Vehicle seat that tips and kneels and folds into a stowage well

A seat assembly for a vehicle, the vehicle having a floor pan that includes a seat stowage well that is formed below a floor defining portion of the floor pan, the seat assembly comprising:

• a seat base;
• a seat back:
• a four bar link connecting the seat base to the floor pan of the vehicle;
• a fore-and-aft seat adjustment track being provided between the seat base and the four bar link that permits the seat base and seat back to be positioned relative to the four bar link.

A seat assembly for a vehicle, the vehicle having a floor pan that includes a seat stowage well that is formed below a floor defining portion of the floor pan, the seat assembly comprising:

• a seat base;
• a seat back:
• a plurality of legs supporting the seat base on the floor pan, wherein a first leg is secured on a lower end by a first lower pivot to the seat stowage well below the floor defining portion of the floor pan and wherein the upper end of the first leg is secured on an upper end by a first upper pivot to the seat base, a second leg is secured on a lower end by a second lower pivot to the floor defining portion of the floor pan and wherein the upper end of the second leg is secured on an upper end by a second upper pivot to the seat base;
• a lock that operates on the plurality of legs to hold the seat assembly in a desired position, wherein the seat assembly may be locked in a seating position to provide seating for persons in the vehicle, the seat assembly may be locked in a stowed position in which the seat base and seat back are stowed substantially completely inside the seat stowage well, and the seat assembly may be locked in a kneeling position between the seating position and the stowed position to provide increased access to portions of the vehicle behind the seat assembly;
• wherein the seat back is secured to the seat base by a pivot connector, wherein the seat back may be pivoted to change the tilt angle of the seat back to the seat base, and the seat back may be folded to a position overlying the seat base for stowage of the seat assembly in the seat stowage well;
• and
• an interlock is provided for the pivot connector that prevents the seat back from pivoting relative to the seat base when the seat assembly is in the kneeling position.

A seat assembly for a vehicle, the vehicle having a floor pan that includes a seat stowage well that is formed below a floor defining portion of the floor pan, the seat assembly comprising:

• a seat base;
• a seat back:
• a plurality of legs supporting the seat base on the floor pan, wherein a first leg is secured on a lower end by a first lower pivot to the seat stowage well below the floor defining portion of the floor pan and wherein the upper end of the first leg is secured on an upper end by a first upper pivot to the seat base, a second leg is secured on a lower end by a second lower pivot to the floor defining portion of the floor pan and wherein the upper end of the second leg is secured on an upper end by a second upper pivot to the seat base;
• a lock that operates on the plurality of legs to hold the seat assembly in a desired position, wherein the seat assembly may be locked in a seating position to provide seating for persons in the vehicle, the seat assembly may be locked in a stowed position in which the seat base and seat back are stowed substantially completely inside the seat stowage well, and the seat assembly may be locked in a kneeling position between the seating position and the stowed position to provide increased access to portions of the vehicle behind the seat assembly;
• and
• a fore-and-aft position adjustment track is provided for operatively connecting the seat base to the plurality of legs to permit adjustment of the position of the seat assembly relative to the base.