scope:

Introduction

Note: Nothing in this standard supercedes applicable laws and regulations.

Note: In the event of conflict between the English and domestic language, the English language shall take precedence.

Purpose. This procedure describes a laboratory method for evaluating the noise of a power seat system when mounted on a fixture.

Applicability. Passenger vehicles and on-road vehicles equipped with power seats.

Remarks. The noise of a power seat system during operation is evaluated using the Zwicker loudness method.

• Each of the modes of operation (seat adjuster; fore/aft, up/down, front and rear tilt, recliner; up/down, headrest; up/down, fore/aft, and lumbar; up/down, fore/aft, etc.) are evaluated independently and then the results from each mode are compared together. For power accessory systems that have multiple modes of operation, an attribute indicating good quality is consistency among the modes. Therefore, it is important that the sound of each mode be nearly the same.

• This method does not evaluate all the sound quality issues that may occur during power seat operation such as grating sounds, sandy/gravelly sounds, etc., any of which can make a seat system, with acceptable loudness, unacceptable for use in the vehicle.

• This method does not evaluate the structure-borne sound that can result when the power seat system is mounted to a vehicle. It is assumed that a power seat system that has poor sound quality in a laboratory situation will also have poor sound quality when mounted on the vehicle. Identification of airborne noise problems using a laboratory test is an efficient use of resources because it does not require a full vehicle.