Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Including means to hold or retard hinged members against...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-20
2001-01-30
Mah, Chuck Y. (Department: 3622)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Including means to hold or retard hinged members against...
C016S324000, C297S36700R, C297S366000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178596
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting angle of the back of a seat for a vehicle, and more particularly to an apparatus for adjusting angle of the back of a seat for a vehicle by which the angle can be adjusted accurately without any malfunction when the angle of the back is adjusted to provide comfort for a driver or a passenger, and which the twist caused by the external impact is prevented in driving a vehicle to mitigate the risk of the safety accident to the minimum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a seat for a vehicle comprises a front seat, which is constituted by a driver's seat and a front passenger's seat, and a rear seat on which passengers are seated. The front seat is provided such that the driver or the passenger is seated comfortably on the seat, and that the distance in front and rear of the seat and the angle of the back is adjusted freely on the basis of a figure of the driver, whereby the driver can drive the vehicle safely in the most comfortable posture and the passenger can be seated on the passenger's seat in the most comfortable posture.
Such a seat for a vehicle is provided with an apparatus for adjusting the angle of the back of a seat.
FIG. 1
shows an apparatus for adjusting the angle of the prior art. As shown in
FIG. 1
, a turning bracket
31
is mounted on a fixed bracket
11
connected to both sides of the rear of a seat
10
respectively, the turning bracket
31
is connected to a back
30
, and mounted on the fixed bracket
11
such that the turning bracket
31
is turned on a hinge
20
. On the outer surfaces of the turning bracket is mounted a ratchet
32
having a gear
33
formed thereon. A gear
42
is formed on the upper surface of a actuating piece
40
, which is arranged beneath the ratchet and turned by means of the fixed bracket
11
and a hinge
41
. The gear
42
is engaged with the gear
33
. A actuating lever
50
is provided for adjusting a position of the actuating piece. The actuating lever
50
has one end connected by means of the hinge. The actuating lever
50
includes a guiding hole
51
which is formed at the middle thereof and which a guide pin
43
formed at the end of the actuating piece is inserted in. To a fixing rail
60
for fixing the lower part of the one end of the actuating lever and the seat is connected a elastic spring
70
for lowering the actuating lever by virtue of its own elasticity.
With the apparatus for adjusting the angle of the back of prior art as described above, the actuating lever remains lowered by virtue of the elasticity of the elastic spring, as shown in
FIG. 1
a
, so that the guide pin inserted in the guiding hole is positioned at the upper end of the guiding hole, and the end of the actuating piece is lowered on the hinge. As a result, the gear of the actuating piece and the gear of the ratchet remain engaged with each other, thus the back is locked.
To adjust the angle of the back in the above mentioned conditions, as shown in
FIG. 1
b
, the end of the actuating lever is pulled upward so that the actuating lever is turned on the hinge. Consequently, the guide pin inserted in the guiding hole is positioned at the lower end of the guiding hole, and the actuating piece is lowered on the hinge. As a result, the gears engaged are separated from each other.
After the angle of the back is adjusted for the comfort of the users, released is the actuating lever which is pulled. Then, the actuating lever is lowered on the hinge by virtue of the elasticity of the elastic spring. The guide pin is positioned at the upper end of the guiding hole and the end of the actuating piece rises on the hinge, as shown in
FIG. 1
b
, by the turned angle of the guiding hole. Consequently, the gears are engaged with each other to lock the back at the adjusted angle.
However, the apparatus for adjusting the angle of the back of the prior art as described above adjusts the angle of the back and therefore locks the back at the adjusted angle, however, in that the actuating lever is actuated by virtue of the elasticity to turn the actuating piece, thus the gears formed on the actuating piece and the ratchet are engaged with each other or separated from each other. Consequently, if the external impact, such as shock from the collision of the vehicle in driving the vehicle, the actuating lever may be turned. As a result, the actuating piece is turned on the hinge by the turned angle of the actuating lever, therefore the gears engaged may be separated from each other. In this case, the upper part of the body of the driver is moved forward by the turning of the back forward. Accordingly, the upper part of the body is dashed against the steering wheel to lose his life from the safety accident.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for adjusting the angle of a seat of a vehicle by which the angle of the back can be adjusted accurately at the discretion of the user, the adjusted back is not turned voluntarily even though the impact is applied on the back, the upper part of the body of the user is not moved forward by turning of the back, and the upper part of the body is not dashed against the steering wheel, therefore his life can be protected from the safety accident.
The foregoing object is accomplished in one embodiment by providing an apparatus for adjusting angle of the back of a seat for a vehicle having turning pieces each of which is mounted to supporting brackets fixed to both ends of the seating portion and the back, the turning pieces being connected on a connecting shaft and being turned by means of an actuating lever, the apparatus for adjusting angle of the back comprising: a concave portion in an arc formed on one surface of the turning piece connected to the back of the turning pieces on the connecting shaft; a guiding protrusion having the upper end in a cylindrical form on the connecting shaft such that it is guided in the concave portion by the surface contact on one surface of the turning piece connected to the seating portion of the turning pieces; a guiding groove including a slanting jaw bent such that it is concaved perpendicularly in the middle of the guiding protrusion and the both side surfaces of the upper end are inclined inwardly; a latch portion concaved in the guiding groove for controlling the stop and the turn of the turning piece by lifting and lowering; and an actuating portion arranged in the rectangular hole of the lifting and lowering piece for turning on the connecting shaft to lift or lower the lifting and lowering piece.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4082352 (1978-04-01), Bales et al.
patent: 4087885 (1978-05-01), Gillentine
patent: 4103970 (1978-08-01), Homier
patent: 4175301 (1979-11-01), Letournoux et al.
patent: 4435013 (1984-03-01), Arihara
patent: 5664837 (1997-09-01), Takagi
patent: 5685611 (1997-11-01), Eguchi et al.
patent: 5762400 (1998-06-01), Okazaki et al.
Arent Fox Kitner Plotkin & Kahn PLLC
Koryo Co., Ltd.
Mah Chuck Y.
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