Hinge mechanism for a vehicle seat, and a vehicle seat fitted with such a mechanism

摘要

A hinge mechanism has a fixed cheek-plate and a pivoting cheek-plate that can be prevented from moving relative to the fixed cheek-plate by toothed slugs under the control of a cam. Between the two cheek-plates, there is disposed a circular guide having radial gaps which receive the slugs and which hold them in a retracted position once they have become disengaged from the radial gaps. The circular guide can be prevented from moving relative to the pivoting cheek-plate by actuating a control plate which disengages the slugs from the gaps. The pivoting cheek-plate can thus turn freely in one direction and then in the opposite direction before locking again in its initial angular position once the radial gaps of the circular guide come back into register with the slugs.