Patent ID: 6402248
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
A seat reclining mechanism including a cushion arm pivotally connected to a squab arm by a planetary gear arrangement, the planetary gear arrangement including a pair of side by side ring gears, one of the ring gears being secured to the squab arm and the other of the ring gears being secured to the cushion arm, a sun and planetary gear arrangement common to both ring gears, the sun and planetary gear arrangement including a plurality of radially movable planetary gears surrounding a sun gear assembly, the sun gear assembly including at least one axially movable frusto-conical sun gear in engagement with said planetary gears, biasing means for biasing the at least one frusto-conical sun gear axially so as to bias said sun gear into full meshing contact with the planetary gears and thereby bias the planetary gears in a radially outward direction to a radially outermost position whereat the planetary gears are in full meshing contact with said ring gears, the sun gear assembly including a generally cylindrical stop sun gear axially juxtaposed to said frusto-conical sun gear, said stop sun gear being in partial meshing contact with said planetary gears when at their radially outermost position the biasing means being arranged such that during operation of the seat reclining mechanism the planetary gears are able to move radially inwards against said bias to a radially innermost position defined by the stop sun gear whereat the planetary gears are in full meshing contact with said stop sun gear.