Patent ID: 7159941

Claim:
A seat assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: a seat, a first child seat portion, a second child seat portion, an infant restraint system, and a backrest, wherein said backrest includes a vertically oriented receptacle disposed centrally in said backrest sized to receive said infant restraint system, said first child seat portion, and said second child seat portion; said first child seat portion comprising opposing first and second sides, wherein said first side is pivotally interconnected at a first axis of said backrest so as to swing from a closed position when retained within the receptacle of said backrest, and an open position when pivoted out of the receptacle to a position at rest on said seat, and a first component of said infant restraint system; said second child seat portion being pivotally interconnected to said second side of said first child seat portion so as to selectively swing about a second axis of said second side of said first child seat portion from a closed position wherein said second child seat portion is adjacent to said first child seat portion to an open position extending from said second side of said first child seat portion when said first child seat portion is pivoted to rest on said seat; and said second child seat portion comprising a second component of said infant restraint system wherein said first and second components of said infant restraint system are encapsulated by said first child seat portion and said second child seat portion when said second child seat portion is in its closed position; whereby, said seat assembly may be selectively used for seating an adult when the first and second child seat portions are contained within the receptacle, a toddler when the first child seat portion is pivoted to rest on the seat and the second child seat portion remains in a closed position adjacent the first child seat portion, and an infant when the second child seat portion is pivoted about the second axis to the open position.