Abstract:
A hinge and bracket system for a cushion seat back is provided. A bracket is attached to the side of a cushion seat back which is laying flat. The bracket is connected to a rotatable shaft, which in turn is connected to a toothed gear and a pawl. When the cushion seat back is raised upward, the toothed gear and an element of the pawl allow the cushion seat back to ratchet upwards, with the capability to lock the cushion seat back at any tooth. When the cushion seat back is raised above about 90 degrees, the pawl is forced to disengage from the toothed gear and the cushion seat back is unlocked and can be placed back in the original flat position. This hinge and bracket system may be employed in marine operations, especially for water skiing.

Description:
INDEX TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/740,615 filed on Dec. 21, 2012, entitled Ratchets for Upholstery Seat, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is directed to a hinge which includes a ratchet and pawl to permit an element of upholstery to move from a flat zero degree position upwardly to about a 90 to 100 degree position. The element of upholstery being discussed is a cushion that folds up to form a back rest which is provided on the stern of a recreational watercraft. Current designs do not allow for easy adjustment of seat and cushion positions for usage in sunbathing, installing waterski hardware, rear deck lounging. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention is directed to a ratchet mechanism and bracket to be affixed to a cushion seat back on the rear deck of a marine craft, to permit the cushion seat back to be adjusted into one of any of a plurality of positions for the comfort of the user. Although the instant ratchet mechanism is employed in a marine application, it is not limited solely to such an application. The instant structure may be used on any of a plurality of chaise lounge type recliners as well as any other related devices, recliners or seat backs, deck cushions on cruisers, interior lounge seats, and armrests. The disclosed invention is an improved hinge system that can work on or be mounted to any structure that is needed to adjust to various positions. Such structures without limitation could be for a hatch lid for a storage compartment or for an engine rooms. 
         [0004]    A toothed gear with a central aperture and a surrounding circular element has a plurality of teeth protruding radially outwardly along the circumference. A shaft is connected to a bracket and is secured in the central aperture of the toothed gear by a locking key. When the toothed gear rotates, the shaft rotates, moving the bracket and thus moving the cushion seat back. A specialized rotatable pawl has a lower toothed portion for interacting with the gear teeth, a central pawl tongue located above the lower tooth portion, and an upper portion which is toothless. Depending on the rotation of the toothed gear, the pawl may lock the cushion seat back in an upright position, or allow the cushion seat back to move freely back to an initial position. 
         [0005]    The current invention has a main gear with a plurality of ratchet teeth approximately every seven (7) degrees, which permits the cushion to be locked into a position seven (7) degrees apart from a previous position. Different embodiments of the ratchets for the upholstery seat can change this seven (7) degree separation by changing the number of teeth to be a greater number of a lesser number. The instant ratchet pawl system allows the the upholstery which is affixed to the brackets and the spring ratchet pawls system to move upwardly from the deck with the ratchet engaged, moving 7 degrees for each tooth moved forward on the gear teeth until it reaches approximately 97 degrees. At this point the release spring deactivates the ratchet system allowing the upholstery to return to the stern deck, where the spring activates the ratchet system again to allow the upholstery to be ratcheted back up to 97 degrees. 
         [0006]    The invention is employed on the port and starboard side of the upholstery chair which permits the upholstery chair to move from a flat position to a locked position. A bracket portion proximal the hinge is secured to the deck to where it retains a fixed upholstery pad secured to the deck. 
         [0007]    All of the elements of the invention are made or metal. Stainless steel, while expensive, may have a greater longevity, especially in salt water. In embodiments of the invention which are intended to be used on the land, other metals or even synthetic polymers may be employed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the pawl and ratchet spring hinge element of the invention in relation to the multiple brackets. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a view of the pawl and ratchet spring hinge element of the invention with the brackets shown in such a position so that if the movable upholstery were shown, it would be lying flat against the stern deck. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a view of the pawl and ratchet spring hinge element of the invention with brackets shown in such a position that if the movable upholstery were shown, it would be at about halfway between it&#39;s resting (zero degree) position and it&#39;s maximum approximate 97 degree position. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a view of the pawl and ratchet spring hinge element of the invention with the brackets shown in such a position that if the movable upholstery were shown, it would be at it&#39;s maximum elevation (approximately 97 degrees) with respect to the stern deck. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of movable upholstery secured by the spring hinge elements of the invention at an approximate level as that shown in  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exploded view of the hinge employing a ratchet for an upholstery seat  5  is shown. From right to left, a cover  10  is secured to the fixed mount bracket  30 . This encloses the pawl tongue  54 A, the circular element with a plurality teeth  50  radially disposed about it&#39;s circumferential edge, the ratchet spring  16 , the first brass bearing  18 , the first set screw  20 , the second set screw  22 , the snap ring  24 , the shaft key  26 , and the second brass bearing  28 . The washer (preferably Delrin)  36  has a central circular opening  36 A. This is immediately adjacent the central circular opening  30 A of fixed mount bracket  30 . The second brass bearing  28  has a central circular opening  28 A immediately adjacent the central circular opening  36 A. Intermediate the second brass bearing circular opening  28 A is the snap ring  24  with a central circular opening  24 A. The snap ring  24  with a central circular opening  24 A is adjacent to the first brass bearing  18  which has a circular opening  18 A (not shown). Shaft  48  inter fits down the cavity formed by the washer central circular opening  36 A, the fixed mount bracket circular opening  30 A, the second brass bearing central circular opening  36 A, through the snap ring central circular opening  24  and through the first brass bearing circular opening  18 A and into the main gear central circular opening  14 A. A key way  26 A is formed parallel to the shaft  48  on the side of the central circular opening  14 A. The key  25  fits into the key way  26   a  securing the shaft to the main gear  14 , and thus when the main gear  14  is caused to rotate by action of the pawl tongue  54 A with the pawl teeth  52  engaged to the gear teeth  50  of the main gear  14 , the cushion support plate  44  is caused to rotate with it. Main gear  14  has an annular shoulder  14 B. The movement of the pawl teeth  52  against the gear teeth  50  just one tooth moves the cushion support plate seven degrees. This has the effect of rotating the upholstery back portion  76  at the same angular distance. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a view of the pawl tongue  54 A and ratchet spring hinge element  64  of the invention with the brackets shown in such a position so that if the movable upholstery  76  (see  FIG. 5 ) were shown, it would be lying adjacent the rear of the movable cushion support plate  44  and lying flat against or in close proximity to the stern deck (not shown). In  FIG. 2 , the upholstery (not shown, but adjacent element  44 A), would be at a zero angle with respect to the stern deck. The locking spring  64  is shown secured about a third set screw  22 A with the locking spring extension  64 A intermediate the set screw  20  and the pawl tongue  54 A. Spring extension  64 A can rest against annular shoulder  14 B. In this position, the lower pawl teeth  60  are shown inter-meshed with a portion of the gear teeth  50  of the main gear  14 . A plurality of apertures  90  are located through the main gear  14  at approximately thirty degree intervals. These plurality of apertures  90  are located intermediate the gear teeth  50  and the main gear  14  central aperture  14 A. These apertures  90  are designed to receive set screws therein in a different configuration than the first set screw  20  and the second set screw  22  are shown and located in  FIGS. 2-4 . This permits different angular displacement of the shaft  48 , with the consequent different angular displacement of the upholstery attached to movable cushion support plate  44 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a view of the pawl tongue  54 A, pawl  54  and ratchet spring hinge element  64  of the invention with the cushion support plate  44  shown in such a position that if the movable upholstery were shown, it would be at about halfway between it&#39;s resting (zero degree) position and it&#39;s maximum 97 degree position. Since the upholstery is still moving upward, the lower pawl teeth  60  are still shown inter-meshed with a portion of the gear teeth  50  of the main gear  14 . 
         [0016]    The configuration of the following components change as the seat back  76  is moved up and down. These components include the main gear  14 , pawl  54 , the locking spring  64  and the locking spring extension  64 A orientation. This occurs when the upholstery(see  FIG. 5 ) secured to the rear  44 A of the cushion support plate  44  is moved to approximately the (42-49) degree position. This is due to the fact that the pawl teeth side  52  has rotated the main gear  14  in 7 degree increments, causing the shaft  48  to rotate approximately 42-49 degrees as well moving the support plate  44 . In this position, the lower pawl teeth  60  are still shown inter-meshed with a portion of the gear teeth  50  of the main gear  14 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a view of the pawl and ratchet spring hinge element of the invention with the brackets shown in such a position that if the movable upholstery were shown, it would be at it&#39;s maximum elevation (approximately 97 degrees) with respect to the stern deck. It is at this point where the rotation of the main gear  14  disengages the lower pawl teeth side  60  by rotating the pawl tongue to the left after hitting the pin  22 . At this point the upper pawl side with no teeth is pushed closest to the gear teeth  50  which permits the main gear  14  and shaft  48  to rotate counterclockwise back to the zero angle position which is shown in  FIG. 2 . The movement of the pawl tongue  55  along the pawl rotation bearing  62  to engage the pawl teeth  60  with the gear teeth  50  and the subsequent disengagement of the pawl teeth  60  from the gear teeth  50  placing the upper pawl with no teeth  56  allows the pawl teeth  50  and subsequently the shaft  48  for the upholstery seat  76  to rotate freely from the upright position of the upholstery seat  76  or bracket  44  shown in  FIG. 4 . to the original position of the upholstery seat  76  or bracket  44  in  FIG. 2 . At this point, the pawl teeth  60  re-engage the gear teeth  50  of the main gear  14  allow the upholstery seat  76  to move upward again at an approximate seven degree increment as the pawl teeth  60  re-engage the gear teeth  50 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 5  shows the upholstery seat back  76  being supported in an upright position by a first hinge, ratchets and brackets  10 A and a second hinge, ratchet and brackets  10 B. Cover element  10  as shown in  FIG. 1  encloses the pawl tongue  54  and, the main gear  14 , and all other interior mechanisms. A portion of fixed mount  30  is shown along with the bend  46  in the cushion support plate  44 . The bend  46  in the cushion support plate  44  moves the cushion support plate  44  outwardly from the fixed mount bracket  30  (best seen in  FIG. 1 ) to permit motion of the cushion support plate  44 . In  FIG. 5  the cushion or movable upholstery  76  is shown in a position which would be actualized by the view of the hinge, ratchets, and brackets shown in  FIG. 2 . Four apertures  38  (of which only two are shown in  FIG. 1 ) are located on the fixed mount bracket  30  are employed with mechanical fasteners to fix the entire assembly to the stern deck. 
         [0019]      FIG. 5  also shows fixed cushion  78  which is also attached to the deck proximal the rear of the boat. Arrow  85  shows the orientation of the movable cushion  76  and fixed cushion  78  with respect to the front of the boat. 
         [0020]    The present invention is a hinge system for a cushion seat back on a boat which may be used for water skiing having a shaft with a first end and a second end, where the shaft first end is connected to a bracket, where the bracket is affixed to a cushion seat back, and the cushion seat back is initially in a flat position at the rear of the boat. The shaft second end is secured by a locking key in a central aperture of a main gear, this main gear having a radius and a circumference, as well as a plurality of teeth equally distributed radially outward about the circumference of the main gear. 
         [0021]    A plurality of apertures pass through the main gear, these plurality of apertures are equidistant from one another, and the plurality of apertures are intermediate the central radius of the main gear and the plurality of teeth which radially surround the circumference of the main gear. 
         [0022]    The hinge system of this invention further includes a pawl with a tongue, where the pawl is rotatably fixed proximal the plurality of teeth, which radially surround the circumference of the main gear. The pawl has a lower portion and an upper portion, and the lower portion has several teeth, while the upper portion has no teeth. 
         [0023]    The hinge system of the invention further includes a first set screw and a second set screw, where the first set screw fixed in one of the plurality of apertures above upper portion of the pawl. The second set screw fixed in a second one of the plurality of apertures below lower portion of the pawl. The invention further includes a spring having a body and an elongated tail, where the spring body is fixed in the one of the plurality of apertures above and adjacent the first set screw, and the elongated tail traverses from the spring body to a position above and in contact with the second set screw. In this configuration, the several teeth of the lower portion of the pawl are inter-meshed with an equal number of the plurality of teeth of the main gear and when the cushion seat back is lifted up from it&#39;s initially flat position, the shaft rotates the main gear, and several teeth of the pawl are displaced from the equal number of the plurality of teeth of the main gear to a second set of a plurality of teeth on the main gear which locks the seat back at a second position equal to the position where said cushion seat back was lifted up to. 
         [0024]    Additionally, when the cushion seat back is lifted up from any position to a position above about 90 degrees, the spring rotates or urges the pawl tongue downward, disengaging the several teeth of the pawl which are inter-meshed with an equal number of the plurality of teeth of the main gear and thus moves the upper portion of the pawl to a position proximal the plurality of the teeth of the main gear, permitting the cushion seat back to be moved back to it&#39;s initial flat position.