Patent ID: 7204555

Claim:
A detent fitting for a vehicle seat, the detent fitting comprising: a first fitting part; a second fitting part mounted for being movable relative to the first fitting part, at least one locking element operatively associated with the first and second fitting parts for (a) being movable between an inward position and an outward position, (b) being guided by the second fitting part while being moved between the inward position and the outward position, and (c) interacting with at least the first fitting part, while the locking element is in the outward position, to at least partially lock the detent fitting; an eccentric mounted for being rotated at least in a first direction about an axis to thereby act on the locking element and move the locking element from the inward position to the outward position; and at least one spiral-shaped spring that extends around the axis, wherein the spring is operatively associated with at least the eccentric for rotating the eccentric in the first direction, the locking element includes a projection, a portion of the spring is positioned radially outwardly of the projection, the eccentric is positioned radially inwardly of the locking element, the inward position is radially inwardly of the outward position, the eccentric is operatively associated with the spring so that rotation of the eccentric in a second direction causes contraction of the spring, the second direction is opposite from the first direction, and the spring is operatively associated with the projection so that the contraction of the spring at least partially pulls the locking element radially inward.