JP2012125288A - Massage machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a massage machine that performs various massages with a simpler configuration.SOLUTION: In a treatment element 30 of a massage mechanism, a movable pressing plate 34 and a fixing pressing plate 35 face each other to hold a massage ball 33 supported by a support shaft 32 from both sides in an axial direction S, and an outer shape such as a contact area or hardness of the massage ball 33 is configured to be changeable by compressing the massage ball 33 by pressing it with the movable pressing plate 34 from the outside.

Description

  The present invention relates to a massage machine that performs a treatment operation using kneading balls.

  Conventionally, in a massage machine that performs a treatment operation by pressing the massager's massage balls against the user's body, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, when massaging, the outer shape of the massager's massage balls is changed. There is one that performs a desired massage according to the user's preference, physical condition, etc. by changing the treatment feeling (bitter taste) by deforming.

  The treatment element with which the massage machine of patent document 1 is equipped is provided with the adjustment pin which can change the position of each radial direction inside the kneading ball, and makes one end of the adjustment pin contact the inner peripheral surface of the kneading ball. It is configured. Then, the outer shape of the kneading balls is deformed by moving the adjustment pin in the outer circumferential direction (radially outward).

JP 2000-70319 A

  By the way, in the massage machine of said patent document 1, in order to change the external shape of a kneading ball, it is necessary to provide a deformation drive means like an adjustment pin inside a kneading ball, and there exists a possibility that it may become a complicated structure. . Thereby, in order to perform various massage with respect to a user, the structure which deforms a kneading ball with an easier structure is desired.

  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 various massages with an easier configuration.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the massage machine of the present invention includes a massage mechanism that performs a treatment operation by pressing the massage balls of the treatment element against the user's body, and deforms the outer shape of the massage balls to use the massage machine. A massage machine including a deformation driving means for changing a treatment feeling for a person, wherein the kneading ball includes a member whose outer shape is deformed by applying a force from the outside, and the deformation driving means includes the kneading The present invention is characterized in that the outer shape of the kneading balls is deformed by actively applying a force to the balls from the outside.

  Further, in the above configuration, the deformation driving means has a pressing portion disposed opposite to the kneading ball, and the outer shape of the kneading ball based on the pressing of at least one of the pressing portions to the kneading ball. It is preferable to be configured to deform.

Moreover, in the said structure, it is preferable that the said deformation | transformation drive means is comprised so that only one may be moved among the press parts arrange | positioned across the said kneading ball.
Moreover, in the said structure, it is preferable that the said deformation | transformation drive means is comprised so that both of the press parts arrange | positioned across the said kneading ball may move similarly toward the said kneading ball.

  Moreover, in the said structure, the said treatment element has a supporting member which supports the said kneading ball, and the said deformation | transformation drive means is with respect to the said kneading ball from at least one direction of the axial direction of the said supporting member, and an axis orthogonal direction. And is preferably configured to apply force.

  Further, in the above configuration, the kneading balls include an outer layer member having a through hole and an inner layer member disposed inside the outer layer member, and the outer layer member is configured to have a higher hardness than the inner layer member, The deformation driving means is preferably configured to deform the inner layer member of the kneading ball to cause the inner layer member to protrude from the through hole of the outer layer member and to deform the outer shape of the kneading ball.

Moreover, in the said structure, it is preferable that the said massage mechanism is provided in the backrest part of the chair type massage machine in which the said user can sit down.
In the above configuration, the control means for controlling the treatment operation of the treatment element of the massage mechanism may control the deformation driving means so that the treatment operation and the deformation operation of the massaging balls of the treatment element are interlocked. preferable.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the massage machine which can perform various massage with an easier structure can be provided.

(A) (b) is a schematic block diagram of the massage machine in this embodiment. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the structure of a massage machine. (A) (b) is sectional drawing of the treatment element before and behind a press. It is a side view of the treatment element in another example. (A) (b) is sectional drawing of the treatment element before and behind the press in another example.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), in the massage machine 10 of the present embodiment, the backrest 13 is pivoted in the width direction at the rear end of the seat 12 supported by the pair of left and right support legs 11. An ottoman 14 is assembled to the front end of the seat 12 so as to be tiltable about a rotation shaft in the same direction. In addition, armrest portions 15 extending in the front-rear direction are assembled to both side portions of the seat portion 12 in the width direction.

  A reclining mechanism 16 for the backrest portion 13 is provided below the seat portion 12, and the backrest portion 13 is reclined by driving a motor 16 a of the reclining mechanism 16. The ottoman 14 is also provided with a vertical movement mechanism 17 of the ottoman 14 below the seat portion 12, and the ottoman 14 is moved up and down by driving a motor 17 a of the vertical movement mechanism 17. Yes.

  A space extending in the vertical direction and opened forward is provided in the center of the backrest 13 in the width direction, and a massage mechanism 21 for massaging the back of the user is assembled in the space. The massage mechanism 21 is moved up and down by a vertical drive unit 25 (vertical drive motor 25a) shown in FIG. Further, the massage mechanism 21 is provided with a strength (front / rear) drive unit 26 (strength drive motor 26a) and a width drive unit 27 (width drive motor 27a), and a pair of treatments by driving the drive units 26 and 27. The child 30 operates.

  The strength / weakness drive unit 26 adjusts the force of pressing the treatment element 30 against the back of the user by adjusting the position of the treatment element 30 in the front-rear direction with respect to the user. The width driving unit 27 moves the pair of treatment elements 30 in the width direction of the backrest 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the vertical drive unit 25, the strength (front / rear) drive unit 26, and the width drive unit 27 have drive motors 25 a to 27 a as drive sources, and the drive motors 25 a to 27 a are connected to the control unit 28. It is configured to be driven and controlled. Further, the massage machine 10 is provided with an air pump 29 driven by a power source, and is configured to supply and exhaust air based on control from the control unit 28.

  The treatment element 30 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B includes an arm 31 extending forward from the main body of the massage mechanism 21 shown in FIG. 1 and a substantially cylindrical support shaft fixed to the tip of the arm 31. 32. The support shaft 32 extends in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the arm 31 (axial direction S in FIG. 3), and a roller-shaped kneading ball 33 is rotatable on the support shaft 32 and moves in the axial direction S. Supported as possible. The kneading balls 33 are formed of an elastic member, for example, an elastomer, whose outer shape is deformed by applying a force from the outside thereof, as a cross-sectional shape viewed from a direction orthogonal to the axial direction S is substantially elliptical. The outer peripheral surface of the kneading balls 33 in the rotating direction is a treatment surface 33a that is pressed against the user's body to perform a treatment operation, and the massage mechanism 21 moves the kneading balls 33 with the treatment surface 33a on the back and shoulders. It is comprised so that it may press.

  In addition, solid (non-foamed structure) elastic members such as elastomer and synthetic rubber used for producing the kneading balls 33 have a “Shore A hardness” in accordance with JIS K6253 and “0 to 20 degrees”. What was set to the range is preferable, and it is more preferable to set it as "10 degrees or less". Further, the kneading balls 33 may be made using an elastic member having a foamed structure such as foamed rubber. In this case, the hardness is “20” as “Asker C hardness” in accordance with SRIS (Japan Rubber Association Standard) 0101. What is set in the range of “degrees to 40 degrees” is preferable, and “30 degrees or less” is more preferable.

  On the support shafts 32 on both sides of the kneading balls 33, a movable pressing plate 34 is disposed on the base end side (between the kneading balls 33 and the arm 31), and fixedly pressed on the distal end side (the side opposite to the kneading balls 33 from the arm 31). A plate 35 is arranged. The movable pressing plate 34 and the fixed pressing plate 35 each have a substantially disk shape with a smaller diameter than the kneading balls 33, the movable pressing plate 34 is supported by the support shaft 32 so as to be movable in the axial direction S, and the fixed pressing plate 35 is The tip of the support shaft 32 is fixed.

  The movable pressing plate 34 and the fixed pressing plate 35 are arranged so that both the front surface 34 a of the movable pressing plate 34 and the opposing surface 35 a of the fixed pressing plate 35 are in contact with the kneading balls 33. Yes. In other words, the movable pressing plate 34 and the fixed pressing plate 35 are opposed to each other with the kneading balls 33 sandwiched from both sides of the support shaft 32.

  One end of an airbag 36 for pushing the movable pressing plate 34 toward the fixed pressing plate 35 in the axial direction S is fixed to the surface 34b on the proximal end side of the movable pressing plate 34. The other end of the airbag 36 is fixed to a surface 31a to which the support shaft 32 of the arm 31 is fixed. The airbag 36 is configured to be extendable and contractible in the axial direction S with both ends fixed to the surfaces 34b and 31a. Further, four airbags 36 are provided at equal intervals (90 ° intervals) in the circumferential direction as viewed from the axial direction S of the kneading balls 33 in order to balance when the movable pressing plate 34 is pushed out (FIG. 3). (Only two of them are shown).

  A connector 37 is connected to a surface 31b opposite to the surface 31a of the arm 31, and the connector 37 is connected to an air bag 36 on the opposite side through an through hole 31c formed in the arm 31 and an internal passage. Yes. Connected to the connector 37 are air tubes 38 serving as air supply / exhaust passages between the air bag 36 and the air pump 29. In the treatment element 30 configured as described above, the air from the air pump 29 is supplied into the airbag 36 via the air tube 38 and the connector 37, so that the airbag 36 is inflated in the axial direction S. Become. The movable pressing plate 34 is pushed in the axial direction S by the inflated airbag 36 to actively press the kneading balls 33 against the fixed pressing plate 35 to deform the outer shape thereof. .

  In the massage machine 10 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the drive of each of the drive motors 25a to 27a (see FIG. 2) of the massage mechanism 21 is controlled by the control unit 28, whereby various kinds of treatment elements 30 are provided. The treatment operation is performed, and massage such as itching and hitting is performed on the treatment site such as the shoulder, back and waist of the user. Further, in conjunction with this treatment operation, the control unit 28 controls the air pump 29 to change the amount of air supplied and exhausted into the air bag 36 so as to obtain a treatment feeling (savory taste) desired by the user. Control for adjusting the outer shape of the kneading balls 33 is also performed.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 3A shows a state in which no air is supplied to the airbag 36, that is, a state in which no pressing force is applied to the kneading balls 33 from the movable pressing plate 34, and the treatment surface of the kneading balls 33 that are not pressed. 33a has a relatively large contact area with the user's back (body) and is soft. Thereby, it becomes possible to give a soft (soft) treatment feeling with a wide contact area by pressing the kneading balls 33 in this state against the user's body.

  3B, air is supplied to the airbag 36 and the kneading balls 33 are pressed against the fixed pressing plate 35 by the movable pressing plate 34, that is, the kneading balls 33 are compressed in the axial direction S by the both pressing plates 34 and 35. The kneading balls 33 are deformed so as to be crushed by the pressing plates 34 and 35. Thereby, the treatment surface 33a of the kneading balls 33 has an outer shape protruding in the radial direction with respect to the support shaft 32, and the protruding end portion T (portion surrounded by a broken line in the figure) is pressed against the back of the user. It will be. Moreover, the density is increased by pressing the kneading balls 33 and the inside is compressed, and the hardness of the end portion T is increased. Therefore, by pressing the kneading balls 33 in this state against the user's body, it becomes possible to give a hard feeling of treatment with a narrow contact area. Such a change mode of the hardness of the kneading balls 33 may be two stages or multistages of three stages or more.

  If foam rubber or the like is used as the elastic member for creating the kneading balls 33, the internal density can be changed relatively greatly, and the change in the hardness of the end portion T can be greatly changed before and after pressing. Become.

  As described above, in the massage machine 10 according to the present embodiment, the air pump 29 is driven by the control unit 28 and the force of pressing the kneading balls 33 by the pressing plates 34 and 35 is controlled, and the outer shape of the kneading balls 33 is based on this pressing force. The shape is adjusted. As a result, the contact area where the treatment surface 33a of the kneading balls 33 contacts the user's body can be changed. Further, by pressing the kneading balls 33, the internal density can be increased and the hardness of the treatment surface 33a can be adjusted. For this reason, the contact area and hardness of the kneading balls 33, that is, the feeling of treatment for the user, can be varied by using a simple configuration in which a force is applied from the outside to the kneading balls 33 in which the elastic member is formed in a roller shape. It becomes possible to perform a proper massage. Further, the kneading balls 33 are composed of a single member, and have a simple structure as compared with the case where a complicated structure (configuration) using a mechanism part such as an adjustment pin is employed inside the kneading balls as in the prior art. The feeling of treatment can be changed.

This embodiment has the following effects.
(1) The massaging balls 33 made of an elastic member are supported by the support shaft 32 on the treatment element 30 of the massage mechanism 21, and the movable pressing plate 34 and the fixed pressing plate 35 are disposed across the massaging balls 33. . Then, by supplying and discharging air to and from the air bag 36, the movable pressing plate 34 moves back and forth in the axial direction S, and the degree of compression of the kneading balls 33 changes with the fixed pressing plate 35. In other words, with an easy configuration in which force is actively applied from the outside of the kneading balls 33, the outer shape of the kneading balls 33 is deformed to change the contact area, hardness, etc. of the user's body. Various massages can be performed.

  (2) The kneading balls 33 of the treatment element 30 are sandwiched from both sides in the axial direction S by the respective pressing plates 34 and 35 and are deformed by changing the degree of compression. Thereby, the external shape (a contact area, hardness, etc.) of the kneading ball 33 can be changed easily. Further, since the kneading balls 33 are pressed by the pressing plates 34 and 35 from both sides in the axial direction S, the pressing force can be efficiently applied to the kneading balls 33.

  (3) The treatment element 30 is configured to press the kneading balls 33 by moving only the movable pressing plate 34 among the pressing plates 34 and 35 arranged to face each other with the kneading balls 33 interposed therebetween. Thereby, a force can be applied to the kneading balls 33 with a simple configuration.

  (4) For the pressing operation of the movable pressing plate 34, the inflation operation of the airbag 36 is used. Thereby, it can be expected that the configuration is simpler than the configuration using a screw mechanism, a speed reduction mechanism, or the like. Moreover, although not mentioned in the massage machine 10 of this embodiment, when applied to the massage machine in which an airbag is used for the seat part 12, the ottoman 14, etc., an air pump that supplies and discharges air to the airbag is shared. This can also contribute to the simplification of the configuration.

In addition, you may change embodiment of this invention as follows.
In the above embodiment, the pressing plates 34 and 35 are configured to press against the kneading balls 33 from the axial direction S of the support shaft 32. For example, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the kneading balls 33 may be pressed. The movable pressing plates 41 and 42 of the treatment element 40 shown in FIG. 4 are disposed to face the kneading balls 33 fixed to the support shaft 32 in the direction perpendicular to the axis. Each movable pressing plate 41, 42 is screwed to the pressing plate drive shaft 43 and is movable in the axis orthogonal direction (drive direction in the drawing) of the support shaft 32 based on the rotation operation by the drive source 45. Incidentally, the pressing plate support shaft 44 is for supporting the pressing plates 41 and 42 so that the movable pressing plates 41 and 42 do not rotate with the rotation of the pressing plate drive shaft 43. Then, based on the control of the drive source 45 by the control unit 28, the pressing plate driving shaft 43 rotates, and the kneading balls 33 are compressed by the close movement of the movable pressing plates 41, 42 to change the outer shape, and the user The contact area, hardness, etc. with respect to are changed. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the kneading balls 33 are compressed by the same operation of both the pressing plates 41 and 42, and therefore it is possible to prevent the misalignment of the kneading balls 33 due to this compression.

Moreover, you may apply to the said embodiment the aspect pressed from both sides of the kneading ball 33 in this way.
In the above embodiment, the kneading balls 33 are composed of a single elastic member. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the massaging balls 33 are composed of an inner layer member 51a and a member having a higher hardness than the inner layer member 51a. It is good also as a two-layer structure comprised from the elastic member of different hardness comprised by the outer layer member 51b. In this case, a plurality of through holes 52 are formed in the outer layer member 51b, and the treatment in a mode in which the inner layer member 51a is not protruded from the through hole 52 as shown in FIG. 5A where the kneading balls 33 are not pressed, By pressing the kneading balls 33 and performing treatment with the inner layer member 51a protruding from the respective through holes 52 of the outer layer member 51b as shown in FIG. 5B, a more localized treatment operation can be performed. become able to. It is also possible to change the savory taste in this way.

  -In the said embodiment, it is good also as a structure which provides the means which detects the force which presses the kneading ball 33 with respect to a user, for example, a load cell is provided in the support shaft 32, and performs feedback control to treatment operation based on the detected value. .

  -In above-mentioned embodiment, the structure of the treatment element 30 is an example, and even if it changes suitably the shape of the kneading ball 33, the shape of each press plate 34 and 35 which applies force to the kneading ball 33, the structure of the airbag 36, etc. Good.

  In the above embodiment, a pair (two) of treatment elements 30 are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one or three or more treatment elements 30 may be provided. Moreover, you may make it perform the change of the external shape of the massaging ball 33 of the treatment element 30 for every treatment element 30 separately.

  -In the said embodiment and said structure, although this invention was applied with respect to the massage machine 10 of the structure provided with the backrest part 13 in the rear part of the seat part 12, the bed (mat | matte) which can be used in the state where the user fell asleep It may be applied to types of massage machines and other massage machines. Moreover, you may apply this invention with respect to the handheld type massage machine in which the treatment element 30 was provided in the holding part for a user to hold | grip. In short, any massage machine provided with the treatment element 30 (the kneading balls 33) for pressing the user's body may be used.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Massage machine, 13 ... Backrest part, 21 ... Massage mechanism, 28 ... Control part (control means), 29 ... Air pump (deformation drive means), 30, 40 ... Treatment element, 32 ... Support shaft (support member), 33 ... Rubbing balls, 34, 41, 42 ... Movable pressing plate (deformation driving means, pressing portion), 35 ... Fixed pressing plate (deformation driving means, pressing portion), 36 ... Air bag (deformation driving means), 43 ... Pressing plate Drive shaft (deformation drive means), 44 ... pressure plate support shaft (deformation drive means), 45 ... drive source (deformation drive means), 51a ... inner layer member outer layer, 51b ... outer layer member, 52 ... through hole, S ... axial direction .

Claims (8)

A massage mechanism comprising a massage mechanism for performing a treatment operation by pressing the massage balls of the treatment element against the user's body, and a deformation driving means for changing the feeling of treatment for the user by deforming the outer shape of the massage balls. Machine,
The kneading balls include a member whose outer shape is deformed by applying a force from the outside,
The massage machine characterized in that the deformation driving means is configured to actively apply a force to the kneading balls from the outside to deform the outer shape of the kneading balls. The massage machine according to claim 1,
The deformation driving means has a pressing portion disposed opposite to the kneading ball, and is configured to deform the outer shape of the kneading ball based on the pressing of at least one of the pressing portions to the kneading ball. A massage machine characterized by being made. The massage machine according to claim 2,
The said deformation drive means is comprised so that only one may be moved among the press parts arrange | positioned across the said kneading ball, The massage machine characterized by the above-mentioned. The massage machine according to claim 2,
The said deformation drive means is comprised so that both of the press parts arrange | positioned across the said kneading ball may move similarly toward the said kneading ball. In the massage machine as described in any one of Claims 2-4,
The treatment element has a support member that supports the kneading balls,
The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein the deformation driving means is configured to apply force to the kneading balls from at least one of an axial direction and an axis orthogonal direction of the support member. In the massage machine as described in any one of Claims 1-5,
The kneading ball has an outer layer member having a through-hole and an inner layer member disposed inside the outer layer member, and is configured to have a higher hardness of the outer layer member than the inner layer member,
The deformation driving means is configured to deform the inner layer member of the kneading ball so as to project the inner layer member from the through hole of the outer layer member and to deform the outer shape of the kneading ball. Massage machine. In the massage machine as described in any one of Claims 1-6,
The said massage mechanism is provided in the backrest part of the chair type massage machine in which the said user can sit down, The massage machine characterized by the above-mentioned. In the massage machine as described in any one of Claims 1-7,
The control means for controlling the treatment operation of the treatment element of the massage mechanism controls the deformation driving means to link the treatment operation and the deformation operation of the massaging balls of the treatment element.

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