Patent ID: 6905173

Claim:
A seat assembly for supporting an occupant within an automotive vehicle, said seat assembly comprising: a seat cushion; a seat back pivotally interconnected to said seat cushion for movement relative to said seat cushion between a plurality of seating positions and a stowed position overlying said seat cushion; a recliner assembly coupled between said seat cushion and said seat back and operable between a locked state preventing pivotal movement of said seat back relative to said seat cushion and an unlocked state allowing pivotal movement of said seat back relative to said seat cushion; a lever pivotally assembled to said seat cushion for movement between an unreleased position and a released position and operatively interconnected to said recliner assembly for actuating said recliner assembly between said locked state and said unlocked state when moving said lever between said unreleased position and said released position; a bracket extending from said seat back for movement therewith and engagable with said lever in the released position during movement of said seat back between said plurality of seating positions and said stowed position to maintain said lever in said released position; and a latch mechanism for releasably interlocking said seat cushion to the vehicle, wherein said lever is movable between an extended position for releasing said latching mechanism and either of said unreleased position and said released position for locking said latching mechanism.