Patent ID: 6488339
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
A vehicle seat, comprising:a seat substructure and a backrest wherein a projection of one of the seat substructure and the backrest is for being inserted into a socket of the other of the seat substructure and the backrest to connect the seat substructure to the backrest, with one of the projection and the socket defining a curved slot for receiving a bolt of the other of the projection and the socket when the seat substructure is connected to the backrest; wherein the projection and the socket are configured, including the bolt and the curved slot being sized and shaped, so that the receiving of the bolt by the curved slot includes relative movement in a first direction between the bolt and the curved slot so that the bolt travels farther into the curved slot, and then relative movement in a second direction between the bolt and the curved slot so that the bolt travels farther into the curved slot than during the movement in the first direction, with the first and second directions being different; wherein the seat is constructed so that after the seat substructure is connected to the backrest via the movements in the first and second directions, the curved slot is operative so that removal of the bolt from the curved slot via movement in any single direction is restricted; and wherein the curved slot is defined by the projection and the vehicle seat further comprises: a blocking element pivotably mounted to the projection for pivoting between an open position and an obstructing position, with the blocking element at least partially obstructing the curved slot while the blocking element is in the obstructing position; and a spring for biasing the blocking element into the obstructing position, wherein the vehicle seat is operative so that: the blocking element does not prevent movement of the bolt farther into the curved slot while the blocking element is in the open position, and the blocking element moves into the obstructing position and restricts the bolt from moving out of the curved slot in response to the seat substructure being connected to the backrest via the relative movements in the first and second directions between the bolt and the curved slot.