Automotive vehicle seat assembly fully retractable below the vehicle's floor
OwnerRaymond C. Cannera, Douglas J. Staffordinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a storable vehicle seat assembly which is fully retractable below the level of the vehicle's floor. Typically, the invention involves a bench-type seat which is located behind the driver and passenger seats of a van or station wagon. In an operative position, the seat has an upper member or back rest which cooperates with a lower horizontal bench member to provide the seating portion. In the nonoperative or fully retracted position, the upper seat portion is folded upon the lower seat member and the supporting legs so that the entire seat assembly occurs below the level of the vehicle's floor.
Claims15
A storable vehicle seat assembly wherein the vehicle seat is fully retractable below floor level of the vehicle, comprising:
- storage means for storage of a seat assembly, said storage means positioned within the vehicle below floor level;
- at least one channel within said vehicle floor, said at least one channel extending rearwardly from said storage means;
- a seat assembly having an upper seat member coupled with a lower seat member;
- at least one rotatable forward leg member pivotally attached at one end to said lower seat member and at a second end to said storage means;
- at least one rotatable rearward leg member pivotally attached at one end to said upper seat member and at a second end to said vehicle floor, within said channel;
- and
- cover means for covering said storage means when said seat member is in an operative and inoperative position, said cover means being substantially flush with said floor when covering said storage means.
A method of adjusting a storable vehicle seat assembly from an operative to an inoperative position below the level of the vehicle's floor, said storable vehicle seat assembly having an upper seat member and a lower seat member secured in an operative position by one or more forward and rearward leg members, storage means for storage of the seat assembly located in the vehicle below floor level, and cover means for covering said storage means, said method including:
- displacing said cover means to an open position to reveal said storage means;
- displacing said upper and lower seat members and rotating said upper seat member forward;
- folding said upper seat member upon said lower seat member by further forward rotation of said upper seat member, wherein said forward and rearward leg members simultaneously rotate downward;
- and
- positioning said upper and lower seat members and said at least one forward and rearward leg members in a substantially horizontal position within said storage means such that said storable vehicle seat assembly has been fully retractable below said vehicle floor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.