Patent ID: 7100987
Filing Date: 2006-09-05
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A reclining vehicle seat hinge assembly comprising, in combination: a first housing; a second housing rotatable with respect to the first housing and having a circular shoulder and a plurality of teeth extending radially inward from the shoulder; a primary cam member rotatable with respect to the first housing and having a pair of primary camming surfaces and a pair of secondary camming surfaces; a primary spring engageable with the primary cam member to bias the primary cam member into an engaged position; a secondary cam member rotatably driveable by the primary cam member, the secondary cam member having at least one spring arm engageable with the primary spring to rotatably bias the secondary cam with respect to the primary cam member and a plurality of windows, with each window having at least one camming edge; a pair of diametrically opposed primary pawls, each primary pawl having a plurality of radially outwardly extending teeth and configured to be driven radially outwardly initially by engagement of a primary camming surface with a cam engaging surface of the primary pawl and then by engagement of a first cam engaging member on the primary pawl with a second camming edge of a window into an engaged position where the teeth of the primary pawl engage with the teeth of the second housing, and to be driven radially inwardly by engagement of a first camming edge of a window with the first cam engaging member into a disengaged position where the teeth of the primary pawl are free of the teeth of the second housing; and a pair of diametrically opposed secondary pawls, each secondary pawl having a plurality of radially outwardly extending teeth and configured to be driven radially outwardly by engagement of a secondary camming surface with a cam engaging surface of the secondary pawl into an engaged position where the teeth of the secondary pawl engage with the teeth of the second housing, and to be driven radially inwardly by engagement of a window with a first cam engaging member into a disengaged position where the teeth of the secondary pawl are free of the teeth of the second housing.