JP2011172641A - Massage machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a massage machine which performs optimal heat treatment from the start of massage movement of treatment elements. <P>SOLUTION: The massage machine includes a controller having an activation switch and course selection switches for selecting whether to start a preset course program which become operable when the activation switch is in an on condition. When the activation switch of the controller is in the on condition, a control section controls a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater to carry out preheating of the PTC heater before the course selection switches are operated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a massage machine that performs thermal treatment on a user using a heat source.

  Conventionally, for example, a chair-type massage machine incorporating a massage mechanism having a treatment element on the backrest part is subjected to a predetermined operation by applying the massage balls of the treatment element to a back pot or meridian to promote blood circulation. It has been proposed in the past to eliminate stiffness in the back, and such massage machines are widely used in general homes and public facilities.

  Moreover, in recent massage machines, what performs a thermotherapy in addition to the massage by the pressing operation etc. of a massage ball is provided by providing the heat transfer means which accommodates a heat source in a massage mechanism (for example, refer patent document 1). . In such a massage machine, after operating the start switch of the operation device, the course selection switch is operated and various course programs set in advance are selected, so that electric power is supplied to the heat source and thermal treatment is performed. The massage mechanism is designed to give a massage.

JP 2008-284338 A

  By the way, in the massage machine as described above, power is supplied to the heat source only when the course selection switch of the operation unit is selected. Therefore, it takes time for the heat source to warm up. At the start of the massage course program with the treatment element (scum ball), the heat source may still be in a low state, which is suitable for the user from the treatment center by the course. It was difficult to perform proper heat treatment.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a massage machine capable of performing a suitable thermal treatment from the start of a massage operation by a treatment element.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a massage mechanism having a treatment element for massaging the back of the user, and heat treatment by applying heat to the user. A massage machine comprising a heat source for performing a massage and a control unit for controlling the massage mechanism and the heat source, and is operable and preset when the activation switch is in an on state. An operation unit having a course selection switch capable of selecting a selected course program, and the control unit preheats the heat source before the course selection switch is operated with the start switch of the operation unit turned on. The gist of the control is to drive to perform the above.

  The present invention includes an operation unit having a start switch and a course selection switch that can be operated when the start switch is in an on state and can select a preset course program. The heat source is controlled by the control unit so that the heat source is preheated before the course selection switch is operated while the start switch of the operation unit is on. Thus, before the course program is started by operating the course selection switch, the temperature of the heat source at the start of the course program (at the start of the massage operation by the treatment element) is driven by driving the heat source and heating the heat source. Can be increased. For this reason, suitable thermal treatment can be performed from the start of the massage operation by the treatment element.

The gist of the invention according to claim 2 is that, in the massage machine according to claim 1, the heat source is provided so as to be movable together with the treatment element.
In this invention, since the heat source is provided so as to be able to operate integrally with the treatment element, the heat from the heat source can be given to the user in the same range as the movable range of the treatment element.

The invention according to claim 3 is the massage machine according to claim 1 or 2,
The control unit controls the heat source in a first set temperature range that is a target temperature of a preheating period from when the start switch is turned on to when the course selection switch is operated, and during the thermal treatment The gist is to control the heat source at a temperature including a second set temperature range that is a target temperature higher than the first set temperature range.

  In the present invention, the heat source is controlled by the control unit within the first set temperature range that is the target temperature of the preheating period from when the start switch is turned on to when the course selection switch is operated, and during the thermal treatment, The heat source is controlled by the control unit at a temperature including a second set temperature range that is a target temperature higher than the one set temperature range. In this way, by heating the heat source to the first set temperature range so as to perform preheating before the course selection switch is operated, when the course selection switch is operated, the heat source is quickly turned on at that time. It can heat to the 2nd preset temperature range which is target temperature. For this reason, suitable thermal treatment can be performed from the start of the massage operation by the treatment element.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the massage machine according to the third aspect, the control unit controls the heat source by switching to the first set temperature range or the second set temperature range according to the course program. The gist is to do.

  In the present invention, the heat source is controlled by the controller by switching to the first set temperature range or the second set temperature range according to the course program. Here, depending on the content of the course program, it can be divided into a case where the thermal treatment may be performed in parallel and a case where only the mechanical massage by the treatment element is performed. Therefore, when it is desired to perform the thermal treatment in parallel with the mechanical massage, the temperature can be controlled within a relatively high second set temperature range. In the case of only massage with a treatment element, for example, the effect of thermal treatment can be suppressed by setting the first set temperature range to such an extent that the user cannot experience it, and the heat source is changed when the course program is changed. Since it has warmed to the 1st preset temperature range, it becomes easy to raise temperature to the 2nd preset temperature range.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the massage machine according to the third or fourth aspect, the operation unit includes a heat source switch capable of selecting a driving state of the heat source, and the control unit is for the heat source. When the switch is in the on state, the heat source is controlled so that the temperature includes the second set temperature range, and when the switch for the heat source is in the off state, the first set temperature range is set. The main point is to control the heat source.

  In the present invention, the operation unit is provided with a heat source switch capable of selecting a driving state of the heat source. In this way, by driving the heat source with the heat source switch that can be operated by the user, it is possible to select whether or not to perform the thermal treatment according to the user's preference. When the heat source switch is in the on state, the control unit controls the heat source so as to be in the second set temperature range. When the heat source switch is in the off state, the heat source switch is in the first set temperature range. The heat source is controlled by the controller. By adopting such a configuration, for example, it is possible to suppress the effect of thermal treatment that sets the first set temperature range to a temperature at which the user cannot feel, and when the heat source switch is changed to the on state. Since the heat source is warmed to the first set temperature range, it is easy to raise the temperature to the second set temperature range.

  Invention of Claim 6 is the massage machine as described in any one of Claims 1-5. WHEREIN: The said control part is controlled to drive the said heat source in response to operation | movement of the said treatment element. The gist.

  In the present invention, the driving of the heat source is controlled by the control unit in conjunction with the operation of the treatment element. Thus, the thermal treatment by the heat source can be performed in conjunction with the operation of the treatment element. In addition, by linking the operation of the treatment element and the drive of the heat source, it is possible to estimate the temperature at the time of heat source drive from the operation of the treatment element set in advance on the course table or the like. Sensors and the like can be omitted.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the massage machine which can perform suitable thermal treatment from the time of the massage operation start by a treatment element can be provided.

The schematic block diagram of the massage machine in this embodiment. The front view of a treatment element. The disassembled perspective view of a treatment element. Sectional drawing of a treatment element. The front view of an operating device. The block diagram for demonstrating the electrical structure regarding the thermal treatment especially of a massage machine. The timing chart for demonstrating the drive control of a PTC heater. The timing chart for demonstrating the drive control of a PTC heater. The timing chart for demonstrating the drive control of the PTC heater in another example. The table for demonstrating the course table in another example.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the massage machine of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the leg portion 11 of the massage machine 10 is placed on a floor surface (not shown), and a seat portion 12 on which a user can sit is fixed to the upper portion of the leg portion 11. A backrest 13 for allowing the user to lean back is provided at the rear of the seat 12 so that the user can lean on the back, and an ottoman 14 on which the user's legs can be placed on the front of the seat 12. It can be tilted. An armrest 15 for placing the user's arm is provided from the backrest 13 to the front of both sides of the seat 12. Moreover, the operation device 16 which can operate each part of the massage machine 10 by a user is provided in the side surface of the backrest part 13.

  The backrest part 13 is comprised by the backrest part main body 13a and the cover part 13b which covers the front surface of this backrest part main body 13a. The backrest main body 13a is provided with a guide rail (not shown) along the vertical direction of the backrest 13 in a main body case (not shown) made of a hard resin material having an open front surface, and moves up and down along the guide rail. The massage mechanism 20 is assembled as possible. The massage mechanism 20 is provided with various drive motors (not shown), and the drive of these various drive motors causes the massage mechanism 20 to move up and down, and a predetermined treatment operation is performed by the pair of treatment elements 21 provided in the massage mechanism 20. It has come to be.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of treatment elements 21 includes a pair of arms 22 (only one is shown), a heater unit 23 provided on each of the arms 22, and a kneading ball 24 connected to the heater unit 23, The kneading balls 24 have a fixing member 25 that holds the kneading balls 24 with the heater unit 23. The fixing member 25 is made of aluminum having high thermal conductivity.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each heater unit 23 includes a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater 30 sandwiched between a first case member 31 and a second case member 32, and the width direction of the pair of arms 22. It is provided inside each. The case members 31 and 32 as heat transfer means for accommodating the PTC heaters 30 employ aluminum as a material having high thermal conductivity and rigidity.

  The first case member 31 on the outer side in the width direction is fixed to the arm 22 with screws 33a and 33b. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner surface of the first case member 31 on the inner side in the width direction is formed such that a contact portion 31 a corresponding to the PTC heater 30 protrudes inward in the width direction. . Each PTC heater 30 is electrically connected to a control unit 51 as shown in FIG. 6 to determine whether or not to supply power to each PTC heater 30.

  The second case member 32 is provided with a rubber pad 41 made of, for example, a silicon-based material having high thermal conductivity and elasticity at a position corresponding to the PTC heater 30 on the inner surface on the outer side in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the PTC heater 30 is sandwiched between the contact portion 31 a of the first case member 31 and the rubber pad 41 of the second case member 32. At this time, the rubber pad 41 is configured to be elastically deformed according to the pressure when the PTC heater 30 is sandwiched between the contact portion 31a. That is, the PTC heater 30 is in pressure contact with the second case member 32 and is configured to be able to efficiently transfer heat to the second case member 32 side.

  The second case member 32 is formed in a curved shape so that a contact portion 32a that contacts the user's body via the cover portion 13b is convex toward the user side. Further, the contact portion 32a is formed to extend outward in the width direction by approximately the thickness (length in the width direction) of the first case member 31, and on the second case member 32 side of the PTC heater 30. The design is made to condense heat and suppress the diffusion of heat to other than the contact portion 32a as much as possible. It is desirable that the first case member 31 and the second case member 32 have a shape that follows the shape of the PTC heater 30 as much as possible except for the contact portion 32a.

  Further, the thermistor 42 is fixed to the inner side in the width direction of the second case member 32 by screws 32b, and these thermistors 42 are electrically connected to the control unit 51 as shown in FIG. For this reason, the heat of the PTC heater 30 is transmitted to the second case member 32 of the heater unit 23, and the temperature of the heat can be monitored by the thermistor 42.

  The second case member 32 is formed with an extending portion 32c that protrudes inward in the width direction, and an engaging convex portion 32d having a substantially square shape is formed at the end in the extending direction. The cylindrical portion 25a of the substantially cylindrical fixing member 25 is fitted on the extended portion 32c of the second case member 32, and the screw 46 is screwed into the screw hole 32e formed in the extended portion 32c. Thus, the fixing member 25 is prevented from coming off.

  The axial end portion side of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 25a has a substantially rectangular engagement hole with which the engagement convex portion 32d of the extending portion 32c protruding inward in the width direction from the outer surface of the second case member 32 is engaged. 25c is formed. And since this engagement convex part 32d and the engagement hole 25c engage in a rotation direction, the rotation of the fixing member 25 is made | formed.

  Further, the kneading balls 24 that are rotatably supported by the two bearings 24a and 24b are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 25a constituting the fixing member 25. At this time, the enlarged diameter portion 25b whose outer diameter is enlarged on the axial end side of the cylindrical portion 25a is configured to protrude inward in the width direction from the kneading balls 24, and the enlarged diameter portion 25b The kneading balls 24 are prevented from coming off in the width direction (axial direction). Further, the kneading balls 24 are configured to have a radius slightly larger (for example, about 3 mm) than the distance from the axial center of the extension portion 32c of the second case member 32 to the contact portion 32a of the case member 32. Yes. For this reason, when the kneading balls 24 come into contact with the user's body via the cover portion 13b, the kneading balls 24 are deformed by the contact pressure, so that the contact portion 32a of the second case member 32 made of a rigid body is formed. It is configured to suitably transmit only heat as much as possible by light contact with the user.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, the operation device 16 that can be operated by the user can be operated based on the power supply from an external power source (not shown) with the main power switch 60 turned on. Is. In addition, the operation device 16 is provided with a display unit 61 for displaying the state of the massage machine 10 such as the current massage site and its strength. The operation unit 16 includes course selection switches 62 and 63 that can be selected from a plurality of massage driving patterns, a start switch 64 that selects whether or not to supply power to the motor of the massage mechanism 20, and the like, and a PTC. A heater switch 65 for switching the operation of the heater 30 between high current driving and low current driving is provided. When the user selects each switch 62 to 65 of the operation device 16, a signal is appropriately output to the control unit 51, and each unit is controlled by the control unit 51. The course selection switches 62 and 63 include a course selection switch 62 for selecting “automatic course program” and a course selection switch 63 for selecting “repetitive program”. Here, the “automatic course program” is a course program in which the massaging balls 24 are operated over the entire range of treatment by the massaging balls 24 to massage the user's back from a neck to a relatively wide range. is there. In addition, the “repetitive program” refers to a relatively narrow range centered on one of the user's back, shoulders, and waist by operating the kneading balls 24 in a part of the range of treatment by the kneading balls 24. It is a course program that repeats massages.

  In the massage machine 10 configured as described above, when the main power switch 60 is in the ON state, power is supplied to the operation device 16 and the control unit 51. In this state, as shown in FIG. 7, when the start switch 64 provided in the operation device 16 is turned from the OFF state to the ON state at a predetermined time Tm1, the controller 51 causes the course selection switches 62 and 63 of the operation device 16 to be turned on. To make it possible to select various course programs. As described above, when the start switch 64 is turned from the off state to the on state at the predetermined time Tm1, the heater switch 65 is changed to the on state, and the controller 51 changes the PTC when the heater switch 65 is changed to the on state. A predetermined current A <b> 1 is applied to the heater 30. Thus, the PTC heater 30 is heated until the temperature of the PTC heater 30 (thermistor 42) reaches the first set temperature Tp1 (for example, about 40 ° C.) before the course is selected. Thereafter, when one of the course programs is selected by the user using the course selection switches 62 and 63, the control unit 51 applies a current A2 higher than the current A1 to the PTC heater 30. ing. Thus, the PTC heater 30 is heated until the temperature of the PTC heater 30 (thermistor 42) reaches the second set temperature Tp2 (for example, about 55 ° C.).

  Further, in the control unit 51, after the course selection switches 62 and 63 are operated, that is, during the course program, the heater switch 65 is turned off (predetermined time Tm2 in FIG. 7) and the PTC heater 30 is driven. Is changed from high current drive to low current drive, the controller 51 applies a current A1 to the PTC heater 30 as shown in FIG. For this reason, the PTC heater 30 is controlled by the control unit 51 so that the temperature thereof becomes the first set temperature Tp1. As described above, even when the heater switch 65 is turned off, the temperature of the PTC heater 30 can be maintained within a predetermined temperature range (first set temperature Tp1) in which the PTC heater 30 is driven with a low current. For this reason, even if the driving of the PTC heater 30 is changed to the high current driving state by the operation of the heater switch 65, the temperature of the PTC heater 30 can be immediately increased, and a suitable thermal treatment can be immediately performed. . Further, since the temperature of the PTC heater 30 in the low current driving state is set to a temperature that the user cannot feel (in this embodiment, about 40 ° C.), the effect of the thermal treatment can be prevented from acting. It is possible to carry out massages tailored to the needs of the elderly.

  As described above, in the massage machine 10 of the present embodiment, the current A is applied to the PTC heater 30 while the start switch 64 of the operation device 16 is operated and the course selection switches 62 and 63 are operated by the user. To drive. For this reason, when the course selection switches 62 and 63 are operated to be turned on and each course program is executed, the user can quickly experience compared to the conventional product (illustrated by the yr2 dotted line in FIG. 7). It can be heated to a moderate temperature (second set temperature Tp2), and more suitable thermal treatment can be performed.

Next, characteristic effects of the present embodiment will be described.
(1) An operation device 16 having a start switch 64 and course selection switches 62 and 63 that can be operated when the start switch 64 is in an on state and can start or select a preset course program. Prepare. The PTC heater 30 is controlled by the control unit 51 so that the PTC heater 30 is preheated before the course selection switches 62 and 63 are operated while the start switch 64 of the operation device 16 is on. Thus, before the course program is started by operating the course selection switches 62 and 63, the PTC heater 30 is driven to warm the PTC heater 30 to start the course program (massage operation by the treatment element 21). At the time of starting), the temperature of the PTC heater 30 can be raised to the second set temperature Tp2 more quickly than the conventional product (in FIG. 7, with a two-dot chain line). For this reason, the heat from the PTC heater 30 can be more suitably applied at the start of the massage operation by the treatment element 21.

(2) Since the PTC heater 30 is provided so as to be able to operate integrally with the treatment element 21, the heat from the heat source can be applied to the user in a range similar to the movable range of the treatment element 21.
(3) The operation device 16 is provided with a heater switch 65 capable of selecting a driving state (high current driving and low current driving) of the PTC heater 30. Thus, by driving the PTC heater 30 with the heater switch 65 that can be operated by the user, it is possible to select whether or not to perform the thermal treatment according to the user's preference. Further, when the heater switch 65 is in the on state, the heat source is controlled by the control unit 51 so as to be the second set temperature Tp2, and when the heater switch 65 is in the off state, the first set temperature Tp1 is reached. As described above, the heat source is controlled by the control unit 51. With such a configuration, massage by the treatment element 21 (the kneading balls 24) is performed without giving the effect of the thermal treatment that sets the first set temperature Tp1 to a temperature that the user cannot feel (eg, about 40 ° C.). An effect can be imparted. Further, when the heater switch is changed to the on state, the temperature of the heat source is warmed up to the first set temperature Tp1, and thus it is possible to easily increase the temperature to the second set temperature Tp2.

In addition, you may change embodiment of this invention as follows.
In the above embodiment, the start switch 64 of the operation device 16 is pressed by the user to be turned on, and at the same time, the controller 51 applies the predetermined current A1 to the PTC heater 30. Not limited to. Any configuration may be used as long as power is supplied to the PTC heater 30 before the start switch 64 is turned on and the course selection switches 62 and 63 are operated. In this way, the PTC heater 30 is driven before the course selection switches 62 and 63 are operated, so that the PTC heater 30 can be quickly heated to a temperature that can be experienced by the user at the start of various course programs. At the same time, the thermal treatment by the PTC heater 30 can be suitably performed.

  In the above embodiment, the temperature of the PTC heater 30 is changed by changing the amount of current applied to the PTC heater 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. A configuration may be adopted in which the temperature applied to the PTC heater 30 is constant and the temperature of the PTC heater 30 is changed by repeatedly driving and non-driving (stopping) the PTC heater 30. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the heater switch 65 is in the off state, the temperature of the PTC heater 30 is configured so that the controller 51 drives the PTC heater 30 in the on state every predetermined period T. Can be operated within a predetermined range which is the first set temperature range.

  In the above embodiment, although not particularly mentioned, a configuration in which the PTC heater 30 is interlocked with the operation of the treatment element 21 (the kneading balls 24) may be employed. Here, a part of each course program (course table) is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, in step 1, the control unit 51 (see FIG. 6) performs the tapping operation for alternately moving the left and right kneading balls 24 against the shoulder of the user three times and turns on the PTC heater 30. Operate in the on state. After that, in step 2, the control unit 51 performs the twice operation of rolling the kneading balls 24 on the back surface by driving the kneading balls 24 up and down while lightly pressing the back surface of the user, and the PTC heater. 30 is operated in the off state. In step 3, the control unit 51 performs the acupressure operation of pressing with the kneading balls 24 from a direction substantially perpendicular to the user's waist, and operates the PTC heater 30 in the ON state. Thereafter, in step 4, the control unit 51 performs the kneading operation that causes the user's neck to be pinched by the left and right kneading balls 24 and continuously operates the PTC heater 30 in the ON state. As described above, by incorporating information related to the drive control of the PTC heater 30 into the course program (course table) in which the operation of the kneading balls 24 is defined in advance, it is possible to perform a suitable treatment with an increased sense of interlock. In addition, since the time required according to the operation and the number of times of the kneading balls 24 is known, the temperature of the PTC heater 30 can be estimated from the time, so that a temperature sensor such as the thermistor 42 can be omitted. Become. Thereby, a number of parts can be reduced and it can contribute to the cost reduction as the massage machine 10 whole.

  In addition, the configuration is not limited to the above-described configuration, and a configuration may be employed in which the PTC heater 30 is driven to operate when the kneading balls 24 protrude in the direction in which the user is pressed (in front of the backrest portion 13). As described above, when the kneading balls 24 are protruded, the contact pressure increases with respect to the back of the user such as the neck, shoulders, back, and waist, so that heat from the PTC heater 30 can be efficiently applied. . Further, when the massaging balls 24 are accommodated in the backrest part 13, since the contact pressure on the user's back part is small, efficient thermal treatment is performed by stopping the PTC heater 30 or driving it at a low current. It becomes possible.

-In above-mentioned embodiment, although this invention was applied to the chair-type massage machine 10, you may apply to the massage machine and other massage machines which use it with the attitude | position which the user slept.
In the above embodiment, the ottoman 14 is provided at the front portion of the seat portion 12, but a configuration in which the ottoman 14 is omitted may be employed.

In the above embodiment, the configuration using the PTC heater 30 as the heat source of the heater unit 23 is adopted, but a heat source other than this may be adopted.
In the above embodiment, although not particularly mentioned, massage means such as an airbag may be provided on the ottoman 14 or the seat 12.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Massage machine, 16 ... Operation device (operation part), 20 ... Massage mechanism, 21 ... Treatment element, 24 ... Kneading ball which comprises treatment element, 30 ... PTC heater (heat source), 51 ... Control part, 62, 63 ... course selection switch, 64 ... start switch, 65 ... heater switch (heat source switch), Tp1 ... first set temperature (first set temperature range), Tp2 ... second set temperature (second set temperature range).

Claims (6)

A massage mechanism having a treatment element for massaging the back of the user, a heat source for applying heat to the user to perform thermal treatment, and a control for controlling the massage mechanism and the heat source A massage machine equipped with a part,
An operation unit having a start switch and a course selection switch that can be operated when the start switch is in an on state and can select a preset course program;
The said control part is controlled so that preheating of the said heat source is performed before the said course selection switch is operated with the starting switch of the said operation part being an ON state. The massage machine according to claim 1,
The massage machine, wherein the heat source is provided so as to be movable together with the treatment element. The massage machine according to claim 1 or 2,
The control unit controls the heat source in a first set temperature range that is a target temperature of a preheating period from when the start switch is turned on to when the course selection switch is operated, and during the thermal treatment A massage machine, wherein the heat source is controlled at a temperature including a second set temperature range that is a target temperature higher than the first set temperature range. The massage machine according to claim 3,
The said control part switches the said 1st preset temperature range or the said 2nd preset temperature range according to the said course program, and controls the said heat source, The massage machine characterized by the above-mentioned. The massage machine according to claim 3 or 4,
The operation unit includes a heat source switch capable of selecting a driving state of the heat source,
When the heat source switch is in an on state, the control unit controls the heat source so that the temperature includes the second set temperature range, and when the heat source switch is in an off state. The said heat source is controlled so that it may become said 1st preset temperature range, The massage machine characterized by the above-mentioned. In the massage machine as described in any one of Claims 1-5,
The said control part is controlled to drive the said heat source in response to operation | movement of the said treatment element, The massage machine characterized by the above-mentioned.

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