Granted Patent B2

US 12,630,060 · App. 18/345,928 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Jeff Carroll (West Bloomfield, MI); Sanjay Vakil (Troy, MI); Mohammad Fazli (Farmington Hills, MI); Yang Cao (Troy, MI); Harish Bijwe (Novi, MI)

B60N2/2356B60N2/236

Abstract

Claims (77)

1 . A locking mechanism for a recliner assembly, the locking mechanism comprising:

a housing;

a pawl disposed within the housing, the pawl having a bottom profile including a bottom face, a first protrusion extending from a first end of the bottom face, and a second protrusion extending from an opposing second end of the bottom face, the first protrusion having a different structure than the second protrusion; and

a cam disposed within the housing, the cam including a first lobe, a second lobe, and a third lobe, the first lobe having a different structure than the second lobe, the second lobe having a same structure as the third lobe, the cam configured to engage with the bottom profile of the pawl to reposition the pawl between a first position and a second position;

wherein, when the pawl is in the first position, (i) at least one of the first lobe or the third lobe of the cam is positioned between the first protrusion and the second protrusion of the pawl and (ii) the first protrusion of the pawl contacts a top land of the third lobe of the cam; and

wherein, when the pawl is in the second position, the first lobe of the cam engages the first protrusion of the pawl and the second lobe of the cam engages the second protrusion of the pawl.

2 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion has a first size and the second protrusion has a second size smaller than the first size.

3 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first lobe has a first size and the second lobe has a second size smaller than the first size.

4 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a retaining plate coupled to the pawl and the cam, wherein the retaining plate, in combination with the cam, is configured to shift the pawl between the first position and the second position.

5 . The locking mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the retaining plate includes a retainer extending along a side surface of at least one of the first lobe or the third lobe.

6 . The locking mechanism of claim 4 , wherein:

the pawl includes a retainer extending perpendicular to the first protrusion and the second protrusion; and

the retaining plate includes:

a main aperture disposed at the cam; and

a channel positioned outside of the main aperture and in engagement with the retainer of the pawl.

7 . The locking mechanism of claim 6 , wherein:

the channel includes:

a first inner surface positioned a first distance away from a center of the retainer;

a second inner surface positioned a second distance away from the center of the retainer, the second distance being less than the first distance; and

a third inner surface extending between the first inner surface and the second inner surface;

in the first position, the retainer of the pawl is in contact with the second inner surface; and

in the second position, the retainer of the pawl is in contact with the first inner surface.

8 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing includes:

a first plate; and

a second plate received by the first plate, the second plate including a peripheral lip having an interior face that defines a plurality of teeth;

in the first position, the pawl does not engage with the plurality of teeth of the second plate to permit rotation between the first plate and the second plate; and

in the second position, the pawl engages with the plurality of teeth of the second plate to prevent rotation between the first plate and the second plate.

9 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the pawl includes:

a first middle tooth positioned on a first side of a central axis of the pawl, the first middle tooth having a first flat face facing the central axis and a first curved face facing away from the central axis;

a second middle tooth positioned on an opposing second side of the central axis, the second middle tooth having a second flat face facing the central axis and a second curved face facing away from the central axis;

one or more first end teeth positioned on the first side of the central axis proximate a first side of the pawl, each of the one or more first end teeth having flat surfaces;

one or more second end teeth positioned on the second side of the central axis proximate a second side of the pawl, each of the one or more second end teeth having flat surfaces;

first intermediate teeth positioned between the first middle tooth and the one or more first end teeth, each of the first intermediate teeth having one flat face and one curved face;

second intermediate teeth positioned between the second middle tooth and the one or more second end teeth, each of the second intermediate teeth having one flat face and one curved face; and

a first side profile defining a first notch and a second side profile defining a second notch.

10 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the third lobe includes a first side face and a second side face, the top land extending between the first side face and the second side face.

11 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:

the pawl is a first pawl; and

the locking mechanism further comprises a second pawl having a same structure as the first pawl, a third pawl having the same structure as the first pawl, and a fourth pawl having the same structure as the first pawl.

12 . The locking mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the pawl includes a retainer extending perpendicular to the first protrusion and the second protrusion, the retainer being contiguous with the bottom face of the pawl.

13 . A seat comprising:

a frame assembly including a first frame portion and a second frame portion; and

a recliner assembly configured to couple the first frame portion to the second frame portion and facilitate pivoting of the first frame portion relative to the second frame portion, the recliner assembly including two locking mechanisms and a connecting shaft extending between the two locking mechanisms and coupling the two locking mechanisms to each other, each of the two locking mechanisms including:

a housing;

a pawl disposed within the housing, the pawl having a bottom profile including a bottom face, a first protrusion extending from a first end of the bottom face, second protrusion extending from an opposing second end of the bottom face, and a retainer extending perpendicular to the first protrusion and the second protrusion, the first protrusion having a different structure than the second protrusion;

a cam disposed within the housing, the cam including a first lobe and a second lobe, the first lobe having a different structure than the second lobe, the cam configured to engage with the bottom profile of the pawl to reposition the pawl between a first position and a second position; and

a retaining plate coupled to the pawl and the cam, the retaining plate including a main aperture disposed at the cam and a channel positioned outside of the main aperture and in engagement with the retainer of the pawl, the channel including:

a first inner surface positioned a first distance away from a center of the retainer;

a second inner surface positioned a second distance away from the center of the retainer, the second distance being less than the first distance; and

a third inner surface extending between the first inner surface and the second inner surface;

wherein, in the first position, the retainer of the pawl is in contact with the second inner surface;

wherein, in the second position, the retainer of the pawl is in contact with the first inner surface;

wherein the retaining plate, in combination with the cam, is configured to shift the pawl between the first position and the second position;

wherein at least one of the first lobe or the second lobe of the cam is positioned between the first protrusion and the second protrusion of the pawl when the pawl is in the first position; and

wherein the first lobe of the cam engages the first protrusion of the pawl and the second lobe of the cam engages the second protrusion of the pawl when the pawl is in the second position.

14 . The seat of claim 13 , wherein the retaining plate includes a retainer extending along a side surface of at least one of the first lobe or the second lobe.

15 . The seat of claim 13 , wherein the first protrusion has a first size and the second protrusion has a second size smaller than the first size.

16 . The seat of claim 13 , wherein the first lobe has a first size and the second lobe has a second size larger than the first size.

17 . The seat of claim 13 , wherein:

the housing includes:

a first plate; and

a second plate received by the first plate, the second plate including a peripheral lip having an interior face that defines a plurality of teeth;

in the first position, the pawl does not engage with the plurality of teeth of the second plate to permit rotation between the first plate and the second plate; and

in the second position, the pawl engages with the plurality of teeth of the second plate to prevent rotation between the first plate and the second plate.

18 . A locking mechanism for a recliner assembly, the locking mechanism comprising:

a housing;

a pawl disposed within the housing, the pawl having a bottom profile including a bottom face, a first protrusion extending from a first end of the bottom face, and a second protrusion extending from an opposing second end of the bottom face, the first protrusion having a first size and the second protrusion having a second size smaller than the first size; and

a cam disposed within the housing, the cam including a first lobe, a second lobe, and a third lobe, the first lobe having a third size and the second lobe having a fourth size larger than the third size, the second lobe having a same structure as the third lobe, the cam configured to engage with the bottom profile of the pawl to reposition the pawl between a first position and a second position;

wherein, when the pawl is in the first position, (i) at least one of the first lobe or the third lobe of the cam is positioned between the first protrusion and the second protrusion of the pawl and (ii) the first protrusion of the pawl contacts a top land of the third lobe of the cam; and

wherein, when the pawl is in the second position, the first lobe of the cam engages the first protrusion of the pawl and the second lobe of the cam engages the second protrusion of the pawl.

19 . The locking mechanism of claim 18 , further comprising a retaining plate coupled to the pawl and the cam, the retaining plate, in combination with the cam, configured to shift the pawl between the first position and the second position.

20 . The locking mechanism of claim 19 , wherein:

the pawl includes a retainer extending perpendicular to the first protrusion and the second protrusion; and

the retaining plate includes:

a main aperture disposed at the cam; and

a channel positioned outside of the main aperture and in engagement with the retainer of the pawl, the channel having a varying diameter from a center of the retaining plate.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (40)