Vibrational comfort improvement for a passenger car driver seat

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study aimed at providing new insights into passenger vehicle driver seat vibration. The study investigates the effects of various driver seat components on the damping coefficient. By employing a design for six sigma method, an optimized seating solution is proposed to enhance seat comfort levels. The control factors used in this study include seat cushion upholstery, topper foam, cushion foam, pulmaflex, torsion bar and seat structure. Seat position, foam thickness and body mass are considered as potential noise factors. Subjective evaluation of seat comfort is conducted using the SAE J 1441-2016, comparing three different passenger car driver seats. The seats are disassembled from the vehicles and mounted on a six-degree-of-freedom shaker test bench. Vertical vibration data are filtered, and transmissibility curves are experimentally obtained from the seat rail to the seat cushion via a pad. Uncomfortable seat prototypes are then manufactured, and alternative configurations are tested on the shaker. The objective and subjective evaluations of the seat prototypes reveal that lower foam hardness, higher foam density, and flexible upholstery contribute to improved comfort levels. Moreover, the prototype seat with optimum parameters receives a subjective evaluation SAE score of +0.75, indicating an enhancement in comfort.