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US 5,294,175 AGranted
Vehicle seat assembly with a front panel
AssigneeHoover Universal, Inc.
InventorRobert D. Elton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle seat assembly with an extendable front panel is provided to increase the effective length of a vehicle seat cushion. The panel is deployed from a stowed position to a forwardly extending position in response to a predetermined deceleration occurring during a front impact collision of the vehicle. By extending the effective length of the seat cushion, a seat occupant will be prevented from falling to the vehicle floor forward of the seat cushion where additional injuries can be incurred.
Claims21
A seat assembly for a vehicle comprising:
- a generally horizontal seat cushion having a frame and a front end;
- and
- support means mounted to said cushion for rotation from a stowed position to a generally horizontal support position in response to a predetermined deceleration of said seat assembly for vertically supporting a seat occupant who has moved forward off said seat cushion in response to said deceleration.
A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
- a generally horizontal lower seat cushion having front and rear ends;
- a seat back extending upwardly from the rear end of said seat cushion;
- a panel member mounted to the front end of said seat cushion for rotation about a horizontal axis transverse to said seat assembly, said panel member having a generally upright stowed position in which said panel member extends downwardly from said transverse axis forming a front surface of said seat cushion, said panel member being rotatable about said axis to a support position extending forwardly from the front end of said seat cushion;
- means for rotating said panel member to said support position in response to a predetermined deceleration of said seat assembly;
- and
- means for holding said panel member in said support position and for supporting a seat occupant on said panel member.
3 more elements
A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
- a generally horizontal lower seat cushion having front and rear ends;
- a seat back extending upwardly from the rear end of said seat cushion;
- a panel member mounted to said seat cushion having a stowed position at the front end of said seat cushion and being movable to a support position extending generally horizontally forward from the front end of said seat cushion;
- means for moving said panel from said stowed position to said support position automatically in response to a predetermined deceleration acting upon said seat assembly;
- and
- means for supporting said panel in said support position to support the weight of a seat occupant upon said panel.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.