Vehicle safety collision headrest system

Abstract

A vehicle safety collision headrest system which substantially instantaneously moves a headrest of a seat from any manually adjusted position to a fully extended position. The system includes a pressure actuation assembly having combustible propellant or fluid tank fluidly connected to a cylinder. The cylinder is rigidly connected to a bottom of the headrest and upon the occurrence of a collision or abrupt stopping the pressure actuation system fires the cylinder upwardly which causes the headrest to extend to a properly adjusted position behind a passenger's head and neck. The pressure actuation system inflates a front airbag which extends between a bottom of the headrest and a top of the seat to fill the gap therebetween. The front airbag cushions the passenger's head and neck as the passenger is thrust rearward and protects the passenger's head and neck from contacting the cylinder and poles rigidly mounted to the bottom of the headrest. A rear airbag may be optionally provided to protect back seat passengers from contacting the rear of the front seat and its hardware as the back seat passenger is thrust forward. The safety collision headrest system can be installed in rear seats as well as in front seats.

1 . A vehicle safety collision system comprising: 
 a seat backrest having a front, a rear and a top;    a headrest attached to said seat and extendable to an upper position; and pressure actuation means for moving said headrest to the upper position upon occurrence of an event.    
     
     
         2 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 1    further comprising a first airbag which is inflated between said headrest and said seat upon occurrence of the event.  
     
     
         3 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 1    further comprising a rear airbag which is inflated between said headrest and said seat, said rear airbag extending from said rear of said seat backrest.  
     
     
         4 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 1   , wherein said pressure actuation means includes a cylinder connected to said headrest for moving said headrest to the upper position.  
     
     
         5 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 1   , wherein said pressure actuation means is comprised of an airbag which is inflated between said headrest and said seat upon occurrence of the event.  
     
     
         6 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 2   , wherein said first airbag is positioned at the front of said seat between said cylinder and a passenger sitting in said seat.  
     
     
         7 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 6    further comprising a second airbag which is inflated between said headrest and said seat upon the occurrence of the event.  
     
     
         8 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 6    wherein said first and said second airbags are in fluid communication.  
     
     
         9 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 7   , wherein said second airbag is positioned at the rear of said seat between said cylinder and a passenger sitting behind said seat.  
     
     
         10 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 9   , wherein said pressure actuation means includes a combustible propellant which is fluidly connected to said cylinder for supplying fluid to said cylinder for moving said headrest to the upper position.  
     
     
         11 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 9   , wherein said pressure actuation means includes a pressurized fluid supply which is fluidly connected to said cylinder for supplying pressurized fluid to said cylinder for moving said headrest to the upper position.  
     
     
         12 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 2   , further comprising at least one collision sensor which detects the occurrence of an event and thereafter actuates said pressure actuation means to deploy said first airbags.  
     
     
         13 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 6   , further comprising at least one collision sensor which detects the occurrence of an event and thereafter actuates said pressure actuation means to deploy said first and second airbags.  
     
     
         14 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 2   , wherein said first airbag has a generally U-shaped configuration which cradles and guides a passenger's head and neck to a centered position relative to said headrest.  
     
     
         15 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 2   , wherein said first airbag includes an extension which extends laterally relative to said passenger in at least one direction and partially fills the area between seats to cushion and support a passenger seated between said seats.  
     
     
         16 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 2   , further comprising a passenger detection sensor embedded within said seat which detects whether said seat is occupied by a passenger and allows actuation of said pressure actuation means during an occurrence of an event if said seat is occupied by a passenger and prohibits actuation of said pressure actuation means during an occurrence if said seat is empty.  
     
     
         17 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 2   , further comprising a controller operatively coupled to said at least one collision sensor, said passenger detection sensor, and said pressure actuation means, wherein said controller monitors said at least one collision sensor and said passenger detection sensor to thereby selectively control actuation of said pressure actuation means.  
     
     
         18 . A vehicle safety collision system comprising: 
 a seat backrest having a front, a rear and a top;    a first airbag stored within the top of said seat backrest, wherein said first airbag is inflated from said top of said backrest upon occurrence of an event.    
     
     
         19 . A vehicle safety collision system as recited in    claim 18   , further comprising a second airbag stored within the rear of said seat backrest, wherein said second airbag is inflated from said rear of said backrest upon the occurrence of the event.  
     
     
         20 . A vehicle safety collision system as recited in    claim 18   , further comprising a second airbag stored within the top of said seat backrest, wherein said second airbag is inflated from said top of said backrest upon the occurrence of the event, said second airbag extending outward in the rear direction of said seat backrest.  
     
     
         21 . A vehicle safety collision system as recited in    claim 18   , further comprising a second airbag stored within the top of said seat backrest, wherein said second airbag is inflated from said top of said backrest upon the occurrence of the event, and wherein said first and said second airbags are comprised of a single airbag formed into said first and second airbags upon inflation.  
     
     
         22 . A vehicle safety collision system comprising: 
 a plurality of seats, each seat having a backrest with a front surface, a back surface and a top, said plurality of seats consisting of a set of first seats and a set of second seats, said second seats located behind either a first or second vehicle seat;    a plurality of headrests wherein one of said headrests is attached to each of said plurality of seat backrests and extendable to an upper position;    a plurality of pressure actuation means operatively coupled to each of a plurality of seat backrests for moving said headrest to the upper position upon occurrence of an event;    a first airbag operatively disposed within each of said headrests which is inflated between said headrest and said seat backrest upon occurrence of the event; and    a second airbag operatively disposed within each of said headrests which correspond with said first seats of said vehicle and is inflated between said headrest and said seat backrest upon occurrence of the event.    
     
     
         23 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 22   , further comprising: 
 at least one collision sensor which detects the occurrence of the event and thereafter actuates said pressure actuation means and said first and second airbags; and    a plurality of passenger detection sensors embedded within said seats which detects which of said seats are occupied by a passenger and allows actuation of said corresponding pressure actuation means during an occurrence of an event if said seat is occupied by a passenger and prohibits actuation of said corresponding pressure actuation means during an occurrence if said seat is empty.    
     
     
         24 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 23   , further comprising: 
 a controller operatively coupled to said at least one collision sensor, said plurality of passenger detection sensors, and said plurality of pressure actuation means, wherein said controller monitors said at least one collision sensor and said plurality of passenger detection sensors to thereby selectively control actuation of each of said plurality of pressure actuation means.    
     
     
         25 . The vehicle safety collision system recited in    claim 24   , wherein said controller consists of a microprocessor system which receives and processes information in substantially real time from said at least one collision sensor and said plurality of passenger detection sensors to thereby selectively control actuation of each of said plurality of pressure actuation means.  
     
     
         26 . A method of providing safety in a vehicle during a collision comprising the steps of: 
 (a) detecting the occurrence of a collision by a vehicle;    (b) moving a headrest of said vehicle's seat to its upper position upon the detection of the collision; and    (c) inflating an airbag.    
     
     
         27 . A method as recited in    claim 26    wherein said airbag is positioned between said headrest and said seat of the vehicle to fill the gap formed between the headrest and the seat to protect the head and neck of a passenger of the vehicle during the collision.  
     
     
         28 . A method recited in    claim 26   , further comprising, between steps (a) and (b), the steps of: 
 detecting the presence of a passenger in each seat of the vehicle; and    prohibiting headrest movement and airbag inflation in each seat of the vehicle in which a passenger is not present.    
     
     
         28 . A method of providing safety in a vehicle during a collision comprising the steps of: 
 (a) detecting the occurrence of a collision by a vehicle;    (b) detecting the presence of a passenger in each seat of the vehicle;    (c) determining whether each passenger present in the vehicle is greater than a predetermined weight;    (d) selectively moving each headrest of the vehicle that corresponds to a seat in which a passenger greater than a predetermined weight is present to its upper position; and    (e) inflating an airbag between each headrest and seat of the vehicle that corresponds to a seat in which a passenger greater than a predetermined weight is present to fill the gap formed between each headrest and seat to protect the head and neck of each passenger of the vehicle during the collision.