Patent ID: 8002353

Claim:
A seat reclining apparatus comprising: a lower-arm adapted to be supported on a seat cushion; an upper arm supported by the lower arm to be relatively pivotable and adapted to be supported on a seatback; a plurality of pawls arranged in the lower arm to be radially movable along guide walls and having outer gears disengageably engaged with an inner gear provided on an internal surface of the upper arm; a cam for radially moving the pawls by being rotated; a release plate attached bodily to the cam; and an urging member for urging the cam to rotate in one direction; wherein the pawls include a first pawl having an inner cam portion engaged with a cam surface provided on an outer circumference of the cam, a pawl grooved cam portion engaged with an engaging protrusion that protrudes in an axial direction on a side surface of the cam, and an engaging portion brought into engagement with a protruding portion provided on an internal surface of the upper arm when the upper arm is pivotally moved a predetermined angle relative to the lower arm; and a second pawl having an inner cam portion engaged with the cam surface provided on the outer circumference of the cam and an engaging protrusion engaged with a release plate grooved cam portion provided in the release plate.