A vehicular imaging and display system includes a rear backup camera at a rear portion of a vehicle, a video processor for processing image data captured by the rear camera, and a video display screen responsive to the video processor to display video images. During a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle, the video display screen displays video images captured by the rear camera. During forward travel of the equipped vehicle, the video display screen is operable to display images representative of a portion of the field of view of the rear camera to display images representative of an area sideward of the equipped vehicle responsive to at least one of (a) actuation of a turn signal indicator of the vehicle, (b) detection of a vehicle in a side lane adjacent to the equipped vehicle and (c) a lane departure warning system of the vehicle.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a projection image display device in which all of the multiple light sources to be used are positioned optimally, regardless of the mode of installation of the device. This projection image display device has two illumination optical systems (1, 2) that are each provided with a light source (111, 211), a color separator for separating into three colors of light, a liquid crystal panel (150, 250) for forming an optical image, and a color synthesis prism (160, 260) for color-synthesizing. A polarization beam splitter (3) for synthesis synthesizes an optical image formed by the illumination optical system (1, 2), and projects the same from a projection lens (4). The optical axis (101, 201) of each light source (111, 211) is positioned within the same plane as the optical axis (401) of the projection lens (4), and so as to orthogonally intersect the optical axis (401) of the projection lens.

A sensor substrate includes a blocking pattern disposed on a base substrate, a first electrode disposed on the base substrate and overlapping the blocking pattern, the first electrode including a plurality of first unit parts arranged in a first direction, each of the first unit parts including a plurality of lines connected to each other in a mesh-type arrangement, a color filter layer disposed on the base substrate, a plurality of contact holes defined in the color filter layer and exposing the first unit parts, and a bridge line between and connected to first unit parts adjacent to each other in the first direction, through the contact holes.

A display device includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, each pixel including a plurality of sub-pixels, a lens module on the display panel, the lens module including a plurality of lenses having a pitch that corresponds to a horizontal pitch of the plurality of sub-pixels, and a driving unit configured to drive the display panel and the lens module to provide an image displayed by the display panel to a left eye of a viewer at a first frame and to provide the image displayed by the display panel to a right eye of the viewer at a second frame.

Provided is a switching liquid crystal panel and a display device that have novel structures that are capable of preventing luminous regions from appearing in the light transmitting parts, in the vicinities of boundaries thereof with the light shielding parts. The switching liquid crystal panel includes a pair of substrates (26a, 26b) having a twisted nematic type liquid crystal layer (24) interposed therebetween, and a plurality of light shield forming electrodes (30) that are formed on at least one of the pair of the substrates (26a, 26b) and that form light shielding parts (40) of a parallax barrier (16) in cooperation with a counter electrode (34) when a voltage is applied, the counter electrode (34) being is opposed to the light shield forming electrodes (30) with the liquid crystal layer (24) interposed therebetween. A rubbing direction for an alignment film (36a) provided on the substrate (26a) side on which the light shield forming electrodes (30) are formed is at an angle of 45° or less to a lengthwise direction of the light shield forming electrodes (30).

A liquid crystal display element disclosed includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate; a first transparent electrode provided at a display region of the first substrate; and a second transparent electrode provided at a display region of the second substrate, at least one of d1 and d2 being not larger than 60 nm, where d1 represents a thickness of the first transparent electrode and d2 represents a thickness of the second transparent electrode.

Provided is a liquid crystal display including, on an insulation substrate having a polygonal display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area a first signal line, a second signal line crossing the first signal line, a plurality of switching elements connected to the first signal line and the second signal line and disposed in the display area, a plurality of pixel electrodes each connected to the switching element and disposed in the display area, and a shielding conductor disposed in the peripheral area and extending along at least one side of the polygonal display area.

Provided is a back plate component having reflective sheet reinforcing structure. The back plate component includes: a frame, a reflective sheet and a plurality of supporting film sheets. The frame includes a plurality of lateral beams and vertical beams, and at least one hollow part is included between the lateral beams and the vertical beams. The reflective sheet is attached to the frame, and includes a reflective surface and a back surface corresponding to the reflective surface. A portion of the back surface covers the whole hollow part. The plurality of supporting film sheets is attached to the back surface at a region corresponding to the hollow part, and includes a material the same as that of the reflective sheet. A liquid crystal display device is further disclosed herein.

A ruggedized display device is disclosed. The ruggedized display device may include an optical stack configured to resist a load up to a load threshold. The optical stack may include an electronic display including a top surface and a bottom surface, and a top protective component coupled to the top surface of the electronic display via a bonding material layer, to shield the electronic display. The top protective component and the bonding material layer may collectively have a first thickness of less than 1.0 millimeters. The optical stack may further include a bottom protective component, coupled to the bottom surface via a resiliently deformable adhesive layer, to support the electronic display from below. The bottom protective component and the adhesive layer may collectively have a second thickness less than 10.0 millimeters.

A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a first electrode on the first substrate, a second substrate opposed to the first substrate, and a second electrode on the second substrate. The second electrode corresponds to the first electrode. The liquid crystal display device also includes a liquid crystal structure between the first electrode and the second electrode. The liquid crystal structure includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules and at least one movement control member. The movement control member in the liquid crystal structure restricts a movement of the liquid crystal molecules.

The present invention provides an optical compensated bending (OCB) mode liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a method for manufacturing the same. The method comprises the following steps: forming alignment layers on substrate, respectively; forming a liquid crystal layer between the alignment layers to form a liquid crystal cell; applying an electrical signal across the liquid crystal cell; and irradiating light rays to or heating the liquid crystal cell, so as to form a first polymer alignment layer and a second polymer alignment layer, respectively. The present invention can reduce a phase transition time of liquid crystal molecules from a splay state to a bent state.

A liquid crystal display being capable of improving the contrast ratio in the front direction thereof is provided. A liquid crystal display 100 of the present invention includes, in sequence: a light source device 14 that emits a parallel light beam; a back surface-side polarizer 16; a liquid crystal cell 13; a display surface-side polarizer 11; and a light diffusion layer 15. The liquid crystal display 100 further includes: a selective light-shielding layer 12 between the display surface-side polarizer 11 and the light diffusion layer 15 so that the selective light-shielding layer 12 shields light that is generated by being depolarized and scattered in the liquid crystal cell 13 and travels in a direction that is different from a direction in which the parallel light beam travels.

There is provided an optical laminate which comprises: a polarizing film wherein a thin polarizing layer is laminated on one main surface of a substrate; and an optical element (lens array). The thin polarizing layer has a thickness of 8 μm or less. The substrate has a thickness of 20 μm to 80 μm. The optical element is a pattern retardation plate including a plurality of regions having different slow axis directions.

A counter substrate for liquid crystal display includes a transparent substrate, a black matrix, and stripe transparent electrodes. The black matrix divides a plane surface of the transparent substrate into pixel or sub-pixel unit to form a light-shielded area and openings above the plane surface. The stripe transparent electrodes are formed into the pixel unit or the sub-pixel unit above the plane surface. The black matrix includes a frame pattern including two sides facing each other in parallel in the pixel or the sub-pixel unit, and a linear central pattern which is parallel to the two sides of the frame pattern and is formed at a midsection of the pixel or the sub-pixel unit. The transparent electrodes are each parallel to the two sides of the frame pattern and the central pattern and are located symmetrically to the central pattern.

A transverse electric field type liquid crystal display panel includes a pair of substrates opposed with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. A plurality of sub-pixels having at least one curved portion in a display area are provided in a matrix on one side of the pair of substrates, and a pair of electrodes having at least one curved portion are formed in the plurality of sub-pixels. A light shield layer shielding a non-display area positioned on an outer peripheral side of the display area and between the plurality of sub-pixels is formed on the other side of the pair of substrates. The light shield layer of the non-display area is formed in a shape in which the outermost peripheral side of the display area is rectangular.

A display device uses a multilayer film (104), which reflects (red) light having wavelengths between about 600 and 800 nm at a 60 degree angle of incidence (114), to protect a liquid crystal panel (102) from heat and sun damage. The film (104) transmits light of the visible band with a wavelength between about 420 and 650 nm at normal incidence (116). The outermost surface (106) of the film (104) may be a hard coat (124). A metal oxide layer (120) and a metal layer (130) may be included to reflect IR light greater in wavelength than about 850 nm.

Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal display device including a plurality of pixels each having a reflecting section and a transmitting section, the pixels each including a plurality of sub-pixels resulting from alignment division, the liquid crystal display device including: an element layer formed on a substrate; an insulating film formed on the substrate so as to cover the element layer; a pixel electrode formed on the insulating film so as to be connected to the element layer; a gap adjusting layer formed on the insulating film on the element layer including a region of connection between the element layer and the pixel electrode; and a dielectric formed on a connecting part for making an electric connection between the sub-pixels.

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display element including a first alignment film and a second alignment film and a liquid crystal layer that is provided between the first alignment film and the second alignment film, wherein the first alignment film includes a compound in which a polymer compound that includes a cross-linked functional group or a polymerized functional group as a side chain is cross-linked or polymerized, the second alignment film includes the same compound as the compound that configures the first alignment film, and the formation and processing of the second alignment film is different from the formation and processing of the first alignment film and when a pretilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules which is conferred by the first alignment film is θ1 and a pretilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules which is conferred by the second alignment film is θ2, θ1>θ2.

The present invention provides a display device substrate, a display device substrate manufacturing method, a display device, a liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal display device manufacturing method and an organic electroluminescent display device that allow suppressing faults derived from occurrence of gas and/or bubbles in a pixel region. The present invention is a display device substrate that comprises: a photosensitive resin film; and a pixel electrode, in this order, from a side of an insulating substrate. The display device substrate has a gas-barrier insulating film, at a layer higher than the photosensitive resin film, for preventing advance of a gas generated from the photosensitive resin film, or has a gas-barrier insulating film, between the photosensitive resin film and the pixel electrode, for preventing advance of gas generated from the photosensitive resin film.

The disclosed technology discloses an array substrate and a liquid crystal display panel. The array substrate comprises: a base substrate; a gate line and a data line formed on the base substrate, the gate line and the data line defining a plurality of pixel regions; and a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer formed in each pixel region; and an insulating layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. The first electrode layer, the insulating layer and the second electrode layer are laminated on the base substrate in this order. The first electrode layer is provided with a plurality of first apertures therein, and the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of first electrode portions located between the plurality of first apertures.

A pixel structure comprises a plurality of pixel regions, and each of the pixel regions includes first and second electrodes that are overlapped with each other, the first electrode is disposed above the second electrode, and each of the pixel regions is divided at least into a first to fourth domain display regions; strip-shaped first electrodes in the first to fourth domain display regions make first to fourth angles with a reference direction; the sum of the first angle and the second angle is 180 degrees, the sum of the third angle and the fourth angle is 180 degrees, and the first, the second, the third and the fourth angles are different from one another.

Apertures are formed in the common electrode or in the pixel electrode of a liquid crystal display to form a fringe field. Storage capacitor electrodes are formed at the position corresponding to the apertures to prevent the light leakage due to the disclination caused by the fringe field. The apertures extend horizontally, vertically or obliquely. The apertures in adjacent pixel regions may have different directions to widen the viewing angle.

A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate having a display region with first and second electrodes, TFTs, scanning signal lines connected to the TFTs, a counter substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the TFT and counter substrates, and sealed by a sealant, scanning line leads connected to the scanning signal lines and formed outside of the display region, video signal line leads connected to the video signal lines and formed outside of the display region and a shield electrode formed on the TFT substrate covering the scanning line leads but not the video signal line leads. The second electrode is connected to one of the TFTs, and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are driven by an electric field, which is generated between the first and second electrodes. The shield electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode and overlapped with the sealant in plan view.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device with high transmittance or viewing angle characteristics. A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a first substrate (10) which includes a pixel electrode (30); a second substrate (20) which includes a counter electrode (25); and a liquid crystal layer (21) and a spacer (40) which are provided between the first substrate (10) and the second substrate (20). The pixel electrode (30) includes a first portion which is formed by a plurality of first branch portions (34A) extending in a first direction, a second portion which is formed by a plurality of second branch portions (34B) extending in a second direction, a third portion which is formed by a plurality of third branch portions (34C) extending in a third direction, and a fourth portion which is formed by a plurality of fourth branch portions (34D) extending in a fourth direction. The spacer (40) is provided at a position in the pixel (50) which is surrounded by the first to fourth portions of the pixel electrode (30) when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a plane of the first substrate (10).

A display apparatus includes a lower substrate, an upper substrate, a spacer and an image display layer. The spacer includes a main spacer, a first sub-spacer and a second sub-spacer. The main spacer has a height greater than that of the first and second sub-spacers. The second sub-spacer has an area wider than that of the main spacer and the first sub-spacer.

The present invention is intended to control the color temperature of white exhibited by a liquid crystal display device. White is produced when light waves emitted through pixels associated with three colors of red, green, and blue have maximum intensities. The amounts of light emitted through the respective pixels are controlled by differentiating the shapes of the pixel electrodes disposed at the respective pixels from one another. Thus, the color temperature of white is controlled. Otherwise, the shapes of interceptive films disposed at the respective pixels are differentiated from one another in order to control light waves emitted through the respective pixels. Thus, the color temperature of white is controlled. The interceptive film may be shaped like the pixel electrode. Otherwise, the interceptive film may be realized with an interceptive pattern other than that of the pixel electrode or one of openings bored in a black matrix.

A liquid crystal display panel, including: a pixel electrode formed on a first substrate; an alignment layer formed on the pixel electrode, wherein the alignment layer includes an alignment layer material and aligns first liquid crystal molecules in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pixel electrode; and a photo hardening layer formed on the alignment layer, wherein the photo hardening layer includes a photo hardening layer material and aligns second liquid crystal molecules to be tilted with respect to the pixel electrode, wherein the alignment layer material and the photo hardening layer material have different polarities from each other.

The invention provides a display device having a slim structure and a small size with enhanced strength. The display device according to an embodiment includes a display panel, a backlight assembly disposed below the display panel, a first support section surrounding lateral sides of the display panel, and a second support section extending from an inner side of the first support section such that the second support section is disposed at lateral sides of the backlight assembly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device which has a wide viewing angle and less color-shift depending on an angle at which a display screen is seen and can display an image favorably recognized both outdoors in sunlight and dark indoors (or outdoors at night). The liquid crystal display device includes a first portion where display is performed by transmission of light and a second portion where display is performed by reflection of light. Further, a liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal molecule which rotates parallel to an electrode plane when a potential difference is generated between two electrodes of a liquid crystal element provided below the liquid crystal layer.

A liquid crystal display capable of realizing a high transmittance while maintaining favorable voltage response characteristics, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The liquid crystal display includes: a liquid crystal layer; a first substrate and a second substrate arranged to face each other with the liquid crystal layer in between; a plurality of pixel electrodes provided on a liquid crystal layer side of the first substrate; and an opposite electrode provided on the second substrate to face the plurality of pixel electrodes. One or both of a face on the liquid crystal layer side of the pixel electrode, and a face on the liquid crystal layer side of the opposite electrode includes a concavo-convex structure.

The present invention provides a backlight module and a liquid crystal display device using the backlight module. The backlight module includes: a backplane (2), a light guide plate (4) arranged in the backplane (2), a backlight source (6) arranged in the backplane (2), an optic film assembly (8) arranged above the light guide plate (4), and a reflection plate (9) arranged between the backplane (2) and the light guide plate (4). The backlight source (6) includes a PCB (62) and a plurality of LED lights (64) mounted on and electrically connected to the PCB (62). The backplane (2) includes a bottom plate (22) and a plurality of side plates (24) perpendicularly connected to the bottom plate (22). The bottom plate (22) of the backplane (2) includes a snap-engagement structure (220) formed thereon. The PCB (62) is snap-fit into and retained by the snap-engagement structure (220). The reflection plate (9) is directly positioned on and supported by the PCB (62).

The liquid crystal display device includes an island-shaped first semiconductor film 102 which is formed over a base insulating film 101 and in which a source 102d, a channel forming region 102a, and a drain 102b are formed; a first electrode 102c which is formed of a material same as the first semiconductor film 102 to be the source 102d or the drain 102b and formed over the base insulating film 101; a second electrode 108 which is formed over the first electrode 102c and includes a first opening pattern 112; and a liquid crystal 110 which is provided over the second electrode 108.

The liquid crystal display device includes an island-shaped first semiconductor film 102 which is formed over a base insulating film 101 and in which a source 102d, a channel forming region 102a, and a drain 102b are formed; a first electrode 102c which is formed of a material same as the first semiconductor film 102 to be the source 102d or the drain 102b and formed over the base insulating film 101; a second electrode 108 which is formed over the first electrode 102c and includes a first opening pattern 112; and a liquid crystal 110 which is provided over the second electrode 108.

An optical element includes at least two stacked birefringent layers having respective local optical axes that are rotated by respective twist angles over respective thicknesses of the at least two layers, and are aligned along respective interfaces between the at least two layers. The respective twist angles and/or the respective thicknesses are different. The at least two stacked birefringent layers may be liquid crystal polymer optical retarder layers. Related devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.

It is an object of the present invention to apply a sufficient electrical field to a liquid crystal material in a horizontal electrical field liquid crystal display device typified by an FFS type. In a horizontal electrical field liquid crystal display, an electrical field is applied to a liquid crystal material right above a common electrode and a pixel electrode using plural pairs of electrodes rather than one pair of electrodes.

A liquid crystal display device is provided, which includes a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer having an opening, a light-transmitting chromatic-color resin layer between the thin film transistor and the second electrode layer, and a liquid crystal layer. One of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is a pixel electrode layer which is electrically connected to the thin film transistor, and the other of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is a common electrode layer. The light-transmitting chromatic-color resin layer is overlapped with the pixel electrode layer and the oxide semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor.

A multilayered cell culture apparatus for the culturing of cells is disclosed. The cell culture apparatus is defined as an integral structure having a plurality of cell culture chambers in combination with tracheal space(s). The body of the apparatus has imparted therein gas permeable membranes in combination with tracheal spaces that will allow the free flow of gases between the cell culture chambers and the external environment. The flask body also includes an aperture that will allow access to the cell growth chambers by means of a needle or cannula. The size of the apparatus, and location of an optional neck and cap section, allows for its manipulation by standard automated assay equipment, further making the apparatus ideal for high throughput applications.

According to one embodiment, a first gene encodes a reporter protein. The first gene is disposed at the downstream of the gene promoter. A second gene is disposed at the downstream of the gene promoter and encodes a replication origin-binding protein. An internal ribosome entry site is disposed between the first gene and the second gene. The transcription termination signal sequence encodes a signal for terminating the transcription of the first gene and the second gene. A replication origin sequence is recognized by the replication origin-binding protein.

Methods and devices for separating fluid-suspended plant somatic embryos and embryogenic tissue based on differences in their fluid drag properties are disclosed. Deposition method and device for depositing plant somatic embryos into embryo receiver comprising growth substrate by means of a fluid jet is disclosed. An automated system for processing plant somatic embryos from the bioreactor to the growth substrate is also disclosed.

The invention provides an improved design for the construction of extensible nucleic acid-based, ligand-controlled regulatory systems, and the nucleic acid regulatory systems resulting therefrom. The invention contemplates improving the design of the switches (ligand-controlled regulatory systems) through the design of an information transmission domain (ITD). The improved ITD eliminates free-floating ends of the switching and the competing strands, and localizes competitive hybridization events to a contiguous strand of competing and switching strands in a strand-displacement mechanism-based switch, thereby improving the kinetics of strand-displacement. The improved regulatory systems have many uses in various biological systems, including gene expression control or ligand-concentration sensing.

Methods and agents for reducing a level of an acetylated Tau polypeptide in a cell are provided. Methods for treating a tauopathy in an individual are also provided. Also provided is a method for diagnosing a cognitive impairment disorder in an individual. Methods for identifying an agent suitable for treating a tauopathy are also provided.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) having thyroid stimulating activity (TSAb), especially full or considerably agonistic activity, or thyroid blocking activity (TBAb), which are obtainable by genetic immunization of mice, or fragments (F(ab')2, Fab or Fv) or humanized forms of such monoclonal antibodies or single chain forms (SCA; scFv) of such fragments, which antibodies, or their fragments, compete with bovine TSH for epitopes of the human TSHr, compete with autoantibodies from sera from Graves' patients as well as with autoantibodies from sera from patients harboring blocking autoantibodies for epitopes of the human TSHr, bind to conformational epitopes of the human TSHr located in the first 281 amino acids of the human TSHr, and usually also bind to TSFR receptors (TSHr) from different animals. Various uses of such antibodies, or of peptides corresponding to variable regions of such antibodies, are also described and claimed.

The invention concerns a system for modulating tissue physiology, for example, to prevent or reverse tissue damage caused by disease. The system utilizes vigilant cells that include stable vectors containing a gene switch/biosensor and a gene amplification system. The vectors allow expression of a transgene (such as a cardioprotective gene) in the vigilant cells to be regulated in response to a physiological signal, to be switched on or off, and to provide sufficient levels of the transgene product to achieve a desired result, e.g., prevention or reversal of myocardial cell damage. In addition to myocardial infarction, the vectors can be used to treat cells in a number of other disease states, including diabetes, cancer, stroke, and atherosclerosis. These approaches to stem cell-based gene therapy provide a novel strategy not only for treatment but for prevention of cell destruction.

Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides and recombinant DNA constructs particularly useful for altering agronomic characteristics of plants under nitrogen limiting conditions, compositions (such as plants or seeds) comprising these recombinant DNA constructs, and methods utilizing these recombinant DNA constructs. The recombinant DNA construct comprises a polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter functional in a plant, wherein said polynucleotide encodes an LNT1 polypeptide.

This invention provides recombinant DNA constructs and methods for manipulating expression of a target gene that is regulated by a small RNA, by interfering with the binding of the small RNA to its target gene. More specifically, this invention discloses recombinant DNA constructs encoding cleavage blockers, 5-modified cleavage blockers, and translational inhibitors useful for modulating expression of a target gene and methods for their use. Further disclosed are miRNA targets useful for designing recombinant DNA constructs including miRNA-unresponsive transgenes, miRNA decoys, cleavage blockers, 5-modified cleavage blockers, and translational inhibitors, as well as methods for their use, and transgenic eukaryotic cells and organisms containing such constructs.

The invention relates to genes coding for TCP family transcription factors and having a biological role in the development of axillary buds and branch growth. Furthermore, the invention relates to the promoters of the transcription of said genes, to the genetic constructs containing same and to the uses thereof, including the use of agents that modulate the expression of these genes in order to modify plant architecture.

The present invention comprises methods and systems for manipulation of media and particles, whether inert materials or biomaterials, such as cells in suspension cell culture. The methods and systems comprise use of an apparatus comprising a rotating chamber wherein the actions of the combined forces fluid flow force and centrifugal force form a fluidized bed within the rotating chamber.

The present invention relates, in general, to gene expression and, in particular, to a method of inhibiting the expression of a target gene and to constructs suitable for use in such a method.

A vehicle seat has a longitudinal adjuster, a pair of seat rails, a releasable latching device having at least one actuating pin that projects over the second seat rail, a pivotably arranged actuating lever, and a Bowden cable. A holder is fixed on a rail and supports the actuating lever such as to be pivotable about a pivot axis at one end, and a contact surface is formed on the actuating lever, on which surface the core of the Bowden cable rests in a subarea between the end of the sheath and the end of the core. The holder secures the end of the core of the Bowden cable, and the actuating lever has a Bowden cable support on which the sheath of the Bowden cable is supported directly or indirectly.

A premium class passenger suite that includes a main seat positioned in the suite together with separate bed. The bed has a flexible mattress of predetermined dimensions and is movable between a stowed position to one side of the main seat and a deployed position above and separate from the main seat. A drive apparatus is provided for driving the bed between the stowed and deployed positions. The main seat is configured to be movable between a seating position when the bed is stowed, and a stowed position with a lowered seat back when the bed is deployed for use.