Method for quantitative determination of the pressure comfort of a seat cushion

US5877436A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Mercedes-Benz Group AG · DE

Inventors

• Eberhard Faust · Stuttgart, DE
• Karl Pfahler · Stuttgart, DE
• Helge Schmidt · Speyer, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 21, 1997
• Grant date: Mar 2, 1999
• Expiry date: Jan 21, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01L1/205
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method is provided for quantitative determination of the pressure comfort of a seat cushion. For this purpose, the sitting surface of the seat cushion to be tested is loaded mechanically in a manner that corresponds to a normal individual sitting in it, and the seat distribution is then determined with an interposed measuring mat. The signals from the individual pressure sensors of the measuring mat are summarized in accordance with anthropomorphically determined loading ranges with different pressure sensitivity thresholds groupwise and evaluated separately for the individual areas. For this purpose, the pressure measurement signals are multiplied by a factor or a pressure-dependent progressively increasing evaluation function and the product function is integrated. The pressure sensitivity threshold is assigned a value of 1. Depending on the difference between the respective pressure measurement value and the pressure sensitivity threshold (p.sub.0) the quality factor increases approximately parabolically or in geometric stages with increasing difference. The sum of the integral values obtained for the product functions is output as a rating number for the pressure comfort of t…