Patent ID: 8356861

Claim:
A skirt protecting a suspension of an active suspension seat comprising: a lower portion covering portions of a lower frame of the suspension that is structured to be coupled to a floor of a vehicle, the lower portion comprising a lower front portion positioned in the vicinity of the floor to protect the suspension from an impact of a foot of a person sitting in the active suspension seat; an upper portion covering portions of an upper frame of the suspension that is structured to support a seat cushion on which the person sits and that is structured to be actively suspended by suspension components of the suspension in relation to the lower frame in a manner that causes the upper frame to move with a curvilinear motion relative to the lower frame, the upper portion comprising an upper front portion having a curved cross-section; and wherein: the lower portion and the upper portion of the skirt are arranged such that the upper portion telescopes into the lower portion as the upper frame is caused to move relative to the lower frame; the upper front portion is positioned closer to the seat cushion than the lower front portion, and such that the upper front portion is positioned inward toward the suspension relative to an upper edge of the lower front portion, defining a first gap of a first predetermined size between a concave face of the upper front portion and the upper edge of the lower front portion; and the concave face of the upper front portion cooperates with the curvilinear motion of the upper frame relative to the lower frame to maintain the first predetermined size of the first gap.