Patent ID: 6056346
Filing Date: 2000-05-02
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
A vehicle seat system for use with a vehicle having a longitudinal axis and a floor, said floor having an upwardly facing floor surface, a first pair of front wells, comprising two laterally disposed front wells, and a first pair of rear wells, comprising two laterally disposed rear wells, said first pair of rear wells being disposed longitudinally rearwardly with respect to said first pair of front wells, each of said front wells extending below said floor surface and having a front anchor member extending thereacross and being vertically positioned below said floor surface, and each of said rear wells extending below said floor surface and having a rear anchor member extending thereacross and being vertically positioned below said floor surface, said vehicle seat system comprising:a first seat assembly comprising:a first cushioned seat structure;a first pair of rigid support structures, comprising two rigid support structures, disposed adjacent laterally opposite ends of said first cushioned seat structure, with said first cushioned seat structure being mounted on said first pair of rigid support structures;a front connecting means on each of said rigid support structures, each of said front connecting means being associated with and adapted for releasable, securing engagement with a respective one of said front anchor members, upon entry of the front connecting means into said front wells;a rear connecting means on each of said rigid support structures, each of said rear connecting means being associated with and adapted for releasable, securing engagement with a respective one of said rear anchor members, upon entry of the rear connecting means into said rear wells;a front wheel member mounted on each rigid support structure in nonretractable, rotatable fixed relation thereto, adjacent to the front connecting means thereof, and being associated with a respective one of said front wells;a rear wheel member mounted on each rigid support structure in nonretractable, rotatable fixed relation thereto, adjacent to the rear connecting means thereof;a pair of track entry positions, comprising two track entry positions, each track entry position being positioned substantially level with said floor surface, such that each of said front wells is disposed longitudinally frontwardly from a respective one of said track entry positions; anda pair of front tracks, comprising two front tracks, positioned one each within said front wells;said front wheel members and said rear wheel members further being adapted to permit longitudinal rolling movement of the first seat assembly when the first seat assembly is operatively positioned with the front wheel members upon the front tracks and with the rear wheel members upon the floor surface and when the first seat assembly is operatively positioned with the front wheel members upon the floor surface and the rear wheel members upon the floor surface, when each of the front connecting means is released from said releasable, securing engagement with the respective front anchor member, and when each of the rear connecting means is released from said releasable, securing engagement with the respective rear anchor member;each of said front tracks being associated with a respective one of said front wheel members and extending within the respective front well longitudinally frontwardly and downwardly from the track entry position relative to which the respective front well is disposed longitudinally frontwardly, to a base area, vertically positioned below said floor surface, of said respective front well, each front track being adapted to guidingly accept the respective front wheel member for longitudinal rolling movement of the respective front wheel member from said track entry position relative to which the respective front well is disposed longitudinally frontwardly to said base area of said respective front well, and to thereat permit the front anchor member of said respective front well to enter said releasable, securing engagement with a respective one of the front connecting means, thereby to releasably, securingly anchor the first seat assembly to the vehicle;the rear wheel members and the rear connecting means further being adapted, such that, when the front wheels are operatively positioned in the base areas of the front wells, the rear wheel members and the rear connecting means are positioned in the rear wells, thereby to permit each rear connecting means to enter said releasable, securing engagement with the respective rear anchor member, thereby to releasably, securingly anchor the first seat assembly to the vehicle.