Seat slide mechanism

Claim 2

A seat slide mechanism including a slide and a rail, a rack on said rail, a catch lever pivotally mounted on said slide, spring means influencing said catch lever into engagement with said rack to lock the slide and the rail to one another, an operating member pivotally mounted on said slide and having two ends, one of said ends being connected to said catch lever, whereby angular movement of the other of said ends of said operating member about the horizonatal pivotal axis of said operaing member causes the catch lever to move angularly about its vertical pivotal axis against the influence of said spring means out of engagement with said rack.

Claim 3

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection between said one end of the operating member and said catch lever is constituted by cam means at said one end of the operating member and by a cam follower on said catch lever.

Claim 4

A mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cam means is constituted by an arcuate slot formed in said one end of the operating member and said cam follower is constituted by an arm which is connected at one end thereof to the catch lever and which extends into said arcuate slot.

Claim 5

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring means is constituted by a coil spring, a pin secured to the slide, said coil spring having two free ends of which one free end is in contact with said pin and of which the other free end is in contact with said operating member, the coiled portion of said coil spring encircling the horizontal pivotal axis of the operating member.

Claim 6

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said catch lever comprises at least two prongs and wherein said rack is constituted by spaced holes in said rail, said prongs on said prongs on said catch lever being urged by said spring means to extend through a corresponding number of said holes to lock said slide to said rail.

Claim 7

A mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein said slide also has at least two holes therein, said holes in said holes in said slide being so positioned that said at least two prongs on the catch lever are urged to extend into or through the holes in the slide under the influence of said spring means, whereby in use of said mechanism said prongs extend not only through the spaced holes in said rail but also into the holes in said slide to lock the rail and the slide to one another.

Claim 8

A mechanism as claImed in claim 6, which further includes an anchorage secured to the slide for one end of one part of a safety belt which is fastenable around the body of the occupant of the seat to which the mechanism is intended to be connected, a strengthening rib on the catch lever, said strengthening rib having an upper edge facing the underside of said slide and being spaced apart from but in close proximity to said underside, whereby when the catch lever is under load due to violent deceleration, said upper edge makes contact with the slide to prevent said prongs from lifting out of said holes.

Claim 9

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said other end of the operating member comprises a portion of reduced dimensions connected to an enlarged terminal portion in the manner of a neck and head, a handle having an end portion, a key-hole slot and a hole which are formed in said end portion of said handle, the key-hole slot having an enlarged slot portion capable of permitting the passage therethrough of the enlarged terminal portion of said other end of the operating member and also having a narrow slot portion which communicates with the enlarged slot portion and which is wide enough to permit the handle to be moved relative to the operating member with said portion of reduced dimensions in said narrow slot portion, such movement of said handle being for the purpose of causing engagement of said hole in the end portion of the handle by the element which provides the pivotal axis of the operating member.