Patent ID: 7918508

Claim:
A vehicle seat, comprising: a generally hollow base secured to a floor of a vehicle, the base having a pair of opposing, spaced-apart base side walls, the base side walls each comprising a generally planar, solid panel closing off a side of the base; a generally horizontal seat cushion attached atop the base, the seat cushion being fixedly coupled to the base and having a fixed orientation with respect to the floor, the seat cushion closing off a top of the base; a front base opening defined by the floor, the seat cushion and the base side walls; a generally vertical seatback attached at a lower end to at least one of the floor, the base and the seat cushion; and a step comprising a generally planar, solid panel pivotably coupled to the base side walls, the step being selectively positionable between a generally vertical stowed position closing off the front base opening and a generally horizontal deployed position extending at least partially outwardly through the front base opening, wherein the step in the deployed position is generally proximate a front surface of the seat cushion such that the front surface of the seat cushion forms a step riser.