Keiper Recaro, Inc.

Excel Industries, Inc.

Egon Nithammer

Vikram H Zaveri

Fred C Kresky

Gerhard Loewe

Mark L Gleason

Dana D Kregling

Karl H Ligensa

A latch mechanism, particularly for securing a pivoting member of a motor vehicle seat with respect to a fixed member is disclosed, comprising, a latch plate having a tooth, a notch flanked by a front ramp and a rear ramp, and a rear stop, and a cam which is releasably engageable with the latch plate, the cam having a nose, a front face, a contact face and a heel. The cam is pivotable from a non-latching position to a normal latching position. In the latching position the contact face of the cam is urged against the rear ramp of the latch plate and the heel avoids contacting the rear stop. In response to a sudden change in velocity in a first direction the heel of the cam contacts the rear stop to resist movement of the cam the non-latching position. Preferably the contact face forms and angle with the back ramp of about 10 to 20 degrees, and the front face and the front ramp have generally equivalent curved surfaces.

Latch mechanism for vehicle seat

The invention provides an actuating linkage assembly tolerance compensating system comprising means for establishing a final linkage pivot location at the end of assembly operations. The incomplete assembly is located with one end of a link in a piercing die press fixture oriented relative to connecting linkage to provide required final operating handle position.

Linkage tolerance compensating system

Continuously adjustable hinge, such as employed for automotive vehicle recliner seat back, wherein a toothed sector on one hinge element is retained by a toothed pawl on the other which has freedom of mounting connection at least equal to the pitch of one tooth in order to accommodate full tooth engagement for any continuously variable relative position of the sector. A pair of pivotally anchored cam elements engage angularly related cam surfaces on the pawl after its full tooth engagement with the sector. Variable travel of cam surface to accommodate fully engaged prepositioned pawl with self-locking angle resisting pawl displacement in either angular direction from sector tooth pressure, is sufficient to accommodate at least one tooth displacement of the pawl in order to lock the pawl in any position of initial full tooth engagement.

Continuously variable adjustable hinge

Growing community of inventors

Plainwell, MI, United States of America

Egon Nithammer