Manual recline swivel mechanism

• US 10,632,888 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: VanNieulande, Kevin, Jaranson, John Wayne, Hosbach, Christian J., Schein, Victoria Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): McPartlin, Sarah B
• Application Number:
  US15/827,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20190160983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0745 the slide path being curved
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/08 characterised by the locking device
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0875 in a vertical direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/146 characterised by the locking device
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/502 attached to the base of the seat B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/686 Panel like structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/919 Positioning and locking mechanisms B60N2/16, B60N2/18, B60N2/22, B60N2/225 take precedence

Abstract

A seating assembly comprising a shell assembly, a base assembly operably coupled to the shell assembly, and a control assembly including a handle. The control assembly comprises a spindle gear positioned within the base assembly, a gear plate disposed in the shell assembly proximate the spindle gear, a locking key configured to simultaneously engage the spindle gear and the gear plate, a locking leaf spring configured to bias the locking key into engagement with the spindle gear and the gear plate, and an actuator configured to withdraw the locking key from engagement with one of the gear plate and spindle gear and subsequently withdraw the locking key from engagement with the other of the gear plate and spindle gear.

Claims

1. A seating assembly comprising:

a shell assembly;

a base assembly operably coupled to the shell assembly; and

a control assembly including a handle, comprising;

a spindle gear positioned within the base assembly;

a gear plate disposed in the shell assembly proximate the spindle gear;

a locking key configured to simultaneously engage the spindle gear and the gear plate;

a locking leaf spring configured to bias the locking key into engagement with the spindle gear and the gear plate; and

an actuator configured to withdraw the locking key from engagement with one of the gear plate and spindle gear and subsequently withdraw the locking key from engagement with the other of the gear plate and spindle gear.

2. The seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the base assembly further comprises:

an outer base shell defining a recess; and

an inner base shell coupled to the spindle gear.

3. The seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the base assembly further comprises:

an opening defined by the outer base shell within the recess, wherein the spindle gear is disposed within the opening.

4. The seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the base assembly further comprises:

first and second opposing ball bearing inserts disposed within the recess.

5. The seating assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an inner shell operably coupled with an outer shell, wherein the gear plate is disposed between the inner shell and the outer shell.

6. The seating assembly of claim 5, further comprising:

a guide shoe retainer slidably coupled to the inner shell and rotatably coupled to the base assembly.

7. A seating assembly comprising:

a base assembly defining a recess, wherein a spindle gear is disposed within the recess;

a shell assembly operably coupled to the base assembly within the recess and including a gear plate;

a plurality of ball bearing inserts positioned within the recess and configured to contact the shell assembly; and

a control assembly including a locking key selectively engageable with both the spindle gear and the gear plate to control movement of the shell assembly relative to the base assembly.

8. The seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the control assembly further comprises:

a locking leaf spring operably coupled to the locking key; and

an actuator configured to move the locking key between an engaged position, an intermediate position, and a released position.

9. The seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the actuator is coupled to a handle disposed on the shell assembly.

10. A seating assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a base assembly coupled to a floor of said vehicle;

a shell assembly operably coupled to the base assembly and including a reclining feature and a rotating feature, wherein both the reclining feature and the rotating feature are selectively engaged with a single locking key, and wherein the reclining feature includes a gear plate; and

a control assembly including a handle configured to alternate the locking key between an engaged position and a released position.

11. The seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the base assembly includes an inner base shell nested within an outer base shell and a spindle gear nested between the inner base shell and the outer base shell.

12. The seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the shell assembly is secured to the base assembly using a retaining assembly positioned through the spindle gear.

13. The seating assembly of claim 12, wherein the retaining assembly further comprises:

a guide shoe retainer;

a sleeve; and

a bolt.

14. The seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the locking key is selectively engageable with one of the spindle gear and the gear plate and is subsequently engageable with the other of the spindle gear and the gear plate.

15. The seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the control assembly further comprises:

a locking spring operably coupled to the locking key; and

an actuator coupled to the locking spring and configured to control the engagement of the locking spring.

16. The seating assembly of claim 15, wherein the actuator is coupled to the handle disposed proximate the shell assembly.

17. The seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the shell assembly forms headrest wings around a headspace.

18. The seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the shell assembly includes armrests integrally formed with the shell assembly.