Impact absorption devices and methods for a vehicle's seat are provided. Devices comprise vertical support(s), energy absorbing element(s) hingedly connected to the seat and hingedly connected to the vertical support; and at least four rods hingedly connected to the seat and hingedly connected to the vertical support. The rods are positioned to geometrically guide a relative motion of the seat with respect to the vertical support upon impact, and to direct the impact energy absorption by the energy absorbing element(s). The rods may be configured according to prevailing spatial relations and required energy absorption with respect to expected intensities and directions of impacts. The devices may be configured with any energy absorption element(s), may be augmented by vibration damping or implemented using electromagnetic dampers.

A torso equipment support system, for use with a seat bucket of an aviation or ground vehicle, providing upper torso and worn equipment support to an occupant. The system includes a base, a flexible column, a support beam, and a shoulder harness assembly. The shoulder harness assembly is coupled to the support beam and configured for releasable attachment with shoulder belts worn by the occupant. The shoulder harness assembly includes a yoke and a set of restraint shoulder straps. The yoke is slideably coupled to the support beam at a first vertically oriented portion and has a second portion that is split into two horizontally projecting members for extension over the shoulders of the occupant. The set of restraint shoulder straps project inwardly for extension over the shoulders of the occupant from at least one retractor, and extend to the horizontally projecting members.

Methods and apparatus are provided for a device that attenuates shock loads experienced by a body supported by a moveable structure during a high energy impact event. The device includes an elongated metal bar with a principal axis coinciding with a length dimension of the bar, and an anti-rotation member configured to rotationally fix the metal bar at a first torque application point to one of the body and the moveable structure. A torque application member is located at a second torque application point on the bar, and spaced apart from the anti-rotation member by a distance defining a working section of the bar. The torque application member is connected to the other one of the body and the moveable structure, and configured to impart a twisting moment to the working section of the bar proportional to an acceleration induced inertia load between the structure and the body.

A method and apparatus for protecting a passenger during a crash comprises a moveable seat with an energy absorber (EA) that allows the seat to stroke a finite distance to decelerate the passenger in a controlled manner. The seat is designed so that one of a plurality of fixed profile EA's can be selectively engaged to provide a tailored EA composite profile adapted to the occupant's weight and anticipated crash environment. The tailored EA composite profile applies a frequency matched, low onset force to the seat, which substantially eliminates problems associated with dynamic overshoot of the passenger's spine.

A seat impact energy absorbing system having an energy absorbing module that limits forces transmitted through the seat to its occupant. Such forces may emanate from, for example, a land mine detonation. The module has frustoconical structures joined by hollow interconnecting ribs that create support pillars there between. At least some of the support pillars have tops.

A pneumatic seat support by itself supports a seat above a floor of a vehicle. The pneumatic seat support has upper and lower air chambers. The lower air chamber is a rigid cylindrical tube. The upper air chamber is a flexible cylindrical bellows, with a diameter greater than the diameter of the tube. Three or more linear shafts extending through the upper air chamber and into the lower air chamber provide a single-degree-of-freedom bearing support structure that allows vertical motion of the seat but withstands horizontal loads on the seat. When the seat moves vertically downward, it compresses air in both chambers, providing a seat support system with a natural oscillation frequency which is less than 2.4 Hz, and preferably in the range of 1.5-2.2 Hz.

A vehicle seat comprising a stand and a bucket having a seat pan and a seat back. Said stand serves to fasten said bucket to a floor of said vehicle and to absorb deformation of said floor while limiting the mechanical stresses that are transmitted to said bucket. Said pan is connected to said bucket via a revolute joint for pivoting about a transverse direction and by energy absorber devices. The stand has two first legs forming a fork and connecting the front of said bucket to said floor via ball joint connections. The bucket is connected to said floor at the rear of the seat via two ball joint connections. The stand is thus connected to said bucket via three points and to said floor via four points making it possible to avoid twisting said bucket as a result of deformation of said floor.

The present invention relates to a mine safety arrangement and a method for facilitating mine safe operation of a vehicle. Said vehicle comprises a vehicle body and a vehicle body connected ground engaging arrangement for moving the vehicle. Said vehicle body comprises a bottom portion and an inner space having a floor portion associated with said bottom portion. Said inner space comprises a mine safe level at a predetermined distance from said floor portion. Persons housed in said inner space having all body portions at or above said mine safe level are expected to be safe should the vehicle be subjected to a mine. Said mine safety arrangement comprises a sensor arrangement configured to provide signals at said mine safe level so that body portions crossing said mine safe level are detected by means of said signals for alerting persons that body portions crossed said mine safe level.

A securing system for supporting an object within a vehicle and for translating forces occurring therebetween. The system includes a component adapted to support the object within the vehicle, a mount adapted for attachment to the vehicle for concurrent movement with the vehicle, and an interface member operatively attached to and spaced from the mount. A coupler is operatively attached to one of the component and the interface member, and a receiver is operatively attached to the other of the component and the interface member. The receiver is selectively movable between a first position where the receiver secures the coupler for concurrent movement therewith and a second position where the coupler can be removed from the receiver. A translation module is interposed in force-translating relationship between the mount and the interface member to support the component when the coupler is secured to the receiver in the first position.

A method and apparatus for protecting a passenger during a crash comprises a moveable seat with an energy absorber (EA) that allows the seat to stroke a finite distance to decelerate the passenger in a controlled manner. The seat is designed so that one of a plurality of fixed profile EA's can be selectively engaged to provide a tailored EA composite profile adapted to the occupant's weight and anticipated crash environment. The tailored EA composite profile applies a frequency matched, low onset force to the seat, which substantially eliminates problems associated with dynamic overshoot of the passenger's spine.