External control of recliner assembly background of the invention

摘要

A seat assembly comprising a seat cushion, a seat back and a recliner assembly operatively interconnecting the seat back to the seat cushion. The recliner assembly allows pivotal adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion between one of a plurality of reclined seating positions and a stowed position. The recliner assembly is selectively moveable between locked and unlocked states. An input shaft is operatively assembled to the recliner assembly for switching the recliner assembly between the locked and unlocked states. The seat assembly further comprising a mechanism externally engagable with the input shaft of the recliner assembly for adjusting the angular position of the seat back in one of the reclined seating positions and for maintaining the input shaft in the unlocked position while the seat back is pivoted from one of the reclined seating positions to the stowed position. First and second levers are pivotally mounted to the seat cushion and moveable between unreleased and released positions. A guide pin extends from the first lever through a slot in the second lever to synchronize movements of the first and second levers between respective unreleased and released positions. The second lever includes a cam surface for actuating the input shaft between the locked position and unlocked positions when the second lever is moved between the unreleased and released positions, respectively. The second lever further has a flanged tab. A flanged guide extends from the seat back to engage the tab of the second lever in the released position, and by such engagement, maintains the second lever in the released position while moving the seat back between the reclined seating positions and the stowed position.