Abstract:
A folding seat and storage console assembly for a vehicle is provided. The assembly has a storage console positioned on a seat bottom frame. A pair of front legs is each pivotally connected to the seat bottom frame. A pair of rear legs is pivotally connected to the seat bottom frame, wherein said seat bottom frame is translatable between an unfolded position and a folded position by folding the front legs and the rear legs about their respective pivotal connections.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to vehicle seats which fold flat against a vehicle floor, and more particularly to such seats having an integral storage compartment.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Motor vehicles typically have a row of front seats and one or more rows of back seats situated parallel to and behind the row of front seats. Each row of seats generally has a storage area associated with it so that seat occupants can store belongings while traveling in the vehicle. For example, the front row of seats is often associated with a center console and a glove box. The back seats generally are associated with pockets in the seat-backs of the row immediately in front of the back seats, or with pockets formed in the vehicle interior trim adjacent to the ends of a back seat row.  
         [0003]     In some cases, the storage volume available in the pockets is insufficient to store the belongings of rear seat occupants. In these cases, it would be desirable to provide a storage console in a back seat row. However, traditional storage console designs and attachment methods are only undesirably suitable for incorporation into a vehicle having rear seats that fold down to create a flat load floor in the position of the rear seats. With fold-flat seats, a traditional storage console mounted in a traditional manner creates a trade-off in choosing the height of the storage console. If a flat load floor is desired in the position of the storage console while the seats are folded, then the storage console will be too short to provide a comfortable arm rest while the seats are unfolded. Conversely, if the storage console is tall enough to provide a comfortable arm rest while the seats are unfolded, then storage console will undesirably protrude above the load floor when the seats are folded.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     In accordance with these undesirable aspects identified in the prior art, a folding seat and storage console assembly for a vehicle is provided. The assembly has a storage console positioned on a seat bottom frame. A pair of front legs is each pivotally connected to the seat bottom frame. A pair of rear legs is pivotally connected to the seat bottom frame, wherein said seat bottom frame is translatable between an unfolded position and a folded position by folding the front legs and the rear legs about their respective pivotal connections.  
         [0005]     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  depicts a partial exploded view of a folding seat frame and storage console.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  depicts an unfolded seat assembly with a storage console.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2   a  depicts a cross-section view taken along section line  2   a - 2   a  of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 2   b  depicts a cross-section view taken along section line  2   b - 2   b  of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  depicts a folded seat assembly with a storage console. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.  
         [0013]     Turning to  FIG. 1 , a partial exploded view of a seat frame assembly with a storage console is shown. The assembly is preferably positioned in a vehicle transverse to the vehicle&#39;s longitudinal axis and behind a front seating row in the vehicle. A seat bottom frame  20  has upturned portions  20   a  and  20   b  pivotally connected to a seat back frame  22 . A plurality of fasteners  58  are provided to align and secure a storage console  30  to the seat bottom frame  20 . The storage console  30  is attached to an opening lid  32  which is used to gain access to a storage console interior. In a preferred embodiment, the seat bottom frame  20  resembles a figure-8 positioned in a plane parallel to the vehicle floor and transverse to the longitudinal vehicle axis.  
         [0014]     The seat bottom frame  20  is pivotally connected to a pair of front legs  24  at their first ends. The front legs  24  are pivotally connected at their second ends to front floor brackets  26 . The front floor brackets  26  are made fast to a foot well  42  portion of a vehicle floor.  
         [0015]     The seat bottom frame is also pivotally connected at upturned ends  20   a  and  20   c  to first ends of a pair of rear legs  52 . The second ends of the rear legs  52  are pivotally connected to rear floor brackets  28 , which are made fast to a waterfall  46  portion of the vehicle floor.  
         [0016]     A second seat assembly may be located adjacent to the seat assembly described immediately above. The second seat assembly has a seat bottom frame  60  having upturned portions  60 ′. The upturned portions  60 ′ are pivotally connected to a seat back frame  62 . Front legs  70  are pivotally attached at first ends to the seat bottom frame  60 . The second ends of front legs  70  are pivotally attached to front floor brackets  72 , which are made fast to the foot well  42 . Pair of rear legs  64  are pivotally attached at their first ends to upturned portions  60 ′ and at their second ends to rear floor brackets  68 . The rear floor brackets  68  are made fast to the waterfall  46  portion of the vehicle floor.  
         [0017]     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , the completed seat assemblies are shown in an unfolded position. Seat bottom cushion  34  is secured to seat bottom frame  20  using fastenings known in the art. Similarly, seat back cushion  36  is secured to seat back frame  22  as is known in the art. A headrest  38  is provided at the top of seat back cushion  36  and is preferably adjustable in height.  
         [0018]     Turning to  FIG. 2   a , a cross section view is shown which is taken along section line  2   a - 2   a  in  FIG. 2 . A height H 1  indicates the difference in height between the load floor  44  and the foot well  42  of the vehicle floor. A height H 2  indicates the height of the storage console  30  together with its lid  32 . In a preferred embodiment it is desirable that the seat frame assembly and storage console  30  together with its lid  32 , be dimensioned such that H 2  is less than or equal to H 1 , and that that the top surface of lid  32  is coplanar with the load floor  44  when the seat frame assembly is folded as described later herein.  
         [0019]     Turning to  FIG. 2   b , a cross section view is shown taken along section line  2   b - 2   b  of  FIG. 2 . Seat back cushion  36  is attached to a seat back panel  50 . In a preferred embodiment, the thicknesses and contours of seat bottom cushion  34  and seat back cushion  36  are chosen such that when seat back frame  22  is folded about the pivotal connections at upturned ends  20   a  and  20   b  (shown in  FIG. 1 ), and the seat frame assembly is folded as described later, the seat back panel  50  is coplanar with the load floor  44 .  
         [0020]     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , the seat and storage console are shown in a folded position. Rear legs  52  are folded forward about the pivotal connection to rear floor brackets  28 . Front legs  24  are hidden from view; however they are folded forward about the pivotal connection to front floor brackets  26 . The seat frame  20  therefore is positioned in closer proximity to the floor than when the seat assembly is in the unfolded position as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0021]     The seat back frame  22  folds forward about the pivotal connections to the upturned portions  20   a  and  20   b , allowing the seat cushion back  36  to rest against seat bottom cushion  34 . A seat back panel  50  is positioned on the back of the seat back frame  22  and substantially parallel to the seat back cushion  36  is now coplanar with the load floor  44 . In a preferred embodiment, the seat back panel  50  is finished with same material as the surface of the load floor  44 .  
         [0022]     With the seat frame assembly in the folded position the storage console  30  is positioned below the plane of load floor  44 . The top surface of lid  32  is coplanar with the load floor  44 . In a preferred embodiment the surface of the lid  32  is finished with the same material as the surface of the load floor  44 .  
         [0023]     The view of the second seat assembly has been omitted to provide a clear view of the folded seat and storage console assembly, however the second seat assembly may be similarly folded.  
         [0024]     In a preferred embodiment, the width of the storage console is between 15% and 45% of the combined width W of the seat/storage console assembly.  
         [0025]     The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.