Patent ID: 8801101

Claim:
A vehicle seating system for use within a vehicle having a vehicle floor comprising: a seat back; a seat bottom coupled to the seat back; a track arrangement configured to be coupled to the vehicle floor, wherein the track arrangement is disposed in a single plane that is parallel with the vehicle floor; a first carriage coupled to the seat bottom and moveable within the track arrangement, the first carriage having a slot; a second carriage coupled to the seat back and moveable within the track arrangement; a linkage coupling the first carriage and the second carriage, the linkage having a first pin slidable in the slot of the first carriage; and a first stopper configured to interact with the linkage via the first pin, wherein the seating system is configured to be in a design position such that an occupant may sit on the seat bottom and in a cargo position, wherein the second carriage and the first carriage are releasably coupled to one another so the second carriage is moveable relative to the first carriage when the coupling of the first carriage and the second carriage is released, the position of the second carriage relative to the first carriage being substantially fixed when the coupling of the first carriage and the second carriage is locked, wherein the seating system is configured to be moved from the design position into a folded position when the coupling of the first carriage and the second carriage is released, wherein the seat bottom is configured to move toward the vehicle floor and forward when the vehicle seating system is moved from the design position to the cargo position such that a rear portion of the seat cushion is moved toward the vehicle floor and forward immediately at initiation of movement from the design position to the cargo position, and wherein the first and second carriages are locked via the linkage until the first stopper ceases acting on the first pin when going into the folded position.