• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.389-396
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• 2013

Objective: The ride qualities of the six passenger cars were evaluated in 4 subjects on the highway and uneven road. The relation between vibration with driving velocity and driving posture were also investigated separately. Background: Ride comfort plays an important role in the vehicle design. Vibration is the one of the principal components associated with ride comfort. Method: The acceleration of the foot, hip and back were measured using B&K accelerometers in this study. The velocity of the passenger cars was maintained at a constant speed of 80km/h on the highway and 40km/h on the uneven road. For evaluating the effects of driving velocity and driving posture on vehicle's vibration level, separate experiments were performed on the highway with 5 different vehicle speeds and 5 different backrest angles, respectively. Results: The overall ride value of the luxury car showed the best result while the smaller car showed the worst value on the highway. On the uneven road the overall ride value level was increased 75~98%. All the vehicles had the SEAT value less than 1. Faster the velocity lowers the SEAT value. The ride quality in terms of vibration gets worst when the backrest angle increased. Conclusion: The smaller car had a first mode at the higher frequency and showed higher vibration level. SEAT value was mostly affected by the seat property not by vehicle. We ranked the luxury car seat had a best vibration reduction quality than others based on SEAT values. When the driving velocity increased, the overall ride values were increased proportionally and the SEAT values were somewhat decreased. Application: Evaluation of whole-body vibration in the passenger car.

• Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.185-190
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• 2011

A driver interacts directly with the car seat at all times. There are ergonomic characteristics that have to be followed to produce comfortable seats. However, most of previous researches focused on either static or dynamic condition only. In addition, research on car seat development is critically lacking although Malaysia herself manufactures its own car. Hence, this paper integrates objective measurements and subjective evaluation to predict seat discomfort. The objective measurements consider both static and dynamic conditions. Steven's psychophysics power law has been used in which after expansion; ${\psi}\;=\;a+b{\varphi}_s^{\alpha}+c{\varphi}_v^{\beta}$ where ${\psi}$ is discomfort sensation, ${\varphi}_s^{\alpha}$ is static modality with exponent ${\alpha}$ and ${\varphi}_v^{\beta}$ is dynamic modality with exponent ${\beta}$. The subjects in this study were local and the cars used were Malaysian made compact car. Static objective measurement was the seat pressure distribution measurement. The experiment was carried out on the driver's seat in a real car with the engine turned off. Meanwhile, the dynamic objective measurement was carried out in a moving car on real roads. During pressure distribution and vibration transmissibility experiments, subjects were requested to evaluate their discomfort levels using vehicle seat discomfort survey questionnaire together with body map diagram. From subjective evaluations, seat pressure and vibration dose values exponent for static modality ${\alpha}$ = 1.51 and exponent for dynamic modality ${\beta}$ = 1.24 were produced. The curves produced from the $E_{q.s}$ showed better $R_{-sq}$ values (99%) when both static and dynamic modalities were considered together as compared to Eq. with single modality only (static or dynamic only R-Sq = 95%). In conclusion, car seat discomfort prediction gives better result when seat development considered both static and dynamic modalities; and using ergonomic approach.

• Journal of KSNVE
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.811-818
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• 2000

This paper deals with the design of a car seat for enhancing dynamic ride quality using a Biomechanical Model that was developed from the measured whole-body vibration characteristic. For evaluation of seat ride quality, the z-axis acceleration of floor as an input of biomechanical model was measured on a driving passenger car at highway and national road. Form the floor signal and the estimated biomechanical model, overall ride value evaluated by parameter study of seat stiffness and damping. The result shows that overall ride value decreases as the seat damping increases and the sear stiffness decreases. A lot of polyurethane foams were manufactured and tried to evaluate dynamic ride quality of a seat. It is found that stiffness and damping of a seat show a linear relationship, which means the stiffness and damping are not independent each other, So the optimal seat parameters within practically achievable space are determined.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.381-387
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• 2013

Objective: This paper studies the method of measuring whole-body vibration in the car and terms associated. Background: Human exposure to vibration can be broadly classified as localized and whole-body vibration. The whole-body vibration affects the entire body of the exposed person. It is mainly transmitted through the seat surfaces, backrests, and through the floor to an individual sitting in the vehicle. It can affect the comfort, performance, and health of individuals. Method: Human responses to whole-body vibration can be evaluated by two main standards such as ISO 2631 and BS 6841. The vibration is measured at 8 axes - three translations at feet, 3 translations of hip and two translations of back proposed by Griffin. B&K's sensors used in this study are the 3-axes translational acceleration sensor to measure the translational accelerations at the hip, back and foot. Results: The parameters associated with the whole-body vibration in the car are frequency weightings, frequency weighted root-mean-square, vibration dose values, maximum transient vibration value, seat effective amplitude transmissibility, ride values and ride comfort. Conclusion: Studied the evaluating methods of vibration exposure and ride comfort. Application: Evaluation of whole-body vibration in the car.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.93-99
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• 2002

Ride comfort, one of the most important performances of a car, is affected by vibration, noise, dynamic movement, and ergonomic factors. Among these factors, ride comfort vibration is heavily affected by the seat system, tire, suspension, and body structure. In this study, vibration characteristics of seat, tire, suspension, and body structure are analyzed. The vibration transfer function from the road input to the human body is also investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.312-317
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• 2000

The relationship between riding comfort and the properties of flexible polyurethane foam used in car seats was quantitatively illustrated through vibration experiments with humans sitting in car seats, which were vertically shaken by vibrator. Riding comfort was estimated according to SD (Semantic Differential)-method using questionnaire, and was analyzed with a factor analysis which demonstrated the principal factors of riding comfort. At the same time, riding comfort was related to the properties of the flexible polyurethane foam with coefficients of correlation. It was also related to the behaviour of its vibration of humans sitting in the seats. As a result, it was demonstrated that the relationship between riding comfort and the flexible polyurethane foam properties varies according to the frequency of the vibration shaking the human sitting in the seat. and it was demonstrated that the frequency dependence of the relationship is strongly affected by the physical changes of the vibration modes of the human-seat vibration system.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.7 no.8
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• pp.160-171
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• 1999

The paper examines the ride performance enhancement that can be obtained by applying hydraulic semiactive vibration absorbers(SAVa) to alter the compliance characteristics of the seat/wheel suspension system. The work relies on a consistent model of the (nonlinear) hydrodynamics of the SAVA. A recently developed Lyapunov control scheme is used to provide regulation.. The performance is first examined assuming a quarter car with a seat/seat mounted mass. The paper then employs a quarter car/seat with a two mass ISO model of the seated human . The simulated results indicated that a reduction of 45% of the peak vertical acceleration is achievable with new system.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2007

This study analyzes the interior noise that is generated during acceleration of a passenger car in terms of car body structure and panel contribution. According to the transfer method, interior noise is classified into structure-borne noise and air-borne noise. Structure-borne noise is generated when the engine's vibration energy, an excitation source, is transferred to the car body through the engine mount and the driving system and the panel of the car body vibrates. When structure-borne noise resonates in the acoustic cavity of the car interior, acute booming noise is generated. This study describes plans for improving the car body structure and the panel form through a cause analysis of frequency ranges where the sound pressure level of the rear seat relative to the front seat is high. To this end, an analysis of the correlation between body attachment stiffness and acoustic sensitivity as well as a panel sensitive component analysis were conducted through a structural sound field coupled analysis. Through this study, via research on improving the car body structure in terms of reducing rear seat noise, stable performance improvement and light weight design before the proto-car stage can be realized. Reduction of the development period and test car stage is also anticipated.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.122-132
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• 2000

A simplified modeling approach of forced vibration for occupied car seats was demonstrated by using a mathematical model presented in 'Free Vibration of Car seat and Mannequin System' nonlinear and linear equations of motions were rederived for forced vibration and the transfer function was used to calculate the frequency response function. The experimental apparatus were set up and hydraulic shaker was used to obtain the system responses. Through the tests mannequin's head had a lot of problems and the responses with a head and without a head were measured. To explore the effects of linear dampings and friction moments at the joints linear analyses were performed. New sets of linear spring and damping coefficients and torsional dampings at the joints were calculated through parameter study to match up with experimental results. Good agreement between experimental and simulation frequency response estimates were obtained both in terms of locations of resonances and system deflection shapes at resonance indicating that this is a feasible method of modeling seated occupants.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.23 no.7 s.166
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• pp.1155-1163
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• 1999

This study deals with the vibration ride quality for passenger car when running on straight highway at the speed of 70km/h. Ten accelerations were measured at four positions, three axes each at the feet, hip, and head, and one axis at the back. Five seats that have different static sponge stiffness were used, and two subjects were participated. These accelerations were analyzed to produce the ride values such as component ride value and overall ride value. It was hard to see the difference of ride value by the change of sponge stiffness. However we could rank the ride quality by the total vibration exposed to passengers. From the transfer function between the hip and the foot, the fundamental mode was observed to be around 5.8Hz. Also the transfer function between the head and hip was studied. The optimal damping ratio of the seat was calculated according to the seat natural frequency with human weighting filter which makes the optimal damping ratio different from that without weighting filter.