Back pad assembly for a material handling vehicle

A material handling vehicle comprising:

• an operator compartment that defines an active zone with a perimeter;
• a back rest;
• a back pad, the back pad including a first side portion and a second side portion with generally curved profiles arranged on laterally-opposing sides of a center portion;
• and
• a framework including a first mounting bar and a second mounting bar, wherein the framework is coupled to the back pad,
• wherein the center portion protrudes from the back pad toward a control handle of the material handling vehicle,
• wherein a first side of the perimeter defines a first vertical plane that intersects a first outer edge of the first side portion, and
• wherein a second side of the perimeter defines a second vertical plane that intersects a second outer edge of the second side portion.

A material handling vehicle comprising:

• a back pad including a center surface, a first lateral surface, and a second lateral surface, wherein the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface are disposed on laterally opposing sides of the center surface;
• a first handle coupled to a first side of the back pad and defining a first handle surface;
• and
• a second handle coupled to a second side of the back pad and defining a second handle surface,
• wherein the first lateral surface and the first handle surface combine to define a first curved portion of the back pad, and
• wherein the second lateral surface and the second handle surface combine to define a second curved portion of the back pad.