US3873151A — Wall mounted fold down seat

Claim 1

Independent Claim 283 words

A fold-down seat for mounting in a recess in a wall comprising: a. seating means; b. pivot means for said seating means, said pivot means further dividing said seating means into first and second portions; c. seat stowage and support structure means, comprising: a duct having front and rear openings, said front opening adapted to receive said seating means therein; a wall joined to the rim of said rear opening to said duct, and having an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being spaced apart from the plane of the rim of said front opening to said duct by at least a substantial portion of the thickness of said seating means and said lower portion of said wall projecting rearwardly and outwardly away from said upper portion of said wall to form a shoulder and thereafterwards projecting forwardly and downwardly until it joins with said duct; d. means for connecting said seat dividing and pivot means to said duct so that when a portion of said first portion of said seating means moves from a position within said seat stowage and support structure means to a position outside of said seat stowage and support structure means, said second portion of said seating means moves towards abutting engagement with the shoulder formed by said rear wall joined to the rim of said rear opening of said duct and visa versa; e. latching means for securing said seating means within said seat stowage and support structure means; and f. handle means on said seating means, said handle means disposed on the face of said seating means which is exposed when said seating means is stowed within said seat stowage and support means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 283 words

A fold-down seat for mounting in a recess in a wall comprising: a. seating means; b. pivot means for said seating means, said pivot means further dividing said seating means into first and second portions; c. seat stowage and support structure means, comprising: a duct having front and rear openings, said front opening adapted to receive said seating means therein; a wall joined to the rim of said rear opening to said duct, and having an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being spaced apart from the plane of the rim of said front opening to said duct by at least a substantial portion of the thickness of said seating means and said lower portion of said wall projecting rearwardly and outwardly away from said upper portion of said wall to form a shoulder and thereafterwards projecting forwardly and downwardly until it joins with said duct; d. means for connecting said seat dividing and pivot means to said duct so that when a portion of said first portion of said seating means moves from a position within said seat stowage and support structure means to a position outside of said seat stowage and support structure means, said second portion of said seating means moves towards abutting engagement with the shoulder formed by said rear wall joined to the rim of said rear opening of said duct and visa versa; e. latching means for securing said seating means within said seat stowage and support structure means; and f. handle means on said seating means, said handle means disposed on the face of said seating means which is exposed when said seating means is stowed within said seat stowage and support means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 39 words

The fold-down seat of claim 1, further comprising: a flange disposed about the rim of the front opening of said duct of said seat stowage and support structure means, saId flange being directed outwardly in a radial fashion therefrom.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 40 words

The fold-down seat of claim 2, further comprising: a gasket disposed about the rearwardly facing surface of said flange, said gasket forming a fluid seal between said flange and said wall about said recess when said seat is mounted therein.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 24 words

The fold-down seat of claim 2, further comprising: means for anchoring said seat stowage and support structure means to said wall about said recess.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 153 words

The fold-down seat of claim 4, wherein said means for anchoring, comprises: a. a duct having at least one opening thereinto and being sufficiently large to conformably receive the rear portion of said seat stowage and support structure means thereinto and while preventing said seat stowage and support structure means from passing into said opening beyond said flange of said duct; b. a U-channel member of sufficient length to bridge the other end of said duct as well as bridging the rear opening to said wall recess, said U-channel member being disposed transversely to said other end of said duct and bonded to said other end and further having at least one threaded hole within the bottom of the U of said U-channel member disposed between the bonding points of said U-channel member; and c. means for adjustably fastening said U-channel member to said rear wall of said seat stowage and support means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 175 words

The fold-down seat of claim 1, wherein said seating means comprises: a. a box-shaped hollow metal structure having two pairs of oppositely disposed sides forming the edges of said seating means and two relatively larger, oppositely disposed sides forming the inside and outside surfaces of said seating means, said inside surface forming a surface upon which to sit and said outside surface having a depression therein; b. a handle having a single entrance thereinto and disposed across said depression; c. a first U-channel member disposed between said inside and outside surfaces, said first member being adjacently disposed to one of said oppositely disposed edges and bonded thereto and having the two legs of the U of said U-channel member being abutted against said inside surface; and d. a second U-channel member disposed between said inside and outside surfaces, said second member being adjacently disposed to the other of said pair of oppositely disposed edges and bonded thereto and having the two legs of the U of said U-channel member being abutted against said inside surface.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 16 words

The fold-down seat of claim 6, wherein said hollow metal structure is filled with rigid foam.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 16 words

The fold-down seat of claim 6, wherein said hollow metal structure is composed of stainless steel.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 18 words

The fold-down seat of claim 6, wherein said hollow metal structure is filled with structural honeycomb bonded thereto.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 177 words

The fold-down seat of claim 1, wherein said seat stowage and support means further comprises: a. a substantially pan-like structure at least as deep as the thickness of said seat, said pan-like structure further having a lower portion below said point where said seat dividing and pivotal connection means is connected to the sidewall of said structure and an upper portion thereabove, said lower portion being projected rearwardly beyond the rear of said upper portion to form a shoulder and thereafterwards sloping forwardly and downwardly to the front rim of the sidewall of said structure; b. a first rigid U-channel support member bonded to the backside of the upper portion of said pan-like structure along the outer vertical corner of said pan; c. a second rigid U-channel support member bonded to the backside of the upper portion of said pan-like structure along the other outer vertical corner of said pan; and d. an L shaped rigid member transverse to said first and second rigid U-channel support members and bonded thereto and being further bonded to said shoulder.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 68 words

A fold-down seat as in claim 10, fUrther comprising: resilient spacing means secured to said upper portion of said wall joined to said rim of said rear opening to said duct of said seat storage and support structure means and disposed between said seat and said upper portion of said wall to prevent direct contact therebetween when said seat is placed within said structure in its'' stowed position.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 47 words

A fold-down seat as in claim 1, further comprising: resilient spacing means secured to said seat and disposed between said second portion of said seating means and said shoulder to prevent direct contact between said seat and shoulder when said seat is disposed in said seating position.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 124 words

The fold-down seat of claim 1, wherein said pivot means comprises: a. a hinge pin through one end of said seat and the ends of said hinge pin extending beyond the edges of said seat; b. a seat stowage and support structure means further having spaced sidewalls with oppositely-disposed holes therein, said holes adapted to receive the ends of said hinge pin thereinto so as to be freely rotatable therein; c. a first locking ferrule disposed about one end of said hinge pin protruding beyond the sidewall of said seat stowage and support structure means; and d. a second locking ferrule disposed about the other end of said hinge pin protruding beyond the other side wall of said seat stowage and support structure means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 103 words

The fold-down seat of claim 1, wherein said latching means comprises: a. a spring-loaded, blunt-nosed member disposed within a hole in the top portion of said seat stowage and support structure and adapted to be movable in and out of said hole, said blunted nore portion protruding downwardly therebeyond; and b. a dimpled surface within the forwardmost edge of said sheet, said dimple lying in substantially the same vertical plane as said blunt-nosed member, so that when said seat is placed in a vertically stowed position the blunt-nosed member is operably disposed in said dimple to retain said seat in the stowed position.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 86 words

The fold-down seat of claim 1, wherein said handle means further comprises: a. a handle in the front surface of said seat, said handle being shaped generally in a semi-hemispherical form and having a flange disposed outwardly in a perpendicular fashion therefrom and about one end thereof; and b. a hemispherically shaped depression within the front surface of said seat, said depression having a recessed portion halfway thereabout adapted to matingly received said flange of said handle thereinto so that said flange can be bonded therein.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-03-24	1978-09-23	1979-03-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-03-24	1982-09-23	1983-03-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-03-24	1986-09-23	1987-03-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Wall mounted fold down seat

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