Abstract:
A folding and reclining seat that can be folded against the back wall of the interior of an extended cab or super cab pick up vehicle is disclosed. The seat may be folded flush into the back wall thereby maximizing usable interior cargo space when not in use. The angle of the back seat can be adjusted by selective fore-and-aft movement of the seat cushion.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to foldable and reclining vehicle seats. More specifically, the present invention relates to a folding and reclining vehicle seat which has an adjustable back angle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the light and medium duty truck industry there is a desire to increase interior vehicle storage space, particularly in extended- or super-cab vehicles. This increase in interior storage space is desired particularly when unused seats compromise space availability. 
     It is known in vehicles to provide a foldable seat to increase cargo space, particularly in pick-up vehicles. Such seats find particular use as second row seats in extended- or super-cab vehicles. Foldable seats generally fold either into the vehicle floor or against the back wall of the cab. These seats are typically available in bucket seat or bench seat configurations. Regardless of type, the seat back in known foldable seats is conventionally latched to the back wall using a simple latch and striker arrangement to retain the seat back in an upright position. No adjustment of either the seat back or the seat cushion is thus permitted. 
     Current foldable seat designs offer some value in providing for temporary increased interior space while not in use. However, as in so many areas of vehicle technology, there is room in the art of vehicle foldable seat design for providing an alternative configuration which will offer the user greater comfort in the seat itself without compromising the foldable features of the seat. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a folding and reclining vehicle seat that can be folded against the back wall of the interior of an extended-cab or super-cab pick-up vehicle. The seat may be folded flush into the back wall thereby maximizing usable interior cargo space when not in use. According to the present invention, the folding and reclining seat comprises a seat cushion assembly operatively associated with a seat back assembly such that the angle of the seat back assembly can be adjusted by the fore-and-aft movement of the seat cushion assembly. 
     The seat cushion assembly comprises a seat cushion, an inner seat cushion frame, and a lower seat cushion frame. The inner seat cushion frame is slidably attached to the lower seat cushion frame. The slidable relationship between the inner seat cushion frame and the lower seat cushion frame is regulated by a locking mechanism. The back angle is adjustable by an operator grasping a traditional seat “towel bar” release lever and sliding the seat fore-and-aft to achieve the back angle desired. 
     The seat back assembly comprises a back cushion and a back cushion frame that is movably attached to the cab back wall. In lieu of a hard fixed attachment of the seat back assembly to the cab back panel, the seat back assembly is attached to the cab back panel at two points via a sliding pivot. Such an attachment arrangement will provide the requisite freedom of movement to allow the seat back assembly to move up and down in response to the fore-and-aft movement of the seat cushion. This attachment is accomplished using a detentless seat rack mounted to the back cushion frame operatively associated with a track mounted to a pivot. The pivot is fixed to the cab back. This arrangement allows for sufficient up-and-down movement of the seat back assembly in response to the various seat back angles both for seated and stowed positions. As an alternative to the detentless track, a link bar could be used to facilitate movement of the seat back assembly. Regardless of the method selected, the up-and-down movement of the cushion while holding the seat back in position fore-and-aft for seated and stowed positions would be enabled. 
     The stowed position would be achieved by a separate release lever that would allow the entire seat cushion assembly to be lifted. 
     Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be made to the embodiment illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the invention wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a left side elevational view of a deployed stowable seat disposed in a pick-up vehicle in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an embodiment of a vehicle seat in its stowed position in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  shows a detailed view of an alternate method of attaching the seat back to the back wall of the vehicle; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the vehicle seat of  FIG. 2  in its unstowed position and slid to its aft position; and 
         FIG. 4  is the same view as  FIG. 3  but illustrating the seat in its fore position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the following figures, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components. In the following description, various operating parameters and components are described for one constructed embodiment. These specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a pick-up vehicle, generally illustrated as  10 , includes a vehicle cabin  12 . A front seat  14  is provided in the forward part of the vehicle cabin  12  and a rear folding and reclining seat  16  is provided in the rearward part of the vehicle cabin  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 through 4 , side views of the rear folding and reclining seat  16  are illustrated.  FIG. 2  illustrates the seat  16  in its stowed position,  FIG. 3  illustrates the seat  16  in its unstowed and aft position, and  FIG. 4  illustrates the seat  16  in its unstowed and fore position. 
     With specific reference to  FIG. 2 , the seat  16  includes a seat cushion assembly  18  and a seat back assembly  20 . The seat cushion assembly  18  include a seat cushion  22 , an inner seat cushion frame  25 , and a lower seat cushion frame  26 . The seat cushion  22  is of the conventional type. The lower seat cushion frame  26  is pivotably attached to a pivot bracket  28  which allows pivotal movement at pivot point  30 . 
     The seat back assembly  20  includes a back cushion  32  and a back cushion frame  34 . The back cushion frame  34  is pivotably associated with the lower seat cushion frame  26  at pivot point  36 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , a detentless, slidable bracket  38  is slidably attached to the upper portion of the back cushion frame  34 . The slidable bracket  38  is itself pivotably attached to a pivoting wall bracket  40  at pivot point  42 . The pivoting wall bracket  40  is fixedly attached to back wall  44  of the vehicle  10 . 
     As an alternative method for attaching the back cushion frame  34  to the back wall  44  of the vehicle  12 ,  FIG. 2A  illustrates the use of a link bar  46  which is pivotably attached to both the back cushion frame  34  and to the pivoting wall bracket  40 . 
     Both the slidable bracket  38  of  FIG. 2  and the link bar  46  of  FIG. 2A  accomplish the need to allow freedom of up-and-down movement of the seat back assembly  20  in response to the fore-and-aft movement of the seat cushion assembly  18 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate the seat  16  in its unstowed position. The seat  16  is locked in its unstowed position by a lever-type latch  48 . To release the seat  16  from its unstowed position as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the operator moves the latch  48  to its unlocked position as is conventionally known. 
     The inner seat cushion frame  24  is allowed to move fore-and-aft with respect to the lower seat cushion frame  26  by way of a sliding track  50  mounted to the lower seat cushion frame  26 . The inner seat cushion frame  24  is slidably movable upon the sliding track  50 . To halt the sliding movement of the inner seat cushion frame  24  with respect to the lower seat cushion frame  26 , a locking assembly  52  is provided. The locking assembly  52  includes a locking pawl  54  which engages a detented surface  56  of the sliding track  50 , a release lever  58  (preferably in the form of a “towel bar” release lever), and an interconnecting rod  60 . By pulling up on the release lever  58 , the seat cushion  22  and the inner seat cushion frame  24  may be selectively moved fore-and-aft. 
     In operation, the seat  16  is moved to its unstowed position by pushing down on the seat cushion  22  until the latch  48  is engaged. The occupant may then select the angle of the back cushion  32  by operating the release lever  58  until the desired angle of the back cushion  32  is achieved. The seat  16  may be re-stowed with the seat cushion  22  in any of the selected locked fore-and-aft positions. 
     The foregoing discussion discloses and describes an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.