Apparent mass of the human body in the vertical direction: Effect of seat backrest

The transmission of vibration through a seat depends on various characteristics of the seat and the dynamic response of the human body. The dynamic response of the body can be represented by its apparent mass, but the effect of the seat on the apparent mass of the body is not well understood. This study was designed to quantify the effect of foam and rigid backrests on the vertical apparent mass of the human measured at the seat surface supporting the body. The apparent masses of 12 subjects were measured during exposure to random vertical vibration (1.0 ms(-2) rms from 0.125 to 40 Hz) in a seat with a rigid backrest, in the same rigid seat with three thicknesses of foam backrest (50, 100 and 150 mm), and in the same seat with no backrest. The backrests were inclined at various angles: 0 degrees, 5 degrees, 10 degrees, 15 degrees, 20 degrees, 25 degrees and 30 degrees for the rigid and 100 mm foam backrests, and 0 degrees, 10 degrees, 20 degrees and 30 degrees for the 50 and 150 mm foam backrests. With all vertical backrests (i.e., 0 degrees inclination), there were resonances in the apparent mass of the body around 5 and 10 Hz. With no backrest, the apparent mass was increased at frequencies less than the resonance frequency but decreased at frequencies between 8 and 20 Hz, relative to the apparent mass with the vertical rigid and foam backrests. With the rigid backrest, the primary resonance frequencies in the apparent mass increased with increasing backrest inclination. With the foam backrests, the resonance frequencies decreased with increasing backrest inclination. At frequencies less than the primary resonance, the apparent mass decreased with increasing backrest inclination, particularly with the rigid backrest. Between 8 and 15 Hz, the apparent mass decreased with increasing inclination, most notably with the foam backrests. At inclinations less than 30 degrees, there was little effect of foam thickness on the apparent mass, but at 30 degrees an increase in the thickness of the foam decreased the frequency of the first resonances. Since contact with backrests and the characteristics of backrests influence the vertical apparent mass of the seated body, backrests should be expected to influence the transmission of vertical vibration through a supporting seat cushion. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.