Adjustable sport vehicle seat

Abstract

A vehicle seat having a normal driving position and a sport driving position is disclosed. A central back section and central seat section are provided in the backrest and seat cushion portions of the vehicle seat, respectively. The central sections are movable to change the geometry of the vehicle seat relative to side back supports and side seat supports. Different actuators may be provided in different locations behind the central back and seat sections. Examples of actuators that may be used include eccentric rollers, pneumatic cylinders, pneumatic elements or bladders, and movable wedges. The position of the central sections may be manually controlled by switches, or automatically controlled by sensors, or by a position memory control.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A vehicle seat defining an occupant accommodating area, the vehicle seat comprising: 
 a seat cushion portion;    a backrest portion angularly oriented relative to the seat cushion portion: 
 a central back section of the backrest portion forming a part of the occupant accommodating area and having actuators for changing the position of at least one section of the central back section;  
 a pair of side back supports forming a part of the occupant accommodating area that are adjacent to and raised relative to the central back section and diverge laterally outwardly having a progressively greater width as they diverge;  
 the central back section being separately moveable relative to the side back supports; and  
 wherein the actuators change the position of the central back section relative to the side back supports to change the width of the occupant accommodating area between the side back supports.  
   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are eccentric rollers.  
     
     
         3 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are pneumatic bladders.  
     
     
         4 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are pneumatic cylinders having a pivoting linkage.  
     
     
         5 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are wedges slidable behind the central back section.  
     
     
         6 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are localized pneumatic elements.  
     
     
         7 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are in an upper portion of the central back section.  
     
     
         8 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are in a lower portion of the central back section.  
     
     
         9 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are in upper and lower portions of the central portion.  
     
     
         10 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein a headrest is provided above the central portion wherein central portion moves relative to the headrest.  
     
     
         11 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the headrest is mounted on a track so that the headrest is adjustable to correspond to changes in the position of the central portion.  
     
     
         12 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are adjusted by a manual switch.  
     
     
         13 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are adjusted in response to sensors in the seat for detecting lateral acceleration forces.  
     
     
         14 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are adjusted to preset memory locations set by an occupant.  
     
     
         15 . The vehicle seat of  claim 1  wherein the actuators are adjusted in response to pressure applied to the seat by an occupant as sensed by sensors in the seat.  
     
     
         16 . A vehicle seat defining an occupant accommodating area, the vehicle seat comprising: 
 a seat cushion portion;    a backrest portion angularly oriented relative to the seat cushion portion:    a central seat section of the seat cushion portion forming a part of the occupant accommodating area and having actuators for changing the position of at least one section of the central seat section;    a pair of side seat supports forming a part of the occupant accommodating area that are adjacent to and raised relative to the central seat section and diverge laterally outwardly having a progressively greater height as they diverge;    the central seat section being separately moveable relative to the side seat supports; and    wherein the actuators change the position of the central seat section relative to the side back supports to change the width of the occupant accommodating area between the side seat supports.    
     
     
         17 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are eccentric rollers.  
     
     
         18 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are pneumatic bladders.  
     
     
         19 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are pneumatic cylinders having a pivoting linkage.  
     
     
         20 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are wedges slidable behind the central seat section.  
     
     
         21 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are localized pneumatic elements.  
     
     
         22 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are in a front portion of the central seat section.  
     
     
         23 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are in a back portion of the central seat section.  
     
     
         24 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are in front and back portions of the central seat section.  
     
     
         25 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are adjusted by a manual switch.  
     
     
         26 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are adjusted in response to sensors in the seat for detecting lateral acceleration forces.  
     
     
         27 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are adjusted to presetable memory locations set by an occupant.  
     
     
         28 . The vehicle seat of  claim 16  wherein the actuators are adjusted in response to pressure applied to the seat by an occupant as sensed by sensors in the seat.  
     
     
         29 . A vehicle seat defining an occupant accommodating area, the vehicle seat comprising: 
 a seat cushion portion;    a backrest portion angularly oriented relative to the seat cushion portion: 
 a central seat section of the seat cushion portion forming a part of the occupant accommodating area and having actuators for changing the position of at least one section of the central seat section;  
 a pair of side seat supports forming a part of the occupant accommodating area that are adjacent to and raised relative to the central seat section and diverge laterally outwardly having a progressively greater height as they diverge;  
 a central back section of the backrest portion forming a part of the occupant accommodating area and having actuators for changing the position of at least one portion of the central back section;  
 a pair of side back supports forming a part of the occupant accommodating area that are adjacent to and raised relative to the central back section and diverge laterally outwardly having a progressively greater width as they diverge;  
 the central back section being separately moveable relative to the side back supports, and the central seat portion being separately moveable relative to the side seat supports; and  
 wherein the actuators change the position of at least one portion of each of the central seat section and central back section relative to the side seat supports and the side back supports, respectively, to change the width of the occupant accommodating area between the pairs of side seat supports and side back supports.