A passive safety system is provided for a vehicle. The passive safety system includes a support frame configured to be secured on the vehicle in a fixed position and a support surface configured to support a payload carried by the vehicle. The support surface is configured to float with respect to the support frame. The passive safety system includes an energy conversion device between the support frame and the support surface, and includes a frictional surface configured to engage a portion of the support surface when the support surface tends to move in a predetermined direction with respect to the support frame to thereby convert kinetic energy of the support surface into frictional energy and increase the stopping/braking distance.

A seat bottom assembly including a seat bottom frame having a front side and a back side, a seat plate having a front side and a back side, webbing stitches, and tear away stitches. The back side of the seat plate is coupled to the back side of the seat bottom frame. The webbing straps are coupled to and extending between the front side of the seat bottom frame and the front side of the seat plate, and tear away stitches connect two points of the webbing straps along a longitudinal axis so that the webbing straps are partially looped at locations of the respective tear away stitches. The tear away stitches separate and increase a length of the webbing straps in response to experiencing a threshold load in a direction perpendicular to the seat plate.

A seat rail module with two rails for longitudinal adjustment of a vehicle seat comprises a drive member, at least one deformation member coupled to an associated rail for longitudinal adjustment, at least one fastening member for fastening the drive member, and an actuator for locking and unlocking the at least one fastening member. The deformation member is deformed upon displacement of the vehicle seat in a main direction of travel to dissipate crash energy and decelerate the vehicle seat. In a locked position of the fastening member, the drive member is directly secured to a rail by the fastening member. The fastening member is mechanically unlocked upon displacement of the vehicle seat beyond a predetermined limit setting, so that the drive member is coupled to an associated rail via the deformation member, to enable a displacement of an upper rail relative to a lower rail for dissipating impact energy.

A seat sliding apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The seat sliding apparatus may include a lead screw configured to define a first toothed part on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and disposed in forward and rearward directions of a vehicle, a worm gear rotated by a driving motor, a transmission gear assembly engaged with the worm gear to be rotated, a power transmission belt engaged with the transmission gear assembly, and a nut unit including a first nut configured such that a second toothed part engaged with the first toothed part is defined on an inner circumferential surface thereof, and a second nut configured to come into contact with the power transmission belt.

A system and method are provided for controlling an interior configuration of a vehicle following a collision. Sensor data that includes, or is derived from data that includes, data collected by one or more sensors is received, and a vehicle accident condition indicative of an accident having occurred is detected by processing the sensor data. After detecting the vehicle accident condition, an actuator component is caused to prevent a passenger from adjusting an interior vehicle component outside a predetermined range of physical configurations, while allowing the passenger to adjust the interior vehicle component within the predetermined range of physical configurations.

An energy absorbing mounting structure for a vehicle seat. The mounting structure includes a linear rail configured for being fastened to a vehicle passenger cabin floor structure and a deformable element. The deformable element has a first attachment portion, a second attachment portion and a deformable section arranged between the first and second attachment portions. The first attachment portion is fastened to the rail and the second attachment portion is configured for being fastened to the vehicle passenger cabin floor structure via an opening in a bottom of the rail for enabling relative motion between the floor structure and the rail in a longitudinal direction of the rail by deformation of the deformable section in the event of a vehicle crash.

A seat having a seat back pivotally connected to a seat pan, the seat back and the seat pan independently pivotal. At the pivot between the seat back and the seat pan there is a rotary energy attenuation device. The rotary energy attenuating device cooperates with a track system along the length of seat longitudinal members allowing for different directions of travel and height adjustment. The vehicle seat offers passive or active protection from impact and sudden acceleration due to accident or explosive events and is capable of automatically resetting.

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 a physical configuration of the interior vehicle component, an external communication component configured to collect driving environment data representing an external environment of the vehicle, and one or more processors configured to receive driving environment data and detect, by processing the driving environment data, an external driving condition. When the one or more processors detect the external driving 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.

An energy absorber for the seat of a vehicle is designed to reduce the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of an abrupt movement or a collision involving a rear-facing passenger. The energy absorber may be disposed within a vehicle seat and may contain one or more crushable elements and/or pelvic support structures designed to minimize the impact of the collision on the rear-facing passenger. The energy absorber may contain one or more materials that plastically deform under a force imparted on the seat by the occupant accelerating relative to and toward the seat during the collision, while limiting or restricting deflection of the crushable elements in a lateral or vertical direction.

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 a physical configuration of the interior vehicle component, an external communication component configured to collect driving environment data representing an external environment of the vehicle, and one or more processors configured to receive driving environment data and detect, by processing the driving environment data, an external driving condition. When the one or more processors detect the external driving 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.