Safety passenger seat apparatus

Abstract

Safety passenger seat apparatus for a vehicle including a passenger seat having a backrest pivotally attached to a seat rest. Energy absorption devices are provided for dissipating and absorbing collison and/or deceleration forces acting on the seat or a passenger in the seat, which energy absorption devices utilize both pivotal and linear movement of portions of the seat during the energy absorption. In one preferred embodiment, a rotation energy transformer is provided at the pivotal connection between the backrest and the seat rest, while a further rotation energy transformer is provided at the attachment of the seat rest to a fixed foot support structure. This preferred embodiment further includes a linear energy transformer which frictionally dissipates energy during linear movement of the foot and attached seat along guide rails fixed in the floor of the vehicle. The energy absorption characteristics of the absorbing transformers are different so as to accommodate a predetermined desired series of relative movements of the seat parts in the event of a collision. In another preferred embodiment, a child's seat is constructed with a pull member attached to the backrest and passed over a pulley attached to the seat rest, which pull member is than connected to a linear energy transformer. In the child's seat embodiment, both pivotal movement of the backrest with respect to the seat rest and linear movement of the seat are obtained.