Patent ID: 8459748

Claim:
A vehicle seat assembly comprising: a frame member including a cross member and a bracket; a seat bottom pivotally attached to the bracket at a first location for pivotal movement about a first axis within a movement range defined between a seating position and a retracted position in which the seat bottom angles upward away from the seating position, the seat bottom having an upper surface, a lower surface, a forward edge, a rearward edge and a cutout defined by a rearward facing surface that extends from the upper surface to the lower surface at a location forward of the rearward edge and rearward from the forward edge; a buckle assembly including a buckle arm and a seatbelt buckle, the buckle arm including a first end pivotally attached to the bracket at a second location for pivotal movement relative to the bracket about a second axis between a seating position corresponding to the seating position of the seat bottom and a retracted position corresponding to the retracted position of the seat bottom, the first axis extending through the first location and the second axis extending through the second location, the second location being spaced vertically lower and horizontally rearward of the first location, the seatbelt buckle being coupled to a second end of the buckle arm, the buckle assembly pivoting in response to contact between the seatbelt buckle and the rearward facing surface of the cutout and pivoting movement of the seat bottom with the majority of the seatbelt buckle being maintained within the cutout throughout all of the movement range of the seat bottom from the seating position to the retracted position.