An occupant support a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat back includes a backrest including and an upper-back adjuster coupled to the backrest at least partially movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The occupant support is at least partially covered in an outer trim including a backrest portion and an adjuster portion that moves relative to the backrest portion. The outer trim blocks view of an interior of the seat back.

An autonomous can include one or more configurable passenger seats to accommodate a plurality of different seating configurations. For instance, the one or more passenger seats can include a passenger seat defining a seating orientation. The passenger seat can be configurable in a first configuration in which the seating orientation is directed towards a forward end of the autonomous vehicle and a second configuration in which the seating orientation is directed towards a rear end of the autonomous vehicle. The passenger seat can include a seatback rotatable about a pivot point on a base of the passenger seat to switch between the first configuration and the second configuration. Alternatively, or additionally, the autonomous vehicle can include a door assembly pivotably fixed to a vehicle body of the autonomous vehicle such that a swept path of the door assembly when moving between an open position and a closed position is reduced.

Systems and methods for reconfiguring seats of an autonomous vehicle is provided. The method includes obtaining service request data that includes a service selection and request characteristics. The method includes obtaining data describing an initial seat configuration for each of a plurality of seats of an autonomous vehicle assigned to the service request. The initial seat configuration can include a seat position and a seat orientation for each of the plurality of seats. The method includes generating, based on the initial cabin configuration and the service request data, seat adjustment instructions configured to adjust the initial seat configuration of at least one of the seats. The method includes providing the seat adjustment instructions to the autonomous vehicle assigned to the service request.

A seat control device for a vehicle seat of a vehicle is disclosed. The seat control device comprises a first control element which controls an electric adjustment motor for electrically adjusting the vehicle seat and/or an electric heating device for electrically heating the vehicle seat, a fluid valve which controls a fluid flow for the pneumatic adjustment of the vehicle seat, a second control element which controls an operating state of the fluid valve, and a fluid pump which is fluidically connected to the fluid valve, wherein the first control element, the second control element, the fluid valve and the fluid pump are arranged on a common circuit board.

A magnetic seat adjustment system includes a frame structure, a movable adjustment mechanism, and a control system. The frame structure includes a first magnetic portion fixedly coupled to the frame structure and including first magnetic members that independently generate a magnetic field. The movable adjustment mechanism includes a movable base and a second magnetic portion. The second magnetic portion is fixedly coupled to the movable base and includes second magnetic members that independently generate a magnetic field. The control system controls a change in the magnetic field of the second magnetic members and/or the first magnetic members. When the magnetic field of the second magnetic members interacts with the magnetic field of the first magnetic members, the seat is in a magnetic levitation state, so that movement of the movable base drives movement of the seat.

A vehicle seat can be configured to selectively provide support to a vehicle occupant in conditions when lateral acceleration is experienced. An actuator can be located within the vehicle seat. When activated, the actuator cause a portion of the seat to morph into an activated configuration. The actuator can be activated based on vehicle speed, steering angle, and/or lateral acceleration. The actuator can include end members connected by a shape memory material connecting member. Actuator blocks with sliding surfaces can be located between the end members. The actuator can be configured such that, in response to an activation input, the shape memory material connecting member contracts, which draws the end members toward each other and causes corresponding sliding surfaces of the plurality of actuator blocks to engage and slide relative to each other. In this way, the actuator morphs into an activated configuration in which its overall height increases.

A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat and a lower leg support. The seat includes a first end and a second end. The first and second ends are opposite to one another. The lower leg support is coupled to the seat at the second end and is movable relative to the seat between a retracted position and an extended position. A suspension assembly is coupled to the lower leg support. The suspension assembly includes a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion. The first end of the suspension assembly is coupled to a portion of the seat. The second end of the suspension assembly is coupled proximate to a distal end of the lower leg support. A distance between an interior surface of the intermediate portion and an adjacent surface of each of the seat and the lower leg support may vary based on lower leg support position.

An actuating pillow includes a pillow body and a plurality of artificial muscles arranged within the pillow body. Each of the artificial muscles includes a housing having an electrode region and an adjacent expandable fluid region, an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, and a dielectric fluid housed within the housing. The plurality of artificial muscles are configured to actuate from a non-actuated state to an actuated state, actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region and increases a height of the pillow body.

A vehicle load-bearing member includes an electro-active material, a lead wire for delivering an electric current to the electro-active material, and a controller in communication with a power supply for supplying electric current to the electro-active material for changing dynamic characteristics of the electro-active material, wherein changing dynamic characteristics of the electro-active material changes at least one of dampening and stiffness of the vehicle load-bearing member by changing the shape of the electro-active material.

A seat lifter includes: an inner link for changing a height position of an inner lower arm with respect to a floor of a vehicle; an outer link for changing a height position of an outer lower area with respect to the floor; a coupling rod that couples the inner link to the outer link; a planetary gear mechanism capable of causing the coupling rod to rotate relative to the inner lower arm and the outer lower arm; a drive unit capable of driving the planetary gear mechanism; and a power transmission rod that transmits power of the drive unit to the planetary gear mechanism. The planetary gear mechanism is disposed between the inner lower arm and the outer lower arm. The drive unit is disposed outside the inner lower arm in the width direction or outside the outer lower arm in the width direction.