Multi-position seat back adjuster and latch

Claim 2

In a vehicle seat including a seat back having laterally spaced support arms pivoted to the seat frame for pivotal movement of the seat back between use and easy-enter positions, the improvement comprising, a latch lever pivotally mounted on one of the support arms, means on the seat frame engageable by the latch lever to lock the seat back, spring means biasing the latch lever into engagement of the means on the seat frame, first and second cam means pivotally mounted on the seat frame for unitary rotation, one of the cam means engaging the one support arm and being effective upon rotation thereof through a predetermined range of rotation to vary the use angle of the seat back relative the frame, the other of the cam means being effective upon rotation of the one cam means past its predetermined degree of seat back angle positioning to disengage the latch lever from the means on the seat frame to permit forward pivotal movement of the seat back to easy-enter position.

Claim 3

In a vehicle seat including a seat back having laterally spaced support arms pivoted to the seat frame for pivotal movement of the seat back between use and easy-enter positions, the improvement comprising: a latch lever pivotally attached to one of the support arms, means on the seat frame engageable by the latch lever to lock the seat back, spring means biasing the latch lever into engagement of the means on the seat frame, an adjuster cam having a plurality of discrete cam surfaces, pivot means mounting the adjuster cam on the seat frame for movement to a position wherein a selected one of the plurality of discrete cam surfaces engages the support arm to the defined angular use position of the seat back relative the seat frame, and an unlatching cam attached to the adjuster cam means for unitary rotation therewith and having first and second lobes located circumferentially past the plurality of discrete cam surfaces of the adjuster cam means and engageable with the latch lever to disengage the latch lever from the means on the seat frame to permit movement of the seat back to easy-enter position upon unitary rotation of the adjuster and unlatching cam means in either direction of rotation past the engagement of any of the discrete cam surfaces of the adjuster cam with the support arm.

Claim 4

In a vehicle seat including a seat back having laterally spaced support arms pivoted to the seat frame for pivotal movement of the seat back between use and easy-enter positions, the improvement comprising: a latch lever pivotally attached to one of the support arms, means on the seat frame engageable by the latch lever to lock the seat back, spring means biasing the latch lever into engagement of the means on the seat frame, an adjuster cam having a plurality of discrete cam surfaces, pivot means mounting the adjuster cam on the seat frame for movement to a position wherein a selected one of the plurality of discrete cam surfaces engages the support arm to the defined angular use position of the seat back relative the seat frame, and an unlatching cam attached to the adjuster cam means for unitary rotation therewith and having first and second lobes located circumferentially past the plurality of discrete cam surfaces of the adjuster cam means and engageable with the latch lever to disengage the latch lever from the means on the seat frame to permit movement of the seat back to easy-enter position upon unitary rotation of the adjuster and unlatching cam means in either direction of rotation past the engagement of any of the discrete cam surfaces of the adjuster cam with the support arm.

Claim 5

In a vehicle seat including a seat back having laterally spaced support arms pivoted to the seat frame for pivotal movement of the seat back between use and easy-enter positions, the improvement comprising: first and second cam means pivotally mounted on the seat frame and connected for unitary rotation, a single operating handle for effecting rotation of the first and second cam means, the first cam means engaging one of the support arms to define the use angle of thE seat back and having a plurality of cam surfaces of progressively increasing height to vary the use angle of the seat back upon rotation thereof by the operating handle, a latch lever pivotally mounted on one of the support arms and having an elongated recess therein, means on the seat frame engageable within the recess of the latch lever to lock the seat back from pivotal movement forwardly of the forwardmost use position defined by the first cam means, the second cam means being effective upon rotation of the first cam means past its range of seat back angle positioning to disengage the latch lever from the means on the seat frame to permit forward pivotal movement of the seat back to easy-enter position.

Claim 6

In a vehicle seat including a seat back having laterally spaced support arms pivoted to the seat frame for pivotal movement of the seat back between use and easy-enter positions, the improvement comprising: first and second cam means pivotally mounted on the seat frame and connected for unitary rotation, a single operating handle for effecting rotation of the first and second cam means, the first cam means engaging one of the support arms to define the use angle of thE seat back and having a plurality of cam surfaces of progressively increasing height to vary the use angle of the seat back upon rotation thereof by the operating handle, a latch lever pivotally mounted on one of the support arms and having an elongated recess therein, means on the seat frame engageable within the recess of the latch lever to lock the seat back from pivotal movement forwardly of the forwardmost use position defined by the first cam means, the second cam means being effective upon rotation of the first cam means past its range of seat back angle positioning to disengage the latch lever from the means on the seat frame to permit forward pivotal movement of the seat back to easy-enter position.