Patent ID: 7200474

Claim:
An occupant protection apparatus for a vehicle comprising: a reclinable seat back of a vehicle seat, said seat back being pivotable between a reclined position and an upright position; pivoting-angle adjustment means for adjusting a pivoting angle of said seat back through power; prediction means for predicting an external object likely to collide against the vehicle from behind; and control means for controlling said pivoting-angle adjustment means via a selection switch, in accordance with a prediction signal generated by said prediction means, so as to cause said seat back to be pivoted to a practically vertical upright position, wherein said control means is adapted to cause the selection switch to select a low speed circuit to supply a first voltage to said pivoting-angle adjustment means in response to an operation signal received from manual seat operating means so as to pivotally drive said seat back at a first speed, and wherein, when the prediction signal is received, said control means is adapted to cause the selection switch to select a high speed circuit to supply a second voltage to said pivoting-angle adjustment means so as to pivotally drive said seat back at a second speed, said second voltage being greater than said first voltage and said second speed being greater than said first speed.