Patent ID: 9296315
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: B60N

Claim Text:
1. An adjustment mechanism comprising: a first plate; a second plate rotatably attached to said first plate and including a first series of teeth arranged on a radiaally inner circumferential surface thereof; a locking mechanism operably supported by at least one of said first plate and said second plate and including a pawl having a second series of teeth on a radially outer circumferential surface thereof, a first hook portion and a post, said pawl movable radially between a locked position, an unlocked position, and an intermediate position between said locked position and said unlocked position, said second series of teeth in meshed engagement with said first series of teeth when said pawl is in said locked position to restrict relative rotation between said first plate and said second plate and disengaged from said first series of teeth in said unlocked position and in said intermediate position to permit relative rotation between said first plate and said second plate; a cam having a second hook portion and being rotatably supported between said first plate and said second plate and operable to move said pawl radially inwardly from said locked position to said unlocked position by rotational engagement of said second hook portion with said first hook portion; and a control ring fixed to he second plate and having an inner circumferential surface slidably receiving said post when said pawl is in said unlocked position and a recess formed in said inner circumferential surface for receiving said post when said pawl is in said locked position and when said pawl is in said intermediate position; wherein said pawl includes a first radially inward facing engagement surface and said cam includes a first radially outward facing locking surface, said first locking surface being in contact with said first engagement surface when said pawl is in said locked position and disengaged from said first engagement surface when said pawl is in said unlocked position or in said intermediate position; and further wherein said first locking surface is disengaged from said first engagement surface whenever said cam is rotated to a position where said second hook portion is engaged with said first hook portion.