The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 27, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 18, 1999
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokoyo, JP;
Abstract
The vehicle occupant protection system can significantly reduce the peak deceleration of the vehicle occupant even with a small vehicle body. The system comprises a seat fitted with a seat belt which is supported on a vehicle body so as to be slidable in a direction of an input crash load, a first actuator for applying an acceleration of a same direction as the crash load upon detection of the vehicle crash to the seat, and a second actuator for applying an acceleration of an opposite direction from the crash load with a prescribed time delay following the detection of the vehicle crash to the seat. Thus, in case of a vehicle crash or other high deceleration situations, the seat is accelerated rearward upon the occurrence of a vehicle crash by the first actuator so that the restraining capability of the seat belt is enhanced by applying to the seat a deceleration higher than the vehicle body deceleration during an early phase of the vehicle crash. Thereafter, an acceleration in the opposite direction is applied to the seat by the second actuator so that the forward inertial force acting on the vehicle occupant at the time of the vehicle crash is canceled, and the equalization of the decelerations of the vehicle body, the seat and the vehicle occupant is achieved in an early stage of the crash.