Disc recliner with tapered pin cam surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701223-B2
Application number	US-201414777107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2014
Priority date	Mar 18, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A disc recliner comprises a fixed guide plate coupled to a rotatable tooth plate. Pawls are movable between a first position interlocking the guide plate and tooth plate in a locked condition and a second position disengaged from the tooth plate in an unlocked condition to allow pivotal movement therebetween. A shaft extends through the guide plate and the tooth plate and a cam is fixedly mounted on the shaft for engagement with the pawls. A drive nut is fixedly mounted to the guide plate for rotation therewith. A drive screw is fixedly mounted to the shaft and matingly engaged with the drive nut wherein rotation of the shaft rotates the drive screw and the drive nut causes lateral movement of the shaft and cam along an axis to drive the pawls between the first and second positions thereby actuating the disc recliner between a locked and unlocked conditions.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A disc recliner operatively coupling a seat back to a seat cushion for providing selective pivotal movement of the seat back between a plurality of reclined seating positions, said disc recliner comprising:
a guide plate adapted to be mounted to one of the seat back and seat cushion;
a tooth plate adapted to be mounted to the other of the seat back and seat cushion, wherein said tooth plate is rotatably coupled to said guide plate;
at least one pawl operatively coupled to said guide plate and movable between a first position engaging said tooth plate, thereby interlocking said guide plate and said tooth plate in a locked condition to prevent pivotal movement of the seat back, and a second position disengaged from said tooth plate, thereby unlocking said guide plate and said tooth plate in an unlocked condition to allow pivotal movement of the seat back;
a shaft extending laterally along an axis through said guide plate and said tooth plate;
a cam fixedly mounted on said shaft for selective engagement with said pawls;
a drive nut fixedly mounted to said guide plate; and
a drive screw fixedly mounted to said shaft adjacent to said cam and matingly engaged with said drive nut wherein rotation of said shaft rotates said drive screw within said drive nut and said drive nut causes lateral movement of said shaft and cam along said axis to drive said at least one pawl between said first and second positions thereby actuating said disc recliner between said locked and unlocked conditions and allowing selectively pivotal movement of the seat back relative to the seat cushion.

2. The disc recliner as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive nut includes internal helical threads for mating engagement with external helical threads on said drive screw whereby rotation of said shaft causes rotational and lateral movement of said shaft along said axis.

3. The disc recliner as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said pawls includes an inner edge and an opposite outer edge and said cam includes a tapered pin cam surface for camming engagement with said inner edge of said pawl to slidably move said pawl radially into engagement with said tooth plate in said locked condition.

4. The disc recliner as set forth in claim 3 wherein said tooth plate includes an end wall having a central bore for receiving said shaft therethough and a circumferential side wall extending from said end wall and defining a plurality of teeth, each of said pawls includes a plurality of teeth formed in the outer edge thereof for locking engagement with said teeth of said tooth plate in said locked condition.

5. The disc recliner as set forth in claim 4 wherein said guide plate includes an end wall having a central bore for receiving said shaft therethrough and a plurality of spaced apart ribs extending radially from said central bore, said drive nut including a cylindrical main body extending through said central bore of said guide plate and having a plurality of recessed grooves extending axially along said main body for receiving said corresponding ribs in said central bore of said guide plate to rotatably lock said drive nut to said guide plate.

6. The disc recliner as set forth in claim 5 wherein said drive nut includes an end collar extending radially from one end of said main body for engaging said end wall of said guide plate to axially lock said drive nut to said guide plate.

7. The disc recliner as set forth in claim 6 wherein said guide plate includes a plurality of spaced apart embossments projecting outwardly from said end wall thereof, wherein each of said embossments includes opposite side guide surfaces for guiding said pawls between said first and second positions.

8. The disc recliner as set forth in claim 7 further including a spring having a first end fixedly secured to said shaft and an opposite second end fixedly secured to said guide plate for biasing said shaft in a first direction forcing said pawls into engagement with said tooth plate in said locked condition.

9. The disc recliner as set forth in claim 8 further including a control plate seated between said plurality of pawls and said tooth plate and having a central bore for slidably receiving said shaft therethrough, said control plate having a plurality of slots formed therein for receiving a tab projecting orthogonally from each of said pawls whereby rotation of said shaft in said second direction rotates said control plate and said slots guide said tabs along a slot profile to retract said pawls radially inwardly out of engagement with said tooth plate in said unlocked condition.

10. The disc recliner as set forth in claim 9 wherein said central bore of said control plate includes a plurality of radially extending tabs received in corresponding axial channels formed along the length of said shaft wherein the control plate is coupled for rotation with said shaft and said shaft is slidably coupled to said control plate along said axis.

Assignees

• Magna Seating Inc
• Magna Seating Inc

Inventors

• Tame Omar D
• Aktas Macit

Classifications

• B60N2/2356

  with internal pawls · CPC title

• B60N2/2227

  and provided with braking systems · CPC title

• B60N2/2362 Primary

  rotatably movable · CPC title

• B60N2/233

  by linear screw mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N2/236 Primary

  linearly movable · CPC title