A motor vehicle seat having bubbles that can be filled with fluid, a controller, and a line system connected to the bubbles. The bubbles can be filled or emptied according to the controller. First bubbles are arranged in the backrest and the seat part of the motor vehicle seat in a two-column arrangement on either side of the spine contact region of the backrest, beneath the thigh contact region, or beneath the contact region of the hip bones. Second bubbles may be arranged in the side flanges region of the seat and/or backrest or in the lumbar support or head support regions. The controller outputs a haptic signal when a predefined event occurs to inform a vehicle occupant that as event has occurred, by the controller applying a predefined filling or emptying pattern to at least one of the first and/or second bubbles.

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 a bladder containing a dielectric fluid. A first and second conductor can be operatively positioned on opposite portions of the bladder. When electrical energy is supplied to the first and second conductors, they can have opposite charges. As a result, the first and second conductors can be electrostatically attracted toward each other to cause at least a portion of the dielectric fluid to be displaced to an outer peripheral region of the bladder, which bulges as a result and increases an overall height of the actuator.

A side bolster tilting system of a vehicular seat cushion is provided where a worm portion formed on a rotation shaft of a motor is meshed with a worm gear provided to a female threaded tubular shaft in a lower space of a side bolster, a screw shaft engaged to a lifting member in an idling mode is threaded to an upper portion of the female threaded tubular shaft so that the screw shaft is moved up and down by forward or reverse rotation of the female threaded tubular shaft, and an upper portion of the lifting member is fixed to a support plate for supporting the side bolster. By operation of the motor, the side bolster is moved up and down to provide a driver with convenience when the driver gets on or off, and a leather portion of the side bolster is prevented from being worn out.

A vehicle seat that includes a cushion frame, a seatback frame, and a pelvic restraining strap or a restraining member. The cushion frame is connected to the vehicle floor and has a first side member and a second side member that is disposed opposite to the first side member. The seatback frame is connected to the cushion frame. The pelvic restraining strap or the restraining member is connected to the cushion frame and extends towards and may or may not connect to the seatback frame.

A vehicle seating arrangement includes at least one seating assembly. The at least one seating assembly includes a seat-base and an armrest. The armrest is operably coupled to the seat-base and configured for articulation in at least one of a forward, rearward, upward, and downward direction relative to the seat-base. The armrest enables the seating assembly to transition between captains' chair, loveseat, and bed configurations.

A shape memory alloy (SMA) controlled hinge assembly is provided, including assemblies and combinations for adjusting a shape or position of an occupant support component, such as a vehicle seat support component or other seating component. The assembly includes an occupant support component and a hinge assembly configured to adjust a shape or position of at least a portion of the occupant support component. The hinge assembly includes a stationary plate and a movable plate rotatable relative to the base plate about a fixed axis of rotation. The hinge assembly includes a shape memory alloy wire coupling the stationary plate with the movable plate. An actuator is provided and configured to transform the phase of the shape memory alloy wire. In various aspects, the occupant support component is selected from one of a seat bottom; a seatback; a seat bolster; a seat head rest, and the like.

In a vehicle seat that can switch the state of a seat main body which includes a seat back and a seat cushion between a seatable state in which the seat back is erected to a car body floor to allow a seated occupant on the seat cushion and a storage state in which the seat back tilts down to the car body floor and the seat cushion is disposed between the seat back and the car body floor, the vehicle seat is provided with a guide part that contacts the lower portion of the seat cushion and supports the seat cushion when the seat state is in the seatable state, that slidably contacts a part of the seat main body in the transition of the state to the storage state, and that thus guides the movement of the seat back and the seat cushion.

Provided is a vehicle seat capable of stably supporting buttocks of a seated occupant in an adaptive manner according to each right-to-left width of the seated occupant's body, which width is different from occupant to occupant, during a turn of a vehicle. The vehicle seat includes a seat cushion (2) having a seat surface (8) and configured to support buttocks of the seated occupant from below, and a right and left pair of side supports (9, 9) provided on right and left sides of the seat surface, which side supports bulge upward to be higher than the seat surface and allowed to laterally support the buttocks of the seated occupant from either side. Each of the right and left pair of side supports (9, 9) is movable individually in the right-to-left direction with respect to the seat surface. During a turn of the vehicle, one of the side supports on an outer side of the turn is moved inward so as to support the buttocks of the seated occupant from the outer side of the turn. When the turn of the vehicle is completed, the moved side support is returned to its original position.

A support device configured to overlay a seating assembly and configured to support the torso, neck, and head of a user is provided. The support device has a first elongated bolster cushion configured to support a first thoracic side of the user, a second elongated bolster cushion configured to support a second thoracic side of the user, a first adjustable strap coupled to a upper portion of the first elongated bolster cushion and an upper portion of the second elongated bolster cushion such that the strap connects each of the first and second elongated bolster cushions on their respective lower portions, a second adjustable strap coupled to a lower portion of the first elongated bolster cushion and a lower portion of the second elongated bolster cushion such that the strap connects each of the first and second elongated bolster cushions on their respective lower portions, wherein when the first adjustable strap is tightened the upper portions of the first and second elongated bolsters move towards each other such that the first and second elongated bolsters for a tapered shape with respect to the other to support the user's thoracic sides, neck, head of the user or any combination thereof.

A seat assembly is provided with a seat frame for a seat back or a seat bottom. At least two side bolster regions are spaced apart laterally on the seat frame. At least two bolster support assemblies are provided, each bolster support assembly comprising an air bladder mounted to the seat frame along each of the side bolster regions. An actuator inflates each air bladder between a deflated position and at least one inflated support position. An accelerometer is mounted to the seat frame. A controller is in electrical communication with the accelerometer and the actuator. The controller is programmed to receive data from the accelerometer indicative of a lateral acceleration. If the lateral acceleration is above a threshold, the controller commands the actuator to inflate one of the air bladders to the inflated support position.