Collapsible seat

A seat comprising:

• a seat bottom;
• a seat back pivotally coupled to the seat bottom for movement between a first position overlaying the seat bottom and a second, elevated, stationary position angularly deployed upright with respect to the seat bottom;
• and
• shape changing means, coupled to at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back, for changing the shape of the at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back as the seat back moves between the first and second positions to minimize the overall height of the seat back and the seat bottom when the seat back is in the second position overlaying the seat bottom;
• the seat bottom including:
• a pair of side frame members and front and rear crossbars extending between opposite ends of the side frame members;
• the front crossbar rotatably connected to the side frame members;
• an intermediate crossbar spaced from the front crossbar and fixedly connected to the side frame members;
• and
• a flexible member fixedly connected at opposite ends to the front crossbar and the intermediate crossbar, the flexible member having an upwardly extending curvature when the seat back is in the elevated position relative to the seat bottom to support a thigh of a seat occupant, the flexible member moving to a generally planar shape through rotation of the front crossbar during pivotal movement of the seat back to a lowered position overlaying the seat bottom.

A seat comprising:

• a seat bottom;
• a seat back pivotally coupled to the seat bottom for movement between a first storage position overlaying the seat bottom and a second, elevated, upright, occupant seating position angularly deployed with respect to the seat bottom;
• linkage means, coupled to the seat bottom, for pivotally moving the seat bottom between a first position in close proximity to an underlying seat support surface and a second, upright seating position with respect to the underlying support surface;
• shape changing means, coupled to at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back and to the linkage means, for changing the shape of the at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back substantially continuously as the seat back moves between the first and second positions to minimize the overall height of the seat back and the seat bottom when the seat back is in the second position overlaying the seat bottom;
• and
• the seat back and the linkage means operably coupled wherein pivotal movement of the seat back with respect to the seat bottom operates the seat bottom moving means to concurrently move the seat bottom between the first and second positions.

A seat comprising:

• a seat bottom;
• a seat back pivotally coupled to the seat bottom between a first storage position overlaying the seat bottom and a second elevated, upright, occupant seating position angularly deployed with respect to the seat bottom;
• and
• means, connected between the seat back and the seat bottom, for changing the thickness of at least one of the seat back and the seat bottom substantially continuously as the seat back moves between the first and second positions to reduce the total thickness of the seat back and the seat bottom when the seat back is in the second position overlaying the seat bottom.

A seat comprising:

• a seat bottom;
• a seat back pivotally coupled to the seat bottom for movement between a first storage position overlaying the seat bottom and a second elevated, occupant seating stationary position, angularly disposed upright with respect to the seat bottom;
• a flexible sheet supporting a seat back cushion, the flexible sheet mounted in the seat back;
• a plurality of shape changing members movably connected to the flexible sheet and the seat back for changing the shape of the flexible sheet relative to the seat back as the seat back pivots relative to the seat bottom to reduce the overall thickness of the seat back when the seat back is in the first position overlaying the seat bottom;
• and
• a lower end of the flexible sheet connected to the seat bottom at a position spaced from a pivot axis of the seat back with respect to the seat bottom wherein the shape changing members change the shape of the flexible sheet from a generally planar shape relative to the seat back when the seat back overlays the seat bottom in the first position to an arcuate shape relative to the seat back when the seat back is in the second position.

A seat comprising:

• a seat bottom;
• a seat back having a flexible sheet and a seat back frame, the seat back frame pivotally coupled to the seat bottom for movement between a first storage position overlaying the seat bottom and a second elevated, upright, occupant seating position angularly disposed with respect to the seat bottom;
• the flexible sheet supporting a seat back cushion, the seat back cushion having a first exterior surface spaced from the flexible sheet, the first exterior surface of the seat back cushion having a nominal, occupant seating profile when the seat back is in the second position;
• a plurality of shape changing members movably connected to the flexible sheet and the seat back frame for changing the shape of the flexible sheet relative to the seat back as the seat back pivots relative to the seat bottom;
• and
• a lower end of the flexible sheet connected to the seat bottom at a position spaced from a pivot axis of the seat back with respect to the seat bottom wherein the shape changing members change the shape of the flexible sheet substantially continuously from the nominal profile shape when the seat back is in the second position to a generally planar shape adjacent to the seat back frame when the seat back is in the first position to modify the nominal profile of the seat back cushion to a second profile of reduced thickness relative to the seat back frame.