Methods and apparatus are provided for a shock absorbing vehicle seating system. In one embodiment the seating system includes a seat moveably attached to a vehicle by a seat guide apparatus configured to constrain seat movement to a stroking direction. The system further includes a spring damper with opposed first and second ends, configured to compress along a longitudinal axis extending through the ends in response to an external compressive load, and an energy attenuating component with a deformable portion disposed between a first end and a second end thereof. The spring damper and energy attenuating component are arranged serially with respect to one another, and together form a seat supporting assembly disposed between the seat and the vehicle. The energy attenuating component is configured to deform in a predictable manner in response to a shock load that reaches a predefined threshold value, allowing the seat to stroke in the stroking direction as the energy attenuating component absorbs energy.
Series mounted energy attenuator and spring damper
01.01.2019
Patent
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch