Vehicle safety apparatus
OwnerGeorge T. Boswellinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Safety apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger seat, comprising an energy absorbing panel positioned in front of the seat and movably mounted on the vehicle for movement between a first position wherein the panel is spaced from the occupant of the seat and a second position wherein the panel is positioned closely adjacent to the upper torso of the occupant of the seat. A bumper is movably mounted on the vehicle and is connected to the energy absorbing panel so that movement of the bumper inwardly toward the vehicle in response to an impact thereon effects movement of the energy absorbing panel from the first to the second position wherein it restrains forward movement of the occupant of the seat.
Claims13
Safety apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger seat, comprising an energy absorbing panel positioned in front of the seat and movably mounted on the vehicle for movement between a first position wherein said energy absorbing panel is spaced from the occupant of the seat and a second position wherein said energy absorbing panel is positioned closely adjacent to and in front of the occupant of the seat, bumper means movably mounted on the vehicle, a linkage connecting said bumper means to said energy absorbing panel, said linkage being operable to effect movement of said energy absorbing panel from said first position to said second position in response to inward movement of said bumper means caused by an impact thereon to restrain forward movement of the occupant of the seat before significant forward body movement of the occupant in response to the force of the impact, and means for retaining said energy absorbing panel in said second position during the impact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.