Patent ID: 7563049

Claim:
A fitting for a vehicle seat, the fitting comprising: first and second fitting parts mounted so that there can be relative rotation, about an axis, between the first and second fitting parts; an eccentric mounted for being rotated about the axis relative to the first and second fitting parts; a plurality of locking elements that are guided by the first fitting part for moving radially outward, with respect to the axis, in response to rotation of the eccentric, so that the locking elements engage an arrangement of teeth of the second fitting part to lock the fitting in a locked position while the locking elements are positioned radially outwardly, wherein: the arrangement of teeth extends around, and is radially outwardly from, the axis, relative rotation between the first and second fitting parts about the axis is restricted while the fitting is locked, the plurality of locking elements includes first and second locking elements that are adjacent to one another, while the fitting is locked: (a) the first and second locking elements are tilted laterally with respect to a radial direction that extends radially with respect to the axis, and (b) the tilt of the first locking element is opposite from the tilt of the second locking element, the eccentric includes: (a) a first pair of eccentric cams for contacting the first locking element, and (b) a second pair of eccentric cams for contacting the second locking element, for each pair of the first and second pairs of eccentric cams: (a) the pair includes a first eccentric cam and a second eccentric cam, (b) the first eccentric cam differs in radial protrusiveness from the second eccentric cam, and (c) the first and second eccentric cams are arranged in a sequence with respect to a circumferential direction of the eccentric, for the first and second pairs of eccentric cams, the sequence of the two eccentric cams within a pair changes from pair to pair in the circumferential direction of the eccentric, each of the first and second eccentric cams of the first pair of eccentric cams is for contacting the first locking element, and each of the first and second eccentric cams of the second pair of eccentric cams is for contacting the second locking element, wherein when the eccentric is rotated to an unlocked position, the eccentric cams allow the locking elements to move radially inward and disengage the arrangement of teeth of the second fitting part, allowing rotation between the first and second fitting parts.