Chairs and seats – Movable back – Tiltable
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-20
2003-10-28
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable back
Tiltable
C475S162000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637821
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seat reclining device for a vehicle, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a seat reclining device for a vehicle which is configured to allow an angle of a vehicle seat back to be continuously adjusted as desired in forward and rearward directions for ensuring comfort of an occupant.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle seat functions to ensure comfort of an occupant. The vehicle seat is provided with a seat reclining device which allows an angle of a seat back to be adjusted in forward and rearward directions in conformity with a desire of an occupant, that is, a passenger or a driver.
The seat reclining device is arranged at a region where a seat cushion frame and a seat back frame which constitute a seat are connected with each other. By manipulating a lever of the seat, projecting sideward, the seat back can be adjusted in its angle with respect to the seat cushion.
A conventional seat reclining device will be disclosed below with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
The conventional seat reclining device
1
includes a plate holder
2
which is fastened to a rear end of a seat cushion frame and a toothed bracket
4
which is fastened by the medium of an upper bracket
3
to a lower end of a seat back frame. An operating section is interposed between the plate holder
2
and the toothed bracket
4
. The toothed bracket
4
is formed with first teeth
10
. A manipulating section is externally coupled to the plate holder
2
. The manipulating section comprises a shaft
6
, a manipulating lever
7
, a lever spring
8
and a return spring
9
.
The operating section comprises a pair of operating members
12
, a cam lever
13
and a cam plate
14
. The operating members
12
are placed in a space defined between the plate holder
2
and the toothed bracket
4
. The operating members
12
are formed with second teeth
11
in a manner such that the second teeth
11
can be meshed with and separated from the first teeth
10
formed in the toothed bracket
4
so as to permit and prevent reclining of a seat back. The cam lever
13
functions to move the operating members
12
in a manner such that the second teeth
11
are meshed with the first teeth
10
, and the cam plate
14
functions to move the operating members
12
in a manner such that the second teeth
11
are separated from the first teeth
10
.
The cam lever
13
is formed with a pair of cams
15
. The cams
15
function to push the operating members
12
in a direction where the second teeth
11
are meshed with the first teeth
10
. The operating members
12
are defined with a pair of cam grooves
16
for respectively receiving the cams
15
when it is necessary to separate the second teeth
11
from the first teeth
10
.
Two pairs of projecting pins
17
are formed on the operating members
12
and the cam lever
13
. A pair of slots
18
are defined in the cam plate
14
in a manner such that one pair of projecting pins
17
which are respectively formed on the operating members
12
are inserted into the pair of slots
18
. Also, a pair of pin holes are defined in the cam plate
14
inward of the slots
18
in a manner such that the other one pair of projecting pins
17
which are formed on the cam lever
13
are inserted into the pair of pin holes.
Describing operations of the conventional seat reclining device
1
constructed as mentioned above, initially, the lever spring
8
and return spring
9
bias, via the cam lever
13
, the operating members
12
in a manner such that the second teeth
11
of the operating members
12
are meshed with the first teeth of the toothed bracket
4
.
In this state, when it is necessary to recline the seat back, by pulling upward the manipulating lever
7
, the shaft
6
is rotated. Then, as the cam lever
13
coupled to the shaft
6
is rotated, the pair of cams
15
are respectively received in the cam grooves
16
defined in the operating members
12
. Also, as the cam plate
14
coupled to the shaft
6
is rotated with the projecting pins
17
of the operating members
12
inserted into the slots
18
of the cam plate
14
, the second teeth
11
of the operating members
12
are separated from the first teeth
10
of the toothed bracket
4
, whereby it is possible to recline the seat back.
However, the conventional seat reclining device
1
suffers from defects in that the number of component parts is increased, and thereby, assemblability and productivity of the seat reclining device
1
are deteriorated. Also, malfunction of the seat reclining device
1
can occur due to misassembly of the cam plate
14
which comprises a thin plate.
Specifically, in the conventional seat reclining device
1
, since a chance that the seat back is abruptly and too forcefully reclined by the presence of the return spring.
9
is increased, even while being seated, an old or feeble person may feel a substantial amount of shock when the seat back is reclined forward.
Further, even if the manipulating lever
7
is pulled while a person is not seated, as the seat back is violently rotated forward, a manipulator such as a driver may be injured and an impulsive operating sound is generated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a seat reclining device for a vehicle which is configured to be decreased in the number of component parts and to allow a vehicle seat back to be reclined only by an angle desired by a manipulator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seat reclining device for a vehicle which reduces a manufacturing cost, improves productivity, prevents a seat back from being abruptly and too forcefully reclined and operation noise from being generated, thereby protecting the human body from being injured, elevating quality of the seat reclining device and ensuring comfort of an occupant.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a seat reclining device for a vehicle, arranged at a region where a seat cushion frame and a seat back frame, which constitute a vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back, are connected with each other, to allow an angle of the seat back to be adjusted in forward and rearward directions, the device comprising: an upper toothed bracket fastened to a lower end of the seat back frame; a lower toothed bracket fastened to a rear end of the seat cushion frame; an operating section interposed between the upper and lower toothed brackets, for allowing the seat back to be reclined; and a cover plate for covering the upper and lower toothed brackets and the operating section; wherein the operating section comprises upper teeth internally formed on a circumferential inner surface of a groove which is depressed on the upper toothed bracket; lower teeth externally formed on a circumferential outer surface of a protrusion which projects from the lower toothed bracket toward the upper toothed bracket and is received in the groove of the upper toothed bracket, in a manner such that the lower teeth can be meshed with the upper teeth; a pair of cams accommodated in a cam hole which is defined at a center portion of the lower toothed bracket, to rotate the lower teeth of the lower toothed bracket in a desired reclining direction; and a cam spring having both ends which are respectively fitted into spring holes defined in the cams, to bias the cams in opposing radial outward directions; and wherein each cam has a shaft hole through which an operating shaft is fitted; a boss which is formed around the shaft hole on a surface of the cam; an operating cam part which is formed on a circumferential outer surface of the cam to extend through a first predetermined angle and is brought into contact with a circumferential inner surface of the lower toothed bracket, defining the cam hole, the operating cam part having an eccentric center which is
Bae Young Ho
Lee Won Young
Cuomo Peter M.
D'Adamo Stephen
Daebu Machinery Co., Ltd.
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
LandOfFree
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