Chairs and seats – Movable back – Tiltable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2001-04-24
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable back
Tiltable
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220666
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seat reclining devices and more particularly to automotive seat reclining devices of a type which employs toothed elements for locking a seatback at a desired angular position relative to a seat cushion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, various types of seat reclining devices have been proposed and put into practical use particularly in the field of motor vehicles. Some are of a type which employs toothed elements for obtaining a reliable locked condition of the seatback at a desired angular position relative to a seat cushion. That is, in such type seat reclining devices, two toothed elements are employed, which are brought into a meshed engagement when it is needed to lock the seatback at the desired angular position. When it becomes to need to change the angular position of the seatback, the locked engagement between the two toothed elements is cancelled to permit a free pivotal movement of the seatback to a new desired angular position.
However, due to their inherent construction, some of the conventional seat reclining devices have failed to provide users with a satisfied operation. That is, when applied with a certain load upon supporting the back of the seat occupant, some of the seatbacks tend to make an unexpected slight back pivoting, which makes the seat occupant uncomfortable. Usually, such undesired back pivoting is caused by a play of one of the two mutually engaged toothed elements relative to the other, which is produced when the load is applied therebetween.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a seat reclining device of a type using toothed elements, which is free of the above-mentioned undesired slight back pivoting of the seatback.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a seat reclining device of a type using toothed elements, which is simple, compact and economical.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a seat reclining device which comprises a base plate adapted to be secured to a seat cushion; a tooth plate adapted to be secured to a seatback; a center shaft for permitting the tooth plate to pivot relative to the base plate; first teeth possessed by the tooth plate; a tooth piece having second teeth which are engageable with the first teeth to bring about a locked condition between the base plate and the tooth plate, the tooth piece having parallel side walls; and a guide groove defined by the base plate for slidably receiving therein the tooth piece, the guide groove having parallel guide walls which face and contact the parallel side walls of the tooth piece respectively, wherein at least one of the parallel guide walls is provided with a projection which is projected in a direction to reduce a width of the guide groove.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a seat reclining device which comprises a base plate adapted to be secured to a seat cushion; a tooth plate adapted to be secured to a seatback; a center shaft for permitting the tooth plate to pivot relative to the base plate; first teeth possessed by the tooth plate; a tooth piece having second teeth which are engageable with the first teeth to establish a locked condition between the base plate and the tooth plate, the tooth piece having parallel side walls; a guide groove defined by the base plate for slidably receiving therein the tooth piece, the guide groove having parallel guide walls which face and contact the parallel side walls of the tooth piece respectively; a cam member pivotally supported by the center shaft, the cam member moving the tooth piece in a direction to establish the engagement between the first and second teeth when pivoted in a first direction and moving the tooth piece in a direction to cancel the engagement between the first and second teeth when pivoted in a second direction; and a control lever pivotally supported by the center shaft and rotated together with the cam member, wherein the parallel guide walls are provided near said first teeth with respective projections which are directed toward each other.
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Cuomo Peter M.
Foley & Lardner
Fuji Kiko Co. Ltd.
White Rodney B.
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