Patent ID: 8123298

Claim:
A hinge assembly comprising: a seat back support having a seat back mounting portion and a seat back hinge portion distally located from the seat back mounting portion, the seat back hinge portion including a stop notch formed at an end of the seat back hinge portion; a seat bottom support having a seat bottom mounting portion and a seat bottom hinge portion distally located from the seat bottom mounting portion; a hinge pivot positioned distally from the seat back mounting portion and passing through the seat back hinge portion and the seat bottom hinge portion to hingedly couple the seat back hinge portion to the seat bottom hinge portion; and a stop pin having a stop pin shaft and a stop pin head positioned at a first end of the stop pin shaft, a second end of the stop pin shaft affixed and secured to a surface of the seat bottom hinge portion of the seat bottom support proximate to the seat back hinge portion of the seat back support, the stop pin shaft of the stop pin being configured to engage the stop notch upon rotation of the seat back support from a folded position to an extended position, wherein the stop pin head has a cross-sectional diameter greater than a cross-sectional diameter of the stop pin shaft to restrain lateral movement of the seat back support from the plane of movement; and wherein a distal end of the seat back hinge portion is disposed between and guided by the stop pin head of the stop pin and the seat bottom hinge portion of the seat bottom support during a substantial portion of rotation of the distal end of the seat back support from the folded position to the extended position, without substantial contact of the seat back hinge portion to the stop pin shaft until the stop notch comes into contact with the stop pin shaft upon the seat back support reaching the extended position to prevent lateral movement outward of the distal end relative to the surface of the seat bottom hinge portion.