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.

A vehicle operation detection device is applicable to a vehicle including a vehicle body in which an opening portion is provided, an opening and closing body which opens and closes the opening portion, an actuator which causes the opening and closing body to perform opening and closing operations, and a camera which captures an image around the opening portion, and is configured to detect a gesture of a user for starting at least one of the opening operation and the closing operation. The device includes: a direction specifying unit that specifies a direction of the user with respect to the vehicle based on the image captured by the camera; and a gesture detection unit that detects the gesture including a motion in a direction associated with the direction of the user, based on the image captured by the camera, when the direction specifying unit specifies the direction of the user.

A trailer truck is the combination of a truck and one or more trailers used to haul freight. A trailer attaches to the truck via a trailer coupling (hitch), with much of its weight borne by the truck. The result is that both the truck and the trailer will have a distinctly different design than a rigid truck and trailer. Exemplary vehicles are provided, such as heavy duty trucks having truck bodies with improved aerodynamic characteristics, including improved drag coefficients.

A boarding and exiting handrail including: a base part provided near an entrance-and-exit of a vehicle so as to be rotatable with an axis oriented in an up-down direction; a handrail main part capable of being gripped by passengers boarding and exiting through the entrance-and-exit; and a rail part slidably holding a sliding member mounted on a sliding door that opens and closes the entrance-and-exit by moving along an outer wall surface of the vehicle. When the sliding door opens the entrance-and-exit, the boarding and exiting handrail assumes a deployed posture with the handrail main part and the rail part protruded toward the outside of the vehicle as seen from above, and when the sliding door closes the entrance-and-exit, the boarding and exiting handrail assumes a retracted posture with the handrail main part and the rail part disposed along the sliding door as seen from above.

A trailer truck is the combination of a truck and one or more trailers used to haul freight. A trailer attaches to the truck via a trailer coupling (hitch), with much of its weight borne by the truck. The result is that both the truck and the trailer will have a distinctly different design than a rigid truck and trailer. Exemplary vehicles are provided, such as heavy duty trucks having truck bodies with improved aerodynamic characteristics, including improved drag coefficients.

A trailer cleanout portal assembly includes an inner bracket attached to an inner surface of a trailer perimeter wall. The inner bracket includes a first central aperture extending therethrough that is alignable with a wall aperture in the perimeter wall. A cover bracket is attached to the inner bracket with the perimeter wall positioned between the inner and cover brackets. The cover bracket has an access aperture extending therethrough that is aligned with the first central aperture. A panel positioned between the inner bracket and the cover bracket is vertically movable to open or close the access aperture. An open space is defined extending from a lower edge of the panel and between the cover bracket and the inner bracket such that material falling between the inner and cover brackets freely falls downwardly from the assembly.

A self-aligning locking device for a vehicle sliding door assembly includes a sliding door threshold configured to be mounted on a door panel. The threshold is configured to slide along a sliding axis. The threshold includes a latch and a tongue at a car body-engaging end of the latch. The locking device also includes a groove block and a hook plate both configured to be coupled to the car body. Optionally, the locking device can include a switch sensor. The tongue of the threshold is configured to engage the groove to maintain alignment of the hook plate to mate with the latch to lock the threshold to the car body. The optional switch sensor can be configured to generate a signal indicating a locked state of the hook with the latch responsive to actuation of the switch sensor by the latch.

An autonomous vehicle includes an autonomously driven vehicle frame with a retractable pivot mechanism disposed on a platform surface of the vehicle frame. Changeable utility pods are configured to attach to and be removed from the vehicle frame by way of the retractable pivot mechanism onboard the frame, and autonomously change the vehicle from a passenger transport to a logistics transport by changing utility pods. A processor provides autonomous vehicle operations that include extending the retractable pivot mechanism from a retracted position recessed in the platform surface of the vehicle frame to an extended position that engages a utility pod conveyor channel. The retractable pivot mechanism engages a conveyor channel disposed on a mating surface of a utility pod, and conveys the utility pod along the conveyor channel to a centered and laterally-aligned position on the vehicle frame by rotating the pod into position once centered over the pivot mechanism.

A door system (1) includes a door leaf (3) for closing off an entrance opening (4) and a suspension rod (10) having two opposite ends (11, 12) supported by a support structure (13). A suspension member (14) connects the door leaf (3) to the suspension rod (10) and can slide together with the door leaf (3) along the suspension rod (10) from an initial position corresponding to a closed position of the door leaf (3), to a final position corresponding to an open position of the door leaf (3). The two opposite ends (11, 12) of the suspension rod (10) are slidable in a horizontal direction transverse to the entrance opening (4). The suspension member (14) is slidably coupled to and guided by a non-linear upper guide (17) positioned above the suspension rod (10).

Emergency actuating device, especially for vehicle doors, is provided. The device includes: a support base; a manual actuation element adapted to assume rest and actuation configurations; an electromagnetically driven locking mechanism adapted to lock the actuation element in its rest configuration; a protective shell adapted to assume a closed configuration in which the shell isolates the actuation element from the outer environment when the actuation element is in its rest configuration, and makes it impossible to reach the actuation element with a hand, and an open configuration, in which the actuation element can be reached with a hand to be brought from the rest configuration to the actuation configuration and vice versa; and an opening sensor adapted to generate an electric signal indicative of the open configuration of the protective shell, the signal being processable by an electronic control unit for controlling locking and/or unlocking of the locking mechanism.