Abstract:
A vehicle seat with that is movable in response to a collision that automatically shifts the position of an individual sitting the seat while having minimal change in the space behind the seat.

Description:
1. RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority and incorporates by reference the provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/961,024, filed on Jul. 18, 2007, titled “Vehicle Safety Seat” by Dennis Hawkins Hanson and Jennifer Lynn Hanson. 
    
    
     2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently there are many vehicles, such as cars, buses, trains, boats and planes that are used daily. All of these vehicles have seats for the driver and passengers. The seats typically have been designed so that the bottom of the seat is fixed during an accident. Current approaches to improving vehicle safety with fixed seats involve air bags or other restraints to keep seat occupants in close proximity to the seats during an accident. 
     Some of the worst types of accidents that occur are head-on collisions. In a head-on collision, the driver and passengers are propelled forward by the sudden change in vehicle momentum and then thrown back by their reflexes. The spine and head of a person in a fixed seat are often in a position where the vector force of the weight of the upper body is supported by the “seat” portion of the vehicle seat. Such a position is likely to increase the likelihood of internal injuries in the head-on collision. 
     Therefore, there is a need for an approach to construct a safer vehicle seat that overcomes the limitations of known approaches. 
     SUMMARY 
     A vehicle safety seat is described that reduces chance of injury by changing the position of the person sitting in the seat portion in order to allow more of a person&#39;s body surface to absorb the impact. The vehicle safety seat having a seat portion and a base portion where the seat portion is in a first position on the base portion until an event occurs. Upon occurrence of the event, the seat portions changes from the first position to the second position. The second position enables the energy from the collision to be distributed over a greater area of the body, therefore allowing for less localized stress on the body. 
     Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an example implementation of a vehicle safety seat with a seat portion in a first position and a base portion. 
         FIG. 2  is another side view of the example implementation of the vehicle safety seat with the seat portion in a second position 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the seat portion. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the base portion. 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the base portions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An approach for a vehicle safety seat for use in a vehicle that is able to change the position of an individual sitting in the vehicle seat in the event of an accident is being described. 
     In  FIG. 1 , a side view  100  of an example implementation of the vehicle safety seat with a seat portion  102  in a first position and a base portion  104  is shown. The seat portion  102  is formed in such a way to provide a person with typical support when in a seated position with both a seat bottom  106  and seat back  108 . Optionally, a head-rest  110  may be fixed on the seat back  108  to prevent a person&#39;s head from snapping back in the event of an accident. 
     The seat portion  102  may be spaced apart from the base portion by seat legs  116  and  118 . The seat legs  116  and  118  are secured at one end to a sub-frame (now shown) of the seat bottom  106 . The other end of the seat legs  116  and  118  are movably secured to the base portion  104 . In other implementations, the seat portion may have telescoping legs (front, back, or both front and back) that may raise or lower the seat portion  102  between the first position and the second position. 
     In yet other implementations, airbags may be used within the seat to aid in absorbing impact forces. Similarly, airbags may be used to move the seat from its first position to its second position. Airbags may also be employed to collapse the seat in a controlled manner in order to further aid in the dispersion or reduction of impact forces. 
     The base portion  104  may form openings  112  and  114  that enable the legs  116  and  118  to be movably secured. The securing may occur with pins or rods through holes as shown in the example implementation of  FIG. 1 . In other implementations, bolts or other fasteners may be employed that enable the seat portion  102  to move relative to the base portion  104  in the event of an accident. In yet other implementation, the base portion  104  my have a track along which the seat portion travels. 
     A locking mechanism  120  or latch may be attached to base portion  104  to prevent premature changes of position and secure the seat portion  102  in the first position. The locking mechanism  120  may secure the seat portion  102  with a spring that requires a predetermined amount of force before it releases the seat portion  102 . In yet other implementations, the locking mechanism may be an electro-mechanical mechanism controlled by the vehicle computer system that responds to crash sensors that trigger air bags. 
     The seat portion  102  may be secured to the base portion  104  in a first position for normal operation or seating. Upon an event, such as an accident occurring, the locking mechanism  120  releases the seat portion  102  that moves to a second position. Turning to  FIG. 2 , another side view  200  of the example implementation of the vehicle safety seat with the seat portion  102  in a second position is shown. The seat back  108  is reclined in the second position in  FIG. 2  compared to the first position of  FIG. 1  and the seat bottom  108  is shown raised in  FIG. 2  when compared to  FIG. 1 . One of the advantages to the seat portion having the seat back  108  drop and seat bottom  106  rise, is to allow the maximum change of angle in the least of amount of space. The seat portion may have an angle change from the first position to the second position of forty-five degrees. In other implementations, only the seat bottom or the seat back may move with the other seat portion only pivoting on the base portion  104 . In yet other implementations, the base portion  104  may be installed on an incline with the front higher than the back. 
     In  FIG. 3  a side view  300  of the seat portion  102  is shown. The legs  116  and  118  are depicted with leg  116  being shorter than leg  118 . The difference in sizes of legs  116  and  118  enable the seat to be in the first position or a second reclined position. In other implementations, the legs  116  and  118  may be reversed. In yet other implementation, the holes formed in the base portion  104  may be offset enabling the legs to be the same length. 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , a side view  400  of the base portion  104  is shown. The base portion  104  may be formed separate from the vehicle frame as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  4 . In other implementations, the base portions may be formed in the body or frame of the vehicle. The base portion  104  may be made of iron, steel, aluminum, fiber carbon, or a composite material. 
     In  FIG. 5 , a front view of the base portion  104  along with base portion  502  is shown. The base portions  104  and  502  may be attached to the vehicle  504  with bolts  506  and  508 . In other implementations, rivets, welds, stamped metal, screws or similar fasteners may be used to attach base portions  104  and  502  to vehicle  504 . Rods  510  and  512  may pass through legs  116  and  118  and travel in slots  112  and  114 . The rods  510  and  512  may be secured to legs  116  and  118  via welds or be molded with legs  116  and  118 . In other implementations, the rods may be tabs that extend from legs  116  and  118  through base portions  104  and  502 . The locking mechanism  120  may be on one base portion as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5 . In other implementations, the locking mechanism  120  may be located on the vehicle  504 , rod  510  or  512 . In yet other implementations, more than one locking mechanism  120  may secure the seat portion  102 . 
     The foregoing description of an implementation has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the claimed inventions to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description or may be acquired from practicing the invention. Note also that the implementation may vary between systems. The claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.