JP2022173380A - Chair type massage machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable whole-body stretching treatment while intensively treating the upper body.

SOLUTION: In a chair type massage machine 11, extension means for moving a leg of a treated person includes: a rotating mechanism for vertically rotating a leg placement part 5 from a horizontal position to a vertical position relative to a seat part 2 or from the vertical position to the horizontal position; and an extending and contracting mechanism for extending and contracting the leg placement part 5 relative to the seat part 2. A control part 91 controls holding means to hold the leg of the treated person, then controls a treatment part 4 to protrude a treatment element 41, and controls the extending and contracting mechanism to extend the leg placement part 5 relative to the seat part 2 in the horizontal position, and controls a shoulder holding part 6 to hold both shoulders of the treated person, so that the upper body of the treated person is pushed out and bent to the opposite side of a backrest part 3 with the lumbar region of the treated person in contact with the treatment element 41 as a supporting point, and simultaneously, the leg of the treated person is extended in the horizontal position.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a chair-type massage machine having a seat and a backrest.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-041383 (Patent Document 1) discloses a chair-type massage machine. This massage machine has a massaging unit of kneading balls on the backrest portion, and a footrest portion provided with air cells for foot massage is connected to the front side of the seat portion. Air is supplied to an air cell to inflate it, the footrest is lowered while the foot is held, and the footrest is lifted after the foot is released from the held state.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-210270 (Patent Document 2) discloses that the backrest of a massage chair is equipped with airbags for massaging the shoulders, back and waist, and is equipped with a footrest on which the feet are placed. The footrest includes an air bag for massaging the lower leg, and in a state in which the lower leg is sandwiched and restrained using the airbag, the footrest is vertically rotated and controlled to tilt the backrest.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-041383 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-210270

The massage machine of Patent Document 1 lowers the footrest while holding the foot, and raises the footrest after releasing the held state of the foot, thereby generating a leg stretching effect. However, Patent Literature 1 does not disclose that the massage units having the kneading balls are operated simultaneously in conjunction with the operation of the footrest. That is, in Patent Document 1, along with stretching the lower body by the effect of stretching the legs, an operation is shown in which the upper body is also stretched while treating the part of the user that is in contact with the massaging balls provided on the backrest. not For this reason, with the massage machine of Patent Document 1, it was not possible to subject the user to whole-body stretching while intensively treating the upper body region.

The massage machine of Patent Document 2 obtains a stretching effect by tilting the backrest portion while vertically rotating the footrest. However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-100000 discloses an operation in which the airbags provided in the backrest are operated in conjunction with the movement of the footrest so that the upper half of the body of the user is also stretched. do not have. For this reason, with the massage machine of Patent Document 1, it was not possible to subject the user to whole-body stretching while intensively treating the upper body region.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a chair-type massage machine capable of stretching the whole body while intensively treating the upper body region.

A chair-type massage machine according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a seat, a tiltable backrest pivotally supported on the rear side of the seat, and a tiltable backrest pivotally supported on the front of the seat, and a leg support section on which the legs are placed; a treatment section including treatment elements for treating at least the back of the user, and projecting the treatment elements toward the user reclining on the backrest; a control unit that controls each of the backrest, the legrest, and the treatment unit, the backrest having a shoulder holding portion that holds both shoulders of the user, and the legrest includes holding means for holding the legs of the user, and extension means for moving the legs of the user, wherein the extension means moves the legrest portion from a horizontal position to a vertical position with respect to the seat portion. or from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture; The holding means is controlled so as to hold the leg of the person, then the treatment section is controlled so as to protrude the treatment element, and the leg rest section is extended with respect to the seat section in the horizontal posture. By controlling the elastic mechanism so as to hold both shoulders of the user and controlling the shoulder holding part so as to hold both shoulders of the user, the user's waist with which the treatment element abuts is used as a fulcrum. The upper half of the body is pushed out to the side opposite to the backrest and is bent, and at the same time, the legs of the user are stretched to the horizontal position, thereby intensively treating the upper body part of the user. It is possible to stretch the whole body by bending the whole body.

Preferably, the backrest section includes an elevating mechanism for moving the treatment section in a longitudinal direction of the backrest section, the control section further controls the elevating mechanism, and the control section controls the treatment element. is projected, the lifting mechanism is controlled to move the treatment portion upward within a predetermined massage range

Preferably, the backrest section includes an elevating mechanism for moving the treatment section in a longitudinal direction of the backrest section, the control section further controls the elevating mechanism, and the control section controls the treatment element. is intermittently projected, the lifting mechanism is controlled to move the treatment portion upward within a predetermined massage range.

The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing a chair-type massage machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between a control unit and peripheral parts of the chair-type massage machine shown in FIG. 1; It is a figure which shows the functional structure of the control part by embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the display part of the operation panel by embodiment of this invention. 4 is a control flow chart according to an embodiment of the present invention; It is a figure which shows the time chart of the stretch mode based on 1st Example (reference example). It is a figure which shows typically operation|movement of each part of the chair-type massage machine which concerns on 1st Example (reference example). FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a time chart of stretch mode according to the second embodiment; It is a figure which shows typically operation|movement of each part of the chair type massage machine which concerns on 2nd Example. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a time chart of stretch mode according to the third embodiment; It is a figure which shows typically operation|movement of each part of the chair type massage machine which concerns on 3rd Example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a stretch mode time chart according to Modification 1; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of each part of the chair-type massage machine according to Modification 1; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a stretch mode time chart according to Modification 2; FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a massage operation A according to modification 2; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a massage operation B according to modification 2; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a stretch mode time chart according to Modification 3; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of each part of a chair-type massage machine according to Modification 3; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a chair-type massage machine according to another embodiment of the present invention;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated. In this specification, the term "treatment" does not refer to treatment of the human body, but refers to exerting force on the human body from the outside, such as "massage". Further, in the present embodiment, the "leg" corresponds to a portion of the lower leg that extends downward from the knee. This downwardly extending portion includes the foot (top of foot and toes) extending beyond the ankle.

[Chair type massage machine 11]
Referring to FIG. 1 , chair-type massage machine 11 includes seat portion 2 , backrest portion 3 , treatment portion 4 , legrest portion 5 , shoulder holding portion 6 , and control portion 91 .

In the following description, the front-back direction corresponds to the front-back direction viewed from the user when the user is seated on the seat portion 2 . The vertical direction corresponds to the vertical direction seen from the user when the user is seated on the seat portion 2 . The left-right direction corresponds to the left-right direction viewed from the user when the user is seated on the seat portion 2 .

The vertical posture corresponds to a posture in which the legs of a seated user are hung down. The vertical posture includes a substantially vertical state as well as a vertical state. The horizontal posture corresponds to a posture in which the legs of a seated user are horizontally stretched in the front-rear direction. The horizontal posture includes not only a horizontal state but also a substantially horizontal state.

The seat part 2 is for seating a person to be treated. The seat portion 2 includes a plurality of seat airbags 21 . A plurality of seat airbags 21 are provided at positions corresponding to the back sides of the thighs of the user who is seated. More specifically, the seat airbags 21 include two airbags 21a and 21b corresponding to the upper thighs and one airbag 21c corresponding to the lower thighs. Each of the airbags 21a and 21b is arranged on the rear side of the seat portion 2, and arranged separately in the left-right direction. The airbag 21 c is arranged on the front side of the seat portion 2 .

The backrest portion 3 is pivotally supported on the rear side of the seat portion 2 . The backrest part 3 can be tilted to the rear side of the seat part 2 and reclining. More specifically, the backrest 3 is reclined to the rear side of the seat 2 by the reclining expansion/contraction mechanism 18 a (see FIG. 2 ) built into the chair-type massage machine 11 .

The backrest portion 3 has a guide rail 32 extending in the vertical direction. The guide rail 32 moves the treatment section 4 in the longitudinal direction of the backrest section 3 .

The treatment unit 4 includes a pair of left and right massaging balls 41 (corresponding to treatment elements) for treating at least the back of the person to be treated, and the pair of left and right massaging balls 41 toward the person to be treated who is leaning on the backrest 3. protrude. Details of the treatment unit 4 will be described later.

The leg rest part 5 places the legs of the user. The legrest portion 5 has a pair of left and right groove portions 51 . The pair of left and right grooves 51 is formed in a size that accommodates both legs below the knees of the person to be treated who is seated on the seat 2 .

The legrest portion 5 includes a plurality of leg airbags 52 (corresponding to holding means) and an extension mechanism 53 (corresponding to extension means). Details of the extension mechanism 53 will be described later.

The plurality of leg airbags 52 function as holding means for holding the legs of the user. A plurality of leg airbags 52 are inflated so as to sandwich the right and left shin portions of the legs and massage the legs. The plurality of leg airbags 52 has at least airbags 52a-52d. Each of the airbags 52a to 52d is disposed on the inner side surface of the pair of left and right groove portions 51, respectively.

The shoulder holding portions 6 are provided on both sides of the backrest portion 3 . More specifically, the shoulder holding portion 6 is provided at a position facing the shoulder of the person to be treated who is leaning on the backrest portion 3 . The shoulder holding portion 6 includes a raised portion 61 and a shoulder airbag 62. - 特許庁

The raised portion 61 has a shape that protrudes forward from the backrest surface of the backrest portion 3 . The raised portions 61 are provided on both sides of the backrest portion 3 . The shoulder airbag 62 is arranged on the raised portion 61 . The shoulder airbag 62 is inflated by receiving air supply from an air distribution portion 94A (see FIG. 2), which will be described later. As a result, both shoulders of the user are pneumatically treated so as to be sandwiched between the left and right shoulder airbags 62 . The raised portion 61 and the shoulder airbag 62 are preferably elongated along the longitudinal direction of the backrest portion 3 .

The shoulder airbag 62 is more preferably formed by stacking a plurality of airbags. As a result, it is possible to increase the holding force on both shoulders of the person to be treated, and to enhance the effect of air pressure treatment by the shoulder airbags 62 .

The control unit 91 controls the operation of the chair-type massage machine 11 . More specifically, the control section 91 controls the operation of each section including the seat section 2, the backrest section 3, the treatment section 4, the leg rest section 5, and the shoulder support section 6, according to a program stored in advance.

Here, each airbag described above is controlled independently of each other. Further, for each airbag, one end of a flexible hollow air pipe is connected to each airbag described above, and the other end of each air pipe is connected to an air distribution portion 94A (see FIG. 2) corresponding to an air supply/exhaust portion. Connected. Each airbag is inflated by supplying air and deflated by exhausting air through an air pipe.

[Controller unit]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the control unit 9 of the chair-type massage machine 11 and peripheral portions. The control unit 9 includes a control section 91 , an operation panel 92 , an air generation section 93 and a distributor 94 .

The control unit 91 is configured by a microcomputer or the like. The control unit 91 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91A and a timer 91B. The control unit 91 is connected to an operation panel 92, an air generation unit 93, a distributor 94, and a storage unit 95, respectively. The control unit 91 controls each airbag, the treatment unit 4, the extension mechanism 53, and the reclining extension/contraction mechanism 18a.

The operation panel 92 includes a switch section 92A and a display section 92B (see FIG. 4). The switch section 92A is operated by the user to input instructions. The display unit 92B is composed of a liquid crystal screen or the like for displaying various information.

The air generator 93 includes a pump 93A for sending air and a motor (not shown) for driving the pump 93A.

The distributor 94 distributes and outputs the air from the air generator 93 to each airbag. The air generator 93 and distributor 94 are controlled by the controller 91 to inflate/deflate each airbag independently. Each part of the person to be treated is pneumatically treated by inflation of each air bag. Distributor 94 includes an air distribution portion 94A and a signal distribution portion 94B.

The air distribution unit 94</b>A independently controls the opening and closing of solenoid valves (not shown) connected to the air pipes of the airbags according to control signals from the control unit 91 . Thus, air is supplied/exhausted so that each airbag is independently inflated or deflated.

The signal distribution unit 94B uses an A/D (Analog/digital) conversion unit (not shown) to connect the control unit 91 and each unit of the chair massage machine 11 (reclining extension/retraction mechanism 18a, massage mechanism 42, pressure sensor 43, extension (mechanism 53, etc.).

Storage unit 95 stores programs and data. The storage unit 95 includes volatile and nonvolatile ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The programs stored in the storage unit 95 include treatment programs for operating the chair massage machine 11 . A program stored in the storage unit 95 is executed by the control unit 91 according to the operation content received from the operation panel 92 .

[Treatment part 4]
Next, referring to FIG. 2 , the treatment section 4 includes a pair of right and left kneading balls 41 , a massage mechanism 42 and a pressure sensor 43 .

The massage mechanism 42 includes a kneading mechanism 42a, a hitting mechanism 42b, a protruding mechanism 42c, and an elevating mechanism 42d.

The kneading mechanism 42a has gears and a motor. The kneading mechanism 42a is controlled by the control unit 91 and causes the pair of left and right kneading balls 41 to perform kneading operations. The hitting mechanism 42b has a gear and a motor. The hitting mechanism 42b is controlled by the control unit 91 and causes the pair of left and right kneading balls 41 to perform a hitting operation.

The protrusion mechanism 42c has a gear and a motor. The projecting mechanism 42c is controlled by the control unit 91 to project the left and right massaging balls 41 toward the person to be treated who is reclining on the backrest 3 . As a result, the degree of contact (treatment intensity) of the pair of left and right massaging balls 41 with respect to the upper body including the back of the user is appropriately adjusted. Further, by projecting the left and right massaging balls 41 from the projecting mechanism 42c, each part of the upper body of the person to be treated can be subjected to acupressure treatment.

The lifting mechanism 42d has a gear and a motor. The lifting mechanism 42 d is controlled by the control section 91 to move the treatment section 4 within the backrest section 3 . More specifically, the lifting mechanism 42 d moves the treatment section 4 vertically along the guide rail 32 .

The projection mechanism 42c and the lifting mechanism 42d are simultaneously controlled by the control unit 91 to cause the pair of left and right kneading balls 41 to perform a predetermined massage operation. Note that the predetermined massage operation will be described later.

The pressure sensor 43 detects pressure applied to the pair of left and right kneading balls 41 . The control unit 91 identifies the back muscle line of the user based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 43 .

Identification of the spine line is performed as follows. First, the CPU 91A controls the lifting mechanism 42d to move the treatment section 4 above the backrest section 3 along the guide rail 32. As shown in FIG. The CPU 91A uses the pressure sensor 43 to detect the pressure applied to the kneading balls 41 that are moving upward. CPU 91A compares the pressure value detected by pressure sensor 43 with a predetermined pressure value. Based on the results of this comparison, the user's spine line is specified.

[Extending mechanism 53]
Referring to FIG. 2, extension mechanism 53 of leg rest 5 includes a rotation mechanism 53a and an extension mechanism 53b.

The rotating mechanism 53a has a motor and gears. The rotating mechanism 53a vertically rotates the legrest 5 from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture, or from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture. Further, the rotating mechanism 53a can also rotate the legrest portion 5 to a predetermined angle and maintain the legrest portion 5 in an inclined state due to the angle.

The extension mechanism 53b has a motor and gears. The expansion mechanism 53b expands and contracts the leg rest 5 with respect to the seat 2. As shown in FIG. The expansion/contraction mechanism 53b can change the position of the legrest 5 with respect to the seat 2 according to the leg length of the user.

[Functional Configuration of Control Unit 91]
Referring to FIG. 3, a control unit 91 includes a first control unit 911 for performing stretch control in a first mode of a first embodiment (reference example) described later, and a second mode of a second embodiment described later. and a third control unit 913 for performing stretch control according to the third mode of the third embodiment, which will be described later. The first control unit 911, the second control unit 912, and the third control unit 913 correspond to programs stored in advance in the storage unit 95, or combinations of the programs and circuits. CPU 91A reads out the program from storage unit 95 and executes it, whereby stretch control by first control unit 911, second control unit 912 and third control unit 913 is realized.

[Menu screen]
Referring to FIG. 4, display portion 92B of operation panel 92 displays a menu screen of massage contents. The massage content menu has a plurality of stretch modes including stretching operations with the kneading balls 41 . These stretch modes include a first mode of a first embodiment (reference example), a second mode of a second embodiment, and a third mode of a third embodiment, which will be described later. Each of the stretch modes is mainly a stretch specifying a treatment site. This stretch includes “neck stretch”, “back stretch”, and “lumbar stretch” for each treatment site.

A menu screen according to the embodiment is composed of a plurality of menu screens. The user can switch the menu screen by operating the switch section 92A (see FIG. 2). The menu screen in FIG. 4 displays a menu for selecting a treatment site. The user selects any one of "neck stretch", "back stretch" and "lower back stretch" on the menu screen to select one of the "neck stretch", "back stretch" and "lower back stretch". can be selected as Further, other menu screens (not shown) include a first mode of a first embodiment (reference example), a second mode of a second embodiment, and a third mode of a third embodiment. screen for selecting the desired stretch mode from the stretch modes of the

The person to be treated sits on the chair-type massage machine 11 and operates the operation panel 92 to select the desired treatment site and the type of stretch mode. More specifically, the user selects a desired treatment site from the menu screen of the display section 92B, then switches to another menu screen and selects a stretch mode (first to third modes). After that, the start button of the switch section 92A (see FIG. 2) is operated. As a result, the selected treatment site is massaged in the selected stretch mode.

It should be noted that each airbag is completely exhausted in advance when the massage by the chair-type massage machine 11 is performed. Moreover, before the massage, the backrest portion 3 is upright and the legrest portion 5 is in a vertical posture.

[flowchart]
FIG. 5 is a control flowchart when the treatment site and stretch mode are selected. The CPU 91A reads a program stored in the storage unit 95 and executes the control flowchart shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, the case where "waist stretch" is selected from the menu screen shown in FIG. 4, that is, the case where "waist" is selected as the treatment site will be described. It is assumed that the legrest 5 is held in a vertical state before the control flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is executed.

The CPU 91A receives the operation content of the operation panel 92 and determines the type of stretch mode selected by the user (step S1). In other words, the CPU 91A determines the selected treatment site (that is, "waist") and the stretch mode selected from among the first to third modes, based on the operation details. Thereafter, the CPU 91A rotates the legrest 5 upward from the vertical state to the horizontal position (step S3). Hereinafter, the horizontal state of the leg rest 5 is also referred to as the "stretch mode initial state". In the initial state of the stretch mode, the massaging balls 41 are set at a predetermined initial position within the backrest portion 3 .

After that, the CPU 91A controls the lifting mechanism 42d to move the treatment section 4 to the site specified by the determined stretch mode (step S5). Since "lumbar stretch" is selected in this flowchart, the treatment section 4 moves to the lumbar area.

Here, the movement of the treatment section 4 to the waist is performed as follows. That is, the CPU 91A identifies positions corresponding to the neck, shoulders, shoulder blades, hips, etc. of the user from information on the back muscle line of the user identified by the pressure sensor 43 and a predetermined arithmetic expression. By this identification, the treatment section 4 is moved to a position on the guide rail 32 corresponding to the determined stretch mode treatment site (waist). Note that the detection method for each part is not limited to the method using the pressure sensor 43 . For example, the user may determine the position of the treatment site (the position on the guide rail 32 corresponding to the desired site) from the position information of the desired site manually input from the operation panel 92 .

Next, the CPU 91A controls the air generating section 93 and the air distributing section 94A to supply and inflate the airbags of each section (steps S7 and S9). The air supply speed of the pump 93A is preferably constant. After starting the air supply to each airbag, when the CPU 91A determines that the predetermined time has passed by the timer 91B (YES in step S9), the solenoid valve of each airbag is turned on via the air distribution section 94A. switch from "open" to "closed". Completion of holding the body is detected by completion of inflation of the airbag.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the predetermined time has not yet passed (NO in step S9), the process returns to step S7, and the subsequent processes such as air supply are repeated. After the processing of steps S7 and S9, the legs of the user are held fixedly by the inflated leg airbags 52 in the initial state of the stretch mode.

Thereafter, CPU 91A executes stretch control according to the stretch mode determined in step S1 (step S11). Specifically, when the first mode is selected, the first control unit 911 executes stretch control according to the control sequence of the first embodiment (reference example) described later. Also, when the second mode is selected, the second control unit 912 executes stretch control according to the control sequence of the second embodiment, which will be described later. Further, when the third mode is selected, the third control section 913 executes stretch control according to the control sequence of the third embodiment, which will be described later. When step S11 ends, the CPU 91A returns the posture of the chair-type massage machine 11 to a predetermined posture (for example, the vertical posture in FIG. 1).

[Stretch control]
A first example (reference example), a second example, a third example, and modified examples 1 to 3 will be illustrated with respect to the stretch control (step S11 in FIG. 5) in each of the stretch modes described above.

6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 17 correspond to steps S7 in FIG. 5 and It corresponds to S9. 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 17, the time intervals shown in the control sequences are not particularly limited, and can be set as appropriate.

7, 9, 11, 13, and 18, hatched portions show the inflated state in which the leg airbag 52 and the shoulder airbag 62 are supplied with air. The black portion shows the state where the kneading balls 41 protrude from the backrest surface of the backrest portion 3 .

[First embodiment (reference example)]
A first embodiment (reference example) will be described with reference to FIGS. Although the first embodiment (reference example) is outside the scope of the claims of the present invention, the first embodiment (reference example) will be described for comparison with second and third embodiments described later. do. A first example (reference example) shows stretching control executed by the first control unit 911 when the user selects the first mode. In FIG. 6, the leg airbags 52 of the leg rest 5, the kneading balls 41, and the leg rest 5 are associated with each other, and their operation or control sequence is schematically shown with the passage of time indicated by the time axis t. shown in

The first control unit 911 inflates the leg airbags 52 so as to hold the legs of the user, and then controls the projection mechanism 42c to project the massaging balls 41. , the rotation mechanism 53a is controlled to rotate the leg rest 5 downward. Here, it is preferable that the protrusion of the kneading balls 41 and the rotation of the legrest 5 are performed at the same time.

During time T0 to T1, the first control unit 911 controls the air generation unit 93 and the air distribution unit 94A to supply air to the leg airbag 52 of the leg rest unit 5 in the horizontal posture to inflate it (see FIG. 7 ( A) → see FIG. 7(B)).

From time T1 to T2, the first control unit 911 keeps the leg airbag 52 inflated. As a result, the legs of the user placed on the legrests 5 in the horizontal posture are held.

From time T2 to T3, the first control unit 911 controls the projecting mechanism 42c and the rotating mechanism 53a. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, the first control unit 911 controls the projection mechanism 42c so that the kneading balls 41 project in the direction of the arrow AR3, and the horizontal posture The rotation mechanism 53a is controlled so as to rotate the legrest portion 5 downward (in the direction of the arrow AR1). The first control section 911 controls the rotation mechanism 53a so that the legrest section 5 stops at a predetermined tilt angle, as shown in FIG. 7(C). Further, the first control unit 911 keeps the leg airbag 52 inflated from time T2 to T3.

From time T3 to T4, the first control unit 911 controls the projection mechanism 42c so that the kneading balls 41 are maintained in a projected state. The legrest portion 5 is held at a predetermined inclination angle, which is a position above the vertical state. Also, the first control unit 911 maintains the inflated state of the leg airbag 52 .

As described above, in the first embodiment (reference example), while performing intensive acupressure on the part of the person to be treated (the waist in this embodiment) that is in contact with the massaging balls 41, the person to be treated is contacted by the protruding massaging balls 41. , the upper half of the body of the user is pushed out and bent to the side opposite to the backrest 2, and the legs (knees) of the user are bent and stretched from the horizontal posture. In this way, the user's upper body is stretched by bending the back (waist) of the user, and the lower body is stretched by bending and stretching the legs (knees) in a horizontal posture. That is, the user can receive a full-body stretch in which the entire body is bent while receiving acupressure on the lower back from the kneading balls 41 .

[Second embodiment]
A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. The second example shows stretch control executed by the second control unit 912 when the user selects the second mode. In FIG. 8, the leg airbag 52, the massaging ball 41, and the legrest 5 are associated with each other, and their operation or control sequence is schematically shown with the passage of time indicated by the time axis t. .

The second control unit 912 inflates the leg airbag 52 so as to hold the legs of the user. After that, the second control section 912 controls the protrusion mechanism 42c to protrude the kneading balls 41, and controls the extension mechanism 53b to extend the leg rest section 5 with respect to the seat section 2. After that, the rotation mechanism 53a is controlled to rotate the leg rest 5 downward. Here, it is preferable that the protrusion of the kneading balls 41 and the extension of the legrest portion 5 are performed simultaneously.

During time T0 to T1, the second control section 912 controls the air generating section 93 and the air distributing section 94A to supply air to the leg airbag 52 of the legrest section 5 in the horizontal posture to inflate it (see FIG. 9 ( A) → see FIG. 9(B)).

The second control unit 912 maintains the inflated state of the leg airbag 52 from time T1 to T2. As a result, the legs of the user placed on the leg rests 5 in the horizontal posture are held.

During times T2 to T3, the second control section 912 controls the projection mechanism 42c and the extension mechanism 53b. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9B and 9C, the second control unit 912 controls the projection mechanism 42c so that the kneading balls 41 project in the direction of the arrow AR3, and the seat portion 2, the extension mechanism 53b is controlled to extend the leg rest 5 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR2. Further, the second control unit 912 maintains the inflated state of the leg airbag 52 from time T2 to T3.

From time T3 to T4, the second control unit 912 controls the projection mechanism 42c so that the kneading balls 41 are maintained in a projected state. Furthermore, the second control unit 912 controls the rotation mechanism 53a to rotate the legrest 5 in the horizontal posture downward (in the direction of the arrow AR1) while maintaining the protruding state of the massaging balls 41 (Fig. 9(C)→see FIG. 9(D)). The CPU 91A controls the rotation mechanism 53a so that the legrest 5 stops at a predetermined tilt angle, as shown in FIG. 9(D). Also, the second control unit 912 maintains the inflated state of the leg airbag 52 .

As described above, in the second embodiment, while intensive acupressure is applied to the part of the person to be treated (the waist in this embodiment) that is in contact with the massaging balls 41, the part of the person to be treated that is in contact with the protruding massaging balls 41 is the fulcrum. , the upper half of the body of the user is pushed out to the side opposite to the backrest 2 and bent, and the legs of the user are stretched horizontally. Furthermore, the legs (knees) of the user are bent and stretched from the horizontal posture. In this way, the user's upper body is stretched by arching the back (waist), and the lower body is stretched by stretching the legs in a horizontal posture and bending and stretching the legs (knees). That is, the user can receive a full-body stretch in which the entire body is bent while receiving acupressure on the lower back from the kneading balls 41 . In particular, in the second embodiment, the legs (knees) are bent and stretched after the legs are stretched in a horizontal position, so the effect of stretching the lower half of the body is enhanced.

[Third embodiment]
A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. The third example shows stretch control executed by the third control unit 913 when the user selects the third mode. In FIG. 10, the leg airbags 52, the massaging balls 41, and the legrests 5 are associated with each other, and the sequences of their operations or controls are schematically shown with the passage of time indicated by the time axis t. .

The third control unit 913 inflates the leg airbag 52 so as to hold the leg of the user. Next, the third control unit 913 controls the extension mechanism 53b to extend the legrest 5, and then controls the protrusion mechanism 42c to protrude the kneading balls 41, and moves the legrest 5 downward. The rotating mechanism 53a is controlled to rotate. Here, it is preferable that the protrusion of the kneading balls 41 and the rotation of the legrest portion 5 are performed simultaneously.

From time T0 to T1, the third control unit 913 controls the air generation unit 93 and the air distribution unit 94A to supply and inflate the leg airbag 52 of the legrest unit 5 in the horizontal posture (see FIG. 11 ( A) → see FIG. 11(B)).

From time T1 to T2, the third control unit 913 keeps the leg airbag 52 inflated. As a result, the legs of the user placed on the legrests 5 in the horizontal posture are held.

During times T2 to T3, the third control section 913 controls the extension mechanism 53b. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C, the third control unit 913 extends the leg rest 5 relative to the seat 2 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR2. 53b. Further, the third control unit 913 keeps the leg airbag 52 inflated from time T2 to T3.

During times T3 to T4, the third control section 913 controls the projecting mechanism 42c and the rotating mechanism 53a. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11(C), the third control unit 913 controls the protrusion mechanism 42c so that the massaging balls 41 protrude in the direction of the arrow AR3, and the legrest in the horizontal posture. 5 downward (in the direction of arrow AR1). The third control section 913 controls the rotation mechanism 53a so that the legrest section 5 stops at a predetermined tilt angle, as shown in FIG. 11(D). Further, the third control unit 913 keeps the leg airbag 52 inflated from time T3 to T4.

As described above, in the third embodiment, first, the legs of the user are stretched in a horizontal position, and then concentrated acupressure is applied to the part of the user (the waist in this embodiment) that is in contact with the kneading balls 41. , the upper half of the user's body is pushed out and bent to the opposite side of the backrest 2 with the site of the user with which the protruding kneading balls 41 abut as a fulcrum, and the legs (knees) of the user are bent. It is made to bend and stretch from a horizontal posture. In this way, only the lower body is stretched by stretching the legs in a horizontal posture, and then the upper body is stretched by bending the back (waist) of the user, and the legs (knees) are flexed and stretched. The lower body is stretched by being held. That is, the user can receive a full-body stretch in which the entire body is bent while receiving acupressure on the lower back from the kneading balls 41 . In particular, in the third embodiment, compared with the first embodiment (reference example), the legs (knees) are bent and stretched while the legs (knees) are stretched and the massaging balls 41 protrude while the legs are stretched in a horizontal posture. Since the upper half of the body is bent, a strong stretch can be given to the user at once centering on the waist of the user.

[Modification 1]
As a modified example 1 of the control sequence of the first control unit 911, the second control unit 912 and the third control unit 913 shown in the first embodiment (reference example), the second embodiment and the third embodiment, each control After time T4 in the sequence, an operation of moving the treatment portion 4 upward within a predetermined massage range with the massaging balls 41 protruded may be added. The operations from time T0 to T4 in each control sequence of the first embodiment (reference example), second embodiment, and third embodiment are as described above, and description thereof will not be repeated. Hereinafter, control after time T4 in accordance with Modification 1 of first control unit 911, second control unit 912, and third control unit 913 will be described as control by CPU 91A.

As shown in FIG. 12, during time T4 to T5, the CPU 91A controls the lifting mechanism 42d to move the treatment section 4 upward within a predetermined massage range. At this time, in the first example (reference example), the second example, and the third example, the CPU 91A maintains the state of each part of the chair massage machine 11 at time T4. That is, the CPU 91A controls the protruding mechanism 42c so that the kneading balls 41 are kept protruded. In addition, the CPU 91A controls the air generating section 93 and the air distributing section 94A so as to maintain the inflated state of the leg airbag 52 . Further, the CPU 91A controls the rotation mechanism 53a so that the leg rest 5 is stopped at a predetermined tilt angle, and controls the extension mechanism 53b so that the leg rest 5 is kept extended.

Here, the predetermined massage range is a range along the guide rails 32 of the backrest 3, including ranges corresponding to the neck, shoulders, and waist, and in which the treatment section 4 is movable. Defined as a range.

For example, when "waist stretch" is selected on the massage operation menu screen (see FIG. 4), the predetermined massage range is a predetermined range above the waist. Here, FIG. 13 shows the operation of each part of the chair-type massage machine when Modification 1 is added to the first embodiment (reference example). When "lumbar stretch" is selected, as shown in FIG. 13C, the treatment unit 4 moves upward (in the direction indicated by arrow AR4) from AR5 to AR6 indicated by the dashed line. The treatment unit 4 stops at the position AR6 as shown in FIG. 13(D).

According to this modified example 1, while the legs of the user are held by the legrest part 5, the protruding massaging balls 41 move above the backrest part 3 within a predetermined range, thereby The back muscles of the body are stretched to promote stretching of the upper body, and a rolling massage can be given to a predetermined massage range. As a result, specific regions can be intensively treated while stretching the entire body in the first embodiment (reference example), second embodiment, and third embodiment described above.

It should be noted that when "waist stretch" is selected on the massage operation menu screen, the predetermined massage range is preferably the range from the waist to the center of the back or the shoulders. When "back stretch" is selected, the predetermined massage range is preferably the range from the center of the back to the shoulders or the nape of the neck. When "neck stretch" is selected on the massage operation menu screen, the predetermined massage range is preferably the range from the neck to the upper limit position of the treatment section 4. FIG. Here, the predetermined massage range may be variably set by the user operating the operation panel 92 .

[Modification 2]
Further, as a modified example 2 of the control sequence of the first control unit 911, the second control unit 912, and the third control unit 913 shown in the first embodiment (reference example), the second embodiment, and the third embodiment, As shown in FIG. 14, after protruding the kneading balls 41, the kneading balls 41 may perform a predetermined massage operation after time T4 of each control sequence. The operations from time T0 to T4 in the first embodiment (reference example), the second embodiment, and the third embodiment are as described above, and description thereof will not be repeated. Hereinafter, control after time T4 in accordance with Modification 2 of first control unit 911, second control unit 912, and third control unit 913 will be described as control by CPU 91A.

As shown in FIG. 14, during times T4 to T5, the CPU 91A maintains the state of each part at time T4 in the first embodiment (reference example), second embodiment, and third embodiment. That is, the CPU 91A controls the air generator 93 and the air distributor 94A so as to keep the leg airbag 52 inflated. Further, the CPU 91A controls the rotation mechanism 53a so that the legrest 5 is stopped at a predetermined tilt angle, and controls the extension mechanism 53b so that the legrest 5 is kept extended.

In this modified example 2, the predetermined massage actions include a massage action A and a massage action B. FIG.

The massage operation A will be described with reference to FIG. 15A and 15B are diagrams schematically showing movements of the kneading balls 41 in the massage operation A. FIG. The massage operation A is started from a state in which the kneading balls 41 protrude (see FIGS. 7(C), 9(C), and 11(D)).

As shown in FIG. 15, the kneading balls 41 are lifted in the direction of the arrow DR1 by the lifting mechanism 42d. Next, the kneading balls 41 are retracted in the direction of the arrow DR2 by the protruding mechanism 42c. Next, the kneading balls 41 are lowered in the direction of the arrow DR3 by the lifting mechanism 42d. Finally, the kneading balls 41 protrude in the direction of the arrow DR4 by the protruding mechanism 42c.

As shown in FIG. 15, the kneading balls 41 repeat a series of operations of DR1→DR2→DR3→DR4→DR1 . . . Here, the moving distance of the massaging balls 41 indicated by the arrow DR1 is longer than the moving distance of the massaging balls 41 indicated by the arrow DR3. For this reason, the kneading balls 41 (treatment unit 4) perform the massage operation A while moving upward through the series of operations described above.

As described above, in the massage operation A of Modification 2, continuous rolling treatment is performed while moving the massaging balls 41 upward while the user is receiving the whole body stretching according to the first to third embodiments. can let

Next, with reference to FIG. 16, massage operation B will be described. 16A and 16B are diagrams schematically showing movements of the kneading balls 41 in the massage operation B. FIG. Massage operation B is started by retracting the kneading balls 41 from the state in which the kneading balls 41 protrude (see FIGS. 7(C), 9(C) and 11(D)).

As shown in FIG. 16, the kneading balls 41 are lifted in the direction of the arrow DR1 by the lifting mechanism 42d. While moving upward, the kneading balls 41 repeat the action of protruding in the direction of arrow AR3 and the action of retreating in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow AR3 by the protruding mechanism 42c.

As described above, in the massage operation B of the modified example 2, while the user is receiving the whole body stretching according to the first to third embodiments, the massaging balls 41 are moved upward, and continuous shiatsu treatment is performed. be able to.

Modification 2 may be implemented in combination with Modification 1 described above. That is, the massaging balls 41 may perform the massage operation A and/or the massage operation B of the modified example 2 before or after the modified example 1 is performed.

Further, in Modified Example 2, when the massaging motion A or the massaging motion B is performed by the massaging balls 41, the massaging motion or the tapping motion may be added as appropriate.

[Modification 3]
As a further modified example of the control sequence by the first control unit 911, the second control unit 912, and the third control unit 913 shown in the first embodiment (reference example), the second embodiment, and the third embodiment, The leg airbags 52 may be inflated to hold the legs of the user, and the shoulder airbags 62 may be inflated to hold the shoulders of the user. 17 and 18 representatively show the operation of each part of the chair-type massage machine when the modified example 3 is applied to the first embodiment (reference example), but the operation of the second embodiment or the third embodiment is shown. However, Modification 3 can be applied in the same way.

Referring to FIG. 17, during time T0 to T1, CPU 91A controls air generating portion 93 and air distributing portion 94A to supply air to leg airbag 52 of legrest portion 5 in the horizontal posture. While inflating, air is supplied to the shoulder airbag 62 to inflate it. After time T1, the CPU 91A maintains the inflated states of the leg airbags 52 and the shoulder airbags 62 (see FIGS. 18B and 18C).

According to Modification 3, the user can receive the whole body stretching while both shoulders are held.

Note that this modification 3 may be implemented in combination with the modification 1 and/or modification 2 described above.

[Other Modifications]
In the first embodiment (reference example), second embodiment, and third embodiment described above, the case where "waist stretch" was selected from the menu screen of FIG. In other words, even when "back stretch" or "neck stretch" is selected, the control according to the above-described first embodiment (reference example), second embodiment, and third embodiment can be similarly applied. can be done.

As a further modified example of the first embodiment (reference example), the second embodiment, and the third embodiment described above, the first embodiment (reference example), The stretch control of the second embodiment and the third embodiment may be executed. In this case, with the backrest portion 3 reclining, the entire body of the user can be stretched horizontally, and a greater whole-body stretching effect can be given to the user.

Further, as a further modified example of the first embodiment (reference example), second embodiment, and third embodiment described above, the rotation of the legrest portion 5 and the reclining motion of the backrest portion 3 may be combined. good. As a result, the upper half of the body of the user is bent by the reclining motion of the backrest part 3, and in addition to stretching the legs, the user can be given a greater effect of stretching the whole body. If only this modified example is implemented, it falls outside the scope of the claims of the present invention. If so, it is included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Furthermore, as a further modified example of the first embodiment (reference example), second embodiment, and third embodiment described above, the leg airbag 52 is inflated so as to hold the legs of the user and The seat airbag 21 of the seat 2 may be inflated so as to lift the buttocks and thighs of the user. Alternatively, the seat airbag 21 of the seat portion 2 may be inflated so as to lift the user's buttocks and thighs as the legrest portion 5 rotates. As a result, the legs of the user can be further stretched, and the effect of stretching the lower half of the body can be increased.

[Other embodiments]
In the chair-type massage machine 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a pair of right and left kneading balls 41 are used as the treatment elements of the treatment section 4 . However, it is not limited to the treatment section 4 according to this embodiment, and for example, a treatment section including an airbag (treatment element) may be used. In this case, pneumatic treatment can be given to the person to be treated by inflating and deflating the airbag.

Moreover, as another embodiment of the present invention, the chair-type massage machine 11 may include an interlocking mechanism (not shown) that connects the seat portion 2 and the backrest portion 3 . This interlocking mechanism allows the seat portion 2 to move forward and backward in conjunction with the reclining motion of the backrest portion 3 .

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 19, a chair-type massage machine 12 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a leg rest section 500 instead of the leg rest section 5 of the chair-type massage machine 11 . Other configurations of the chair-type massage machine 12 are the same as those of the chair-type massage machine 11, and the description will not be repeated here.

The legrest portion 500 includes a legrest portion 510 and a footrest portion 520 . The leg rest portion 510 has a pair of left and right groove portions 511 and a plurality of leg airbags 512 (holding means). The pair of left and right grooves 511 is formed in a size that accommodates the calf portion from the knees to the ankles of the user seated on the seat 2 . A plurality of leg airbags 512 are arranged on the inner side surface and the bottom surface of the pair of left and right groove portions 511 respectively.

The footrest portion 520 has a pair of left and right groove portions 521 and a plurality of foot airbags 522 (holding means). The pair of left and right grooves 521 is formed to have a size that accommodates both feet of the user seated on the seat 2 from the ankles to the toes. A plurality of foot airbags 522 are arranged on the inner side surface and the sole bottom surface of the pair of left and right groove portions 521, respectively.

As described above, the user seated on the chair-type massage machine 12 is held by the expansion of the airbags 512 and 522, including not only the calves of both legs but also both feet from the ankles to the toes. Therefore, in the chair-type massage machine 12 according to another embodiment of the present invention, the effect of stretching the lower body according to the first embodiment (reference example), the second embodiment, and the third embodiment described above is improved, and the entire body is stretched. effect can be further enhanced.

[Technical concept]
Technical ideas according to embodiments of the present invention are as follows. The chair-type massage machine includes a seat, a tiltable backrest pivotally supported on the rear side of the seat, and a leg rest pivoted on the front of the seat for placing the legs of the user. , a treatment section including treatment elements for treating at least the back of the user and projecting the treatment elements toward the user reclining on the backrest, and a control for controlling each of the leg rest section and the treatment section. and Further, the leg rest includes holding means for holding the legs of the user, and extension means for moving the legs of the user. The control unit controls the holding means to hold the leg of the user, then controls the treatment unit to protrude the treatment element (that is, at the same time as controlling), and stretches the leg of the user. to control the decompression means.

In the chair-type massage machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, while performing intensive treatment with the treatment elements, the upper half of the body of the person to be treated is opposed to the backrest part with the part of the person to be treated that the protruding treatment elements contact as the fulcrum. The leg of the user is stretched while being pushed out and bent to the side. In this way, the upper body is stretched by arching the back of the user, and the lower body is stretched by stretching the legs. That is, the user can receive a whole-body stretch in which the entire body is bent while being treated by the treatment element.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and range of equivalents of the scope of the claims.

11, 12 chair massage machine, 2 seat portion, 3 backrest portion, 4 treatment portion, 41 kneading balls, 42 massage mechanism, 42a kneading mechanism, 42b tapping mechanism, 42c protruding mechanism, 42d lifting mechanism, 5 legrest portion, 52 leg airbag, 53 extension mechanism, 53a rotation mechanism, 53b extension mechanism, 6 shoulder holding part, 61 raised part, 62 shoulder airbag, 91 control part, 911 first control part, 912 second control part, 913 third 3 control unit.

Claims (3)

a seat;
a tiltable backrest pivotally supported on the rear side of the seat;
a leg rest pivotally supported on the front side of the seat for placing the leg of the user;
a treatment section including a treatment element for treating at least the back of the user and projecting the treatment element toward the user leaning on the backrest;
a control section that controls each of the backrest section, the legrest section, and the treatment section;
The backrest portion has a shoulder holding portion that holds both shoulders of the user,
The footrest is
holding means for holding the leg of the user;
elongation means for moving the leg of the subject;
The decompressing means is
a rotation mechanism that rotates the leg rest vertically from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture or from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture with respect to the seat portion;
an expansion and contraction mechanism for expanding and contracting the leg rest with respect to the seat,
The control unit
The holding means is controlled to hold the legs of the user, and then the treatment section is controlled to protrude the treatment elements, and the leg rest section is placed in the horizontal posture with respect to the seat section. By controlling the expansion and contraction mechanism to extend and by controlling the shoulder holding section to hold both shoulders of the user,
The upper half of the user's body is pushed out and bent in the direction opposite to the backrest portion with the lower back portion of the user against which the treatment element abuts as a fulcrum. A chair-type massage machine capable of stretching the entire body of a person to be treated while intensively treating the upper half of the body by stretching the entire body. The backrest portion is
including an elevating mechanism that moves the treatment portion in the longitudinal direction of the backrest portion;
The control unit further controls the lifting mechanism,
The control unit
2. The chair-type massage machine according to claim 1, wherein said elevating mechanism is controlled so as to move said treatment portion upward within a predetermined massage range with said treatment elements projecting. The backrest portion is
including an elevating mechanism that moves the treatment portion in the longitudinal direction of the backrest portion;
The control unit further controls the lifting mechanism,
The control unit
2. The chair-type massage machine according to claim 1, wherein said elevating mechanism is controlled so as to move said treatment portion upward within a predetermined massage range while intermittently protruding said treatment elements.

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