Combination reclining and folding mechanism for automotive seat assemblies

A movable seat assembly for use in a vehicle having a floor member, said seat assembly comprising:

• a seatback member pivotally mounted on a seat cushion member so as to permit pivotal movement in a forward direction between a generally upright occupiable configuration and a relatively forwardly folded unoccupiable configuration, said seat cushion member having front seat legs pivotally mounted thereon adjacent the upper ends of said front seat legs and said seatback member having rear seat legs pivotally mounted thereon adjacent the upper ends of said rear seat legs;
• each of said front seat legs being pivotally mounted adjacent their lower ends to a respective front attachment member shaped and dimensioned to be affixable to said floor member:
• each of said rear seat legs being pivotally mounted adjacent their lower ends to a respective rear attachment member shaped and dimensioned to be affixable to said floor member and with at least one of said rear attachment members having a circumferential surface presenting first teeth means;
• said pivotal mounting of said front and rear seat legs permitting movement of said seat cushion member from a first in-use position within the vehicle to a second forwardly translated stowed position within the vehicle;
• a latch means operatively connected between the seatback member and the seat cushion member for movement between a first latched configuration at which said pivotal movement of said seatback member is arrested and a second unlatched configuration at which said pivotal movement of said seatback member is permitted;
• a lock means mounted on the rear seat leg associated with the rear attachment member having said first teeth means for movement between a first locked configuration whereat a second teeth means mounted on said lock means restrainingly engages said first teeth means on the respective rear attachment member so as to hold said seat cushion member in said first inuse position, and a second unlocked configuration at which said second teeth means on said lock means are removed from engagement with said first teeth means on said rear attachment member, and the seat cushion member is permitted to move as aforesaid toward said second forwardly translated stowed position;
• a first actuation means mounted on the seat assembly so as to be operatively moveable by a user from a neutral position whereat said latch means is held by the actuation means in said first latched configuration, to an actuated position whereat said latch means has been urged by said first actuation means to said second unlatched configuration to permit said pivotal movement of the seatback member;
• and,
• a second actuation means mounted on the seat cushion member so as to be operatively contacted by a portion of the seatback member at a first design position of the seatback member upon said pivotal movement of said seatback member in said forward direction to move the lock means from said first locked configuration to said second unlocked configuration, so as to permit said movement of said seat cushion member from said first in-use position to said second forwardly translated stowed position upon continued pivotal movement of the seatback member beyond said first design position in said forward direction.