Abstract: The present occupant protective apparatus includes a vehicle body in which a portion to be deformed on receiving a collision load (in the illustrated embodiment, the front side frames) is formed at least in front of a vehicle room (3), a structure made of a rigid body supported on the vehicle body in such a manner that it is movable backward on receiving the collision load (in the illustrated embodiment, the engine 6), seats (8) each including a seat belt (9) for constraining an occupant seated on the seat (8) and supported on the vehicle body so as to be movable in the back-and-forth direction of the vehicle body, and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the backward movement of the structure to thereby move the seats (8) backward (in the illustrated embodiment, the cable 13).

Abstract: In a longitudinal adjuster (3) for a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, having a first seat rail (5), a second seat rail (8) that can be slid lengthwise relative to the first seat rail (5), and at least one locking element (12) movably borne in the second seat rail (8), reaching outward at least in certain areas through openings (26, 28) of the second seat rail (8) and cooperating with notches (29) of the first seat rail (5) to lock the longitudinal adjuster (3), at least one marginal layer (22?) of the locking element (12) is softer than a marginal area (28?) of the second seat rail (8) bordering the openings (26, 28) and/or a marginal area of the first seat rail (5) bordering the notches (29).

Abstract: A collapsible vehicle safety seat is essentially designed to restrain movement of the occupant especially at the time of frontal, rear-end and lateral collisions in high and low speed or when an impact becomes inevitable. The seat includes an actuator controlled and operated electronically or manually. The onset of the collision sequences the car crash sensor or collision avoidance devices including occupant voice activated actuator. The trigger release forces of a biasing means or equivalently devices electromagnetic or pyrotechnic to deploys instantly pivot frame incorporated with movable seat cushion, seat back and headrest. The alteration movable seat assembly from a normal stationary position created a safetyp zone that allows occupants to lower their center of gravity before ejection, whiplash or ramping occurs. The dynamic seat restrains motion of the occupant and improves safety performance of the seat belt integrated with movable seat cushion and seat back.

Abstract: The present invention has as its object to provide a vehicle passenger detection device that is able to prevent erroneous determinations arising from mechanical hysteresis. The present invention provides a vehicle passenger detection device comprising: weight measurement means, provided with a weight sensor disposed between a seat and floor of a vehicle, that measures the load applied to the seat; fluctuation amplitude detection means that detects the amplitude of fluctuation in values measured by the weight measurement means; correction means that applies a negative correction to the value measured by the weight measurement means when the fluctuation amplitude is smaller than a stipulated value; and passenger presence determination means that determines the presence of a passenger upon the seat by comparing the value measured by the weight measurement means against a stipulated threshold value.

Abstract: Seat lifting devices disposed between a seat support for supporting a seat cushion and a seat mount for mounting the seat support are taught that comprise a linking mechanism movably interconnecting the seat support and the seat mount, so that the seat cushion is vertically adjusted when the linking mechanism is operated, and a seat support pulling means connected to the seat support and the seat mount. The seat support pulling means is adapted to be shortened when the seat support is subjected to an impact.

Abstract: A device for wedging an adjustable removable seat vertically in a C-shaped slideway, the seat being secured to an underframe having a subassembly able to run in the C-shaped slideway, the subassembly including a catch collaborating with a return of the slideway, and a retaining hook able to collaborate with the return of the slideway when the seat is subjected to an impact energy, the device including a vertical journal mounted to rotate in a bearing of the underframe, a member for wedging in terms of vertical translation, connected in terms of rotation to a lower end of the journal and having, when viewed from above, a generally rectangular overall shape a shortest dimension of the rectangular shape being less than a width of a groove of the C-shaped slideway and a longest dimension of the rectangular shape being greater than the width of the groove, so as to be able, in a wedged position, to sit under the internal returns of the slideway, a spring constantly returning the wedging member to the wedged positi

Abstract: A vehicle seat having a seat bottom and a seat back pivotally connected to the seat bottom. The vehicle seat also has a recliner mechanism for adjusting the angle between the seat back and the seat bottom. The recliner is capable of substantially supporting the seat back relative to the seat bottom below a threshold force acting on said seat back during normal operating loads. The operating loads are below a threshold level. The seat also has an impact control mechanism operatively connected to the seat back and the seat bottom. The impact control mechanism is operable between a disengaged position and an engaged position. In the disengaged position, the seat back is permitted to move relative to said seat bottom. In an engaged position, the impact control mechanism restrains the seat back from moving relative to the seat bottom.

Abstract: Vehicle seat with seating components such as a seat piece (20), a backrest (22) and a leg-rest (24), which are adjustable as to the position thereof, in particular in the relative inclination thereof, by means of at least one operating device (26, 44) and with a monitoring device for monitoring all the boundary geometries (50, 52) of the moving seat components which may cause collisions and which have given spatial constraints (54). The monitoring device controls the operating devices (26, 44) at all points to guarantee a collision-free movement of all seat components within the spatial constraints. The vehicle seat considered as a total system thus can undergo adjustment processes without a damaging collision occurring.

Abstract: A structure of seat cushion frame including a pair of side frame members and a square backward frame member connected between the two side frame members. In this structure, a reclining device is securely attached to predetermined securing points in each of the two side frame members, wherein such predetermined securing points are defined on the opposite sides of a central axis of the square backward frame member and also disposed on the same level with or adjacent to that central axis. Hence, a great load imparted from the reclining device is not directly exerted on the side frame members, but smoothly escaped to the square backward frame, thereby protecting the side frame members against deformation.

Abstract: Chairs employed in economy-class aircraft seating often incline by rotation of the back about a fixed point, usually the rear edge of the fixed seat. While increasing the comfort of one passenger, this form of seat inclination reduces the space available for the passenger seated in the aft seat. A chair with improved cradle motion, particularly for use in aircraft, is described in which inclination may occur with little or no reduction in the space available to surrounding passengers. Inclination is achieved by the contemporaneous forward sliding of the back portion and the seat portion of the chair relative to the fixed seat frame.

Abstract: A vehicle occupant emergency system comprising: a front seat; a front seat horizontal adjuster; a front seat seat-belt system; releasing devices for releasing the front seat from its pre-emergency horizontal adjustment; moving devices for moving the front seat rearward; stopping members for controlling a maximum extent to which the front seat can be moved rearward; restraining members for restraining the front seat from moving forward after its rearward movement; sensors for sensing a multiplicity of characteristics relative to an emergency; and a control unit for operating the releasing devices and the moving devices in an emergency depending on the received signals from the sensors and its programming.

Abstract: A passive restraint system in an aircraft utilizing a seat structure of the aircraft to store a source of pressurized gas or solid fuel necessary to expand the passive restraint is disclosed. The seat structure of the aircraft comprises multiple hollow tubes, and these hollow tubes can be utilized to either store pressurized gas or solid fuel directly, or to house a vessel that stores pressurized gas or solid fuel. Thus, no additional aircraft seat space is required to house a pressurized gas vessel. By using the existing seat structure to house the source of pressurized gas or solid fuel, significant space and weight savings can be realized, both of which are important factors in aircraft seat design.

Abstract: In a vehicle seat, in particular an automobile seat, with a height adjuster (9) for adjusting the height of a seat frame of the vehicle seat relative to the vehicle structure, a locking device (13,23,36,38) is provided with a stop (31,33,36,38), which makes available an alternative force transmission between the seat frame and the vehicle structure in the event of a crash.

Abstract: An apparatus for a vehicle, such as a vehicle seat, includes a vehicle component having a first portion fixed relative to the vehicle, and a second portion movable relative to the first portion. An energy management device is connected to the first and second portions. The device controls the motion of the second portion relative to the first portion through a duration of time during rapid acceleration of the vehicle component to reduce peak acceleration forces acting on the vehicle component.

Abstract: The present invention 10 discloses a hydraulic seat lift 20 for an all-terrain vehicle 26 having the driver's seat 16 located on a top portion of a platform 20 and the superior end of the hydraulic scissor-lift mechanism 44 fastened to a side portion of the platform 20 in a manner that would raise the driver seated on the platform as the hydraulic scissor-lift mechanism 44 is extended and would lower the operator as it retracts. The hydraulic scissor-lift mechanism comprises two hydraulically powered scissor-lifts 44 located on opposing sides of the seat lift platform 20 with each scissor-lift comprising inversely paired diagonal cross-members that are medially connected to one another with the distal ends of each pair of cross-members pivotably connected to the distal ends of the next pair of cross-members which can be repeated to form a vertically stacked series of interconnected cross-members.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device is configured to counteract the occurrence of whiplash injury to a person sitting in a seat, which can occur due to a rapid change in velocity, such as in a rear-end collision. The device comprises guide means that, during a change in motion of a vehicle, provide for a change in position of the seat in the form of translation and rotational movement of the seat in a generally backward direction opposite the direction of travel of the vehicle. As the seat and the occupant of the seat move backward relative to the vehicle, the head of the occupant accelerates over a longer distance than the hips of the occupant.

Abstract: A device for counteracting whiplash injury to a person sitting in a seat (1) which can occur due to a rapid change in velocity, such as a collision, primarily from the rear, or similar. The device is characterized by containing means of allowing controlled displacement of the entire seat (1) against the direction of travel during rapid change of velocity, that the seat (1) is provided with control devices which are arranged to give the seat and its occupant an essentially simultaneous and essentially linear movement against the direction of movement and/or an essentially arcuate movement, and that the seat (1) is arranged to stay in a rear position after the change of velocity.

Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom, a seat back pivotally connected with respect to the seat bottom, a seat track and an oscillating damped energy management device secured between the seat back and the seat bottom. The device includes a damper mechanism having a gear assembly coupled to a damper crank on a secondary gear shaft. Rotation of the damper crank causes an oscillating movement of a damper rod coupled to a damper cylinder. The viscosity of the fluid within the damper cylinder can be selected to vary the energy dampening characteristics of the damper mechanism. The damper mechanism may also include a pair of damper cylinders that can oscillate approximately ninety degrees out of phase with respect to each other to more smoothly control the damped energy during low and high impacts.

Abstract: A car seat having a seat portion linked by means of connecting rods to a rail for longitudinal adjustment has a dampening element to transform kinetic energy into frictional or deformation energy. The dampening element is embodied as a separate component and has, on the one hand, an articulated link to a component on the seat portion as well as, on the other hand, to another component on the rail for longitudinal adjustment. The components include a threaded rod and a nut that can rotate around it, as well as a sleeve-shaped component that surrounds at least a part of the nut. The nut can be moved longitudinally relative to the sleeve-shaped component while overcoming a force of friction or deformation.

Abstract: The occupant protective apparatus includes one or more seats 1 respectively supported on a car body so as to be movable along the direction of a force acting on the car body in the case of a car collision and each including a seat belt 3 for restricting an occupant 2 seated on the seat 1, a fluid container 14, the capacity of which can be reduced as the car body is deformed in the car collision, and a force generating unit 5 for applying a force to the seat 1 in the back-and-forth direction of the car body in response to generation of the pressure of fluid filled in the fluid container, such pressure generation occurring when the capacity of the fluid container is reduced.

Abstract: A backrest for a vehicle seat, having a head restraint and backrest padding, and having a supporting element which is intended for the seat occupant's back and, is compliant, at least in the upper backrest region, in such a manner that the seat occupant's back is able to shift rearwards relative to the head restraint in the event of a rear-end collision of the vehicle. The supporting element is formed by a shaped cushion that is integrated in the backrest padding in the upper backrest region, and filled with a gaseous medium, in particular air. In the event of a collision this supporting element can suddenly be deflated.

Abstract: A vehicle seat interlock mechanism includes a U-shaped channel member extending along a lower track of a seat and an interlock bracket mounted to a deformable mounting member at an upper track of the seat. The interlock bracket includes a seat belt anchor and a U-shaped channel at a lower end of the bracket. The interlock bracket is movable upwardly and forwardly in response to a seat belt force sufficient to deform the mounting member of the interlock bracket, whereby the two interlock channels engage to limit movement of the seat relative to the floor of the vehicle. The interlock bracket may include a portion extending forwardly over a gear box of a power drive system for the seat, such that the bracket is movable to compress the gear box to further retain the gear mechanism to a rack along the track assembly of the seat.

Abstract: Chair structure (1) for a vehicle comprises a backrest (2), a seat (3) which has a front part (31) and a rear part (32), a support (4) which carries the squab (3), and means (10) to fasten the support to a vehicle floor. The chair structure (1) also includes a means (6) that makes the backrest (2) tilt forwardly relatively to the squab (3) in the event of an accident.

Abstract: Chair structure (1) for a vehicle comprises a backrest (2), a seat (3) which has a front part (31) and a rear part (32), a support (4) which carries the squab (3), and means (10) to fasten the support to a vehicle floor. The chair structure (1) also includes a means (6) that makes the backrest (2) tilt forwardly relatively to the squab (3) in the event of an accident.

Abstract: An airbag seat release system that releases the front seat mounted in a vehicle to move upon deployment of an airbag in the vehicle. The release system includes an actuator connected with a latch mechanism on the seat assembly powered by an electrical signal supplied by the airbag deployment circuit. The latch mechanism is movable between a normally latched position preventing movement of the seat and a released position allowing movement of the seat relative to the vehicle. Upon deployment of the airbag, the actuator is activated responsive to the electrical signal to move the latch to the released position allowing the seat to move relative to the vehicle as the airbag is deployed. A ram connected with the seat assembly simultaneously propels the seat rearward. A stop member controls the extent of movement of the seat and backrest.

Abstract: The vehicle seat suspension system of the present invention provides an active seat suspension system responsive to conditions indicative of a collision or rollover for moving the seat downwardly to the limit of its vertical travel. The seat assembly comprises the seat, an active suspension system for maintaining an equilibrium position of the seat, sensors responsive to accident conditions for generating accident indication signals, and a seat positioning signal generator responsive to the accident indication signals for providing a seat relocation signal, where the active suspension system being responsive to the seat relocation signal for moving the seat to a retracted location.