In-expensive head and upper torso restraint with u-shaped air bag

[0001] This invention concerns a head restraint for a human head and the upper torso of the human body that includes a single or a plurality of air bags. This invention, that basically contains 4 parts, is intended for mounting in a transportation vehicle to prevent head and body injuries as well as fatal injuries. More specifically, the head restraints, or head rest, are pivoted substantially in the area where the neck is. This pivoting is done in a one-way fashion using a ratchet assembly following the head forward, and immobilizing the head when the head is snapped forward in an accident. Similarly, the back rest is also pivoted in a one-way fashion, using a ratchet assembly, following the upper torso forward when its inertia is snapping it forward in an accident. At approximately the same instant a single U-shaped airbag, or a plurality of head-liner mounted airbags, is energized to meet and cradle the head, thereby immobilizing the head and torso preventing them from moving either further forward or further back in the first seconds of an accident. Release of head rest, back rest and seat belt are done during release of the seat belt.

[0002] Dash board mounted air bags are commonly used in vehicles today. Inertia of the head and upper body rapidly moves both the head and body forward in an accident. When the airbags, as used today, are energized they violently push the forward-moving head backwards towards the stationary head rest and seats back violently snapping the head and neck. This snapping of the head, neck and collar bone has in the past caused severe injuries and even deaths. The same is true with the commonly used steering wheel mounted air bags. When energized they also violently push the forward-moving head and body backwards towards the stationary headrest and the stationary seat back causing severe injuries. Some deaths have also occurred from the above mentioned severe snap back, sometimes referred to as “whip lash”. So called side-airbags are also installed in vehicles today to prevent injuries when a car is hit from the side by a second vehicle. The impact from this type of collision causes the inertia of a drivers or passengers head to be forced in towards and against a side wall in the first car. When the side airbag is exploding it reverses the direction of head motion towards the inside of the car, again violently snapping the head towards the inside of the car were there is presently no protection. U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,873 has an airbag attached in the wind shield area but no protection for the above stated snap-back. U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,459 is a side airbag with its force directed towards the inside of the car with presently no protection to prevent the above snap-back. U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,097 is trying to do a slightly more “downwardly” force, but there is still a violent force trying to push the head towards the shoulder (on the inside side of the car) of the driver or passenger, probably twisting the neck pretty severely. A much more safe construction would have the head protected on both sides,

[0003] The safest solution is to substantially immobilize the head for a few seconds during and after the accident. Of course without the dashboard mounted airbags, the steering wheel mounted airbags, side mounted airbags or seat belts, many more deaths and severe injuries were occurring in the past without them. But this invention is intended to take care of the shortcomings of today's airbags that are used in the vehicles today, and further minimize both injuries to the head, the neck, the collarbone and the upper torso of the body.

[0004] The first object of this invention is to substantially immobilize the head with a pivoted V-shaped head rest, a pivoting seat back and a U-shaped airbag. Together with the standard seat belt it prevent injuries to the head, neck, collar bone and the upper torso of the body. This invention accomplish this with some simple and inexpensive pivots and ratchet assemblies together with an air bag or airbags mounted either in the head-liner of the vehicle or in similar mounting places suitable for containment of a collapsed airbag.

[0005] Preventing head and neck injuries is done with pivoting the head rest substantially in the area where the neck is. Pivoting the head rest on an axle that also contains a ratchet assembly is allowing the headrest to move forward, but preventing the same headrest from moving backwards in an accident. The forward motion naturally occurs when the vehicle is involved in an accident, and the vehicle suddenly stops. The inertia of the headrest makes it pivot on its axle, swings forward and is retained in its forward position. This head rest follows the head that is also swinging forward by inertia, thereby cradling and immobilizing the head. An alternate way of making the head rest swing forward, at the instant of an accident, would be to use a pyrotechnic cartridge similar to the one's used in today's airbags. Seat belt use, that is the requirements in all states, would be followed in this invention, preferably with a lap and shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder belt, that restrains the upper torso, should in this invention, be anchored and latched in the back rest assembly that is also restraining the upper torso to the back rest.

[0006] In addition to the pivoting of the head rest described above, a secondary pivoting is done on the back rest.

[0007] This pivoting is substantially located in the area where the lower back is, hinging and pivoting the back rest on an axle that also contains a ratchet assembly. This is allowing the back rest to move forward, but preventing the same back rest from moving backwards.

[0008] The upper torso, that is strapped in by the seat belt, will follow the forward motion of the back rest.

[0009] The forward motion of both the torso and the seat back naturally occurs when the vehicle is involved in an accident, and the vehicle suddenly stops. The inertia of the back rest makes it pivot on its axle, swings forward and then is retaining its forward position. The forward motion can be limited to 25 degrees from its original position.

[0010] An alternate way of making the back rest swing forward, at the instant of an accident, would be to use a pyro-technic cartridge similar to the ones used in today's airbags. The term forward is used to mean the motion towards the front of the vehicle.

[0011] The double pivoting that is used in head rest and seat back is helpful to conform to a persons body and head.

[0012] It would be advantageous to have the inertia of the headrest somewhat similar to the weight and inertia of an average human head, and the inertia of the back rest to approximate the weight and inertia of the average upper torso of a human body.

[0013] This inertia equivalence can be accomplished in today's stamped steel seat backs and head rests, that also contains heavy foam padding and leather or cloth covering. The ratcheting two assemblies can also be accomplished by stamped steel “one way notches” in the area of the pivoting axles. After an accident the forward leaning seats back and head rest can be restored to their normal upright position with a simple resetting of the ratchet assemblies.

[0014] This resetting is fast and easily done by un-buckling the seat belt.

[0015] The conditions for these two assemblies to swing forward would be to have a mechanical preset condition limited to, for example, a collision at 10 or 15 miles per hour. Or swung forward by a pyro-technic device designed to operate at a preset level by a micro controller such as 25 miles per hour. Their normal upright position is assured by either a frictional or mechanical device. This invention can be described as a four part immobilizing restraint for a human head and upper torso comprising:

• • [0016] a V-shaped head rest pivoting solely forward,
  • [0017] connected with a pivot to a seat back in a vehicle, said seat back also pivoting solely forward,
  • [0018] a seat belt anchored and latched to said seat back securely restraining said head and upper torso,
  • [0019] on the left and right side of said head a rapidly deployable U-shaped airbag,
  • [0020] said four parts providing an immobilizing cradle for both the inertia-moving said head and upper torso,
  • [0021] moving together in unison with the inertia of said head rest and said seat back,
  • [0022] during the first seconds of a front or side impact collision of said vehicle.

[0023] This invention can also be described as an in-expensive head and upper torso restraint having a head-liner mounted air bag comprising:

• • [0024] vehicular seat backs and head rests mechanically arranged to follow the forward motion of a human head and upper torso, but preventing the snap-back of said head and torso in a vehicular frontal or sideways collision, seat belts attached and anchored in said seat backs,
  • [0025] a U-shaped air bag contained in a cavity in the head liner of said vehicle,
  • [0026] said seat belts and said airbag mounted around each said seat back,
  • [0027] pyro-technic cartridges rapidly actuating said air bag when said collisions occur.

[0028] This invention can also be described as an in-expensive head and upper torso restraint having a head-liner mounted air bag comprising:

• • [0029] vehicular seat backs and head rests mechanically pivoted with ratchets to follow the forward motion of a human head and upper torso, but preventing the snap-back of said head and torso in a vehicular frontal or sideways collision, seat belts attached and anchored in said seat backs,
  • [0030] a rapidly deployable air bag or air bags contained in cavities in the head liner of said vehicle,
  • [0031] said head rest, said seat belt and said airbag or airbags mounted around each said seat back,
  • [0032] providing substantially head and upper torso immobilization for persons seated in said seat backs when said collision occurs.

[0033] In summary, the above language is describing how this invention is preventing the head as well as the upper torso of the body from snapping back after an accident of the vehicle. This is contrary to what presently happens when a vehicle commonly equipped with one or two air bags that are exploding and pushing back on the head and human body into a fixed backrest and fixed head rest. In the present invention the cradling of the head, or head immobilization, should minimize the injuries to the head, neck, and collar bone and also save lives.

[0034] As mentioned above the forward motion of the head and torso that naturally occurs when the vehicle is suddenly stopped, and the prevention from “snap-back”, is a further object of the present invention in providing a method of further cradling the head and torso with a U-shaped airbag. This airbag is located on both sides of the head providing support in a frontal collision and even more important support in a side-collision.

[0035] It could take the form of a left side and a right side bag connected through a pneumatic tube requiring only a single cartridge. It could also take the form of two V-shaped air bags located in the head-liner of the vehicle.

[0036] The term head-liner is meant to describe the thick sound-absorbing lining in the ceiling of a vehicle.

[0037] At approximately the time of the impact, either a single or a plurality of head-lining mounted airbags are energized to meet and cradle the forward swinging head and torso preventing them from moving either further forward or further back in the first seconds of an accident. By preventing them from either moving forward or backwards, they substantially are immobilizing both the head and upper body until the exploding airbags start to collapse after a few seconds.

[0038] The head rest, the seat back, the seat belt, a U-shaped air bag can be described as a 4 part immobilizing cradle for the head and upper torso during the first seconds of a front or side-impact collision of a vehicle.

[0039] This air bag can of course also be mounted in a conventional positions, such as steering wheel or dash, in the vehicle, but if dual, the preferred locations of these air bags are in two cavities in the headliner.

[0040] The two cavities are preferably mounted in an open-V-shape that would guide the head into the narrow part of the V-shape cradling the head and torso. The “open” V-shape will allow a person to have limited sight forward even during the activation and engagement of the two air bags. A sun-visor construction with two separate visors and hinges can be around said V-shape. If the car would be equipped with a sun roof, one mount could be done around the latch handle for the roof.

[0041] In addition, the open V-shape prevents eye injuries from a persons eye glasses being forced into the nose and eyes, that sometimes occurs with present front mounted airbags. It could also prevent blinding the occupants that has occurred in the past.

[0042] The two cavities, located basically in the head liner of the vehicle, can be filled with the folded air bags in a box-like construction form-fitted to the cavities. The forward portion on these boxlike constructions can be hinged in their edge with a cushioned lid swinging forward, or to the side, to open, exposing and allowing the folded air bags to inflate. The box-like parts can have clearance all around the cavities that makes it un-necessary to explode and damage very expensive cosmetic parts. This makes the present invention and construction much less expensive, as well as re-loadable at low cost.

[0043] Furthermore, this invention eliminates: 1, a common steering wheel airbag, or alternatively 2 a common dash board mounted airbag, 3 a common left side-curtain air bag, 4 the common very expensive restorative parts that are a necessity for these two eliminated airbags. The common left side-curtain air bag is replaced by this inventions left side U-shaped airbag mounted in the head-liner.

[0044] With this construction it is not necessary to explode one or two cosmetic plastic covers as is common in today's automobiles. The exploding cosmetic dash board covering and the cosmetic plastic covering on the steering wheel are very expensive to replace. The whole dash board and full steering wheel assembly is sometimes replaced. Some insurance companies even do determine, that when both air bags have exploded the car is a total loss. With the present inventions the specific cavity and boxlike construction makes it un-necessary to cosmetically hide the air bags in the head-liner, thereby providing a less expensive solution. This also has the advantage of an easy and inexpensive air bag replacement. The V-shaped air bags in this invention also protect the head from moving sideways when the vehicle is hit from the side. When the computer is sensing a side impact, that also retards the vehicles forward motion, it is triggering and igniting the pyro-technic devices and instantly is cradling the head.

[0045] The two V-shaped airbags can also be combined to be formed like a single U-shape, further cradling the head and also preventing the head from advancing too far forward during a very severe accident.

[0046] This U-shaped airbag is advantageously inflated with one cartridge.

[0047] With the present invention in place it is likely that the cost of air bag protection is cut in half, and because of the substantially immobilized head and upper torso with its four components, the injuries or deaths sustained are minimized in either a front impact or side-impact collision.

[0053] FIG. 1 is showing a safety dummy 15 seated normally in the driver position in a vehicle 10 with the head 20 in a normal upright position. A V-shaped head rest 30, pivoted at 40, also in its normal upright position, is located behind head 20. A lap and shoulder safety seat belt 50 is securely restraining the dummy's torso 60 to the seat back 70. The torso 60 is in a normal upright position. The seat belt 50 is attached at the seat 80 at point 90 and at shoulder point 100. Seat back 70 is pivoted at point 110. The seat belt's latching point behind the dummy's body is not shown. The vehicles head liner 130 is shown with possible cavities in the head liner for the folded airbag 120 A and 120 B.

[0054] In FIG. 2 is showing a safety dummy 15 seated in the driver position in a vehicle 10 after onset of impact. The forward inertial motion of the dummy's head 20 and the forward inertial motion of upper torso 60 are shown at the onset of impact when the vehicle 10 has a frontal or side impact accident. The force of a side impact also retards the forward motion of the vehicle to affect the forward inertia of the head 20 and torso 60.

[0055] It is also showing how the pivoted 110 seat back 70 with its inertia has moved in unison with the torso 60. The seat back 70 is hugging the back part of the torso 60. The seat back 70 has a pivot point at 110. Also shown is how the impact has moved V-shaped head rest 30 forward by inertia to cradle the head 20. V-shaped head rest 30 is pivoted at point 40. In FIG. 2 the air bag is shown as two sections 120 A and 120 B. Deployment of this airbag 120 A and 120 B has started to further envelope downward and cradle the head 20. The seat belt 50 is still securing the torso 60 to seat back 70.

[0056] In FIG. 3 is showing a safety dummy 15 seated in the driver position in a vehicle 10 a fraction of a second later than FIG. 2. The air bag 120A and 120 B has further deployed downward with 120 A preventing the head 20 from being pushed into the interior of the vehicle. This prevents “sideway whip-lash”.

[0057] It is also showing how the deployment is now more complete, with the immobilization of the head 20 accomplished between air bag 120A and 120 B, and the V-shaped head rest 30.

[0058] The air bag's right side 120 A is on the right side of dummy head 20 and the air bag's left side 120 B is partially sectioned to show the cradling of the dummy head 20.

[0059] FIG. 4 is a front view of a possible shape of airbag 120 A and 120 B with pneumatic connection between the A and B part for a less expensive design using only one pyro-technic cartridge. Fastening points are shown at 140 A and 140 B.

[0060] This U-shape or saddle shape is both helpful in the immobilization of the head 20 and also allows some vision forward during the accidents critical moments when it is important to try to avoid a secondary collisions. Its shape is also preventing eye damage and eye glass damage.

[0061] The illustrated details does not preclude that other different shapes can not easily be constructed.

[0062] The airbag 120 can of course be placed in other places of the vehicle.

[0063] Photos of crash testing to further clarify the drawings are submitted for information only.