Patent ID: 8757714

Claim:
A lock for locking an object in a vehicle in place, the lock comprising: a base comprising a side surface and a front surface, the side surface having at least one opening, the front surface having a hub mounting portion and a ballast retainer; a hub rotatably coupled to the hub mounting portion; a ballast housed within the ballast retainer, the ballast being operatively coupled to the hub; at least one locking member operatively coupled to the hub; wherein repositioning of the ballast from an initial unlocked position to a final locked position within the ballast retainer actuates the hub and causes the at least one locking member to extend past the at least one opening; and wherein the ballast is configured to automatically reposition itself from the initial unlocked position to the final locked position in response to a change in velocity of the vehicle; and wherein: the vehicle is an aircraft; the object is an aft-facing seat in the aircraft; the ballast retainer comprises a ballast retaining chamber; the aft-facing seat is locked by the extension of the at least one locking member past the at least one opening in the side surface and at least one hole in an arm of a seat back assembly of the aft-facing seat; the at least one opening in the side surface consists of a first opening and a second opening; and the at least one locking member consists of a first locking member and a second locking member.