Patent ID: 8360526

Claim:
A seat reclining apparatus for a vehicle comprising: a base member connected with one of a seat cushion and a seat back pivotally connected to the seat cushion; a pivot member connected with the other of the seat cushion and the seat back, and arranged to be pivoted in a circumferential direction relative to the base member, the pivot member including a circular recessed portion located on a base member's side, and having an internal tooth gear located on an inner circumference surface of the circular recessed portion; a cylindrical holder covering an outer circumference surface of the pivot member, and having a first end portion formed with an axial movement restricting portion arranged to position the pivot member relative to the base member in the axial direction, and a second end portion; a lock tooth having an external tooth gear arranged to be engaged with the internal tooth gear of the pivot member, and the lock tooth being arranged to be moved in a direction in which the external tooth gear is engaged with or disengaged from the internal tooth gear of the pivot member; and a cam arranged to push the lock tooth to engage the external tooth gear of the lock tooth with the internal tooth gear of the pivot member or to disengage the external tooth gear of the lock tooth from the internal tooth gear of the pivot member; the pivot member including a bearing inner circumference surface located on the circular recessed portion alongside the internal tooth gear, on the base member's side of the internal tooth gear of the pivot member in the axial direction, the base member including a circular recessed portion formed by half blanking by a press on a side opposite to the pivot member's side, and a circular support outer circumference surface which is formed on a back side of the circular recessed portion of the base member, and on which the bearing inner circumference surface of the pivot member is slid, and the bearing inner circumference surface of the pivot member and the support outer circumference surface of the base member being arranged to position the pivot member relative to the base member in the radial direction, wherein the pivot member includes a flange portion which is bent into a flange shape, which is located on an outer circumference portion of the pivot member, and which has an outer circumference surface having a substantially constant diameter; and the bearing inner circumference surface and the internal tooth gear are formed on an inner circumference surface of the flange portion so that the bearing inner circumference surface is formed alongside the internal tooth gear, wherein the base member comprises a guide raised portion having an outer circumference guide surface arranged to guide the lock tooth by contacting a sliding outer circumference surface of the lock tooth so that the lock tooth is moved in the direction in which the external tooth gear is engaged with or disengaged from the internal tooth gear of the pivot member.