Patent Publication Number: US-10308147-B2

Title: Release mechanism for a reclining vehicle seat

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/876,017 filed on Oct. 6, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,834,117, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This document relates generally to vehicle seats, and more specifically to a release mechanism for a reclining seat. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is well known to have adjustable seats in a vehicle. Some vehicles offer powered front seats which can be adjusted by using a switch or joystick and a set of electric motors. Other vehicles include manually adjustable front seats and some even having adjustable second and third row seats. Most vehicles that have manually adjustable seats utilize an activation mechanism for releasing a seat back for rotational movement about a shaft. The adjustment may include releasing the seat back for rotation to a forward position to allow passengers to exit a second row of a two door vehicle, for example, or to a reclined position between fully reclined and upright for comfort during periods of driving and non-driving. 
     In each scenario, the activation mechanism is typically positioned between a side shield of the seat and a side of the vehicle. Traditionally, the activation mechanism includes a lever or handle which is grasped by the seat occupant when adjustment is desired. Activation mechanisms can be a direct type wherein the mechanism contacts the shaft directly or a gooseneck type wherein the mechanism is in a forward position along the side shield and is coupled to the shaft via mechanical linkages. Each of these activation mechanisms suffer from certain drawbacks which can be summarized as being difficult to locate and difficult to utilize due primarily to being in direct contact with the shaft. In some instance, such activation mechanisms are positioned such that the mechanisms are covered by the seat belt when the seat occupant is buckled into the seat. This creates a situation where the seat belt precludes adjustment of the seat back until the seat belt is released. Even more, the seat belt can contact the activation mechanism under certain loading conditions and unintentionally release the seat back. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for an activation mechanism that is both easy to locate and easy to utilize. Such a mechanism would be positioned in an acceptable zone relative an H-point or passenger hip point such that the mechanism is readily accessible. An H-point is a theoretical, relative location of a vehicle seat occupant&#39;s hip. More specifically, a pivot point between a torso and upper leg portions of a body as used in vehicle design and regulation. Even more, the position of the mechanism would avoid interference with the seat belt and occupy a minimal amount of space between the seat side shield and the vehicle side (e.g., the B pillar). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a release mechanism for a reclining vehicle seat assembly having a seat base, a seat back, a side shield and a seat back recliner shaft about which the seat back rotates, includes an activation mechanism, and a transmission coupled to the activation mechanism via a wire for rotating the seat back recliner shaft and releasing the seat back. 
     In another possible embodiment, the wire and the transmission are positioned within the seat assembly. 
     In still another possible embodiment, the transmission includes a housing, supported by the seat base, through which the seat back recliner shaft extends, and a plurality of gears. In yet another possible embodiment, at least a portion of the seat back recliner shaft includes a plurality of teeth, and the plurality of gears includes a first gear having a central aperture and internal teeth for receiving the seat back recliner shaft and meshing with the plurality of teeth. 
     In another possible embodiment, the plurality of gears further includes a second gear attached to the wire such that movement of the activation mechanism moves the wire thereby rotating the second gear about a pin extending from the housing and supporting the second gear. 
     In still yet another possible embodiment, the second gear includes first and second arms extending from a hub, wherein the first arm is attached to the wire adjacent a distal end of the first arm, and the second arm includes a distal end forming an arc having a plurality of teeth on an inner side of the arc. 
     In yet another possible embodiment, the release mechanism further includes third and fourth gears for transmitting torque created by movement of the activation mechanism from the second gear to the first gear and the seat back recliner shaft. 
     In one other possible embodiment, the third and fourth gears each have a plurality of teeth, and the plurality of teeth of the third gear mesh with the plurality of teeth of the second gear and the plurality of teeth of the fourth gear, and the plurality of teeth of the fourth gear further mesh with the plurality of teeth of the first gear. 
     A vehicle incorporating the release mechanism for a reclining vehicle seat assembly described above. 
     One additional embodiment of a release mechanism for a reclining vehicle seat assembly includes a transmission, and an activation mechanism coupled to the transmission via a wire for releasing a seat back of the vehicle seat assembly, wherein the wire and the transmission are positioned within the seat assembly. 
     In another possible embodiment, the activation mechanism is a lever and the transmission includes a plurality of meshed gears for transmitting torque created by movement of the lever from a gear of the plurality of gears attached to the wire to a shaft associated with the seat back. 
     In yet another possible embodiment, the transmission includes a gear having first and second arms extending from a hub, the first arm attached to and moved by the wire and the second arm forming an arc having a plurality of teeth on an inner side of the arc for meshing with the plurality of meshed gears. 
     In still another possible embodiment, the transmission includes a housing, supported by a seat base of the seat assembly, through which the seat back recliner shaft extends, and a plurality of gears. 
     In one additional embodiment, a reclining vehicle seat assembly includes a base supported by the vehicle, a seat back connected to the base for rotation about a shaft, a transmission including a plurality of gears for rotating the shaft and releasing the seat back, a side shield attached to the base and covering at least a portion of a side of the base and a side of the seat back, and a lever attached to the transmission via a wire, wherein the transmission and the wire are covered by the side shield. 
     In another possible embodiment, the plurality of gears are meshed for transmitting torque created by movement of the lever from a gear of the plurality of gears attached to the wire to the shaft. 
     In yet another possible embodiment, least a portion of the shaft includes a plurality of teeth, and the plurality of gears includes a first gear having internal teeth for meshing with the plurality of teeth, and a second gear attached to the wire such that movement of the lever moves the wire thereby rotating the second gear about a pin extending from a housing and supporting the second gear. 
     In still another, the second gear includes first and second arms extending from a hub, the first arm attached to the wire and the second arm forming an arc having a plurality of teeth on an inner side of the arc. 
     In yet still another possible embodiment, the reclining vehicle seat assembly further includes third and fourth gears for transmitting torque created by movement of the lever from the second gear to the first gear and the shaft. In another, the third and fourth gears each have a plurality of teeth, and the plurality of teeth of the third gear mesh with the plurality of teeth of the second gear and the plurality of teeth of the fourth gear, and the plurality of teeth of the fourth gear further mesh with the plurality of teeth of the first gear. 
     In the following description, there are shown and described several embodiments of a release mechanism for a reclining seat assembly for a vehicle and a vehicle incorporating same. As it should be realized, the invention is capable of other, different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the assemblies as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the release mechanism for a reclining seat assembly for a vehicle and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a partial top plan view of a typical vehicle having a front row of seats including two reclining seat assemblies; 
         FIG. 2  is a side plan view of a portion of a vehicle seat assembly having a portion of a side shield cutaway revealing a transmission and wire connecting the transmission to an activation mechanism positioned outside of the side shield; and 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the transmission and seat back recliner shaft; and 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the transmission and seat back recliner shaft. 
     
    
    
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the release mechanism for a reclining seat assembly for a vehicle, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures, wherein like numerals are used to represent like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 1  which illustrates a vehicle  10  having a front row of seats  12  within a passenger compartment  14 . The front row of seats  12  includes a driver seat  16  and a passenger seat  18 . The driver seat  16  is positioned adjacent a side of the vehicle represented by a B pillar  17 . Similarly, the passenger seat  18  is positioned adjacent a side of the vehicle represented by a B pillar  19 . A center console  20  is positioned between the driver seat  16  and the passenger seat  18 . Both of the driver seat and the passenger seat are typical reclining vehicle seat assemblies. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the driver seat assembly  16  includes a seat base  22 , a seat back  24 , and a side shield  26 . The seat back  24  rotates about a seat back recliner shaft  28  in response to an occupant&#39;s actions. An activation mechanism  30 , shown as a lever or handle in the described embodiment, is connected to a manual gear transmission  32  via a wire  34 . The activation mechanism  30  can take any structural form sufficient to be grasped by an occupant and moved such that a pulling force is created on the wire  34 . Movement of the activation mechanism  30  (shown by action arrow A in  FIG. 2 ) by the occupant pulls the wire  34  forward (shown by action arrow E in  FIG. 4 ) and consequently activates the manual gear transmission  32  (hereinafter “transmission  32 ”) and rotates the seat back recliner shaft  28 . 
     Rotating the seat back recliner shaft  28  momentarily releases the seat back  24 , which is biased for forward rotation in the described embodiment, for rotation in either forward or rearward directions. Releasing the activation mechanism  30  returns the seat back recliner shaft  28  to its original or resting, i.e., locked, position thereby locking the seat back  24  in a desired position. In the described embodiment, the activation mechanism  30  can accommodate a maximum load applied by an occupant of the seat assembly  16  of twenty-five newtons. Movement of the activation mechanism  30  creates a maximum torque of eight newton-meters in the described embodiment. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the side shield  26  is shown having a portion thereof cutaway to reveal the transmission  32  and the wire  34  which are positioned behind or beneath the side shield  26 . In other words, the transmission  32  and the wire  34  are out of sight. The activation mechanism  30  (hereinafter “lever  30 ”) is positioned outside of the side shield  16  in a location that is readily accessible to the occupant of the seat assembly  16  and avoids interference with a seat belt or a side pillar (not shown) of the vehicle  10 . More specifically, the location of the lever  30  is in a zone relative a passenger hip point or H-point  31 . In the described embodiment, the lever  30  is located in a zone which provides an optimal position for the lever  30  such that it is easy to locate and easy to utilize by the occupant. In alternate embodiments, the lever  30  may be located in any of several zones relative the H-point. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the transmission  32  is mounted in a housing  50 . In the described embodiment, the housing  50  is supported by the seat base  22  as best shown in  FIG. 2 . At least a portion  52  of the seat back recliner shaft  28  includes a plurality of radially extending teeth  54 . The portion  52  of the seat back recliner shaft  28 , including the plurality of teeth  54 , extends through a back side  56  of the housing  50  and meshes with a plurality of gears, generally designed  58 . Together, the plurality of gears  58  transmit torque created by movement of the lever  30  through the gears to the seat back recliner shaft  28 . In the described embodiment, each of the plurality of gears  58  is a spur gear. 
     More specifically, the plurality of gears  58  include four interworking gears in the described embodiment. A first gear  60  is a sector gear having a central aperture  62  formed for receiving and meshing with the plurality of teeth  54  of the recliner shaft  28 . Although shown along an end portion  52  of the recliner shaft  28  in the described embodiment, the plurality of teeth  54  may extend a full length of the seat back recliner shaft  18  or over only a portion or portions thereof. The first gear  60  is generally oval in shape having straight sides  64  and curved ends. A plurality of teeth  66  extend radially along one end  68  of the first gear  60 . 
     A second gear  70  of the plurality of gears  58  is supported for rotation about a pin  72  extending from and supported by the housing  50 . The second gear  70  includes a first arm  74  and a second arm  76  extending from a hub  78 . The hub  78  includes an aperture  80  which receives at least a portion of the pin  72  forming an axis of rotation for the second gear  70 . The first arm  74  is attached to the wire  34  adjacent a distal end  84  of the first arm. The second gear  70  is attached to the wire  34  such that movement of lever  30  pulls the wire and, in turn, the first arm  84  rotating the second gear in a clockwise direction about the pin  72 . A distal end  86  of the second arm  76  forms an arc  88  having a plurality of teeth  90  along an inner side  92  thereof. 
     A third gear  94  and a fourth gear  96  transmit the torque created by movement of the lever  30  from the second gear  70  to the first gear  60  and the seat back recliner shaft  28 . In the described embodiment, the third gear  94  is a pinion gear that is self-supported by the housing  50 . A plurality of teeth  98  extend radially from the third gear  94  and mesh with the plurality of teeth  90  of the second arm  76  of the second gear  70  and a first plurality of teeth  100  extending radially from the fourth gear  96 . Rotation of the second gear  70  about pin  72  creates clockwise rotation of the third gear  94  which creates a counterclockwise rotation in the fourth gear  96 . 
     More specifically, the first plurality of teeth  100  of the fourth gear  96  are positioned along an extended sector or arc  102  formed generally around a portion, i.e., a forward portion as shown in  FIG. 3 , of the fourth gear  96 . A central aperture of the fourth gear  96  receives at least a portion of a pin  104  forming an axis of rotation for the fourth gear. A second plurality of teeth  106  extend radially from a rearward sector or arc  108  of the fourth gear  96 . The second plurality of teeth  106  mesh with the plurality of teeth  66  of the first gear  60  creating a clockwise rotation of the first gear  60 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4  and generally described above, activation of the lever  30  pulls the wire  34  away from the transmission  32 , as shown by action arrow E, and toward the lever. Even more, the first arm  74  of the second gear  70  is likewise pulled toward the lever  30  rotating the second gear clockwise about the pin  72  as shown by action arrow B. Rotation of the second gear  70  necessarily rotates the second arm  76  in a clockwise direction. The plurality of teeth  90  extending from the inner side of the second arm  76  likewise rotate in a clockwise direction and mesh with the plurality of teeth  98  of the third gear  94 . 
     Movement of the second gear  70  causes the third gear  94  to also rotate in a clockwise direction. The teeth  94  of the third gear  94  mesh with the first plurality of teeth  100  of the fourth gear  96  causing the fourth gear to rotate counter-clockwise as shown by action arrow C. As the fourth gear  96  rotates, a second plurality of teeth  106  of the fourth gear mesh with the plurality of teeth  66  of the first gear  60  causing the first gear and the seat back recline shaft  28  to both rotated clockwise. This rotation is represented by action arrow D in  FIG. 3 . 
     In summary, numerous benefits result from the utilization of the release mechanism for a reclining seat assembly of a vehicle as illustrated in this document. Utilizing the transmission  32  to transfer movement of the lever  30  via the wire  34  to the seat back recline shaft  28  in order to release the seat back allows the lever  30  to be positioned in essentially any location along the side shield  26 . Accordingly, the lever  30  can be positioned such that the lever is both easy to locate and easy to utilize. 
     In the described embodiment, the lever  30  is positioned in a zone relative the H-point  31  wherein the lever is considered to be easy to locate and utilize. In this position, the lever  30  avoids interference with the seat belt and the sides or B pillars  17 ,  19  of the vehicle  10 . Even more, the wire  34  and transmission  32  are positioned behind the seat side shield  26  thereby minimizing an amount of space between the seat side shield  26  and the vehicle sides and B pillars  17 ,  19  required to package the parts utilized to recline the seat back  24 . 
     The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the lever may be positioned in one of several acceptable zones relative the H-point. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.