Lumbar support air valve assembly

Claim 1

A lumbar support air valve assembly comprising a housing having an inlet port adapted to be connected to a source of pressurized air and a plurality of outlet ports each of which is adapted to be disposed in fluid communication with a respective air bag positioned in the lumbar region of a seat back, a plurality of check valves, corresponding in number to the number of outlet ports, are positioned between said inlet port and said outlet ports so as to allow the transmission of air under pressure from said source of air to the respective air bags, and a plurality of solenoid actuators equal in number to said check valves being positioned within said housing adjacent a corresponding check valve with each of said solenoid actuators having a plunger movable in response to the application of electric current which is adapted to cause the associated check valve to move to its open position wherein each check valve is provided with a push rod and each plunger has a push rod connected to one end thereof for engaging the check valve push rod to move said check valve to the open position upon movement of said plunger towards said check valve and further comprising a plurality of exhaust ports each having a filter in said housing adjacent each solenoid actuator for communicating the interior of said housing with the atmosphere and a valve member located on the opposite end of each of said plungers for controlling the flow of pressurized air through the respective exhaust port.