A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat base, a seatback, and a recliner heart. The recliner heart is rotatably coupled to the seat base and the seatback and the recliner heart is operable between locked and unlocked states. The vehicle seating assembly additionally includes an actuator having a housing defining a housing tab, a motor, a gear operably coupled to the motor where the gear defines a gear tab and a spring tab. The actuator includes an actuator return spring defining a first and second hook where the first hook is coupled to the spring tab. The actuator additionally includes a lever coupled to the gear, a pulley coupled to the gear, a lifting cable coupled between the pulley and the seatback, and a release cable coupled between the lever and the recliner heart. The release cable is configured to transition the recliner heart between the locked and unlocked states.

A seat drive device includes a first operation restricting portion provided to a first transmission member and restricting a second operation member from being operated to move from an original position to an adjustment position in a state where a first operation member has been operated to move from an original position to an adjustment position and the first transmission member has been operated to move in response thereto, and a second operation restricting portion provided to a second transmission member and restricting the first operation member from being operated to move from the original position to the adjustment position in a state where the second operation member has been operated to move from the original position to the adjustment position and the second transmission member has been operated to move in response thereto.

A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion frame provided at a seat cushion; a seatback frame structuring a seatback, the seatback frame being rotatably coupled to a front-rear direction rear end portion of the seat cushion frame via a rotation axle; a drive unit disposed at a front-rear direction front side of the seat cushion frame; and a first driving force transmission unit that couples the drive unit with the rotation axle and transmits driving force of the drive unit to the rotation axle.

A vehicle seat includes: a seat cushion; a seat back; a frame; a headrest which is provided on an upper end portion of the frame; and a reclining portion wherein: the reclining portion includes: a link supporting the seat back at a swing end section; a sector gear rotated integrally with the link; a lock unit configured to move between an engaging position and a disengaging position for releasing from the engagement with the sector gear and configured to unrotatably hold the sector gear at the engaging position; and a biasing section biasing the lock unit toward the engaging position; and the lock unit includes: a pinion gear meshing with the sector gear at the engaging position and allowing rotation of the sector gear by rotating in a state of meshing with the sector gear; and a gear holding part configured to unrotatably hold the pinion gear.

A release mechanism for a reclining vehicle seat assembly includes an activation mechanism, for example a lever or handle, and a transmission. The transmission is coupled to the activation mechanism via a wire for releasing a seat back of the vehicle seat assembly. The transmission includes a plurality of meshed gears for transmitting a torque created by movement of the activation mechanism from a gear of the plurality of gears attached to the wire to a shaft associated with the seat back. Rotation of the shaft releases the seat back for rotation. A shield partially covers a side of the base and seat back, and covers the transmission and wire. The activation mechanism is uncovered allowing the passenger to activate the release mechanism and is positioned in a readily accessible zone relative a passenger hip point. The position avoids interference with the seat belt and occupies minimal space between the side shield and vehicle side.

A seatback drive assembly includes a lower bracket, a seatback pivotally mounted to the lower bracket, and a lock cam pivotally mounted to the seatback. The lock cam holds the seatback in an upright position when the lock cam engages the lower bracket. A biasing spring moves the seatback to a folded position when the lock cam is disengaged from the lower bracket. The seatback drive assembly also includes a gear pivotally mounted to the lower bracket and having a set of gear teeth. A motorized pinion engages the gear and is driven by an electric motor.

A detent fitting for a motor vehicle seat includes a first fitting part (11) and a relatively rotatable second fitting part (12) and catches (16) guided by one fitting part between a locked state and an unlocked state to lock the detent fitting upon interacting with a gear ring of another fitting part. A third fitting part (74) is pivotably mounted and is lockable with a detent plate (115) fixed to the first fitting part or with the first fitting part by a pawl (80) which is mounted in a hinge point on the third fitting part. The third fitting part, a locking cam (90) with a hinge point on the third fitting part, a coupling (98) connected to the locking cam with a hinge point and the pawl with a hinge point define a four-link chain. A vehicle seat with at least one such detent fitting is also provided.

A seat driving device includes a rotary motor having a rotary shaft, operation members, and clutch mechanisms. The operation members are separately arranged to respectively correspond to position adjustment mechanisms. The clutch mechanisms are separately arranged to respectively correspond to the position adjustment mechanisms. When any one of the operation members is operated, each clutch mechanism selectively connects the corresponding position adjustment mechanism to the rotary motor. In response to operation of any one of the operation members, the rotary motor is energized with the polarity corresponding to the operation direction of the operation member. Each clutch mechanism is arranged with respect to the rotary motor such that the axis of the clutch mechanism is parallel with the axis of the rotary shaft.

A seatback assembly pivotally supported upon a seat bottom and including each of forward spring assisted dump, rewind and reset protocols. A stationary sector is affixed to the seat bottom and has an abutment edge. A seatback sector is pivotally secured to the stationary sector and is influenced relative thereto in a forward rotating dump direction. A cam is rotatably supported upon the pivoting seatback sector, the cam having an outer engaging edge in abutting contact with the abutment edge for maintaining the seatback sector in an upright design position. A rotating sector plate is arranged in stacked fashion with the stationary and pivoting seatback sectors, the sector plate exhibiting a plurality of outer circumferentially arrayed teeth. A pinion gear extends from a pivot axis established between the cam and seatback sector, the gear engaging the outer arrayed teeth of the sector plate. Upon the cam being rotated out of engagement with the stationary sector, the seatback rotates to a forward dump position, with subsequent rotation of the pinion gear rotatably displacing the sector plate and the seatback in slaved fashion to retract the seatback to the upright design position, with a concluding and counter-rotation of the pinion gear counter-rotating and resetting the sector plate independently of the seatback sector to a final reset position.

A release mechanism for a reclining vehicle seat assembly includes an activation mechanism, for example a lever or handle, and a transmission. The transmission is coupled to the activation mechanism via a wire for releasing a seat back of the vehicle seat assembly. The transmission includes a plurality of meshed gears for transmitting a torque created by movement of the activation mechanism from a gear of the plurality of gears attached to the wire to a shaft associated with the seat back. Rotation of the shaft releases the seat back for rotation. A shield partially covers a side of the base and seat back, and covers the transmission and wire. The activation mechanism is uncovered allowing the passenger to activate the release mechanism and is positioned in a readily accessible zone relative a passenger hip point. The position avoids interference with the seat belt and occupies minimal space between the side shield and vehicle side.