Method and apparatus for operating a multi-position vehicle seat and restraining an occupant of such seat
A vehicle includes a body structure defining an interior cabin and a multi-position seat that is attached to the body structure and includes a seat cushion and a seatback, and a coupling between the seat cushion and the seatback that positions the seatback between an upright position and a maximum reclined position. Left and right halo members are fixedly attached to the body structure, the left halo member having a first restraining surface above, rearward from, and adjacent to a left shoulder of an occupant of the seat when the seatback is positioned in the maximum reclined position, and the right halo member having a second restraining surface above, rearward from, and adjacent to a right shoulder of the occupant when the seatback is positioned in the maximum reclined position.
1 . A vehicle comprising:
a body structure defining an interior cabin;
a multi-position seat within the interior cabin, the multi-position seat being fixedly attached to the body structure and including a seat cushion configured to support buttocks of an occupant of the multi-position seat from a lower side, a seatback configured to support a back of the occupant of the multi-position seat from a rear side, and a coupling between the seat cushion and the seatback, the coupling being configured to position the seatback in a first angular orientation relative to the seat cushion in an upright position and in a second angular orientation relative to the seat cushion in a reclined position;
one or more sensors configured for generating a determination that the vehicle is, or has a probability greater than a threshold value of, within a predetermined time period from the determination, decelerating at a rate greater than a threshold value;
a piston member coupled to a portion of the body structure located rearward of the seatback at a first end of the piston member when the multi-position seat is positioned in the reclined position and coupled to the seatback at a second end of the piston member, wherein the piston member is configured to, in response to the determination, automatically extend the second end away from the portion of the body structure, while the piston member remains coupled at the first end to the portion of the body structure and at the second end to the seatback, to cause the seatback to move from the reclined position to the upright position, wherein the piston member is not coupled to the seatback at the second end of the piston member when the multi-position seat is positioned in the upright position before the piston member is automatically extended.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a gas source configured for supplying gas to the piston member in response to the determination to cause the piston member to extend away from the portion of the body structure to cause the seatback to move from the reclined position to the upright position in less than 50 ms.
3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the gas source includes an igniter configured to initiate a chemical reaction to generate the gas that is supplied to the piston member.
4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is greater than or equal to 30 meters per second per second.
5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer configured for determining the deceleration of the vehicle.
6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include one or more electromagnetic radiation sensors configured for receiving electromagnetic radiation from outside the vehicle and a processor configured for receiving data from the one or more electromagnetic radiation sensors and generating the determination that the vehicle has a probability greater than the threshold value of, within a predetermined time period of less than ten seconds from the determination, decelerating at a rate greater than the threshold value.
7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a gas source configured for supplying gas to the piston member in response to the determination to cause the piston member to extend away from the portion of the body structure to cause the seatback to move from the reclined position to the upright position in less than 50 ms.
8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the threshold value is greater than or equal to 30 meters per second per second.
9 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer configured for determining the deceleration of the vehicle.
10 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the one or more sensors include one or more electromagnetic radiation sensors configured for receiving electromagnetic radiation from outside the vehicle and a processor configured for receiving data from the one or more electromagnetic radiation sensors and generating the determination that the vehicle has a probability greater than the threshold value of, within a predetermined time period of less than ten seconds from the determination, decelerating at a rate greater than the threshold value.
11 . The vehicle of claim 7 , further comprising a motor coupled to the piston member and configured to, in response to the generated determination, cause the second end of the piston member to automatically extend away from the portion of the body structure to cause the seatback to move from the reclined position toward the upright position.
12 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the gas source includes an igniter configured to initiate a chemical reaction to generate the gas that is supplied to the piston member.
13 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer configured for determining the deceleration of the vehicle.
14 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the one or more sensors include one or more electromagnetic radiation sensors configured for receiving electromagnetic radiation from outside the vehicle and a processor configured for receiving data from the one or more electromagnetic radiation sensors and generating the determination that the vehicle has a probability greater than the threshold value of, within a predetermined time period of less than ten seconds from the determination, decelerating at a rate greater than the threshold value.
15 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the threshold value is greater than or equal to 30 meters per second per second.
16 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is greater than or equal to 30 meters per second per second.
17 . The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer configured for determining the deceleration of the vehicle.
18 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer configured for determining the deceleration of the vehicle.
19 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include one or more electromagnetic radiation sensors configured for receiving electromagnetic radiation from outside the vehicle and a processor configured for receiving data from the one or more electromagnetic radiation sensors and generating the determination that the vehicle has a probability greater than the threshold value of, within a predetermined time period of less than ten seconds from the determination, decelerating at a rate greater than the threshold value.
20 . The vehicle of claim 19 , further comprising a motor coupled to the piston member and configured to, in response to the generated determination, cause the second end of the piston member to automatically extend away from the portion of the body structure to cause the seatback to move from the reclined position toward the upright position.