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:
Jan. 02, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 16, 1998
Roger Freund, Port Sydney, CA;
Dura Global Technologies Inc., Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
A vehicle seat assembly includes a seat bottom and a seat back supported for pivotal movement relative to the seat bottom such that seat back position can be adjusted to a variety of reclined positions with respect to the seat bottom. The seat includes a manual or electrical actuator which provides input to a control assembly that pivots the seat back with respect to the seat bottom. The control assembly includes an epicycloide gear mechanism with a first gear supported on the first seat member and a second gear supported on the second seat member. The second gear has a plurality of gear teeth that selectively mesh with a plurality of gear teeth on the first gear. The first gear teeth have a non-epicycloide tooth profile and the second gear teeth have an epicycloide tooth profile. An input member defines an axis of rotation and provides rotational input to the second gear. The input member is an eccentric input shaft having a geometric center that is spaced apart from the axis of rotation. This eccentricity causes the second gear teeth to move into engagement with the first gear teeth. When the input shaft is rotated in a first direction, the second gear is caused to rotate in a second direction, opposite from the first direction, resulting in the seat back pivoting with respect to the seat bottom.