US 6,616,241 B1Granted

Rotation limiting device and seat recliner device using the same

AssigneeNHK Spring Co., Ltd.

InventorsKou Masuda, Takeshi Nakamura, Osamu Ohki

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Abstract

The engagement between the first and second members is accomplished by the wedging of roller members so that the first and second members can be held rotationally fast to each other in a continuous manner or at any desired angular position. A pair of roller members are received in a chamber defined between the first and second members, and are normally urged into wedging engagement in the circumferential ends of the chamber under the spring force of a spring member, but may be disengaged so as to allow free relative rotation between the first and second members by displacing the roller members toward each other against the spring force of the spring member by using actuation members. Thus, the relative rotation in either direction can be prevented, and the releasing of the first and second members can be accomplished simply by slightly moving the roller members.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A rotation limiting device for selectively preventing a relative rotation between two members comprising:

a first member including an inner cam member defining a substantially circular outer circumferential surface;
a second member supported by said first member for relative rotation around a center of said outer circumferential surface and defining a substantially circular inner circumferential surface disposed coaxially with respect to said outer circumferential surface so as to define an annular gap between said inner and outer circumferential surfaces;
a first roller member received in said annular gap so as be selectively wedged between said inner and outer circumferential surfaces to oppose a relative rotation of said first and second members in a first direction;
a second roller member received in said annular gap so as to be selectively wedged between said inner and outer circumferential surfaces to oppose a relative rotation of said first and second members in a second direction which is opposite from said first direction;
and
a pair of actuation members which are adapted to act upon said roller members so as to selectively disengage said roller members from a wedging engagement between said inner and outer circumferential surfaces, said actuation members being rotatably supported by one of said first and second members, and each provided with an axial projection which is adapted to act upon a corresponding one of said roller members to displace it away from said wedging engagement.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.