Title of Invention

LATCH ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLE SEAT

Abstract A latch assembly for a vehicle seat is provided. The latch assembly for the vehicle seat which includes a base plate, a latch which is rotatably coupled to the base plate to rotate between a locking position and an open position, and a pawl and a pawl plate which are coaxial with the base plate and coupled to be overlapped each other to interact with each other to rotate, includes: the latch including a locking surface; the pawl plate including a pressing surface which presses the locking surface when the latch is positioned at the locking position, and a first supporting surface which supports the locking surface when the latch rotates by means of an impact; and the pawl including a second supporting surface which supports the locking surface together with the pawl plate when the latch rotates by means of the impact. Thus, the present invention provides a latch assembly for a vehicle seat having an improved configuration which enables a convenient handling and is capable of smoothly operating although there is a coupling condition error, and stably maintaining a coupling state in spite of an external impact against a chassis.
Full Text [DESCRIPTION]
[Invention Title]
LATCH ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLE SEAT
[Technical Field]
The present invention relates to a latch assembly for a vehicle
seat, and more particularly, to a latch assembly mounted to a vehicle
seat to assemble and disassemble the vehicle seat to a chassis.
[Background Art]
A latch assembly for a vehicle seat is an apparatus for assembling
and disassembling a vehicle seat to a chassis.
It is necessary that the latch assembly for the vehicle seat
has convenience of an operation, and a smooth working under various
coupling conditions. Especially, although an impact is applied to
a chassis when the seat is coupled to the chassis, it is necessary
that a coupling state thereof is certainly maintained.
To satisfy the above requirement, a lot of technologies have
been developed, and a latch assembly for a vehicle seat having a base
plate, a latch rotatably coupled to the base plate and a pawl
interacting with the latch has been disclosed and released.
However, there is still a demand for an improved latch assembly
for a vehicle seat.

[Disclosure]
[Technical Problem]
It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a latch
assembly for a vehicle seat having an improved configuration which
enables a convenient handling and is capable of smoothly operating
although there is a coupling condition error, and stably maintaining
a coupling state in spite of an external impact against a chassis.
[Technical Solution]
The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can
be achieved by providing a latch assembly for a vehicle seat which
comprises a base plate, a latch which is rotatably coupled to the
base plate to rotate between a locking position and an open position,
and a pawl and a pawl plate which are coaxial with the base plate
and coupled to be overlapped each other to interact with each other
to rotate, the latch assembly for the vehicle seat comprising: the
latch comprising a locking surface; the pawl plate comprising a
pressing surface which presses the locking surface when the latch
is positioned at the locking position, and a first supporting surface
which supports the locking surface when the latch rotates by means
of an impact; and the pawl comprising a second supporting surface
which supports the locking surface together with the pawl plate when

the latch rotates by means of the impact.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the pressing
surface forms a part of a circular arc which comprises a rotation
center which is distanced from a rotation shaft of the pawl plate
to contact to the locking surface to form a predetermined pressing
angle when the latch is positioned at the locking position, and the
first supporting surface extends from a first side of the pressing
surface, and forms a part of a circular arc, the center of which is
the rotation shaft of the pawl plate.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the pawl plate
further comprises an engagement end unit which protrudes from a second
side of the pressing surface in a radius direction to prevent the
pawl plate from additionally rotating when the latch is positioned
at the locking position.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the latch
comprises a lower latch which interacts with the pawl, and an upper
latch which is integrally overlapped over the lower latch to interact
with the pawl plate, the locking surface comprises a lower locking
surface which is formed to the lower latch, and an upper locking
surface which is formed to the upper latch, and the first supporting
surface supports the upper locking surface, and the second supporting
surface supports the lower locking surface when the latch rotates

by means of the impact.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the lower
locking surface and the upper locking surface are formed to correspond
to each other.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the upper latch
is formed with an accommodating space unit which accommodates an end
part of the second supporting surface of the pawl plate when the latch
is positioned at the locking position.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the latch
comprises a blocking surface, and the first supporting surface and
the second supporting surface support the blocking surface when the
latch is positioned at the open position.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the latch
comprises a lower latch which interacts with the pawl, and an upper
latch which is integrally overlapped over the lower latch to interact
with the pawl plate, the blocking surface comprises a lower blocking
surface which is formed to the lower latch, and an upper blocking
surface which is formed to the upper latch, and the first supporting
surface supports the upper blocking surface, and the second supporting
surface supports the lower blocking surface when the latch is
positioned at the open position.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the latch is

formed with a pressing end unit which presses an end part of the firs
supporting surface to rotate the pawl pate by a predetermined angle
while rotating from the open position to the locking position.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the pawl plate
is restricted by means of the pawl to have a restricted rotation range.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the pawl
comprises a guide protrusion which is distanced from a rotation shaft
thereof to protrude, and the pawl plate comprises a slide groove which
accommodates the guide protrusion, and guides the guide protrusion
to rotate in a circumferential direction by a predetermined interval.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the pawl and
the pawl plate are elastically pressed to respectively and
independently rotate toward the latch.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the base plate
comprises a depressed groove unit which has a wide width, and
accommodates a locking pin which is coupled to a chassis, the latch
comprises a latch groove unit which accommodates the locking pin
together with the depressed groove unit, and the locking position
of the latch varies depending on the thickness of the locking pin
or a position in which the locking pin is accommodated inside the
depressed groove unit.

[Advantageous Effects]
According to the latch assembly for the vehicle seat according
to the present invention, the latch assembly can be smoothly locked
and released to and from the locking pin provided to the chassis
through the interaction between the latch, the pawl and the pawl plate,
and especially, the pawl and pawl plate support the latch together
to certainly maintain the locking state of the latch assembly when
an impact is applied to the latch at the locking position.
Also, according to the latch assembly for the vehicle seat
according to the present invention, the pressing surface of the pawl
plate forms a circular arc having a rotation center distanced from
the rotation shaft of the pawl plate to form a pressing angle in
contacting to the locking surface, thereby appropriately coping with
a small impulse transmitted from the latch without rotation of the
pawl plate.
Also, according to the latch assembly for the vehicle seat
according to the present invention, the latch is divided into the
lower latch and the upper latch, thereby being freely designed with
respect to the shape of corresponding surfaces respectively
interacting with the pawl and the pawl plate without being restricted
to each other.
Also, the pawl plate has a relatively restricted rotation range

with respect to the pawl so that the latch can be guided to be always
simultaneously supported by means of the pawl and the pawl plate when
the latch receives an impact at the locking position, or is positioned
at the open position, thereby improving an operation stability of
the latch assembly.
Also, the base plate forms the depressed groove unit having such
a sufficient width as to accommodate the locking pin of a side of
the chassis so that the locking position of the latch can be variously
determined depending on the position at which the latch groove unit
contacts to and supports the locking pin although there is an error
in the thickness of the locking pin or the position in which the locking
pin is accommodated to the depressed groove unit, thereby preventing
movement and noises by means of the locking pin when the chassis is
vibrated.
[Description of Drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an inner state of a latch
assembly for a vehicle seat according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a locking state of the latch
assembly for the vehicle seat in FIG. 1;
FIGs. 3 to 8 are front views respectively illustrating a locking

withdrawing process of the latch assembly for the vehicle assembly
in the locking state in FIG. 2 in sequence;
FIG. 9 is a front view illustrating a locking process of the
locking withdrawn latch assembly for the vehicle seat in FIG. 8;
FIGs. 10 and 11 are front views respectively illustrating locking
states of the latch assembly for the vehicle seat in FIG. 1 under
changed locking conditions; and
FIG. 12 is a front view illustrating a state in which an impact
is applied to the latch assembly for the vehicle seat in the locking
state in FIG. 2.
[Best Mode]
As shown in FIG. 1, a latch assembly for a vehicle seat 1 according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a base
plate 10, a pawl 20, a pawl plate 30 and a latch 50.
The pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 are rotatably coupled to the
base plate 20 by means of a shaft 40. Especially, the pawl 20 and
the pawl plate 30 are overlapped each other so that the pawl 20 can
be positioned to a lower part thereof and the pawl plate 30 can be
positioned to an upper part thereof, and coaxially rotate about the
shaft 40.
Also, the pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 are respectively formed

with a guide protrusion 21 and a slide groove 31.
The guide protrusion 21 is distanced from the shaft in a radius
direction by a predetermined distance to protrude, and the slide
groove 31 is formed through the pawl plate 30 to correspond to the
guide protrusion 21. The guide protrusion 21 is inserted to the slide
groove 31 to rotate in a circumferential direction along the slide
groove 31.
Accordingly, the pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 are capable of
rotating within a relatively restricted range by means of a coupling
of the guide protrusion 21 and the slide groove 31.
The latch 50 is rotatably coupled to a shaft 60 coupled to a
position distanced rightward from the shaft 40 of the pawl 20 and
the pawl plate 30 on the base plate 10.
Especially, the latch 50 includes a lower latch 51 and an upper
latch 56 overlapped up and down each other, and integrally coupled
by means of pins 50a, 50b and 50c.
When the latch 50 rotates, the lower latch 51 interacts with
the pawl 20, and the upper latch 56 interacts with the pawl plate
30.
The pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 are provided to be elastically
and independently pressed toward the latch 50. The pawl 20 is pressed
in an attracting direction toward the latch 50 by means of a tension

spring 70, and the pawl plate 30 is supported to the base plate 10
and is pressed to rotate in a clockwise direction by means of a torsion
spring 80.
The pawl plate 30 includes a pressing surface 32 formed to an
external circumference thereof contacting to a locking surface 57
of the latch 50 to support the locking surface 57 in locking.
FIG. 2 illustrates the latch assembly for the vehicle seat 1
in a locking state. The locking state represents a state in which
a locking pin 2 provided to a chassis of a vehicle is accommodated
to a depressed groove part 10a of the base plate 10 and a latch groove
part 56a of the latch 50 to be restricted. More in detail, in that
state, an upper end of the locking pin 2 is supported to the depressed
groove part 10a, and a lower end thereof is supported to the latch
groove part 56a.
Like this, when the locking pin 2 is accommodated to the depressed
groove part 10a to be locked by means of the latch groove part 56a,
the pressing surface 32 of the pawl plate 30 supports the latch 50,
more in detail, an upper locking surface 57 of the upper latch 56.
Here, locking surfaces 52 and 57 of the latch 50 include a lower
locking surface 52 of a side of the lower latch 51, and the upper
locking surface 57 of a side of the upper latch 56.
The locking surfaces 52 and 57 are formed to correspond to each

other, and the lower locking surface 52 interacts with a second
supporting surface 22 of the pawl 20 if an impact is applied to the
latch 50.
The pressing surface 32 of the pawl plate 30 forms a circular
arc, and is formed so that a center 0 thereof is positioned at a
position distanced upward from a center 0 of the shaft 40.
Accordingly, a perpendicular line at a contact point between
the pressing surface 32 and the upper locking surface 57 passes through
the center 0 of the pressing surface 32, and a supporting force F
of the pressing surface 32 supporting the locking surface 57 exists
on this perpendicular line.
That is, a direction of the supporting force F has a predetermined
pressing angle  against the center 0 of the shaft 40. By means of
the pressing angle a although a predetermined impact is transmitted
from the locking surface 57, the pressing surface 32 can be prevented
from immediately rotating in a counterclockwise direction, and absorb
the impact to some degree through the shaft 40.
Here, as the pressing angle  increases, the magnitude of the
supporting force F of the pressing surface 32 decreases. On the other
hand, as the pressing angle a decreases, the magnitude of the
supporting force F increases.
The value of the pressing angle a may be appropriately determined

as to prevent a plastic deformation of the pawl plate 30. If a
relatively big impact is applied from the locking surface 57, the
pawl plate 30 rotates in the counterclockwise direction to some extent
so that a first supporting surface 33 of the pawl plate 30 and the
second supporting surface 22 of the pawl 20 can support the locking
surfaces 52 and 57 together (referring to FIG. 12).
As shown in FIG. 2, in the locking state in which the pressing
surface 32 contacts to and supports the upper locking surface 57,
an end part of the second supporting surface 22 of the pawl 20 contacts
and is supported to a round surface 53 of the lower latch 51, and
an end part of the first supporting surface 33 of the pawl plate 30
is partially accommodated to an accommodating space unit 56b which
is recessed from the upper latch 56 to correspond thereto.
That is, the lower latch 51 and the upper latch 56 may be formed
to have various shapes of interactive surfaces thereof as necessary
so that an interactive operation between the pawl 20 and the pawl
plate 30 can be certainly maintained, and a degree of freedom in
respective shape designs can be sufficiently obtained guaranteed.
A rotation center of the round surface 53 having the circular
arc shape corresponds to the center of the shaft 60 to minimize a
contact friction against the end part of the second supporting surface
22, thereby enabling the latch 50 to smoothly rotate.

FIGs. 3 to 8 illustrate a locking withdrawing process of the
latch assembly for vehicle seat 1 from the locking state in FIG. 2
in sequence.
In general, if a lever (not shown) coupled to the pawl 20 is
rotated, as shown in FIG. 3, the pawl 20 rotates in the
counterclockwise direction together so that the guide protrusion 21
can contact to an end part of the slide groove 31 of the pawl plate
30, and then, the pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 rotate in the
counterclockwise direction together.
The rotation in the counterclockwise direction of the pawl 20
is transmitted to the latch 50 through the tension spring 70 so that
the upper locking surface 57 of the latch 50 can maintain a contact
state against the pressing surface 32 of the pawl plate 30.
As shown in FIGs. 4 and 5, if the pawl 20 and the pawl plate
30 additionally rotate in the counterclockwise direction, the first
supporting surface 33 extending to be adjacent to the pressing surface
32 can contact to the upper locking surface 57 and a pressing end
part 58 adjacent thereto in sequence.
If the first supporting surface 33 passes through the pressing
end part 58 of the latch 50, the pawl 20, the pawl plate 30 and the
latch 50 automatically interact one after another by means of the
springs 70 and 80 although an external force through the lever is

removed. That is, a contraction force is generated in the tension
spring by means of an extension, and a restitution force in the
counterclockwise direction is generated in the torsion spring 40 by
means of a rotation compression.
If the external force of the lever is removed in FIG. 5, at first,
the pawl 20 rotates in the clockwise direction to some extent by means
of an attraction force of the tension spring 70 so that the end part
of the second supporting surface 22 can contact and be supported to
the round surface 54 of the lower latch 51 as shown in FIG. 6. Meanwhile,
the end part of the first supporting surface 33 of the pawl plate
30 passes through the pressing end part 58 of the upper plate 56.
The round surface 54 forms a part of a circular arc centering
the shaft 60 to minimize instability of a rotation operation of the
latch 50 due to a contact friction.
Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the end part of the first supporting
surface 33 of the pawl plate 30 passes by the pressing end part 58
to slide with contacting against the round surface 59. At the same
time, the end part of the second supporting surface 22 of the pawl
20 slides with contacting against the round surface 54 of a side of
the lower latch 51.
Then, as shown in FIGs. 6 and 7, the latch 50 rotates in the
counterclockwise direction by means of the attraction force of the

tension spring 70.
Also, the pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 are prevented from
additionally rotating in the clockwise direction by means of the end
part of the second supporting surface 22 and the end part of the first
supporting surface 33 contacting and sliding on the two round surfaces
54 and 59 of the latch 50, and the rotation angle thereof is maintained
like that.
Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the latch 50 additionally rotates in
the counterclockwise direction so that a lower blocking surface 55
of the lower latch 51 can contact and be supported to the second
supporting surface 22 of the pawl 20 to complete the rotating.
At the same time, an upper blocking surface 59-1 of the upper
latch 56 contacts and is supported to the first supporting surface
33 of the pawl plate 30.
Accordingly, the locking pin 2 is capable of being separated
from the depressed groove part 10a and the latch groove part 56a.
In practice, since the base plate 10 is coupled to a lower end
part of the seat, and the locking pin 2 is coupled to a bottom of
the chassis, FIGs. 3 to 8 after operating the above lever of the seat
and operating the pawl 20 represent that the position of the locking
pin 2 is stationary, and the seat, that is, the latch assembly 1 is
lifted upward on the contrary.

In FIG. 8, the lower blocking surface 55 and the upper blocking
surface 59-1 are respectively contacted and supported to the second
supporting surface 22 of the pawl 20 and the first supporting surface
33 of the pawl plate 30 so that the latch 50 can constantly maintain
an open state having a predetermined rotation angle.
Hereinafter, a process of the latch assembly for the vehicle
seat 1 from the locking withdrawn state in FIG. 8 to the locking state
will be described.
At first, in the open state in FIG. 8, the seat is put down so
that the locking pin 2 of the bottom can be inserted to the depressed
groove part 10a of the base plate 10. That is, in the figure, if the
locking pin 2 is inserted to the depressed groove part 10a, the latch
groove part 56a is pressed by means of the locking pin 2 so that the
latch 50 can rotate in the clockwise direction.
Then, the pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 are respectively separated
from the lower blocking surface 55 and the upper blocking surface
59-1 to move along the two round surfaces 54 and 59 with the respective
rotation positions thereof being stationary so that the end part of
the first supporting surface 33 of the pawl plate 30 can contact to
the pressing end part 58 of the upper latch 56 as shown in FIG. 9.
Then, while the end part of the first supporting surface 33 passes
by the pressing end part 58, the pawl plate 30 rotates in the

counterclockwise direction to some extent, and to the contrary, the
pawl 20 maintains a stationary rotation position since the pawl 20
still contacts to the round surface 54 of the lower latch 51.
After the end part of the first supporting surface 33 passes
by the pressing end part 58, the pawl plate 30 rapidly rotates in
the clockwise direction by means of the restitution force of the
torsion spring 80.
At the same time, when the end part of the second supporting
surface 22 passes by the round surface 54, the pawl 20 rapidly rotates
in the clockwise direction by means of the contraction force of the
tension spring 70.
When the rotation of the pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 is completed,
the pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 have the same state as shown in
FIG. 2.
That is, the pressing surface 32 of the pawl plate 30 contacts
to and presses the upper locking surface 57 of the upper latch 56,
and the end part of the second supporting surface 22 contacts to the
round surface 53 of the lower latch 51 so that the pawl 20 can contact
and be supported thereto.
As described above, when the latch assembly 1 is converted from
the open state into the locking state, the pressing end part 58 of
the upper latch 56 presses the end part of the first supporting surface

33 so that the pawl plate 30 can further rotate in the counterclockwise
direction to supply an increased restitution force to the torsion
spring 80, thereby enabling the pressing surface 32 to further
certainly contact to and support the locking surface 57 in the locking
state.
As shown in FIG. 2, in the locking state of the latch assembly
1, the locking position of the latch 50 is that the latch groove part
56a contacts to the locking pin 2 as described above. This locking
position may vary depending on the thickness of the locking pin 2
or a right and left position of the locking pin 2 inside the depressed
groove part 10a.
That is, the locking position of the latch 50 may have some
variation in the rotation angle thereof.
Also, this variation may be caused due to an allowable
manufacturing error range of a product, etc.
The latch assembly 1 for the vehicle seat according to the
exemplary embodiment of the present invention is capable of smoothly
accommodating and coupling the locking pin 2 although the pocking
position of the latch 50 is changed to some extent.
FIGs. 10 and 11 illustrate locking states in which the locking
pin 2 is accommodated to the depressed groove part 10a to be biased
left (referring to FIG. 10) and right (referring to FIG. 11).

At first, the depressed groove unit 10a has such a sufficient
width as to accommodate the locking pin 2 with a consideration that
the accommodated position of the locking pin 2 may vary right and
left to some extent.
As shown in FIGs. 10 and 11, if the locking pin 2 is biased left
or right, the locking position of the latch 50 may be a position further
rotated in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction
to some extent than a reference position in FIG. 2.
However, in this case, the pressing surface 32 of the pawl plate
30 maintains contacting to and supporting the locking surface 57 of
the upper latch 56.
Merely, the contact point between the pressing surface 32 and
the locking surface 57 is changed along the locking surface 57 and
the pressing surface 32 in comparison with the case in FIG. 2.
Accordingly, the rotation position of the pawl plate 30 is also
changed as shown in FIGs. 10 and 11.
Alternatively, the locking position of the latch 50 may be
changed according that the thickness of the locking pin 2 varies within
an allowable error range, and this may correspond to the case that
the position of the locking pin 2 varies right and left (referring
to FIGs. 10 and 11).
As shown in FIG. 11, the pawl plate 30 further includes an

engagement end part 34 protruding from a side of the pressing surface
32 in a radius direction.
The engagement end part 34 prevents the pawl plate 30 from
additionally rotating when the pawl plate 30 rotates to the locking
position so that the locking surface 57 can be contacted and supported
by means of the pressing surface 32 in spite of size error, position
error, etc. of the locking pin 2.
That is, if the pawl plate 30 additionally rotates with the
pressing surface 32 contacting to the locking surface 57, the
engagement end part 34 is engaged to the pressing end part 58 of the
upper latch 56, thereby preventing the pawl plate 30 from additionally
rotating.
When the latch assembly 1 for the vehicle seat is in the locking
state in FIG. 2, if an impact is applied to the chassis, this impact
is transmitted to the rotation of the latch 50 through the locking
pin 2 and the latch groove part 56a, the locking surfaces 52 and 57
and the pressing surface 32 of the pawl plate 30.
This impact may be caused due to an impact applied to a wheel
by means of an unpaved road, etc. while the vehicle travels.
In case of a small impact, the pressing surface 32 of the pawl
plate 30 has a predetermined pressing angle a against the upper locking
surface 57 to absorb an applied supporting force F. However, if a

big impact exceeding the supporting force F is generated, the pawl
plate 30 rotates in the counterclockwise direction to some extent
by means of the impact transmission of the upper locking surface 57
so that the first supporting surface 33 of a right side of the pressing
surface 32 can contact to and support the upper locking surface 57
as shown in FIG. 12.
Also, at the same time, the second supporting surface 22 of the
pawl 20 contacts to and supports the lower locking surface 52.
That is, the latch 50 rotates in the counterclockwise direction
together with the pawl plate 30 to some extent, and concurrently,
the rotating latch 50 is simultaneously supported by means of the
pawl 20 and the pawl plate 30 so that the impact generated to the
vehicle can be absorbed.
Accordingly, the impact to the vehicle is capable of being
prevented from being intactly transmitted to a person on the seat,
and being partially absorbed to the latch assembly 1 to be reduced
and transmitted, and the latch 50 is capable of preventing the locking
state of the seat by means of the locking pin 2 from being released
since the latch 50 is doubly supported by means of the pawl 2 and
the pawl plate 30.

[CLAIMS]
[Claim 1]
A latch assembly for a vehicle seat which comprises a base plate,
a latch which is rotatably coupled to the base plate to rotate between
a locking position and an open position, and a pawl and a pawl plate
which are coaxial with the base plate and coupled to be overlapped
each other to interact with each other to rotate, the latch assembly
for the vehicle seat comprising:
the latch comprising a locking surface;
the pawl plate comprising a pressing surface which presses the
locking surface when the latch is positioned at the locking position,
and a first supporting surface which supports the locking surface
when the latch rotates by means of an impact; and
the pawl comprising a second supporting surface which supports
the locking surface together with the pawl plate when the latch rotates
by means of the impact.
[Claim 2]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 1,
wherein the pressing surface forms a part of a circular arc which
comprises a rotation center which is distanced from a rotation shaft
of the pawl plate to contact to the locking surface to form a
predetermined pressing angle when the latch is positioned at the

locking position, and
the first supporting surface extends from a first side of the
pressing surface, and forms a part of a circular arc, the center of
which is the rotation shaft of the pawl plate.
[Claim 3]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 2,
wherein the pawl plate further comprises an engagement end part which
protrudes from a second side of the pressing surface in a radius
direction to prevent the pawl plate from additionally rotating when
the latch is positioned at the locking position.
[Claim 4]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 1,
wherein the latch comprises a lower latch which interacts with the
pawl, and an upper latch which is integrally overlapped over the lower
latch to interact with the pawl plate,
the locking surface comprises a lower locking surface which is
formed to the lower latch, and an upper locking surface which is formed
to the upper latch, and
the first supporting surface supports the upper locking surface,
and the second supporting surface supports the lower locking surface
when the latch rotates by means of the impact.
[Claim 5]

The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 4,
wherein the lower locking surface and the upper locking surface are
formed to correspond to each other.
[Claim 6]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claims 4
or 5, wherein the upper latch is formed with an accommodating space
part which accommodates an end part of the second supporting surface
of the pawl plate when the latch is positioned at the locking position.
[Claim 7]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 1,
wherein the latch comprises a blocking surface, and
the first supporting surface and the second supporting surface
support the blocking surface when the latch is positioned at the open
position.
[Claim 8]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 7,
wherein the latch comprises a lower latch which interacts with the
pawl, and an upper latch which is integrally overlapped over the lower
latch to interact with the pawl plate,
the blocking surface comprises a lower blocking surface which
is formed to the lower latch, and an upper blocking surface which
is formed to the upper latch, and

the first supporting surface supports the upper blocking surface,
and the second supporting surface supports the lower blocking surface
when the latch is positioned at the open position.
[Claim 9]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 8,
wherein the latch is formed with a pressing end part which presses
an end part of the firs supporting surface to rotate the pawl pate
by a predetermined angle while rotating from the open position to
the locking position.
[Claim 10]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 1,
wherein the pawl plate is restricted by means of the pawl to have
a restricted rotation range.
[Claim 11]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 10,
wherein the pawl comprises a guide protrusion which is distanced from
a rotation shaft thereof to protrude, and
the pawl plate comprises a slide groove which accommodates the
guide protrusion, and guides the guide protrusion to rotate in a
circumferential direction by a predetermined interval.
[Claim 12]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to one of claims

1, 10 and 11, wherein the pawl and the pawl plate are elastically
pressed to respectively and independently rotate toward the latch.
[Claim 13]
The latch assembly for the vehicle seat according to claim 1,
wherein the base plate comprises a depressed groove part which has
a wide width, and accommodates a locking pin which is coupled to a
chassis,
the latch comprises a latch groove part which accommodates the
locking pin together with the depressed groove part, and
the locking position of the latch varies depending on the
thickness of the locking pin or a position in which the locking pin
is accommodated inside the depressed groove part.

A latch assembly for a vehicle seat is provided. The latch
assembly for the vehicle seat which includes a base plate, a latch
which is rotatably coupled to the base plate to rotate between a
locking position and an open position, and a pawl and a pawl plate
which are coaxial with the base plate and coupled to be overlapped
each other to interact with each other to rotate, includes: the latch
including a locking surface; the pawl plate including a pressing
surface which presses the locking surface when the latch is positioned
at the locking position, and a first supporting surface which supports
the locking surface when the latch rotates by means of an impact;
and the pawl including a second supporting surface which supports
the locking surface together with the pawl plate when the latch rotates
by means of the impact. Thus, the present invention provides a latch
assembly for a vehicle seat having an improved configuration which
enables a convenient handling and is capable of smoothly operating
although there is a coupling condition error, and stably maintaining
a coupling state in spite of an external impact against a chassis.

Documents:

http://ipindiaonline.gov.in/patentsearch/GrantedSearch/viewdoc.aspx?id=3sv059wVbS5R5AOFk34X+A==&loc=wDBSZCsAt7zoiVrqcFJsRw==


Patent Number 271101
Indian Patent Application Number 2212/KOLNP/2008
PG Journal Number 06/2016
Publication Date 05-Feb-2016
Grant Date 02-Feb-2016
Date of Filing 02-Jun-2008
Name of Patentee AUSTEM CO., LTD.
Applicant Address 462-1, JANGSAN-RI, SUSIN-MYEON CHEONAN-SI, CHUNGCHEONGNAM-DO
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 PAING, HYUN SUNG 173-299, KAJWA-DONG, SEO-GU, INCHEON-SI 404-250
2 PARK, JUN KYU 173-299, KAJWA-DONG, SEO-GU, INCHEON-SI 404-250
PCT International Classification Number B60N 1/02
PCT International Application Number PCT/KR08/002265
PCT International Filing date 2008-04-22
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 102008-0034477 2008-04-15 Republic of Korea
2 102007-0121538 2007-11-27 Republic of Korea