Vehicle seat

Claim 1

A vehicle seat of the type having pneumatically adjustable support regions comprising: a seat frame including plural frame members which together bound an interior area; at least one cushion member positioned in said interior area and supported by means of said seat frame, said cushion member having opposing pairs of side portions of a predetermined thickness which peripherally bound an upper support surface for supporting a seat occupant and a lower surface; wherein predetermined ones of said side portions integrally include slitdefining means for defining at least one slit having an outer end opened to an exterior of said cushion member and a closed inner end spaced from said outer end and located interiorly of said cushion member, said slit extending between said outer and inner ends substantially parallel to said support surface of said cushion member subjeacent to an area of said support surface which is desired to be pneumatically adjustable, said slit-defining means for separating said cushion member into upper and lower portions which are in registry with said adjustable area of said upper surface; air bag means inserted into said at least one slit and being expansible upon introduction of pressurized air so as to responsively cause said upper portion of said cushion member to be displaced relative to said lower portion of said cushion member thereby adjusting said adjustable area of said support surface, and wherein said seat frame also includes plural support plates subjacently supporting said cushion member, each having one end fixed to a respective frame member and another free end which is positioned in said interior area such that each said support plate is extended into and terminates within said interior area so that said lower surface of said cushion member is in contact with and is supported by said plural support plates such that one of said support plates is in registry with said at least one slit and thus in registry with said support surface area.