Seat assembly for a motor vehicle retractable below the vehicle floor

• US 5,975,612 A
• Filed: 09/23/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG), FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Schroeder, Robert E., Sacoman, Thomas, Mrozowski, John C., Macey, Stuart P., Pone, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US08/935,696
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.01, 296/65.05, 296/65.13, 296/66, 297/15
• US Class Current: 296/66
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3011 the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement"
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3093 slides

Abstract

The present invention relates to a retractable seat assembly for a motor vehicle which is fully retractable below the level of the vehicle'"'"'s floor. Typically, the invention involves a bench-type seat which is located behind the driver and passenger seats of a minivan or other vehicle. In an operative position, the seat has generally upright seatback which cooperates with a lower horizontal member to provide the seating portion. In the non-operative or stored position, the entire seat assembly is positioned below the level of the vehicle'"'"'s floor. In one application, the forward edge and rearward edge of the seat are interconnected to the body of the vehicle for pivotal movement about translatable and fixed axes, respectively.

Claims

1. A retractable seat assembly for a motor vehicle having a body, a wheel house structure, and a rearwardly located storage tub, the retractable seat assembly comprising:

a seat having a forward edge and a rearward edge;

a swing arm adapted to interconnect said forward edge of said seat to the body for pivotal movement about a movable point, wherein an upper end of said swing arm is attached adjacent to a lateral side of said seat;

a pivot arm adapted to interconnect a rearward edge of said seat to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed point;

whereby said forward edge pivots about said movable point and said rearward edge pivots about said fixed point as said seat is moved between an operative position and a stowed positions;

a guide track is adapted to be mounted to the wheel house structure and to interconnect said swing arm and the body.

2. The retractable seat assembly for a motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein said seat includes a lower horizontal member and an upper back rest member pivotally attached thereto.

3. The retractable seat assembly for a motor vehicle of claim 2, wherein a lower end of said swing arm is linearly translatable along said guide track to move said seat between a fore position and an aft position.

4. The retractable seat assembly for a motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein said pivot arm is adapted to pass through the storage tub.

5. The retractable seat assembly for a motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein said guide track opens in a substantially horizontal direction.

6. A seat storage system for a motor vehicle, having a body defining an interior floor and a rear storage area, the seat storage system comprising:

a storage tub located below the interior floor of the rear-storage area;

a retractable seat having a generally horizontal member and a generally upright seatback member pivotally attached thereto, said retractable seat being movable between an operative condition and a stored condition;

first and second guide tracks;

first and second swing arms each including first and second ends, said first end of said first and second swing arms being pivotally attached to said retractable seat, said second ends received by an associated one of said first and second guide tracks, so as to permit movement therealong and pivoting of each swing arm about its second end; and

first and second pivot arms passing through said storage tub and adapted to interconnect a rear edge of said horizontal member to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed point.

7. The seat storage system for a motor vehicle of claim 6, wherein said retractable seat is translatable relative to said first and second guide tracks between a fore position and an aft position.

8. The seat storage system for a motor vehicle of claim 6, wherein each of said second ends of said swing arms include a double bearing assembly operatively received by an associated one of said first and second guide tracks.

9. The seat storage system for a motor vehicle of claim 6, wherein said first ends of said first and second swing arms are attached adjacent to laterally opposing sides of said retractable seat.

10. The seat storage system for a motor vehicle of claim 6, wherein said retractable seat is solely interconnected to the body through said first and second pair of swing arms.

11. A seat storage system for a motor vehicle having a body defining an interior floor and a rear storage area, the seat storage system comprising:

a storage tub located below the interior floor of the rear storage area;

a retractable seat having a generally horizontal member and a generally upright seatback member pivotally attached thereto, said retractable seat being movable between an operative condition and a stored condition;

first and second guide tracks each open in a generally horizontal direction;

first and second swing arms each including first and second ends, said first end of said first and second swing arms being pivotally attached to said retractable seat, said second ends received by an associated one of said first and second guide tracks, so as to permit movement therealong and pivoting of each swing arm about its second end; and

first and second pivot arms adapted to interconnect a rear edge of said horizontal member to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed point.

12. A method of adjusting a seat for a motor vehicle having a body and a rearwardly located tub between an operative position and a stowed position below a floor of the vehicle, the seat including a forward edge and a rearward edge, the method including the steps of:

interconnecting the forward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a movable axis;

interconnecting the rearward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed point;

moving the seat from the operative position above the floor to the stowed position substantially within the tub by simultaneously pivoting said forward edge about said movable axis and said rearward edge about said fixed axis; and

,

wherein the step of moving the seat assembly from an operative position above the floor to a stowed position substantially within the tub includes the step of translating the seat assembly between a fore position and an aft position.

13. A method of adjusting a seat for a motor vehicle having a body and a rearwardly located tub between an operative position and a stowed position below a floor of the vehicle, the seat including a forward edge and a rearward edge, the method including the steps of:

interconnecting the forward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a movable axis;

interconnecting the rearward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed point;

moving the seat from the operative position above the floor to the stowed position substantially within the tub by simultaneously pivoting said forward edge about said movable axis and said rearward edge about said fixed axis; and

,

wherein the step of interconnecting a forward edge of the seat to the body for pivotal movement about a fixed axis includes the steps of mounting first and second guide tracks to the body adjacent to laterally opposing sides of said seat assembly, pivotally interconnecting a first end of each of said swing arms to the seat and pivotally attaching a second end of each of said swing arms to an associated one of said first and second guide tracks.