The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle seat which can improve degree of freedom in the design of the vehicle seat. A vehicle seat with a seat cushion and a seat back includes: right and left side frames 20 constituting right and left frames of the seat back; a pressure-receiving member 40 disposed between the right and left side frames 20 and configured to receive a load from an occupant; and a driving mechanism 50 disposed at each of right and left sides of the pressure-receiving member 40 and configured to cause a right end portion or a left end portion of the pressure-receiving member 40 to move from an initial position to an advanced position that is located frontward of the initial position or to move from the advanced position to the initial position, wherein the driving mechanism 50 includes a linkage (drive link member 100 and contact link member 200) configured to be connected to the pressure-receiving member 40 and a driving source 52 configured to actuate the linkage, and wherein the linkage is configured to operate when a load equal to or greater than a predetermined amount is input from the occupant to the pressure-receiving member 40 to cause the pressure-receiving member 40 to move to a backward position that is located rearward of the initial position.

A vehicle seat provided in a vehicle includes: a seat body including a seat cushion and a seatback; an occupant support device displaceably provided on the seat body to press an occupant seated on the seat body; a notification device provided on the seat body to make notification to the occupant; an information acquisition device that acquires information including at least one of a surrounding environment of the vehicle and a driving state of the vehicle; and a control device that controls the occupant support device and the notification device based on the information. The notification device may be provided on the occupant support device. When the vehicle turns, the control device may cause the vibrator disposed on a side opposite from the turning direction to vibrate.

A vehicle seat can be configured to provide support to a vehicle occupant in conditions when lateral acceleration is experienced. Shape memory material members can be operatively positioned with respect to a seat portion of the vehicle seat. The shape memory material members can be selectively activated by an activation input. When activated, the shape memory material members can engage a seat pan so as to cause the seat pan to tilt in a respective lateral direction. As a result, a seat cushion supported by the seat pan can also tilt in the respective lateral direction. The seat cushion can be tilted in a lateral direction that is opposite to the direction of the lateral acceleration. Thus, the effects of lateral acceleration felt by a seat occupant can be reduced. The shape memory material members can be selectively activated based on vehicle speed, steering angle, and/or lateral acceleration.

A safety system for vehicle may include a restraint surface adjustment mechanism for adjusting at least one of a height or an angle of a restraint surface disposed under a vehicle seat during a collision and/or predicted collision in which the vehicle seat is facing in the direction of travel and/or the direction of the oncoming collision. The seat may comprise a bench seat including a first seating space and a second seating space. A first restraint surface adjustment mechanism may be associated with the first seating space and a second restraint surface adjustment mechanism may be associated with the second seating space. The restraint surface adjustment mechanism may include, for example, an inflatable bladder, a movable plate which rotates about an axis, or other restraint surface adjustment mechanisms that adjust at least one of the height, angle, or physical property (e.g., rigidity) of one or more restraint surfaces.

Vibration isolation for vehicle seat components can be provided and/or can be adjustable. A vehicle seat can include a seat portion. The seat portion can include a seat cushion and/or a seat pan. In some arrangements, one or more shape memory material members can be provided. The seat cushion can be supported by the one or more shape memory material members. The one or more shape memory material members can be configured to have selectively variable stiffness. In some arrangements, one or more super elastic wires can be provided. The one or more super elastic wires can be operatively connected to one or more structures such that the seat pan is suspended on the one or more super elastic wires.

An extensively reconfigurable seat design can include a vehicle seat system including: a vehicle seat defining a vehicle occupant accommodating space, the vehicle seat including a seat cushion portion including multiple individually adjustable bladders, where each of the multiple individually adjustable bladders has a connected valve that controls fluid communication with an internal space of the individually adjustable bladder to adjust a pressure level within the internal space of the individually adjustable bladder, and an associated sensor configured to detect the pressure level within the internal space of the individually adjustable bladder. A computer can actively sense and control the pressure levels within the bladders, using the sensors and valves, to provide customization, adaptive, ride-active and intelligent control over a reconfigurable cushion for a vehicle.

Provided is a vehicle seat device that includes a headrest to support a head of an occupant seated on a vehicle seat. The vehicle seat device includes a rest operation adjustment mechanism provided on the headrest and to restrict or allow movement of the head of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat and a controller that controls the rest operation adjustment mechanism to allow the movement of the head of the occupant when a frequency of a vibration in a width direction of a vehicle is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

An occupant posture control method is provided that can suppress motion sickness. The occupant posture control method predicts a vehicle motion based on information relating to the vehicle motion, and imparts a stimulus that generates a muscle tension such that the occupant assumes a posture corresponding to the vehicle motion, when a predicted vehicle motion occurs.

Systems and methods described herein relate to improving an actuator for a support system of a seat. In one embodiment, an actuator includes a body that is bi-stable with a coiled state and an uncoiled state. The actuator also includes a strip, coupled to the body, that coils the body according to heat caused by a power source. The actuator also includes a wire coupled to a side of the body opposite from the strip and the wire uncoils the body in response to heating caused by the power source.

This vehicle device operation apparatus is provided with: a deforming body which is configured so as to be attached to a vehicle seat and in which a fluid is sealed; and a control device. The control device is configured so as to detect the inner pressure of the deforming body, detect an adjusting operation which is an occupant's operation for adjusting the operated state of a vehicle device on the basis of a change in inner pressure of the deforming body caused by pressing of the deforming body through the body movement of an occupant seated on the seat, and execute adjustment control for adjusting the operated state of the vehicle device in response to the detection of the adjusting operation.