JP2012152521A - Operation device of massage machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an interface to enable a user to easily and intuitively issue an instruction on massage motion, strength, therapeutic position and area, etc.SOLUTION: The operation device 1 is formed by embedding a sensor part 10 comprising a sensor board 13 where a plurality of pressure sensors 11 are two-dimensionally arranged and a silicone rubber elastic body layer 14, into a stuffed doll imitating the shape of human body. When a user presses the back of the stuffed doll, the pressing position and the pressing strength are calculated based on output signal from the pressure sensor 11 to control the massage device to massage the position on the human body corresponding to the pressing position with intensity corresponding to the pressing intensity.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for simply and intuitively instructing a massage device on the position and strength of treatment.

  Conventionally, automatic massage devices represented by massage chairs have been put into practical use, and are widely spread to relaxation facilities, accommodation facilities, general homes, etc. in addition to medical institutions. In this type of massage device, massage operations such as squeezing, striking, and pushing are realized by a treatment element (scouring ball) that operates according to a predetermined program. And since there are individual differences in the physique and muscle attachment, and each person also has a preference for massage, the type of massage operation, treatment position / range, strength, etc. can be controlled with the remote control (operation Many devices can be arbitrarily set by the user using a device.

  However, most conventional remote controllers have an interface for inputting setting values such as a massage operation, position, and strength using buttons and dials, and the input operation is very complicated. Also, it is difficult for the elderly and those unfamiliar with the device to make the settings as desired.

  In addition, what was disclosed by patent document 1 (Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 5-168666) is known as a device of the interface of a massage apparatus, for example. In the remote control of the same document, switches are arranged in a matrix in a display unit that imitates the shape of the human body, and the user can input the treatment range by operating the switch of the part desired to be treated. it can. However, only the position and range for treatment can be set with this interface, and the massage operation and strength must be set with individual buttons.

JP-A-5-168666

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to allow a user to easily and intuitively instruct a massage operation, strength, treatment position / range, etc. in a massage device. Is to provide an interface.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following configuration.

  1st aspect of this invention is an operating device of a massage apparatus, Comprising: When the arbitrary positions on the said sensor part are pressed by the sensor part which has several pressure sensor arranged in two dimensions, and the user A calculation unit that obtains the pressing position and the pressing strength based on the output signals of the plurality of pressure sensors, and the position on the human body corresponding to the pressing position obtained by the computing unit corresponds to the pressing strength obtained by the computing unit. A setting unit configured to perform an operation setting on the massage device so as to be massaged with a corresponding strength.

According to this configuration, when the user presses a desired location on the sensor unit with a desired strength, a massage position corresponding to the treatment position, strength, and movement is reproduced by the massage device. Therefore, many buttons and complicated operations are not required unlike the remote control of a conventional massage device, and the sensor unit is like a back of your own, and you just press the sensor unit as if to massage yourself. Now you can control the massage device as you wish. Therefore, anyone can easily and intuitively give instructions to the massage device.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the sensor unit includes a sensor substrate on which the plurality of pressure sensors are discretely disposed, and an elastic body layer made of an elastic material disposed on the pressure sensor side of the sensor substrate. It is preferable that the pressing force of the user is transmitted to the pressure sensor through the elastic layer.

  According to this configuration, since the pressed position can be detected with a resolution sufficiently finer than the arrangement pitch of the pressure sensors, the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of pressure sensors. In addition, the elasticity of the elastic layer can bring the feeling when the sensor unit is pressed closer to the feeling when the human body is pressed, and there is an advantage that the feeling of operation is improved.

  Furthermore, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the sensor unit is incorporated in a doll or stuffed animal that imitates the shape of a human body. Of course, the built-in position of the sensor unit is determined so that the correspondence between the position on the human body and the position on the doll or stuffed toy can be taken.

  According to this configuration, when a massage is performed on the shoulder or back of a doll or a stuffed toy, an extremely intuitive operation can be realized in which the massage device operates in the same manner.

  A second aspect of the present invention is an operation device for a massage device, which is a capacitive touch sensor and a pressing tool for pressing the touch sensor, and is made of a conductive elastic material and is strong. The pressing tool is shaped so that the tip is crushed and the contact area increases as the force is pressed against the touch sensor, and the user presses any position on the touch sensor at the tip of the pressing tool. And calculating a pressing position and a contact area based on an output signal of the touch sensor, further converting the contact area into a pressing strength, and a human body corresponding to the pressing position determined by the calculation unit. A setting unit configured to perform an operation setting on the massage device so that the position is massaged with a strength corresponding to the pressing strength obtained by the calculation unit.

  According to this configuration, a pressing force can be input by a combination of a capacitive touch sensor and a dedicated pressing tool whose contact area changes depending on the pressing force. Accordingly, when the user presses a desired location of the touch sensor with a desired strength using the pressing tool, a massage operation corresponding to the treatment position, strength, and movement is reproduced by the massage device. Therefore, many buttons and complicated operations are not required like the remote control of the conventional massage device, just touch the touch sensor as if to massage itself against the touch sensor as if it were your own back And you can control the massage device as you wish. Therefore, anyone can easily and intuitively give instructions to the massage device.

  2nd aspect of this invention WHEREIN: It is preferable that the said pressing tool is a member with which a finger | toe is mounted | worn. Thereby, the operation feeling as if massage is performed with a finger can be realized.

  A 3rd aspect of this invention is a massage apparatus provided with said operating device.

According to the present invention, in a massage device, a user can easily and intuitively instruct a massage operation, strength, treatment position / range, and the like.

The figure which shows the structure of the massage apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the structure of the stuffed toy type operating device which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure explaining operation | movement of the sensor part of the stuffed toy type operating device which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the structure of the touch sensor type operating device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The figure explaining operation | movement of the touch sensor type operating device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the massage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The massage device of the present embodiment is of a type called a so-called massage chair, and is a chair-type device body 2 and an operation device (remote control) 1 used for instructing a massage operation, strength, treatment position / range, and the like. And. The device main body 2 and the operation device 1 are connected by a cable, and power supply to the operation device 1 and transmission / reception of signals are performed via the cable. Of course, it is also preferable to incorporate a battery in the operation device 1 and connect the operation device 1 and the device main body 2 by wireless communication (for example, infrared rays, wireless LAN, etc.).

  The device body 2 may be anything that incorporates a plurality of treatment elements (scum balls) at least in the backrest portion and can perform massage operations such as squeezing, hitting and pushing against the back and shoulders. Since the massage chair having the configuration can be used, detailed description is omitted here. Although FIG. 1 shows a legged chair type massage device, the present invention can be similarly applied to a sitting chair type or bed type massage device.

  Now, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the operation device 1 that is a characteristic part of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a stuffed animal type operating device 1 is employed in the present embodiment. Here, a bear stuffed animal is shown as an example, but it is only necessary to know the correspondence with the body part (back, shoulders, etc.) to be massaged. Any kind and shape of stuffed animal may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a sensor unit 10 is built in on the back side of the stuffed toy. The sensor unit 10 includes a sensor substrate 13 on which a plurality of pressure sensors 11 and a control circuit 12 are mounted, and an elastic layer 14 made of an elastic material such as silicon rubber or gel.

  In the present embodiment, FSR400 manufactured by Interlink Co., Ltd. is used as the pressure sensor 11, and 36 pressure sensors 11 are discretely arranged in a two-dimensional form of 6 rows and 6 columns in a 2 cm pitch in an 11 cm × 11 cm region. Yes. The output signal of each pressure sensor 11 is input to the control circuit 12. The control circuit 12 is also connected with a cable for connecting to the device main body 2. A silicon rubber sheet having a thickness of about 1 cm is used as the elastic layer 14 and is arranged on the sensor side surface of the sensor substrate 10 so as to cover the entire 36 pressure sensors 11.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the sensor unit 10 of the controller device 1, and shows an enlarged cross section on the back side of the stuffed toy. For example, when the user presses the back of the stuffed animal with the thumb, the pressing force (see the white arrow) acts on the elastic layer 14 of the sensor unit 10 via the stuffed cotton batting as shown in FIG. Then, the pressing force is dispersed by the elastic body layer 14 and transmitted to the plurality of pressure sensors 11 around the pressing position (the point of action of the pressing force). At this time, the force received by the surrounding pressure sensors 11 is not uniform, and the force received closer to the pressure sensor closer to the pressed position becomes larger (see the black arrow). For example, when the user presses around the right scapula of the stuffed animal, the force is mainly detected by the 4 to 32 pressure sensors 11 in the upper right among the 36 pressure sensors 11 in 6 rows and 6 columns. It becomes. The output signal of each pressure sensor 11 is input to the control circuit 12.

  In the control circuit 12, by solving the inverse problem based on the output value of each pressure sensor 11, the pressing position pressed by the user and the strength of the pressing force acting on the pressing position can be obtained. If the user continues to massage the stuffed toy type operating device 1 in the same manner as the massage operation desired by the user, the pressing position and the pressing strength are detected at a predetermined time interval (for example, several tens to several hundreds msec). It will be recorded. When the input of the massage operation is completed, the control circuit 12 converts the recorded pressing position and pressing strength at each time into the corresponding position on the human body (treatment position) and the strength of the massage, and based on that. Then, an operation setting command for the treatment device or the like is generated and sent to the device main body 2 (this function of the control circuit 12 corresponds to the calculation unit and setting unit of the present invention). Thereafter, the device main body 2 operates according to the operation setting command, and the massage operation as repeated by the user is repeated.

  Note that the correspondence between the position on the sensor unit 10 and the position on the human body may be fixed, but preferably, calibration is performed according to the physique of the user sitting on the device main body 2. Good. Specifically, the user's physique is recognized based on the distribution of the pressure applied to the backrest of the device main body 2, the treatable range is obtained from the recognized physique and the range of motion of the treatment element, and the treatable range and the sensor unit 10 The size can be associated.

  Further, the pressing force detected by the sensor unit 10 (that is, the force by which the user presses the sensor unit 10) and the strength of the massage may be the same force, or may be amplified at a predetermined magnification. When the same force is used, the force of the user pressing the stuffed toy is reflected in the massage as it is, and there is an advantage that an intuitive instruction can be given. Further, in the case of amplifying the force, the force of pushing the stuffed toy may be light, so that there is an advantage that the operation becomes easy. Therefore, any configuration may be adopted according to user needs, and the amplification factor may be variable in a range of 1 to several times according to user settings.

  When the operation device 1 of the present embodiment described above is used, the user presses a desired place of the stuffed toy (sensor unit 10) with a desired strength, and the corresponding treatment position, strength, and movement are massaged. The movement is reproduced by the massage device. Therefore, many buttons and complicated operations are not required unlike the remote control of the conventional massage device, and the stuffed toy (sensor unit 10) is as if the back of the stuffed toy is regarded as one's own back and massaged on itself. ), You can control the massage device as you wish. Therefore, anyone can easily and intuitively give instructions to the massage device.

  Further, in the sensor unit 10, the elastic body layer 14 is overlaid on the sensor substrate 13 on which the pressure sensors 11 are arranged so that the pressing force of the user is dispersed, so that the resolution is sufficiently finer than the arrangement pitch of the pressure sensors 11. The pressing position can be detected. In other words, since the number of pressure sensors 11 is smaller than the required resolution, the cost of the controller device 1 can be reduced. Further, the provision of the elastic body layer 14 has an advantage that the feeling when the operating device 1 is pressed can be brought close to the feeling when the human body is pressed, and the operating feeling is improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the stuffed toy type operation device 1 is used, the operation can be performed while maintaining a relaxed posture that sits on a chair and sits down. In addition, it can be expected to have a healing effect by using a stuffed animal.

  In the present embodiment, 36 pressure sensors 11 are arranged in 6 rows and 6 columns on a plane, but the type, number, and arrangement of pressure sensors are not limited to this. For example, the sensor substrate may be curved according to the shape of the human body, or the arrangement density of the pressure sensors may be changed according to the required accuracy.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4 shows an operation device for a massage device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The operating device 1 according to the second embodiment is a type including a capacitive touch sensor 15. It is good also as a dedicated apparatus attached to a massage apparatus, and it is also preferable to make it function as the operation apparatus 1 by installing a dedicated application in a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a tablet PC, or the like.

  The touch sensor 15 of the operating device 1 is stacked on a display such as an LCD to constitute a touch panel display. On the touch sensor 15, a human figure 16 that imitates the outline of a person is drawn or displayed. This is a mechanism for instructing the position to be massaged by touching (pressing) the humanoid 16. However, the capacitive touch sensor 15 cannot measure the pressing strength. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by using the dedicated pressing tool 3, the pressing strength can be input.

  The pressing tool 3 is a member used by being attached to a finger like a finger sack. In order to enable detection by the capacitive touch sensor 15, it is made of an elastic material having conductivity. For example, silicon rubber or gel in which conductive particles are dispersed can be used. The tip portion 30 of the pressing tool 3 has a cone shape (projection shape).

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the pressing tool 3. The pressing tool 3 is used so as to press the tip portion 30 against the touch sensor 15. When the pressing force of the user is weak as shown in (a), the contact area between the pressing tool 3 and the touch sensor 15 is small because the tip 30 is not crushed. As the pressing force of the user increases, the tip 30 of the pressing tool 3 is crushed and the contact area increases as shown in FIG. That is, the pressing tool 3 plays a role of converting the pressing strength into a contact area with the touch sensor 15. In the control circuit of the controller device 1, the contact area detected by the touch sensor 15 is inversely converted into the pressing strength, and the pressing position is specified by obtaining the center of gravity of the contact area. The subsequent processing is the same as the processing in the first embodiment.

  The operation device 1 of the present embodiment described above can provide the same effects as those of the first embodiment, and anyone can easily and intuitively give instructions to the massage device. The shape of the pressing tool 3 is not limited to that shown in the figure, and may be a stylus type or a glove type, for example. Moreover, the shape of the front-end | tip part of the pressing tool 3 is not restricted to a cone shape, A shape like a hemisphere may be sufficient.

  The present invention can be used as an operation device (remote control) attached to a massage device, and can also be used for remote operation of a massage device via a wide area network such as the Internet. If such a remote massage can be realized, it can be expected to be used as a new communication tool between families and lovers living apart. Although only visual information and auditory information can be transmitted by means of e-mail or telephone, tactile information can be transmitted by remote massage communication.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Operating device 10: Sensor part 11: Pressure sensor 12: Control circuit 13: Sensor board 14: Elastic body layer 15: Touch sensor 2: Apparatus main body 3: Press tool 30: Tip part

Claims (5)

A massage device operating device,
A sensor unit having a plurality of pressure sensors arranged two-dimensionally;
When a user presses an arbitrary position on the sensor unit, a calculation unit that obtains a pressing position and a pressing strength based on output signals of the plurality of pressure sensors;
A setting unit configured to perform an operation setting on the massage device so that a position on the human body corresponding to the pressing position obtained by the computing unit is massaged with a strength corresponding to the pressing strength obtained by the computing unit; ,
A device for operating a massage device, comprising: The sensor unit includes a sensor substrate on which the plurality of pressure sensors are discretely disposed, and an elastic body layer made of an elastic material disposed on the pressure sensor side of the sensor substrate,
The massage device operating device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing force of the user is transmitted to the pressure sensor through the elastic layer. A massage device operating device,
A capacitive touch sensor,
A pressing tool for pressing the touch sensor, which is made of an elastic material having conductivity, and has a shape such that the tip is crushed and the contact area increases as it is pressed against the touch sensor with a strong force. A pressing tool,
When an arbitrary position on the touch sensor is pressed by the user at the tip of the pressing tool, the pressing position and the contact area are obtained based on the output signal of the touch sensor, and the contact area is further converted into the pressing strength. An arithmetic unit to perform,
A setting unit configured to perform an operation setting on the massage device so that a position on the human body corresponding to the pressing position obtained by the computing unit is massaged with a strength corresponding to the pressing strength obtained by the computing unit; ,
A device for operating a massage device, comprising:   The massage device operating device according to claim 3, wherein the pressing tool is a member attached to a finger.   A massage apparatus provided with the operating device of any one of Claims 1-4.

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