• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.69-74
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• 2008

In this paper, a comfort evaluation system based on a product-focused process design (PFPD) has been proposed for high comforts interior seat covers. Correlations between comforts properties and physical/thermal properties of interior seat covers were examined by combining traditional regression analysis and data mining techniques. A skin sensorial comfort of leather samples was evaluated by only human tactile sensation. The adjectives of leather car seat covers are 'Soft', 'Sticky' and 'Elastic'. Thermo-physiological comfort properties of leather samples were evaluated by only human tactile sensation. The adjectives of leather car seat covers are 'Coolness to the touch' and 'Thermal and humid'. Skin sensorial comforts of cloth samples were evaluated by only human tactile sensation. The adjectives of cloth car seat covers are 'Soft', 'Smooth', 'Voluminous' and 'Elastic'. Thermo-physiological comforts of cloth samples were evaluated by only human tactile sensation. The adjectives of cloth car seat covers are 'Coolness to the touch' and 'Thermal and humid'.

• Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.121-130
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• 2009

Subjective evaluation has always been regarded as a branch of social science research. Hence, in scientific and especially engineering points of view, its development is always taken for granted despite the importance of its effects on the design and development decisions. In the past, at least two automotive seat survey questionnaires have been developed with high statistical validity and reliability. Nonetheless, both were not local while subjective perception very much depends on demographic background factors. It is felt that since vehicle seat comfort is an important aspect in a seat design, a local sense should be put into the survey that is used as the subjective tool. The proposed vehicle seat discomfort survey questionnaire was developed in dual languages; English and Malay. Malay language is the national language of Malaysia, where the survey was tested. Beside inputs from literatures, key informant interviews helped in establishing the appropriate terms used as survey items. Three experimental runs on two different seats by 22 paid subjects showed that the developed questionnaire is reliable and valid. Furthermore, criterion validity analysis on the survey and previously developed survey showed significant correlation at 0.01 significance level.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.87-92
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• 2007

KTX (Korea Train eXpress) is launched as the $5^{th}$ develop a ride-comfort model for high-speed rail pasengers using structural equation model (SEM). Both qualitative and quantitative factors affecting ride-comfort were investigated, and employed to construct a comprehensive ride-comfort model. The SEM model was built with twenty measurement variables and seven latent variables for the evaluation of ride-comfort of high-speed train passenger. A total of six hundreds thirty two subjects participated in the evaluation using face-to-face survey method. As a result, the proposed SEM model model fitnes (GFI=0.93). According to the results, overall ride-comfort was significantly affected by the seat-, fatigue-, interior-related, and customer satisfaction variables such as fare. Among the engineering design variables of high-speed train, seat-related variables were identified as critical factors of the ride-comfort. It is expected that the result of this study could be useful for the enhancement of ride comfort in next generation KTX.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.3-15
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• 1993

The pressure distribution between human body and seat surface has been considered as an important factor affecting seating comfort. However, it is rare to find general guidelines of how to analyze these pressure patterms related to the seating comfort. In order to investigate the relationship between the pressure patterns and the subjective feeling of seating comfort, a high-resolution body pressure measurement system was adopted. The measured patterns showed that the clear distinctions between the comfortable seats. It was also possible to estimate the seating comfort based upon the analysis of the pressure patterns. The further research will be focused on finding out the relationship between physical seat design parameters and the seating discomfort.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.397-402
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• 2018

Proper seat design is critical to the safety, comfort, and ergonomics of automotive driver's seats. To ensure effective seat design, quantitative methods should be used to evaluate the characteristics of automotive seats. This paper presents a system that is capable of simultaneously monitoring body pressure distribution and surface deformation in a textile material. In this study, a textile-based capacitive sensor was used to detect the body pressure distribution in an automotive seat. In addition, a strain gauge sensor was used to detect the degree of curvature deformation due to high-pressure points. The textile-based capacitive sensor was fabricated from the conductive fabric and a polyurethane insulator with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The strain gauge sensor was attached on the guiding film to maximize the effect of its deformation due to bending. Ten pressure sensors were placed symmetrically in the hip area and six strain gauge sensors were distributed on both sides of the seat cushion. A readout circuit monitored the absolute and relative values from the sensors in realtime, and the results were displayed as a color map. Moreover, we verified the proposed system for quantifying the body pressure and fabric deformation by studying 18 participants who performed three predefined postures. The proposed system showed desirable results and is expected to improve seat safety and comfort when applied to the design of various seat types. Moreover, the proposed system will provide analytical criteria in the design and durability testing of automotive seats.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.146-153
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• 2014

This study investigates the effects of seat-design elements such as seating arrangement, shape, and height on speech privacy in high-speed trains. For the evaluation of speech privacy, acoustic simulation software was used to reproduce room acoustical conditions in passenger cars on the basis of in-situ measurement data. The influences of speech source directivity and source height on privacy distance ($r_P$) were investigated, and it was found that $r_P$ determined using an omni-directional source was relatively shorter than that determined using a directional source. It was also found that $r_P$ decreased when the source height was lower than the height of the seat-back because the seat-back blocked the propagation of speech from the sound source. The effect of seating arrangement was not significant when comparing the vis-a-vis seating and one-side seating arrangements. In addition, among the alternative seat-designs, the seats that block the space between the seats and cover the space near the ear were found to show significantly enhanced speech privacy in high-speed train passenger cars.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.446-457
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• 2017

This study surveys the usage and satisfaction of car seat covers, analyzes the satisfaction and luxuriousness of materials used and provides basic data on optimum car seat covers that improve consumer satisfaction, stability, and comfort, while driving. The survey was conducted on 150 people in their 20s to 60s with a car. Consequently, achromatic colored car seat covers were used most and the satisfaction with black was very high. Interior & exterior harmony and the pursued car image were considered important, this consumer psychology impacted the color selection for car seat covers. The satisfaction reasons were different according to materials. Genuine leather was highly regarded in interior & exterior harmony (20.8%), excellent seat sensation (17.7%), excellent tactile sensation (11.5%), and luxuriousness (8.5%). For artificial leather, interior & exterior harmony (16.5%) and easiness of stain removal (13.6%) was rated high and fabric had excellent seat sensation (12.3%) and economics (10.8%). The material, heated and ventilated device affected car seat cover satisfaction. The luxurious image of car seat covers was pursed and was perceived mainly with a sense of sight. Luxury car seat covers were mainly created with materials. Genuine leather and black car seat covers increased luxuriousness. For car seat covers, those with flexibility, excellent compressive elasticity, and thickness were perceived as luxurious.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.527-532
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• 2004

As well as the vibration comfort in passenger coaches largely affects passengers, it is one of the most important factors that passengers would betray their dissatisfactions among various elements, such as noise, lighting, couches, seat-arrangement, ventilation, temperature, odor, cleanliness, etc., consisting of comfort in passenger coaches. The wheel-tread figuration in the dynamic behavior of trainsets significantly affects the vibration comfort such as the running safety and the running stability. In this study, therefore, I will examine the dynamic characteristic in passenger coaches in accordance with the variation of wheel-tread figuration during the high-speed traveling with the target of trainsets (KT23 bogie), which are operated as the passenger coache in Korea, and any variation that will exert baneful influence on the vibration comfort accordingly.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1217-1223
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• 2008

Vehicle vibration mostly originates from the road excitation and causes discomfort, fatigue and even injury to a driver. Vehicle ride comfort is one of the most important performance indices to achieve a high-quality vehicle design. Since design parameter variations inevitably result in the vehicle ride comfort variance, the variance characteristics should be analyzed in the early design stage of the vehicle. The vehicle ride comfort is often defined by an index which employs a weighted RMS value of the acceleration PSD of a seat position. The design solution is obtained through two steps in this study. An optimization problem to obtain a minimum ride comfort index is solved first. Then another optimization problem to obtain minimum variance of the ride comfort index is solved. For the optimization problems, the equations of motion and the sensitivity equations are derived basing on a 5-DOF vehicle model. The numerical results show that an optimal solution for the minimum ride comfort is not necessarily same as that of the minimum variance of the ride comfort.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 2009

A comfort evaluation of car seat clothing has been proposed for high comforts interior seat clothing. Car seat covers have received wide spread attention due to their man-machine interface working. And then, it will be necessary for measurements on delicate basic mechanical-properties, which closely relate with human touch feeling of its materials. In this research, we have utilized $KES-FB^{(R)}$(Kawabata Evaluation System) series, $^ST300{(R)}$ analogue softness tester and friction tester for measurement a physical properties. In order to consider both kansei and physical properties on interior seat covers, we firstly have established subjective words of judgement for the seat covers. Secondly, related them to the objective measurement of physical properties. Each kansei-language has clearly defined as 'Softness', 'Elasticity', 'Volume' and 'Stickiness' for the adjectives of leather car seat covers. These technical terms have correlated to physical properties in other words, h (mm), bending moment ($gf^*$cm/cm), To-Tm (mm) and ${\mu}$. At this time, fuzzy logic has utilized to predict the value of kansei language through physical values. On the basis of this result, finally it is possible to predict quality index of car seat covers using neural networks technique. In short, we develop a quality evaluation system of car seat clothing combining four physical quantities with kansei engineering.