Patent ID: 6869143

Claim:
A recliner clutch mechanism for use with a vehicle seat, the seat including a fixedly secured seat bottom and an upwardly extending and pivotally movable seat back, said mechanism comprising: a lock plate having a first face and a second face and adapted to being secured in translating fashion between the seat bottom and the upwardly extending seat back; a first actuating plate located in proximity to said first face of said lock plate and urging said lock plate to engage against the seat back in a first position; a second actuating plate located in proximity to said second face of said lock plate and causing said lock plate to disengage from the seat back in a second release position; a main spring associated with the seat bottom and adapted to engage the seat back in a forward rotating direction; a secondary spring influencing said first actuating plate against the seat back in said first engaged position; and a release handle and lever assembly in operative communication with said secondary spring and actuated to influence said first and second actuating plates against said lock plate faces in said second release position and by which said lock plate is laterally translated in an unseating direction from the seat back and towards the seat bottom.