JP2016150129A - Massage machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a massage machine capable of massaging in the softened state of a calf.SOLUTION: In a massage machine which includes a seat part and a backrest part, and in which a leg support part for supporting a calf part of a leg is disposed on the front side of the seat part, the leg support part includes means for massaging the calf, and push-up means for pushing up a heel. The calf is massaged in the pushed-up state of the heel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a massage machine capable of performing calf treatment.

  A chair-type massage machine that performs a massage operation while supporting the user's body is usually a massaging ball as a treatment element provided on the backrest part, and it is used for a user who leans against the backrest part. In addition to this, there is a mechanism for performing treatment, but there is also a device provided with a leg support portion (ottoman) incorporating a treatment mechanism so that predetermined treatment can be performed on the leg portion of the user.

  An example of such a conventional massage machine is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-296994.

JP 2006-296994 A

  The conventional massage machine is configured as shown in the above-mentioned patent document. The leg bag body is inflated against the leg placed on the leg support base to press the treated portion (calf portion) of the leg, thereby calf. It has become a massage effect.

  Further, in the above prior art document, a foot support portion with which the sole abuts is provided, and a pressing force can be applied to the sole by the expansion of the air cell provided on the opposite surface of the sole.

  However, in general massage machines, the angle between the foot-facing surface of the foot support and the longitudinal direction of the leg support is almost right, and during use, the angle between the user's calf and the foot is also almost right. Therefore, it is narrower than the angle (obtuse angle) formed between the calf portion and the sole of the natural body, and a slight tensile force is applied to the calf.

  By the way, the inventor has found that when the user raises the heel instead of intentionally raising it in a sitting position, the calf becomes soft. This is particularly noticeable if the calf portion is nearly vertical.

  The present invention provides a massage machine capable of imparting a good treatment effect to a leg by providing means for dynamically pushing up the heel on the leg support portion so as to soften the calf and massage the softened calf. With the goal.

  A massage machine according to the disclosure of the present invention includes a seat portion and a backrest portion, and a massage machine in which a leg support portion that supports a calf portion of a leg is disposed on the front side of the seat portion, wherein the leg support portion is a calf. And a push-up means for pushing up the heel, and the calf is massaged with the heel pushed up.

  Thus, according to the disclosure of the present invention, the calf can be effectively massaged.

  Further, in the massage machine according to the disclosure of the present invention, if necessary, the leg support portion is positioned on the front side of the seat portion, and the supported calf portion can be set in a substantially vertical state. It is characterized by massaging the calf with the heel pushed up vertically.

  As described above, according to the disclosure of the present invention, the heel can be surely raised, and the calf can be massaged more effectively.

  The massage machine according to the disclosure of the present invention is characterized in that the push-up means for pushing up the heel as required is an air cell that expands and contracts provided on the sole of the foot.

  Thus, according to the disclosure of the present invention, it is possible to achieve a state where the wrinkles are raised and a state where they are not raised with a soft experience.

  The massage machine according to the disclosure of the present invention is characterized in that the push-up means for pushing up the heel as required is an air cell that expands and contracts provided on the sole of the foot.

  As described above, according to the disclosure of the present invention, the heel can be firmly pushed up with a soft experience.

1 is a perspective view of a massage machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the leg support part of the massage machine concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is holding | maintenance explanatory drawing of the holding | maintenance site | part of a leg in the massage machine which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and a leg side part. It is operation | movement timing explanatory drawing of each air cell and treatment actuator at the time of the leg receiving part movement of the massage machine which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is another operation | movement timing explanatory drawing of each air cell and the treatment actuator at the time of the leg receiving part movement of the massage machine which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the leg receiving part of the massage machine which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a 1st movement state explanatory drawing of the leg receiving part in the massage machine concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a 2nd movement state explanatory drawing of the leg receiving part in the massage machine concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of the leg support part in the massage machine which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the leg support part in the massage machine which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the leg support part in the massage machine which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the foot receiving part in the massage machine which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention.

(First embodiment of the present invention)
Hereinafter, a massage machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In each of the drawings, the massage machine 1 according to the present embodiment is a chair that supports a seated user, and in detail, a base that is placed on the floor and stably supports the entire chair. 11, a seat portion 12 that supports the user's buttocks above the base portion 11, a backrest portion 13 that supports the user's back on the back side of the seat portion 12, and a user on both the left and right sides of the seat portion 12. The armrest 14 for supporting the elbow and the forearm of the user, the leg support 15 for supporting the user's leg on the front side of the seat 12, and the foot support side of the leg support 15 are arranged on the toe side. Massage operation by a foot receiving part 16 formed so as to surround the side part and the sole and receiving and holding the foot, an operation part 30 for receiving various operation inputs related to the massage operation, and a plurality of treatment mechanisms mounted Control unit (not shown) for controlling the operation based on the contents of operation input and recorded information A configuration including and.

  The base 11 is configured to integrally support the seat 12, the backrest 13, the armrest 14, and the leg support 15 that constitute each part of the chair. The seat 12 is attached to the base 11 so that the inclination angle of the seat can be adjusted, and massage is performed by a built-in treatment mechanism while supporting the user's buttocks and thighs on the seat. Is. As a treatment mechanism of this seat part 12, it is the structure provided with the air cell 71 for hips which operate | moves by supply and discharge of air, and the air cell 72 for thighs. An air pump that expands and contracts these air cells by supplying and discharging air is disposed in a space below the seat portion 12.

  The backrest portion 13 has a surface shape that matches the shape of the human back and is arranged so that the inclination angle can be adjusted with respect to the base portion 11 and the seat portion 12, and a treatment mechanism for performing massage is provided therein. It is the composition provided.

  Inside the backrest 13, a mechanical unit 50 in which a pair of left and right grind balls 51 as a treatment element for giving a stimulus to the user such as itching and hitting and a drive mechanism 60 for operating the same are integrated, and this mechanical unit A frame-shaped backrest frame 13a that supports each part of the backrest portion from the inside while supporting the backrest portion 13 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a back air cell 73 and a waist air cell 74 that operate by supplying and discharging air by the air pump. Are arranged. Of these, the mechanical unit 50, the back air cell 73, and the waist air cell 74 each constitute a treatment mechanism for performing massage.

  Note that a pair of side wall portions provided with a treatment mechanism such as an air cell is provided on the left and right side portions of the backrest portion 13 on the inner surface side facing the user so as to be side with respect to the upper arm portion of the user. You can also make it possible to massage.

  The backrest frame 13a hangs a plurality of horizontal frames in a horizontal direction between a pair of left and right guide frames 13b that support the mechanical unit 50 in the vertical direction of the backrest 13 and restrain the movement in the other direction. It is handed over and connected together to form a substantially ladder-like frame structure.

  The armrests 14 are disposed on both sides of the seat 12 and are formed to stably support the user's forearm even when the backrest 13 changes the reclining angle or the seat 12 tilts. It is a configuration. The armrest portion 14 may also be provided with an air cell that operates by supplying and discharging air by the air pump so that the user's forearm can be massaged.

  The leg support portion 15 is positioned on the front side of the seat portion 12 and is disposed to be tiltable about the vicinity of the front end of the seat portion 12, and the tilt angle is adjusted by a tilting actuator 17 on the lower side of the seat portion.

  Specifically, the leg support portion 15 is provided with a base portion 15a that is attached to the seat portion 12 so as to be tiltable, and is disposed on the surface side portion of the base portion 15a so as to be movable in the leg longitudinal direction. 15b, a leg air cell 75, 76, 77, 78 and a calf air cell 80, 81 as a treatment mechanism which is built in the leg receiving part 15b and expands and contracts by supplying and discharging air by the air pump. It is.

  In this embodiment, the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 press the legs from the left and right, and the calf air cells 80, 81 press the respective calves from the back. , 78 also has a role of holding the user's leg so that it does not come off from the groove 15c of the leg receiving portion 15b as shown by a one-dot chain line by expanding (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The tilting actuator 17 is a known linear actuator having a mechanism for changing the length by expanding and contracting within a predetermined range as a whole by linearly moving the movable portion with respect to the fixed portion.

  The tilting actuator 17 is fixed at one end at the lower side of the seat 12, while the other end can be brought into contact with the back side of the leg support 15 so that the other end of the leg can be expanded and contracted. It is the structure which tilts the leg support part 15 with a position change. Displacement detecting means such as a linear encoder for detecting the displacement of the movable portion of the tilting actuator 17, that is, the displacement of the expansion and contraction, based on the signal output for each predetermined displacement is provided integrally with the tilting actuator 17.

  The leg support portion 15 tilts about the shaft portion at the front end of the seat portion 12 by changing the position of the other end portion of the tilt actuator 17 that contacts the back side of the leg support portion 15 due to the expansion and contraction of the tilt actuator 17. In this structure, the inclination angle with respect to the seat portion 12 is changed, and the longitudinal direction of the leg support portion 15 tilts from a substantially vertical state to a substantially horizontal state. Since the displacement associated with the tilting of the leg support portion 15 has a one-to-one correspondence with the displacement due to the expansion / contraction of the tilting actuator 17, it is possible to control the displacement by detecting the expansion / contraction displacement of the tilting actuator 17 using the displacement detection means. It is possible to grasp the change in the tilting state of the leg support 15 together with the change in the expansion / contraction state of the tilting actuator 17 at the portion. In grasping the tilting state of the leg support portion 15, the change in the tilt angle of the leg support portion may be directly acquired by a displacement detection means such as a rotary encoder.

  The leg receiving portion 15b of the leg support portion 15 is formed as a shape in which two groove portions 15c each having a size into which the left and right legs of the user can enter, and is formed with respect to the base portion 15a attached to the front end of the seat portion 12. It is the structure arrange | positioned so that a movement to a leg longitudinal direction is possible. The leg air cells 75, 76, 77, and 78 can be massaged by pressing the calf portions of the left and right legs in an inflated state on the side surfaces facing each other across the groove portions 15 c of the leg receiving portion 15 b, respectively. It is built in as an arrangement that makes a pair on the left and right.

  Then, as a mechanism for adjusting the position by moving the leg receiving part 15b of the leg support part 15 in the leg longitudinal direction with respect to the base part 15a, a treatment actuator (not shown) that expands and contracts is disposed in the leg support part 15, The operation of this treatment actuator is controlled by the control unit. This treatment actuator is a known actuator such as a motor or a fluid pressure cylinder. In addition to this, there is also provided a displacement detection means for detecting a change in the position of the leg receiving portion 15b with respect to the base portion 15a, but this displacement detection means is also a known linear encoder or the like, and detailed description thereof is omitted. To do.

  In addition to the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cells 80, 81, the leg support portion 15 is provided with other massage means such as a roller that presses the leg while moving in the longitudinal direction of the leg. It doesn't matter if you do.

  In addition, the leg support portion 15 has a rubbing function that presses the leg while the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cells 80, 81 move in the longitudinal direction of the leg in an appropriately expanded state. Also good.

  In any case, it is desirable that the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 are not expanded during the operation of pushing up the heel, which will be described later, or in an inflated state that does not hinder the heel lifting.

  The user supports the left and right legs around the calf portion on the left and right leg receiving portions 15b. In this supported state, when the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cells 80, 81 facing each other with the legs sandwiched between the left and right are inflated, the calf portions of the legs are pressed and held from both sides. It is a mechanism that allows calf massage.

  That is, the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cells 80, 81 use the pressure in the expanded state in the longitudinal direction in addition to the direct massage function due to the expansion and contraction accompanying the air intake / extraction. A function that suppresses unexpected movement of the leg, and holds and fixes the leg holding target part, for example, the calf part (the part below the knee) on the leg receiving part 15b. It also has a function as a holding means that makes it possible to move the holding target portion together with the leg receiving portion 15b. The means for holding may be a mechanism for mechanically moving the pressing piece to clamp the leg, etc., other than using the expansion and contraction of the air cell, and is not limited to the air cell.

  In addition, the leg air cell or the like is not necessarily clamped from both sides of the leg, and the leg is pressed only from one side of the left and right side walls of the leg receiving part facing each other with the leg interposed therebetween. A configuration may be adopted in which a leg is pressed against the side wall on the opposite side of the portion to obtain a clamping state.

  The foot receiving portion 16 is formed in a shape that surrounds the left and right feet of the user from the left-right direction, the lower direction, and the rear direction, and includes a metal frame portion 16a that supports the whole, and a leg support portion. It is the structure arrange | positioned by the edge part of 15 so that position adjustment is possible in a leg longitudinal direction.

  Specifically, the foot receiving portion 16 is provided with a pair of left and right foot receiving grooves 16b for receiving the foot in a state of opening upward. Further, on the opposite groove side surface of the foot receiving groove 16b, foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d as treatment mechanisms that expand and contract by air supply and discharge by the air pump are placed across the left and right feet. Are arranged to form When the user is seated and his / her foot is placed in the foot receiving groove 16b of the foot receiving portion 16, the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c and 79d are paired on the outer side and the inner side of the instep portion of the user's foot. Therefore, when these foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d are inflated by air supply, the toe sides of the left and right feet can be pressed from above.

  Since the air cells 82 and 83 as push-up means for pushing up the heel are provided on the heel side of the bottom of the foot receiving groove 16b, the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c and 79d are provided with the heel side air cell. It can be held so that the toe side does not rise when 82 and 83 expand and the heel rises.

  The frame portion 16a of the foot receiving portion 16 is formed of a metal material, and includes a vertical frame portion disposed along the base portion 15a of the leg support portion 15 and a lower frame portion continuous to the lower end of the vertical frame portion. And having a substantially L-shaped frame as viewed from the side. The vertical frame portion of the frame portion 16a can be moved within a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of the leg with respect to the base portion 15a and is supported while being restrained from moving in the other direction, so that the foot receiving portion 16 is supported by the leg support portion 15. The base portion 15a is configured to be movable within a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of the leg in the same manner as the leg receiving portion 15b.

  Then, a linear motion type actuator 16c that can change the positional relationship between a part and another part is partly attached to the frame part 16a of the foot receiving part 16, and the other part is attached to a predetermined part of the base part 15a. Arranged. By this actuator 16c, the foot receiving part 16 including the frame part 16a is configured to be moved relative to the base part 15a.

  In this manner, the position of the foot support 16 can be adjusted with respect to the base 15a by the actuator 16c, so that the position of the foot support 16 can be adjusted corresponding to the sole position that varies depending on individual differences in the leg length of the user. While being adjustable in the leg longitudinal direction, the foot support 16 can be moved to a standby position in close contact with the lower end of the leg support 15 when not in use.

  When using the massage machine, if the user puts the leg into the left and right groove portions 15c of the leg support portion 15 and puts the foot into the foot receiving groove 16b of the foot support portion 16, the leg and foot can be massaged. Become. At this time, the length of the lower part from the knee of the user's leg is moved by moving the foot receiving part 16 with the actuator 16c to a position where the excessive load is not applied from the foot while the sole contacts the foot receiving part 16. The foot support 16 can be arranged at a position suitable for.

  Then, when the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, and 79d that are opposed to each other with the foot left and right are inflated at a predetermined timing in the foot support state where the foot is attached to the foot receiving portion 16, the foot is pressed. It is a mechanism that can massage.

  In addition, the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, and 79d can be used to move the toe side of the foot to both sides using the pressing force in the expanded state, in addition to the direct massage function by the expansion and contraction accompanying the air supply / discharge. Pressing from above to suppress the upward movement of the toe side of the foot, restraining the toe side of the foot and holding and fixing it on the foot receiving part 16, the foot can move with the foot receiving part 16 relative to the base part 15 a It also has a function as holding means. The means for holding the foot is not limited to the air cell, but may be a mechanism for mechanically moving the pressing piece to clamp the foot, in addition to the means utilizing the expansion and contraction of the air cell.

  In addition, the structure is not limited to the structure in which the foot side air cell or the like is operated from both sides of the foot to hold the foot, and the foot is pressed from only one side of the left and right side walls of the foot receiving portion facing each other with the foot interposed therebetween. A configuration may be adopted in which a foot is pressed against the side wall on the opposite side of the receiving portion to obtain a clamping state.

  The foot receiving portion 16 that can hold the foot in this way, the base portion 15a that supports the foot receiving portion 16, and the treatment actuator that moves the leg receiving portion 15b relative to the base portion 15a are the leg receiving portion 15b and the leg receiving portion 15b. It is used as a treatment means for moving the holding target portion of the leg held on the foot relative to the foot.

  The foot receiving portion 16 includes foot holding means for holding the foot so that it does not move in the direction in which the force acts against the force applied to the leg as the leg actuator 15b moves relative to the base portion 15a by the treatment actuator. It has become.

  By holding the foot by the foot receiving portion 16, the relative movement of the leg holding target part with respect to the foot accompanying the movement of the leg receiving part 15 b is realized, and the muscles and tendons of the calf portion as the holding target part are moved to massage. The effect equivalent to or stretch is produced.

  Each air cell as a treatment mechanism, including the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d, is grouped for each part of the air cell, such as legs and feet, and is connected to an air pump (not shown) via an electromagnetic valve (not shown). (Not shown).

  The solenoid valve has a first port communicating with the air pump, a second port communicating with the air cell, and a third port communicating with the outside, and the first port and the second port are controlled according to control by the control unit. The two ports are connected and the third port is closed so that air can be supplied from the air pump to the air cell; the second port and the third port are connected; and the first port is closed; Three states: a state in which air in the air cell is exhausted to the outside, and a state in which the internal pressure of the air cell can be maintained by preventing the first port, the second port, and the third port from communicating with each other Is a known three-way valve that can be switched, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  These air pump and solenoid valve form an air supply / discharge adjustment mechanism for each air cell, and the control unit operates the air pump and adjusts and controls the communication state of the solenoid valve, thereby supplying and exhausting air to the desired air cell, or This is a mechanism capable of maintaining pressure and expanding or contracting the air cell or maintaining it in a predetermined expanded state. While the air cell is inflated, it generates a pressing force against the air cell contact part of the body, and when it is contracted, the pressure is released, so that a variety of massage effects can be given at each air cell position. When used, it can be reliably switched between the pinching state and the non-pinching state.

  The operation unit 30 includes a large number of switches and display units for receiving various operation inputs to the massage machine, is detachably installed on the stand 31 on the side of the massage machine 1, and transmits operation inputs related to massage to the control unit. Is. Note that the position of the stand 31 can be adjusted so that the position of the switch and the display unit of the operation unit 30 is the optimum position for the user.

  The control unit adjusts each other movable part of the treatment mechanism and the massage machine to a state corresponding to the user based on the detection result obtained by executing the position detection of each part of the user's body in advance, Control for performing appropriate treatment is performed on the mechanism and other movable parts based on remote control operations, treatment contents recorded and set in advance, and information on the detection results.

  This control unit is a computer having a CPU, a memory, an input / output interface, and the like as its hardware configuration, and is a mechanism for operating the computer as a control unit by a program stored in the memory or the like. The computer constituting the control unit may be a microcomputer in which a CPU, a memory, a ROM, and the like are integrally formed.

  The computer unit constituting the control unit is disposed in a predetermined space inside the massage machine 1 such as directly under the seat 12 and is in a state where it can communicate with the operation unit 30, and various motors of the mechanical unit 50, The seat 12, the backrest 13, and the actuators that tilt the leg support 15, the air pump, and the electromagnetic valve are electrically connected to each other, and when detecting the position of each part of the user's body, a preset position detection program is used. The operation of these drive mechanisms is controlled by the control signal output based on the control signal output based on the set massage data when the massage is executed.

  In addition, the control unit is also electrically connected to signal output means such as an encoder that outputs the displacement amount of the mechanical unit 50 and each actuator, and the state of the mechanical unit 50, the seat portion 12, the backrest portion 13, and The operation control of driving means such as a motor and an actuator is performed while grasping the state of the leg support 15 such as the inclination.

  In addition, the control unit controls the mechanical unit 50 to detect the position of each part of the user's body prior to the massage in the same manner as a known massage machine, and moves the mechanical unit 50 from the initial position in the backrest 13 along the guide frame 13b. In the process of moving the kneading balls 51 along the user, a change in pressure on the kneading balls 51 from the user leaning against the backrest 13 and a change in the inclination of the kneading balls 51 are sequentially obtained, and this information The user's shoulder position, spine line, and waist position can also be detected. Next, in the massage machine according to the present embodiment, each part operation process for treatment for moving the leg holding target portion relative to the foot will be described. As a premise, the main power of the massage machine 1 is turned on in a state where the user sits on the massage machine 1 and the back is leaned against the backrest part 13 and the leg support part 15 supports the leg. After starting, the preparatory operation before the start of massage such as the user's weight and body shape detection, the reclining angle adjustment of the backrest portion 13 and the like are completed, and further, the execution instruction of the massage course etc. is input by the user, In performing various massages, the control part shall perform the operation control which concerns on the treatment based on the movement of a leg receiving part.

  First, the leg receiving part 15b of the leg support part 15 moves from the position close to the seat part to the side approaching the foot, and moves the muscles of the calf portion as the holding target part of the leg held by the leg receiving part 15b. The operation process in this case will be described.

  Here, the control unit operates the tilting actuator 17 in advance to tilt the leg support unit 15 that supports the user's leg, so that the leg support unit 15 is in an initial position for treatment, that is, the leg position. A predetermined inclination angle position (substantially vertical) of the leg support 15 suitable for treatment for moving the holding target portion relative to the foot (in this embodiment, the angle α in FIG. 7 is an opening angle of 10 degrees with respect to the vertical direction). )). The predetermined tilt angle position is preferably the operation limit position of the tilting actuator 17 where the leg support portion is closest to the vertical position, but is not limited to the limit position and includes a case where it is set near the limit position.

  The foot support 16 receives the position adjustment corresponding to the length of the leg when the user supports the leg on the leg support 15 and places the foot on the foot support 16. It is assumed that the bottom surface of the foot receiving groove 16b is in contact with the sole.

  Next, in order to start the operation of each mechanism portion of the leg support 15 in the initial position, the control unit first expands the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d of the foot receiving unit 16 to The toe portion of each foot of the foot is clamped from the left or right or pressed from above to moderately restrain it from moving upward.

  In a state where the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d are sufficiently expanded and the foot is properly sandwiched, the user attaches the sole to the bottom surface of the foot receiving groove 16b in the foot receiving portion 16. The toes of the foot are held and restrained by the foot receiving portion 16.

  And the control part is a heel side air cell arranged on the heel side of the groove bottom surface of the foot receiving groove 16b at the same time as or slightly after the expansion of the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d of the foot receiving part 16. 82 and 83 are expanded, and the heel is pushed up.

  As a result, the muscle of the calf changes softly, and in this state, air is supplied to the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cells 80, 81 located on both sides and the back side of the calf portion in the leg support 15. To expand each air cell. With the expansion of the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cells 80, 81, the calf portions of the legs are sandwiched from both sides by the air cell and are held and restrained by the leg receiving portion 15b.

  If the foot is deviated from the position where the foot should originally be located in the foot receiving portion 16, the foot holding process by the expansion of the foot side air cell proceeds and is completed in a state where it is difficult to appropriately hold the foot as it is. There is a fear. However, when the foot side air cell is inflated and the foot is lightly pinched, the user may hold the foot with the air cell at the correct held position, for example, the part from the instep to the foot side. Because it is less comfortable than pinching at other positions, it tends to move to the position where the foot is naturally pinched. That is, the pressing of the foot side air cell can prompt the user to correct the foot position.

  Based on this, if the heel side air cells 82 and 83 are expanded after the foot side air cell is expanded, and the leg air cell is expanded after a certain period of time, the foot side portion before the leg air cell is expanded. At a stage where the air cell is not sufficiently inflated, the user can move his / her legs and feet so as to be displaced with respect to the foot rest 16, and before the foot is held by the foot rest 16, The foot position can be set appropriately and the heel can be raised well.

  With regard to holding the feet and legs, the feet are placed in an appropriate positional relationship with respect to the foot receiving portion 16 such that the foot can be positioned at the correct position simply by being placed on the foot receiving portion 16 and is not easily displaced from that position. When it is easy to do, expansion of the foot side air cell and the heel side air cell may be started simultaneously.

  In addition, when the separate air cell 79 which clamps the thigh of a leg is arrange | positioned on the both sides of the seat part 12, a control part has the air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 for legs and the air cells 80, 81 for calves. After inflating, air is supplied to the thigh air cell 79, and the air cell 79 is inflated to hold the thigh (see FIG. 3).

  With the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cells 80, 81 fully inflated and the calf portions are sandwiched and restrained, the control unit operates the treatment actuator of the leg support unit 15. Then, the leg receiving part 15b of the leg support part 15 is moved little by little to the leg tip side which is the side away from the seat part 12 with respect to the base part 15a (see FIG. 5A).

  When it is possible to quickly advance and complete the expansion of the leg air cell prior to the movement of the leg receiving part 15b, and the leg holding part 15b can be reliably held in the leg receiving part 15b in a very short time. Alternatively, the control unit can simultaneously start the expansion of the leg air cell and the movement of the leg receiving unit 15b relative to the base unit 15a, that is, the operation of the treatment actuator. This point can also be applied to the case where the foot side air cell and the leg air cell are simultaneously inflated, and both the foot side air cell and the leg air cell can be rapidly advanced and completed. If so, the control unit may start the expansion of each air cell and the movement of the leg receiving unit 15b at the same time.

  By moving the leg receiving portion 15b away from the seat portion 12 with respect to the base portion 15a by the treatment actuator, the calf portion held by the leg receiving portion 15b is also moved, and the lower portion of the leg and the leg are moved. As with the leg receiving portion 15b, a force is also applied to move it away from the seat portion.

  Here, the toe side of the foot is in contact with the bottom surface of the foot receiving groove 16b in the foot receiving portion 16, and the foot is restrained from moving beyond the foot receiving portion 16, so that the seat portion The foot is held without moving against the force in the direction away from the foot, and the foot is maintained in a state of not moving with respect to the base portion 15a integrally with the foot receiving portion 16 with the heel raised.

  Due to the movement of the leg receiving part 15b relative to the base part 15a and the non-movement of the foot receiving part 16 relative to the base part 15a, the muscles of the calf portion of the leg held by the leg receiving part 15b are independent of the leg receiving part 15b. Thus, the foot held by the foot receiving portion 16 is actually moved in a direction approaching the foot (see FIGS. 7 to 8). Thus, by raising the heel while the calf portion is almost vertical, it is possible to provide a treatment effect as if a person performed a massage that moves the muscles while the muscles of the calf portion are softened.

  Although the operation process in the above description is shown in FIG. 4A, the order of making the calf portion substantially vertical and pushing the heel up may be reversed.

  In such an embodiment in which the calf is slid and gripped, the air supply timing of each air cell is such that the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cell 80, Air supply to 81 is performed to inflate each air cell, but the air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 for legs are first supplied to support the calf portion so that it is almost vertical, and then the heel is pushed up. After that, the massager can be massaged by moving the leg receiving portion without supplying air to the calf air cells 80, 81 (or supplying air weakly). (Refer to the operation process in FIG. 5 (a))

  Moreover, after pushing up a heel, embodiment which massages a calf with the air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 for legs and the air cells 80, 81 for calves may be sufficient. (Refer to the operation process in FIG. 5 (b))

  In this case, when the heel is pushed up, the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 do not strongly hold the calf portion, and the inflated leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 keep the calf portion substantially vertical. It is a wall to be pushed up. (See Figure 6)

  Thereafter, the leg receiving portion 15b approaches the movement limit position as the movement toward the leg tip side proceeds. The control unit determines whether or not the movement of the leg receiving unit 15b has reached the movement limit.

  When it is determined that the movement limit has been reached, the control unit deactivates the treatment actuator and the movement of the leg receiving unit 15b is stopped. Thereby, excessive load is not added to a leg exceeding the treatment intensity | strength of the leg receiving part movement set beforehand. On the other hand, when the movement of the leg receiving part 15b has not reached the limit position, the movement of the leg receiving part 15b by the treatment actuator is continued.

  The control unit simultaneously stops the treatment actuator, switches the electromagnetic valve of the air supply / discharge adjustment mechanism, and contracts all the air cells in the expanded state by discharging air to release the legs and the like from the sandwiched state, Further, when the thigh is pinched by another air cell 79, when the air is also released from the pinching state by discharging air, the leg and foot are released from the restraint and returned to a state where they can move freely.

  However, even after the treatment actuator is stopped, the controller keeps the solenoid valve of the air supply / exhaust adjustment mechanism in the pressure maintaining state for a predetermined time, and continues the expansion state of each air cell for a while, and the calf held by the leg holder You may make it maintain the state where the force which goes to a leg tip side is added to muscle further for a predetermined time.

  And when the control unit performs the treatment related to the movement of the calf as a process of an automatic massage course, the control unit shifts to the next massage and executes it as an independent treatment instead of the automatic course. Terminates the series of operation steps. However, if necessary, after releasing the foot or leg from the clamped state, the control unit operates the treatment actuator in the reverse direction to move the leg receiving part 15b in a direction approaching the seat part 12, and finally Then, after returning the leg receiving portion 15b to the position before the treatment, the actuator is again set to the operation stop state.

  Subsequently, the operation process when the leg support 15b of the leg support 15 moves from the position close to the foot to the side closer to the seat and moves the muscle of the calf portion of the leg held by the leg support 15b. explain.

  The control unit operates the tilting actuator 17 as necessary to tilt the leg support unit 15 supporting the user's leg, so that the leg support unit 15 is moved to the initial position for treatment, that is, the leg position. A predetermined inclination angle position of the leg support portion 15 suitable for treatment for moving the holding target portion relative to the foot is reached. In addition, the foot receiving part 16 has received position adjustment corresponding to the length of the leg in advance, and the groove bottom surface of the foot receiving groove 16b in the foot receiving part 16 is in contact with the sole.

  In starting the operation of each mechanism portion of the leg support 15 at the initial position, the control unit first inflates the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, and 79d of the foot support 16 to thereby move the left and right feet. The toe portion of the foot is moderately restrained so as not to move upward by pressing from the left or right or from above.

  In a state where the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d are sufficiently expanded and the foot is properly sandwiched, the user attaches the sole to the bottom surface of the foot receiving groove 16b in the foot receiving portion 16. The toes of the foot are held and restrained by the foot receiving portion 16.

  And the control part is a heel-side air cell arranged on the heel side of the groove bottom surface of the foot receiving groove 16b at the same time as or slightly delayed from the expansion of the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d of the foot receiving part 16. 82 and 83 are inflated and the heel is raised so that the angle between the toe direction of the foot and the longitudinal direction of the calf portion is widened.

  As a result, the state of the calf muscle changes, and in this state, the leg support portion 15 supplies the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cells 80, 81 located on both sides and the back side of the calf portion. Perform air pressure to inflate each air cell. With the expansion of the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the calf air cells 80, 81, the calf portions of the legs are sandwiched from both sides by the air cell and are held and restrained by the leg receiving portion 15b.

  Control unit In addition, when another air cell for sandwiching the thigh of the leg is disposed on both sides of the seat portion 12, the control unit expands the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78, and then Air is supplied to the thigh air cell 79, and the air cell 79 is inflated to hold the thigh (see FIG. 3).

  In a state where the leg air cell is sufficiently expanded and the calf portion is clamped and restrained, the control unit operates the treatment actuator of the leg support unit 15 to use the leg receiving unit 15b of the leg support unit 15 as the base unit 15a. On the other hand, it is moved little by little toward the side approaching the seat 12 away from the foot (see FIG. 8).

  By moving the leg receiving portion 15b toward the side closer to the seat portion 12 with respect to the base portion 15a, the calf portion held by the leg receiving portion 15b is also moved, and the leg rest and the lower portion of the leg and the leg are also moved. Similar to the portion 15b, a force is applied to move in a direction approaching the seat.

  Here, the foot is sandwiched between the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d in the foot receiving portion 16, so that the foot does not move in a direction in which the sole of the foot is separated from the bottom surface of the foot receiving groove 16b with respect to the foot receiving portion 16. Since it is restrained, the foot is held without moving against the force in the direction approaching the seat, and the foot is maintained integrally with the foot receiving portion 16 and not moved with respect to the base portion 15a. In addition, when the thigh air cell 79 is inflated to hold the thigh, even if force is applied to the leg as the leg receiving portion 15b moves, the thigh is held and restrained and does not move. Thus, the entire leg does not move relative to the seat portion 12 as the leg receiving portion 15b moves, and the movement of the leg held by the leg receiving portion 15b is limited to a limited movement only. The treatment effect by the relative movement with respect to the other part of the leg of this part can be surely produced.

  Due to the movement of the leg receiving part 15b relative to the base part 15a and the non-movement of the foot receiving part 16 relative to the base part 15a, the muscles of the calf portion of the leg held by the leg receiving part 15b are independent of the leg receiving part 15b. Thus, the foot held by the foot support 16 is actually moved away from the foot (see FIG. 8).

In this way, the leg thigh held by the thigh air cell 79 is stationary with respect to the moving leg support 15b and the calf muscle, and the relative movement of the leg support 15b relative to this is allowed. Only the muscle of the calf portion held by the leg receiving portion 15b can be locally moved with respect to the upper portion of the held and stationary leg. In this way, it is possible to give the effect of moving the muscles of the calf part as if a person had a massage that moves the muscles.
And it is desirable that the massage to the calf as described above is performed back and forth.

  Such calf massage is performed with the calf portion almost vertical and the heel raised, so the calf can be softened and massaged.

  As described above, the massage machine according to the present embodiment includes the leg support 15 that supports the legs on the front side of the seat 12, the base 15 a that is attached to the seat 12, and the leg support 15 b that is movable relative thereto. And a foot support 16 as a foot support means for holding the foot against the force acting when the leg support 15b is moved by the treatment actuator, and is held by the leg support 15b. By causing the calf portion as the leg holding target portion to move relative to the foot by the treatment means comprising the base portion 15a, the treatment actuator, and the foot receiving portion 16, and causing the calf portion to move with respect to other portions. , The state where only the calf part is locally moved with respect to the part around the calf of the leg is surely obtained, and the muscle itself located in the calf part is moved. A significant change can be given to the leg, and the effect of treatment equivalent to massage etc. accompanying such change can be clearly obtained, and other parts such as legs moved following the movement of the calf part as in the past You can experience new effects that are different from the situation, and you can further enhance the relaxed feeling of your legs.

  In the massage machine according to the above-described embodiment, the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and the foot side air cell are arranged one by one on the left and right of the leg and the foot, and the pair of air cells are used for the leg and the foot. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of air cells are arranged, for example, a plurality of air cells are arranged side by side with respect to the calf, and these are expanded and contracted together. Further, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which a leg or a leg can be clamped by a plurality of pairs of air cells. When a plurality of air cells are provided in this way, the timing of expansion and contraction can be made different for each pair of opposing air cells. For example, as a leg air cell, the front air cell located beside the calf and the back of the calf are located. When two sets of rear air cells are provided, the front air cell close to the groove inlet side of the leg receiving portion is inflated first, and then the rear air cell is inflated, so that the leg can be held securely. be able to.

  In the massage machine according to the embodiment, the position of the foot support 16 can be adjusted with respect to the base 15a by the actuator 16c, while the foot support 16 is moved to the base 15a when the leg support 15b is moved. However, in addition to this, in response to situations where there is little need to adjust the position of the foot support portion, the foot support portion is integrally fixed to the base portion to move the foot support portion 15b. Regardless of the state, etc., it is also possible to maintain the positional relationship as it is without moving the foot support part with respect to the base part, and the structure of the leg support part by omitting the mechanism related to the movement of the foot support part Can be simplified and reduced in cost.

(Second embodiment of the present invention)
FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment, in which the leg support 26 is an integration of the foot support and the leg support.

  In the massage machine according to the first embodiment, the leg support portion 15b of the leg support portion 15 can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the leg with respect to the base portion 15a using the treatment actuator, and is held by the leg support portion 15b. The part to be held of the leg (calf part) is moved with respect to the other part of the leg and the leg together with the leg receiving part 15b, and a predetermined treatment effect accompanying the movement is generated, but there are various calf massage methods. For example, instead of being accompanied by movement, each leg air cell may be inflated and contracted to massage the calf. The operation process is shown in FIG.

  Note that raising the heel makes it easier for the calf portion to come off from the leg receiving portion. However, as a particularly desirable embodiment, as in the above-described embodiment, the longitudinal movement space of the calf portion is secured and the heel is raised smoothly. Leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 are inflated to create a wall, and then each calf is massaged with leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 and calf air cells 80, 81. Can be mentioned. The operation process is shown in FIG.

  Inflating the leg air cells 75, 76, 77, 78 contributes to restraining the movement of the calf portion and keeping it in the vertical direction as in the above-described embodiment.

In addition, the foot side air cells 79a, 79b, 79c, 79d in FIG. 9 are disposed on the left and right upper sides of the respective feet in order to press the toes of the foot, as in the first embodiment. 79b, 79c, 79d and the heel side air cells 82, 83 cooperate to push up the heel smoothly.
In the above embodiment, the heel side air cells 82 and 83 are circular,
It is also possible to employ an air cell 92 in which the heel side of the heel side air cell is fixed to the foot receiving portion 16 and expands like a one-dot chain line with the heel side as a fulcrum.
As a result, the entire foot can be pushed up while preventing the foot from slipping forward. Since this is an upward slope from the earth bun to the heel, it can be contributed by pushing the heel vertically by a rotational motion having a backward moment when the heel side air cell 92 pushes up. (See Fig. 9 (b))

(Third embodiment of the present invention)
In the above embodiment, only the heel side is pushed up, but in addition, each of the toe side and the heel side can be pushed up by the air cell. For example, a heel side air cell 83 can be provided at the heel side position of the sole of the foot receiving portion 16 and a toe side air cell 84 can be provided at the toe side position, which can be a push-up means that pushes up each position of the sole.

  Among these, when the heel side position is pushed up by the heel side air cell 83 (refer to FIG. 10), the calf muscle part is brought closer to the vertical direction, so that the state of the calf muscle becomes soft and massage can be performed. Conversely, when the toe side position is pushed up by the air cell 16h (see FIG. 11), the calf muscle can be massaged after changing to the calf muscle state and solidifying the calf muscle state. By changing the state of the calf in this way, various massage effects can be obtained.

  Further, in the first and second embodiments, the massage machine that makes the calf portion substantially vertical is exemplified, but the state of the calf is raised by pushing up the toe and the heel regardless of the angle between the longitudinal direction of the calf portion and the vertical direction. Therefore, various treatment effects can be expected by pressing and massaging the calf while alternately repeating the state where the heel is pushed up, the state where the heel is not pushed up and the state where the heel is pushed up.

(Fourth embodiment of the present invention)
In the above embodiments, the heel side is pushed up by the air cell. However, as shown in FIG. 12, an example in which the heel receiving projection 40 is formed on the groove bottom surface of the foot receiving portion 16 will be described.
In this embodiment, the heel of the foot is raised when the foot is placed on the bottom surface of the groove of the foot receiving portion. That is, the heel-receiving projection 40 serves as a heel push-up means, and the restricting portion 41 prevents the toe side from rising, so that the calf massage can be performed with the user's heel raised.

  In this embodiment, the state where the heel side is pushed up is maintained by inflating the leg air cell, and the calf is massaged. However, in all the embodiments, when the leg air cell is pushed up the heel side in this way, When linked to, it can push the heel firmly and is particularly effective in changing the state of the calf.

  Further, in this embodiment, it is also desirable to provide a toe side pressing air cell 86 on the regulating part 41 side and to push down the toe side against the spring 88 of the toe side receiving part 87 by the expansion of the air cell 86. In this case, since the heel side is relatively raised simply by pushing down the toe side, no lifting means is required on the heel side.

  In all the embodiments, pressing and pressing down the toe side in this manner is particularly effective in changing the state of the calf.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Massage machine 11 Base part 12 Seat part 13 Back part 14 Armrest part 15 Leg support part 15a Base part 15b Leg receiving part 15c Groove part 16 Foot receiving part 16a Frame part 16b Foot receiving groove 16c Actuator 17 Actuating actuator 30 Operation part 31 Stand 40 Receiving projection 41 Restriction part 50 Mechanical unit 51 Kneading ball 60 Drive mechanism part 71 Air cell for hip part 72 Air cell for thigh 73 Air cell for back 73 Air cell for waist 75, 76 Air cell for leg 77, 78 Air cell for leg 79 Thigh Foot air cell 79a, 79b foot side air cell 79c, 79d foot side air cell 80, 81 calf air cell 82, 83 heel side air cell 84 toe side air cell 86 toe side pressing air cell 87 toe side receiving portion 88 spring

Claims (3)

In a massage machine comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion, and a leg support portion arranged to support the calf portion of the leg on the front side of the seat portion,
The leg support portion includes a means for massaging the calf and a push-up means for pushing up the heel,
A massage machine characterized by massaging the calf with the heel pushed up. The massage machine according to claim 1,
The leg support portion is located on the front side of the seat portion, and allows the supported calf portion to be in a substantially vertical state,
A massage machine characterized in that the calf is massaged with the calf portion almost vertical and the heel pushed up. In the massage machine according to claim 1 or 2,
A massaging machine characterized in that the push-up means for pushing up the heel is an air cell that expands and contracts provided on the sole of the foot.

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