Claims
- 1. An adjustment mechanism for reclining a vehicle seat comprising:
- a first bracket supporting a seat back portion of a seat assembly and having a pivotal slot;
- a second bracket supporting a seat cushion portion of the seat assembly, said first bracket being pivotally mounted adjacent to said second bracket;
- internal gear means formed on said first bracket and having inwardly directed gear teeth eccentrically dispoesd about said pivotal slot;
- a disc plate adjacent said first bracket and having external gear means disposed in meshed engagement with said internal gear means, said disc plate having an axial aperture and said external gear means having outwardly directed gear teeth circumferentially disposed relative to said axial aperture, the number of said internal gear teeth of said internal gear being more than the number of said external gear teeth;
- shaft means for pivoting said first bracket relative to said second bracket, said shaft means having a pair of coaxial portions and an eccentric portion extending therebetween, said eccentric portion extending through said pivotal slot for rotatably supporting said internal gear means and said first bracket, one of said pair of coaxial portions extending through said axial aperture and the remaining one of said pair of coaxial portions being pivotally attached to said second bracket;
- bearing means mounted on said pair of axial portions of said shaft means for reducing resistance on the periphery of said shaft means, said bearing means including a first bearing member mounted between said first bracket and said second bracket, said first bearing member having a portion extending radially outward relative to said eccentric shaft means to engage and space said first and second brackets and for reducing also radial resistance between said first and second brackets when said first bracket is pivoted relative to said bracket;
- said external gear means including an outer peripheral portion having a plurality of teeth;
- a pawl member adapted to be pivotally mounted on said second bracket for engagement with said plurality of teeth to lock said first bracket relative to said second bracket; and
- an operating lever rotatably supported on said shaft means for controlling the engagement and disengagement between said pawl member and said plurality of teeth.
- 2. The adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said radially outward extending portion is an integral flange extending between said first and second brackets, said first bearing member being secured to said first bracket and rotatably supported on said remaining one of said pair of coaxial shaft portions of said shaft means, and wherein said bearing means includes a second bearing member mounted on said one of said pair of coaxial shaft portions and supporting said operating lever.
- 3. An adjustment mechanism for reclining a vehicle seat comprising:
- a first bracket supporting a seat back portion of the seat;
- a second bracket supporting a seat cushion portion of the seat;
- a disc plate disposed adjacent a side of said first bracket opposite said second bracket, said disc plate having ratchet teeth extending along a peripheral portion thereof;
- gear means interconnecting said disc plate and said first bracket for stepped adjustment of said first bracket relative to said second bracket, said gear means including a first gear engaged with a second gear, said first gear having a greater number of gear teeth than said second gear;
- eccentric shaft means pivotally mounted on said second bracket for rotatably supporting said gear means, said shaft means having an eccentric portion and coaxial portion, said first gear being secured to said eccentric portion and said second gear being concentrically mounted on said coaxial portion for engagement with said first gear;
- a first bearing member mounted on said eccentric shaft means and extending between said first and second brackets for reducing axial and raidal resistance along said eccentric shaft means;
- a subplate supported on said eccentric shaft means and adapted to be secured to said second bracket, said gear means extending between said second bracket and said subplate along said eccentric shaft means, said subplate having a second bearing member fitted into an axial aperture surrounding said eccentric shaft means;
- a pawl member pivotally mounted on said second bracket for selective engagement with said ratchet teeth to lock said first bracket relative to said second teeth; and
- an operating lever rotatably supported on said second bearing member for controlling engagement and disengagement between said pawl member and said ratchet teeth.
- 4. An adjustment mechanism for reclining a vehicle seat comprising:
- a first bracket supporting a seat back portion of a seat assembly and having a pivotal slot;
- a second bracket supporting a seat portion of the seat assembly, said first bracket being pivotally attached to said second bracket;
- internal gear means formed on said first bracket and eccentrically disposed about said pivotal slot;
- a disc plate adjacent said first bracket and having external gear means disposed in meshed engagement with said internal gear means, said disc plate having an axial aperture and said external gear means having external gear teeth circumferentially disposed about said axial aperture, the number of said internal gear teeth being more than the number of said external gear teeth;
- shaft means for pivoting said first bracket relative to said second bracket, said shaft means having a pair of coaxial portions and an eccentric portion extending therebetween, said eccentric portion mounted within said pivotal slot for rotatably supporting said internal gear means and said first bracket, one of said pair of coaxial portions extending through said axial aperture and the remaining one of said pair of coaxial portions being pivotally attached to said second bracket, said first bracket being spaced from said second bracket; and
- a frictionally resistant spacer ring disposed between said first bracket and said second bracket to reduce resistance between said first and second brackets when said first bracket is pivoted relative to said second bracket.
- 5. The adjustment mechanism according to claim 4, further comprising:
- a pawl member pivotally mounted on said second bracket, wherein said external gear means includes an outer peripheral portion having a plurality of teeth for engaging said pawl member being adapted for engagement with said plurality of teeth to lock said first bracket relative to said second bracket; and
- an operating lever means rotatably supported on said eccentric shaft means for controlling the engagement and disengagement between said pawl member and said teeth.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
59-81299[U] |
May 1984 |
JPX |
|
59-148165[U] |
Sep 1984 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 739,846, filed May 31, 1985.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0099549 |
Feb 1984 |
EPX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
739846 |
May 1985 |
|