Locking system for a movable element of a seat of an automotive vehicle

A locking system for movable vehicle seats comprising:

• a hook member extending in a predetermined direction and rigidly fixed to a stationary surface;
• a support element that is movable relative to the hook member;
• a wall of the support element having a window formed therein for receiving the hook member when the support element and the hook member are moved together;
• a shear resistant and elastically deformable wire ring mounted to the support element and having a sliding section thereof in sliding contact with the support element wall and traversing the window;
• an engageable portion of the sliding ring section being latched by the hook member when a predetermined length of the hook member passes through the window;
• the ring having two parallel free end portions adjacent one another and located in spaced relation to the sliding ring section;
• the end potions of the ring having offset axes that are oriented perpendicular to the support element wall, the axes further being laterally offset with respect to the window;
• engagement between the hook member and the ring engageable portion causing the ring to pivot about the axes while undergoing elastic deformation thereby displacing the ring sliding section in a direction parallel to the wall while contact is maintained between the wall and the sliding section until the hook member fully latches the engageable portion of the sliding ring section.