Abstract: A seating assembly for use in a vehicle includes a seat back and an airbag. The seat back has a bottom, a top, and a midpoint between the bottom and the top. The airbag is supported by the seat back and is inflatable to an inflated position. In the inflated position the airbag may extend from the top to a location between the midpoint and the bottom and define a cavity with an opening facing the bottom and away from the seat back.

Abstract: A system includes an airbag, a seat, a strap, and an inflatable webbing. The airbag is inflatable to an inflated position. The seat includes a seat back. The strap has a first end connected the airbag and a second end connected to the seat back. The inflatable webbing is fluidly connected to the airbag and releasably connectable to the seat back.

Abstract: A seat in a vehicle includes a seatback and an airbag assembly. The seatback includes a frame and an upholstery supported by the frame. The upholstery includes an inner surface facing the frame. The airbag assembly is fixed to the inner surface of the upholstery. The airbag assembly of the seat provides coverage of the seatback so as to absorb impact energy for knees and a head of an occupant seated behind the seat.

Abstract: A vehicle center console includes an expandable top disposed on a storage bin. The center console is slidably connected to a floor pan and is movable towards the second-row seats. The expandable top includes a central component having an upper side and an underside, and a telescoping mechanism attached to first and second movable side components. The telescoping mechanism includes a body connected to the underside and a pair of telescoping arms extending from opposing sides of the body and movable between at least an extended position and a collapsed position. Each of the side components are attached to one of the arms such that undersides of the side components overlap the upper side of the central component when the arms are in the collapsed position, and the upper side of the central component is substantially flush with upper sides of the side components when the arms are in the extended position.

Abstract: An airbag includes a middle chamber having a front panel and first and second side panels spaced from each other and extending from the front panel. The airbag includes a first side chamber attached to the first side panel and a second side chamber attached to the second side panel, and a manifold chamber spaced from the front panel and attached to and in fluid communication with the middle chamber and the first and second side chambers.

Abstract: A method of constructing a vehicle component includes depositing a layer of a first metal, extruding a filament of a second metal onto the layer, and depositing a second layer of the first metal on the filament.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a seatback having a rear-mounted and rotationally operable tray table selectively operable between a plurality of rotational positions. An actuator is coupled to the seatback and the tray table, wherein in response to a decelerating impact, the actuator applies a generally downward force that biases the tray table toward a safety position against a back surface of the seatback.

Abstract: An active trim panel is for covering at least a portion of a pillar in a vehicle interior. The panel may include a body for covering the portion of the pillar. The body includes at least one accordion fold for expanding from a first position with the body closer to the pillar to a second position with the body spaced from the pillar as a result of the expansion of the accordion fold.

Abstract: An automotive armrest includes an elastic core defining a patterned array of channels extending therethrough such that the elastic core exhibits a predetermined target vertical stiffness and a predetermined target lateral stiffness different than the predetermined target vertical stiffness. The automotive armrest also includes a skin arranged with the elastic core.

Abstract: A beam module for a vehicle seat is mounted at a front of a seat, on top of a seat pan and underneath a seat cushion. The module includes a molded plastic beam. The module has a first shape substantially flush with the seat pan and a second shape projecting above the seat pan. The molded plastic beam has a mounting flange with a forward portion and a second portion. The molded plastic beam is inflatable. When inflated, the molded plastic beam assumes its second shape with the seat cushion being correspondingly displaced and deformed to raise the seat cushion when a frontal impact is detected.

Abstract: A window wiper system is provided for enhanced performance in winter weather conditions. The wiper system includes a wiper assembly having a wiper base, a wiper arm pivotally connected to the wiper base and wiper blade carried on the wiper arm. An actuator carried on the wiper assembly selectively displaces the wiper arm between an operating position wherein the wiper blade engages and sweeps the vehicle window and a raised position wherein the wiper blade is lifted from the vehicle window. When the wiper blade is displaced from the raised position to the operating position it impacts the window with sufficient force to remove any accumulated ice from the wiper assembly without damaging the assembly or the window.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a frame, a wheel supported by the frame; and a device fixed to the frame. The device includes an inflator and an inflatable member in fluid communication with the inflator. The inflatable member is inflatable away from the frame and into contact with the wheel to push the wheel away from the frame during sensed impact of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle includes the steps of: (a) sensing a temperature inside the vehicle at a predetermined time; (b) comparing the sensed temperature to a preferred temperature; (c) confirming an absence of any object near a front and a rear of the parked vehicle; (d) turning on an engine of the parked vehicle if the absence of any object is confirmed and the sensed temperature is not the preferred temperature; and (e) utilizing a climate control system to change the temperature inside the vehicle passenger compartment.

Abstract: An airbag module for a vehicle includes an inflator disposed behind an instrument panel and an airbag arrangement. The airbag arrangement includes a cushion section configured to receive an occupant during impact and a balloon section disposed proximate a base of the cushion section and adjacent the instrument panel such that, upon inflation, the balloon section contacts and pushes against the instrument panel. This forms a swell on the cushion section adjacent to the balloon section configured to hinder movement of the occupant toward the balloon section.

Abstract: A seat assembly for a vehicle includes a seatback and a seat bottom extending away from the seatback. An airbag is supported by the seat bottom and includes a middle member having a first end and a second end. The middle member is spaced from the seatback. The airbag includes a first side member extending from the first end of the middle member toward the seatback, and a second side member extending from the second end of the middle member toward the seatback. When inflated in response to a sensed impact of the vehicle, the middle member, the first side member, and the second side member extend around the occupant. One leg of the occupant is disposed between the middle member and the first side member, and the other leg of the occupant is disposed between the middle member and the second side member.

Abstract: A seat assembly includes a seat back and a headrest adjustably coupled to the seat back. The headrest defines a first guide passage and a second guide passage, each extending through the headrest. The seat assembly includes a retractor and a belt. The belt extends continuously from a first end to a second end. The first end is engaged with the retractor. The belt has a looped portion from the first guide passage to the second guide passage. The belt extends from the looped portion through the first guide passage to the first end, and extends from the looped portion through the second guide passage to the second end.

Abstract: Methods and devices for liquid-liquid extraction using digital microfluidic arrays are provided. A polar droplet is transported to a separation region containing a substantially non-polar solvent, where non-polar impurities may be extracted from the polar droplet while maintaining a distinct phase separation. In a preferred embodiment, biological samples containing hormones are dried on a digital microfluidic array, lysed by a lysing solvent, dried, subsequently dissolved in a polar solvent, and further purified in a separation step in which droplets are transported through a volume of non-polar solvent. The method disclosed herein provides the distinct advantage of an automated sample preparation method that is capable of extracting hormones from low sample volumes with high precision and recovery.

Abstract: An airbag assembly includes a base, an airbag supported by the base and defining an inflation chamber, an external tether, and an internal tether. The airbag includes a panel and an extension extending transverse to the panel. The panel includes an internal surface facing the inflation chamber and an external surface facing away from the inflation chamber. The external tether extends from the extension to the external surface of the panel. The internal tether extends from the base to the internal surface of the panel. During a vehicle impact, the momentum of the occupant may move the occupant towards the extension. The extension may absorb energy from the occupant and reduce or prevent the head of the occupant from sliding across the panel and/or rotating.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a wall having a cylindrical shape and surrounding a passenger compartment. The vehicle includes a table in the passenger compartment, a circular track fixed in the compartment and extending around the table, and a plurality of seats mounted to and independently slidable along the track.

Abstract: A plus-two belt system is provided. The plus-two belt system is a supplement to a traditional three-point belt system. The plus-two belt system has a longitudinal webbing anchored at a first end and coiled on a retractor at a second end. When an occupant is sensed and the vehicle engine is on, a reminder chime can sound when a magnetic strip in the webbing of the plus-two belt system is detected. The magnetic strip can be detected with a Hall effect sensor and the Hall effect sensor can be located adjacent the retractor.