Patent ID: 7677630

Claim:
An automobile, comprising: a seat member that is disposed within a vehicle interior so as to be movable between a use position where the seated person can be supported and a non-use position in the upper part of the vehicle interior; a seat cushion; a seat back, the seat member comprising at least one of the seat cushion and the seat back; a locking member that is engaged with a striker fixed to a vehicle body and thereby locks the seat member to the vehicle body when the seat member is in the non-use position thereof, the locking member being supported on the seat member so as to be rotatable between a locking position where an engaging concave portion of the locking member is engaged with the striker to lock the seat member to the non-use position thereof, and a lock releasing position where the engaging concave portion is removed from the striker to release the lock of the seat member to the vehicle body; a handle arm that is supported on a rear portion of the seat back so as to be rotatable between a storage position where the handle arm is positioned along the seat back and a use position where the free end of the handle arm is spaced away from a substantial portion of the seat back; and interlocking means for rotating the locking member by interlocking with the rotation of the handle arm in such a way that the locking member occupies a lock releasing position thereof when the handle arm is in the use position thereof, and that the locking member occupies a locking position thereof when the handle arm is rotated to the storage position thereof, wherein the interlocking means is provided on the seat member, and a guide face is formed on the locking member, which brings the engaging concave portion of the locking member into engagement with the striker while being in sliding contact with the striker when the handle arm is rotated from the use position toward the storage position thereof to rotate the locking member from the lock releasing position toward the locking position thereof, wherein when the handle arm is brought to the use position and the seat member is moved from the use position towards the non-use position, the seat member stops upon reaching a position immediately before the non-use position.