Seat assembly

1 . A seat assembly comprising a seat back assembly and a support frame, the support frame comprising a first side rail and a second side rail, the seat assembly further comprising:

a first pin connected to the first side rail of the support frame the first pin having a portion of reduced diameter;

a second pin connected to the second side rail of the support frame;

the seat back assembly comprising a first opening formed in a first side of the seat back assembly for receiving the first pin, and a second opening formed in a second side of the seat back assembly opposite the first side for receiving the second pin, wherein the first opening comprises a first slot formed entirely in a lateral facing side wall of the seat back assembly and has a narrow part and a wider part, the first slot being configured to receive the first pin through the wider part and retain the first pin by engagement of the portion of the pin of reduced diameter in the narrower part of the first slot; and

a first fixing element which fixes the first pin in position in the narrower part of the first slot.

2 . The seat assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second opening comprises a second slot and the second slot is configured to receive the second pin at a first part of the second slot and retain the second pin at a second part of the second slot.

3 . The seat assembly as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second pin is fixed in the second opening using a second fixing element.

4 . The seat assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the seat assembly further comprises a third pin connected to the first side rail of the support frame and a fourth pin connected to the second side rail of the support frame, and wherein the seat assembly further comprises a first lower seat fixing connected to the first side of the seat back assembly and a second lower seat fixing connected to the second side of the seat back assembly, and wherein the third pin is connected to the first lower seat fixing and the fourth pin is connected to the second lower seat fixing.

5 . The seat assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the seat assembly further comprises a third pin connected to the first side of the seat back assembly and a fourth pin connected to the second side of the seat back assembly, and wherein the seat assembly further comprises a first lower seat fixing connected to the first side of the support frame and a second lower seat fixing connected to the second side of the support frame, and wherein the third pin is connected to the first lower seat fixing and the fourth pin is connected to the second lower seat fixing.

6 . The seat assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the portion of reduced diameter comprises an annular recess formed in the first pin.

7 . A seat assembly comprising a seat back assembly and a support frame, the support frame comprising a first side rail and a second side rail, the seat assembly further comprising:

a first pin connected to a first side of the seat back assembly, the first pin having a portion of reduced diameter;

a second pin connected to a second side of the seat back assembly;

the support frame comprising a first opening formed in a first side of the support frame for receiving the first pin, and a second opening formed in a second side of the support frame opposite the first side for receiving the second pin, wherein the first opening comprises a first slot formed entirely in a lateral facing side wall of the support frame and has a narrow part and a wider part, the first slot being configured to receive the first pin through the wider part and retain the first pin by engagement of the portion of the pin of reduced diameter in the narrower part of the first slot; and

a first fixing element which fixes the first pin in position in the narrower part of the first slot.

8 . The seat assembly as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second opening comprises a second slot and the second slot is configured to receive the second pin at a first part of the second slot and retain the second pin at a second part of the second slot.

9 . A method of assembling a seat comprising a seat back assembly and a support frame, the support frame comprising a first side rail and a second side rail, the method comprising:

inserting a first pin connected to the first side rail into a first opening formed in a first side of the seat back assembly, wherein the first pin is over inserted until a tip of a second pin connected to the second side rail clears a second side of the seat back assembly opposite to the first side;

aligning the tip of the second pin with a second opening formed in a second side of the seat back assembly opposite to the first side;

inserting the second pin into the second opening such that the seat back assembly is supported for rotation in the support frame by the first and second pins and such that the first pin is withdrawn slightly from the first opening; and

fixing the first pin in position in the first opening using a first fixing element.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first opening comprises a first slot, the first pin being inserted into a first part of the first slot and wherein, prior to the fixing step, the method further comprises:

moving the seat back assembly so that the first pin moves from the first part of the first slot to a second part of the first slot in the first side of the seat back assembly; and

wherein the method further comprises fixing the first pin at the second part of the first slot by moving the first fixing element into an engaged position.

11 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising inserting the first pin and the second pin when the seat back assembly is arranged substantially perpendicular to the first side rail and the second side rail of the support frame, and rotating the seat back assembly to a substantially upright position in which the seat back assembly is arranged in a plane comprising the first side rail and the second side rail of the support frame after the fixing of the first pin.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first fixing element fits into a groove formed in the first pin.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the first fixing element comprises a recess, the sides of the recess engaging the groove in the first pin when the first fixing element is moved into an engaged position.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first fixing element is retained in an engaged position by means of a releasable fastening.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second pin is fixed in the second opening using a second fixing element.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising connecting a third pin connected to the support frame to a first lower seat fixing connected to the first side of the seat back assembly, and connecting a fourth pin connected to the support frame to a second lower seat fixing connected to the second side of the seat back assembly.

17 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first slot is configured to receive the first pin at the first part of the first slot and retain the first pin at the second part of the first slot.

18 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first part of the slot comprises an enlarged portion and the second part of the slot comprises a narrower portion and the first pin is provided with a flange which can enter the slot through only the enlarged portion, such that after the pin has entered the slot through the enlarged portion and is slid along the slot into the narrow portion, it is held captive in the slot by engagement of the flange with the narrow portion of the slot.

19 . The method as claimed in claim 9 or 10 , wherein the enlarged portion of the slot is at a first end of the slot and the narrow portion comprises the remainder of the slot, such that the slot is substantially keyhole shaped.

20 . A method of assembling a seat comprising a seat back assembly and a support frame, the support frame comprising a first side rail and a second side rail, the method comprising:

inserting a first pin connected to a first side of the seat back assembly into an opening formed in a first side of the support frame, wherein the first pin is over inserted until a tip of a second pin connected to a second side of the seat back assembly clears a second side of the support frame;

aligning the tip of the second pin with a second opening formed in a second side of the support frame opposite to the first side;

inserting the second pin into the second opening such that the seat back assembly is supported for rotation in the support frame by the first and second pins and such that the first pin is withdrawn slightly from the first opening; and

fixing the first pin in position in the first opening using a first fixing element.