Underfloor stowage of a folding seat in a vehicle

A stowable seat for a vehicle comprising:

• a seat receiving recess in a floor;
• a seat having a leg operatively attaching the seat to the floor for selective movement of the seat with respect to the seat receiving recess between a deployed position of the seat, an intermediate position of the seat, and a stowed position of the seat;
• the leg having an upper pivot operatively attached to the seat and a lower pivot operatively attached to the floor for selective movement of the leg between a deployed position of the leg and a stowed position of the leg, wherein the seat is selectively movable about said lower pivot in a transverse direction with respect to the seat receiving recess;
• the leg in the substantially vertical deployed position of the leg supporting the seat in both the deployed position and intermediate positions of the seat, with the seat extending substantially perpendicualr to the leg in the deployed position of the seat, and the seat extending substantially parallel to the leg in the intermediate position of the seat;
• the seat being operatively attached to the upper pivot of the leg for selective movement with respect to both the seat receiving recess and the leg, between the deployed position of the seat, whereat the seat extends substantially perpendicular to the leg with the leg in the deployed position of the leg, and the intermediate position of the seat whereat the seat extends substantially parallel to the leg with the leg in the deployed position of the leg;
• the seat selectively movable between the intermediate position of the seat and the stowable position of the seat by pivoting the seat about the lower pivot of the leg.

A stowable seating apparatus for a vehicle having a floor defining a floor surface, the seating apparatus comprising:

• a seat receiving recess in the floor, extending downward from the floor surface and opening upward through the floor surface;
• and
• a seat having a seat cushion, a foldable seat back, and a leg operatively attaching the seat cushion to the floor for selective movement of the seat with respect to the seat receiving recess between a deployed position of the seat, an intermediate position of the seat, and a stowed position of the seat;
• the seat cushion having an upper surface for receiving the buttocks of a passenger when the seat is in the deployed position, and a lower surface facing the floor surface when the seat is in the deployed position;
• the foldable seat back pivotably attached to the seat cushion to be foldable upon the upper surface of the seat cushion to a folded position of the seat back, and openable to an open position of the seat back for supporting the back of a passenger seated upon the cushion;
• the leg having an upper pivot operatively attached to the lower surface of the seat cushion and a lower pivot operatively attached to the floor for selective movement of the leg between a substantially vertical deployed position of the leg and a substantially horizontal stowed position of the leg, with the leg in the substantially horizontal stowed position extending into the seat receiving recess in a direction substantially parallel to the floor surface, wherein the seat is operatively attached to the leg and floor for translating movement about said lower pivot in a transverse direction with respect to the seat receiving recess, between a first transverse position of the seat whereat the seat cannot be pivoted into the seat receiving recess and a second transverse position of the seat whereat the seat can be pivoted into the seat receiving recess;
• the leg in the substantially vertical deployed position of the leg supporting the seat cushion in both the deployed position and intermediate positions of the seat with the seat cushion extending substantially perpendicular to the leg in the deployed position of the seat, and the seat cushion extending substantially parallel to the leg in the intermediate position of the seat;
• the seat cushion being operatively attached to the upper pivot of the leg for selective movement with respect to both the seat receiving recess and the leg, between the deployed position of the seat, whereat the seat cushion extends substantially perpendicular to the leg with the leg in the deployed position of the leg and the seat back in either the open or the folded position, and the intermediate position of the seat whereat the seat cushion with the seat back folded thereupon extends substantially parallel to the leg with the leg in the deployed position of the leg;
• the seat selectively movable between the intermediate position of the seat and the stowed position of the seat within the seat receiving recess by pivoting the seat about the lower pivot of the leg;
• and
• wherein the upper pivot includes a locking mechanism for locking the seat against being pivoted about the upper pivot when the seat is a first transverse position of the seat with respect to the leg, and wherein said locking mechanism further allows-the seat to be pivoted about the upper pivot when the seat is in a second transverse position of the seat with respect to the leg.

A stowable seating apparatus for a vehicle having a floor defining a floor surface, the seating apparatus comprising:

• a seat receiving recess in the floor, extending downward from the floor surface and opening upward through the floor surface;
• and
• a seat having a seat cushion, a foldable seat back, and a leg operatively attaching the seat cushion to the floor for selective movement of the seat with respect to the seat receiving recess between a deployed position of the seat, an intermediate position of the seat, and a stowed position of the seat;
• the seat cushion having an upper surface for receiving the buttocks of a passenger when the seat is in the deployed position, and a lower surface facing the floor surface when the seat is in the deployed position;
• the foldable seat back pivotably attached to the seat cushion to be foldable upon the upper surface of the seat cushion to a folded position of the seat back, and openable to an open position of the seat back for supporting the back of a passenger seated upon the cushion;
• the leg having an upper pivot operatively attached to the lower surface of the seat cushion and a lower pivot operatively attached to the floor for selective movement of the leg between a substantially vertical deployed position of the leg and a substantially horizontal stowed position of the leg, with the leg in the substantially horizontal stowed position extending into the seat receiving recess in a direction substantially parallel to the floor surface;
• the leg in the substantially vertical deployed position of the leg supporting the seat cushion in both the deployed position and intermediate positions of the seat, with the seat cushion extending substantially perpendicular to the leg in the deployed position of the seat, and the seat cushion extending substantially parallel to the leg in the intermediate position of the seat;
• the seat cushion being operatively attached to the upper pivot of the leg for selective movement with respect to both the seat receiving recess and the leg, between the deployed position of the seat, whereat the seat cushion extends substantially perpendicular to the leg with the leg in the deployed position of the leg and the seat back in either the open or the folded position, and the intermediate position of the seat whereat the seat cushion with the seat back folded thereupon extends substantially parallel to the leg with the leg in the deployed position of the leg;
• the seat selectively movable between the intermediate position of the seat and the stowed position of the seat within the seat receiving recess by pivoting the seat about the lower pivot of the leg;
• and
• a second leg pivotably attached to the lower surface of the seat cushion for movement between a deployed position of the second leg, whereat the second leg extends substantially perpendicular to the seat cushion for supporting the seat cushion on the floor when the seat is in the deployed position, and a stowed position of the second leg, whereat the second leg extends substantially parallel to the seat cushion.