A deployable leg rest assembly (3) for mounting to a seat pan (9) of a vehicle seat frame (11) comprises a leg support (4), a mounting plate (13) and a deployment mechanism (6) for deploying the leg support (4). The deployment mechanism (6) connects the leg support (4) to the mounting plate (13). The mounting plate (13) is adapted to be located above the seat pan (9). The deployable leg rest assembly (3) can be mounted to different vehicle seats (1) by accessing the seat pans (9) of the corresponding vehicle seat frames (11).

An occupant protection apparatus includes a driver. The driver includes a drive unit, a support shaft, a movable seat pan supported by the support shaft such that the movable seat pan is inclinable in a front-rear direction, a guide groove, a movement pin that is movable along the guide groove, a link that couples the movable seat pan to the movement pin, and an energy absorber. The guide groove includes a first guide groove portion in which the movement pin moves when the movable seat pan is inclined rearward and a second guide groove portion in which the movement pin moves when the movable seat pan is inclined forward. The energy absorber is configured to absorb at least part of a forward load from an occupant when the movement pin moves in the second guide groove portion.

A seat bottom includes a frame, a first thigh support, a second thigh support, and a controller. The first thigh support and the second thigh support are each supported by the frame and are independently movable relative to the frame to adjustable positions. A first deployable device is coupled to the first thigh support, and a second deployable device is coupled to the second thigh support. At least one inflator is in fluid communication with at least one of the first and second deployable devices. The controller is programmed to independently inflate the first and second deployable devices based at least on the adjustable positions of the first and second thigh supports in response to a sensed vehicle impact.

A seat bottom includes a frame, a first thigh support, and a second thigh support. The first thigh support and the second thigh support are each supported by the frame and independently movable relative to the frame. A first deployable device is coupled to the first thigh support, and a second deployable device is coupled to the second thigh support. At least one inflator is in fluid communication with at least one of the first and second deployable devices. The first and second deployable devices are each formed of thermoplastic elastomer and are inflatable from an undeployed position to a deployed position.

A vehicle seat to be mounted on a vehicle includes a seat cushion and a seat surface lowering mechanism. The seat cushion includes a seat surface on which a waist of an occupant of the vehicle is to be placed. The seat surface lowering mechanism is configured to lower the seat surface in response to either one of an occurrence of a rear-end collision of the vehicle or a sign of the occurrence of the rear-end collision.

A vehicle seat includes: a seat cushion in which a front panel extends between front parts of right and left side frames and a front rod extends between the front parts of the right and left side frames at a position rearward of the front panel in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle; a cushion airbag device mounted in a front part of the seat cushion and configured to inflate and deploy a cushion airbag when a frontal collision of the vehicle occurs; and a bag support fixed to the front rod, the cushion airbag being fixed to the bag support at a position rearward of the front rod in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

An airbag system for repositioning a seat occupant in a moving vehicle during a crash event includes: a first inflatable airbag disposed proximate to a front portion of a seat pan; a second inflatable airbag disposed proximate to a rear portion of the seat pan; and inflation control device controlling deployment of the first and second inflatable airbags. The inflation control device includes a programmable controller controlling inflation parameters of the first and second inflatable airbags to achieve a desired lift, subject to monument constraints.

An anti-submarine arrangement for a vehicle seat includes an elongated member pivotably attached between opposing members of a seat bottom support structure. A leg is fixedly attached to the elongated member and pivotably attached to a structural portion of the vehicle seat. The elongated member is rotatable forward and downward relative to the structural portion of the vehicle seat. A damper arrangement is attached to the leg and to the structural portion of the vehicle seat. The damper arrangement opposes a forward and downward rotation of the elongated member.

An occupant protecting device provided inside or below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat, containing: an airbag cushion capable of expanding and deploying to push up a seat surface of the seat cushion; and an inflator that supplies gas for expansion and deployment into the airbag cushion in the event of a vehicle emergency. The airbag cushion has front attaching points and rear attaching points attached to the vehicle seat side, and an expanding and deploying part that is expanded and deployed by the gas from the inflator. At least a portion of the expanding and deploying part overlaps itself in an up-down direction by folding between front attaching points and rear attaching points in a condition prior to expanding and deploying.

An occupant protecting device provided inside or below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat, comprising an airbag cushion capable of expanding and deploying a seat surface of the seat cushion; and an inflator. The airbag cushion includes a lower panel, an upper panel longer than the lower panel in the front-rear direction of the vehicle seat, and mutually opposing side panels joined to the lower panel and the upper panel. The airbag cushion has a first mounting point attached to the vehicle seat side and a second mounting point attached to the vehicle seat side on the rear side of the first mounting point in the front-rear direction of the vehicle seat. The lower panel and the upper panel are mutually joined to a first mounting point and a second mounting point.