Patent ID: 7490903

Claim:
A tiltable seat mounting apparatus, comprising: a mounting structure configured for being attached to a chassis of a vehicle, wherein the mounting structure includes spaced-apart upstanding portions and a mounting member connected between said upstanding portions; a seat attachment structure configured for being attached to a seat usable with the downstanding portions and a seat attachment member connected between said downstanding portions, wherein each one of said downstanding portions is pivotably attached to a respective one of said upstanding portions such that an axis of rotation extends through said downstanding and upstanding portions whereby the seat attachment structure pivots about the axis of rotation; a resilient member engaged between the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure, wherein the resilient member allows the seat attachment structure to pivot about the axis of rotation with respect to the mounting structure between a static orientation and an angularly displaced orientation and wherein the resilient member exerts force on the mounting structure and the seat attachment structure when in the angularly displaced orientation for biasing the seat attachment structure toward the static orientation; wherein said resilient member includes a spring; a preloaded adjuster engages with said spring for enabling selective adjustment of a preload force exerted by the spring when the seat attachment structure is in the static orientation; wherein the preload adjuster is engaged with the mounting member; and the spring is a leaf spring having end portions engaged with the preload adjuster and a central portion engaged with the seat attachment structure.