Selectable fixed and rotational seat frame assembly for a vehicle frame

Abstract

A seat attachment system for a vehicle frame includes a vehicle frame having a lower seat-bracket receptacle defined within a frame base and an upper seat-bracket receptacle defined within an upper frame member, a seat frame attached to the vehicle frame at the lower and upper seat-bracket receptacles and a lower seat-bracket set comprising a rotation-free lower bracket and a rotational lower bracket, wherein the lower seat bracket receptacle receives one of the rotation-free lower bracket and the rotational lower bracket, wherein when the rotation-free lower bracket is attached to the lower seat-bracket receptacle and the seat frame is coupled with the rotation-free lower bracket, the seat frame is free of rotational movement, and wherein when the rotational lower bracket is attached to the lower seat-bracket receptacle and the seat frame is coupled with the rotational lower bracket, the seat frame is capable of rotational movement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for installing a rear seat on a vehicle frame, the method comprising steps of:
 providing the vehicle frame having lower and upper bracket receptacles;   providing a seat frame configured to engage the lower and upper bracket receptacles;   providing a fixed-frame bracket set that includes a lower fixed-frame bracket and an upper fixed-frame bracket;   providing a frame-rotating bracket set that includes a lower frame-rotating bracket and an upper frame-rotating bracket;   selecting only one of the fixed-frame bracket set and the frame-rotating bracket set for engagement with the lower and upper bracket receptacles to determine a selected seat bracket set;   connecting the selected seat bracket set to the lower and upper bracket receptacles; and   connecting the seat frame to the lower and upper bracket receptacles via the selected seat bracket set, wherein when the selected seat bracket set is the fixed-frame bracket set, the seat frame is fixedly connected to the lower fixed-frame bracket such that the seat frame is not capable of rotational movement relative to the vehicle frame, and wherein when the selected seat bracket set is the frame-rotating bracket set, the seat frame is rotationally connected to the lower frame-rotating bracket such that the seat frame is selectively rotatable relative to the vehicle frame between a plurality of positions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the selected seat bracket set is the fixed-frame bracket set, the lower fixed-frame bracket includes a bolted connection to fixedly connect the seat frame and the lower fixed-frame bracket. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the upper fixed-frame bracket includes a vertically-oriented slot that fixedly receives a portion of the seat frame when the selected seat bracket set is the fixed-frame bracket set. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the seat frame includes an engagement protrusion that slidably engages the vertically-oriented slot. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the vertically oriented slot is free of fasteners. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein engagement of the engagement protrusion and the vertically oriented slot defines a single-use retaining mechanism for retaining the seat frame to the lower and upper bracket receptacles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the upper frame-rotating bracket includes a striker that selectively engages a portion of the seat frame when the selected seat bracket set is the frame-rotating bracket set. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a seat frame includes providing a fixed seat frame and a rotating seat frame and selecting one of the fixed seat frame and the rotating seat frame, wherein the fixed seat frame corresponds to the fixed-frame bracket set and the rotating seat frame corresponds to the frame-rotating bracket set. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the rotational seat frame includes a pivot point that rotationally engages the lower frame-rotating bracket of the frame-rotating bracket set when the frame-rotating bracket set is the selected seat bracket set. 
     
     
         10 . A method for installing a rear seat on a vehicle frame, the method comprising steps of:
 providing the vehicle frame having a lower bracket receptacle and an upper bracket receptacle;   providing a seat frame configured to engage the lower and upper bracket receptacles;   providing a rotation-free seat bracket set that includes a lower rotation-free bracket and an upper rotation-free bracket;   providing a rotational seat bracket set that includes a lower rotational bracket and an upper rotational bracket;   selecting only one of the rotation-free seat bracket set and the rotational seat bracket set for engagement with the lower and upper bracket receptacles to determine a selected seat bracket set;   connecting the selected seat bracket set to the lower and upper bracket receptacles; and   connecting the seat frame to the lower bracket receptacle and the upper bracket receptacle via the selected seat bracket set, wherein when the selected seat bracket set is the rotation-free seat bracket set, the seat frame is fixedly connected to the lower rotation-free bracket such that the seat frame is not capable of rotational movement relative to the vehicle frame, and wherein when the selected seat bracket set is the rotational seat bracket set, the seat frame is rotationally connected to the lower rotational bracket such that the seat frame is selectively rotatable relative to the vehicle frame.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein when the selected seat bracket set is the rotation-free seat bracket set, the lower rotation-free bracket includes a bolted connection to fixedly connect the seat frame and the lower rotation-free bracket. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the upper rotation-free bracket includes a vertically-oriented slot that fixedly receives a portion of the seat frame when the selected seat bracket set is the rotation-free seat bracket set. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the upper rotational bracket includes a striker that selectively engages a portion of the seat frame when the selected seat bracket set is the rotational seat bracket set. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of providing a seat frame includes providing a rotation-free seat frame and a rotational seat frame and selecting one of the rotation-free seat frame and the rotational seat frame, wherein the rotation-free seat frame corresponds to the rotation-free seat bracket set and the rotational seat frame corresponds to the rotational seat bracket set. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the rotational seat frame includes a pivot point that rotationally engages the lower rotational bracket of the rotational seat bracket set when the rotational seat bracket set is the selected seat bracket set. 
     
     
         16 . A method for installing a vehicle rear seat comprising steps of:
 defining lower and upper bracket receptacles in a vehicle frame;   providing a fixed-frame bracket set;   providing a frame-rotating bracket set;   attaching one of the fixed-frame and frame rotating bracket sets and the frame-rotating bracket to the lower and upper bracket receptacles to determine a selected seat bracket set; and   connecting a seat frame to the selected seat bracket set.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein when the selected seat bracket set is the fixed-frame bracket set, the fixed-frame bracket set defines a single-use retaining mechanism such that the seat frame is not capable of rotational movement relative to the vehicle frame. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the fixed-frame bracket set includes a vertically-oriented slot proximate the upper bracket receptacle that fixedly receives a portion of the seat frame, wherein the vertically-oriented slot defines a portion of the single-use retaining mechanism. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein when the selected seat bracket set is the frame-rotating bracket set, the seat frame is rotationally connected to a lower frame-rotating bracket such that the seat frame is selectively rotatable relative to the vehicle frame between a plurality of positions. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the seat frame includes a pivot point that rotationally engages the frame-rotating bracket set.