Abstract:
A fold-up seat mountable in mobile living quarters has a sidewall defining a storage space covered by a seat platform. The seat platform can be opened and closed about a hinge apparatus to provide access to the storage area when the seat platform is open and provides a place for sitting when the seat platform is closed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This Application claims the benefit of Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 60/462,067 filed 11 Apr. 2003 by Scott J. Shrock. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a fold-up seat useable in mobile living quarters. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In mobile living quarters such as recreational vehicles, space is always at a premium. Therefore it is often desirable for the various pieces of furniture within the mobile living quarters to have multiple uses. One such piece of multi-use furniture is a bench or seat that can also be used as a storage space, or storage seat. In this item the seat will usually have a storage space defined by four walls carried by the floor of the living quarters and a removable cover on top of the four walls on which a person may sit. 
   Up till now such a storage seat was generally accessible only by having a seat cover which was completely removable from the four support walls. This was usually accomplished by simply having a platform such as a piece of plywood with a seat cushion attached thereon placed loosely on top of the four walls. When it was desired to access the storage space beneath the cover, it was necessary to lift the cover off of the walls and usually place it someplace else while accessing the storage space. Although economical, this arrangement could also prove to be inconvenient because it required the user to find a place to put the cover while accessing the storage place beneath. Therefore it would be desirable to have a seat with a storage compartment underneath where the storage compartment may be readily accessed without having to completely remove the seat platform. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A fold-up seat is presented which is useable in mobile living quarters. The cover and walls of the seat define a storage area that can be accessed by folding the cover up to an open position. When the cover is folded down in its closed position it may be used for sitting upon. 
   One object of the invention described herein is to provide a storage seat that allows simplified access from above to the storage area below the seating platform. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other aspects and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a pair of fold-up seats installed in mobile living quarters; 
       FIG. 2  shows a pair of fold-up seats in a mobile living quarters as used as part of a bed; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the fold-up seat with the cover partially opened up; 
       FIG. 4  is a detail of the cover&#39;s hinge assembly in its closed position; 
       FIG. 5  is a detail of the cover&#39;s hinge assembly in a partially opened position; and, 
       FIG. 6  is a detail of the seat&#39;s cover&#39;s assembly in its open position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 and 2  depict a fold-up seat  10  installed in a mobile living quarters  12 . Seat  10  is positioned adjacent a wall  14  and side wall  16  of the mobile living quarters and rests upon floor  18  such that wall  14  may also act as a backrest. In the preferred embodiment a pair of fold-up seats  10  and  20  are located opposite each other and set against opposite walls  14 . A table top  22  detachably supported by side wall  16  and removable support leg  23  is positioned between fold-up seats  10 ,  20  thereby defining a comfortable booth-like seating arrangement. Back cushion  24  is removably attached to rear wall  14  and seat cushion  26  is attached to cushion frame  36  to form the cover  35 . 
   As depicted in  FIG. 2 , fold-up seats  10 ,  20  and tabletop  22  may be arranged to create a bed or sofa  11 . To do this, table top  22  is detached from side wall  16  and removable leg  23  is removed from underneath the table top. Table top  22  is then placed between fold-up seats  10 ,  20  with its opposite edges resting on opposing ledges  25 , which are carried by opposing sidewalls  29  of the opposing fold-up seats  10 ,  20 . Back cushions  24  are then removed from rear walls  14  and placed on top of table top  22  adjacent each other and with seat cushions  26  on either side, thereby forming a generally continuous sleeping surface. When it is desired to again use the space as a booth, back cushions  24  are reattached to rear walls  14 , table top  22  is reattached to side wall  16 , and leg  23  is repositioned under the table top for support thereof. 
   Focusing now on the fold-up seat  10  in isolation, as best shown in  FIG. 3 , the seat includes seat storage walls such as sidewalls  28 , front wall  29 , and rear wall  14  supported by floor  18 , which define a storage area  30  of generally rectangular shape. Rear wall  14  may either be one of the walls of the mobile living quarters or an independent wall. Rear wall  14  extends above seat storage walls  28  to define a backrest on which back cushion  24  may be attached. Preferably back cushion  24  is attached to rear wall  14  using a standard hook and loop connection  31  to facilitate easy attachment and removal. 
   Seat frame  31 , forming a part of the storage area  30 , is positioned within storage area  30  and includes legs  34 , which are carried by floor  18  and support a pair of opposing beams  32 . A pair of hinges  33  are carried one on each side of the seat by beams  32  and shiftably connect beams  32  with brackets  42 . Cushion frame  36  is attached to brackets  42  with fasteners  43  and carries seat cushion  26 . Legs  34  may be fastened to floor  18  with fasteners (not shown) inserted through tabs  37 . Seat frame  31 , hinge assembly  33 , brackets  42 , and cushion frame  36  are all preferably constructed of steel or aluminum, but may be made of any suitable material. 
   Turning now to  FIGS. 4–6 ,  FIG. 4  shows hinges  33  in their closed position,  FIG. 5  shows hinges  33  in a partially open position, and  FIG. 6  shows the hinges  33  in their open position. Each hinge  33  includes a pair of linkages  38 ,  40  pivotally connected to beam  32  at one of each of their ends by any well known connection such as a pin. At the other end of each linkage  38 ,  40 , each linkage is pivotally connected to bracket  42 . Linkage  38  and linkage  40  each have different swing radii  39  that overlap each other. Pegs  41  protruding out from beams between linkages  38 ,  40  act as stops for the hinges  33 . When hinge  33  is closed, linkage  40  abuts peg  41 , thereby preventing the hinge from shifting further in the closed direction. When hinge  33  is open, linkage  38  abuts peg  41 , thereby preventing the hinge from shifting further in the open direction. Peg  41  is located in order to allow cover  35  to rest slightly beyond vertical in the open position, which helps the cover to resist closing unintentionally. Preferably, cover  35  will rest approximately three degrees past vertical toward the rear of the frame  31  when completely opened. 
   Due to this dual radius linkage system, as hinge  33  is shifted from its closed position to its open position, the rear end  43  of the bracket translates forward while the forward end  44  of the bracket rotates upward, which provides an increased space  45  at the rear of frame  28  behind bracket  42  when seat cover  35  is folded up or open. Thereby, hinge  33  accommodates the thickness of cushions  24 ,  26  to be adjacent and generally parallel to each other when cover  35  is open and allows seat cushion  26  to be underneath back cushion  24  when cover  35  is closed. Although such a space could be provided by a single axis hinge laterally spaced from the rear wall, such a hinge would cause at least part of the seat platform and/or seat cushion to rotate down into the storage area or else leave a gap between the rear wall and the rear end of the seat platform. With dual linkage hinges  33  however, the rear edge of the seat is maintained generally above the storage area  30  between the open and closed positions thereby not causing interference with usable storage space. Simultaneously, the rear-end of the seat platform rests adjacent the rear wall when the seat is folded down. A slot or hole in bracket  42  accommodates a fastener for fastening cushion frame  36  to bracket  32  in any ordinary manner. Seat cushion  26  or other well known seating platform is then fastened to cushion frame  36  to form a comfortable platform for sitting. 
   In order to use the fold-up seat  10  and its storage area  30 , cover  35 , which includes seat cushion  26  and cushion frame  36 , is lifted at its forward edge and rotated about hinges  33  from a closed position to an open position. Storage area  30  may then be accessed from above. When it is desired to either close storage area  30  or to sit on cover  35 , the cover is then shifted back to its closed position. In the closed position, cushion frame  36  rests on the tops of forward legs  34  to provide additional support for the cover. If back cushion  24  is too thick to accommodate complete opening of the fold-up seat  10 , it may be removed from rear wall  14  at its hook and loop fasteners and placed apart from the fold-up seat. Cover  35  may then be opened and closed, and back cushion  24  returned to its position on rear wall  14  when the cover is again closed. Furthermore, the storage area underneath the seat platform may be easily accessed whether the fold-up seats are arranged to be used as either seats or a bed. 
   The above description is only meant to exemplify the invention to enable others to reproduce it. The description is not intended to be a limitation from other minor and obvious variations on the embodiment described all of which variations are expressly included herein.