US 5,060,174 AGranted

Method and apparatus for evaluating a load bearing surface such as a seat

AssigneeBiomechanics Corporation of America

InventorClifford M. Gross

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Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for evaluating a load bearing surface such as a seat. Preferred apparatus for the practice of the invention comprises a plurality of sensors which are distributed across a load bearing surface such as a seat pan, apparatus for measuring the pressures exerted on the sensors when a weight is placed on the load bearing surface, and signal processing apparatus for evaluating the pressures that are measured. Advantageously, the signal processing apparatus can be utilized to store data which represents a comfort level for the load bearing surface and to evaluate the measured pressures in light of that data. For example, the data stored can be pressure measurements for a series of seats correlated with subjective appraisals of seat comfort and the evaluation can be performed by statistical analysis and comparison of the pressure measurements for a seat under test with the stored pressure measurements. Alternatively, the data stored can be a mathematical formula which relates pressure as measured at different areas of the seat pan to an index of comfort; and the evaluation can be performed simply by inserting the measured pressures into the formula and calculating the resulting index.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method of evaluating a seat for comfort comprising the steps of:

establishing a standard for seat comfort which relates a human subject's appraisal of seat comfort for a first seat to measurements of the pressure exerted by said human subject on a plurality of sensors distributed across a seat pan of said first seat when the subject is seated in said seat said standard being established by:
making a measurement at a plurality of points distributed across a seat pan of the first seat of pressures exerted by a human subject on said seat when the human subject is in the seat,
dividing the measurements so made into a plurality of sets which group together measurements made in a same area of the seat pan,
for each set, combining the measurements of said set to generate a value representative of the pressures exerted on that area, and
correlating the combined measurements with a subjective estimate of seat comfort,
making a measurement at a plurality of points distributed across a seat pan of a seat to be tested of pressures exerted by a human subject on said seat when the human subject is in the seat,
dividing the measurements so made into a plurality of sets which group together measurements made in a same area of the seat pan,
for each set, combining the measurements of said set to generate a value representative of the pressures exerted on that area, and
comparing the combined measurements relating to the seat being tested with the combined measurements of the standard to form an evaluation of the comfort of the seat being tested.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/510,653Filed 18 Apr 1990
Granted: 22 Oct 1991
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

G01M 99/00
Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
A47C 31/126
Means, e.g. measuring means, for adapting chairs, beds or mattresses to the shape or weight of persons: for chairs
B60N 2/0031
Characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat: mounted on the frame
B60N 2/0035
Characterised by the type of sensor or measurement: characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters…