Anti blast seat assembly with knee protection mechanism

Abstract

A vehicle designed to survive mines exploding underneath it has an impact absorbing seat assembly for holding a human occupant of the vehicle. The assembly includes a seat having lower and upper seat members and includes a mechanism connected to the floor and the seat for absorbing the impact of the vehicle floor's buckling upward due to a mine blast. A plate is connected to the lower seat member just behind the legs of the occupant, and the plate swings on a hinge mounted to the lower seat member. In its normal position, the plate forms an acute angle with the floor and a lip of the plate contacts the floor such that the lip curves away from the seat. When the floor buckles upward, the plate swings outward relative to the seat, carrying the occupant's legs with it, thereby avoiding a vertical load transferring from the floor up the occupant's legs to the occupant's knees. Attached to the plate is a device to limit the swing speed and swing distance of the plate to assure that the plate does not throw the occupant's legs too forcefully or too far.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.