Unitized back plate and lumbar support

A seat comprising:

• a bottom surface for supporting the weight of an occupant, said seat bottom having a first frame;
• a back for holding the torso of an occupant upright, said seat back having a second frame;
• a back plate attached to said second frame;
• a housing attached to said back plate and having a channel defined by at least one guide boss;
• an extending element having a weight supporting end and an engaged end, said engaged end being slidingly disposed within said channel of said housing;
• and
• an actuator attached to said second frame, said actuator being engaged with said extending element;
• whereby said actuator mediates travel of said weight supporting end of said extending element between a substantially retracted position and an extended position.

A unitized back plate and lumbar support for a seat comprising:

• a back plate, said back plate including a housing and said back plate having an anchor;
• a channel in said housing, said channel being defined by two lower guide bosses and two upper guide bosses, said upper guide bosses and said lower guide bosses being arcuate;
• a paddle having a first end and a second end,
• said first end having arcuate flanges, said arcuate flanges being in sliding communication with said upper guide bosses and said lower guide bosses inside said channel, and
• said first end having an anchor, and
• said second end being disposed to provide ergonomic support to a seat occupant;
• a Bowden cable, said Bowden cable having,
• a conduit and
• said Bowden cable having a wire, said wire being slidingly disposed within said conduit, and
• said Bowden cable having a first end operatively engaged with an actuator, said actuator having a tension lock, and
• said Bowden cable having a second end in operative engagement with said lumbar support such that said conduit is attached to said anchor of said back plate and said wire is attached to said anchor of said first end of said paddle.

A method of shipping a unitized back plate and lumbar support comprising:

• fabricating together a back plate and a housing, said housing having a channel;
• packaging said back plate and said housing in a package having a re-sealable opening;
• shipping said package to an assembler;
• opening said re-sealable opening of said package;
• inserting a paddle into said channel of said housing;
• and
• re-sealing said re-sealable opening of said package.