Title of Invention

A SEAT LATCH ASSEMBLY FOR SCOOTER TYPE VEHICLE

Abstract

A seat latch assembly for a scooter type motor vehicle comprising a striker provided for the underside of the pivotably mounted seat of the vehicle; a spring-loaded latch member mounted within a latch unit below the striker; means operable by a cable to move the said latch member, to and fro, in substantially the horizonatal plane; a lock unit with key for operating the said means by the said cable connected thereto, wherein the latch member is mounted with its face and with the surface of its edge substantially in the vertical and horizontal planes, respectively, the operative end of the said edge being tapered downwardly and outwardly to receive the impact of the striker. ABSTRACT A seat latch assembly for a scooter type motor vehicle comprising a striker provided for the underside of the pivotably mounted seat of the vehicle a springloaded latch member mounted within a latch unit below the striker; means operable by a cable to move the said latch member, to and fro in substantially the horizontal plane a lock unit with key for operating the said means by the said cable connected thereto, wherein the latch member is mounted with its face and with the surface of its edge substantially in the vertical and horizontal planes, respectively, the operative end of the said edge being tapered downwardly and outwardly to receive the impact of the striker.

Full Text

This invention relates to a seat latch assembly for a scooter type motor vehicle The expression scooter type motor vehicle" in this specification includes other vehicles also, to which this invention is applicable. Scooter type motor vehicles are generally provided with a seat hinged at one end and a latch assembly at the other end. Whenever the seat is raised by pivotably moving it up, at the hinge, access can be had to the fuel tank cap and to a storage container provided for most vehicles located below the seat. The latch assembly enables the seat to be locked in position whenever the seat is lowered to cover the fuel tank cap and storage container. The latch assembly is operated by the driver of the vehicle by a cable actuated by a key. The key, which is with the driver, ensures that an unauthorised person does not have access to the fuel tank or the storage container. The known latch assembly has a latch member which is movable to and fro by means such as a spring-loaded cam operated by the cable. The latch member is springloaded and engages with a striker provided on the underside of the seat, to lock the seat. When the cable is operated by the key, it pulls the latch member away from the striker, thus releasing the striker and enabling the seat to be raised. Whenever the key is operated to release the cable, the latch member reverts to its normal position, under spring-force, to lock the seat when the striker comes down on the latch member, on the seat being lowered. The face of the known latch member is disposed in the horizontal plane and the surface of the edge of the said member is disposed in the vertical plane. The operative end of the face has a plain surface, so that when the striker comes down on the surface, the latch member is momentarily forced away from the striker to enable a notch in the striker to engage with the end of the latch member to lock the seat. member thereafter reverts to its normal position, under spring-force, once the cable is released. This to and fro movement of the latch member is achieved by means such as the spring-loaded cam to which the cable is connected. Repeated operation of the known latch assembly, that is to say, repeated impact of the striker on the surface finally results in the latch member getting bent and distorted to a degree rendering it incapable of functioning. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a latch assembly which will not be prone to the above mentioned drawback. It is another object of this invention to propose a latch assembly which does not cost significantly more in manufacture than the known latch assembly, yet furnishes a substantial benefit in terms of longer working life. According to this invention, therefore, the seat latch assembly for a scooter type motor vehicle comprises a striker provided for the underside of the pivotably mounted seat of the vehicle; a spring-loaded latch member mounted within a latch unit below the striker; means operable by a cable to move the said latch member, to and fro, in substantially the horizontal plane; a lock unit with key for operating the said means by the said cable connected thereto, wherein the latch member is mounted with its face and surface of its edge substantially in the vertical and horizontal planes, respectively, the operative end of the said edge being tapered downwardly and outwardly to receive the impact of the striker. This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, and not by way of limitation, one of possible embodiments of the latch assembly proposed herein. Fig.l illustrating the known latch member with its face disposed in the horizontal plane and its edge disposed in the vertical plane Fig.2 illustrating the latch member according to this invention Fig.3 illustrating the latch member according to this invention mounted within the latch unit and Fig.4 illustrating the latch member according to this invention engaged with the striker. It will be seen from the drawings that the known latch member LI has its face Fl disposed in the horizontal plane, with the surface of its edge El disposed in the vertical plane. The face Fl has an operative plain surface so that when the striker SI comes down on the said surface, vertically, the latch member LI is thrust away to enable the striker to come further down and engage with the said latch member. The engagement takes place between a notch'on the striker and the surface Fl. The latch member LI is spring-loaded and is made to move to and fro by means of a cable connected to means such as a spring-loaded cam. The cable is actuated from a lock unit provided with a key. When the key is operated/ with the striker SI engaged with the latch member, the cable actuates the cam to move the latch member away from the striker and thus disengage itself from the striker. Once disengaged, the seat can be raised to access the fuel tank cap and the storage container, if any. When the key is operated to cause the cable to deactuate the cam, the latch member reverts to its normal position under spring-force. The foregoing construction of the known latch assembly results in the latch member finally getting bent and distorted by reason of the fact that a bending moment is produced every time the striker hits the surface Fl tending to bend and distort the latch member, the construction being such as not to withstand repeated strikes over a long period of time. On the other hand it will also be "seen from the drawings that the latch member L2 proposed herein (Figs. 2 to 4) has its face F2 disposed in the vertical plane with the surface of its edge E2 disposed in the horizontal plane. The edge E2 has its operative end tapered at T2, downwardly and outwardly, so that when the striker S2 comes down on the said taper, vertically, the latch member L2 is thrust away to enable the striker to come further down and engage with the said latch member. The engagement takes place between a notch N2 on the striker and the tapered end T2. The latch member L2 is spring-loaded and is made to move to and fro by means of a cable M2 connected to means such as a spring-loaded cam. The cable is actuated from a lock unit provided with a key. When the key is operated, with the striker S2 engaged with the latch member, the cable actuates the cam lever 62 to move the latch member away from the striker and thus disengage itself from the striker. Once disengaged, the latch member reverts to its normal position under spring-force. Meanwhile, the seat B can be raised to access the fuel tank cap and the storage container, if any. The foregoing construction of the proposed latch assembly enables the latch member to sufficiently withstand the bending moment produced by each impact of the striker, over long periods of time since such bending moment now takes place with respect to the thick edge E2 and not with respect to the comparatively thin face F2 of the latch member L2. Consequently, the life of the proposed latch member is substantially enhanced and the latch assembly, as a whole, is rendered more durable and long lasting. The terms and expressions in this specification are of description and not of limitation there being no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features illustrated and described, but it is understood that various other embodiments of the latch assembly proposed herein are possible without departing from the scope and ambit of this invention. We Claim: 1. A seat latch assembly for a scooter type motor vehicle comprising a striker provided for the underside of the pivotally mounted seat of the vehicle; a spring- loaded latch member mounted within a latch unit below the striker; means operable by a cable to move the said latch member/ to and fro in substantially the horizontal plane; a lock unit with key for operating the said means by the said cable connected thereto, wherein the latch member is mounted with its face and with the surface of its edge substantially in the vertical and horizontal planes, respectively, the operative end of the said edge being tapered downwardly and outwardly to receive the impact of the striker. 2. A seat latch assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the said means comprise a spring-loaded cam. A seat latch assembly for a scooter type motor vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

0007-che-2003 abstract.pdf

0007-che-2003 claims duplicate.pdf

0007-che-2003 claims.pdf

0007-che-2003 correspondence others.pdf

0007-che-2003 correspondence po.pdf

0007-che-2003 description (complete) duplicate.pdf

0007-che-2003 description (complete).pdf

0007-che-2003 drawings.pdf

0007-che-2003 form-1.pdf

0007-che-2003 form-19.pdf

0007-che-2003 form-26.pdf

7-che-2003 abstract duplicate.pdf

7-che-2003 drawings duplicate.pdf