Patent ID: 6910739

Claim:
A recliner mechanism for use with a vehicle seat, comprising: said seat including a seat bottom and a pivotally secured seat back; a release mechanism operably engaged to said seat back and including an actuating handle extending from said seat bottom, said release mechanism further comprising a secondary release lever pivotally associated with said handle; said seat bottom further comprising an outer plate and an inner plate sandwiching therebetween said seat back and said release mechanism; a plate secured to said seat back at a first location and pivotable along with said seat back about an axis defined at a second location, an arcuate exterior surface defined by said plate further exhibiting a recessed detent location; a floor release lever secured to said seat bottom proximate said plate, said floor release lever being pivotally associated with said release mechanism and including a cable extending to a floor latch mechanism associated with the vehicle; said floor release lever and said secondary release lever each exhibiting an interengaging tab such that said secondary release lever influences said floor release lever in selective first and second directions; a cam pivotally secured to said seat bottom in inter-disposed fashion between said floor release lever and said plate; said plate, floor release lever and cam being positioned upon an outer facing surface of said inner plate; wherein, upon said release mechanism rotating said floor release lever and said cable to cause said seat bottom to disengage from said floor latch mechanism, said cam being influenced by said release lever in a first direction to seat against said recessed detent location of said plate and to prevent a forwardly pivoted seat back from being rotated in a reverse direction; and wherein, upon said seat bottom being rotated back into engagement with said floor latch mechanism, said cam being influenced by said release lever in a second direction to permit said seat back to be pivoted in said reverse direction.