Patent ID: 7374242
Filing Date: 2008-05-20
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A latch assembly incorporated into a vehicle seat including a stanchion support adapted to be secured to a floor location and a bracket pivotally secured to the stanchion support, a first rotatable seat component secured to the bracket, said latch assembly comprising: a substantially planar shaped sector slaved in rotating fashion with the bracket and arranged in sandwiching fashion between the bracket and the stanchion support, said sector exhibiting a bottom extending surface further including a central projecting shoulder portion separating the bottom extending surface into first and second bottom extending surfaces, said sector further exhibiting an arcuate interior channel which is offset from a slaved rotating connection of said sector to the bracket, a pin extending through a further second channel defined in the stanchion support and seating within said arcuate channel, said pin exerting a bias against said sector during travel along said interior channel; and a pendulum secured in sandwiching fashion between the bracket and stanchion, said pendulum exhibiting an arcuate edge seating against one of said first and second bottom extending surfaces of said rotatable sector, depending upon a position established between the first seat component and a second seat component; said pendulum responding to an inertial impact condition by engaging said shoulder projection of said slaved sector and to prevent rotation of the first seat component.