AUTOMOTIVE SEAT DESIGN

Seat is an important part of car. Drivers spend great deal of time behind the seat and it is
necessary to provide them the comfort while sitting in the same posture for long time.
Provision of comfort and position adjustment should be considered as an important aspect
while designing.

In order to design the seat it is necessary to take into consideration the dimensions of human
body. Various aspects such as seat height, width, depth, and backrest depend on the
dimensions of the body. It, therefore, becomes necessary to understand the anthropometrics
of seat design.

Anthropometric aspects of seat design:

1. Seat height: As the height of the seat increases beyond the popliteal height of the user,
pressure is felt on the underside of the thighs. Also, if the height decreases, the driver will
face greater problems in sitting down and standing up and also will require greater leg room.
It is therefore necessary to have proper seat height. Optimal seat height may be that chosen
close to the popliteal seat height.

2.Seat Depth: The seat width should not be increased beyond the buttock popliteal height. If
this happens the driver will not able to rest his back effectively without giving adequate
pressure on the knees which is undesirable.

3. Backrest: The higher the backrest, more effective it is to provide rest to back while in the
driving posture. Another factor such as mobility of shoulder should also be taken into
account. Backrest may be differentiated into 3 types any one of which may be applicable:

 Low level backrest

 Medium level backrest

 High level backrest.

For design of automotive seats high level backrest is preferred, since it provides support right
from the lumbar to head. It is usually of the shape of the spine.

4.Seat angle or tilt:

A proper seat angle should be chosen as it helps the user to maintain good contact with the
backrest. Excessive angle reduces the comfort ability of the driver. For most cases it is
approximately 5-10 °.