Delta Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Yasukazu Oki

Makoto Tarusawa

Toshinori Hayashi

Kiyonori Umezaki

Jun Fukuda

Masaru Fujihara

Shigeki Teraoka

Tarusawa Makoto

A seat lifter smoothly lifts and lowers right and left seat frames relative to respective base members so that a seat can be lifted and lowered smoothly. The seat lifter has first to fourth links (to), and a coupling () that couples the first link () and the second link (), and has a first sun gear () and a second sun gear (). The first link () has a first link body () that is coupled interlockably to a first planetary gear group () with a plurality of first planetary gears (), and a planetary-gear operating section (). The second link () has a second link body () that is coupled interlockably to a second planetary gear group () with a plurality of second planetary gears ().

Seat lifter and seat

Disclosed is a reclining mechanism comprising: a first plate fixed to a seat back; a second plate fixed to a seat cushion; a plurality of planetary gears in meshing engagement with internal gears of the first and second plates; a sun gear in meshing engagement with the planetary gears; and a holding member rotatably holding the planetary gears. An inclined wall portion of the holding member, and an inner peripheral wall of a concave portion of the second plate, define therebetween a wedge-shaped space in which a restriction member is displaceably disposed. The inclined wall portion of the holding member is formed such that a width of the wedge-shaped space is gradually narrowed toward a counter direction opposite to a specific direction along which the first plate is urged to be rotated according to a force applied to the seat back in a rearward tilting direction.

Reclining mechanism

Disclosed is a reclining mechanism comprising: a first plate fixed to a seat back; a second plate fixed to a seat cushion; a plurality of planetary gears in meshing engagement with internal gears of the first and second plates; a sun gear in meshing engagement with the planetary gears; and a holding member rotatably holding the planetary gears. An inner peripheral wall of the holding member and an opposing wall section of the sun gear define therebetween a wedge-shaped space in which a restriction member is displaceably disposed. The opposing wall section of the sun gear is formed such that a width of the wedge-shaped space is gradually narrowed toward a counter direction opposite to a specific direction along which the first plate is urged to be rotated according to a force applied to the seat back in a rearward tilting direction.

A seat reclining mechanism comprises a guide bracket, and an internal gear member coupled to the guide bracket in a rotatable manner about a rotation axis thereof with respect to the guide bracket. A forwardmost-inclination stopper protrusion and a rearwardmost-inclination stopper protrusion are provided on either one of the guide bracket and the internal gear member. A stopper plate is fixed to a remaining one of the guide bracket and the internal gear member. The stopper plate has a forwardmost-inclination stopper portion adapted to be brought into contact with the forwardmost-inclination stopper protrusion when a seat back is at a forwardmost inclined position, and a rearwardmost-inclination stopper portion adapted to be brought into contact with the rearwardmost-inclination stopper protrusion when the seat back is at a rearwardmost inclined position.

Seat reclining mechanism

Disclosed is a seat reclining mechanism, which is designed to be mounted to a seat cushion and a seat back so as to allow the seat back to be reclined. The seat reclining mechanism comprises a guide bracket and an internal gear member coupled to the guide bracket in a rotatable manner about a rotation axis thereof with respect to the guide bracket and formed with internal teeth along a circle having a center on the rotation axis. A plurality of lock gear members is disposed between the guide bracket and the internal gear member. A fitting portion is provided in either one of the guide bracket and the internal gear member. A rotatable cam is rotatably supported by the fitting portion.

A recliner adjuster includes a guide bracket to be fixed to one of a seat cushion and a seat back that can pivot with respect to the seat cushion, an internal gear to be fixed to the other of the seat cushion and the seat back, a cam interposed between the guide bracket and the internal gear, a pair of lock gears radially slidable in association with an operation of the cam, and a mounting ring for assembling the guide bracket and the internal gear together with the cam and the pair of lock gears interposed therebetween. The mounting ring has a flat annular portion and a cylindrical side portion joined to one of the guide bracket and the internal gear. An outer peripheral surface of the other of the guide bracket and the internal gear is held in sliding contact with an inner surface of the cylindrical side portion of the mounting ring to thereby radially position the other of the guide bracket and the internal gear.

Recliner adjuster

A seat reclining mechanism comprises a plurality of lock gear members. One of the plurality of lock gear members has a protrusion which protrudes toward an internal gear member. The internal gear member has a first free-zone arc portion formed along a circle having a center on a rotation axis and adapted to allow the protrusion to be in contact therewith when the lock gear members are located at a position where external teeth of each of lock gear members are not in meshing engagement with internal teeth of the internal gear, and a second free-zone arc portion formed along the circle to have an arc length different from that of the first free-zone arc portion and adapted to allow the protrusion to be in contact therewith when the lock gear members are located at the position.

In making a component part of a reclining device that is used to adjust an inclination of a seat back with respect to a seat cushion, after the component part has been prepared, a predetermined portion of the component part is selectively heated up to a temperature greater than a transformation point of a material of the component part, and the component part is then cooled. During this heat treatment, portions of the component part other than the predetermined portion are left as a base material to thereby selectively increase the strength or the wear and abrasion resistance of the component part.

Method of making a component part of a reclining device

A recliner adjuster for adjusting an inclination of a seat back with respect to a seat cushion includes a guide bracket to be secured to one of the seat cushion and the seat back, an internal gear to be secured to the other of the seat cushion and the seat back, a cam interposed between the guide bracket and the internal gear, a pair of lock gears interposed between the guide bracket and the internal gear so as to be radially slidable in association with movement of the cam, and a mounting ring for mating the guide bracket and the internal gear with each other with the cam and the pair of lock gears accommodated therein. The mounting ring has a generally flat annular portion, a cylindrical side portion, and a plurality of bent portions formed at a distal end of the cylindrical side portion. The guide bracket and the internal gear are sandwiched between the generally flat annular portion and the plurality of bent portions of the mounting ring, and an outer peripheral surface of the internal gear is held in sliding contact with an inner surface of the cylindrical side portion of the mounting ring, thereby radially positioning the internal gear.

A recliner adjuster for adjusting an inclination of a seat back with respect to a seat cushion includes a guide bracket to be secured to one of the seat cushion and the seat back, an internal gear to be secured to the other of the seat cushion and the seat back, a cam rotatably mounted between the guide bracket and the internal gear, a pair of lock gears interposed between the guide bracket and the internal gear so as to be radially slidable in association with rotation of the cam, and a pair of auxiliary lock gears interposed between the guide bracket and the internal gear so as to be radially slidable in association with the pair of lock gears. The rotation of the cam causes the pair of lock gears to radially slide between respective engaging positions, at which engaging teeth thereof are held in engagement with internal teeth of the internal gear, and respective engagement released positions at which the engagement of the engaging teeth of the pair of lock gears with the internal teeth of the internal gear is released. A radial sliding movement of the pair of lock gears between the engaging positions and the engagement released positions causes the pair of auxiliary lock gears to radially slide between respective engaging positions, at which the engaging teeth thereof are held in engagement with the internal teeth of the internal gear, and respective engagement released positions at which the engagement of the engaging teeth of the pair of auxiliary lock gears with the internal teeth of the internal gear is released.

Recliner adjuster having main and auxiliary lock gears

A recliner adjuster for adjusting an inclination of a seat back with respect to a seat cushion includes a cam rotatably mounted between first and second brackets that are respectively fixed to the seat cushion and the seat back, and a lock plate interposed between the first and second brackets so as to move radially outwardly or inwardly with rotation of the cam. The lock plate has an engaging portion having teeth formed on an outer edge thereof, and respective side edges. The lock plate also has first and second shoulder portions formed on respective sides of the engaging portion. The first bracket has first and second guide members that define a guide groove therebetween in which the engaging portion of the lock plate is slidably received. The second bracket has internal teeth that are brought into engagement with the teeth of the engaging portion of the lock plate when the lock plate moves radially outwardly. When a load applied to a seat back is less than a predetermined value, contact between one of the side edges of the engaging portion and an end face of one of the first and second guide members withstands the load. When a load applied to the seat back is greater than the predetermined value, the aforementioned contact and contact between one of the first and second shoulder portions and a portion of the other of the first and second guide members withstand this load.

Growing community of inventors

Fuchu-cho, Japan

Yasukazu Oki