Patent ID: 7766424
Filing Date: 2010-08-03
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A recliner mechanism for a vehicle seat in combination with the vehicle seat, comprising: a support plate to be carried by a frame of a squab of the seat; a mounting plate to be carried by a back-rest of the seat, there being a pivotal interconnection between the support and mounting plates to enable the mounting plate to move with a pivotal action relative to the support plate to enable the back-rest of the seat to be reclined relative to the squab; a drive mechanism operable to effect reclining of the back-rest of the seat; one of the support and mounting plates defining a slot receiving a shaft, the shaft fixedly carried by the other of the support and mounting plates such that the shaft is mounted for movement with one of the back-rest and the squab, the slot defining two sections in the form of an initial retaining section and a second elongate section, the slot being dimensioned to permit movement of the shaft along the slot; a deformable element retaining the shaft within the initial retaining section of the slot to prevent relative movement between the plates, the deformable element being deformable when subjected to a predetermined force to permit the shaft to move from the initial retaining section of the slot to the elongate section, to enable the shaft subsequently to move along the elongate section, to permit relative movement between the plates, with the back-rest moving rearwardly relative to the squab; and an energy absorbing element to absorb energy as the shaft moves along the elongate section of the slot; wherein the mounting plate is fast with the frame of the back-rest and the support plate is mounted to the frame of the squab for movement relative to a seat squab frame, the support plate being mounted by engagement with the shaft, which is carried by the squab of the seat, and by the drive mechanism, the drive mechanism secured to the frame of the squab of the seat, the slot being formed in the support plate, a retaining shaft which is fast with the mounting plate extending through the slot, the energy absorbing element engaging the main pivot shaft and the retaining shaft, the support plate and the mounting plate being pivotally interconnected by a pivot linkage, the shaft defining the axis of pivotal movement of the mounting plate and the support plate as the back-rest of the seat is reclined.