Patent ID: 7648205
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A recliner for providing pivotal movement of a seat back relative to a seat cushion between a range of selected seat back positions and a forwardly folded position, said recliner comprising: a guide plate; a toothed plate rotatably assembled to said guide plate, one of said guide plate and said toothed plate mounted to said seat back and the other of said guide plate and said toothed plate mounted to said seat cushion, said toothed disc having a flange having a series of internal teeth thereon and having a stepped cam surface; a plurality of pawls mounted between said toothed plate and said guide plate, said pawls each having a toothed surface and a pip, said pawls moveable between a locked position with said toothed surfaces engaging said series of teeth of said toothed plate to secure said toothed plate relative to said guide plate, and an unlocked position with said toothed surfaces spaced from said teeth of said guide plate allowing movement of said toothed plate relative to said guide plate, said pip engaging a portion of said stepped cam surface holding said plurality of pawls in said unlocked position enabling said seat back to move to the folded forward position; a plurality of guides extending from said guide plate, said guides receiving said pawls and guiding said pawls between said locked and unlocked positions; a cam rotatably mounted between said guide plate and said toothed plate, said cam having a cam surface defined by a plurality of lobes for selective engagement with said pawls, selectively moving said pawls between said engaged and disengaged positions upon rotation and counter-rotation of said cam; a spring continuously biasing said plurality pawls toward said locked position; a memory disc rotatably mounted on said toothed plate with a lost motion connection with said toothed plate enabling said memory disc to rotate a predetermined amount relative to said toothed plate extending said stepped cam surface holding said pawls in said unlocked position during a predetermined amount of rotation enabling said seat back to return to a memory position within said range of selected seat back positions, and a spring extending between said memory disc and said toothed plate urging said memory disc to align with said stepped cam surface.