Method and apparatus for operating a multi-position vehicle seat and restraining an occupant of such seat

A vehicle comprising:

• a body structure defining an interior cabin;
• a multi-position seat within the interior cabin, the multi-position seat being fixedly attached to the body structure and including a seat cushion configured to support buttocks of an occupant of the multi-position seat from a lower side, a seatback configured to support a back of the occupant of the multi-position seat from a rear side, and a coupling between the seat cushion and the seatback, the coupling being configured to position the seatback in a first angular orientation relative to the seat cushion in an upright position and in a second angular orientation relative to the seat cushion in a reclined position;
• one or more sensors configured for generating a determination that the vehicle is, or has a probability greater than a threshold value of, within a predetermined time period from the determination, decelerating at a rate greater than a threshold value;
• a piston member coupled to a portion of the body structure located rearward of the seatback at a first end of the piston member when the multi-position seat is positioned in the reclined position and coupled to the seatback at a second end of the piston member, wherein the piston member is configured to, in response to the determination, automatically extend the second end away from the portion of the body structure, while the piston member remains coupled at the first end to the portion of the body structure and at the second end to the seatback, to cause the seatback to move from the reclined position to the upright position, wherein the piston member is not coupled to the seatback at the second end of the piston member when the multi-position seat is positioned in the upright position before the piston member is automatically extended.