Seat and occupant restraint system

Abstract

A restraint system for moving a vehicle seat and occupant toward the vehicle floor. A fluid cylinder pivotally mounted to the floor has an extendable piston rod connected to a linkage mounted to the vehicle seat. A three point belt assembly mounted to the seat is connected to the cylinder rod. Retraction of the cylinder rod pretensions or tightens the three point buckle assembly and subsequently moves the seat towards the vehicle floor.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A seat restraint system mountable to a vehicle floor comprising: 
       a seat frame and seat;  
       vehicle suspension seat means connected to said seat frame and seat and for mounting to a vehicle floor operable to allow said seat frame and seat to move to and from the vehicle floor;  
       belt means mounted to said seat frame and seat to restrain an occupant thereon; and,  
       seat retracting means connected to said seat frame and seat operable to move said seat frame and seat toward the vehicle floor upon crash and wherein:  
       said seat retracting means includes a fluid cylinder and a source of pressurized fluid connected thereto, said fluid cylinder has a retractable cylinder rod connected to said seat frame and seat, said seat retracting means upon crash applying fluid pressure to said fluid cylinder moving said cylinder rod to move said seat frame and seat toward the vehicle floor.  
     
     
       2. A seat restraint system mountable to a vehicle floor comprising: 
       a seat frame and seat;  
       vehicle suspension seat means connected to said seat frame and seat and for mounting to a vehicle floor operable to allow said seat frame and seat to move to and from the vehicle floor;  
       belt means mounted to said seat frame and seat to restrain an occupant thereon; and,  
       seat retracting means connected to said seat frame and seat operable to move said seat frame and seat toward the vehicle floor upon crash and further comprising:  
       timing means associated with said belt means and said seat retracting means with said timing means operable with said seat retracting means to tighten said belt means prior to said seat retracting means moving said seat frame and seat toward the vehicle floor.  
     
     
       3. The seat restraint system of claim  2  wherein: 
       said timing means includes a member movably mounted to said seat frame and seat and connected between said seal  seat retracting means and said belt means, said member including a pre-crash position and a crash position on said seat frame and seat with said seat retracting means moving said member from said pre-crash position while pulling and lightening  tightening said belt means to said crash position whereat further movement of said seat retracting means moves said seat frame and seat toward the vehicle floor.  
     
     
       4. The seat restraint system of claim  3  wherein: 
       said member is pivotally mounted to said seat frame and seat at a first pivot joint with said seat retracting means connected to said member at a second pivot joint, said seat retracting means includes an axis extending through said second pivot joint, said first pivot joint moves to a location on said axis when in said crash position.  
     
     
       5. A seat restraint system mountable to a vehicle floor comprising: 
       a vehicle suspension seat;  
       suspension means connected to said seat and for connecting to a vehicle floor and operable to allow said seat to allow to move to and from the vehicle floor;  
       a belt mounted to said seat to restrain an occupant thereon; and,  
       a seat retractor connected to said seat to move said seat toward the vehicle floor upon crash and wherein:  
       said seat retractor includes a fluid cylinder and a source of pressurized fluid connected thereto, said fluid cylinder has a retractable cylinder rod connected to said seat, said seat retractor upon crash applying fluid pressure to said fluid cylinder moving said cylinder rod to move said seat toward the vehicle floor.  
     
     
       6. A seat restraint system mountable to a vehicle floor comprising: 
       a vehicle suspension seat;  
       suspension means connected to said seat and for connecting to a vehicle floor and operable to allow said seat to move to and from the vehicle floor;  
       a belt mounted to said seat to restrain an occupant thereon; and,  
       a seat retractor connected to said seat to move said seat toward the vehicle floor upon crash and further comprising:  
       a timer means associated with said belt and said seat retractor for tightening said belt prior to said seat retractor moving said seat toward the vehicle floor.  
     
     
       7. The seat restraint system of claim  6  wherein: 
       said timer means includes a member movably mounted to said seat and connected between said seat retractor and said belt, said member including a pre-crash position and a crash position on said seat with said seat retractor moving said member from said pre-crash position while pulling and tightening said belt to said crash position whereat further movement of said seat retractor moves said seat toward the vehicle floor.  
     
     
       8. A seat restraint system for a vehicle comprising: 
       a seat;  
       a mount;  
       seat retracting means fixed to said mount and connected between said seat and said mount and operable upon crash to move said seat toward said mount;  
       belt means mounted to said seat operable to restrain an occupant thereon; and,  
       belt retracting means connected between said seat retracting means and said belt means and operable upon crash to tighten said belt means prior to said seat retracting means moving said seat toward said mount.  
     
     
       9. A seat restraint system adapted to mount to the floor of a vehicle comprising: 
       
         a vehicle suspension seat including a seat and a seat frame adapted to mount atop a floor and movable to and from the floor;  
       
       
         a suspension device connected to said seat frame;  
       
       
         a motion sensor for mounting to the vehicle to detect a change in velocity, said motion sensor including an output connection;  
       
       
         a belt connected to said suspension seat to restrain an occupant thereon; and,  
       
       
         a seat retractor including a fluid cylinder and a source of pressurized fluid connected thereto, said fluid cylinder has a retractable cylinder rod connected to said seat, said seat retractor upon crash applying fluid pressure to said fluid cylinder moving said cylinder rod to move said seat toward the vehicle floor. 
       
     
     
       10. The restraint system of claim  9  wherein: 
       
         said seat retractor is connected to said belt to tighten said belt once said sensor has detected a change in velocity. 
       
     
     
       11. The restraint of claim  9  and further comprising: 
       
         a belt mount connecting said belt to said suspension seat, said belt mount tightening said belt once said sensor has detected a change in velocity. 
       
     
     
       12. A seat restraint system adapted to mount to the floor of a vehicle comprising: 
       
         vehicle suspension seat means including a seat and a seat frame adapted to mount atop a floor and movable to and from the floor;  
       
       
         a suspension device connected to said seat frame;  
       
       
         motion sensing means for mounting to the vehicle operable to detect a change in velocity;  
       
       
         belt means mounted to said suspension seat means to restrain an occupant thereon; and,  
       
       
         seat retractor means including a fluid cylinder and a source of pressurized fluid connected thereto, said fluid cylinder has a retractable cylinder rod connected to said seat frame and said seat, said seat retractor means upon a crash applying fluid pressure to said fluid cylinder moving said cylinder rod to move said seat frame and seat towards the vehicle floor. 
       
     
     
       13. The restraint system of claim  12  and further comprising: 
       
         a mount connecting said belt means to said suspension seat means, said seat retractor means being connected to said mount tightening said belt means upon crash of the vehicle. 
       
     
     
       14. A seat restraint system adapted to mount to a vehicle floor comprising: 
       
         a seat frame and seat adapted to mount atop a vehicle floor;  
       
       
         a vehicle seat suspension connected to said seat frame and seat and for mounting to a vehicle floor to allow said seat frame and seat to move to and from the vehicle floor;  
       
       
         a belt associated with said seat frame and seat to restrain an occupant thereon;  
       
       
         a sensor to detect a change in velocity upon vehicle crash;  
       
       
         a seat retractor connected to said seat frame and seat and also connected to said sensor to move said seat frame and seat in its entirety toward the vehicle floor upon said sensor detecting change in velocity upon vehicle crash; and,  
       
       
         timing means associated with said belt and said seat retractor for tightening said belt prior to said seat retractor moving said seat toward the vehicle floor. 
       
     
     
       15. The restraint system of claim  14  wherein: 
       
         said retractor is connected to said belt and includes a belt mount to tighten said belt once said sensor has detected a change in velocity upon vehicle crash. 
       
     
     
       16. The restraint system of claim  14  further comprising: 
       
         a mounting device on said seat frame connected to said belt and said retractor. 
       
     
     
       17. A seat restraint system adapted to mount to the floor of a vehicle comprising: 
       
         a seat adapted to mount atop a floor;  
       
       
         suspension structure connected to said seat operable to move said seat to and from the floor;  
       
       
         a sensor for mounting to the vehicle to detect the crash of the vehicle;  
       
       
         a belt for mounting to the vehicle to restrain an occupant upon the seat; and,  
       
       
         a retractor mechanism including a seat retractor and a timing plate connected to said seat, to said belt and to said sensor, said retractor mechanism once said sensor detects the crash of the vehicle will move said seat to the floor and tighten said belt, said timer plate provides a timer means associated with said belt and said seat retractor for tightening said belt prior to said seat retractor moving said seat toward the vehicle floor. 
       
     
     
       18. A seat restraint system adapted to mount to the floor of a vehicle comprising: 
       
         a seat and mount adapted to mount atop a floor;  
       
       
         suspension seat means connected to said seat operable to move said seat to and from the floor;  
       
       
         motion sensing means for mounting to the vehicle operable to detect the crash of the vehicle;  
       
       
         belt means for mounting to the vehicle operable to restrain an occupant upon the seat;  
       
       
         seat retractor means connected to said seat, to said belt means and to said sensing means, said retractor means once said sensing means detects the crash of the vehicle operable to move said seat to the floor; and,  
       
       
         belt retracting means connected between said seat retractor means and said belt means and operable upon crash to tighten said belt means prior to said seat retractor means moving said seat toward said mount. 
       
     
     
       19. A seat restraint system adapted to mount to the floor of a vehicle comprising: 
       
         a seat and seat frame adapted to mount atop a floor;  
       
       
         suspension means connected to said seat operable to move said seat to and from the floor;  
       
       
         motion sensing means for mounting to the vehicle operable to detect the crash of the vehicle;  
       
       
         belt means for mounting to the vehicle operable to restrain an occupant upon the seat; and,  
       
       
         retractor means connected to said seat, to said belt means and to said sensing means, said retractor means once said sensing means detects the crash of the vehicle operable to move said seat to the floor and further operable to tighten said belt means, said retractor means includes a fluid cylinder and a source of pressurized fluid connected thereto, said fluid cylinder has a retractable cylinder rod connected to said seat frame and said seat, said seat retractor means upon a crash applying fluid pressure to said fluid cylinder moving said cylinder rod to move said seat frame and seat towards the vehicle floor.