A vehicle seat device includes: a detection unit that detects a side collision in a vehicle; a seat that is provided in a vehicle cabin so that the seat can be located at a center portion of the vehicle cabin in a vehicle width direction and that can face at least one of a front side and a rear side in a vehicle front-rear direction; a restraint portion that is provided on a seat side portion and that is movable between a retracted position in which the restraint portion does not face a seated occupant seated in the vehicle width direction, and a facing position in which the restraint portion faces the occupant in the vehicle width direction; and a movement control unit that positions the restraint portion at the facing position when the seat is located at the center portion and the detection unit detects the side collision.

A vehicle computer or vehicle associated computer may determine an upcoming vehicle occupancy change event for an object vehicle. The computer may also determine a suitability-for-use of one or more vehicle doors based on a traffic prediction, responsive to determining the occupancy change event. Further, the computer may alert at least one vehicle occupant as to the suitability-for-use of each door for which the suitability determination was made.

An emergency escape system and an emergency escape method for a vehicle are provided. The emergency escape system includes a sunroof that is mounted at a headliner of the vehicle and a driving device opening or closing the sunroof by receiving current. A float sensor detects whether the vehicle is filled with water up to a predetermined mounting position. A pressure sensor detects a force applied to the headliner or the sunroof. A controller supplies the current to the driving device in response to receiving from the float sensor a signal indicating that the vehicle is filled with the water up to the predetermined mounting position and determining that the force applied to the headliner or the sunroof, which is detected by the pressure sensor, is greater than a predetermined force.

A proactive, prophylactic vehicle fluid capture system that embodies an inflatable air-diaper disposed under the engine. The inflatable air-diaper is deployed upon an indication of a sufficient crash event, wherein the deployed inflatable air-diaper catches the above-mentioned vehicular fluid prior to contact with the surrounding ground, thereby lessening the negative environmental impact and clean-up time resulting from the crash event. The inflatable air-diaper may deploy with peripheral sidewalls to facilitate the retention of the hazardous fluid on the inflatable air-diaper. The inflatable air-diaper is made of material adapted to absorb these hazardous vehicular fluids.

A seat arrangement for a vehicle includes a first seat including an airbag module having an inflatable airbag, and a second seat positionable adjacent to the first seat. The second seat includes a pivotable seatback that is pivotable between an upright use position and a forward pivoted position, and a movement mechanism associated with the seatback for moving the seatback from the use position to the pivoted position. The arrangement further includes a control system configured to actuate the movement mechanism to move the seatback of the second seat from the use position to the pivoted position when the second seat is unoccupied and upon detection of a potential vehicle impact, so that the airbag of the airbag module of the first seat may deploy between an occupant of the first seat and the seatback of the second seat.

A vehicle door interior trim assembly includes a trim panel and an armrest supported by the trim panel. The armrest includes an energy absorbing device. The energy absorbing device includes an inboard panel and an outboard panel. The outboard panel is between the inboard panel and the trim panel. The energy absorbing device has a variable crush resistance based on a temperature of the energy absorbing device. A heater is operatively coupled to the energy absorbing device.

A system and method are provided for controlling an interior configuration of a vehicle. The system may include an interior vehicle component; an actuator component configured to adjust/restrict movement of a physical configuration of the interior vehicle component; one or more sensors configured to collect data corresponding to a state of the vehicle, an action of the vehicle, and/or an internal or external environment of the vehicle; and one or more processors configured to receive sensor data and detect, by processing the sensor data, a vehicle accident condition. After the one or more processors detect the vehicle accident condition, the one or more processors may cause the actuator component to adjust the interior vehicle component from a first physical configuration to a second physical configuration, or may cause the actuator component to restrict movement of the interior vehicle component to a predetermined range of physical configurations.

The invention relates to a steering column (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising a supporting unit (6) which can be connected to the chassis of the motor vehicle (6) and an actuating unit, which is mounted on the supporting unit and which supports a steering shaft (2) for rotation, wherein the position of the actuating unit can be adjusted in relation to the supporting unit, wherein the steering column (1) has a position detection device for determining the position of the actuating unit relative to the supporting unit (6).

A vehicular safety system includes a rear camera, a left side camera and a right side camera disposed at a vehicle. A control includes an image processor for processing image data captured by the cameras to detect a rear-approaching vehicle that is approaching from rearward of the equipped vehicle. When reverse gear of the equipped vehicle is not engaged, and responsive to determination of a potential collision between the detected rear-approaching vehicle and the equipped vehicle, a safety feature of the equipped vehicle is triggered before actual impact occurs. If actual impact does not occur, the triggered safety feature returns to its condition that existed prior to the determination of the potential collision between the detected rear-approaching vehicle and the equipped vehicle. Operation of the safety feature when the reverse gear is engaged is different from operation of the safety feature when the reverse gear is not engaged.

A restraint system for a vehicle, with which in a pre-crash phase prior to a predicted front crash time a vehicle occupant resting on a vehicle seat can be raised from a comfort position to an upright operative position by a forward displacer, in which in a crash phase a seat belt fastened on the vehicle occupant exerts a restraining effect on the vehicle occupant, in which an electromotive reversible belt pretensioner is activated to limit the restraining force exerted on the vehicle occupant to a predefined force level, namely by means of forward displacement of the vehicle occupant along a belt force limiting travel. In accordance with the invention, when raising the vehicle occupant to the operative position in the pre-crash phase, the electromotively reversible belt pretensioner generates a pre-crash belt slack so as to provide the pre-crash belt pullout travel required for raising the vehicle occupant in a restraining-force-free manner.