Patent ID: 8955911
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A seat reclining device for a vehicle, comprising: a first arm fixed to one of a seat cushion and a seat back and having at least one pair of opposed guide walls; a second arm fixed to the other of the seat cushion and the seat back, wherein the second arm is supported by the first arm to be rotational around a rotation axis and has a plurality of internal teeth formed to protrude inward in a radial direction with a center of the second arm being the rotation axis; at least one pawl having a plurality of external teeth formed to protrude outward in the radial direction and capable of meshing with the internal teeth of the second arm, wherein the pawl is arranged between the opposed guide walls and is guided by the guide walls to move in the radial direction; a cam assembly engaged with the pawl and selectively rotational in forward and reverse directions around the rotation axis, wherein when the cam assembly rotates in the forward direction, the cam assembly presses the pawl to move the pawl outward in the radial direction and to engage the external teeth of the pawl with the internal teeth of the second arm, and when the cam assembly rotates in the reverse direction, the cam assembly moves the pawl inward in the radial direction to separate the external teeth of the pawl from the internal teeth of the second arm; at least one inclined surface formed in a radially inside area of at least one of the guide walls, wherein the inclined surface is inclined such that the radially inside area of the guide wall deviates from the pawl; at least one pressing member arranged between the inclined surface and a radially inner face of the pawl, wherein when the cam assembly rotates in the forward direction, the pressing member is pressed outward in the radial direction by the cam assembly to press the radially inner face of the pawl, and in turn, presses the pawl in a direction from the guide wall that has the inclined surface toward the pawl, and moves the pawl outward in the radial direction, and when the cam assembly rotates in the reverse direction, the pressing member is released from pressure from the cam assembly to release pressure on the radially inner face of the pawl, and allows the pawl to move inward in the radial direction, wherein the pressing member is a separate member from the cam assembly, and wherein, when the external teeth are caused to separate from the internal teeth, of the frictional force between the pressing member and the inclined surface, a component force in a moving direction of the pawl is weaker than that of the frictional force between the pressing member and the guide wall extending along the moving direction of the pawl; and an urging member configured to urge the cam assembly in the forward direction to move the pawl outward in the radial direction.