Seat recliner for vehicle

A seat recliner for a vehicle comprising:

• a lower arm adapted to be fixed with respect to a seat cushion;
• a shaft supported for rotation on the lower arm;
• an upper arm adapted to be fixed with respect to a seat back and rotatably supported on the shaft for rotation relative to the lower arm;
• an inner gear portion formed at the upper arm;
• a pawl supported by the lower arm and slidably movable into engagement with the inner gear portion to restrict rotation of the upper arm relative to the lower arm and out of engagement with the inner gear portion to permit rotation of the upper arm relative to the lower arm, the pawl including a back side from which extends a projecting portion;
• a cam supported on the shaft for rotation together with the shaft about a rotational axis, the cam including a cam surface positioned in opposing relation to the projecting portion of the pawl to engage the projecting portion and urge the pawl into engagement with the inner gear portion;
• a first projecting contact surface provided on the cam, the first projecting contact surface being positioned on one side of the cam surface and being spaced from the cam surface for being contacted by a back surface of the pawl when the pawl is inclined during application of a load to the upper arm, with a gap being defined between the back surface of the pawl and the first projecting contact surface in the absence of the load being applied to the upper arm;
• and a
• second projecting contact surface provided on the cam, the second projecting contact surface being positioned on an opposite side of the cam surface and being spaced from the cam surface for being contacted by a back surface of the pawl when the pawl is inclined during application of a load to the upper arm, with a gap being defined between the back surface of the pawl and the second projecting contact surface in the absence of the load being applied to the upper arm.