JPH07265150A - Seat reclining device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the strength of a lower tooth and to miniaturize a device unit by forming a slide contact part to be abutted to a lower tooth groove and a stopper part to be abutted to the lower part side of the lower tooth groove at a cam and canceling the engagement of a tooth part by turning the slide contact part away from the supporting part of the lower tooth. CONSTITUTION:A lower tooth groove 15 and a tooth part 12b are formed at a lower tooth 12, and a constant contact part 16 to abut a touch part 18 of a cam 13 is formed on the upper side of the lower tooth groove 15. Then, a slide contact part 17 to abut an arc part 22 of the cam 13 and a stopper part 21 of the cam 13 is formed on the lower side of the lower tooth groove 15. The cam 13 is turned by an operation lever 50, the touch part 17 gets away from the constant contact part 16 and slides along an arc part 24, the slide contact part 17 is slid on the arc part 22, the lower tooth 12 is turned, and the tooth part 12b cancels the engagement with a tooth part 11b of an upper tooth 11. Then, the stopper part 21 is abutted to the slide contact part 17 and the turn of the lower tooth 12 is stopped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a seat reclining device used in a vehicle seat device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A seat reclining device is a device for setting an inclination angle of a seat back in a seat device as desired so as to ensure a comfortable posture or an optimal driving posture of a seated person.

A conventional seat reclining device is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a seat back 4 is fixed to a base plate 2 fixed to a seat cushion 1 via a hinge shaft 3.
An arm 5 to be fixed to is rotatably rotatably supported, and an upper part 6 having teeth 6a formed on a circumference of a predetermined radius centered on the hinge shaft 3 is connected to the arm 5 and is connected to the teeth 6a. A lower tooth 7 having a tooth portion 7a that engages and disengages is pivotally supported by the base plate 2.

A cam 8 for rotating the lower tooth 7 and an operating lever 9 for rotating the cam 8 are rotatably supported by the base plate 2. In addition, in order to hold the hinge shaft 3, the lower tooth 7, the cam 8 and the shafts 7e and 9a of the operating lever 9 on both sides, the holder plate 2a
Are arranged parallel to the base plate 2. And
A spring 9b is mounted between the operating lever 9 and the base plate 2 so that the cam 8 attaches the lower tooth 7 to the upper part 6
It is always urged to press against.

Therefore, when the operating lever 9 is lifted and rotated, the cam 8 rotates and the contact portion 8a moves away from the permanent contact portion 7b of the lower tooth 7 into the cam groove 7c, While lowering the contact portion (contact surface) 7d, the lower tooth 7 separates from the upper part 6 and the meshing therebetween is released, and the upper part 6 is rotatable about the hinge shaft 3.

Therefore, when the seated person sets the seat back 4 at a desired angle and releases the operating lever 9, the operating lever 9 returns to its original state by the force of the spring 9b, and the cam 8 rotates in the opposite direction. Then, the contact portion 8a moves from the cam groove 7c to the permanent contact portion 7
By moving the lower tooth 7 to the upper tooth 6 and pressing the lower tooth 7 against the upper tooth 6, the tooth portions 6a and 7a of the both are engaged with each other, whereby the seat back 4 is locked at a desired inclination angle.

[0007]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional seat reclining device, the lower tooth 7 is always in contact with the shaft 7e through the cam groove 7c through which the cam 8 rotates and the contact portion 8a thereof enters. The narrow portion D is provided between the tangent portion 7b and the shaft 7 to form the cam groove 7c.
It is formed between e.

Therefore, the narrow portion D causes the mechanical strength of the lower tooth 7 to decrease, and in order to solve this, it is necessary to upgrade the material of the lower tooth 7 and increase the plate thickness. Bring rise.

The cam 8 is a cam groove 7 of the lower tooth 7.
Since the structure is such that the cam 8 and the lower tooth 7 are rotated so as to move forward and backward, the hinge 3, the lower tooth 7 and the shafts 7e and 9a of the cam 8 need to be retained. The seat reclining device could not be downsized because the layout could not be shortened and downsized.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the size of a seat reclining device.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a seat reclining device according to the present invention rotates together with a tooth portion and an operating lever of an upper part rotatably supported by a base plate or a holder plate. In a seat reclining device in which a tooth portion of a lower tooth that is rotated by a cam can be engaged and disengaged to freely set a rotation angle of the upper tooth, in the lower tooth, an upper portion is formed on the other end side opposite to the shaft supporting end portion. A lower tooth groove having no contact surface with a cam for rotating the lower tooth in a direction for releasing the meshing of the tooth portion of the lower tooth is formed, and the tooth portion is formed on the upper side of the lower tooth groove, while the lower tooth groove is formed on the cam. A sliding contact portion that contacts the lower tooth groove and a stopper portion that contacts the lower side of the lower tooth groove are formed to allow sliding contact. By rotating the direction away from the shaft support of Roatsusu and cancels the engagement of the teeth.

[0012]

[Operation] When the operation lever is rotated to rotate the cam, the cam is rotated so as to come out from the lower tooth groove of the lower tooth, and the engagement between the tooth portion of the lower tooth and the tooth portion of the upper part is released. At the same time, the stopper portion of the cam contacts the lower side of the lower tooth groove of the lower tooth to prevent the lower tooth from rotating more than necessary.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. 1 and 2 show a unit of a lock mechanism portion which is a main portion of a seat reclining device.

As shown, two holder plates 1
The upper part 11 and the lower tooth 12 and the cam 13 are rotatably supported by the shafts 11a, 12a, 13a between 0 to form a device unit 28. Axis 12
Both ends of a and 13a are holder plates 10
Has a length such that the protruding end portion can penetrate the through hole formed in the base plate and can be caulked.

The both ends of the shafts 12a and 13a are projected by a predetermined length. When the device units 28 are arranged on the left and right base plates of the seat apparatus, the device units 28 must be arranged outside the base plates. It will not happen. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the shaft 11a has two holder plates 10 each having an embossed hole 1a.
0a is formed, and both embossed holes 10a are formed to match each other. The hinge shaft 27 is inserted into the emboss hole 10a.

The hinge shaft 2 is attached to the upper part 11
A tooth portion 11b is formed on a circumference of a predetermined radius centered on 7, and a through hole 11c for connecting the arm 40 is formed. The arm 40 can have an appropriate shape and size according to the seat device.

In the lower tooth 12, a lower tooth groove 15 is formed on the other end side opposite to the shaft support end portion, a tooth portion 12b is formed on the upper side of the lower tooth groove 15, and a cam is formed on the upper side of the lower tooth groove 15. A normal contact portion 16 with which the contact portion 18 of the cam 13 abuts is formed, and an arc portion 22 of the cam 13 slides on the lower side of the lower tooth groove 15 and a slide contact portion 17 with which the stopper portion 21 of the cam 13 abuts. ing.

The shaft portion 13 of the cam 13 is placed in the lower tooth groove 15.
In a close arrangement such that a enters, that is, the cam 1
The base 23 of FIG. 3 and the arc portion 22 are arranged so close to each other that the sliding contact portion 17 is always in contact, and the shaft 13a and the lower tooth 1 are disposed.
It is provided in a state where the distance between the two shafts 12a is shortened.

The cam 13 is a permanent contact portion 16 of the lower tooth 12.
The contact portion 18 that abuts against the spring, the spring hooking projection 19 formed on the side of the contact portion 18, and the pin 51 for connecting with the operation lever 50.
A pin insertion hole 20 for inserting a pin, a stopper portion 21 formed on a side opposite to the contact portion 18, an arc portion 22 and a base portion 23 with which the sliding contact portion 17 slides, and an arc portion with which the normal contact portion 16 slides. It has a substantially star-shaped configuration including 24 and.

A spring hooking projection 25 composed of a mating portion of the spring hooking projection 19 of the cam 13 and the holder plates 10, 10.
A spring 26 is mounted between and to bias the cam 13 counterclockwise about the shaft 13a. An operating lever 50 is coaxially and rotatably supported by a shaft 13a of the cam 13, and a pin 51 protruding from the operating lever 50 is inserted into the pin insertion hole 2
Insert at 0.

The device unit 28 is not the object of the present invention, and therefore, it goes without saying that a seat reclining device in which one of the holder plates 10 is replaced with a base plate may be used.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. In FIG. 1, when the operation lever 50 is rotated clockwise around the shaft 13a in the drawing, the cam 13 rotates clockwise around the shaft 13a against the spring 26, as shown in FIG. Thus, the contact portion 18 moves away from the permanent contact portion 16.

Therefore, the contact portion 18 separates from the permanent contact portion 16 and slidably contacts the arc portion 24, and the slidable contact portion 17 and the arc portion 22.
The lower tooth 12 rotates in the clockwise direction in the drawing around the shaft 12a while slidingly contacting with. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3B, the meshing between the tooth portions 11b and 12b starts to be released.

Then, when the cam 13 is further rotated, the state shown in FIG.
As shown in (C), the tooth portions 11b and 12b are completely disengaged, and the stopper portion 21 of the cam 13 contacts the sliding contact portion 17 of the lower tooth 12 to prevent unnecessary rotation of the lower tooth 12. Therefore, the rotation of the cam 13 needs only a slight angle.

Therefore, the upper part 11 has the shaft 11
It becomes rotatable about a. Lower tooth 1
2 does not become completely free from the cam 13,
It constantly contacts with the cam 13 to maintain the engagement relationship.

Therefore, when the seated person inclines the seat back at a desired angle and releases the operation lever 50, the operation lever 5 is released.
0 returns to the original state by the force of the spring 26, and the cam 13 rotates in the opposite direction.

When the contact portion 18 of the cam 13 rotates counterclockwise and comes into contact with the permanent contact portion 16, the lower tooth 12 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing around the shaft 12a, and the tooth portion 12b. Meshes with the tooth portion 11b of the upper part 11. Therefore, the seat back inclination angle set by the seated person is maintained.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the shapes of the arm 40, the lower tooth 12, the cam 13 and the holder plate 10 are slightly changed, and a spring for biasing the cam 13 is used. An example in which a device unit 28 in which 26 is a compression spring is completed as a seat reclining device will be shown. 29 is a base plate,
Reference numeral 40 denotes an arm formed of a single plate having the center portion fitted to the hinge shaft 27, and reference numeral 31 denotes a spiral spring having the inner end portion locked to the hinge shaft 27. The operation lever 50 and the cam 13 are connected by a pin 51.

Both ends of the spring 26 have holder plates 10 at both ends.
And projections 33 and 34 formed on the cam 13 respectively
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the two holder plates 10, 10 are provided with bent portions 35, 35 having a semicircular cross section on a part thereof, and a cylindrical shape formed on the inner surface side to which the bent portions 35, 35 meet. It is inserted in the space and regulates illegal deformation (deformation in a direction other than axial expansion / contraction) when compressed. The fitting protrusion 33 is formed by forming a notch 36 for separating the holder plate 10 from the bent portion 35 so as to be located at the center of the end of the spring 26.
Further, the operation lever 5 is attached to the bending portion 35 on the fitting protrusion 34 side.
A cutout portion 37 is formed so that the pin 51 of the cam 13 is inserted by operating 0.

In this way, the spring 2 composed of the compression spring
By using 6, it is not necessary to provide hook-shaped engaging portions on both ends of the spring 26, and therefore, the space corresponding to the length of the omitted engaging portion can be effectively utilized. That is, the base plate to which the device unit 28 is attached needs a space for attaching irregularities and other parts for increasing strength. Then,
The bent portions 35, 35 prevent the compression spring from being compressed and easily separated from the fitting protrusions 33, 34 by restricting the illegal deformation of the compression spring.

[0031]

According to the present invention described above, a cam for rotating the lower tooth in the direction in which the tooth portion of the upper tooth and the tooth portion of the lower tooth are disengaged from each other on the other end portion side of the lower tooth which faces the shaft supporting end portion of the lower tooth. While forming a lower tooth groove having no contact surface with the lower tooth groove, the tooth portion is formed on the upper side of the lower tooth groove, and the sliding contact portion that abuts the lower tooth groove on the cam and the lower side of the lower tooth groove. Since the stopper portion that contacts is formed and the sliding contact portion is rotated in a direction away from the shaft supporting portion of the lower tooth to release the meshing of the tooth portion, a narrow width is provided between the tooth portion and the shaft supporting end portion. No part is formed, thus improving the strength of the lower tooth.

Further, the cam is made to rotate at a slight angle in the direction of retreating from the lower tooth groove of the lower tooth, the axial distance between the cam and the lower tooth can be shortened, and the lock mechanism portion or the device unit can be miniaturized.

Further, since the axial distance between the lower tooth and the cam can be shortened, the lever ratio of the operating lever can be increased, the operability thereof is lightened, and the turning angle of the cam is small, so that the holder plate is also small. And has an advantage that it can be easily attached to base plates having various shapes.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of FIG.

[FIG. 3] (A) to (C) are explanatory views of action.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Holder plate 11 ... Upper parts 11a, 12a, 13a ... Shafts 11b, 12b ... Tooth portion 12 ... Lower tooth 13 ... Cam 15 ... Lower tooth groove 16 ... Permanent contact portion 17 ... Sliding contact portion 18 ... Contact portion 19 ... Spring engaging protrusion Part 20 ... Pin insertion hole 21 ... Stopper part 22, 24 ... Arc part 26 ... Spring

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A rotation angle of an upper part of a base plate or a holder plate, a tooth of an upper part of which is rotatably supported by a base plate, and a tooth of a lower tooth which is rotated by a cam which rotates together with an operating lever are disengaged from each other. In the seat reclining device in which the lower tooth can be freely set, the lower tooth is brought into contact with a cam that rotates the lower tooth in a direction to release the meshing of the tooth portion of the upper tooth and the tooth portion of the lower tooth on the other end side opposite to the shaft supporting end portion. A lower tooth groove having no contact surface is formed, and the tooth portion is formed on the upper side of the lower tooth groove, while a sliding contact portion that abuts the lower tooth groove on the cam and a stopper portion that abuts on a lower side of the lower tooth groove. Is formed, and the sliding contact portion is rotated in a direction away from the shaft supporting portion of the lower tooth to release the meshing of the tooth portion. Seat reclining device. 2. The cam is formed on a sliding contact portion that abuts on an upper side of a lower tooth groove of a lower tooth, a spring hooking projection formed on the side of the sliding contact portion, and a side opposite to the sliding contact portion with a shaft portion interposed therebetween. And a stopper portion that abuts a lower side of the lower tooth groove of the lower tooth, and an arc portion that is formed from the stopper portion to the shaft portion and that a lower side of the lower tooth groove slidably contacts.
3. The seat reclining device according to claim 1, wherein the lower teeth and the tooth portions of the upper part are forcibly disengaged from each other by the rotation of the cam.