Hinge unit for a seat, particularly a power vehicle seat

Claim 1

A hinge unit for a seat, particularly a seat of a power vehicle, comprising a fixed hinge element to be associated with a seat part of a seat and including an upper region provided with a recess having an end abutment; a pivotable hinge element to be associated with a back part of the seat and pivotally connected with said fixed hinge element; a two-sided catch lever formed as an inertia lever and pivotally connected with said pivotable hinge element, said catch lever having a locking projection engageable with said abutment of said fixed hinge element, and a heavy arm with a weight urging said catch lever so that said projection assumes its free position; and retaining means deactuatable in response to actuation of a control element of the power vehicle and urging said catch lever so that the latter assumes during power vehicle travel its locking position under the action of said retaining means, and in the event of an accident resulting in failure of said retaining means, said catch lever is also held in its locking position because it is formed as an inertia lever, under the action of inertia force, said retaining means including a heatable retaining element arranged to urge said catch lever to its locking position while being heated.