JP4194107B2 - Massage machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a massage machine that can automatically detect the position of a user's shoulder.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a conventional massage machine, the chair is designed to massage the user's neck, shoulders, back, waist, etc. The type is known.
In such a chair-type massage machine, in recent years, a movement and operation mode of a treatment element provided in the massage mechanism is stored in advance as a program, so that a series of massage operations based on this program (continuous operations such as itching and hitting) ) Is used, and a massage machine having this automatic treatment function is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-190012 (hereinafter, Conventional Example 1). In addition, as described in Japanese Patent No. 2511451 (conventional example 2), the treatment element performs a massage operation by automatically detecting the position of the user's shoulder or the like prior to performing the automatic treatment. A device has been developed in which the height is automatically changed according to the sitting height of the user so that an effective massage can be performed without bothering the user.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the massage machines described in the conventional examples 1 and 2 both detect the pressure received by the treatment element from the user's body by the sensor and determine the position of the user's shoulder and the like from the change in the pressure. Since the pressure from the back other than the shoulder is also detected, complicated control is necessary to distinguish it. Also, the sensor is frequently activated by the load on the treatment element caused by the massage operation such as the back. This would impair the durability of the sensor and cause malfunctions.
[0004]
In addition, the sensor detects the shoulder position indirectly through a load on the treatment element, and in order for the sensor to detect the shoulder, it is necessary to sufficiently load the treatment element. It is difficult to stably detect an accurate shoulder position, and there is a problem in terms of detection accuracy.
And the thing of the prior art example 1 compresses a spring via an arm etc. by the load with respect to a treatment element, and detects the displacement of this spring with a sensor, Between this sensor and a treatment element, the above-mentioned Since a large number of members such as arms are interposed, pressure is absorbed by bending of these members, looseness at the connecting portion, play, etc., and this also impairs detection accuracy.
[0005]
In the conventional example 2, the outer periphery of the treatment element is formed in a two-layer structure in the radial direction, and a pressure sensor is incorporated between each layer. Compared to the conventional example 1, the treatment element and the sensor Since there are few members interposed between them, the problem is slightly reduced in terms of detection accuracy. However, since the treatment element needs to have a complicated and special structure, an increase in cost is inevitable.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to enable accurate detection of a shoulder with a simple configuration.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention takes the following technical means to achieve the above object.
That is, the present invention is a massage machine in which a treatment element 26 for massaging a user's body is provided movably along the body,
The treatment element 26 is provided via a support body 25 that protrudes toward the user, and the shoulder S of the user is directly detected at a portion of the support body 25 that is retracted from the treatment element 26. A detector 40 is provided.
[0007]
In this case, for example, when the treatment element 26 is lowered toward the shoulder S from the user's head side, the user is positioned at a position retracted from the treatment element 26, that is, below the support body 25 protruding toward the user side. And the presence of the entered shoulder S is directly detected by the detector 40.
In addition, since the detector 40 is provided in a portion retracted from the treatment element 26, when the treatment element 26 is in contact with the back or the waist, it becomes difficult to detect these parts and to determine the shoulder position. No complicated control is required.
[0008]
Therefore, compared with the conventional case where the load on the treatment element 26 is detected, the shoulder position can be accurately detected with a simpler structure, and the massage according to the physique of the user can be performed reliably.
In addition, since the detector 40 does not operate during the back and waist massage operation, it is possible to prevent a decrease in durability and the like, and the structure is simple and inexpensive as compared with the case where the detector is incorporated in the treatment element. It will be something.
The massage machine according to the present invention is a massage machine in which a treatment element 26 for massaging a user's body is provided movably along the body,
The treatment element 26 is provided via a support body 25 protruding toward the user. The support body 25 includes a pair of support portions 25a and 25b, and each of the support portions 25a and 25b has a treatment element 26. A space X that is open to the user side and into which the user's shoulder S can enter is provided between the support portions 25a and 25b, and the support 26 is used as the space X detection range. A detector 40 that directly detects a person's shoulder S is provided.
[0009]
According to this, the shoulder S enters the space X between the pair of support portions 25a and 25b due to the lowering of the treatment element 26 as described above, and the detector 40 is provided with the space X as a detection range. The shoulder S that has entered the detection range can be accurately detected.
As the detector 40, it is preferable to use a microswitch that is turned on / off by contacting the user's shoulder S or a pressure sensor that detects a load received from the shoulder S by contacting the shoulder S. Thereby, the detection structure of the shoulder position becomes simpler and cheaper, and the detection accuracy is maintained well because it is in contact with the shoulder S.
[0010]
Here, the contact with the user's shoulder S means that the microswitch or the contact of the pressure sensor itself directly contacts the shoulder S, or the microswitch between the shoulder S and the contact. This includes a case in which a cover that covers the surface of the treatment element and a flexible cover member 15 provided on the treatment table 4 so as to cover the front side of the treatment element are interposed.
The detector 40 is not limited to the microswitch or the pressure sensor, but is a non-contact type sensor (an infrared sensor that detects heat from the shoulder S, a reflective ultrasonic sensor that receives a reflected wave from the shoulder S). Etc.) can also be adopted.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 4 shows a massage machine 1 according to the present invention. The massage machine 1 has a chair body (treatment table) having a seat surface part 2 on which a user is seated and a backrest part 3 that supports the user's back. ) 4 is a chair type massage machine.
The backrest 3 of the chair body 4 is provided with a mobile machine frame 6 provided therein so as to be movable in the height direction by the movement drive unit 5, and a massage mechanism 7 is provided for the mobile machine frame 6. It has been. Further, the front side of the massage mechanism 7 is covered with a flexible cover member 15 made of cloth, leather or the like.
[0012]
The chair body 4 includes a footrest 8 in addition to the backrest portion 3 and the seat surface portion 2, and leg bodies 10 integrally provided with elbow rest portions 9 on both sides of the seat surface portion 2. And the backrest part 3 and the footrest 8 can change the angle with respect to the seat surface part 2 by an electric drive mechanism, a fluid pressure drive mechanism, a manual structure, or the like as appropriate for reclining.
The movement drive unit 5 includes a longitudinal feed screw shaft 11 that is rotatably provided along the height direction of the backrest portion 3 and a motor including a motor with a speed reducer that enables the longitudinal feed screw shaft 11 to rotate forward and backward. The vertical feed screw shaft 11 is screwed into an appropriate position of the massage mechanism 7 or the moving machine frame 6 in a vertically penetrating manner. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a pair of upper and lower traveling rollers 13 are provided on the left and right sides of the mobile machine frame 6, and the traveling rollers 13 are provided in the backrest portion 3 in the height direction. It is attached to two guide rails 14 so as to be freely rollable. Thus, the massage mechanism 7 is moved to the neck side or the waist side along the upper body of the user seated on the seat surface portion 2 by the operation of the movement drive unit 5.
[0013]
The vertical movement position (movement amount) of the massage mechanism 7 is detected by a vertical position detection means (not shown). Examples of the vertical position detection means include the vertical feed screw shaft 11 and the like. Appropriate means are adopted such as a configuration in which the rotation speed and rotation angle of the driving unit 12 are pulsed by a rotary encoder or the like and counted, or a configuration in which the position of the massage mechanism 7 is optically detected by a photoelectric sensor or the like.
Further, the movement drive unit 5 can be replaced with a winding drive mechanism, a rack / pinion meshing structure, or a lifting / lowering drive structure using a fluid pressure cylinder.
[0014]
The mobile machine frame 6 has a rectangular shape in which the upper and lower ends of the left and right frame bodies 6A and 6A are connected by the upper and lower frame bodies 6B and 6B. And a pair of left and right directions (width direction of the user's body) held by the operation shafts 21 and 22 described above. Drive arms 24, support arms (supports) 25 connected to the front ends of the drive arms 24, and upper and lower ends of the support arms 25, which are rotatably attached via left and right support shafts 30. And a roller-shaped treatment element 26.
[0015]
The kneading operation shaft 21 and the hitting operation shaft 22 are arranged in parallel to each other in the left-right direction, and the output of the driving unit 23 is input into the drive unit 20 via a belt transmission mechanism or the like. The kneading operation shaft 21 or the tapping operation shaft 22 can be selectively driven to rotate through the transmission shaft, gear, clutch, and the like.
At both ends of the stagnation operation shaft 21, there are provided inclined shaft portions 21a that are inclined so as to be decentered and declinated with respect to the rotational axis thereof. It can be attached via a bearing.
[0016]
Further, the support arm 25b is made of a plate material having a plate surface portion directed in the left-right direction and elongated in the up-down direction, and its upper and lower halfway portion is connected to the tip of the drive arm 24 so as to be rotatable around a left-right axis. Has been. A tension coil spring 27 is installed on the lower side of the connection portion between the support arm 25 and the drive arm 24 so that the upper side (first support portion) 25a of the support arm 25 protrudes forward. The elasticity is given.
At both ends of the hitting operation shaft 22, there are provided eccentric shaft portions 22a that are eccentric in opposite directions with respect to the rotation shaft center. The eccentric shaft portion 22a has a lower end of a connecting rod 28 via a bearing. Are coupled to the lower surface of the drive arm 24 via a ball joint or the like.
[0017]
With the above configuration, when the driving unit 23 rotationally drives the stagnation operation shaft 21, the left and right treatment elements 26 are moved to the left and right by the inclined shaft portions 21a at both ends of the stagnation operation shaft 21. It makes a perimeter movement, and thereby itching. Further, when the tapping operation shaft 22 is rotationally driven, the eccentric arm 22a at both ends causes the driving arm 25 to reciprocate back and forth (up and down) via the connecting arm 28, whereby the treatment element 26 performs the tapping operation. It is.
The power from the driving unit 23 is selectively transmitted to the kneading operation shaft 21 and the tapping operation shaft 22 via a clutch in the drive unit 20. On the other hand, by providing individual and dedicated driving parts, both may be configured to be rotationally driven at the same time.
[0018]
The support arm 25 includes a first support portion 25a that protrudes obliquely upward and forward toward the user side, and a second support portion 25b that protrudes obliquely downward and forward with an obtuse angle with respect to the first support portion 25a. It is composed of a plate-like plate material when viewed from the side, and a space X (a triangular area surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. 1) opened to the user side is formed between the upper and lower sides of the first and second support portions 25a and 25b. Has been.
Therefore, it is considered that the support arm 25 does not come into contact with the back, shoulders, etc. of the user due to the space X when the treatment element 26 is performing a massage operation.
[0019]
In addition, the presence of the user's shoulder S within the space X as a detection range is provided below the side surface of the portion of the first support portion 25a that is retracted from the front end portion (end portion on the user side) of the treatment element 26. Is provided, and the position of the shoulder S is discriminated based on the detection of the shoulder S by the detector 40.
In the present embodiment, as the detector 40, a microswitch that is turned on / off by directly contacting the shoulder is illustrated, and the contact 40a protrudes into the space X below the first support portion 25a. It has become.
[0020]
A procedure for detecting the position of the shoulder S of the user using the microswitch 40 will be described below with reference to FIGS.
First, as an initial state, the massage mechanism 7 is in a retracted state in which the massage mechanism 7 is moved to the uppermost part in the backrest portion 3. At this time, the treatment element 26 is not subjected to a load from the user side, and therefore is not pulled. The upper treatment element 26 protrudes forward by the coil spring 27, and the lower treatment element 26 is in a retracted state (state A in FIG. 2). By lowering the massage mechanism 7 from this state, when the upper treatment element 26 approaches or comes into contact with the upper part of the user's shoulder S, the user's shoulder S enters the space X below the first support portion 25a. The micro switch 40 is turned on by entering and contacting the contact 40a of the micro switch 40 directly (substantially directly through the cover member 15) (the state of FIG. 1, FIG. 2). B state).
[0021]
Therefore, the shoulder position can be determined based on the position of the massage mechanism 7 when the micro switch 40 is switched from OFF to ON (detected value by the vertical position detection means), and the user can perform a massage operation based on this position. The proper massage according to the physique can be performed.
At this time, since the micro switch 40 directly detects the presence of the shoulder S without passing through a load on the treatment element 26, the micro switch 40 can be detected more accurately, and the treatment element 26 has a special shape. Therefore, the configuration is simple and inexpensive.
[0022]
When the massage mechanism 7 is further lowered, the shoulder S comes out of the space X by the upper treatment element 26 pressing the back, and the micro switch 40 is turned off (state C in FIG. 2).
That is, since the micro switch 40 is provided in a portion that is retracted from the treatment element 26, only the shoulder S is detected, and it is difficult to react to the back, waist, and the like other than the shoulder S, so the shoulder position is determined. In addition, no complicated control is required, and since the detector 40 does not react during the back and waist massage operations, it is possible to prevent a decrease in durability, malfunctions, and the like.
[0023]
When the massage mechanism 7 is lowered as described above, the support arm 25 rotates upward against the tension spring 27 so that both the upper and lower treatment elements 26 are in contact with the back. By this rotation, the shoulder S can be easily removed from the space X.
The detection of the shoulder S by the detector 40 may be performed in the process of raising the massage mechanism 7.
In this case, from the state where the massage mechanism 7 is positioned at the lowermost part of the backrest portion 7, the upper and lower treatment elements 26 are lifted while abutting on the waist and back. At this time, since the detector 40 is in a position retracted from the treatment element 26, the detector 40 does not contact the body and remains off.
[0024]
When the upper treatment element 26 is removed from the back, the support arm 25 swings downward by the pressing force received by the lower treatment element 26 from the back and by the urging of the tension coil spring 27, and the upper treatment element 26 is moved downward. 26 abuts or approaches the upper portion of the shoulder S.
At this time, when the shoulder S enters the space X, it comes into contact with the detector 40 and the shoulder S is detected.
Thus, when detecting the shoulder in the process of raising the treatment element 26, even if the sitting posture with respect to the chair body 4 is bad, the treatment element 26 presses the waist or the like so that the back muscles are stretched and the backrest part 3 is Since the posture can be corrected so that the back is in close contact, the subsequent detection of the shoulder S is also made more accurate.
[0025]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed in design.
For example, the detector 40 is not limited to a microswitch, and may be a pressure sensor that directly contacts the shoulder S to detect the pressing force, or a non-contact type sensor. In the case of a contact-type microswitch or pressure sensor, a cover that covers the contact 40a in a state where it can be turned on / off may be provided. The detector 40 may be provided for one of the left and right support arms 25 or may be provided for both.
[0026]
Further, the portion of the support arm 25 where the detector 40 is provided can be changed to a position where the shoulder S can be properly detected within the detection range X according to the type of the detector 40 and the like.
The first support part 25a and the second support part 25b in the support arm 25 are not limited to being integrated with each other, and may be configured by individual members, and the support arm 25 may be configured by the first support part 25a. It is good also as a structure of only.
The drive mechanism of the treatment element can be replaced with, for example, a support arm and a treatment element driven by an air cell that expands and contracts by air supply / exhaust. It can be changed to the form.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, accurate shoulder position detection can be performed with a simple configuration.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a massage mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a principle diagram for detecting a shoulder position.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a massage mechanism.
FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view of the massage machine.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Massage machine 25 Support arm (support)
26 treatment element 40 detector

Claims (3)

The treatment device (26) for massaging the user's body is a massage machine provided movably along the body,
The treatment element (26) is provided via a support body (25) protruding toward the user side, and the support body (25) includes a first support portion (25a) protruding obliquely upward in the front direction , A second support part (25b) projecting diagonally forward and downward is provided, and each support part (25a, 25b) is provided with a treatment element (26),
A space (X) that is open to the user side and into which the user's shoulder (S) can enter is provided between the support portions (25a, 25b),
On the lower side of the side of the part that is retracted from the treatment element (26) in the first support part (25a) ,
A massage machine comprising a detector (40) for directly detecting a shoulder (S) of a user in the space (X) using the space (X) as a detection range. The support body (25) is connected to the tip of the drive arm (24) so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis,
The first support part (25a) is provided with elasticity in a forward protruding direction, and the treatment element (26) of the first support part (25a) protrudes forward, while the second support part (25a) is in a state of protruding forward. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein the treatment element (26) of the support part (25b) is in a retracted state .   The massage machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the detector (40) is configured by a microswitch that is turned on and off by contacting a shoulder (S) of the user.

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