The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 10, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 29, 1996
Andrew Massara, Southfield, MI (US);
Philip Leistra, III, Novi, MI (US);
James Masters, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Russell Davidson, Dearborn, MI (US);
Richard Lawrence Matsu, Plymouth, MI (US);
Sheryar Durrani, Canton, MI (US);
Lear Corporation, Southfield, MI (US);
Abstract
The seat back flanges (32) mount a seat back (34) to a seat frame for reclining movement relative to the seat frame and a control mechanism controls the pivotal movement of the seat back (34). The control mechanism includes a tubular cylinder (54) and a first coil spring (56) is wound around and in gripping engagement with the cylinder (54). The cylinder (54) is non-rotatably secured to the seat frame by being welded or otherwise secured to the flanges (32). The first coil spring (56) has first (58) and second (60) ends extending tangentially from the cylinder (54). A second coil spring (62) is wound in the opposite direction around and is in gripping engagement with the cylinder (54) and, likewise, has third (64) and fourth (66) ends extending tangentially from the cylinder (54). A cam shaft (72) is included for moving the second end (60) relative to the first end (58) for unwinding the first coil spring (56) in a clockwise direction from the gripping engagement with the cylinder (54) to allow the pivotal movement of the seat back (34) relative to the seat frame and for moving the fourth end (66) relative to the third end (64) for unwinding the second coil spring (62) in a counterclockwise direction from the gripping engagement with the cylinder (54) to allow the pivotal movement of the seat back relative to the seat frame.