Patent ID: 7604080

Claim:
A vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant's head and neck during a rear impact, comprising: an anticipatory crash sensor which predicts a rear impact prior to impact of an object into a rear of the vehicle to cause the rear impact; a support structure which supports the occupant including an upper body support portion which supports the occupant's head and neck, said support structure having a plurality of different positions selectable by the occupant, said upper body support portion having an outer surface facing a rear of the occupant's head and neck and which is adapted to come into contact with the occupant's head and/or neck; and a positioning system coupled to said anticipatory crash sensor and arranged to adjust the position of said upper body support portion after prediction of the rear impact by said anticipatory crash sensor and before the rear impact such that said outer surface of said upper body support portion is closer to the occupant's head and neck during the rear impact to thereby reduce the distance between the rear of the occupant's head and neck and said outer surface of said upper body support portion, said positioning system adjusting the position of said upper body support portion by moving said upper body support portion in a direction toward the rear of the occupant's head and/or neck while also moving said upper body support portion in its entirety relative to a remaining part of said support structure.