• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1993.04a
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• pp.145-145
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• 1993

In bicycle design, saddle is the major part which effects the subjective comfort of rider. This study examines the correlation between the subjective comfort and elastic body pressure. The elastic body pressure measuring instrument for free-form surface such as saddle is developed by force sensor register, A/D converter and computer. The subjective comfort is measured quantit- atively by 11-point scale method and the elastic body pressure distribution is obtained through 3 different saddles at 4 postures. The pressure distribution is presented by computerized equi- pressure contour. While mean pressure, standard deviation of pressure, maximum pressure are inversely proportional to subjective comfort, the modified saddle-bearing weight which is the surface integral of pressure is directly proportional. Consequently, standard deviation of pressure is most important characteristic which affects variation of subjective comfort.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.55-61
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• 1995

We spend about 40% of lifte time on a bed and seek how such amount of time is spent comfort. Bed comfort has been pursuited. The pressure distributions on a bed by body pressure has been considered as one of the most important factors of bed comfort. This study is to quantify the subjective assessment by the body pressure distribution and develop the objective evaluation method of bed comfort. A new measurement system for body pressure on a bed was developed in this study. The thin film pressure sensor (FSR: Force Sensing Resistor) of an elastomer-type was used to prevent the distortion of contact pressure. The pressure distribution is measured by FSR and displayed on the monitor by color-coded contour patterns. Some of the bed test results were described. And the relations between body pressure distribution and bed comfort were evaluated.

• 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 the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.255-265
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• 2014

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate comfort levels of functional and non-functional chairs using subjective comfort rating, interface pressure measurement, muscle activity measurement, and skin temperature measurement. Background: Chairs are used for a prolonged period of time for sitting in many places such as the office, at university, at school, in industry, and so on. Almost all people use chairs in their everyday life. The functional properties of the chair are associated with comfort. Method: The subjective evaluation contains questions regarding chair comfort which can be rated with five point scale. The body-seat interface pressure was measured using a pressure mat system. The symmetry of sitting was measured using electromyography. The change in body part (thigh and buttock) temperature before and after sitting on a chair was measured with an infrared camera. Results: Participants rated significantly (p < 0.05) higher comfort scores for the functional chair in relation to the buttock and thigh region. Also, the participants felt a better cushion effect in the functional chair. When using the functional chair, lower interface pressure, better thermal comfort, and better symmetry of erector spinae muscle activity were observed. Conclusion: Overall, interface pressure measurement, muscle activity measurement, thermal imaging and subjective comfort score results showed that the functional chair was more comfortable than the non-functional chair. Application: The adopted methodologies could be used to measure the seating comfort of train seats.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.343-348
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• 2011

This paper presents ride comfort characteristics of a quarter-vehicle magneto-rheological (MR) suspension system with respect to different tire pressure. As a first step, controllable MR damper is designed and modeled based on both the optimized damping force levels and mechanical dimensions required for a commercial full-size passenger vehicle. Then, a quarter-vehicle suspension system consisting of sprung mass, spring, tire and the MR damper is constructed. After deriving the equations of the motion for the proposed quarter-vehicle MR suspension system, vertical tire stiffness with respect to different tire pressure is experimentally identified. The skyhook controller is then implemented for the realization of the quarter-vehicle MR suspension system. Finally, the ride comfort analysis with respect to different tire pressure is undertaken in time domain. In addition, a comparative result between controlled and uncontrolled is provided by presenting vertical RMS displacement.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.4 s.152
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• pp.615-622
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• 2006

A tool to evaluate the subjective wearing comfort of caps from the objective measurement of pressure was developed. Comfortable Fittability Index(C.F.I) and Holding Power(HP) were defined to represent the subjective wearing comfort of caps. As a preliminary step to define the Comfortable Fittability Index(C.F.I), average pressure, pressure distribution, standard deviation of pressure were obtained and subjective sensation were evaluated by wearing caps. Also Holding Power(HP) was estimated from wind tunnel testing. Two sets of caps were evaluated, one set made of elastic fabric(F-caps) and the other set made of non-elastic fabric(S-caps). F-caps begin to be taken off by the higher wind velocity and thus exhibited higher values of Holding Power. On the other hand, F-caps exerted lower average pressure, narrower pressure distribution, smaller standard deviation.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.171-178
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• 2019

This study analyzed the pressure, subjective wearing comfort, and design preference of brassiere shoulder straps among women in their 20s and 40s. Experimental clothing was made by different shoulder strap designs on a brassiere. In the four designs (A-D), the front attachment points of the shoulder straps were the same, but the back attachment points were different. Three of them (E, E1, E2) were of a halter neck design, with different front attachment positions. The pressures of A-D were measured at the position passing through the shoulder line (P1), and E-E2 was measured at the back neck (P2) as well as at P1. Subjective wearing comfort and design preference were rated on a 7-point Likert scale. A was determined to exert the highest pressure at the neck side of the design in the pressure measurement analysis of A-E2, whereas E1 exerted the lowest. E was measured to have the highest pressure among the E-E2 designs, whereas E2 had the lowest. Participants preferred A the most and E the least in regards to the subjective wearing comfort of A-E. Thus, participants deem A to be the most comfortable despite the high strap pressure. However, E was the most favored design, despite its poor wearing comfort. Participants' subjective impressions of E-E2 were that E2 was the most uncomfortable, but its design was the most preferred. Consumers' design preferences and subjective impressions of wearing comfort did not match.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.549-559
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to analyze the comfort of sports bras by style and bra cup size. The comfort of wear was measured with compression level. The displacement of breast points (BP) after wearing a sports bra was measured. Study subjects evaluated the comfort level of the compression type and encapsulation type sports bras after walking and running. The results showed that all types of experimental sports bras provided more coverage than everyday bras. The compression type bra placed more pressure on the breast, chest, and under-bust than the encapsulation type bra. The BP distance decreased for all types. The C cup subjects' breasts were raised after wearing the sports bras. The B cup subjects had less comfort with the compression style bra than C cup subjects. The racer back style bra with high neckline and small band girth placed more pressure than others. They were difficult to don and doff and the least comfortable. These results imply that the racer back compression style sports bra was uncomfortable for women with large breast, while the encapsulation style bra with the compressing panel at upper chest was the most comfortable. The bras that shortened BP distance placed more pressure on the breast. But the bra that raised and shorted the distance of BP provided better comfort for large-breasted subjects.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.105-115
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• 2017

Continuous lifting and carrying of babies constitutes a serious physical burden, leading to issues such as muscle fatigue and pain in child-care workers. However, there is a lack of research on the pressure and subjective comfort of baby carriers that are commercially available in the market. Therefore, this study was intended to determine the most comfortable and least burdensome type of baby carrier. This was done by analyzing muscle activity and pressure when subjects carried babies using three types of baby carriers. The types of baby carriers evaluated included a 'baby carrier of thin shoulder straps without back support band (X-type)', a 'baby carrier with a back-support band and without a hip sheet (H-type)', and a 'baby carrier with back support band and hip support (H-hip type). The subjective comfort of subjects wearing each type of baby carrier was investigated and compared to the objectively measured data. As a result, the X-type baby carrier showed the heaviest pressure on the shoulders and the subjective comfort was found to not be good. On the waist region, the H-type and H-hip type baby carriers showed significantly less muscle activation than the X-type baby carrier. However, subjects showed a stronger preference for the X-type baby carrier on the waist region, despite greater muscle activation. This appears to be because although the back-support band disperses the weight and thus improves physiological comfort; the wearers feel cramped and thus, lower their psychological comfort.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.973-974
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• 2010