Patent ID: 8042872
Filing Date: 2011-10-25
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A recliner for vehicle seats, comprising: a gear rim having a receiving depression in a front surface thereof, with internal gear teeth formed in a rim part of the receiving depression, and a first insert hole formed through a central portion of the gear rim; a guide plate coupled to the front surface of the gear rim by a clamp ring, with a second insert hole formed through a central portion of the guide plate, and a plurality of guide blocks provided on a rear surface of the guide plate at positions spaced apart from each other by predetermined distances; a lever rotating shaft inserted through the first and second insert holes of the guide plate and the gear rim; a cam fitted over the lever rotating shaft, with support protrusions provided on both ends of the cam, and power transmission protrusions provided on diametrically opposed sides of a rear surface of the cam; a pair of elastic members fastened to diametrically opposed portions of an inner surface of the guide plate, each of the elastic members elastically supporting on a first end thereof a first end of the corresponding support protrusion of the cam; a main control disk fitted over the lever rotating shaft and coupled to the power transmission protrusions of the cam, with outer guide holes formed through diametrically opposed portions of the main control disk, and inner guide holes formed through the main control disk at diametrically opposed portions which are closer to a center of the main control disk than are the outer guide holes; a pair of locking gears, each of which is slidably provided between the two facing guide blocks of the guide plate, each of the locking gears having a support depression in an inner surface thereof, the support depression having a concave curved surface inclined outwards from a lower end of a first surface of the locking gear to a medial portion of the locking gear, and a convex curved surface inclined inwards from a second end of the concave curved surface to a medial portion of a second surface of the locking gear, with external gear teeth formed in an outer surface of each of the locking gears, and a connection protrusion provided on a central portion of a rear surface of each of the locking gears, the connection protrusion being inserted into the corresponding outer guide hole of the main control disk; and a pair of locking gear support members interposed between the cam and the pair of locking gears, each of the locking gear support members having: a first contact surface in close contact with the concave curved surface of the support depression of the corresponding locking gear; and a second contact surface in close contact with a lower portion of a first surface of the guide block that is disposed adjacent to a second end of the locking gear, the locking gear support member being supported on both ends of an inner surface thereof by a circumferential outer surface of the cam.