Comparison between static maximal force and handbrake pulling force.

The measurement of maximum pulling force is important not only for specifying force limit of industrial workers but also for designing controls requiring high force. This paper presents a comparison between maximal static handbrake pulling force (FST) and force exerted during normal handbrake pulling task (FDY). These forces were measured for different handle locations and subject characteristics. Participants were asked to pull a handbrake on an adjustable car mock-up as they would do when parking their own car, then to exert a force as high as possible on the pulled handbrake. Hand pulling forces were measured using a six-axes force sensor. 5 fixed handbrake positions were tested as well as a neutral handbrake position defined by the subject. FST and FDY were significantly correlated. Both were found to be dependent on handbrake position, age and gender. As expected, women and older subjects exerted lower forces. FST was significantly higher than FDY. The ratio FmR (FDY divided by FST) was also analyzed. Women showed higher FmR than men meaning that the task required a higher amount of muscle capability for women. FmR was also influenced by handbrake location. These data will be useful for handbrake design.