Inertially locked hinge for motor-vehicle seat

Claim 1

In a motor-vehicle seat having a seat part and a reclining back part adjustable in any of a plurality of angular positions relative to said seat part, a hinge comprising: a lower hinge element fixed to said seat part; an upper hinge element fixed to said back part; means for pivotably connecting said upper hinge element to said lower hinge element; a positioning element pivotal on said lower hinge element and formed with an outwardly open recess having one end forming a stop formation and another end forming an abutment engaging said upper hinge element in a rest position thereof; an inertial pawl in the form of a two-arm lever pivotal on said upper hinge between a blocking position and a freeing position, one arm of said lever being directed toward said stop formation on said positioning element and having a stop face engageable with said formation when said pawl is in said blocking position, the other arm of said lever being directed substantially horizontally and weighted so as normally to pivot by gravity in one rotational sense into said freeing position; said another end on said positioning element having a support surface adapted for engaging said other arm against the force of gravity to urge said pawl into said blocking position and for releasing said other arm into said freeing position only upon a slow forward pivoting of said back part; and means for locking said positioning means in any of a plurality of angularly offset positions for adjusting said rest position.