Convertible sleeper seats for pleasure boats

Claim 2

A seat assembly which is convertible to a bed, comprising: a seat unit having a pair of seat backs hinged together at their upper edges and a pair of seat bottoms, each hinged at its rear edge to the respective lower edges of the seat backs, a base having a pair of laterally spaced, upended, parallel, opposed sidewalls and end walls terminating in a common, planar upper edge, the seat unit slidably supported on the upper edge of the laterally spaced sidewalls for movement between a raised position wherein the seat units form back-to-back seats and a lowered position wherein the seat units flatten out to form a bed supported on the upper edge of the laterally spaced walls, securing means slidably securing the seat unit to the base, and locking means frictionally clamping the sidewalls of the base to the securing means to retain the seat unit in a predetermined position.

Claim 3

The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the seat bottoms of the integral seat unit include integral spring sections therein.

Claim 4

The seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the integral spring sections are integral narrow bands extending from a common center to the outer periphery of the seat bottoms.

Claim 5

The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the securing means includes (1) a first pair of laterally spaced, slotted guide rails secured to the underside of one of the seat bottoms near the side edges thereof and extending rearwardly of the seat bottom within the laterally spaced sidewalls of the base, (2) a second pair of laterally spaced, slotted guide rails secured to the underside of the other seat bottom near the side edges thereof extending rearwardly of the seat bottom toward the first pair of guide rails and intermeshing therewith in side-by-side relation, and (3) a rod extending through the respective slots of both pairs of slotted guide rails secured at one end to one of the laterally spaced sidewalls of the base and extending through an opening in the opposed, laterally spaced sidewall, the guide rails slidable along the rod, and wherein the locking means is secured to the other end of the rod and frictionally clamps the guide rails against one another and against the sidewalls of the base to retain the seat unit in a predetermined position.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 4 wherein the locking means includes one or more sleeve sections surrounding the portion of the rod extending between the first and second pairs of guide rails, and cam means secured to one end of the rod, the cam means in one position exerting pressure against the sidewalls of the base, resulting in compression of the sidewalls of the base against the guide rails and sleeve section, providing a frictional lock to lock the guide rails and the seat unit associated therewith in a predetermined position.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 1 wherein the base and seat unit are fabricated from a resilient, synthetic plastic material.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 6 wherein the material is polypropylene.

Claim 9

A back-to-back seat assembly convertible to a bed, the assembly mountable in a pleasure boat, comprising: a base having upended, parallel sidewalls and end walls terminating in a common upper edge and having a hoLlow interior for storage, an integral seat unit of resilient plastic material including a pair of integrally connected seat-bottom/seat-back pieces which, in raised position, form back-to-back seats, and, in lowered position, flatten out to form a bed, integral spring sections formed in the seat bottoms and seat backs of the seat unit, a first pair of laterally spaced, slotted guide rails secured to the underside of one seat bottom near the side edges thereof and extending rearwardly of the seat bottom within the sidewalls of the base, a second pair of laterally spaced, slotted guide rails secured to the underside of the other seat bottom near the side edges thereof, the second pair of guide rails extending toward the first pair of guide rails and intermeshing therewith in side-by-side relation, a rod extending through the slots in each of the guide rails securing at one end to one of the sidewalls of the base at about its midpoint and adjacent the upper edge thereof and extending through an opening in the opposite sidewall, the guide rails slidable along the rod, a sleeve section over that portion of the rod extending between the spaced-apart guide rails, and cam means secured to the end of the rod extending through the opening in the base for frictionally locking the guide rails and the associated seat unit in a preset position, the cam means in one position exerting pressure against the sidewalls to compress the sidewalls of the base into frictional contact with the guide rails and the guide rails into frictional contact with the sleeve section to lock the guide rails and associated seat unit in a preset position.

Claim 10

A back-to-back seat assembly convertible to a bed, the assembly mountable in a pleasure boat, comprising: a base having upended, parallel sidewalls and end walls terminating in a common upper edge and having a hoLlow interior for storage, an integral seat unit of resilient plastic material including a pair of integrally connected seat-bottom/seat-back pieces which, in raised position, form back-to-back seats, and, in lowered position, flatten out to form a bed, integral spring sections formed in the seat bottoms and seat backs of the seat unit, a first pair of laterally spaced, slotted guide rails secured to the underside of one seat bottom near the side edges thereof and extending rearwardly of the seat bottom within the sidewalls of the base, a second pair of laterally spaced, slotted guide rails secured to the underside of the other seat bottom near the side edges thereof, the second pair of guide rails extending toward the first pair of guide rails and intermeshing therewith in side-by-side relation, a rod extending through the slots in each of the guide rails securing at one end to one of the sidewalls of the base at about its midpoint and adjacent the upper edge thereof and extending through an opening in the opposite sidewall, the guide rails slidable along the rod, a sleeve section over that portion of the rod extending between the spaced-apart guide rails, and cam means secured to the end of the rod extending through the opening in the base for frictionally locking the guide rails and the associated seat unit in a preset position, the cam means in one position exerting pressure against the sidewalls to compress the sidewalls of the base into frictional contact with the guide rails and the guide rails into frictional contact with the sleeve section to lock the guide rails and associated seat unit in a preset position.