Patent ID: 7048330
Filing Date: 2006-05-23
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A vehicle seat assembly for storage in a floor tub within a vehicle floor, said floor tub defining a substantially longitudinal central tub axis, said seat assembly comprising: (a) a seat frame defining a lateral translational axis and a substantially longitudinal medial seat axis; (b) a mounting means for mounting said seat frame to said floor tub for selective forward pivotal rotation of said seat frame, in a mounted configuration, between a deployed design configuration and a fully tumbled stored-in-floor configuration; in said deployed design configuration, said medial seat axis having a first substantially horizontal orientation; in said fully tumbled stored-in-floor configuration, said seat frame being positionable within said floor tub with said medial seat axis having a lowered, second substantially horizontal orientation; and (c) a lateral translation means for positive inboard displacement of said seat frame along said lateral translational axis during said selective forward pivotal rotation of said seat frame from said deployed design configuration towards said fully tumbled stored-in-floor configuration; in said deployed design configuration, said medial seat axis is adapted to be laterally off-set from said central tub axis when said seat frame is in said mounted configuration; in said fully tumbled stored-in-floor configuration, said medial seat axis being adapted for substantial alignment with said central tub axis when said seat frame is in said mounted configuration; wherein said mounting means defines a substantially lateral first pivot axis for said selective forward pivotal rotation of said seat frame thereabout between said deployed design configuration and a raised partially tumbled storable configuration, said raised partially tumbled storable configuration being intermediate of said deployed design configuration and said fully tumbled stored-in-floor configuration; in said raised partially tumbled storable configuration, said medial seat axis being removed from said first substantially horizontal orientation and from said second substantially horizontal orientation; wherein said lateral translation means comprises a link member securely and diagonally interconnected between said seat frame and said mounting means for three degrees of substantially free angular adjustment of said link member relative to both said seat frame and said mounting means, such that said forward rotation of said seat frame about said first pivot axis from said deployed design configuration towards said raised partially tumbled storable configuration causes progressively coincident inboard displacement of said seat frame along said lateral translational axis; and wherein said lateral translation means further comprises a fixed bearing sleeve securely engaging said mounting means and a complementary tube member axially sliding within said sleeve in close frictional fit, with said tube member being rigidly mounted to said seat frame, with said tube member and said sleeve each being in substantially coaxial relation to said lateral translational axis, and with said tube member being adapted for inboard displacement within said sleeve along said lateral translational axis during said forward rotation of said seat frame from said deployed design configuration towards said fully tumbled stored-in-floor configuration.