US 4,784,425 AGranted

Coach seat locking mechanism

AssigneeTrison Associates Incorporated

InventorRobert Bateman

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Abstract

A coach seat locking mechanism is disclosed which is compatible for use with existing revolving type coach seats. A metallic body having a vertical bore is affixed to one end of the seat lower frame and a locking rod is vertically reciprocal within the bore between an upper, locking postion and a lower, unlocked postion. A pedal arm having a cam is pivotally affixed to the body and is designed for foot operation form an upper, locking position to a lower, unlocked position. Upon depressing the pedal arm, the locking rod is lowered to its unlocked position and simultaneouly, the pedal cam contacts a body affixed extraction arm to transversely move the seat upper frame away from the coach sidewall. A detent is pivotally secured to the body to maintain the pedal arm in its unlocked position. Upon rotating the seat upper frame through one hundred and eighty degrees, the parts are automatically returned to their initial, unlocked positions to thereby prevent seat upper frame rotation even under the most severe or stressed conditions.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A seat locking mechanism for coach seats of the type comprising a fixed seat lower frame and a seat upper frame rotatable about the lower frame comprising

a sturdy body secured to the seat lower frame, the body being provided with a vertical bore;
a pedal arm pivotally secured to the body,
the pedal arm comprising a forwardly extending forward leg and a pedal cam, the pedal cam being moved when the forward leg is moved,
the pedal arm being movable between a first, upper position and a second, lower position;
an extraction arm secured to the body and having reciprocal motion between a first, rearward postion and a second, forward position relative to the body,
the extraction arm comprising a cam follower portion in contact with the said pedal cam;
a locking rod means vertically reciprocal within the said vertical bore between an upper, locked position and a lower, unlocked
position to alternately lock and unlock the seat upper frame relative to the seat lower frame,
the locking rod means comprising a locking rod and a lever connected to and extending outwardly from the locking rod;
spring means biasing between a portion of the body and the lever to continuously bias the locking rod toward its said upper, locked position;
and
operating finger means extending from the forward leg of the pedal arm to engage a portion of the locking rod means lever;
whereby the movement of the pedal arm from its first position to its second position will cause simultaneous movement of the extraction arm to its forward position and movement of the locking rod means to its lower, unlocked position.

10 more elements

In a coach seat construction of the type including a seat lower frame affixed to the floor of the coach, a seat upper frame rotatively secured is the seat lower frame, the respective frames each having a first or forward end and a second or rearward end and a seat rotation mechanism positioned intermediate the upper and lower frames, the seat rotation mechanism being spaced from the said first and second ends and being centrally located relative to the frames, the improvement comprising

a body secured to the seat lower frame at the forward end thereof, the body being positioned in spaced relationship from the seat rotation mechanism,
the body being provided with a vertical bore;
pedal arm means pivotally attached to the body to selectively lock the forward end of the seat lower frame to an end of the seat upper frame,
the pedal arm means comprising a pedal arm and a pivot pivotally connecting the pedal arm to the body,
the pedal arm being movable between a first, locked position and a second, unlocked position;
locking rod means vertically reciprocable within the said vertical bore between a first, locked position and a second, unlocked position,
the locking rod means comprising a locking rod and a lever connected to and extending outwardly from the locking rod,
the locking rod extending upwardly and engaging a portion of the seat upper frame when the locking rod means is reciprocated to the first position, the locking rod preventing rotation of the seat upper frame relative to the seat lower frame when in the first position;
spring means biasing between a portion of the body and the lever to continuously bias the locking rod to the first, locked position;
and
operating finger means extending from the pedal arm to contact the lever, the operating finger means urging the locking rod from its first, locked position to its second, unlocked position against the bias of the spring means when the pedal arm is moved from its first, locked position to its second, unlocked position.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.