Abstract:
A vehicle seat having a support structure adapted to rigidly support the seat in multiple use positions and to guide the seat into a storage position for minimizing the volume of vehicle interior occupied by the seat. The vehicle seat and support mechanism are adapted to be stored in a recessed compartment of the vehicle. The support mechanism includes a frame spanning the vehicle interior with cross-vehicle members and engaging a track on the sidewall of the vehicle, eliminating the need for under-seat supports connected to the vehicle floor, and providing cross-vehicle bracing to increase rigidity and minimize intrusion into the vehicle interior in the case of a side impact.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not applicable.  
         STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
         [0002]    Not applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0004]    The present invention relates generally to a vehicle seating system. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to folding vehicle seats. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to vehicle seats collapsible into a compartment within the vehicle.  
           [0005]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0006]    Vans and other multi-use vehicles are used to carry a number of passengers. It is also desirable to be able to use the interior volume of the vehicle to carry cargo from time to time. While the vehicle is carrying passengers, each passenger must have a seat that is secured within the vehicle, and include proper passenger restraints. These seats take up interior volume that is not usable for cargo when the vehicle is in cargo-carrying mode. This issue is conventionally addressed in several ways.  
           [0007]    A first manner of addressing this issue is to provide folding seatbacks. The seatbacks are pivotally mounted to the seat base, and are adapted to lay flat over the seat base, or to lay back so as to be parallel with the seat base, forming a flat support surface. Either of these methods provides a reasonably contiguous volume within the vehicle, but that volume might only be one-half of the total interior volume.  
           [0008]    A second manner of freeing up the interior volume of the vehicle is to remove the seats in their entirety. This well-known method generally involves detaching the seat support from an anchoring feature set into the floor of the vehicle interior. The released seat must then be maneuvered through a vehicle door and stored somewhere outside the vehicle; the seat is thus not available for use again until the vehicle returns to the seat storage site.  
           [0009]    A third manner of increasing the available vehicle cargo volume involves folding the seats into an in-floor or under-floor recess or cavity. Various examples of this practice are known, and generally require that the seats be mounted to the vehicle load floor in a substantially fixed position so that the seats can generally pivot into the provided storage receptacle.  
           [0010]    It would be advantageous to provide a seat mechanism that is adapted to move the seat out of the way, to maximize interior storage volume of the interior of the vehicle, without requiring removal and storage of the seat outside of the vehicle, and further to provide such a seat that is adjustable in position and orientation while in use.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    A seat assembly mounted on a cross-vehicle frame, the frame including a member riding in a channel proximate the vehicle sidewall to provide adjustability of the position of the seat assembly, longitudinal and vertical movement of the seat assembly from a use to a storage position, and cross-vehicle reinforcement to control side intrusion during impact. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a convertible seat assembly with cross-vehicle support according to the invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a side view of the seat assembly of FIG. 1 in a first use position.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a side view of the seat assembly of FIG. 1 in a second use position.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a side view of the seat assembly of FIG. 1 in a third use position.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a side view of the seat assembly of FIG. 1 in a fourth use position.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a side view of the seat assembly of FIG. 1 in a fifth use position.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a side view of the seat assembly of FIG. 1 in a storage position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    Referring to FIG. 1, a convertible seat assembly  100  according to the invention includes a seat base  110 , a seat back  130 , a seat frame  150 , and tracks  200 . Generally, the seat back  130  is pivotally mounted to a rear portion of the seat base  110 , and the seat base  110  is supported by the seat frame  150 , which engages tracks  200 .  
         [0021]    Seat base  110  is formed of a seat cushion portion  112  affixed to seat frame  150  for supporting the weight of a user. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat frame  150  comprises a number of parallel cross-members  154 ,  156 ,  158  integrally connected with the seat base  110 . A pair of seat frame supports  160 ,  170  extend outwardly from the seat frame  150 . A roller  162 ,  172  is rotatably attached at the end of each seat frame support  160 ,  170 .  
         [0022]    The seat assembly  100  is supported by the seat frame supports  160 ,  170 . The supports  160 ,  170  each have a roller  162 ,  172  that rides in tracks  200  recessed behind each sidewall trim panel  10  of the vehicle. The tracks  200  are parallel and are rigidly attached to each structural sidewall (not shown) of the vehicle. Tracks  200  are adapted with rollers  162 ,  172  to maintain alignment of seat frame  150  perpendicular to the tracks  200 , to prevent racking of the seat frame  150  or binding of the rollers  162 ,  172  in tracks  200 . Rollers  162 ,  172  must generally travel at the same rate in each of the tracks  200 .  
         [0023]    Tracks  200  are accessible through a slot  202  in each sidewall trim panel  10 . Slots  202  are of sufficient width to allow unimpeded passage of the seat frame supports  160 ,  170 , but are generally narrower than the rollers  162 ,  172  to prevent insertion of items, or fingers between the rollers  162 ,  172  and the track  200 .  
         [0024]    The tracks  200  have a forward straight portion  206  and a rearward arcuate portion  204 . The arcuate portion  204  is covered by a carousel  220 . The carousel  220  completely covers the arcuate portion  204  except for two notches  210 ,  230  on the perimeter of the carousel over the arcuate portion  204 . Notches  210 ,  230  are placed on the carousel perimeter to define a chord length equal to the spacing of seat frame supports  160 ,  170 . In this way, the rollers  162 ,  172  will engage the arcuate portion  204  as carousel  220  rotates to align notches  210 ,  230  with seat frame supports  160 ,  170 . Arcuate portion  204  remains otherwise covered by the carousel  220 . The carousel  220  rotates about a central axis so that the notches  210 ,  230  remain aligned with seat frame supports  160 ,  170  without hindering movement of the seat assembly  100 . The rollers  162 ,  172  continue along the arcuate portion  204  of the track  200  as the seat assembly  100  is moved rearward in the vehicle.  
         [0025]    With reference now to FIGS. 2-7, the convertible seat assembly  100  according to the invention is shown in multiple positions along the tracks  200 . In a preferred embodiment, the seat assembly  100  is infinitely adjustable, capable of being secured in any position along the length of tracks  200 . For example, FIG. 2 shows the seat assembly  100  in a forwardmost position, substantially eliminating any passenger leg room while putting a child seat in a more accessible placement, and maximizing the available cargo room  310  behind and underneath the seat assembly  100 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 3-5 depict the seat assembly  100  in progressively further rearward positions, affording increasing legroom to the seated passenger while decreasing the cargo room  310  available behind the seat assembly  100 . As shown in FIGS. 2-5, by supporting the seat assembly  100  from the sides of the vehicle interior, thus obviating the need for seat risers mounted to the load floor  20 , the space underneath the seat assembly  100  is available for cargo. The seat frame  150  further serves the desirable purpose of providing cross-vehicle support. Cross members  154 ,  156 ,  158  provide structural reinforcement between the structural sidewalls (not shown) of the vehicle, adding cross-vehicle rigidity and resistance to intrusion from side impacts, particularly due to their position above the load floor  20  while in use.  
         [0027]    Referring now to FIG. 6, the seat frame supports  160 ,  170  are in the notches  210 ,  230  (not shown) of the carousel  220  and the rollers  162 ,  172  have engaged the arcuate portion  204  of tracks  200 . As the rollers  162 ,  172  travel in the arcuate portion  204  of tracks  200 , seat frame  150  will begin to rotate about the center of the arcuate portion  204 . As shown in FIG. 6, the tailgate of the vehicle can be opened and the seat back  130  can be allowed to rotate with the seat frame  150  until the seat back  130  is supported by the bottom of the tailgate opening. With the seat assembly  100  in this position, seat frame  150  can be locked in place in tracks  200  to provide a “tailgater” seating position, the seat back  130  now supporting the weight of a user and the seat base  110  serving as a backrest.  
         [0028]    As the seat assembly  100  is rotated further rearward, rollers  162 ,  172  continue to travel in arcuate portion  204  of tracks  200 . For seat assembly  100  to rotate further rearward than the position shown in FIG. 6, it will become necessary to pivot seat back  130  toward seat base  110 , effectively folding seat assembly  100 . Head rest  132  is pivotally mounted to seat back  130 , so that with seat back  130  folded flat against seat base  110 , head rest  132  can pivot flat against the leading edge of seat base  110  and the top edge of seat back  130  to minimize the package space occupied by the folded seat assembly  100 . This folded arrangement is shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 7 depicts the stored position of the seat assembly  100 . The seat back  130  has been pivoted flat against seat base  110  and head rest  132  has been pivoted against the leading edge of seat base  110  to minimize the package space of the folded seat assembly  100 . The seat assembly  100  has been rotated substantially 180 degrees from its use position as the rollers  162 ,  172  continue to traverse the arcuate portion  204  of the tracks  200 . As the seat assembly  100  completes its full rotation, it enters a seat storage cavity or recess  300 . Recess  300  can be equipped with a cover (not shown) or can constitute a portion of the cargo room  310  when the seat assembly  100  is in a use position. Beneath the recess  300  is a spare tire storage cavity  320 .  
         [0030]    As shown in FIG. 7, with the seat assembly  100  folded into recess  300 , the underside of seat base  110  forms a substantially continuous surface with the load floor  20  of the vehicle, maximizing the volume of cargo room  310 . A cover (not shown) for recess  300  would also provide a continuous floor surface.  
         [0031]    While the invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.