Tumble seat with displaceable side handle release

A frame structure for supporting a cushioned seat structure of a vehicle seat for use in a vehicle including floor means, said floor means having a pair of front and rear wells disposed with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and anchor members extending across said wells, said frame structure being constructed and arranged to be movable between an operative position on said floor means and a forwardly tumbled, storage position, said frame structure comprising:

• a pair of rigid support structures constructed and arranged to be mounted to said seat structure on opposing sides thereof,
• front and rear legs mounted on each of said pair of rigid support structures, each of said legs including a downwardly facing surface for engaging the anchor members, and associated front and rear hook members, each of said front and rear hook members being mounted for movement between (1) an operative position so as to enter the associated front and rear wells and engage in hooked relationship with the anchor members so as to detachably retain the rigid support structures in a fixed operative position on the floor means with the anchor members and the downwardly facing surfaces in engagement and (2) an inoperative position removed from engagement with the anchor members,
• each of said rear legs being pivotally coupled to an associated rigid support structure so as to be movable between (1) an operative position extending generally downwardly with respect to an associated rigid support structure with said rear hook members disposed in their operative positions, and (2) a forwardly folded position disposed generally adjacent an associated rigid support structure, and
• an actuating mechanism including manually movable handle structure associated with at least one of said rear legs in a position to be manually grasped and operated at a side of said vehicle seat, said handle structure being biased toward a use position by a spring system, said actuating mechanism being constructed and arranged with respect to said rear hook members so that manual movement of said handle structure from said use position moves said rear hook members from the operative position thereof to the inoperative position thereof thereby permitting said frame structure and the seat structure when mounted thereon to be pivoted about said front anchor members, disposed in the operative position thereof, and moved to the forwardly tumbled, storage position thereof,
• said handle structure including a lost-motion connection constructed and arranged such that when said rear legs move toward the forwardly folded position thereof causing a portion of said handle structure to contact a surface of an associated rigid support which would otherwise restrict movement of said rear legs, said lost-motion connection permits said handle structure to move against the bias thereon, enabling said rear legs to complete movement to the forwardly folded position thereof.