Pacific Scientific Company

Conax Florida Corporation

Other

John A Churilla

Charles E Van Druff

David V Haston

Eric Kawabata

Ronald John Nathan

Daniel H Meggs

Alex Devonport

James Warrick

Bruce Campbell Glascock

An omni-directional mechanical acceleration sensor is disclosed for use in applications including, but not limited to, vehicular seat belt systems, aircraft safety harness systems and initiation of airbag safety systems. The mechanical acceleration sensor incorporates at least two masses which, upon an acceleration event occurring, will cause a lever, to pivot thereby releasing the lever from engagement with an actuating means which would then initiate the applicable safety system.

Acceleration sensor

A combat vehicle restraint system accommodates a wide range of soldiers, both with and without battle, arctic, or chemical gear. The restraint system includes lengthened belts and an adjustable buckle position. The belts include loops for locating and grasping the belts, and separate lap and shoulder belts with small narrowing ends to prevent catching on gear. The belts are extendable from Inertial reels which are calibrated for off-road operation. The buckle engages each belt separately and includes a single action release. The buckle position is easily adjusted using an oversized knob so that a soldier may easily find and adjust buckle length in the dark, wearing heavy gloves, or with muddy slippery fingers. The latch/unlatch mechanism and associated hardware is an open frame type to reduce or eliminate affects of mud, dust, water or other contaminants on operation.

Combat vehicle restraint system

Seat belt connector

A vehicle occupant restraint system includes a seat base pivotally connected to a seat mounting point and seat back pivotally connecting to the seat base. The seat base pivot reside proximal to a forward edge of the seat base and the seat back pivot resides proximal to a rearward edge of the seat base. Each pivot includes a toothed rack, and an engaging member for locking the pivot. The teeth define a radius about the pivots. The engaging members are attached to the seat base and are actuated by levers attached to the seat base. A harness is attached to the seat to prevent injury of an occupant in the event of a unanticipated maneuver, crash, rough terrain, or turbulence. The restraint system comprises a robust mechanism to withstand crash loads and offer sufficient adjustment between sitting and standing positions to accommodate an occupant's duties.

Adjustable articulating crew seat

A latching inertial reel temporarily holds an inertial reel in a locked position during a lateral acceleration and resetably holds the reel in a latched position as a result of a vertical acceleration. The reel is latched when a latching sensor experiences a vertical acceleration above a threshold. A latch holds the reel in the latched position after the acceleration reduces to prevent subsequent injury from secondary impacts of a vehicle occupant with objects or surfaces in the vehicle. The latch may later be reset to release the reel. A vehicle seat may further include a seat inertial reel to provide support to the seat during a crash. The seat inertial reel may be attached to a floor mounting point, or to an elevated mounting point.

Latching inertial reel

A shaft on which a restraint belt is wound is rotatably mounted in the side walls of a U-shaped frame. A plastic belt guide is connected by side arm belt edge protectors to tubular flanges that form bushings for the shaft. A driving hub mounted on the shaft drives a locking hub through a clutch formed of ball bearings mounted in recesses in the faces of the hubs. Belt payout rotation of the shaft at a predetermined acceleration will cause the locking hub to rotationally lag. This causes the locking hub to move axially and further causes locking teeth on the locking hub to engage holes in the sidewall of the frame. This prevents further rotation until the belt extension load on the belt is removed. A synchronization spring arrests rotation of the locking hub as it moves axially into locking position.

Restraint belt retractor

A shaft on which a restraint belt is wound is rotatably mounted in the side walls of a U-shaped frame. A driving hub mounted on the shaft drives a locking hub through a clutch formed of ball bearings mounted in recesses in the faces of the hubs. Belt payout rotation of the shaft at a predetermined acceleration will cause the locking hub to rotationally lag. This causes the locking hub to move axially and further causes locking teeth on said locking hub to engage holes in the sidewall of the frame. This prevents further rotation until the belt extension load on the belt is removed.

Growing community of inventors

Riverside, CA, United States of America

John A Churilla