A vehicle occupant protection device, that includes: a vehicle occupant protection control unit that, in a case in which a rear impact of the vehicle is predicted, effects control such that a seat of the vehicle approaches a rear impact protection attitude that protects a vehicle occupant from a rear impact, and that, in a case in which the vehicle is forcibly stopped, effects control such that a driver seat of the vehicle approaches closer to the rear impact protection attitude than in the case in which a rear impact of the vehicle is predicted.

A method for activating a vehicle seat including receiving a seat occupancy signal, receiving a collision signal and generating a signal for activating the vehicle seat as a function of the seat occupancy signal and of the collision signal.

There is provided a seat break over device. The seat break over device features linkage members that connect the seat back to the quadrant arm. In the static condition, the linkage member acts as a rigid member, constraining rotation of the seat back relative to the quadrant arm. Upon impact of a certain inertial force, the linkage member interacts with a weighted member. The weighted member may include a suspended weight or mass that pivots about a horizontal axis. During a gravity load of a certain amount (e.g., a 16 g event), inertial loads act on the weighted member/hammer, which transfers a force onto the linkage member. This force moves the linkage member into an unstable mode, allowing forward rotation of the seat back with respect to the quadrant arm.

A seat frame for a vehicle seat includes a seat cushion frame that forms a frame for a seating portion of the vehicle seat, and a height adjustment mechanism that is coupled to the seat cushion frame and a rail mechanism of the vehicle seat. The height adjustment mechanism adjusts the height of the seat cushion frame. The height adjustment mechanism includes a sector gear that rotates based on a height adjustment operation, a link that moves the height of the seat cushion frame up and down based on the rotation of the sector gear, and a restriction member that abuts against the sector gear, thereby restricting the movement of the sector gear. At least one of portions of the sector gear and the restriction member that abut against each other has a tapered shape.

A vehicle includes a body structure defining an interior cabin and a multi-position seat that is attached to the body structure and includes a seat cushion and a seatback, and a coupling between the seat cushion and the seatback that positions the seatback between an upright position and a maximum reclined position. Left and right halo members are fixedly attached to the body structure, the left halo member having a first restraining surface above, rearward from, and adjacent to a left shoulder of an occupant of the seat when the seatback is positioned in the maximum reclined position, and the right halo member having a second restraining surface above, rearward from, and adjacent to a right shoulder of the occupant when the seatback is positioned in the maximum reclined position.

A vehicle includes a body structure defining an interior cabin and a multi-position seat that is attached to the body structure and includes a seat cushion and a seatback, and a coupling between the seat cushion and the seatback that positions the seatback between an upright position and a maximum reclined position. Left and right halo members are fixedly attached to the body structure, the left halo member having a first restraining surface above, rearward from, and adjacent to a left shoulder of an occupant of the seat when the seatback is positioned in the maximum reclined position, and the right halo member having a second restraining surface above, rearward from, and adjacent to a right shoulder of the occupant when the seatback is positioned in the maximum reclined position.

Provided is a vehicle seat in which the transmission direction of deformation of a seat when an impact load is applied thereto is diffused so that impact absorbability is improved. This vehicle seat includes a seat back having a seat back frame that serves as a framework. The seat back frame has side frames positioned on the left and right sides, and a lower frame connecting lower parts of the side frames. The lower frame has a weakened part that is deformed when an impact load is applied, and a deformation guiding part for guiding the deformation direction of the weakened part. The weakened part and the deformation guiding part are arranged in the centers of areas obtained by extending the center portion of the lower frame toward the right and left sides with the same vertical-direction width, are provided on the same horizontal plane.

A frame serving as a seatback frame for a vehicle seat and simply configured to reduce a load applied to a seated occupant at the time of a vehicle collision is provided. A seatback frame includes a connecting wire which connects side frames. The center of the connecting wire is bent to extend toward a front side of a vehicle seat. When the seated occupant is moved toward a rear side of the vehicle seat at the time of a vehicle rear-end collision, the forward extending portion restrains a portion of the back of the seated occupant in which a thoracic vertebra is located and reduces an amount of a rearward movement of the portion.

Provided is a vehicle seat which has a simple structure, prevents the lower back region of an occupant from sinking into the seat back, induces backward rotation of the entire upper body when a rear-end collision occurs, and reduces the degree to which the neck region of the occupant independently tilts backward, and is therefore able to effectively reduce the load on the neck region and so on of the occupant. A vehicle seat is provided with a neck-burden reduction element that, during a rear-end collision, causes a greater amount of backward movement of a connection point between the neck region and a torso region of the occupant than the amount of backward movement of a lower torso region of the occupant, and causes an upper torso region of the occupant to sink into the seat back.

A system and method for positioning a seat arrangement in a vehicle includes moving the seat arrangement forward by a first amount when a certain criteria are met. The criteria may include at least one criterion related to occupancy of a seat directly behind the seat arrangement and at least one criterion related to a likelihood of an impact into the vehicle from behind the seat arrangement. The method may also include not moving the seat arrangement forward by the first amount when at least one of the criteria is not met.