Actuators can be used in controlling a seat surface of a vehicle seat. The actuators can have an outer skin in connection with a hinge assemblies. The actuators can include a shape-memory material (SMM) member operatively connected to the hinge assemblies. The SMM member can be a shape-memory alloy (SMA) wire. The SMM member can change from a first configuration to the second configuration in response to an activation input, such as heat. The input can be delivered to the SMM member upon detecting an activation condition, such as detection of lateral acceleration. The actuators are operatively positioned relative to a seat surface such that, when the SMM member changes configuration, actuator causes the seat surface to morph.

Example embodiments presented herein are directed toward a seat assembly, and corresponding method, for seat retraction in a vehicle during an autonomous driving mode. Seat refraction is provided by detecting a user initiated input for the retraction. Thereafter, a front seat is refracted such that an occupant of the front seat is out of reach of at least one driving control input device, for example, a steering wheel, pedals or a gear shift, during an autonomous driving mode. Such seat retraction prevents the occupant from providing inadvertent driving inputs to the driving control input devices during the autonomous driving mode.

A vehicle seat includes a movable portion, a first spring, a second spring, and a preloading device. The first spring is capable of exerting an elastic force to displace the movable portion, which is displaced in a first direction, toward the neutral position. The second spring is capable of exerting an elastic force to displace the movable portion, which is displaced in a second direction, toward the neutral position. The preloading device is capable varying at least one of an elastic force applied by the first spring to the movable portion placed in the neutral position or an elastic force applied by the second spring to the movable portion placed in the neutral position.

A vehicle proposed herein includes a swivel, a lock mechanism selectively locking and unlocking the swivel, a seat mounted on the swivel, a plurality of surface pressure sensors each disposed along an outer surface of the seat and detecting a pressure distribution within a predetermined area of the outer surface, and a controller configured to cause the lock mechanism to be unlocked based on a change in pressure distribution or a surface pressure that is detected by any of the plurality of surface pressure sensors.

The invention relates to a headrest comprising two legs, a transverse strut connecting the upper portions of the legs, a housing rotatably mounted on a transverse axis with a locking device. The locking device locks the housing in the raised position, with a first spring for actuating the housing to the lowered position when the device is deactivated. The locking device has two locking catches each formed in an upper portion of each of the legs, a locking crosspiece provided with two locking projections fitting into one of the catches each when the crosspiece is in the locking position. The invention includes a an actuator for actuating the crosspiece to the unlocked position, a second spring for actuating the crosspiece to the locking position when the housing is in the raised position and when the actuator is not activated.

A rail for a vehicle seat having first and second sliding rail members driven by a motorized drive mechanism. The rail further comprises a mechanical lock actuated by a relative movement between the motorized drive mechanism and the second rail member in the event of an accident.

A self-leveling armrest assembly for a vehicle is provided. The self-leveling armrest includes a back portion of a vehicle seat having a first bracket and a second bracket. The second bracket is rotatably connected to at least one floor bracket. An armrest assembly is rotatably connected to the first bracket of the back portion. At least one motion link is rotatably connected to the second bracket of the back portion. The at least one motion link is configured to receive a portion of the armrest assembly as the armrest rotates. The motion link is configured to maintain the armrest assembly in a substantially horizontal orientation.

Provided is a belt assist device having a compact configuration and being configured to move a seatbelt to an easily reachable position. A vehicle seat includes a belt assist device attached to a lateral portion of a seat back and configured to move a portion of a seatbelt placed on the lateral portion to the easily reachable position. The belt assist device includes a rotary member attached to a recessed housing portion of the lateral portion via a rotary shaft and configured to rotate up and down between a housing position at which the rotary member is housed in the seat back and a protruding position at which the rotary member rotates to protrude forward of the seat back to push out a portion of the seatbelt. The rotary member is disposed forward of a belt guide provided at the periphery of an upper end of the seat back.

A valve (100) includes a housing (111) and the fluid port (121). A plunger (125) is configured to seal the fluid port (121) in a first position (91) and to unseal the fluid port (121) in a second position and to displace along a displacement direction (259) from its first position (91) towards its second position. The valve (100) also includes at least one shape memory alloy, SMA, actuator (151, 152) extending along the displacement direction (259) for at least 50% of its length and configured to exert an actuation force (155) on the plunger (125) to displace the plunger (125) from the first position (91) towards the second position.

A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat back is coupled to the seat bottom to move relative to the vehicle seat. The vehicle further includes a support mechanism coupled to the vehicle and configured to vary support provided to an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat.