An armrest assembly comprising a base structure and an upper structure that has an upper surface providing an armrest. The upper structure is movable with respect to the base structure between an upper position and a lower position under the control of a lockable actuator that is operable to lock the upper structure with respect to the base structure in any one of a plurality of adoptable positions. A second locking device is operable to lock the upper structure with respect to the base structure in at least one of the adoptable positions, the locking device including locking elements that inter-engage mechanically when the second locking device locks the upper structure with respect to said base structure.

Disclosed is a lightweight seat (100) that includes a seat base (102), a seat bottom (103) attached to an upper portion of the seat base, a seat back (101) attached to a rear portion of the seat bottom, and a seat belt assembly (150) secured to the seat bottom. The seat belt assembly may include a strap (104) attached to an underside of the seat bottom and extending from a first end adjacent to first side of the seat bottom to a second end adjacent to a second side of the seat bottom and a seat belt disposed adjacent to an upper side of the seat bottom, wherein a first end of the seat belt is attached to the first end of the strap and a second end of the seat belt is attached to the second end of the strap.

A personal automotive vehicle includes a door with a door panel that partly defines a reconfigurable passenger cabin. The door panel presents an abrasion-resistant portion to the interior of the passenger cabin at an upper section of the door panel below the window. A seat is mounted in the passenger cabin and can be rotated inwardly to increase the available range of movement of the seat occupant. The abrasion-resistant portion of the door panel is located to prevent scuff-related damage to the door panel when the seat occupant crosses his legs. The abrasion-resistant portion of the door panel can be selectively covered and uncovered by a moveable portion of the door panel, which may include an armrest.

An example embodiment of a system and methods for detecting and reporting whether passengers are seated and secured in their seats within a vehicle may include a passenger sensor configured to provide an output indicative of a presence of a passenger in a seat in a vehicle, a restraint sensor configured to provide an output indicative of a status of a passenger safety restraint associated with the seat, a transmitter configured to be in electronic communication with the passenger sensor and the restraint sensor and to wirelessly transmit data indicative of the presence of a passenger in the seat and the status of the restrain, and a reporting module configured to be disposed proximate a driver of the vehicle. The reporting module may be configured to receive the data from the transmitter, and output a respective status for each of a plurality of seats.

An articulating multi-body system includes first, second and third bodies, and a displacement clutch. The clutch is mounted to the second body, and includes first and second spools, and first and second cables. The first and second spools include respective first and second mating threads centered about the centerline. The first and second spools are each adapted to rotate about the centerline between fully spooled states, mid-states, and unspooled states. The first and second cables extend between, and are connected to, the respective first and third bodies and the respective first and second spools for cable spooling. A maximum axial distance exists between the first and second spools when in the fully spooled states, and the first and second spools make axial contact with one-another when one is in the fully spooled state and the other is in the unspooled state.

An armrest assembly and a vehicle seat. The armrest assembly includes an armrest body and a seat-fixed pivot joint in order to pivot the armrest body between a lowered support position and a raised idle position about a seat-fixed pivot axis. A mechanical raising aid is associated with the pivot joint, which raising aid controls a torque-producing device in accordance with pivot travel, which torque-producing device is designed to produce torque on the armrest body in the raising direction. The armrest assembly may be used in passenger vehicles.

The present invention is a vehicle seat for use in a vehicle like car or van that is maneuverable in multiple configurations. Vehicle seat is maneuvered by swiveling by a swivel mechanism, sliding by a sliding mechanism and tilting by a tilting mechanism. Swivel mechanism swivels vehicle seat from a first position to a second position. Sliding mechanism slides vehicle seat from the second position to a third position. Tilting mechanism tilts vehicle seat from the third position to a fourth position and thus facilitates a user (dependant or disabled) to sit from a standing position or stand from a sitting position without experiencing much physical pain and without being dependent on a caregiver. Once the user completely sits in the vehicle seat or stands from vehicle seat, the vehicle seat is then retracted till the first position is achieved.

A structural shroud assembly for a passenger seat includes a structural shroud having a first end, a second end opposite from the first end, and a central cavity between the first end and the second end. An armrest pivot may be supported at the first end of the structural shroud. In some cases, the structural shroud may be an armrest. In other cases, the structural shroud is an upper spreader for the passenger seat configured to support a seat back of the passenger seat, and a lower spreader configured to receive at least one seat beam tube is attached to the upper spreader.

A vehicle includes a dash. A first seat and a second seat are spaced from the dash. A console is adjacent to the dash with the console being movable from a stowed position disposed in the dash to a deployed position extending from the dash between the first seat and the second seat. An airbag is supported by the console with the airbag being inflatable to an inflated position when the console is in the deployed position.

An armrest includes an arm-side wire harness and an arm body member. The arm-side wire harness includes an electric wire and an arm-side connector on an end of the electric wire to be coupled to a mount member-side connector mounted on a mount member. The arm body member includes an arrangement section in which the electric wire of the arm-side wire harness is arranged and a mount member-side wall that is to be arranged opposite the mount member. The arm body member is to be fixed to the mount member while the mount member-side wall being opposite the mount member. The mount member-side wall includes a connector insertion hole through which the mount member-side connector can be inserted. The arm-side connector and the mount member-side connector can be arranged in the arrangement section. The arm body member includes an operation hole that is continuous from the arrangement section.