A trim element includes a body defining an outer surface of the trim element, at least part of the body being deformable and having a deformable guide surface extending in a first direction. The trim element further includes at least one actuating element having an actuating segment extending non-rectilinearly in the first direction. The actuating segment cooperates with the guide surface in an actuating area, the guide surface adopting the shape of the actuating segment in the actuating area. The actuating segment is movable relative to the body in the first direction such that the actuating area is movable and the body deforms when the actuating element is moved in the first direction.

The interior member includes a base material part and a skin part disposed on one surface side of the base material part. The skin part is provided with an air passage part through which air that is temperature-adjusted to a predetermined temperature passes. The air passage part has a passing resistance member (a knitted fabric part that gives passing resistance to the air passing through the air passage part. Also, the air that is temperature-adjusted may be distributed from air sent out from an air conditioner installed in a vehicle, a building, or the like. Further, examples of the passing resistance member include three-dimensional knitted fabrics (such as a double raschel knitted fabric or a circular knitted fabric) and nonwoven fabrics.

A vehicle door includes a trim panel coupled to a frame. A single-piece armrest substrate is coupled with the frame. The armrest substrate is a three-dimensionally printed member having interior walls that are printed within the armrest substrate according to a virtual force model generated during a virtual impact scenario. The interior walls define a plurality of voids defined within the armrest substrate.

A vehicle input-operation assistance device includes: a traveling state detection section that detects a traveling state of a vehicle; an operation state detection section that detects an operation state of an operation member gripped by an occupant during operation; a support section that is capable of being stowed in an interior component of the vehicle, and that is capable of projecting from the interior component to a support position where the support section is capable of supporting an elbow of the occupant when the occupant is operating the operation member; and a controller that determines whether or not the elbow of the occupant operating the operation member needs to be supported based on information detected by the traveling state detection section and the operation state detection section and, in cases in which support is determined to be needed, controls the support section to project to the support position.

An armrest assembly for a vehicle door can include a panel and a cover panel. The panel can include an upper exterior surface, a pull pocket extending from and recessed below the upper exterior surface, a first engagement aperture in the pull pocket, a second engagement aperture in the pull pocket, and a switch spaced away from the pull pocket. The cover panel can include an exterior touch surface for an occupant to pull on the vehicle door. The cover panel can be in the pull pocket and expose the upper exterior surface of the panel. The cover panel can include a snap element engaging with the first engagement aperture, the snap element attached to the interior surface of the cover panel, and an attachment element engaging with the second engagement aperture, the attachment element attached to the interior surface of the cover panel.

An armrest assembly includes a body outlining a crushable space. The body includes a first deformation initiating feature, a second deformation initiating feature, a deformation propagating feature and a fracture initiating feature provided at spaced locations around the crushable space. The features function to dissipate energy in the event of a side impact and therefore force or load that might be transmitted to a motor vehicle occupant as a result of a side impact.

A trim element having a trim panel that includes an inner face and an outer face and at least one support element extending over the inner face and protruding toward the outer face such that the trim panel marries at least part of the contour of the support element in order to form a support surface on the outer face. The support element can be positioned in a plurality of positions relative to the trim panel, which is deformable to marry at least part of the contour of the support element so that the support surface can be positioned in a plurality of areas of the outer face.

An inertial latch for a motor vehicle armrest is rotatably connected to a a bracket mounted to a support structure; an armrest interfacing component is disposed in an arcuate slot in the bracket, the slot extending from a first to a second end; a primary pawl rotatable from a first to a second position and limiting motion of the interfacing component in the slot; a secondary pawl rotatable from a third position to a fourth position and limiting motion of the primary pawl; a stop limits motion of the secondary pawl. The armrest articulates from a closed to an open position, the interfacing component moves through the entire slot when the primary pawl is in the first position, the interfacing component is held within a portion less than the entire slot when the primary pawl is in the second position, and the interfacing component is releasable from the portion.

A receptacle storage structure formed in an interior member of a sliding door movable in a front-and-rear direction of a vehicle, includes a bottom wall part and a peripheral wall part forming a storage space with an upward opening. The peripheral wall part includes a displacement wall part forming at least an upper part of a front-side wall part in the front-and-rear direction and displaceable to a front side in the front-and-rear direction. The displacement wall part is tiltable to the front side in the front-and-rear direction.

A sheet-type heating element includes: an insulation layer for insulation; a first electrode disposed on the insulation layer and including a plurality of first branches; a second electrode disposed on the insulation layer and including a plurality of second branches; and a plurality of heating conductors arranged in parallel and electrically connected with the plurality of first branches and the plurality of second branches, each of the plurality of heating conductors having a higher resistance value than the first electrode and the second electrode to generate heat.