Stowable seating arrangement for a vehicle

A stowable seat assembly for a vehicle having a floor, the seat assembly comprising:

• a seat bottom;
• a seat back coupled relative to the seat bottom;
• a pair of front legs each having an upper end and an opposite lower end, each upper end pivotably coupled to the seat bottom;
• a pair of rear legs pivotably coupled to the seat bottom;
• and
• an articulation arrangement, including:
• a pair of rotating members rotatably coupled to the lower ends of the front legs;
• a pair of guide channels each having a first guide member positioned therein;
• a pair of second guide members coupled to the lower ends of the front legs and each positioned in one of the pair of guide channels;
• and
• an assist arrangement including a biasing member coupled to the vehicle and the front legs;
• the seat assembly being selectively movable from a deployed position to a stowed position whereby the seat bottom is articulated forward and downward about the front legs to the stowed position during which the second guide members are selectively movable within the guide channels and relative to the first guide members to enable the front legs to selectively translate from a first position associated with the deployed position to a second position associated with the stowed position of the seat assembly;
• the biasing member being configured to provide a biasing force against the translation of the front legs in a first direction from the first position to the second position, and a biasing force assisting in the translation of the front legs in a second opposite direction from the second position toward the first position,
• wherein the biasing member includes a spring coupled at one end to the vehicle and at an opposite end to the front legs such that translation of the front legs from the first position to the second position elongates the spring thereby providing the biasing force against translation of the front legs in the first direction.

A stowable seat assembly for a vehicle having a floor and a stowage recess, the seat assembly comprising:

• a seat bottom having a forward end and an opposite rearward end;
• a seat back coupled relative to the seat bottom;
• a pair of front legs each having an upper end and an opposite lower end, each upper end pivotably coupled to the seat bottom proximate the forward end;
• a pair of rear legs pivotably coupled to the seat bottom proximate the rearward end;
• and
• an articulation arrangement, including:
• a pair of rotating members rotatably coupled to the lower ends of the front legs;
• a pair of guide channels each having a first guide member positioned therein;
• a pair of second guide members coupled to the lower ends of the front legs and each positioned in one of the pair of guide channels;
• a pair of guide tracks, the pair of rotating members being in selective movable engagement with the pair of guide tracks;
• and
• an assist arrangement including a biasing member coupled to the vehicle and the front legs;
• the seat assembly being selectively movable from a deployed position to a stowed position whereby the seat bottom is articulated forward and downward about the front legs to the stowed position in the stowage recess during which the second guide members are selectively movable in the guide channels and relative to the first guide members to enable the front legs to selectively translate from a first position associated with the deployed position to a second position associated with the stowed position of the seat assembly;
• the biasing member being configured to provide a biasing force against the translation of the front legs in a first direction from the first position to the second position, and a biasing force assisting in the translation of the front legs in a second opposite direction from the second position toward the first position,
• wherein the upper ends and the lower ends of the front legs move vertically relative to the floor while the front legs translate between the first and second positions.