JP2021186230A - Massage unit and massage machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To vary a way of massaging according to strength of medical treatment by a medical treatment piece.SOLUTION: A massage unit comprises: a medical treatment piece; a medical treatment piece moving mechanism; and a massage drive mechanism. The medical treatment piece moving mechanism moves a reference position of the medical treatment piece in a circumferential direction around a rotary axis extending in a lateral direction. The massage drive mechanism moves the medical treatment piece on an eccentric circle locus. A vertical length ratio is the ratio of a second movement width in the vertical direction of the medical treatment piece to a first movement width in a cross direction of the medical treatment piece moving on the eccentric circle locus. When the reference position is at a first circumferential position, the vertical length ratio is a first threshold or greater. When the reference position is at a second circumferential position in front of the first circumferential position, the vertical length ratio is equal to or smaller than a second threshold smaller than the first threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

The present invention relates to a massage unit having a medical treatment child and a massage machine having the massage unit.

Conventionally, a massage machine that adjusts the treatment strength by changing the amount of protrusion of the kneading ball has been disclosed. For example, in the massage machine of the first embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 6 of Patent Document 1, a driven screw attached to a kneading ball drive unit casing as the advancing / retreating shaft extending in the front-rear direction rotates. The body moves along the axis of advance and retreat. The driven screw body moves the kneading ball drive unit casing forward and backward, and the kneading ball moves forward and backward.

Further, in the massage machine of the second embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 7 to 12 of Patent Document 1, a pair of left and right pinion gears are attached to an advancing / retreating shaft extending along the left-right width direction, and a kneading ball drive unit casing is provided. A pair of left and right arc-shaped racks are attached to the top of the. As the advance / retreat shaft rotates, the pinion gear rotates and slides along the rack. By sliding along the rack of the pinion gear, the kneading ball drive unit casing swings in the front-rear direction around the elevating shaft, and the kneading ball moves back and forth in the front-back direction.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-159549

However, in the conventional massage machine, the trajectory of the kneading ball is not positively changed according to the strength of the treatment. For example, there is no idea to change to a kneading taste like acupressure when the treatment is strong, and to a rubbing taste when the treatment is weak.

In view of the above situation, it is an object of the present invention to change the kneading taste according to the strength of the treatment by the treatment child.

In order to achieve the above object, the massage unit according to one aspect of the present invention includes a treatment element, a treatment element movement mechanism that moves a reference position of the treatment element in the circumferential direction about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction, and a treatment element movement mechanism. It is provided with a kneading drive mechanism that moves the treatment child in an eccentric circular orbit, and the aspect ratio is a second in the vertical direction of the treatment child with respect to a first movement width in the front-back direction of the treatment child that moves in the eccentric circular orbit. It is a ratio of the movement width, and when the reference position is in the first circumferential direction position, the aspect ratio is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, and the reference position is in the second circumferential direction position in front of the first circumferential position. The aspect ratio is smaller than the first threshold and is equal to or less than the second threshold (first configuration).

In the massage unit having the first configuration, the eccentric circular orbit in the lateral view may have an elliptical shape (second configuration).

In order to achieve the above object, the massage machine according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above massage unit and a body support portion that supports the body of the person to be treated, and the massage unit is attached to the body support portion. It is a built-in configuration (third configuration).

In the massage machine having the third configuration, the vertical direction of the massage unit is parallel to the reference line, and the reference line is parallel to the surface of the body support portion in contact with the body of the person to be treated. , It may be a configuration perpendicular to the left-right direction (fourth configuration).

According to the massage unit and the massage machine disclosed in the present specification, the kneading taste can be changed according to the strength of the treatment by the treatment child.

Perspective view of chair type massage machine Conceptual diagram of the patient sitting on a chair-type massage machine looking sideways Front view of the massage unit according to the first embodiment Rear view of the massage unit according to the first embodiment Perspective view of the massage unit according to the first embodiment Side view showing the eccentric circular orbit of the treatment child when the protrusion amount of the treatment child is reduced. Side view showing the eccentric circular orbit of the treatment child when the protrusion amount of the treatment child is increased. A table showing the percentage of patients who experienced "rubbing" with respect to the aspect ratio of the kneading operation when the amount of protrusion of the treatment child was reduced or when the treatment child was stored. A table showing the percentage of patients who experienced "acupressure" with respect to the aspect ratio of the kneading motion when the amount of protrusion of the treatment child was increased. Perspective view of the massage unit according to the second embodiment Front view of the massage unit according to the second embodiment Top view of the massage unit according to the second embodiment Side view of the massage unit according to the second embodiment Perspective view of the massage unit with the treatment child protruding forward Side view of the massage unit with the treatment child protruding forward

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the chair-type massage machine 100. FIG. 1B is a conceptual diagram of the patient U seated on the chair-type massage machine 100 as a side view. Hereinafter, the chair-type massage machine 100 will be referred to as a “massage machine 100”.

In the following description, the right side when viewed from the treated person U seated in the massage machine 100 is referred to as "right side", and the left side when viewed from the treated person U seated in the massage machine 100 is referred to as "left side".

Further, a direction parallel to the surface 301 of the backrest portion 300 in contact with the shoulder and waist of the treated person U and perpendicular to the left-right direction is referred to as a vertical direction. In the vertical direction, the shoulder side of the treated person U is referred to as "upper side", and the lumbar side of the treated person U is referred to as "lower side".

Further, the direction perpendicular to the surface 301 in contact with the shoulder and waist of the treated person U is referred to as an anteroposterior direction. In the anteroposterior direction, the front side of the treated person U is referred to as the "front side", and the back side of the treated person U is referred to as the "rear side".

<1. First Embodiment>
<1-1. Massage machine ＞
The massage machine 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. The massage machine 100 includes a massage unit 1, a seat 200, a backrest 300, a base 400, an arm treatment unit 500, an operation unit 600, a cord wire 700, a stand 800, and an ottoman 900. The backrest portion 300, the arm treatment portion 500, and the ottoman 900 are attached to the main body portion having the seat portion 200 and the base portion 400.

The seat 200 supports the buttocks and thighs of the treated person U.

The backrest 300 supports the shoulders, hips, and back of the treated person U. The backrest portion 300 is attached to the rear end of the seat portion 200 so as to be rotatable around a reclining rotation axis (not shown) extending in the left-right direction. The backrest portion 300 incorporates a pair of guide rails 302 extending along the surface 301 in contact with the shoulder and waist of the treated person U.

Further, the backrest portion 300 has a built-in massage unit 1. The massage unit 1 is guided by a pair of guide rails 302 and moves up and down in the backrest portion 300. The pair of guide rails 302 may be extended to the rear portion of the seat portion 200 so that the massage unit 1 described later moves up and down within the seat portion 200 and the backrest portion 300. The configuration of the massage unit 1 will be described later.

The base portion 400 is provided upright on both the left and right sides of the seat portion 200 and vertically below the seat portion 200. A control unit 401 is built in the base unit 400 provided on the left side of the seat unit 200.

The arm treatment portion 500 is provided upright on both the left and right sides of the seat portion 200 and vertically above the seat portion 200. The arm treatment unit 500 has a built-in inflatable airbag (not shown), and the treatment is performed while supporting the arm of the person to be treated U by the airbag.

The operation unit 600 is an input device for the person to be treated U to select a treatment pattern and adjust the strength of the treatment. The operation unit 600 is connected to the control unit 401 via the cord line 700. The control unit 401 controls each unit of the massage machine 100 based on the signal output from the operation unit 600.

The stand 800 is fixed to the arm treatment portion 500 provided on the left side of the seat portion 200. The operation unit 600 can be attached to and detached from the stand 800.

The ottoman 900 supports the lower leg of the treated person U.

<1-2. Massage unit ＞
Next, the massage unit 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1B to 4. FIG. 2 is a front view of the massage unit 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the massage unit 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the massage unit 1 according to the first embodiment. The vertical direction of the massage unit 1 is parallel to the reference line L1 indicating the inclination of the massage unit 1. The reference line L1 is parallel to the surface 301 of the backrest portion 300 in contact with the body of the treated person U, and is perpendicular to the left-right direction. Further, in the present embodiment, the reference line L1 is tilted 30 degrees toward the back surface side with respect to the vertical straight line.

The massage unit 1 includes a pair of left and right plate-shaped frames 11, a storage portion 12, a fixed shaft 13, an elevating motor 14, an elevating rotary shaft 15, a pair of left and right guide rollers 16, and a pair of left and right guide rollers. 17 and.

The frames 11 are arranged on the left and right sides of the massage unit 1, respectively. Each frame 11 has a substantially triangular shape with the front end, the upper end, and the lower end as the vertices in the lateral view. The frame 11 is arranged parallel to the reference line L1. Specifically, the upper end and the lower end of each frame 11 are arranged along the vertical direction parallel to the reference line L1. That is, the reference line L1 is parallel to the straight line passing through the upper end and the lower end of the frame 11 in the side view.

The storage unit 12 stores the first and second rotation transmission units (not shown), which will be described later. The storage unit 12 is arranged between the pair of frames 11 in the left-right direction.

The fixed shaft 13 extends in the left-right direction and penetrates the upper part of the frame 11 and the upper part of the storage portion 12. The fixed shaft 13 is fixed to the frame 11 and the storage portion 12. Guide rollers 16 are rotatably attached to both ends of the fixed shaft 13 in the left-right direction.

The elevating motor 14 is attached to the right side surface of the storage portion 12. The elevating rotation shaft 15 extends in the left-right direction and penetrates the lower portion of the frame 11 and the lower portion of the storage portion 12. The elevating rotary shaft 15 is rotatable with respect to the frame 11 and the storage portion 12. A guide roller 17 and a pinion gear 171 are attached to both ends of the elevating rotary shaft 15 in the left-right direction. The guide roller 17 and the pinion gear 171 are fixed to the elevating rotary shaft 15.

The elevating rotary shaft 15 is interlocked with the elevating motor 14 by a first rotation transmitting unit (not shown) housed in the accommodating unit 12. The first rotation transmission unit includes a bearing unit and a gear mechanism. The elevating rotary shaft 15 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion of the first rotation transmission portion and a bearing portion (not shown) provided at the lower part of the frame 11.

The pinion gear 171 meshes with a rack provided on the guide rail 302. Therefore, the massage unit 1 moves up and down along the guide rail 302 by rotating the elevating rotary shaft 15 by driving the elevating motor 14. At this time, the guide rollers 16 and 17 move while rotating on the guide rail 302 when the massage unit 1 is raised and lowered.

Further, the massage unit 1 further includes a kneading motor 18, a kneading rotating shaft 19, a treatment element 21, an arm 22, an eccentric rotating portion 23, and an actuator 24.

The kneading motor 18 is attached to the left side surface of the storage portion 12. The kneading rotary shaft 19 extends along the left-right direction and penetrates the front portion of the storage portion 12. The left-right end of the kneading rotary shaft 19 is attached to the frame 11.

The kneading rotary shaft 19 is interlocked with the kneading motor 18 by a second rotation transmission unit (not shown) housed in the storage unit 12. The second rotation transmission unit includes a bearing unit and a gear mechanism. The kneading rotary shaft 19 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion in the second rotation transmission portion and a bearing portion provided in the front portion of the frame 11.

The treatment element 21 is rotatably attached to the front end of the arm 22. The arm 22 supports the treatment child 21.

The eccentric rotating portion 23 has a rotating body 231 and an eccentric shaft 232. The rotating body 231 is a disk-shaped member parallel to a plane intersecting the left-right direction, is fixed to the end portion of the kneading rotating shaft 19 in the left-right direction, and is rotatably attached to the middle portion of the arm 22. Be done. The kneading rotating shaft 19 supports the intermediate portion of the arm 22 via the rotating body 231. The eccentric shaft 232 extends from the rotating body 231 toward the frame 11 in the left-right direction. The eccentric shaft 232 is rotatably attached to the frame 11. The frame 11 supports the intermediate portion of the arm 22 via the eccentric shaft 232. In a lateral view, the eccentric shaft 232 is provided radially outward of the center of rotation of the rotating body 231. That is, the rotation center of the eccentric shaft 232 is radially deviated from the rotation center Ca of the kneading rotation shaft 19.

The actuator 24 can be expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction. For example, the actuator 24 has a rod member (reference numeral omitted), a tubular member (reference numeral omitted), and a protrusion amount changing motor (reference numeral omitted). The rear part of the rod member is housed in the tubular member, and the front part of the rod member protrudes from the tubular member. The protrusion amount of the rod member is changed by the rotation of the motor for changing the protrusion amount.

The upper end of the actuator 24 is rotatably attached to the fixed shaft 13. The actuator 24 can swing in the left-right direction with the upper end as a fulcrum. The lower end of the actuator 24 is connected to the rear end of the arm 22 by a ball joint or the like. The length of the actuator 24 in the longitudinal direction changes according to the expansion and contraction of the actuator 24.

When the actuator 24 is extended, the arm 22 rotates clockwise with the kneading rotation shaft 19 as a rotation fulcrum when viewed from the left side to the right side. As a result, the treatment child 21 moves in the clockwise direction when viewed from the left side to the right side, that is, retreats to the rear side. On the other hand, when the actuator 24 contracts, the arm 22 rotates in the counterclockwise circumferential direction when viewed from the left side to the right side with the kneading rotation shaft 19 as a rotation fulcrum. As a result, the treatment child 21 moves in the counterclockwise circumferential direction when viewed from the left side to the right side, that is, protrudes to the front side. Therefore, the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 can be adjusted by adjusting the expansion and contraction of the actuator 24. The larger the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 in the front-rear direction, the greater the distance between the treatment child 21 and the guide rollers 16 and 17 in the front-rear direction.

For example, when the actuator 24 contracts more than the state shown in FIG. 4, the treatment element 21 moves forward from the state shown in FIG. Therefore, the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 in the front-rear direction is larger than that shown in FIG. On the contrary, when the actuator 24 extends beyond the state shown in FIG. 4, the treatment element 21 moves backward from the state shown in FIG. Therefore, the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 in the front-rear direction is smaller than that shown in FIG.

Further, the massage unit 1 has a treatment child moving mechanism and a kneading drive mechanism. The treatment child movement mechanism moves the reference position of the treatment child 21 in the circumferential direction centered on the kneading rotation shaft 19 extending in the left-right direction. The reference position is a circumferential position centered on the kneading rotation shaft 19 of the treatment element 21 during non-treatment. The treatment child moving mechanism includes at least a kneading rotation shaft 19, an arm 22, an eccentric rotation portion 23, and an actuator 24. The kneading drive mechanism causes the treatment child 21 to perform a kneading operation by moving the treatment child 21 in an eccentric circular orbit Ot. The kneading drive mechanism includes at least a kneading motor 18, a kneading rotating shaft 19, an arm 22, an eccentric rotating portion 23, and an actuator 24.

<1-3. Kneading operation>
Next, the kneading operation of the treatment child 21 will be described. When the kneading motor 18 is driven, the eccentric rotating portion 23 rotates with the rotation of the kneading rotating shaft 19. At this time, the eccentric shaft 232 rotates about the kneading rotation shaft 19. Further, the actuator 24 swings in the left-right direction with the upper end of the actuator 24 as a fulcrum, and rotates about the fixed shaft 13. By these operations, the arm 22 swings up and down, left and right, and back and forth, respectively. As a result, the treatment child 21 moves in a three-dimensional eccentric circular orbit Ot. The eccentric circular orbit Ot of the treatment element 21 and the swing of the arm 22 change according to the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21.

FIG. 5A is a side view showing an eccentric circular orbit Ot of the treatment element 21 when the protrusion amount of the treatment element 21 is reduced. FIG. 5B is a side view showing an eccentric circular orbit Ot of the treatment element 21 when the protrusion amount of the treatment element 21 is increased. The eccentric circular orbit Ot in FIGS. 5A and 5B is a path in the lateral view drawn by the center point of the attachment portion of the treatment element 21 to the arm 22 at the time of treatment. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view has an almost elliptical shape, that is, a path close to an ellipse. Further, in FIGS. 5A and 5B, reference numeral 211 indicates a treatment element 21 when the patient has moved to the frontmost side. Reference numeral 212 indicates a treatment element 21 when the patient moves to the rearmost side. Reference numeral 213 indicates the treatment element 21 when it is moved to the uppermost position. Reference numeral 214 indicates a treatment element 21 when it is moved to the lowermost side.

Further, in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the treatment element angle θ is an angle formed by the direction in which the straight line L2 extends and the vertical direction parallel to the reference line L1. The straight line L2 is orthogonal to the rotation center Ca of the kneading rotation axis 19 and passes through the movement center Cb of the eccentric circular orbit Ot. More specifically, the treatment element angle θ is a counterclockwise angle from the vertical direction toward the straight line L2 when viewed from the left side to the right side. The treatment element angle θ represents the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 to the front side.

In addition, not limited to the above-mentioned example, the treatment element angle indicating the inclination of the arm 22 with respect to the frame 11 in the lateral view is the front edge portion 221 in the lateral view of the arm 22 when the arm 22 is stationary at the reference position. Alternatively, an angle formed by the direction in which the rear edge portion 222 extends and the vertical direction parallel to the reference line L1 may be adopted. By adopting an angle formed by the direction in which the edge portion 221 or 222 extends and the vertical direction parallel to the reference line L1, it becomes easy to measure the treatment element angle. In the present embodiment, in the lateral view, the angle at which the direction in which the front edge portion 221 extends in the lateral view of the arm 22 when it is stationary at the reference position is the straight line L2 is 13 degrees (or 347 degrees). ). Further, in the lateral view, the angle at which the direction in which the rear edge portion 222 of the arm 22 extends when the arm 22 is stationary at the reference position is the straight line L2 is 3 degrees (or 357 degrees).

Since the longitudinal direction of the eccentric circular orbit Ot in lateral view changes according to the amount of protrusion of the treatment child 21 to the front side, the kneading taste of the treatment child 21 also changes. The kneading taste is a change in the eccentric rotation of the kneading ball (treatment child 21), and means the experience of the massage felt by the treated person U. The longer the length of the line segment connecting the rotation center Ca and the movement center Cb, the more the treated person U can experience the changed kneading taste more remarkably.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 is reduced, the strength of the treatment by the treatment element 21 becomes weaker. Further, the longitudinal direction of the eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view of the treatment element 21 at the time of treatment approaches the vertical direction, and the lateral direction approaches the front-back direction. Therefore, the kneading taste of the treatment child 21 approaches "rubbing". Therefore, it is possible to carry out treatment with a gentler experience.

On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 is increased, the strength of the treatment by the treatment element 21 becomes stronger. Further, the longitudinal direction of the eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view of the treatment element 21 at the time of treatment approaches the front-back direction, and the lateral direction approaches the vertical direction. Therefore, the kneading taste of the treatment child 21 approaches "acupressure". Therefore, it is possible to carry out treatment with a stronger sensation.

With conventional massage machines, such changes in kneading taste tend to be suppressed. The reason is that it was thought that it was better to adjust the strength with a certain kneading taste. On the other hand, in the massage machine 100 of the present embodiment, by positively utilizing the change in the kneading taste as described above, it is possible to carry out the treatment with a feeling suitable for the treatment intensity desired by the person to be treated U.

<1-4. Changes in kneading taste>
Next, with reference to FIGS. 5A to 6B, changes in the kneading taste with respect to the vertical ratio r of the kneading operation of the treatment element 21 will be described. The aspect ratio r is the ratio of the second movement width H to the first movement width D. The first movement width D is a movement width in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the reference line L1 when the treatment element 21 moves in the eccentric circular orbit Ot. The second movement width H is a vertical movement width parallel to the reference line L1 when the treatment element 21 moves in the eccentric circular orbit Ot. FIG. 6A is a table showing the ratio of the treated person U who experienced "rubbing" with respect to the vertical ratio r of the kneading operation when the protruding amount of the treatment child 21 was reduced or when the treatment child 21 was housed. Is. FIG. 6B is a table showing the ratio of the treated person U who experienced "acupressure" to the vertical ratio r of the kneading operation when the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 was increased.

The tables of FIGS. 6A and 6B are the results of responses by 10 treated persons U. In FIG. 6A, the case where the treated person U who experienced "rubbing" is 80% or more is "○", the case where it is 100% is "◎", and the case other than these is "Δ". Further, in FIG. 6B, the case where the treated person U who experienced "acupressure" is 80% or more is "○", the case where it is 100% is "◎", and the case other than these is "△". ..

First, as shown in FIG. 5A, a case where the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 is reduced will be described. When the reference position of the treatment element 21 is set to the position in the first circumferential direction in which the treatment element angle θ = 66 degrees, as shown in FIG. 6A, the patient U of 80% or more has an aspect ratio of r = 2.0. However, he replied that the feeling of rubbing was close to "rubbing". In addition, at the aspect ratio r = 2.5, all the treated persons U answered that the feeling of rubbing taste was close to "rubbing".

On the other hand, when the aspect ratio r was 1.5 or less, less than 80% of the treated persons U answered that the feeling of kneading was close to "rubbing". The number of respondents who experienced "rubbing" decreased as the aspect ratio r decreased.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, a case where the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21 is increased will be described. When the reference position of the treatment element 21 is set to the position in the second circumferential direction in which the treatment element angle θ = 100 degrees, as shown in FIG. 6B, the patient U of 80% or more has an aspect ratio of r = 0.5. However, he answered that the feeling of kneading was close to "acupressure". In addition, at the aspect ratio r = 0.25, all the treated persons U answered that the feeling of kneading taste was close to "acupressure".

On the other hand, when the aspect ratio r was 0.7 or more, less than 80% of the treated patients U answered that the feeling of kneading was close to "acupressure". The number of respondents who experienced "acupressure" decreased as the aspect ratio r increased.

According to the above results, when the reference position of the treatment element 21 is in the first circumferential direction position, the aspect ratio r may be equal to or higher than the first threshold value. The first threshold is preferably 2.0, more preferably 2.5. Further, when the reference position of the treatment element 21 is in the second circumferential direction position on the front side of the first circumferential direction position, the aspect ratio r may be equal to or less than the second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value. The second threshold is preferably 0.5, more preferably 0.25. By doing so, when a weak treatment intensity is selected, the kneading taste can be "rubbed", so that a gentler experience can be provided to the treated person U. Further, when a strong treatment intensity is selected, the kneading taste can be set to "acupressure", so that the treated person U can be provided with a stronger experience. Therefore, the kneading taste can be changed according to the strength of the treatment by the treatment child 21.

Further, when the treatment child angle θ is made smaller, the longitudinal direction of the eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view of the treatment child 21 at the time of treatment is closer to the vertical direction, and the lateral direction is closer to the front-back direction. Therefore, when the reference position of the treatment element 21 is in the first circumferential direction position, the treatment element angle θ is preferably 66 degrees or less. In this way, the treated person U can more surely experience "rubbing".

Further, when the treatment child angle θ is made larger, the longitudinal direction of the eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view of the treatment child 21 at the time of treatment is closer to the anteroposterior direction, and the lateral direction is closer to the vertical direction. For example, at the treatment child angle θ = 90 degrees, the longitudinal direction of the eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view of the treatment child 21 at the time of treatment is closest to the anteroposterior direction, and the lateral direction is closest to the vertical direction. Therefore, when the reference position of the treatment element 21 is in the second circumferential direction position, the treatment element angle θ is preferably 80 degrees or more and 100 degrees or less. In this way, the treated person U can more surely experience "acupressure".

<2. 2nd Embodiment>
Next, the second embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, a configuration different from that of the first embodiment will be described. Further, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the massage unit 1a according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a front view of the massage unit 1a according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a top view of the massage unit 1a according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view of the massage unit 1a according to the second embodiment. The vertical direction of the massage unit 1a is parallel to the reference line L1 (see FIG. 1B) indicating the inclination of the massage unit 1.

The massage unit 1a includes a base member 11a. The base member 11a has base member parts 111a to 115a. The pair of left and right base member parts 111a and 112a have a rectangular shape when viewed from the front and an L shape when viewed from the side, respectively. The front surfaces of the base member parts 111a and 112a are parallel to the reference line L1. The base member component 113a connects the lower end of the left base member component 111a and the lower end of the right base member component 112a. The pair of base member parts 114a and 115a project from the central portion in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the base member parts 113a, and are arranged in the left-right direction, respectively.

The massage unit 1a further includes an elevating motor 14a, an elevating rotary shaft 15a, a pair of left and right guide rollers 16a, a pair of left and right guide rollers 17a, and a pair of left and right pinion gears 171a. The elevating motor 14a is a drive source for elevating and lowering the massage unit 1a. The elevating rotation shaft 15a extends along the left-right direction and is interlocked with the elevating motor 14a by the rotation transmission unit R1. The rotation transmission unit R1 includes a bearing unit and a gear mechanism for changing the rotation axis direction. The elevating rotary shaft 15a is rotatably supported by a bearing portion B1 provided on the base member 11a and a bearing portion in the rotation transmission portion R1. The rotation transmission portion R1 is fixed to the lower part of the back surface of the base member component 112a, and the bearing portion B1 is fixed to the left end of the base member component 113a. The guide rollers 16a and 17a slide on the guide rail 302 when the massage unit 1a is raised and lowered. Pinion gears 171a are provided at both ends of the elevating rotary shaft 15a in the left-right direction. The pinion gear 171a meshes with a rack provided on the guide rail 302. Therefore, the elevating rotary shaft 15a is rotated by the drive of the elevating motor 14a, so that the massage unit 1a moves up and down along the guide rail 302.

Next, the massage unit 1a includes a kneading motor 18a, a kneading rotating shaft 19a, a pair of left and right treatment elements 21a, a pair of left and right arms 22a, an eccentric rotating portion 23a, and first to fourth flat plate members. It further includes P1 to P4 and a kneading drive mechanism.

The treatment child 21a is attached to the front end of the arm 22a. The arm 22a supports the treatment child 21a.

The kneading drive mechanism causes the treatment child 21a to perform a kneading operation by moving the treatment child 21a in an eccentric circular orbit Ot. The kneading drive mechanism includes a kneading motor 18a, a kneading rotating shaft 19a, and an eccentric rotating portion 23a. The kneading rotation shaft 19a extends in the left-right direction. The pair of left and right eccentric rotating portions 23a are fixed to the kneading rotating shaft 19a. The kneading rotation shaft 19a supports the rear portion of the arm 22a via the eccentric rotation portion 23a. Further, the kneading rotary shaft 19a is interlocked with the kneading motor 18a. When the kneading motor 18a is driven, the kneading rotating shaft 19a rotates, and the pair of left and right eccentric rotating portions 23a fixed to the kneading rotating shaft 19a also rotate. The arm 22a swings up and down, left and right, and back and forth by the rotation of the eccentric rotating portion 23a. As a result, the treatment child 21a moves in a three-dimensional eccentric circular orbit Ot. The eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view has a substantially elliptical shape as in the first embodiment, that is, draws an orbit close to an ellipse.

The kneading rotary shaft 19a penetrates the first to third flat plate members P1 to P3. The first to third flat plate members P1 to P3 are plate-shaped members extending in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. A bearing portion that rotatably supports the left end portion of the kneading rotary shaft 19a is arranged on the first flat plate member P1. A bearing portion that rotatably supports the right end portion of the kneading rotary shaft 19a is arranged on the second flat plate member P2. A bearing portion that rotatably supports the intermediate portion of the kneading rotary shaft 19a is arranged on the third flat plate member P3. That is, the kneading drive mechanism is supported at three points, the left end portion, the right end portion, and the intermediate portion of the kneading rotary shaft 19a.

The fourth flat plate member P4 is fixed to the front end of the third flat plate member P3. The lower portion of the fourth flat plate member P4 is rotatably attached to the pair of base member parts 114a and 115a around the rotation axis AX1. The rotation axis AX1 is an axis extending along the left-right direction. Therefore, the third flat plate member P3 is rotatably attached to the base member 11a around the rotation axis AX1 via the fourth flat plate member P4.

The massage unit 1a further includes connecting rods 251a and 252a. The connecting rods 251a and 252a are rod-shaped members extending in the left-right direction, respectively, and connect the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2. Further, the upper portion of the fourth flat plate member P4 is non-rotatably attached to the connecting rod 251a.

The massage unit 1a further includes an advancing / retreating shaft 26a, an advancing / retreating motor 27a, and a pair of left and right pinion gears 28a. The advance / retreat axis 26a extends along the left-right direction. The advancing / retreating shaft 26a is interlocked with the advancing / retreating motor 27a via the rotation transmission unit R2. The rotation transmission unit R2 includes a bearing unit and a gear mechanism for changing the direction of the rotation axis.

Pinion gears 28a are fixed to both sides of the advancing / retreating shaft 26a in the left-right direction. An arcuate rack is provided on each upper portion of the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2. The pair of left and right pinion gears 28a mesh with the racks of the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2, respectively. When the pinion gear 28a rotates with the rotation of the advancing / retreating shaft 26a, the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2 rotate about the rotation shaft AX1 due to the meshing of the pinion gear 28a and the rack.

Further, the massage unit 1a has a treatment child moving mechanism. The treatment child movement mechanism moves the reference position of the treatment child 21a in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis AX1 extending in the left-right direction. The reference position is a circumferential position about the rotation axis AX1 of the treatment element 21a at the time of non-treatment. The treatment element moving mechanism includes at least the first to fourth flat plate members P1 to P4, the advancing / retreating shaft 26a, the advancing / retreating motor 27a, and a pair of left and right pinion gears 28a.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the massage unit 1a in a state where the treatment element 21a is projected forward. FIG. 12 is a side view of the massage unit 1a in a state where the treatment element 21a is projected forward. By adjusting the rotation of the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2 with respect to the rotation shaft AX1, the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21a can be adjusted. For example, when the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2 rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the left side to the right side, the front end of the arm 22a is moved forward and downward as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. By tilting it, for example, the reference position of the treatment element 21a can be moved to the position in the second circumferential direction in front of the position in the first circumferential direction shown in FIG. On the contrary, when the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2 rotate clockwise when viewed from the left side to the right side, the front end of the arm 22a is raised rearward and upward, and is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The reference position of the treatment element 21a can be moved to a circumferential position (for example, a first circumferential position as shown in FIG. 10) behind the second circumferential position.

The eccentric circular orbit Ot of the treatment element 21a and the swing of the arm 22a change according to the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21a. Further, since the inclination of the eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view of the treatment child 21a at the time of treatment changes according to the amount of protrusion of the treatment child 21a, the kneading taste of the treatment child 21a also changes. For example, if the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21a is reduced, the strength of the treatment by the treatment element 21a becomes weaker. Further, the longitudinal direction of the eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view approaches the vertical direction, and the lateral direction approaches the anteroposterior direction. Therefore, the kneading taste of the treatment child 21a approaches rubbing. Therefore, it is possible to carry out treatment with a gentler experience. On the contrary, when the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 21a is increased, the strength of the treatment by the treatment element 21a becomes stronger. Further, the longitudinal direction of the eccentric circular orbit Ot in the lateral view approaches the front-rear direction, and the lateral direction approaches the vertical direction. Therefore, the kneading taste of the treatment child 21a approaches acupressure. Therefore, it is possible to carry out treatment with a stronger sensation.

When the change in the kneading taste of the treatment child 21a with respect to the slenderness ratio r was investigated for 10 treated persons U under the same conditions as in the first embodiment, the same results as in FIGS. 6A and 6B were obtained. Was done. In the second embodiment, the treatment element angle θ is an angle formed by the direction in which the straight line L3 extends and the vertical direction parallel to the reference line L1. Specifically, the treatment element angle θ is a counterclockwise angle from the vertical direction toward the straight line L3 when viewed from the left side to the right side (see FIG. 12). Here, the straight line L3 passes through the moving center Cb of the eccentric circular orbit Ot at right angles to the rotation axis AX1. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and also in the second embodiment, the treatment element angle is the direction in which the front or rear edge portion in the lateral view of the arm 22a when stationary at the reference position extends. , An angle formed by the vertical direction parallel to the reference line L1 may be adopted.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. It should be noted that the above-described embodiment is an example, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that the combination of each component and each treatment can be variously modified and is within the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for a massage unit in which a treatment child moves in a three-dimensional circular motion during a kneading operation, and a massage machine on which the massage unit is mounted.

100 ... (chair type) massage machine, 200 ... seat, 300 ... backrest, 301 ... surface, 302 ... guide rail, 400 ... base, 401 ... Control unit, 500 ... arm treatment unit, 600 ... operation unit, 700 ... cord line, 800 ... stand, 900 ... ottoman,
1,1a ... Massage unit, 11 ... Frame, 11a ... Base member, 111a to 115a ... Base member parts, 12 ... Storage part, 13 ... Fixed shaft, 14,14a ... Elevating motor, 15, 15a ... Elevating rotary shaft, 16, 16a, 17, 17a ... Guide roller, 171, 171a ... Pinion gear, 18, 18a ... Kneading motor, 19 , 19a ... Rotating shaft for kneading, 21,21a, 211-214 ... Treatment child, 22,22a ... Arm, 23,23a ... Eccentric rotating part, 231 ... Rotating body, 232 ... ... Eccentric shaft, 24 ... Actuator, 251a, 252a ... Connecting rod, 26a ... Advance / retreat shaft, 27a ... Advance / retreat motor, 28a ... Pinion gear, AX1 ... Rotation shaft, B1 ... Bearing part, P1 to P4 ... First to fourth flat plate members, R1, R2 ... Rotation transmission part,
Ca ... center of rotation, Cb ... center of movement, Ot ... eccentric circular orbit, θ ... treatment element angle, L1 ... reference line, L2, L3 ... straight line, D ... th 1 movement width, H ... second movement width, U ... patient

Claims (4)

With the treatment child,
A treatment child movement mechanism that moves the reference position of the treatment child in the circumferential direction centered on a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction, and a treatment child movement mechanism.
A kneading drive mechanism that moves the treatment element in an eccentric circular orbit,
Equipped with
The slenderness ratio is the ratio of the second movement width in the vertical direction of the treatment child to the first movement width in the front-back direction of the treatment child moving in the eccentric circular orbit.
When the reference position is in the first circumferential direction position, the aspect ratio is equal to or higher than the first threshold value.
A massage unit whose aspect ratio is equal to or less than a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value when the reference position is in the second peripheral direction position on the front side of the first peripheral direction position. The massage unit according to claim 1, wherein the eccentric circular orbit in a lateral view has an elliptical shape. With the massage unit according to claim 1 or 2.
A body support part that supports the body of the patient and
Equipped with
The massage unit is a massage machine built in the body support portion. The vertical direction of the massage unit is parallel to the reference line.
The massage machine according to claim 3, wherein the reference line is parallel to the surface of the body support portion in contact with the body of the person to be treated and is perpendicular to the left-right direction.

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