Patent ID: 7766428

Claim:
A recliner for providing pivotal movement of a seat back relative to a seat cushion of an automotive vehicle seat, said recliner comprising: a guide plate configured to be mounted to said seat cushion, said guide plate having a center bore; a toothed plate rotatably assembled to said guide plate and configured to be mounted on said seat back, said toothed plate having a flange having a series of internal teeth thereon and having a center bore coaxial with said center bore of said guide plate; a plurality of pawls mounted between said toothed plate and said guide plate, said pawls each having a toothed surface and moveable between a locked position with said toothed surfaces engaging said series of teeth of said toothed plate to secure said toothed plate relative to said guide plate, and an unlocked position with said toothed surfaces spaced from said teeth of said toothed plate to allow movement of said toothed plate relative to said guide plate; a plurality of guides extending from said guide plate, said guides receiving said pawls and guiding said pawls between said locked and unlocked positions; a cam rotatably mounted between said guide plate and said toothed plate, said cam having a cam surface defined by a plurality of lobes for selective engagement with said pawls, selectively moving said pawls between said locked and unlocked positions as said cam rotates; a spring continuously biasing said cam, said cam urging said plurality of pawls toward said locked position; and a bushing engaging said cam, said cam and said bushing having a lost motion connection therebetween enabling limited relative rotation before said bushing engages said cam in a driving relation, said cam having a central bore defining a center axis coaxial with said center bore of said guide plate and said toothed plate and said bushing having a central aperture wherein said bushing is pivotal relative to said cam transverse to said center axis.