Patent ID: 6131436
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: B25J,G01M

Abstract:
A method for wear testing a seat by simulating human seating activity, the method comprising the steps of:providing a robot, including an arm with a robotic human body simulator connected at a distal end thereof; the simulator including a substantially geometrically-correct, relatively hard and relatively stiff skeletal frame structure having a thoracic cage, a pair of scapulae connected at opposite sides of the thoracic cage, a set of lumbar vertebrae connected to the thoracic cage, a pelvic girdle connected to the lumbar vertebrae, a coccyx connected to the pelvic girdle, a pair of femurs and a pair of ball-and-socket joints for connecting respective femur to the pelvic girdle; the simulator further including elastomeric plastic formed over the skeletal frame structure, the elastomeric plastic having a substantially anatomically-correct, surface geometry, and wherein at least the elastomeric plastic formed over the pelvic girdle, the coccyx and the pair of femurs has mechanical properties of bulk muscular tissue in a state of moderate contraction; andrepeatedly driving the robot arm and the thoracic cage and femurs relative to and independent of one another between a withdrawn position and a plurality of seat-surface engaging positions to test wear characteristics of a seat bottom surface and a seat back surface of the seat under test for a plurality of cycles.