The present disclosure relates to a method performed by an occupant protection system of a vehicle for supporting protection of a vehicle occupant in the event of an ongoing or imminent collision. The occupant protection system comprises an airbag panel arrangement arranged in connection with a dashboard of the vehicle, which airbag panel arrangement comprises an inflatable airbag adapted to upon deployment protect lower body parts of a vehicle occupant seated in a vehicle seat facing the dashboard. The occupant protection system determines a distance in a predeterminable direction between the airbag panel arrangement or the dashboard and the vehicle seat or an occupant seated in the vehicle seat; determines that the distance exceeds a predeterminable maximum threshold value; determines that one or more conditions for deployment of the airbag is fulfilled; and displaces the airbag panel arrangement outwardly from the dashboard by means of a panel displacing system.

The disclosure relates to a foot-supporting safety device of a motor vehicle. The foot-supporting safety device includes a foot mat, which is provided so as to be arranged on a foot-space floor of the vehicle. The foot mat has a supporting surface and at least one hollow space that receives at least one fluid. The at least one hollow space is arranged in a direction perpendicular with respect to the supporting surface and with a major portion below the supporting surface. In accordance with the disclosure, the at least one hollow space is permanently filled with a predetermined quantity of the at least one fluid.

A vehicle seat including a seat cushion and a seat back, the vehicle seat includes a front surface portion that structures a portion of a frame of the seat cushion, which is adapted to support buttocks of a passenger, the front surface portion is disposed at a front part of the vehicle seat, and a face of the front surface portion facing toward a front side of the vehicle sea; and an energy absorbing member that is provided along the face of the front surface portion, and the energy absorbing member is configured to irreversibly deform by being pushed toward a rear side of the vehicle seat.

An airbag assembly for leg flail protection and associated systems and methods are described herein. An airbag system configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology can include, for example, a housing having a cavity and an opening in communication with the cavity, an airbag stowed within the cavity, and an inflator operably coupled to the airbag. The airbag can be configured to deploy through the opening of the housing during a crash or other significant dynamic event. The airbag can deploy outwardly from the side-facing seat to reduce occupant leg rotation during the crash or other significant dynamic event. The airbag can be pushed out of the housing before it is fully inflated. The airbag can be stowed and include folded first and second opposing side portions such that when the airbag is deployed, the portion nearest the occupant unfurls toward the occupant prior to the other portion farthest from the occupant unfurling in a direction away from the occupant.

A vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom and defining a seat-forward direction. The vehicle includes an interior component. The vehicle includes an airbag supported by the interior component and inflatable to an inflated position having a main body elongated along a vehicle-longitudinal axis and an extension extending from the main body transverse to the vehicle-longitudinal axis in front of the seat bottom relative to the seat-forward direction.

Provided is an occupant leg restraint device suitable for restraining legs of an occupant when an automobile has an oblique collision. An occupant leg restraint device 1 has an airbag 4 that inflates in front of legs of an occupant in a front seat of an automobile, and an inflator 5 for supplying gas to the lower part of the airbag 4 to inflate the airbag 4. The airbag 4 has a first pane 11 on the occupant side and a second panel 12 on the side opposite thereto. A plurality of pockets 60 recessed from the first panel 11 in the direction away from the occupant are provided in the upper part of the airbag 4. Knees N of the occupant enter the pockets 60, and fit into and engage with the pockets 60, and the lateral movement of the knees N is thereby restrained.

An airbag assembly including an airbag configured to be coupled to a vehicle floor of a vehicle. The airbag is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the stowed position, the airbag is deflated. In the deployed position, the airbag is inflated and spaced apart from the vehicle floor to define an aperture between the airbag and the vehicle floor. The aperture is sized to receive feet or lower leg of a vehicle occupant, thereby limiting movement of the legs of the vehicle occupant when an external force is exerted on the vehicle.

A system includes a bumper, an actuator fixed to the bumper, and a panel fixed to the actuator and moveable relative to the bumper. A first bracket is fixed to one of the bumper and the panel, and a second bracket is fixed to the other of the bumper and the panel. The second bracket is moveably engaged with the first bracket. A spring-loaded lock is fixed to the first bracket and is biased against the second bracket. The actuator may be triggered in response to a sensed pedestrian impact. In that case, the actuator moves the first and second brackets relative to each other to move the panel from a recessed position to an extended position.

A seat includes a seatback including a top portion, a seat bottom coupled to the seatback, an airbag, a tether fixed to the seatback below the top portion and attached to the airbag, and an airbag extension. The airbag is inflatable from an undeployed position in the top portion to a deployed position attached to the top portion and extending in front of a front panel of the seatback. The airbag extension is inflatable from the airbag in the deployed position in front of the seat bottom.

A seat device for a vehicle includes a seat for supporting a lower body of a vehicle occupant, and a backrest for supporting an upper body of the occupant. The seat device further includes an arresting portion that is stored in a storage position disposed in the seat. The arresting portion is configured to be deployed from the storage position and restrain a part of the lower body of the occupant from moving forward in the event of a collision of the vehicle.