Seat back reclining mechanism

• US 4,437,703 A
• Filed: 09/18/1981
• Issued: 03/20/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delta Kogyo Company Limited, Toyo Kogyo Co Ltd (Mazda Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delta Kogyo Company Limited, Toyo Kogyo Co Ltd (Mazda Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishikori, Tsutomu, Yoshiki, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): LYDDANE, WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US06/303,513
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 297/366-369, 297/362, 297/361, 297/354, 297/355, 16/325, 16/343, 16/344, 16/347, 16/333
• US Class Current: 297/362
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2352 with external pawls

Abstract

Seat back reclining mechanism having a coarse adjustment device and a fine adjustment device. The fine adjustment device includes an eccentric cam which may be mounted about a pivot pin for connecting a stationary plate secured to the seat bottom with a movable plate secured to the seat back. In the fine adjustment device, there is provided a locking device which prevents the eccentric cam from rotation. A fine adjustment lever functions when actuated to at first unlock the eccentric cam and then to make it rotate to perform a fine adjustment.

Claims

1. A seat back reclining mechanism for a car seat including a seat bottom and a seat back which is connected with the seat bottom for adjustment in an inclination angle with respect to the seat bottom, said reclining mechanism including stationary bracket means attached to said seat bottom, movable bracket means attached to said seat back and connected pivotably with said stationary bracket means, lock plate means movably connected with said stationary bracket means and having first gear teeth means, said movable bracket means having second gear teeth means, coarse, adjusting means for actuating said lock plate means so that said first gear teeth means is engaged with said second gear teeth means to thereby effect coarse adjustment of inclination angle of said movable bracket means, adjusting movement producing means for producing a seat back inclination angle changing movement, fine adjusting means for operating said adjusting movement producing means to effect fine adjustment of the inclination angle of said seat back, locking means for locking said adjusting movement producing means, interconnecting means for interconnecting the locking means with the fine adjusting means so that said locking means is actuated through said fine adjusting means to unlock said adjusting movement producing means when said fine adjusting means is actuated in one direction to thereby allow movement of the adjusting movement producing means whereby the inclination angle of the seat back can be adjusted through operation of the fine adjusting means in said one direction.

2. A seat back reclining mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which said adjusting movement producing means includes cam means which is provided for rotation so that the rotation of the cam means produces a change in the inclination angle of the seat back.

3. A seat back reclining mechanism in accordance with claim 2 in which the stationary and movable bracket means respectively have arm members which are connected together for a pivotable movement about a pivot axis and the cam means is provided about the pivot axis.

4. A seat back reclining mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which said interconnecting means includes projection means provided on one of the locking means and the fine adjusting means and guide means provided on the other, said guide means including guide surface means for engaging the projection means to thereby move said one of the locking means and the fine adjusting means in an unlocking direction.

5. A seat back reclining mechanism in accordance with claim 4 in which said adjusting movement producing means includes an eccentric cam rotatably mounted on plate means attached to the seat bottom so that a rotation of the cam means produces a change in the seat back inclination angle, said fine adjusting means being connected with said cam means so that it can produce a rotation of the cam means.

6. A seat back reclining mechanism in accordance with claim 5 which includes second plate means secured to the seat back, said second plate means being connected with the first plate means for a pivotable movement about a pivot axis, said cam means being provided about said pivot axis.

7. A seat back reclining mechanism in accordance with claim which further includes first and second plate means securely attached respectively to the seat bottom and the seat back and connected together for pivotable movement about a pivot axis, second locking means for locking the second plate means to the first plate means, said adjusting movement producing means including eccentric cam means rotatably mounted on the first plate means for causing a movement in the second locking means to thereby produce a change in an inclination angle of the second plate means.

8. A seat back reclining mechanism in accordance with claim which further includes first plate means secured to one of the seat back and the seat bottom, second plate means pivotably attached to the other, said first and second plate means being pivotably connected together, means for determining angular relationship between the first and second plate means, said adjusting movement producing means including eccentric cam means for producing a pivotable movement of the second plate means to thereby change the seat back inclination angle.

9. A seat back reclining mechanism for a car seat including a seat bottom and a seat back, said reclining mechanism including a stationary plate adapted to be attached to the seat bottom, a movable plate adapted to be attached to the seat back and pivotably connected with said stationary plate through eccentric shaft means, a locking plate mounted on one of said stationary and movable plates and having gear teeth, the other of said stationary and movable plates being formed with gear teeth which are adapted for engagement with the gear teeth on the locking plate, said locking plate being movable between a locking position wherein the gear teeth on the locking plate engage with the gear teeth on said other of the stationary and movable plates and an unlocking position wherein the gear teeth are disengaged, a coarse adjustment member for actuating the locking lever so that the movable plate is adjusted in angular relation with respect to the stationary plate, fine adjusting means for rotating said eccentric shaft means for effecting fine adjustment of the angular relation of the movable plate with respect to the stationary plate, said stationary plate being formed with a plurality of indentations, means interconnected with said fine adjusting means for engagement with said indentations so that the movable plate can be stepwisely adjusted in the angular relation with respect to the stationary plate.