Seat assembly for a motor vehicle retractable below the vehicle floor

A seat storage system for a motor vehicle, having a body defining an interior floor and a rear storage area, the seat storage system comprising:

• a storage tub located below the interior floor of the rear-storage area;
• a retractable seat having a generally horizontal member and a generally upright seatback member pivotally attached thereto, said retractable seat being movable between an operative condition and a stored condition;
• first and second guide tracks;
• first and second swing arms each including first and second ends, said first end of said first and second swing arms being pivotally attached to said retractable seat, said second ends received by an associated one of said first and second guide tracks, so as to permit movement therealong and pivoting of each swing arm about its second end;
• and
• first and second pivot arms passing through said storage tub and adapted to interconnect a rear edge of said horizontal member to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed point.

A seat storage system for a motor vehicle having a body defining an interior floor and a rear storage area, the seat storage system comprising:

• a storage tub located below the interior floor of the rear storage area;
• a retractable seat having a generally horizontal member and a generally upright seatback member pivotally attached thereto, said retractable seat being movable between an operative condition and a stored condition;
• first and second guide tracks each open in a generally horizontal direction;
• first and second swing arms each including first and second ends, said first end of said first and second swing arms being pivotally attached to said retractable seat, said second ends received by an associated one of said first and second guide tracks, so as to permit movement therealong and pivoting of each swing arm about its second end;
• and
• first and second pivot arms adapted to interconnect a rear edge of said horizontal member to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed point.

A method of adjusting a seat for a motor vehicle having a body and a rearwardly located tub between an operative position and a stowed position below a floor of the vehicle, the seat including a forward edge and a rearward edge, the method including the steps of:

• interconnecting the forward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a movable axis;
• interconnecting the rearward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed point;
• moving the seat from the operative position above the floor to the stowed position substantially within the tub by simultaneously pivoting said forward edge about said movable axis and said rearward edge about said fixed axis:
• and,
• wherein the step of moving the seat assembly from an operative position above the floor to a stowed position substantially within the tub includes the step of translating the seat assembly between a fore position and an aft position.

A method of adjusting a seat for a motor vehicle having a body and a rearwardly located tub between an operative position and a stowed position below a floor of the vehicle, the seat including a forward edge and a rearward edge, the method including the steps of:

• interconnecting the forward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a movable axis;
• interconnecting the rearward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed point;
• moving the seat from the operative position above the floor to the stowed position substantially within the tub by simultaneously pivoting said forward edge about said movable axis and said rearward edge about said fixed axis;
• and,
• wherein the step of interconnecting a forward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed axis includes the steps of mounting first and second guide tracks to the body adjacent to laterally opposing sides of said seat assembly, pivotally interconnecting a first end of each of said swing arms to the seat and pivotally attaching a second end of each of said swing arms to an associated one of said first and second guide tracks.