U.S. patent application number 11/172646 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-17 for simplified linear recliner having a fixed pawl.
Invention is credited to Bonk, Jeffery T..
Application Number | 20050253437 11/172646 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25009630 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050253437 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bonk, Jeffery T. |
November 17, 2005 |
Simplified linear recliner having a fixed pawl
Abstract
A linear recliner assembly is provided having a recliner rod
slidably supported within a housing. The recliner rod is
selectively engageable with a pawl which is fixed within the
housing. The recliner rod is in contact with a cam which is
operable to force the recliner rod into engagement with the pawl or
enable the recliner rod to fall out of engagement with he pawl. The
cam is biased in a first position by a biasing mechanism, such that
the recliner rod is engaged with the pawl. The linear recliner
assembly is implemented into a seat assembly for enabling an
operator to select a plurality of recline positions of a seat back
relative to a seat.
Inventors: |
Bonk, Jeffery T.; (Clinton
Township, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARNESS, DICKEY & PIERCE, P.L.C.
P.O. BOX 828
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
MI
48303
US
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Family ID: |
25009630 |
Appl. No.: |
11/172646 |
Filed: |
July 1, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11172646 |
Jul 1, 2005 |
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10614541 |
Jul 7, 2003 |
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10614541 |
Jul 7, 2003 |
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09748482 |
Dec 27, 2000 |
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6655741 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/362.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/23 20130101; B60N
2/929 20180201 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/362.14 |
International
Class: |
B60N 002/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A reclining seat assembly comprising: a seat bottom; a seat back
in pivotal relationship to said seat bottom; and a linear recliner
assembly including: a housing; a pawl fixed to said housing; a
recliner rod slidably supported by said housing and selectively
engaging said pawl; a cam rotatably supported by a pivot relative
to said housing and movable between a first position forcing said
recliner rod into engagement with said pawl and a second position
enabling said recliner rod to fall from engagement with said pawl;
and a coil spring biasing said cam into said first position, said
coil spring having a coiled body positioned concentric with said
pivot of said cam.
2. The reclining seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising: a
first plurality of teeth formed in a lower surface of said pawl;
and a second plurality of teeth formed in an upper surface of said
recliner rod, said first and second pluralities of teeth
selectively engaged to prohibit relative movement between said
recliner rod and said pawl.
3. The reclining seat assembly of claim 1 wherein said coil spring
includes a first leg engaging said housing and a second leg
engaging said pivot, said first and second legs cooperating with
said coiled body and said pivot to bias said cam into said first
position.
4. The reclining seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising a
handle fixed for rotation with said cam to rotate said cam between
said first and second positions.
5. A reclining seat assembly comprising: a seat bottom; a seat back
in pivotal relationship to said seat bottom; and a linear recliner
assembly including: a housing; a pawl fixed to said housing; a
recliner rod slidably supported by said housing and movable between
an engaged position and a disengaged position; a cam rotatably
supported by a pivot relative to said housing and movable between a
first position forcing said recliner rod into said engaged position
and a second position allowing said recliner rod to fall into said
disengaged position, said cam locking said recliner rod in said
engaged position and supporting said recliner rod in said
disengaged position; and a coil spring biasing said cam into said
first position, said coil spring having a coiled body positioned
concentric with said pivot of said cam.
6. The reclining seat assembly of claim 5 further comprising: a
first plurality of teeth formed in a lower surface of said pawl;
and a second plurality of teeth formed in an upper surface of said
recliner rod, said first and second pluralities of teeth
selectively engaged to prohibit relative movement between said
recliner rod and said pawl.
7. The reclining seat assembly of claim 5 wherein said coil spring
includes a first leg engaging said housing and a second leg
engaging said pivot, said first and second legs cooperating with
said coiled body and said pivot to bias said cam into said first
position.
8. The reclining seat assembly of claim 5 further comprising a
handle fixed for rotation with said cam to rotate said cam between
said first and second positions.
9. A reclining seat assembly comprising: a seat bottom; a seat back
in pivotal relationship to said seat bottom; and a linear recliner
assembly including: a housing; a pawl fixed to said housing; a
recliner rod slidably supported by said housing and selectively
engaging said pawl; and a cam rotatably supported by said housing
and movable between a first position forcing said recliner rod into
engagement with said pawl and a second position enabling said
recliner rod to fall from engagement with said pawl, said cam
biased into said first position by a coil spring.
10. The reclining seat assembly of claim 9 further comprising: a
first plurality of teeth formed in a lower surface of said pawl;
and a second plurality of teeth formed in an upper surface of said
recliner rod, said first and second pluralities of teeth
selectively engaged to prohibit relative movement between said
recliner rod and said pawl.
11. The reclining seat assembly of claim 9 wherein said coil spring
includes a coiled body positioned concentric with a pivot axis of
said cam.
12. The reclining seat assembly of claim 11 wherein said coil
spring includes a first leg extending from said coiled body and a
second leg extending from said coiled body, said first and second
legs cooperating with said coiled body to bias said cam into said
first position.
13. The reclining seat assembly of claim 9 further comprising a
handle fixed for rotation with said cam to rotate said cam between
said first and second positions.
14. A reclining seat assembly comprising: a seat bottom; a seat
back in pivotal relationship to said seat bottom; and a linear
recliner assembly including: a housing; a pawl fixed to said
housing; a recliner rod slidably supported by said housing and
movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position; and
a cam rotatably supported by said housing and movable between a
first position forcing said recliner rod into said engaged position
and a second position allowing said recliner rod to fall into said
disengaged position, said cam locking said recliner rod in said
engaged position and supporting said recliner rod in said
disengaged position, said cam biased into said first position by a
coil spring.
15. The reclining seat assembly of claim 14 further comprising: a
first plurality of teeth formed in a lower surface of said pawl;
and a second plurality of teeth formed in an upper surface of said
recliner rod, said first and second pluralities of teeth
selectively engaged to prohibit relative movement between said
recliner rod and said pawl.
16. The reclining seat assembly of claim 14 wherein said coil
spring includes a coiled body positioned concentric with a pivot
axis of said cam.
17. The reclining seat assembly of claim 16 wherein said coil
spring includes a first leg extending from said coiled body and a
second leg extending from said coiled body, said first and second
legs cooperating with said coiled body to bias said cam into said
first position.
18. The reclining seat assembly of claim 14 further comprising a
handle fixed for rotation with said cam to rotate said cam between
said first and second positions.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/614,541 filed on Jul. 7, 2003, which is a
divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/748,482 filed on
Dec. 27, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,741). The disclosure of the
above application is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to linear recliner assemblies
and more particularly to a linear recliner assembly having a fixed
pawl.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Occupant safety and comfort are paramount concerns for
automobile manufacturers. In particular, vehicle seating systems
are a significant focus for improved comfort and safety.
Conventional vehicle seating systems include reclining seats that
enable comfort adjustment by a vehicle occupant.
[0004] In reclining seats, a recliner assembly is mounted to a long
lever arm, namely the seat back, against which various forces are
applied. The recliner assembly in a vehicle seat is quite small
when compared with the length of a seatback, and vehicle vibration
or movement of an occupant may impose various forces upon that
lever arm during use. Because these forces are applied along such a
lengthy lever arm, they can impose a large moment about the
recliner assembly's pivot point potentially overcoming the
capability of the assembly to anchor the seatback.
[0005] In addition, any imperfections in the components of the
recliner assembly, such as play or backlash between the engaging
teeth or tolerances in the assembly components, may allow the
seatback to move a miniscule amount even when the assembly is
locked. These small excursions are magnified by the length of the
lever arm and become noticeable at the upper end of the seatback.
For example, the seatback of an unoccupied seat may tend to
oscillate when the vehicle encounters rough road conditions. This
magnified play in a recliner assembly has been termed "chucking"
and refers to any imperfection or play in the assembly components
that allows movement of the lever arm or seatback while the
assembly is in a locked condition.
[0006] Therefore, it is desirable in the industry to provide a
recliner assembly that significantly reduces or eliminates chucking
of a seat assembly. It is further desirable that such a recliner
assembly be sufficiently strong, providing adequate occupant
protection in the event of an accident.
[0007] It is also desirable in the industry to reduce the overall
complexity of traditional reclining assemblies while maintaining
operation and safety standards. In this manner, overall cost is
reduced through implementation of fewer components and improved
manufacturability. Additionally, a weight savings can be achieved
through the utilization of fewer components in the reclining
assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Accordingly, a simplified linear recliner assembly according
to the present invention overcomes the above described deficiencies
of present linear recliner assemblies. Specifically, the linear
recliner assembly of the present invention includes fewer
components and a less complex overall design than previous linear
recliner assemblies.
[0009] The linear recliner assembly of the present invention
includes a housing, a recliner rod slidably supported within the
housing, a pawl supported by the housing, and a cam rotatably
supported by the housing. The cam has a cam surface that slidably
interfaces the recliner rod. The cam is rotatable for selectively
engaging the recliner rod with the pawl such that the recliner rod
is prohibited from linear movement when engaged with the pawl.
Preferably, the cam is biased in a first direction of rotation to
force the recliner rod into engagement with the pawl. The cam is
rotatable against the biasing force to disengage the recliner rod
from the pawl for linear adjustment of the recliner rod relative to
the housing.
[0010] Some advantages of the linear recliner assembly of the
present invention include improvements in cost, weight and
manufacturability of the linear recliner assembly.
[0011] A further advantage of the present invention is a simple,
compact construction that reduces tolerance stack-up that would
otherwise result in significant seat back chucking.
[0012] Additionally, packaging and trim of the overall seat
assembly is more easily achieved because the recliner assembly's
moving parts are internal to the compact housing.
[0013] Additional advantages and features of the present invention
will become apparent from the subsequent description and the
appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a side view detailing components of a linear
recliner assembly according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a top view of the linear recliner assembly of FIG.
1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a side view of the linear recliner assembly of
FIG. 1, showing the linear recliner assembly is a disengaged
state;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a side view detailing components of a second
preferred embodiment of the linear recliner assembly; and
[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a seat assembly implementing
the linear recliner assembly of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1 through 3, a preferred embodiment
of a linear recliner assembly 10 will be described in detail. The
linear recliner assembly 10 includes a housing 12 that includes a
first support plate 14 and a second support plate 16. A recliner
rod 18 is slidably supported within the housing 12 and includes a
toothed rack 20 formed in a top face 22. A pawl 24 is supported
within the housing 12 and has a tooth portion 26 on a surface 28
facing the toothed rack 20 of the reclining rod 18. The pawl 24 is
fixed between the first and second support plates 14,16 to prohibit
pivoting or other movement relative to the housing 12. A cam 30 is
rotatably supported between the first and second support plates
14,16 and has a cammed surface 32 that contacts a bottom face 34 of
the recliner rod 18. The cam 30 is fixed for rotation with a
spindle 36, which is rotatably supported by the first and second
support plates 14,16 through respective openings 38,40. The spindle
36 includes a splined portion 42 at a distal end, to which a handle
or lever 44 may be attached (see FIG. 5).
[0020] The cam 30 is rotatable between a first and second position.
In a first position, the cam 30 forces the recliner rod 18 into
engagement with the pawl 24. Specifically, the cam 30 pushes
against the bottom surface 34 of the recliner rod 18 to force the
toothed rack 20 of the recliner rod 18 and the tooth portion 26 of
the pawl 24 to engage. In this position, the recliner rod 18 is
prohibited from linear movement relative to the housing 12. The cam
30 is rotatable to a second position wherein the recliner rod 18
disengages the pawl 24. In this position, the recliner rod is free
to move linearly relative to the housing 12.
[0021] Preferably the recliner rod 18 remains in the engaged
position until an operator disengages the recliner rod 18 in order
to adjust a respective seat assembly (see FIG. 5). Accordingly, the
cam 30 is preferably biased in the first position by a biasing
mechanism 46. In a first preferred embodiment, the biasing
mechanism 46 includes a biasing rod 48 that includes a cylindrical
portion 50, a collar 52 disposed intermediately along the
cylindrical portion 50, and a ball 54 formed at distal end of the
cylindrical portion 50. The biasing rod 48 is slidably supported
within a guide bracket 56, which is supported by the housing 12.
The guide bracket 56 includes a seat area 58 and an opening 60
through which the cylindrical portion 50 of the biasing rod 48 is
disposed. A biasing spring 62 is disposed about the cylindrical
portion 50 between the collar 52 and the seat area 58 of the guide
bracket 56. The biasing spring 62 biases the biasing rod 48 away
from the guide bracket 56. The ball 54 of the biasing rod 48 seats
within a socket 64 of the cam 30. The relationship between the ball
54 and socket 64 interface of the biasing rod 48 and cam 30 is
similar to that of a conventional ball and socket joint. As best
seen if FIG. 1, the biasing mechanism 46 holds the cam 30 in the
first position wherein the recliner rod 18 is engaged with the pawl
24.
[0022] To disengage the recliner rod 18 from the pawl 24, an
operator rotates the spindle 36, and thus the cam 30, against the
biasing force of the biasing mechanism 46. The rotation of the cam
30 causes the biasing rod 48 to be pushed toward and/or through the
guide bracket 56, thereby compressing the biasing spring 62, which
is seated between the collar 52 and the seat area 58 of the guide
bracket 56. Additionally, as the cam 30 rotates to the second
position, the ball 54 of the biasing rod rotates within the socket
64 of the cam 30. As best seen in FIG. 2, when the cam 30 is
sufficiently rotated against the biasing force of the biasing
mechanism 46, the recliner rod 18 is free to fall out of engagement
with the pawl 24 and the recliner rod 18 may move linearly with
respect to the housing 12. In this manner, the recliner rod 18 can
be linearly adjusted with respect to the housing 12.
[0023] With particular reference to FIG. 4, a second preferred
embodiment of the linear recliner assembly 10 will be described in
detail. It should be noted that the second preferred embodiment
includes essentially the same components as the first preferred
embodiment and, therefore, like reference numerals will be used to
identify identical components.
[0024] In the second preferred embodiment, the linear recliner
assembly 10 includes a coil spring 70 for biasing the spindle 36 in
a first rotational direction, such that the cam 30 acts upon the
recliner rod 18 to engage the recliner rod 18 with the pawl 24. The
coil spring 70 includes a first end 72 that is received in a slot
74 of the spindle 36'. The coil spring 70 is disposed about the
spindle 36' and further includes a second end 76 that is held by a
bracket 78 formed within the housing 12.
[0025] To disengage the recliner rod 18 from the pawl 24, the cam
30 is rotated in a second rotational direction, against the biasing
force of the coil spring 70. When the cam 30 is sufficiently
rotated, the recliner rod 18 disengages the pawl 24, whereby the
recliner rod 18 may move linearly with respect to the housing 12.
In this manner, the recliner rod 18 can be linearly adjusted with
respect to the housing 12.
[0026] With particular reference to FIG. 5 a seat assembly 100
implementing the linear recliner assembly 10 will be described in
detail. It should be noted that either the first or second
preferred embodiment of the linear recliner assembly 10 can be
implemented in the seat assembly 100. The seat assembly 100
generally includes a seat 102 and a seat back 104 that is pivotal
relative to the seat 102. A support arm 106 is disposed within the
seat back for supporting the seat back 104 relative to the seat
102. The support arm 106 is pivotally attached to a support bracket
108 about an axis Q. A coil spring 110 is disposed about axis Q for
biasing the support arm 106 in a first rotational direction
relative to the support bracket 108. The recliner rod 18 includes
an attachment point 112 for pivotally attaching the recliner rod 18
to an end of the support arm 106. As the recliner rod 18 is caused
to move linearly with respect to the housing 12, the linear motion
of the recliner rod 18 translates into pivotal motion of the
support arm 106 about the axis Q. In this manner, an operator is
able to select a desired recline position of the seat back 104
relative to the seat 102. Further, the coil 110 preferably biases
the support arm 106, and thus the seat back 104, toward the seat
102. Thus, when the recliner rod 18 is disengaged from the pawl 24,
the seat back 104 rotates toward the seat 102, absent any opposing
force such as a seated occupant.
[0027] While the invention has been described in the specification
and illustrated in the drawings with reference to a preferred
embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that
various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for
elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention
as defined in the claims. In addition, many modifications may be
made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings
of the invention without departing from the essential scope
thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be
limited to the particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings
and described in the specification as the best mode presently
contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the
invention will include any embodiments falling within the
description of the appended claims.
* * * * *