Method of assembly for vehicle seat latch incorporating backlash

Abstract

A backlash reduction mechanism for incorporation into a selectively latchable vehicle seat hinge assembly for reducing the backlash between a plurality of interconnecting movably operative latch members positioned seriatim with respect to one another in the vehicle seat hinge assembly and method for producing the mechanism are disclosed. The latch members are retained in interposed relation between first and second hinge plates. One of the latch members, a manually operable lever means, is rotatably mounted about a second pivot axis on an eccentrically operative rotatably adjustable backlash reduction means, which is in turn rotatably mounted on the first and second hinge plates about a first pivot axis. The eccentrically operative rotatably adjustable backlash reduction means is for achieving selective adjustment of the relative positioning of one or more of the latch members to one another, wherein, when eccentrically operative rotatably adjustable backlash reduction means is rotated about the first pivot axis, it interacts with the latch member mounted thereon such that latch member is axially moved generally toward the next latch member positioned seriatim therewith, thereby to cause selective reduction in the amount of backlash between these two latch members and subsequently between other juxtaposed ones of the latch members.