Easily handled movable vehicle seat assembly

A vehicle assembly comprising;

• a floor and an upper portion there above defining a compartment with a roof,
• a back frame,
• a cushion frame pivotally supported in said vehicle for pivotal movement about a first axis between a seating position overlying said floor and a storage position,
• said assembly characterized by a pair of vertical frame members extending upwardly from said back frame to a pair of pivot joints connected to said vehicle adjacent to said roof for pivotal movement about a second axis for folding said cushion frame about said first axis to said storage position and pivoting said back frame upwardly about said second axis to position said back frame alongside said roof of said compartment.

A vehicle seat assembly in combination with a motor vehicle having an interior space defined by a bottom floor, transversely spaced side walls, and an upper roof, said vehicle seat assembly comprising:

• a seat cushion assembly having a seat cushion frame structure, said seat cushion assembly being constructed and arranged to be mounted within the interior space of the motor vehicle in an operative position wherein an occupant can be seated thereon;
• a seat back assembly having a lightweight seat back frame structure, said seat back assembly being constructed and arranged to be mounted within the interior space of the motor vehicle in an operative position to support the back of an occupant seated on the seat cushion assembly, said seat back frame structure including elongated transversely spaced frame members constructed and arranged to be connected with the interior structure of the motor vehicle such that said seat back assembly can be swung between the operative position thereof and a storage position thereof, said seat back assembly being disposed alongside the roof of the motor vehicle in vertically spaced relation to the vehicle floor when in the storage position thereof, said seat back frame structure being associated with said seat cushion frame structure to be disposed below upper portions of said transversely spaced frame members when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the operative positions thereof, wherein each of said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly is moveable from the respective operative positions thereof into respective storage positions such that cargo can be stored on the floor of the motor vehicle when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the respective storage positions;
• said seat assembly being constructed and arranged to be connected with and extend between lower portions of the side walls of the motor vehicle when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the respective operative positions thereof so that force applied thereto by an occupant during conditions of sudden acceleration or deceleration are resisted by virtue of the connections thereof with the side wall of the motor vehicle.

A vehicle seat assembly in combination with a motor vehicle having an interior space defined by a bottom floor, transversely spaced side walls, and an upper roof, said vehicle seat assembly comprising:

• a seat cushion assembly having a seat cushion frame structure, said seat cushion assembly being constructed and arranged to be mounted within the interior space of the motor vehicle in an operative position wherein an occupant can be seated thereon;
• a seat back assembly having a lightweight seat back frame structure, said seat back assembly being constructed and arranged to be mounted within the interior space of the motor vehicle in an operative position to support the back of an occupant seated on the seat cushion assembly, said seat back frame structure including elongated transversely spaced frame members constructed and arranged to be pivotally connected with the interior structure of the motor vehicle adjacent the roof thereof and extend downwardly therefrom when said seat back assembly is in the operative position thereof such that said seat back assembly can be swung between the operative position thereof and the storage position thereof, said seat back assembly being disposed alongside the roof of the motor vehicle in vertically spaced relation to the vehicle floor when in the storage position thereof, said seat back frame structure being associated with said seat cushion frame structure disposed below upper portions of said transversely spaced frame members when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the operative positions thereof,
• said seat assembly being constructed and arranged to be connected with and extend between lower portions of the side walls of the motor vehicle when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the respective operative positions thereof and including an elongated tensile structure constructed and arranged to be connected with and extending between the side walls of the motor vehicle when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the respective operative positions thereof such that force applied to said cushion associated frame structure results in bending of said cushion associated frame structure within the elastic limit of the material thereof, said tensile structure being constructed and arranged such that the aforesaid bending of said cushion associated frame structure causes said tensile structure to apply inwardly directed tensile forces to the side walls of the motor vehicle when said tensile structure is connected there between, said side walls of the motor vehicle being constructed and arranged to resist the inwardly directed tensile forces so that tension is created in said tensile structure as a result of the aforesaid bending such that said tensile structure resists further bending.

A vehicle seat assembly in combination with a motor vehicle having an interior space defined by a bottom floor, transversely spaced side walls, and an upper roof, said vehicle seat assembly comprising:

• a seat cushion assembly having a lightweight seat cushion frame structure, said seat cushion assembly being constructed and arranged to be mounted within the interior space of the motor vehicle in an operative position wherein an occupant can be seated thereon;
• a seat back assembly having a lightweight seat back frame structure, said seat back assembly being constructed and arranged to be mounted within the interior space of the motor vehicle in an operative position to support the back of an occupant seated on the seat cushion assembly, said seat back frame structure including elongated transversely spaced frame members constructed and arranged to be connected with the interior structure of the motor vehicle adjacent the roof thereof and extend downwardly therefrom when said seat back assembly is in the operative position thereof, said seat back frame structure being associated with said seat cushion frame structure to form a lightweight structure disposed below upper portions of said transversely spaced frame members when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the operative positions thereof,
• said seat cushion assembly being moveably mounted to said seat back assembly such that said seat cushion assembly can be moved when said seat back assembly is in the operative position thereof to a folded position with respect to said seat back assembly wherein said seat cushion assembly is disposed alongside said seat back assembly,
• said transversely spaced frame members of said seat back frame structure being constructed and arranged to be pivotally attached to the interior structure of the motor vehicle such that said seat cushion assembly can be moved to the folded position thereof alongside said seat back assembly and thereafter said seat back assembly together with said seat cushion assembly can be swung upwards to be releasably retained in respective storage positions wherein said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are disposed alongside the roof of the motor vehicle in vertically spaced relation to the floor of the motor vehicle and are capable of being released in response to manual operation for swinging downward movement therefrom, the respective storage positions of said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly being arranged such that cargo can be stored on the floor of the motor vehicle when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the respective storage positions,
• said cushion associated frame structure being constructed and arranged to establish a connection with the interior structure of the motor vehicle as said seat cushion assembly is moved from the folded position thereof to the operative position thereof after said seat back assembly has been swung downwards to the operative position thereof to retain said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly in the respective operative positions thereof;
• and
• yieldable cushion supporting structure configured to be connected between said transversely spaced side frame members of said seat back frame structure and the interior structure of the motor vehicle, said yieldable cushion supporting structure being constructed and arranged such that (1) said yieldable cushion supporting structure can yieldingly support said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly in the respective storage positions thereof alongside the roof of the motor vehicle after said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly have been released in response to manual operation and (2) said yieldable cushion supporting structure can control downward movement of said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly as they are being swung downwardly from the respective storage positions thereof.

A vehicle seat assembly in combination with a motor vehicle having an interior space defined by a bottom floor, transversely spaced side walls, and an upper roof, said vehicle seat assembly comprising:

• a seat cushion assembly having a lightweight seat cushion frame structure, said seat cushion assembly being constructed and arranged to be mounted within the interior space of the motor vehicle in an operative position wherein an occupant can be seated thereon;
• a seat back assembly having a lightweight seat back frame structure, said seat back assembly being constructed and arranged to be mounted within the interior space of the motor vehicle in an operative position to support the back of an occupant seated on the seat cushion assembly, said seat back frame structure including elongated transversely spaced frame members constructed and arranged to be connected with the interior structure of the motor vehicle and extend downwardly therefrom when said seat back assembly is in the operative position thereof, said seat back frame structure being associated with said seat cushion frame structure to form a lightweight structure disposed below upper portions of said transversely spaced frame members when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the operative positions thereof,
• said seat cushion assembly being moveably mounted to said seat back assembly such that said seat cushion assembly can be moved when said seat back assembly is in the operative position thereof to a folded position with respect to said seat back assembly wherein said seat cushion assembly is disposed alongside said seat back assembly,
• said transversely spaced frame members of said seat back frame structure being constructed and arranged to be pivotally attached to the interior structure of the motor vehicle such that said seat cushion assembly can be moved to the folded position thereof alongside said seat back assembly and thereafter said seat back assembly together with said seat cushion assembly can be swung upwards to be releasably retained in respective storage positions wherein said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are disposed alongside the roof of the motor vehicle in vertically spaced relation to the floor of the motor vehicle and are capable of being released in response to manual operation for swinging downward movement therefrom, the respective storage positions of said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly being arranged such that cargo can be stored on the floor of the motor vehicle when said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly are in the respective storage positions,
• said seat assembly being constructed and arranged to establish a connection with the side walls of the motor vehicle as said seat cushion assembly is moved from the folded position thereof to the operative position thereof after said seat back assembly has been swung downwards to the operative position thereof to retain said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly in the respective operative positions thereof;
• and
• yieldable cushion supporting structure configured to be connected between said transversely spaced side frame members of said seat back frame structure and the interior structure of the motor vehicle, said yieldable cushion supporting structure being constructed and arranged such that (1) said yieldable cushion supporting structure can yieldingly support said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly in the respective storage positions thereof alongside the roof of the motor vehicle after said seat cushion assembly sand seat back assembly have been released in response to manual operation and (2) said yieldable cushion supporting structure can control downward movement of said seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly as they are being swung downwardly from the respective storage positions thereof.