Vehicle safety seating

Claim 2

A vehicle safety seating adapted to embrace a seated occupant during an accident sequence and including in combination: a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary opposition to the anterior form of the seated occupant; a seat with a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary supported engagement with the posterior form of the seated occupant; means stopping the seat and comprised of spaced rear and forward stops, the rear stop stopping the seat in a normal operational mode free to move forwardly in the event of severe deceleration, and the forward stop stopping the seat in a post impact mode in spaced relation to the first mentioned cushion with the occupant embraced between the first mentioned cushion and the seat cushion; and means restraining rearward movement of the seat from said post impact mode in spaced relation to the first mentioned cushion with the occupant protectively compressed therebetween.

Claim 3

The vehicle safety seating as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first mentioned depressible cushion of energy absorbing material is a shell-like dash panel extending at least partially over the lap of said occupant and with a transverse recess between its front and rear margins to weaken the same for upward buckling into raised cushioning to receive impact from the head of said occupant.

Claim 4

The vehicle safety seating as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first mentioned depressible cushion of energy absorbing material is a shell-like dash panel extending at least partially over the lap of said occupant and with a transverse interior recess between its front and rear margins to weaken the same for upward buckling into raised cushioning to receive impact from the head of said occupant and ported for access to the vehicle controls and instruments recessed within said shell-like dash panel.

Claim 5

The vehicle safety seating as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means restraining rearward movement of the seat from said post impact mode comprises variably restrictive retard means permitting the occupant to forcibly move the seat rearwardly.

Claim 6

A vehicle safety seat adapted to decelerate with the absorption of energy during an accident sequence, and including in combination: a passenger compartment having a floor; a seat pivotally mounted on a transverse axis to the floor to swing forwardly and rearwardly and for complimentary support engagement with the posterior form of a seated occupant; a control means with a stop holding the seat in a normal operational mode free to swing forwardly in the event of severe deceleration to a post impact mode, and comprising a cylinder and spring biased piston and a fluid check valve retarding return of the piston from the post impact mode to the normal operational mode.

Claim 7

A vehicle safety seat adapted to decelerate with the absorption of energy during an accident sequence, and including in combination: a passenger compartment having a floor; a seat pivotally mounted on a transverse axis to the floor to swing forwardly and rearwardly and for complimentary support engagement with the posterior form of a seated occupant; a control means with a stop holding the seat in a normal operational mode free to swing forwardly in the event of severe deceleration to a post impact mode, and comprising a cylinder and spring biased piston and a fluid check valve retarding return of the piston from the post impact mode to the normal operational mode.

Claim 8

The vehicle safety seat as set forth in claim 5, wherein the piston is in the form of a swashplate disposed on said axis and engaged by means to follow movement of the said seat.

Claim 9

The vehicle safety seat as set forth in claim 5, wherein the piston is in the form of a swashplate axially shiftable over said pin and engaged by means to follow movement of the said seat and operable between opposite cylinder chambers surrounding said pin.

Claim 10

The vehicle safety seat as set forth in claim 5, wherein the piston is in the form of a swashplate axially shiftable over said pin and engaged by means to follow movement of the said seat and operable between opposite cylinder chambers surrounding said pin, and wherein an axial orifice groove of variable cross section cooperates with movement of the swashplate to vary the rate of its movement controlling return of said seat to the normal operational mode.

Claim 11

A vehicle safety seat mounting adapted to decelerate with the absorption of energy during an accident sequence, and including in combination: a passenger compartment having a floor; a seat carried by track means upon a box secured to the floor and to move in alignment with forces applied by deceleration; a slot in the box and in said alignment to carry a paddle by and with movement of the seat to engage a collapsible member captured in the box.

Claim 12

A vehicle safety seat mounting adapted to decelerate with the absorption of energy during an accident sequence, and including in combination: a passenger compartment having a floor; a seat carried by track means upon a box secured to the floor and to move in alignment with forces applied by deceleration; a slot in the box and in said alignment to carry a paddle by and with movement of the seat to engage a collapsible member captured in the box.

Claim 13

The vehicle safety seat mounting as set forth in claim 9, wherein the said collapsible member is made of crushable material.

Claim 14

The vehicle safety seat mounting as set forth in claim 9, wherein the box is perforated with openings and the said collapsible member is made of material extrudable through the said openings.

Claim 15

The vehicle safety seat mounting as set forth in claim 9, wherein the paddle and seat are captured in a forward position by at least one stop.

Claim 16

The vehicle safety seat mounting as set forth in claim 9, wherein the paddle and seat are captured in a forward position by one of a series of stops.

Claim 17

A vehicle safety seating adapted to embrace seated front and rear occupants during an accident sequence, and including in combination: a passenger compartment having a floor; a dash panel extending transversely of the passenger compartment with a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary opposition to the anterior form of and at least partially over the lap of the front seat occupant; a front seat mounted to the floor and with a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material with its front in complimentary supported engagement with the posterior form of the seated front occupant and with its back in complimentary opposition to the anterior form of the rear seat occupant; a rear seat carried by track means upon a box secured to the floor and to move in alignment with forces applied by deceleration and with a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary supported engagement with the posterior form of the seated rear occupant; a slot in the box and in said alignment to carry a paddle by and with movement of the rear seat to engage a collapsible member captured in the box; means individually stopping the front and rear seats each in a normal operational mode free to move forwardly in the event of severe deceleration to a post impact mode with the front seat in spaced relation to the depressible cushion of the dash panel and with the rear seat in spaced relation to the depressible back of the front seat cushion; and means individually restraining rearward movement of the front and rear seats from said post impact mode with the occupant protectively compressed between the aforesaid cushions respectively.

Claim 18

A vehicle safety seating adapted to embrace seated front and rear occupants during an accident sequence, and including in combination: a passenger compartment having a floor; a dash panel extending transversely of the passenger compartment with a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary opposition to the anterior form of and at least partially over the lap of the front seat occupant; a front seat mounted to the floor and with a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material with its front in complimentary supported engagement with the posterior form of the seated front occupant and with its back in complimentary opposition to the anterior form of the rear seat occupant; a rear seat carried by track means upon a box secured to the floor and to move in alignment with forces applied by deceleration and with a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary supported engagement with the posterior form of the seated rear occupant; a slot in the box and in said alignment to carry a paddle by and with movement of the rear seat to engage a collapsible member captured in the box; means individually stopping the front and rear seats each in a normal operational mode free to move forwardly in the event of severe deceleration to a post impact mode with the front seat in spaced relation to the depressible cushion of the dash panel and with the rear seat in spaced relation to the depressible back of the front seat cushion; and means individually restraining rearward movement of the front and rear seats from said post impact mode with the occupant protectively compressed between the aforesaid cushions respectively.

Claim 19

The vehicle safety seating as set forth in claim 14, wherein the means stopping the seats in a normal operational mode free to move to a post impact mode comprises, in each instance, spaced rear and forward stops, the latter stop determining the spaced relation of the aforementioned cushions with the occupant embraced therebetween.

Claim 20

The vehicle safety seating as set forth in claim 14, wherein the means restraining rearward movement of each of said seats from said post impact mode comprises retard means permitting the occupant to forcibly move the seat rearwardly.

Claim 21

The vehicle safety seating as set forth in claim 14, wherein the said collapsible member is made of crushable material.

Claim 22

The vehicle safety seating as set forth in claim 14, wherein the box is perforated with openings and the said collapsible member is made of material extrudable through the said openings.

Claim 23

The vehicle safety seating as set forth in claim 14, wherein the paddle and seat are captured in a forward position by at least one stop.

Claim 24

A vehicle safety seating adapted to embrace a seated front occupant during an accident sequence and including: a dash panel extending transversely of a passenger compartment and with a shell-like depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary opposition to the anterior form of and extending at least partially over the lap of the front seat occupant and with a transverse recess between its front and rear margins to weaken the same for upward buckling into raised cushioning to receive impact from the head of said front seat occupant; a front seat with a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary supported engagement with the posterior form of the seated front occupant; means stopping the front seat in a normal operational mode free to move forwardly in the event of severe deceleration to a post impact mode in spaced relation to the depressible cushion of the dash panel and with the front seat occupant protectively compressed between the dash panel and front seat cushions respectively.

Claim 25

A vehicle safety seating adapted to embrace a seated front occupant during an accident sequence and including: a dash panel extending transversely of a passenger compartment and with a shell-like depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary opposition to the anterior form of and extending at least partially over the lap of the front seat occupant and with a transverse recess between its front and rear margins to weaken the same for upward buckling into raised cushioning to receive impact from the head of said front seat occupant; a front seat with a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material in complimentary supported engagement with the posterior form of the seated front occupant; means stopping the front seat in a normal operational mode free to move forwardly in the event of severe deceleration to a post impact mode in spaced relation to the depressible cushion of the dash panel and with the front seat occupant protectively compressed between the dash panel and front seat cushions respectively.

Claim 26

The vehicle safety seating as set forth in claim 20, wherein the depressible cushion of the dash panel is ported for access to the vehicle controls and instruments recessed within said shell-like dash panel.

Claim 27

A vehicle safety dash panel adapted to receive the impact of an occupant during an accident sequence and including: a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material extending transversely of and in complimentary opposition to the anterior form of and at least partially over the lap of the occupant; and weakening means extending transversely of the upwardly disposed surface of the cushion for upward buckling upon forward impact of the occupant therewith and into raised cushioning to receive impact from the head of said occupant.

Claim 28

A vehicle safety dash panel adapted to receive the impact of an occupant during an accident sequence and including: a depressible cushion of energy absorbing material extending transversely of and in complimentary opposition to the anterior form of and at least partially over the lap of the occupant; and weakening means extending transversely of the upwardly disposed surface of the cushion for upward buckling upon forward impact of the occupant therewith and into raised cushioning to receive impact from the head of said occupant.

Claim 29

The vehicle safety dash panel as set forth in claim 22, wherein the depressible cushion is ported for access to the vehicle controls and instruments retractile and recessed, respectively, within said dash panel cushion.

Claim 30

The vehicle safety dash panel as set forth in claim 22, wherein the depressible cushion of the dash panel is shell-like extending at least partially over the lap of the occupant and with a transverse recess between its front and rear margins comprising the weakening means for upward buckling into said raised cushioning to receive impact from the head of said occupant.

Claim 31

The vehicle safety dash panel as set forth in claim 22, wherein the depressible cushion of the dash panel is shell-like extending at least partially over the lap of said occupant and with a transverse interior recess between its front and rear margins comprising the weakening means for upward buckling into said raised cushioning to receive impact from the head of said occupant.

Claim 32

The vehicle safety dash panel as set forth in claim 22, wherein the depressible cushion of the dash panel is shell-like extending at least partially over the lap of said occupant and with a transverse interior recess between its front and rear margins comprising the weakening means for upward buckling into said raised cushioning to receive impact from the head of said occupant and said shell-like cushion being ported for access to the vehicle controls and instruments retractile and recessed, respectively, within said shell-like dash panel.