Ships – Motorized self-propelled waterski or waterscooter-type vehicle – Having rider straddling seat
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-17
2001-05-08
Basinger, Sherman (Department: 3617)
Ships
Motorized self-propelled waterski or waterscooter-type vehicle
Having rider straddling seat
C114S363000, C248S503100, C296S065030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227130
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a seat lock device for vehicles, and preferably to a seat lock device applied to a straddle type seat, for example, of a personal water craft or a land vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In a vehicle equipped with a straddle type seat such as a personal water craft or a land vehicle, the seat is mounted on a seat mounting bed such that the seat can be removed or opened and closed. This type of a seat includes a seat bottom plate, a seat skin and a seat cushion mounted on the seat bottom plate. Generally, the seat is movably mounted on the seat mounting bed by a seat lock device that is disposed between the rear portion of the seat bottom plate and the seat mounting bed. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2-162189 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,450), for example, discloses such a seat lock device.
The seat lock device disclosed in this Japanese publication includes, as shown in
FIG. 7
, an engaging member
102
made of a U-shaped bar member mounted under a seat
101
in a suspended manner and a hook
104
mounted on a seat mounting bed
103
and that couples to the engaging member
102
. The hook
104
is integrally mounted on the distal end of an operating lever
105
. The hook
104
and the operating lever
105
are held by a guide member
106
mounted on the seat mounting bed
103
such that they are movable alternately in a frontward and a rearward direction. Guide pins
107
which are protruded from the sides of the hook
104
move in guide holes
108
formed in the guide member
106
so as to guide the hook
104
only in the frontward and rearward directions. With a biasing force exerted by a return spring
109
, the hook
104
is advanced or moved in the frontward direction and locking is performed by engaging the distal end of the hook
104
with the engaging member
102
. To release the seat
101
from the locked state, the operating lever
105
is pulled manually in the rearward direction against the biasing force of the return spring
109
, such that the distal end of the hook
104
is retracted. Hence, the hook
104
is released from the engaging member
102
and the seat
101
can be lifted.
With respect to the seat lock device having the construction described above, however, when an individual carries out the unlocking operation and the seat removing operation, the individual must perform two operations directed in two different directions. That is, at first, the operating lever
105
is pulled in the rearward direction against the biasing force of the return spring
109
using one hand. Then, the individual must lift the seat in an upward direction using another hand. In other words, both hands are necessary to perform the operations in two different directions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of embodiments of this invention to provide a seat lock device with which one can readily unlock and remove a seat using only one hand.
According to one aspect of the invention, a seat lock device is provided with which one can lift a seat by placing one hand on a portion (e.g., a rear portion) of a seat and then rotatably operating a lever member with one's fingertips so as to release a lock and then lifting the seat with that same hand while holding the lever member in the unlocked condition.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a seat lock device for mounting a seat to a seat mounting bed of a vehicle. The seat lock device includes an engaging member connected to one of a seat and a seat mounting bed. The seat lock device also includes a locking mechanism connected to an other one of the seat and the seat mounting bed. The locking mechanism is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and the locking mechanism engages the engaging member when in the locked position to lock the seat to the seat mounting bed, while the locking mechanism disengages from the engaging member when in the unlocked position to unlock the seat from the seat mounting bed. The locking mechanism includes a lever member pivotally mounted to the other one of the seat and the seat mounting bed. Rotation of the lever member moves the locking mechanism between the locked position and the unlocked position.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a seat lock device for mounting a seat to a seat mounting bed of a vehicle. The seat lock device includes an engaging member connected to one of a seat and a seat mounting bed. The seat lock device also includes a locking member movably connected to an other one of the seat and the seat mounting bed so as to be movable relative to the other one of the seat and the seat mounting bed, such that a locking portion of the locking member is alternately movable into and out of engagement with the engaging member to alternately lock and unlock the engaging member and the locking member. The seat lock device also includes a lever member pivotally mounted to the other one of the seat and the seat mounting bed, and engaged with the locking member. Upon rotating the lever member, the locking member moves relative to the other one of the seat and the seat mounting bed to selectively lock and unlock the engaging member and the locking member.
The seat lock device can also include a support block connected to the other one of the seat and the seat mounting bed, the support block including a receiving groove that removably receives a locking portion of the engaging member. The locking member is reciprocally slidable within the support block so that the locking portion of the locking member alternately moves into and out of the receiving groove to alternately lock and unlock with the locking portion of the engaging member.
The locking portion of the engaging member can include an opening, with the locking portion of the locking member being movable into and out of the opening.
The lever member can be L-shaped and include a leg portion and a foot portion. The foot portion is movably connected to the locking member, and a finger engageable operating portion is formed at an end of the lever member leg portion.
The seat can be a straddle seat that is straddled by a user. The vehicle can be a water craft.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a seat lock device of a vehicle for attaching a bottom plate of a seat to a seat mounting bed. The seat lock device includes an engaging rod, a support block, a locking rod and a lever member.
The engaging rod has, e.g., a U-shaped configuration including a bridge portion and a pair of leg portions. The engaging rod is mounted on either the bottom plate of the seat or on the seat mounting bed, and preferably is mounted in a transverse direction of the seat.
The support block is provided with a receiving groove (e.g., at a front portion thereof) for receiving the bridge portion of the engaging rod. The support block is mounted on either the bottom plate of the seat or the seat mounting bed opposite from the engaging rod.
The locking rod has, e.g., a U-shaped configuration including a bridge portion and a pair of leg portions. The locking rod is disposed in the support block, and preferably is biased by a spring such that it is movable in a longitudinal direction in a horizontal plane. Both ends of the leg portions of the locking rod are movable into and out of the receiving groove for engaging with the bridge portion of the engaging rod.
The lever member is pivotally mounted relative to the support block. For example, the lever member can be pivotally mounted to a pair of brackets that are mounted on the left and right sides of a rear portion of the support block. The lever member is engaged with the bridge portion of the locking rod. Upon rotating the lever member, the locking rod is retracted against the biasing force of the spring so as to release the seat from the locked state to enable lifting of the bottom plate of the seat.
It is preferable that the engaging rod and the locking rod be formed by bending a rod in a U-shape, respectively. The en
Ikeyama Masafumi
Kanazawa Tomohiro
Tsumiyama Yoshinori
Basinger Sherman
Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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