NZ242804A - Vehicle safety seat that when in a collision causes the occupants head to move in a backward and downward arc: pivoted linkage or leverage system connects the seat to a fixed base - Google Patents

Description

Pj®ts Form No. 5 NEW ZEALAND Pat. 5 242804 » 9 i . ''"•jiS k 30 APR 1993*/! * if ■9 /> A PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (To be furnished in Duplicate) Where priority as provided by subsection (2) or (3) of section 11 of the Patents Act 1953 is desired in respect of one or more provisional specifications, quote number or numbers and date or dates No.

Date. mi \QQZK |a) Insert title of Invention. (a) INSTINCTIVE SAFETY SEAT m (b) State (in full) name, address and nationality of pplicant or applicants as vva application form (c) Here begin full description of invention. The continuation of the specification should be upon paper of the same size as this form, on one side only with the lines well spaced and with a margin of 2.5cm on the left hand side of the paper. The completion of the description should be followed by the words "What I (or we) claim is" after which should be written the claim or claims numbered consecutively (see note below). The specification and the dup-licate thereof must be signed at the end. 21 785F-1,600/11/90MK (b) STANLEY BARKER 111 GOLF ROAD PARAPARAUMU BEACH NEW ZEALAND BRITISH HEREBY declare the invention, for which 1/we pray that a patent may be granted to me/us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ^ The principle of this invention is a design of car seat which will give maximum protection to the head when NOTE. The claims must relate to a single invention, must be clear and succinct, and must be fairly based on the matter disclosed in the specification. They should form in brief a clear statement of that which constitutes the invention. Applicants should be careful that their claims include neither more nor less than they desire to protect by their patent. Any unnecessary multiplicity of claims or prolixity of language should be avoided.

Claims should not be made for the efficiency or advantages of the invention. 2^ 9 8 0 4 the occupant of the seat is subjected to collision conditions.

The invention is comprised of a seat base which is able to move forward under collision conditions , and will be described as the "Moving Base".

The "Moving base" will be attached by linkage (2) to a stationary base which will be described as the "Fixed Base" Fig 3.

The fixed base is securely attached to an existing or designed base intended to accommodate by adjustment differing heights, or structures of the human frame and will be described as the "Personal Base". Fig. 4.

Figs 1 and 2 show the one unit seating accommodation with seat and backrest attached (7) mounted on the "Moving base" (1) together with operational "Linkage" (2) assembly between the "Moving base" (1) and the "Fixed base" (3). ¥ 3 24 The "Personal base" (4) can be either as an integral part of, or an assembly with, the "Fixed base" (3) without impairing the operation of the "Moving base" (1).

A pictorial expression of the movement of the head under The securing conditions of the "Personal base" will exceed the failure force of the rear anchoring (5) of the "Moving base". The "Personal base" remaining in postion under collision conditions.

The "fixed base" is securely attached to the "Personal base " ,and will remain in position under collision conditions.

The "Moving base" will be anchored at the rear by an anchorage (5), which will fail or release only under collision conditions.

The top "Moving base" will be attached to the lower "Fixed base" by a link (2) or links of a determined length, and positioned to assume a forward declining plane when attached by the pivots. collision conditions is depicted as item (21) in Fig 2.

J -f When collision conditions occur the rear anchorage of the "Moving base" will fail or be released and the "Moving base' will move forward along its rail or plane (6).

Fig 3. shows the rear anchorage (5) of the "Moving base" (1) to the "Fixed base" (3). The anchorage may consist of imperishable material of known fracturing or braking strain ,joins, rivets or bolts, which will shear under known strain, inertia release mechanisms ,or other anchorage having the required release property.

Item (6) shows the groove , rail or plane which controls the movement of the "Moving base" (1) and fulcrum (10).

Dependent on the declining angle of the link or links, the initial resistance to the forward movement of the "Moving base" will be of a varying degree. The nearer the angle of the link or links are to the horizontal of the "Fixed base", the greater the initial resistance to forward movement and tilting of the "Moving base". 242804 On the event of the failure or release of the "Movxng * base" anchorage the link or links attached between the "Moving base" and the "Fixed base" will become operative and compel the "Moving base" (1) to assume an increasing angle slope declining backward as it moves in a forward direction.

A car seat functioning as one unit is complete with backrest attached (7) to the seat at an approximate right angle, therefore when the "Moving base" (1) is compelled to assume a slope declining backwards the backrest (7) is compelled to assume a slope declining forwards, and in so doing ,so induce the head to transverse through a backward and downward arc (21) away from the collision zone ,thereby inducing a counterbalance to the upward and forward arc normally restrained by a belt positioned diagonally across the body and so attached to the vehicles bodywork ; now if required to be attached to the seat as with a lap belt.

When the "Moving base" (1) and Backrest (22) are of seperate units, support at the base of the spine will be lost when the "Moving base" (1) moves forward.

Fig 4 shows accommodation to protect the base of the spine from shock when the Seat and Backrest (22) are seperated. 24280? The widening gap (8) across the space between the seat and backrest (22) is compensated by stretching the membrane (9) which previously followed the contour of the seat and backrest (22), across the space.

The membrane is guided over a supporting member ,or members (11) suitable positioned across the sides of the backrest (22) ,so that when the travelling fulcrum (10) ,or other suitable point moves forward, it draws the membrane (9) over the member or members (11) so suitably tightening the membrane when the membrane (9) is attached to the desired position (12) on the "Moving base" (1) in order to give optimum support to the base of the spine.

In order to eliminate the effects of rebound the "Moving base" is held at the extent of its forward travel by an action , which also incorporates a cushioning effect by means of gradually increasing resistance . This can .be, - r 7 effected by means of pegs,pins or rods (13) being either tapered ,parallel , or having barbed projections which are attached to the travelling fulcrum (10), or other suitable moving point to be guided by supports (14) and move forward parallel to the vehicle floor to impinge into a receptive material (15) ,remaining anchored by friction.

Fig. 5 shows the Front anchorage (15) which effects increasing when the pegs or pens (13) are guided by the supports (14) into the receptive material (15) to be held by friction and holding the "Moving base" (1) at its forward position by it being attached to the pegs or pins.

Non-return actions may be operated by pawls ,but these are more likely to malfunction due to the long period of non-use.

The emergency braking system is immediately operated by means of the forward travel of the "Moving base".

Attached to the "Moving base" is a projection (16) or some such fixture ,which is in contact with a pivoted lever (17) in such a manner so as to move the position of the lever when the projection on the "Moving base" moves along the length of the lever further from the pivoted end (17) of the lever. s ' • Fig. 6 shows Emergency brake action by Cable (18) and sleeve (19).

The pivoted lever (17) is so positioned to form an angle relative to the path of the fulcrum (10) along the groove,rail or plane (6) so that the projection (16) or some such fixture exerts a force on the lever (17)to extend the the distance between the end of the cable (18) and the end of the anchored (20) sleeve (19).

The force on the cable (19) is then transferred to the opposite end of the cable (19) , and in turn the operation of the braking system. The sleeved cable to be unaffected by any "Personal base" (4) adjustment.

The assembly of the braking system can be operated vertically Fig. 6, or horizontally Fig. 7.

Other methods of emergency braking activated by the movement of the "Moving base (1) may be utilised. ,.-5s==rr-~-.,. -'•"-t £N / ^ 242804 The "Fixed base" (3) is so designed to enable the anti-rebound system and emergency braking system inside the base.

Where it is impractable for the braking system to be operated by seat movement, a mechanical arrangement which incorporates the features as described above, except the seat is replaced by a mass capable of operating the the vehicle braking when subject the vehicle is subject to an impact collision generating a pre-determined kinetic energy value.

Fig 5. shows a seat with a calculated portion of the front of the seat hinged (23). The front hinged portion of the seat is normally supported by the base. As the moving base moves forward and the seat tilts back the front of the seat collapses downwards providing a cushion for the seat occupants leg, and at the same time retracting legs away from collision area.

Claims (6)

lo 2 A 2 8 0 A What I Claim is ::

1. A vehicle seat having an integral backrest,wherein said seat has connection means connecting the underside of the seat to a base means ,said connection means has a pivoted linkage or leverage system that allows the seat to move with respect to the base means when kinetic energy of the seat which exceeds a predetermined value is transferred to the vehicle, said kinetic energy being generated by an impact collision, so that said moving seat pivoted on said linkage or leverage system causes links of said linkage or leverage system to assume a near perpendicular position in relation to the base means, so that the front of the seat is elevated around a forward moving fulcrum positioned at the rear of the seat, thus tilting the backrest of the seat in a backward and downward arc, causing the occupant to assume a near as possible supine position and moving the occupants head away from possible structural damage when said impact collision occurs, wheh said seat is subject to an impact collision forward movement is restricted by a rear anchorage which releases when subjected to said pre-determined value of the kinetic energy, allowing said seat to move forward and tilt, said forward movement of said seat actuates an

'I 124*804;additional braking means to apply braking to said vehicle as said seat moves and elevates as a result of the impact collision, the said forward movement of the seat being brought to a cushioned and secured stop by a combined cushioning and securing means between the said seat underside and said base means.;2. A seat according to claim 1, wherein said additional braking means comprising a protrusion fixed to the underside of the seat which contacts with a lever as the seat moves during said impact collision, said lever once contacted with said protrusion activates the vehicle brakes via a cable or linkage means.;

3. A seat according to claim 1, wherein said combined cushioning and securing means comprises a tapered, barbed or straight projection on the underside of the seat that impinges into and anchors in a cushioning material attached to said base means as the seat moves forward during said impact collision.;* 13- 24 2 8 0 4

4. A seat according to claim 1, wherein said seat backrest is affixed to said base means, a membrane is positioned across the gap between the backrest and the seat so that during said impact collision the membrane is stretched as the gap increases in size when the seat moves away from the backrest.

5. A seat according to claim 1 ,wherein the said seat is hinged across the seat between the linkage or leverage system and a front portion of the seat so that as the seat moves and is elevated during said impact collision the front front portion tilts downward providing cushioning and retraction of the lower limbs of an occupant to prevent possible injury.

6. A seat according to claims 1 to 6 having a minimum number of components thereby reducing risk of malfunction. Dated this 11th day of July 1995 (S.Barker)