Seat mounting structure for mitigating injury in side impacts

A seat mounting structure for use in a vehicle, that lessens the risk of injury to an occupant in side impact collisions, the seat mounting structure comprising:

• a sensor system;
• a linkage system comprising a seat mount;
• and
• an inflation module comprising a piston device, wherein the piston device actuates in response to the sensor system, wherein the seat mount is structured such that upon actuation of the piston device the seat is moved in such a manner that little or no tilting of the seat takes place, and wherein the seat is displaced vertically up and laterally toward a centerline of the vehicle.

An inflation module for use in a vehicle, that stiffens a floor structure of a vehicle and which moves a seat of the vehicle to lessen the risk of injury to an occupant in side impact collisions, the inflation module comprising:

• an inflator;
• a linkage system that guides a seat vertically up and laterally toward a centerline of the vehicle in such a manner that the seat is uniformly displaced in a substantially curvilinear translation such that little or no tilting of the seat takes place;
• and
• an elongated inflatable structure, securely attached to the floor structure, wherein the elongated inflatable structure is oriented perpendicular to a sidewall of the vehicle, wherein the inflatable structure comprises metal.

A method for lessening the risk of injury to an occupant in side-impact collisions using a the seat mounting structure comprising a linkage system, an inflation module, and a sensor system, the method comprising:

• sensing an impending side impact;
• actuating the inflation module to displace the seat mount;
• and
• guiding the seat mount vertically up and laterally toward a centerline of the vehicle in such a manner that the seat travels in a generally curvilinear translation such that little or no tilting of the seat takes place.