Patent ID: 8439446
Filing Date: 2013-05-14
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A vehicle seat reclining device configured to be attached to a vehicle body and to cooperate with a locking device affixed to a tiltable backrest of a vehicle seat for locking tilted positions of the backrest stepwise, the vehicle seat reclining device comprising: a straight rail extending along a straight central axial line, the rail being affixable to the vehicle body so as to be one of at least substantially tangent to and coaxial with a path traced in space by the locking device as the backrest tilts; a slider slidably supported on the rail; a striker affixed to the slider and configured to engage with the locking device; and a latch mechanism provided between the rail and the slider and configured to selectively permit or prevent sliding of the slider relative to the rail, the latch mechanism including: wherein a first amount of space is provided between the support portion and the lever in a direction parallel to the central axial line, a second amount of space is provided between the slider hole and the latch claw in the direction parallel to the central axial line, the second amount of space being less than the first amount of space, a third amount of space is provided between the respective latch holes and the latch claw in the direction parallel to the central axial line, the third amount of space being at least substantially equal to the second amount of space, and the support portion and the lever are configured such that, when the latch claw is engaged in the slider hole and in any one of the latch holes, first and second non-zero clearances respectively exist between facing side surfaces of the support portion and the lever at both end sides of the lever in the direction parallel to the central axial line.