Patent ID: 7188906

Claim:
A locking mechanism for a vehicle seat, wherein the locking mechanism is for being locked to a mating element that is fixed on a vehicle or fixed on the vehicle seat, the locking mechanism is for mounting to a structural part fixed on a structure, and the structure is selected from the group consisting of the vehicle seat and the vehicle, the locking mechanism comprising: a housing having at least a first opening and a second opening, wherein (a) the first opening is a receptacle for receiving the mating element, (b) the locking mechanism is configured for being attached to the structural part so that the structural part substantially closes the housing by at least substantially covering the second opening, (c) the second opening is larger than the receptacle, and (d) the second opening is sized so that the housing is substantially open prior to any attachment of the locking mechanism to the structural part; a pivot connected to a base of the housing; a latch pivotably mounted to the pivot (a) for locking with the mating element by being in a locked state while the mating element is in the receptacle, (b) so that the latch obstructs the receptacle during the locked state, (c) so that the latch is capable of being in the locked state while the housing is substantially open prior to any attachment of the locking mechanism to the structural part; at least one securing element pivotably mounted to the housing (a) for interacting with the latch and thereby releasably securing the latch in the locked state, and (b) so that the at least one securing element is capable of interacting with the latch and thereby releasably securing the latch in the locked state while the housing is substantially open prior to any attachment of the locking mechanism to the structural part; and at least one retaining component that is positioned on the pivot for restricting the latch from moving past an end of the pivot while the housing is substantially open prior to any attachment of the locking mechanism to the structural part, wherein the latch is positioned between the retaining component and the base of the housing, whereby operability of the locking mechanism is capable of being tested while the housing is substantially open prior to any attachment of the locking mechanism to the structural part, and wherein the operability of the locking mechanism comprises (a) the latch being capable of being in the locked state while the housing is substantially open prior to any attachment of the locking mechanism to the structural part, and (b) the at least one securing element being capable of interacting with the latch and thereby releasably securing the latch in the locked state while the housing is substantially open prior to any attachment of the locking mechanism to the structural part.