Life jacket installation

Claim 1

A seat assembly particularly for marine vessels and aircraft comprising, in combination: a seat pan and seat back support; a seat and back cushion member formed as an integral unitary part having a seat portion with a forwardmost edge and a back portion extending upwardly and rearwardly from said seat portion, said back portion having an uppermost terminal edge at which said seat and back cushion member is pivotally mounted on said seat back support with said seat portion overlying said seat pan and with said back portion extending over said seat back support forwardly thereof; said unitary seat back and cushion member being constructed to define in cooperation with said seat pan and seat back support a hollow cavity which extends continuously from adjacent said forwardmost edge of said seat portion to a location at least partially up said seat back support through a substantial portion of the volume enclosed between said seat back support and said back portion of said seat and back cushion member; said seat and back cushion member being adapted to be raised by being pivoted bodily relative to said seat back support about said pivotal mounting thereof by grasping of said forwardmost edge of said seat portion to permit ready access to said cavity; a non-inflatable lifejacket consisting essentially of buoyant rigid foam displacing a generally constant volume stored within said cavity, said lifejacket being readily removable from said cavity when said seat and back cushion member is raised by pivotal movement thereof about said pivotal mounting; and a pull tag affixed to said seat pan operative to enable said lifejacket to be raised from said seat pan to facilitate removal thereof from said hollow cavity by pulling of said lifejacket forwardly from said cavity after said seat and back cushion member has been pivotally raised.