Removable vehicle seat assembly

• Main Authors: PASCOE; DAVID M, VAN DOREN; FOSTER, COFFEY; ROBERT T, GRUBER; RUFOLF, STALEY; BRIAN W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.12.1999
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

The present invention is a removable vehicle seat assembly for use with a motor vehicle having an interior floor structure with at least a portion thereof covered by a yieldingly deformable material. A latch and release assembly is operatively associated with a riser support structure. The latch and release assembly is configured to be engaged with front and rear anchor members of the interior floor structure and releasably locked in one of a range of releasably locked positions. The latch and release assembly is constructed to be engaged with the front and rear anchor members and releasably locked in an initial one of the range of releasably locked positions. The removable vehicle seat assembly is moved downwardly towards the interior floor structure in response to an application of a downwardly directed force thereto when the latch and release assembly is releasably locked in the initial one of the range of releasably locked positions such that the yieldingly deformable material is yieldingly compressed to a decreased thickness. The latch and release assembly moves progressively from the initial one of the range of releasably locked positions to a subsequent one of the range of releasably locked positions corresponding to the decreased thickness of the yieldingly deformable material during downward movement of the removable vehicle seat assembly. The latch and release assembly is engaged with the front and rear anchor members and releasably locked in the subsequent one of the range of releasably locked positions to thereby prevent upward movement of the removable vehicle seat assembly away from the interior floor structure and to maintain the yieldingly deformable material at the aforesaid decreased thickness.