Recliner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10279709-B2
Application number	US-201715602637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2017
Priority date	May 23, 2016
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A recliner including a ratchet and a guide mounted in an axial direction, and a lock mechanism configured to lock relative rotation between the ratchet and the guide by meshing in a radial direction, the lock mechanism including a plurality of poles which is configured to be supported in a circumferential direction by the guide and has outer circumferential teeth configured to mesh with inner circumferential teeth formed on the ratchet as the poles are pushed outwards in the radial direction to be moved, the plurality of poles including a specific pole, wherein the specific pole includes a pressing portion configured to contact a restraint portion of the guide from an inner side in the radial direction so as to be restrained from moving in the circumferential direction as the specific pole is pushed outwards in the radial direction by an operating cam to be moved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recliner configured to function as a rotary shaft device capable of stopping rotation, the recliner comprising:
a ratchet and a guide mounted in an axial direction to be rotatable relative to each other; and
a lock mechanism provided between the ratchet and the guide and configured to lock the relative rotation between the ratchet and the guide by meshing in a radial direction, the lock mechanism including:
a plurality of poles which is configured to be supported in a circumferential direction by the guide and has outer circumferential teeth configured to mesh with inner circumferential teeth formed on the ratchet as the poles are pushed outwards in the radial direction to be moved, the plurality of poles including a specific pole; and
an operating cam configured to push the plurality of poles outwards in the radial direction with respect to the guide,

wherein the specific pole includes a pressing portion including a protrusion, configured to contact a restraint portion, including a recess, of the guide from an inner side in the radial direction so as to be restrained from moving in the circumferential direction as the specific pole is pushed outwards in the radial direction by the operating cam to be moved,
wherein the protrusion of the specific pole is configured to interlock with the recess of the restraint portion in the circumferential direction.

2. The recliner according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first contact point at which the specific pole is pushed from the inner side in the radial direction by the operating cam, a second contact point at which the pressing portion is in contact with the restraint portion, and a third contact point at which a part of the outer circumferential teeth of the specific pole is preferentially pressed and meshed with the ratchet are offset from each other in the circumferential direction.

3. The recliner according to claim 1 ,
wherein, as the specific pole is pushed outwards in the radial direction by the operating cam to be moved, the pressing portion comes into contact with the restraint portion before the specific pole meshes with the ratchet, and as the specific pole is further moved, the specific pole meshes with the ratchet.

4. The recliner according to claim 3 ,
wherein a shape of a contact portion between the pressing portion and the restraint portion is a line contact shape, and the contact portion serves as a fulcrum which is capable of enabling the specific pole to rotate outwards in the radial direction so that the specific pole meshes with the ratchet.

5. The recliner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressing portion has a convex shape extending from the specific pole in the circumferential direction, and the restraint portion has a concave shape recessed in the guide so as to accommodate therein the pressing portion from the inner side in the radial direction.

6. The recliner according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of poles includes the pressing portion.

7. The recliner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operating cam is configured to be rotated, and
wherein the operating cam is configured push the plurality of poles outwards in the radial direction by being rotated.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk

Inventors

• Suzuki Hiroyuki
• Teraguchi Hiroaki

Classifications

• B60N2/2362

  rotatably movable · CPC title

• B60N2/2251 Primary

  with gears having orbital motion, e.g. sun and planet gears · CPC title

• B60N2/2255

  with coiled springs · CPC title

• B60N2/2356 Primary

  with internal pawls · CPC title

• B60N2/2252

  in which the central axis of the gearing lies inside the periphery of an orbital gear, e.g. one gear without sun gear · CPC title