Latch assembly for a vehicle seat

Abstract

A seat assembly for use with a vehicle having a retaining member includes a support member and a latch member moveably coupled to the support member. The latch member is moveable between a latched position, for securing the support member to the retaining member, and an unlatched position for allowing the support member to move with respect to the retaining member. The seat assembly further includes a cam arrangement associated with the support member and including a cam that cooperates with the latch member to secure the latch member in the latched position. The cam arrangement also includes a movement inhibitor that is configured to extend into a sufficiently large gap, if present, between the latch member and the cam when the latch member is in the latched position to thereby inhibit relative motion of the cam and the latch member.

1 . A seat assembly for use with a vehicle having a retaining member, the seat assembly comprising: 
 a support member;    a latch member moveably coupled to the support member, the latch member being moveable between a latched position, for securing the support member to the retaining member, and an unlatched position for allowing the support member to move with respect to the retaining member; and    a cam arrangement associated with the support member and including a cam that cooperates with the latch member to secure the latch member in the latched position, the cam arrangement further including a movement inhibitor that is configured to extend into a sufficiently large gap, if present, between the latch member and the cam when the latch member is in the latched position to thereby inhibit relative motion of the cam and the latch member.    
   
   
       2 . The seat assembly of  claim 1  wherein the movement inhibitor includes an engagement portion that is moveable with respect to the cam, and the engagement portion is configured to extend into the gap, if present, when the latch member is in the latched position.  
   
   
       3 . The seat assembly of  claim 2  wherein the engagement portion is configured to be displaced with respect to the cam depending on size of the gap, if present, when the latch member is in the latched position.  
   
   
       4 . The seat assembly of  claim 2  wherein the engagement portion is configured to be displaced with respect to the cam if the gap is not present when the latch member is in the latched position.  
   
   
       5 . The seat assembly of  claim 2  wherein the latch member is configured to displace the engagement portion if the gap is not present when the latch member is in the latched position.  
   
   
       6 . The seat assembly of  claim 2  wherein the engagement portion is tapered.  
   
   
       7 . The seat assembly of  claim 2  wherein the movement inhibitor includes a main body that is fixed with respect to the cam, and a flexible leg extending from the main body, the flexible leg including the engagement portion.  
   
   
       8 . The seat assembly of  2  wherein the cam arrangement further includes a spring member for urging the engagement portion toward the latch member when the latch member is in the latched position.  
   
   
       9 . The seat assembly of  claim 1  wherein the cam is moveable between first and second cam positions, the cam being in the first cam position when the latch member is in the latched position, and the cam being in the second cam position when the latch member is in the unlatched position, and wherein the movement inhibitor includes an engagement portion that is moveable with respect to the cam, the engagement portion being configured to extend into the gap, if present, when the cam is in the first cam position, and the engagement portion further being configured to move with respect to the cam if the gap is not present when the cam moves from the second cam position toward the first cam position.  
   
   
       10 . The seat assembly of  claim 1  wherein the latch member is pivotally coupled to the support member.  
   
   
       11 . The seat assembly of  claim 1  wherein the cam arrangement is pivotally coupled to the support member.  
   
   
       12 . The seat assembly of  claim 1  wherein the cam and the movement inhibitor are formed as separate pieces that are joined together.  
   
   
       13 . The seat assembly of  claim 1  wherein the cam and the movement inhibitor are formed as a single piece.  
   
   
       14 . A seat assembly for use with a vehicle having a retaining member, the seat assembly comprising: 
 a support member;    a latch member pivotally coupled to the support member, the latch member being moveable between a latched position, for securing the support member to the retaining member, and an unlatched position for allowing the support member to move with respect to the retaining member; and    a cam arrangement pivotally coupled to the support member and being engageable with the latch member to secure the latch member in the latched position, the cam arrangement further being configured to allow the latch member to move toward the unlatched position when the cam arrangement is pivoted with respect to the support member, the cam arrangement including a cam and a movement inhibitor having a flexible leg that is moveable with respect to the cam, the leg including an engagement portion that is configured to extend into a sufficient gap, if present, between the latch member and the cam when the latch member is in the latched position to thereby inhibit relative motion of the cam and the latch member, the engagement portion further being configured to be displaced with respect to the cam if the gap is not present when the latch member is in the latched position.    
   
   
       15 . A latch assembly for use with a seat assembly for securing the seat assembly to a retaining member of a vehicle, the latch assembly comprising: 
 a support member that is configured to be mounted to the seat assembly;    a latch member moveably coupled to the support member, the latch member being moveable between a latched position, for securing the support member to the retaining member, and an unlatched position for allowing the support member to move with respect to the retaining member; and    a cam arrangement associated with the support member and being engageable with the latch member to secure the latch member in the latched position, the cam arrangement including a cam and an movement inhibitor associated with the cam;    wherein at least one time when the latch member is in the latched position, the latch member and the cam are configured to achieve a spaced apart relationship in which a sufficiently large gap for at least partially receiving the movement inhibitor is defined between the latch member and the cam, and wherein the movement inhibitor is configured to extend into the gap to inhibit relative motion of the cam and the latch member.    
   
   
       16 . The latch assembly of  claim 15  wherein at least another time when the latch member is in the latched position, the latch member and the cam are configured to achieve an additional relationship in which the latch member and the cam are spaced closer together than in the spaced apart relationship, and wherein the movement inhibitor is configured to be displaced with respect to the cam.  
   
   
       17 . The latch assembly of  claim 15  wherein the movement inhibitor includes an engagement portion that is moveable with respect to the cam, and the engagement portion is configured to extend into the gap.  
   
   
       18 . The latch assembly of  claim 17  wherein the engagement portion is tapered.  
   
   
       19 . The latch assembly of  claim 17  wherein the movement inhibitor includes a main body that is fixed with respect to the cam, and a flexible leg extending from the main body, the flexible leg including the engagement portion.  
   
   
       20 . The latch assembly of  17  wherein the cam arrangement further includes a spring member for urging the engagement portion toward the latch member when the latch member is in the latched position.