Fold-down seat mechanism for vehicles

Claim 2

A three-bar linkage for mounting a fold-down seat arrangement having a seat back and seat cushion in a vehicle with interior walls and floor and comprising a first bar pivotally attached at one end to the interior wall and rigidly attached at the other end to said seat back; a second bar pivotally attached at one end to the floor and pivotally attached at the other to said seat cushion; a third bar pivotally connected to said first and second bars; stop means attached to said seat cushion and engageable by said second bar and effective to limit pivotal folding motion of said seat cushion; and interconnecting means effective to cause the pivotal motion of said first bar to be transmitted through said third bar so as to cause further folding motion of said seat cushion integrally with said second bar.

Claim 3

A folding seat mechanism for a vehicle having an interior floor and side walks comprising; a seat back; a seat cushion; a first pivotal mounting linkage attached to the side walls and supporting saiD seat back; a second pivotal mounting linkage attached to the floor and supporting said seat cushion; a third connecting linkage operatively connecting said first and second mounting linkages; stop means incorporated in said second linkage and effective to limit the pivotal forward folding motion of said seat cushion; said seat cushion has defined a forward leading edge when said cushion is folded forwardly to the limit of motion permitted by said stop means; engageable latch means mounted on said seat cushion adjacent said leading edge; and mating latch means mounted on the vehicle and engageable by said last named latch means.

Claim 4

A folding seat mechanism for a vehicle having an interior floor and side walks comprising; a seat back; a seat cushion; a first pivotal mounting linkage attached to the side walls and supporting saiD seat back; a second pivotal mounting linkage attached to the floor and supporting said seat cushion; a third connecting linkage operatively connecting said first and second mounting linkages; stop means incorporated in said second linkage and effective to limit the pivotal forward folding motion of said seat cushion; said seat cushion has defined a forward leading edge when said cushion is folded forwardly to the limit of motion permitted by said stop means; engageable latch means mounted on said seat cushion adjacent said leading edge; and mating latch means mounted on the vehicle and engageable by said last named latch means.

Claim 5

The folding seat mechanism of claim 2 wherein release and forward folding motion of said seat back is transmitted through said third connecting linkage to said seat cushion to cause further forward folding motion thereof.

Claim 6

The folding seat mechanism of claim 3 wherein said second and third pivotal mounting linkages constrain said seat cushion to fold forwardly so that said leading edge of said seat cushion drops initially below a horizontal plane so as to permit the engagement of said engageable and mating latch means; and further forward folding motion of said seat back effectively drops the backs of said seat back and cushion to a common horizontal plane and effectively locks said engageable and mating latch means to minimize vibrational motion of said seat cushion.

Claim 7

A folding seat mechanism for a vehicle having an interior floor and side walls comprising; a seat back; a seat cushion; a first pivotal mounting linkage attached to the side walls and supporting said seat back; a second pivotal mounting linkage attached to the floor and supporting said seat cushion; a third connecting linkage operatively connecting said first and second mounting linkages; stop means incorporated in said second linkage and effective to limit the pivotal forward folding motion of said seat cushion; releasable latch means associated with said seat back and effective to latch firmly said seat back to the side walls in an upright position; a floor mounted stanchion for mounting said second pivotal linkage; and additional latch means also mounted on said stanchion and engageable by said releasable latch means on said seat back to latch said seat back firmly in a completely fold-down position.

Claim 8

A folding seat mechanism for a vehicle having an interior floor and side walls comprising; a seat back; a seat cushion; a first pivotal mounting linkage attached to the side walls and supporting said seat back; a second pivotal mounting linkage attached to the floor and supporting said seat cushion; a third connecting linkage operatively connecting said first and second mounting linkages; stop means incorporated in said second linkage and effective to limit the pivotal forward folding motion of said seat cushion; releasable latch means associated with said seat back and effective to latch firmly said seat back to the side walls in an upright position; a floor mounted stanchion for mounting said second pivotal linkage; and additional latch means also mounted on said stanchion and engageable by said releasable latch means on said seat back to latch said seat back firmly in a completely fold-down position.

Claim 9

The folding seat mechanism of claim 5 including a load bearing flange mounted on said stanchion and engageable by said third connecting linkage so as to provide a load bearing support for loads carried on the backs of said seat cushion and seat back in the fold-down position.

Claim 10

In a vehicle body, a folding seat structure, comprising, a generally transversely extending seat back; means pivotally connecting said seat back to the vehicle body whereby said seat back is swingable between an upright position and a generally horizontal lowered position about a fixed, transversely extending axis; a generally transversely extending seat cushion; means operatively connecting said seat cushion to the vehicle body whereby said seat cushion is movable between a normal position wherein one lateral edge thereof is adjacent the lateral edge of said seat back which is lowermost when in its upright position and one side thereof is facing generally upwardly and an extended, folded-down position wherein said one lateral edge thereof is horizontally spaced from said lateral edge of said seat back which is lowermost when in its upright position and the side opposite said one side of said seat cushion is facing generally upwardly, said means including a first link having one end pivotally connected to said seat cushion and its opposite end pivotally connected to a part stationary with respect to the vehicle body, said movement of said seat cushion between its normal and folded-down positions being effected by relative pivotal movement between said seat cushion anD said first link and between said first link and said part stationary with respect to the vehicle body; and linkage means operatively interconnecting said seat back and said first link whereby said first link is constrained to pivot in respect to said part stationary with respect to the vehicle body only in unison with said seat back as said seat back is swung between its upright and lowered positions.

Claim 11

In a vehicle body, a folding seat structure, comprising, a generally transversely extending seat back; means pivotally connecting said seat back to the vehicle body whereby said seat back is swingable between an upright position and a generally horizontal lowered position about a fixed, transversely extending axis; a generally transversely extending seat cushion; means operatively connecting said seat cushion to the vehicle body whereby said seat cushion is movable between a normal position wherein one lateral edge thereof is adjacent the lateral edge of said seat back which is lowermost when in its upright position and one side thereof is facing generally upwardly and an extended, folded-down position wherein said one lateral edge thereof is horizontally spaced from said lateral edge of said seat back which is lowermost when in its upright position and the side opposite said one side of said seat cushion is facing generally upwardly, said means including a first link having one end pivotally connected to said seat cushion and its opposite end pivotally connected to a part stationary with respect to the vehicle body, said movement of said seat cushion between its normal and folded-down positions being effected by relative pivotal movement between said seat cushion anD said first link and between said first link and said part stationary with respect to the vehicle body; and linkage means operatively interconnecting said seat back and said first link whereby said first link is constrained to pivot in respect to said part stationary with respect to the vehicle body only in unison with said seat back as said seat back is swung between its upright and lowered positions.

Claim 12

A folding seat structure as set forth in claim 7, including stop means carried by said seat cushion and engageable with said first link during movement of said seat cushion from its normal position toward its folded-down position, said stop means being effective to limit relative pivotal movement permitted between said seat cushion and said first link during such movement of said seat cushion from its normal position to its lowered position.

Claim 13

A folding seat structure as set forth in claim 8, including releasable latch means associated with said seat back, the vehicle body, and said part stationary with respect to the vehicle body, said latch means being operable to firmly latch said seat back to the vehicle body when in its upright position and to said part stationary with respect to the vehicle body when in its lowered position.

Claim 14

A folding seat structure as set forth in claim 9, including torsion spring means operatively connected to the vehicle body and said seat back, said torsion spring means being effective to continually bias said seat back toward its upright position, said spring means includes a pair of torsion bars, each of said torsion bars extending transversely in opposite directions from a mid-point of the vehicle body, the innermost end of each torsion bar being firmly secured to the vehicle body by a common clamp and the outermost end of each torsion bar being attached to said seat back.

Claim 15

A folding seat structure as set forth in claim 9, including additional releasable latch means associated with said seat cushion and said linkage means, said latch means being operable to firmly latch said seat cushion to said linkage means when said seat cushion is in its normal position.

Claim 16

A folding seat structure as set forth in claim 11, wherein said linkage means includes a second link having one end pivotally connected to said seat back and its opposite end pivotally connected to said first link.

Claim 17

A folding seat structure as set forth in claim 12, wherein said second link is capable of pivoting with respect to said seat back about an axis vertically spaced from the axis about which said seat back pivots as it swings between its upright and lowered positions, said second link being further capable of pivoting with respect to said first link about an axis coincident with the axis about which said seat cushion is capable of pivoting with respect to said first link as it moves between its normal and folded-down positions.

Claim 18

A folding seat structure as set forth in claim 13, including support means for said seat cushion when in its normal position, said support means including a substantially U-shaped bracket rigidly secured to said seat cushion, said bracket being formed with spaced and parallel leg portions integrally connected along respective edges by a bight portion, the leg portions of said bracket being disposed on respective opposite sides of said second link and the bight portion thereof abutting an edge portion of said second link when said seat cushion is in its normal position.

Claim 19

A folding seat structure as set forth in claim 14, including additional support and latch means for said seat cushion when in its folded-down position, said additional support and latch means including said U-shaped bracket and a transversely extending pin rigidly secured to the vehicle body, one of said leg portions of said U-shaped bracket being bifurcated, said pin being receivable in the bifurcation and engageable with the edge surfaces of said one leg portion defining the bifurcation when said seat cushion is in its folded-down poSition.

Claim 20

A folding seat structure as set forth in claim 15, wherein said part stationary with respect to the vehicle body is in the form of a stanchion rigidly secured to the vehicle body; and further including second support means for said seat cushion when in its folded-down position comprising a transversely projecting flange rigidly secured to said stanchion, an edge portion of said second link resting upon said flange when said seat cushion is in its folded-down position.