Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Mangesh Kadam

Srinivas Reddy Malapati

Yuqin Zhao

Murugan Sundaram Ramasamy

Leonard Anthony Shaner

Matt Alan Niesluchowski

Zhibing Deng

Edward Joseph Abramoski

Pardeep Kumar Jindal

William C Bauer

Eric D Veggian

Keith Trudgeon

Erica Lee

A vehicle includes a vehicle seat and a plate fixed relative to the vehicle seat. A seatbelt buckle is rotatably supported by the vehicle seat and is rotatable relative to the plate to one of a first or second position. A first and second slot are both in one of the plate or the seatbelt buckle. A pin supported by and movable to an extended position relative to one of the plate or the seatbelt buckle. The pin is spaced from the first and second slot when the seatbelt buckle is in a stowed position and is positioned to extend into the first or second slot when the seatbelt buckle is in the first or second position. A computer executes instructions to rotate the seatbelt buckle to one of the first or second position based on a size of an occupant and, then, move the pin to the extended position.

Rotatable seatbelt buckle

A vehicle includes a vehicle seat and a plate fixed relative to the vehicle seat. A seatbelt buckle is rotatably supported by the vehicle seat. The seatbelt buckle is rotatable relative to the plate from a first position to a second position. A slot is in one of the plate and the seatbelt buckle and a pin is supported by the other of the plate and the seatbelt buckle. The pin is moveable relative to the other of the plate and the seatbelt buckle from a retracted position to an extended position. The pin is spaced from the slot and in the retracted position when the seatbelt buckle is in the first position. The pin is in the extended position and extends into the slot when the seatbelt buckle is in the second position. A pyrotechnic device is operatively coupled to the seatbelt buckle to rotate the seatbelt buckle.

A vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a first side and a second side spaced cross-seat from each other. A seatbelt buckle is fixed to the first side. A seatbelt assembly includes a latch plate engageable with the seatbelt buckle and a webbing having a lap portion defined by the latch plate when the latch plate is engaged with the seatbelt buckle. A hook is retractably supported by the second side of the vehicle seat. The hook is retractable relative to the vehicle seat from a first position to a retracted position. The hook is engageable with the lap portion of the webbing as the hook retracts. A lock includes a pin engageable with the hook when the hook is in the first position and the retracted position. A spring biases the pin toward the hook. A pyrotechnic device is operatively coupled to the lock to disengage the pin from the hook.

Pyrotechnically activated hook for seatbelt assembly

An assembly includes a seat bottom, a scissor mechanism, and a pyrotechnic actuator. The seat bottom includes a rear seat cushion and a front seat cushion in a seat-forward direction from the rear seat cushion. The rear seat cushion is movable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the front seat cushion. The scissor mechanism is coupled to the rear seat cushion and movable between an extended position and a compressed position. The scissor mechanism in the extended position holds the rear seat cushion at the raised position. The scissor mechanism in the compressed position holds the rear seat cushion at the lowered position. The pyrotechnic actuator is connected to the rear seat cushion and dischargeable to move the rear seat cushion from the raised position to the lowered position.

Vehicle seat with restraint system

An assembly includes a seat bottom, a rear bladder, a front bladder, and a check valve. The seat bottom includes a rear seat cushion and a front seat cushion in a seat-forward direction from the rear seat cushion. At least one of the rear seat cushion or the front seat cushion is vertically movable relative to the other one of the rear seat cushion or the front seat cushion. The rear bladder supports the rear seat cushion. The front bladder supports the front seat cushion. The check valve fluidly connects the front bladder and the rear bladder. The check valve is oriented to permit fluid to pass from the rear bladder to the front bladder and block fluid from passing from the front bladder to the rear bladder.

A seat assembly includes a seatback and an airbag supported by the seatback. The airbag is inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position. The seat assembly includes a bar pivotally supported by the seatback and fixed to the airbag. The bar is pivotable about a vertical axis of the seat assembly from a stowed position at the seatback with the airbag at the uninflated position to a deployed position forward of the seatback with the airbag at the inflated position.

Vehicle airbag assembly

An assembly includes a seat bottom including a panel pivotable from a first position to a second position. The assembly includes a track supported by the seat bottom. The assembly includes a spring in the track and urging the panel toward the second position. The assembly includes a pyrotechnic actuator maintaining the spring in compression and actuatable to release the spring.

Vehicle seat

An assembly includes an instrument panel and a base rotatably mounted to the instrument panel between a front position and a stowed position. An interior component is supported by the base. A spring biases the base toward the stowed position.

Interior vehicle component

An assembly includes a steering column and an instrument panel. A bezel is fixed to the instrument panel. A releasable panel is releasably connected to the bezel. A cable extending from the releasable panel to the steering column. In the event of a vehicle impact, the releasable panel releases from the bezel to absorb energy from the steering column.

Steering column induced break away

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat that includes a seat cushion which is substantially horizontal with respect to a floor of a vehicle. The vehicle seat further includes a seat back including a proximal end and a distal end separated by a longitudinal length, such that the proximal end is pivotably coupled to the seat back. The vehicle seat also includes a track arranged adjacent to the seat cushion and the track has a longitudinal length. The track includes a proximal end and a distal end, such that the proximal end of the track is attached to a biasing element while the distal end of the track is attached to a portion of the seat back. In a crash event, the seat back is displaceable with respect to the seat cushion along the longitudinal length of the track.

Energy absorbing vehicle seat

An assembly includes a seatback. The assembly includes an airbag supported by the seatback and inflatable to an inflated position seat-forward of the seatback. The airbag includes a first tether fixed to the seatback and the airbag. The airbag includes a retractor. The airbag includes a second tether connected to and slidable along the first tether. The second tether is operatively coupled to the retractor.

Airbag assembly

An assembly for a vehicle includes interior component and a panel rotatably connected to the interior component. The assembly includes an actuator designed to rotate the panel relative to the interior component. A sheet extends from the interior component to the panel. An airbag is supported by the interior component and is inflatable to an inflated position adjacent the sheet.

Airbag assembly with releasable panel

A seat including a seatback having a top and two sides extending downwardly from the top and an airbag supported by the top and the two sides of the seatback and including a tube inflatable forward and downward from the top. The airbag defining at least one inflation chamber in fluid communication with the tube. The inflation chamber extending from at least one side of the seatback towards the tube.

Seat with airbag

An assembly includes an interior component. The assembly includes a deployable panel having an upper panel and a lower panel supported by the interior component, the deployable panel being movable relative to the interior component from a retracted position to an extended position. The assembly includes a hinge between the upper panel and the lower panel. The assembly includes an airbag inflatable to an inflated position in which the airbag is positioned to abut the upper panel in the extended position.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Mangesh Kadam