Motor vehicle seating
First Claim
1. A foldable seat assembly for a motor vehicle, the seat assembly being movable between a normal passenger seating position and a stowed position and comprising a seat cushion having an upper seating surface and a generally flat base surface, the seat cushion being mounted for pivotal movement about a front transverse axis such that the seat cushion can be folded forward from a normal position corresponding to the normal passenger seating position of the seat assembly into a stowed position corresponding to the stowed position of the seat assembly in which the base surface faces upwards, and a backrest connected to the seat cushion and extending upward from the seat cushion when the seat assembly is in the normal seating position, the backrest having a lower end, an upper end, a front seating surface and a generally flat rear surface and being movable from a normal position corresponding to the normal passenger seating position of the seat assembly into a stowed position corresponding to the stowed position of the seat assembly, the lower end of the backrest being arranged to move rearwards as the backrest is moved from its normal position into its stowed position such that, in the stowed position, the backrest lies behind the folded seat cushion, the arrangement being such that the upper end of the backrest folds forwards as the lower end of the backrest moves rearwards during movement of the backrest from its normal position into its folded position so that, when the seat assembly is in the stowed position, the rear surface of the stowed backrest lies immediately behind the base surface of the folded seat cushion and the rear surface (and the base surface are aligned to form a generally flat substantially continuous load bearing surface.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multifunctional third row seating assembly that is capable of moving between two seating positions, as well as moving between split passenger seating configurations and between seating and storage positions. In the storage position, the third row seating assembly forms a true flat floor in combination with a second row seating assembly. The third row seating assembly includes a seat cushion and a seat squab coupled to it and mounted to the vehicle such that the third row seating assembly can be pivoted in an elliptical movement between a forward and a rearward seating position. The third row seat cushion is also latched such that it can be released and flipped over from a front longitudinal axis to fit into a foot rest area of the vehicle. The third row squab can then be folded down to form a flat floor. The third row squab is also constructed in two sections, so that it is capable of forming a bench seat or a split seat.
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Citations
25 Claims
- 1. A foldable seat assembly for a motor vehicle, the seat assembly being movable between a normal passenger seating position and a stowed position and comprising a seat cushion having an upper seating surface and a generally flat base surface, the seat cushion being mounted for pivotal movement about a front transverse axis such that the seat cushion can be folded forward from a normal position corresponding to the normal passenger seating position of the seat assembly into a stowed position corresponding to the stowed position of the seat assembly in which the base surface faces upwards, and a backrest connected to the seat cushion and extending upward from the seat cushion when the seat assembly is in the normal seating position, the backrest having a lower end, an upper end, a front seating surface and a generally flat rear surface and being movable from a normal position corresponding to the normal passenger seating position of the seat assembly into a stowed position corresponding to the stowed position of the seat assembly, the lower end of the backrest being arranged to move rearwards as the backrest is moved from its normal position into its stowed position such that, in the stowed position, the backrest lies behind the folded seat cushion, the arrangement being such that the upper end of the backrest folds forwards as the lower end of the backrest moves rearwards during movement of the backrest from its normal position into its folded position so that, when the seat assembly is in the stowed position, the rear surface of the stowed backrest lies immediately behind the base surface of the folded seat cushion and the rear surface (and the base surface are aligned to form a generally flat substantially continuous load bearing surface.
- 10. A motor vehicle having a passenger compartment and two or more rows of seating mounted in the passenger compartment wherein the rearmost of the rows of seating includes at least one foldable seat assembly which is movable between a normal passenger seating position and a stowed position and comprises a seat cushion having an upper seating surface and a generally flat base surface, the seat cushion being mounted for pivotal movement about a front transverse axis such that the seat cushion can be folded forward from a normal position corresponding to the normal passenger seating position of the seat assembly into a stowed position corresponding to the stowed position of the seat assembly in which the base surface faces upwards, and a backrest connected to the seat cushion and extending upward from the seat cushion when the seat assembly is in the normal seating position, the backrest having a lower end, an upper end, a front seating surface and a generally flat rear surface and being movable from a normal position corresponding to the normal passenger seating position of the seat assembly into a stowed position corresponding to the stowed position of the seat assembly, the lower end of the backrest being arranged to move rearwards as the backrest is moved from its normal position into its stowed position such that, in the stowed position, the backrest lies behind the folded seat cushion, the arrangement being such that the upper end of the backrest folds forwards as the lower end of the backrest moves rearwards during movement of the backrest from its normal position into its folded position so that, when the seat assembly is in the stowed position, the rear surface of the stowed backrest lies immediately behind the base surface of the folded seat cushion and the rear surface and the base surface are aligned to form a generally flat substantially continuous load bearing surface.
- 11. The motor vehicle as claimed in 10 wherein the motor vehicle has three rows of seating, there being a first row seating mounted at the front of the passenger compartment, a second row seating mounted to the rear of the first row seating and a third row seating mounted to the rear of the second row seating.
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25. A method of converting a motor vehicle from a normal seating configuration to a load carrying configuration, the motor vehicle having a passenger compartment in which is mounted a first row seating comprising at least one seat assembly, a second row seating comprising a least one seat assembly having a seat cushion and a backrest having a generally flat back surface, and a third row seating comprising a least one seat assembly having a seat cushion and a backrest having a generally flat rear surface defining an upper end thereof and a the lower end thereof, the method comprising the steps of folding forward the seat cushion of the at least one seat assembly of the third row seating, moving the backrest of the at least one seat assembly of the third row seating to a stowed position in which the backrest lies behind the folded seat cushion, folding forward the backrest of the at least one seat assembly of the second row seating onto its respective seat cushion and moving the at least one folded seat assembly of the second row seating into a lowered stored position, the backrest of the at least one seat assembly of the third row seating being arranged so that when the backrest of the at least one seat assembly of the third row seating is moved from the normal seating position into the stowed position the said upper end is folded forwards as the said lower end is moved rearwards so that, when the seat assembly of the third row seating is in the stowed position, the rear surface of the stowed backrest lies immediately behind the base surface of the folded seat cushion of the respective seat assembly of the third row seating so that the respective rear surface and the respective base surface are aligned, the backrest of the at least one seat assembly of the second row seating being aligned with the seat cushion and backrest of the at least one stowed seat assembly of the third row seating to produce a generally flat substantially continuous load bearing surface from the first row seating to the rear of the passenger compartment.
Specification