Patent ID: 6752461
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
A vehicle seat comprising:a seat proper; a back presenting at least a folding portion capable of pivoting to a limited extent about a first transverse horizontal axis between a raised position for use and a position in which it is folded down forwards; a rigid plate connecting the folding portion of the back to the seat proper; and a control mechanism adapted to lock the folding portion of the back either in the raised position or in the folded-down position, said control mechanism including a control piece actuatable by a user to unlock said folding portion of the back; wherein the control piece is pivotally mounted on the folding portion of the back about a second transverse horizontal axis parallel to the first axis, said control piece being urged resiliently in a first angular direction about the second axis towards a rest position and being movable by a user in a second angular direction opposite to the first away from its rest position into an actuated position, said control piece having an S-shaped guide slot within which a guide peg secured to the rigid plate is received, said slot comprising: a curved middle portion adapted to receive the peg when the control piece is in the actuated position, said middle portion being disposed between the first and second axes and extending between first and second ends in the vicinity of which the peg is to be found respectively in the raised position and in the folded-down position of the folding portion of the back, said middle portion of the slot being disposed to extend in a substantially circumferential direction about the first axis when the control piece is in the actuated position; a first lateral branch which communicates with the first end of the middle portion of the slot and which extends in the second angular direction substantially circumferentially about the second axis to a closed end which is adapted to receive the peg when the folding portion of the back is in the raised position and the control piece is in the rest position, the first branch of the slot being adapted then to lock the folding portion of the back in its raised position; and a second lateral branch communicating with the second end of the middle portion of the slot and extending in said angular direction substantially circumferentially about the second axis, to a closed end which is adapted to receive the peg when the folding portion of the back is in the folded-down position and the control piece is in the rest position, the second branch of the slot being adapted then to lock the folding portion of the back in the folded-down position.