To obtain a space which enables an airbag to be securely rapidly developed between an occupant seated on a seat and a side part of a vehicle.
A control computer 28 calculates a distance to an object in a lateral direction of a vehicle and a relative speed between the object in a lateral direction of the vehicle and the vehicle based on received information received from a side collision predictor 27, and judges possibility of occurrence of the side collision based on the calculation result. When there is a possibility of the side collision, the control computer 28 rotates an electric motor 18 in a normal direction. Accordingly, an arm rest 14 moves from a use position shown by a solid line in Fig.1 (b) to a retreated position shown by a dotted line. The arm rest 14 in the retreated position is located outside a developed area (E1, E2) of the airbag.
COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT
SUZUKI SHIGEYUKI
NAGATA ATSUSHI
Makoto Onda
Next Patent: OCCUPANT PROTECTION APPARATUS