Vehicle seatback support element to resist pivoting movement of seatback when force is applied to the seatback

A vehicle comprising:

• a seating assembly including a seatback pivotally movable relative to a seat about an axis, the seatback including a bottom portion, a top portion disposed further away from the axis than the bottom portion, and a releasable locking mechanism at the top portion;
• a seatback support element that extends through an opening of the releasable locking mechanism of the seating assembly, the seatback support element having a forward portion coupled to the vehicle at a position forward of the axis of the seatback and a rearward portion coupled to the vehicle at a position rearward of the axis of the seatback;
• and
• the seatback having a locked position where the releasable locking mechanism locks onto the seatback support element, and an unlocked position where the releasable locking mechanism does not lock onto the seatback support element and the seatback can pivot about the axis;
• wherein, when the releasable locking mechanism is in the locked position, and a rearward force is applied to the seatback, the seatback support element resists the seatback pivoting about the axis in a rearward direction;
• and
• wherein, when the releasable locking mechanism is in the locked position, and a forward force is applied to the seatback, the seatback support element resists the seatback pivoting about the axis in a forward direction.

A vehicle comprising:

• a seating assembly including a seatback pivotally movable relative to a seat about an axis;
• the seatback comprising:
• a bottom portion;
• a top portion disposed further away from the axis than the bottom portion;
• a vertical midline separating the seatback into a first side and a second side;
• a first releasable locking mechanism at the top portion to the first side of the vertical midline;
• and
• a second releasable locking mechanism at the top portion to the second side of the vertical midline;
• a first seatback support element that extends through the first releasable locking mechanism of the seating assembly;
• a second seatback support element that extends through the second releasable locking mechanism of the seating assembly;
• the first seatback support element and the second seatback support element each having a forward portion coupled to the vehicle at a position forward of the seatback and a rearward portion coupled to the vehicle at a position rearward of the seatback;
• and
• the seatback having a locked position where the first releasable locking mechanism locks onto the first seatback support element and the second releasable locking mechanism locks onto the second seatback support element, and an unlocked position where the first releasable locking mechanism does not lock onto the first seatback support element and the second releasable locking mechanism does not lock onto the second seatback support element, allowing the seatback to pivot about the axis;
• wherein, when the first releasable locking mechanism and the second releasable locking mechanism are in the locked position, and a rearward force is applied to the seatback, the first seatback support element and the second seatback support element resist rearward pivotal movement of the seatback about the axis;
• wherein, when the first releasable locking mechanism and the second releasable locking mechanism are in the locked position, and a forward force is applied to the seatback, the first seatback support element and the second seatback support element resist forward pivotal movement of the seatback about the axis;
• wherein, the forward portion and the rearward portion of the first seatback support element, and the first releasable locking mechanism, are all disposed laterally to the first side of the vertical midline of the seatback;
• and
• wherein, the forward portion and the rearward portion of the second seatback support element, and the second releasable locking mechanism, are all disposed laterally to the second side of the vertical midline of the seatback.