Provided is an armrest device that can be positioned in an appropriate position suitable for the build of the vehicle occupant. The armrest device (10) comprises an interior member (1) provided on an inboard side of a vehicle door, and an armrest main body (9) supported by the interior member so as to be moveable between an initial position and a projecting position more inboard and forward than the initial position.

An apparatus and method for improving the safety and performance of an automobile in crash events is disclosed. The apparatus includes a front crash pad, rear crash pad, and a connection beam. Both crash pads and the connection beam are coupled to an automobile in such fashion as to absorb and dissipate energy by converting kinetic energy into strain energy.

A vehicle door includes an outer panel, an inner panel including an inner wall portion, a side wall portion, and a flange portion, an impact beam provided so to extend between the outer panel and the inner wall portion on a surface parallel to inner wall portion, and a bracket including a fixed portion, a joint portion, and a recessed portion. The recessed portion recesses toward an inner-panel side such that a tip end of the impact beam is distanced from the bracket. In an extending direction of the impact beam, a yield strength of a region from the fixed portion to a tip end position of the impact beam for a load applied from the outer panel-side is lower than a yield strength of a region from the tip end position of the impact beam to the joint portion for the load applied from the outer-panel side.

A vehicle constituent member and a manufacturing method for manufacturing the vehicle constituent member are provided. The vehicle constituent member includes: a body portion made of metal and having a vertical wall; a reinforcing member made of fiber reinforced resin and having a sheet shape, the reinforcing member being disposed on a surface of the vertical wall; and an adhesive layer provided between the surface of the vertical wall and the reinforcing member and connecting the vertical wall and the reinforcing member, the adhesive layer being configured such that a thickness of a part of the adhesive layer becomes thinner as the part of the adhesive layer is distanced outwardly from a surface end of the reinforcing member, the part of the adhesive layer being disposed outwardly from the surface end of the reinforcing member.

Stability of shock absorbing property of a shock absorber provided on a back surface of a door trim is improved. A shock absorber is attached on the back surface of the door trim, and absorbs impact applied to the door. A quadrangular tube element of the shock absorber has an end plate on a tube tip surface, and faces the back surface of the door trim. The quadrangular tube element has an approximate U shape in which three side surfaces are closed by an upper plate, a lower plate, and a front plate, and the remaining one side surface is opened.

An upper reinforcement for a door trim panel includes a reinforcement channel, softening features within reinforcement channel, a tab depending from the reinforcement channel, and a trigger feature between the reinforcement channel and the tab whereby the reinforcement channel is released from the tab during a side impact. A method of tuning performance characteristics of the upper reinforcement is also described.

A vehicle door structure that can displace inward a region directly above a lower end of a door built-in center pillar while preventing displacement of a door lower surface to absorb lateral collision energy immediately after lateral collision is provided. In the vehicle door structure including a door built-in center pillar extending from an upper end to a lower end at a front end in a rear door of a biparting door system, a reinforcement is provided on a door lower surface below the door built-in center pillar, a part of the lower end of the door built-in center pillar is mounted to the reinforcement, and a low rigidity portion having lower rigidity than an upper part the door built-in center pillar is provided directly above the lower end of the door built-in center pillar.

A vehicle side door includes: a door main body; a mirror stay fixed to the door main body so as to be at least partially placed outwardly from the door main body, the mirror stay including a support portion placed outwardly from the door main body; and a mirror unit including a mirror holder supported by the support portion, and a mirror supported by the mirror holder, wherein: the door main body includes an outer panel constituting an outer face of the door main body, an inner panel placed inwardly from the outer panel and fixed to the outer panel, and a reinforcing member fixed to the inner panel or the outer panel; and the mirror stay is fixed to the reinforcing member.

A vehicle constituent member and a manufacturing method for manufacturing the vehicle constituent member are provided. The vehicle constituent member includes: a body portion made of metal and having a vertical wall; a reinforcing member made of fiber reinforced resin and having a sheet shape, the reinforcing member being disposed on a surface of the vertical wall; and an adhesive layer provided between the surface of the vertical wall and the reinforcing member and connecting the vertical wall and the reinforcing member, the adhesive layer being configured such that a thickness of a part of the adhesive layer becomes thinner as the part of the adhesive layer is distanced outwardly from a surface end of the reinforcing member, the part of the adhesive layer being disposed outwardly from the surface end of the reinforcing member.

A door assembly includes a door and a pusher. The door defines a cavity. The pusher is fixed to the door in the cavity, and the pusher contains a non-Newtonian fluid. The door assembly may be installed in a vehicle. Because the pusher contains a non-Newtonian fluid, the pusher distributes force from the impact to an occupant in a manner that depends on a size of the occupant.