US 5,507,553 AGranted

Emergency locking device for vehicle seat

AssigneeTachi-S Co., Ltd.

InventorsYoji Nishizawa, Masatatsu Kanai

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Abstract

An emergency locking device for a vehicle seat of the type wherein one lateral frame section of seat back frame is rotatably connected to a seat cushion frame, while another lateral frame section of seat back frame is connected thereto via one reclining device, the emergency locking device basically comprising an outwardly toothed lock element and an inwardly toothed lock element, which are provided at such one lateral frame section of seat back frame, with such an arrangement that a displacement of the seat back frame or a slight deformation of same, which is caused by a great load, will quickly bring one of the outwardly and inwardly toothed lock elements to engagement with another of them, to thereby lock that one lateral frame section in question against further serious deformation. The locking device is thus simplified in structure and light in weight.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An emergency locking device mounted to a vehicle seat, in which the vehicle seat includes a seat cushion frame, a seat back frame having one lateral frame section and another lateral frame section, said seat back frame being rotatably connected to said seat cushion frame, and one reclining device which connects said another lateral frame section of said seat back frame to said seat cushion frame, said emergency locking device comprising:

a first bracket fixed to said one lateral frame section of said seat back frame,
said first bracket being deformable under a sudden load,
connecting means engaged on said seat cushion frame for rotatably connecting said one lateral frame section to said seat cushion frame;
inwardly toothed means fixed to a second bracket on said seat cushion frame;
outwardly toothed means fixed to said first bracket;
said first bracket and said second bracket being rotatably engaged by said connecting means so that said outwardly toothed means are spaced apart from and within said inwardly toothed means when in a normally disengaged position;
a full periphery of said connecting means being in respective contact with each of said first bracket and said second bracket,
wherein, when said sudden load is applied to said seat back frame, said seat back frame is displaced and said first bracket means is deformed, resulting in a quick engagement of said outwardly toothed means with said inwardly toothed means, thereby locking said one lateral frame section of said seat back frame with respect to said seat cushion frame.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.