patent: 5330226 (1994-07-01), Gentry et al.
patent: 5413378 (1995-05-01), Steffens, Jr. et al.
patent: 5446661 (1995-08-01), Gioutsos et al.
patent: 5461939 (1995-10-01), Upton
patent: 5466001 (1995-11-01), Gotomyo et al.
patent: 5490069 (1996-02-01), Gioutsos et al.
patent: 5531472 (1996-07-01), Semchena et al.
patent: 5626359 (1997-05-01), Steffens, Jr. et al.
patent: 5653462 (1997-08-01), Breed et al.
patent: 5678854 (1997-10-01), Meister et al.
patent: 5683103 (1997-11-01), Blackburn et al.
patent: 5702123 (1997-12-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 5722302 (1998-03-01), Rixon et al.
patent: 5771752 (1998-06-01), Cicotte
patent: 5803491 (1998-09-01), Barnes et al.
patent: 5819593 (1998-10-01), Rixon et al.
patent: 5822707 (1998-10-01), Breed et al.
patent: 5839326 (1998-11-01), Song
patent: 6293584 (2001-09-01), Levine
patent: 6634669 (2003-10-01), Levine
patent: 6916040 (2005-07-01), Levine
patent: 26 44 626 (1977-04-01), None
patent: 29 41 345 (1981-04-01), None
patent: 40 23 109 (1992-01-01), None
patent: 44 00 934 (1994-01-01), None
patent: 43 41 500 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 44 06 897 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 196 54 705 (1997-07-01), None
patent: 196 37 108 (1998-03-01), None
patent: 48-7414 (1973-01-01), None
patent: 50-6694 (1975-03-01), None
patent: 51-22218 (1976-02-01), None
patent: 52-44923 (1977-04-01), None
patent: 57-182531 (1982-11-01), None
patent: 61-94829 (1986-05-01), None
patent: 65-5700 (1987-02-01), None
patent: 62-25768 (1987-07-01), None
patent: 63-34254 (1988-02-01), None
patent: 63-49528 (1988-03-01), None
patent: 2-39214 (1990-02-01), None
patent: 2-129710 (1990-05-01), None
patent: 4-138939 (1992-05-01), None
patent: 6-63262 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 7-96784 (1995-04-01), None
patent: 7-96785 (1995-04-01), None
patent: 7-96786 (1995-04-01), None
patent: 7-96787 (1995-04-01), None
patent: 7-125614 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 7-125616 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 7-164934 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 7-164935 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 7-191773 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 7-191774 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 7-223519 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 7-271464 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 7-334261 (1995-12-01), None
patent: 7-334262 (1995-12-01), None
patent: 8-22338 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 8-30346 (1996-02-01), None
patent: 9-301010 (1997-11-01), None
B. Chapin, “Demand Stretches Supplier. Adjustable Pedals Are Hot Sellers”, Automotive News, Jul. 15, 1999, 1 page.
PCT Search Report for PCT/US99/21794, mailed on Apr. 11, 2000.
Culbreth Eric
Kenyon & Kenyon LLP
Vehicle Safety Systems, Inc.
LandOfFree
Vehicle air bag minimum distance apparatus, method and system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle air bag minimum distance apparatus, method and system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle air bag minimum distance apparatus, method and system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3623467