Patent ID: 7261379

Claim:
A reclining vehicle seat hinge assembly comprising, in combination: a first housing; a second housing rotatable with respect to the first housing, and having a circular shoulder and a plurality of teeth extending radially inward from the shoulder; a primary cam rotatable with respect to the first housing and having a pair of primary camming surfaces; a secondary cam rotatably driveable by the primary cam and having a plurality of camming surfaces; a pair of diametrically opposed primary pawls, each primary pawl slidable radially with respect to the first housing, having a first and a second cam engaging member and a plurality of radially outward extending teeth, and configured to be driven radially outward by engagement with the primary cam into an engaged position where the teeth of the primary pawl engage with the teeth of the second housing, and to be driven radially inward by the secondary cam into a disengaged position where the teeth of the primary pawl are free of the teeth of the second housing; a pair of diametrically opposed secondary pawls, each secondary pawl slidable radially with respect to the first housing, having a plurality of radially outward extending teeth, and configured to be driven radially outward by engagement with the secondary cam into an engaged position where the teeth of the secondary pawl engage with the teeth of the second housing, and to be driven radially inward by engagement with the secondary cam into a disengaged position where the teeth of the secondary pawl are free of the teeth of the second housing.