Patent ID: 7172047

Claim:
A seat brake apparatus for use in a vehicle having a seat, a brake device, and a battery compartment, wherein the seat is arranged above the battery compartment and the brake device is activated when the seat is released from the weight of an operator, the apparatus comprising: a pivot member arranged adjacent to the battery compartment to pivotally support the seat; a contact plate facing towards the pivot member; and a torsion spring for urging the pivot member away from the contact plate, wherein the torsion spring is arranged between the pivot member and the contact plate and has a first end portion that contacts the pivot member and a second end portion that contacts the contact plate, wherein the battery compartment has a side plate, the pivot member is pivotally connected to the side plate, the contact plate is connected to the side plate, and the torsion spring urges the pivot member away from the side plate; a moving mechanism for moving the contact plate relative to the side plate; and a guiding mechanism for connecting the contact plate to the side plate while guiding the movement of the contact plate relative to the side plate, wherein the moving mechanism and the guiding mechanism cooperate to move the contact plate between a position at which the contact plate compresses the torsion spring and a position at which the contact plate allows the torsion spring to expand relative to the other position.