Other

Frank Gerich

Gerhard Schmale

Rudolph C Barda

Continuously adjustable pivoted 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. The pawl is pivotally mounted at the hinge pivot with a radial slot to accommodate tooth disengagement.

Growing community of inventors

Munich, Georgia

Frank Gerich