The invention describes a vehicle occupant restraint device for the protection of a vehicle occupant (2) in a vehicle seat (6) comprising plural restraining elements and a controller, wherein at least one first restraining element comprises an airbag module (28) including an airbag (22) and at least one second restraining element comprises a seat belt (4) including a belt retractor, with the seat belt (4) being operatively connected with a tensioning unit. The controller includes at least one sensor element for determining the position of the vehicle seat (6) so that, in a situation of restraint, the controller differentiates between a first situation in which the vehicle seat (6) with the vehicle occupant (2) is in a position within the range of a standard position relative to the airbag (22) of the first restraining element, and a second situation in which the vehicle seat (6) with the vehicle occupant (2) is in a position beyond the standard position, and, when the first situation is given, the controller activates the first and second restraining elements only, especially the tensioning unit for tensioning the seat belt (4) of the second restraining element and the airbag (22) of the first restraining element, whereas, when the second situation is given, a third restraining element integrated in the vehicle seat (6) and/or operatively connected with the vehicle seat (6) can be activated and/or connected by the controller so that the vehicle seat (6) is moved initially via the third restraining element to a position within the range of the standard position.

A vehicle seat comprising a seat member and a backrest, wherein a belt connection is attached to or integrated into the upper end of the backrest, a mechanical coupling device is provided for coupling the backrest to the assembly for adjustment of the inclination of the seat member in the event of a collision. A triggering threshold is defined wherein the backrest is decoupled from the assembly under normal operating conditions, and wherein in a collision, when the triggering threshold is exceeded, the backrest pivots forwards and is finally coupled via the mechanical coupling device to the assembly, so that further pivoting of the backrest forwards triggers the assembly and causes the front region of the seat member facing away from the backrest to pivot upwards about a transverse axis.

A vehicle seat assembly is provided with a seat bottom that is adapted to be mounted to a vehicle floor. A seatback is adapted to be pivotally mounted adjacent to the seat bottom. An actuator is in cooperation with the seat bottom or the seatback. A controller is in electrical communication with the actuator and programmed to receive input indicative of a potential vehicle impact. In response to receiving the input indicative of the potential vehicle impact, the controller outputs a signal to the actuator to tilt the seatback, or to tilt the seat bottom.

According to various aspects, a controller includes one or more processors configured to: determine when a predicted event occurs, at which a velocity of a vehicle is changed; and provide an instruction for a reorientation of one or more seats of the vehicle based on when the predicted event occurs.

Devices, systems, and methodologies for vehicle seats include selectively collapsible safety layers providing collapsible support to reduce impulse experienced by the seated passenger imparted by the vehicle seat, which can reduce the likelihood and/or extent of injury attributable to occurrences exceeding threshold momentum changes, such as transportation vehicle collisions.

A seat back pad 70 has a groove 73 for tucking a skin material therein, formed at borders between a central portion 71 and side portions 72. A hole (slot hole 74) is formed in a bottom of the groove 73 along the groove 73. A tuck-in wire 76 for tucking the skin material in includes a plurality of tuck-in portions 76A provided along the groove 73, and a connecting portion (detour portion 76B) detouring around the hole and connecting the tuck-in portions 76A. With this configuration, when an upper body of an occupant P subsides into a seat back S2 in a rear-end collision of a vehicle, the central portion 71, defined by the groove 73 as a border, is easily and sufficiently moved rearward relative to the left and right side portions 72. Furthermore, the tuck-in wire 76 is not exposed through the hole, and thus adhesion between the seat back pad 70 and the tuck-in wire 76 can be improved.

An occupant protection system includes a seat disposed such that a rear surface of a seatback in a seat front-rear direction faces a wall portion of a vehicle cabin; an airbag provided in the wall portion or the seatback and configured to support the seatback by inflating and deploying between the wall portion and the seatback; and an inflator configured to generate gas to be supplied to the airbag in a case where a collision that causes an occupant seated in the seat to inertially move rearward in the seat front-rear direction is detected or predicted. The airbag has a vent hole through which the gas inside the airbag is discharged outside.

A backrest device that normally supports the occupant and moves forward with said occupant during a forward impact/crash event. The device is equipped with a spring activated biased ratcheting mechanism that provides only forward movement, thus reducing the amount of dangerous rear excursion during the rebound phase, as measured by the occupant's head and torso.

A vehicle seat installed with a vehicle occupant restraining device, the vehicle seat includes: a seat cushion frame including a seat cushion side frame; a seatback frame supported swingably about a reclining rod and including a seatback side frame; an engaging portion disposed at a seat rear end side of the seat cushion side frame and at a seat lower side relative to the reclining rod, and protruding toward a seat transverse direction inner side; a first movable member disposed along the seatback side frame, a lower end portion of the first movable member being extended to position at a seat front side of the engaging portion; and a first driving member configured to extend the first movable member in a case in which a vehicle collision at a seat front side occurs or a vehicle collision at the seat front side is predicted.

A vehicle seat structure includes a vehicle seat including a seat cushion and a seatback, and a pushing apparatus provided inside the seatback at a predetermined height. The pushing apparatus includes a pushing portion that, at a time of a vehicle collision in which an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat moves to a seat forward side, pushes a portion of a seat front face of the seatback to the seat forward side.