JP4728078B2 - Chair type massage device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a chair type massage apparatus.

As is well known, in the technical field of chair-type massage devices, there is a built-in four-ball type massage mechanism that massages the human body with four mutually independent massage bodies in the backrest. And a pair of left and right swing arms connected to the rotary shaft such that one end and the other end swing in opposite directions in the left-right direction as the rotary shaft rotates. And massage bodies attached to one end and the other end of each swing arm (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In recent years, in this type of chair-type massage device, various techniques have been applied to give an effective massage effect to the user (massage person) and to increase the added value of the massage device body. ing. As one of them, a shoulder position detection mechanism that automatically detects the position of the shoulder of the user seated on the chair type massage apparatus and massages the back based on the position of the shoulder is raised. If the shoulder position of the user is automatically detected by the shoulder position detection mechanism, the positions of the back and waist from the user's shoulder can be recognized, and effective massage can be performed. Furthermore, even if the user has a small physique, an accurate massage can be performed. Several techniques relating to the shoulder position detection described above have already been developed.

  For example, the chair-type massage device disclosed in Patent Document 2 is provided with a swing detection sensor that detects that the swing arm has entered a predetermined swing range, and a signal from the swing detection sensor is provided. Based on this, the inclination state of the swing arm is determined, and the shoulder position of the user with respect to the massage machine is determined. Specifically, the swing detection sensor is provided in the vicinity of the rotation axis of the swing arm, and further, the swing detection sensor is configured by a limit switch, and when the limit switch is turned on and off, the swing arm is It is detected that it corresponds to a predetermined swing range, for example, a shoulder position.

Moreover, the chair type massage apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 3 has an angle detection mechanism for detecting the rotation angle of the link mechanism constituting the massage mechanism built in the backrest portion, and the massage body is provided on the back of the user. The shoulder position is detected based on the detection result of the angle detection mechanism obtained by moving the massage mechanism up and down in a state in which the (smear balls) are in contact with each other with a substantially constant force. Specifically, the angle detection mechanism includes a rotary encoder inside a swing motor that drives the link mechanism, and outputs a pulse corresponding to the motion of the swing motor, that is, the link mechanism. By counting the number of pulses, the rotation angle of the link mechanism can be detected.
JP 2000-237257 A (FIG. 1) JP 2001-238927 A (FIG. 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-19150 (FIG. 2)

In the technique described in Patent Document 2, since the swing detection sensor outputs only on / off, in order to detect that the swing arm (massage body) corresponds to the position of the user's shoulder. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately set the sensor mounting position. However, since the swing detection sensor of Patent Document 2 is provided in the vicinity of the rotation axis of the swing arm in which many components are arranged close to each other, the mounting and setting of the swing detection sensor is very complicated. As a result, there is a high possibility that an accurate shoulder position cannot be detected.
On the other hand, the technique of Patent Document 3 detects the rotation angle of the link mechanism by counting the number of pulses of the rotary encoder, but the rotation angle of the link mechanism is not directly input to the rotary encoder. Therefore, an operation for performing complicated coordinate conversion expressed by [Equation 1] to [Equation 5] is necessary, and the shoulder position determination logic is complicated.

In paragraph [0054] of Patent Document 3, although there is a description that “the rotation angle of the link mechanism (first link or the like) can be directly detected by a potentiometer”, the output of the potentiometer is the total resistance value. Many tolerances are ± 5 to ± 10%, which is inferior in accuracy. If a high-resolution rotary encoder is employed to achieve highly accurate rotation angle detection (that is, accurate shoulder position determination), it cannot be denied that manufacturing costs increase.
In other words, currently, there are many types of rotation angle detectors such as potentiometers and rotary encoders that detect the rotation angle of the shaft, but those that can detect the rotation angle with high accuracy are expensive. There are often. In addition, when the above rotation detector is used to detect the shoulder position, it is necessary to attach so that many components are directly connected to the rotating shaft of the swinging arm that is arranged in close proximity. There are problems that have been made when the setting becomes very cumbersome.

  Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention provides a chair type massage apparatus having a shoulder position detection mechanism that can detect a user's shoulder position with high accuracy and that can be manufactured inexpensively without having a complicated configuration. The purpose is to do.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the following technical part was taken in the present invention.
That is, the technical means according to the present invention includes a seat portion and a backrest portion erected on the rear end side of the seat portion, and the backrest portion is provided so as to be swingable around the left and right axis. In addition, a massage mechanism having a pair of left and right swing arms having massage bodies at the upper end and lower end is incorporated so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and the massage mechanism is located at a location corresponding to the shoulder position of the user. In a chair-type massage device having a shoulder position detection mechanism for determining
The shoulder position detection mechanism includes an angle conversion unit that converts a swing angle around the left and right axis of the swing arm into a linear movement distance at a position away from the left and right axis, and a straight line converted by the angle conversion unit. It has a distance measurement part which measures a movement distance, and a shoulder position detection part which detects a user's shoulder position based on the linear movement distance which the distance measurement part measured.

By using this technical means, it is possible to measure the linear movement distance corresponding to the rotation angle of the swing arm, and to accurately know the rotation angle indirectly. Moreover, since the place where the linear movement distance is detected is at a position away from the rotation axis of the swing arm, the installation and setting of the distance measuring unit is very easy.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the swing arm is located on the neck-shoulder portion of the user and when it is located on the back portion, the tilt state (rotation angle) of the swing arm in a side view is different. Therefore, the shoulder position detection unit can detect the shoulder position of the user by obtaining the value of the linear movement distance and the degree of change thereof.

Preferably, the massage mechanism includes a support frame in which the swing arm is provided via a left and right axis, and the swing mechanism to restrict the swing arm from being rotated about the left and right axis. An anti-sway member engaged with the arm, a hitting drive body that is slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the support frame and disposed below the left and right axis, and one end of the rotation output of the hitting drive body And the other end is connected to the anti-sway member and has an interlocking member that moves up and down in accordance with the rotational output of the tapping drive body and causes the swinging arm to perform a tapping operation. And
The angle conversion unit has a configuration in which the hitting drive body moves linearly up and down on a support frame via a steadying member and an interlocking member when the swing arm rotates around a left and right axis. Yes,
The distance measuring unit includes a detection light shield provided on the hitting drive body, and a photo interrupter disposed at a position where the detected light amount changes corresponding to the movement of the detection light shield,
The shoulder position detection unit may determine that the massage mechanism corresponds to the shoulder position of the user when the output of the photo interrupter exceeds or falls below a predetermined threshold.

In particular, regarding the angle conversion part, since the member which comprises a massage mechanism is combined, it is not necessary to newly install a new member as an angle conversion part, and manufacturing cost can be held down. In addition, by increasing the distance from the left and right axis of the swing arm to the steady rest member or changing the shape of the interlocking member, the swing angle of the swing arm can be converted into a linear travel distance in an enlarged form. It has become.
Further, the distance measuring unit uses a photo interrupter and a detection light shield, so that it is a very small and inexpensive linear movement distance detection mechanism (detection sensor). In addition, since the photo interrupter and the detection light shield are provided on the hitting drive body, they are arranged at positions away from the left and right axial centers, and their installation and setting are very easy. Yes.

More preferably, the shoulder position detector is configured such that when the output of the photo interrupter exceeds or falls below a predetermined threshold, a massage body provided at the upper end of the swing arm is placed on the shoulder of the user. It is good to judge that it is located.
Further, the detection light shield is a long body arranged along the moving direction of the hit driving body, and in order to make the movement distance of the hit driving body and the output of the photo interrupter proportional, It is very preferable that the portion that shields the detection light of the interrupter is inclined.
As a result, the movement distance of the tapping drive body and the output of the photo interrupter have a linear relationship, so that the rotation angle of the swing arm and the output of the photo interrupter can be in a linear relationship. Therefore, the shape profile on the rear side of the user can be known from the output of the photo interrupter by moving the swing arm up and down along the head, neck, and back of the user. Based on this shape profile, the aforementioned shoulder position detection unit detects the shoulder position of the user.

Further, the shoulder position detection unit, a differentiation unit for differentiating the output from the photo interrupter, a shoulder position determination unit that compares the output from the differentiation unit and a predetermined threshold value to determine the shoulder position, It is good to have.
The output from the photo interrupter corresponds to the pivot angle of the swing arm, in other words, the profile of the shape of the user's neck-shoulder-back, but the aging of the photo interrupter and changes in the usage environment There is an output change due to the above, and the shoulder detection becomes inaccurate only by obtaining the threshold value for such output. However, by using the differential waveform output by the differential unit, the output change can be omitted, and the waveform change corresponding to the shoulder of the user can be reliably taken.

In the technical means described above, the massage body attached to the lower end portion of the swing arm is preferably larger in diameter than the massage body attached to the upper end portion.
By doing so, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the swing arm is in contact with the shoulder portion of the user, the massage body on the upper end side protrudes forward of the shoulder, and the swing arm is in the back portion. The amount of change in the rotation angle of the oscillating arm when moved to is extremely large (steep). The shoulder position can be reliably detected based on such a large rotation angle variable.
The most preferable technical means of the present invention includes a seat portion and a backrest portion erected on the rear end side of the seat portion. The backrest portion includes a massage body and around the left and right axis. A massage mechanism having a pair of left and right swing arms provided so as to be swingable is built in so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and it is determined that the massage mechanism is located at a location corresponding to the shoulder position of the user. In the chair-type massage apparatus having a shoulder position detection mechanism, the massage mechanism includes a support frame in which the swing arm is provided via a left and right axis, and the swing arm rotates around the left and right axis. An anti-sway member engaged with the swing arm to restrict the movement, a hitting drive body slidably arranged in the vertical direction with respect to the support frame, and one end portion of the rotation output of the hitting drive body It has an interlocking member that is eccentrically connected and the other end is connected to the steadying member and moves up and down in accordance with the rotational output of the tapping drive body to cause the swinging arm to strike. The shoulder position detection mechanism converts the swing angle around the left and right axis of the swing arm into a linear movement distance at a position away from the left and right axis, and the angle conversion unit converts the swing angle. A distance measurement unit that measures the linear movement distance, and a shoulder position detection unit that detects a shoulder position of a user based on the linear movement distance measured by the distance measurement unit, and the angle conversion unit is The swing drive body is configured to linearly move up and down on a support frame via an anti-sway member and an interlocking member by rotating the swing arm around a left and right axis, and the distance measurement Is provided on the hitting drive body. A detection light shield, and a photo interrupter disposed at a position where the detected light amount changes corresponding to the movement of the detection light shield, and the shoulder position detection unit outputs in advance the output of the photo interrupter. It is good to determine that the massage mechanism corresponds to the shoulder position of the user when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded or falls below.
Preferably, the swing arm is provided with a massage body at an upper end portion and a lower end portion thereof.

  The chair-type massage apparatus according to the present invention has a shoulder position detection mechanism that can detect the shoulder position of the user with high accuracy, and can be manufactured at low cost without being complicated.

Hereinafter, a chair type massage device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a side view of a chair-type massage device 61 incorporating the massage mechanism 1.
The chair-type massage device 61 includes a seat 62, a backrest 63 erected on the rear end of the seat 62, a four-ball massage mechanism 1 housed inside the backrest 63, It has.
Hereinafter, in the description of the chair type massage device 61 and the massage mechanism 1, the horizontal direction in FIG. 1 is the front-rear direction (thickness direction), the vertical direction in FIG. 1 is the vertical direction, and the paper penetration direction in FIG. Direction). This coincides with the direction viewed from the user M (massage person) sitting on the chair.

The massage mechanism 1 is movable in the vertical direction by a moving part arranged to face the backrest part 63 so as to face the vertical direction, and can perform massage in a wide range from the back of the head to the back and the waist. .
As an example of the moving part, the guide roller 65 is movably engaged with a pair of left and right guide rails 67 arranged in the vertical direction, and a screw shaft 66 that rotates about the axis by a lifting motor is moved in the vertical direction. And an engagement member engaged with the massage mechanism 1 is screwed onto the screw shaft 66. In this case, when the screw shaft 66 is rotated by driving the lifting motor, the engaging member is screwed up or down, and the massage mechanism 1 moves up and down accordingly.

FIG. 2 shows details of the massage mechanism 1.
The massage mechanism 1 includes a support frame 3 having left and right support brackets 2 and 2 arranged at predetermined intervals on both left and right ends, and both ends supported rotatably by both brackets 2 and 2 of the support frame 3. By doing this, the first rotating shaft 5 (axial center facing the left-right direction) installed in the left-right direction, the four-ball massage member 6 provided on the first rotating shaft 5, and the massage member 6 It has a kneading operation mechanism 7 for performing a massage and a tapping operation mechanism 8 for performing a tapping massage.

The massage member 6 includes a pair of left and right swing arms 10 and massage bodies 11 and 12 (bump balls 11 and 12) attached to one end and the other end (upper end and lower end) of each swing arm 10, respectively. Each of the swing arms 10 is provided with an intermediate portion 10A through which the first rotating shaft 5 penetrates in a relatively rotatable manner, and a front side protruding in an inclined manner from the intermediate portion 10A. It is made of a substantially bifurcated metal plate having a pair of arm portions 10B.
The massage bodies 11 and 12 are formed in a flat ball shape, and their central portions are rotatably attached to the respective end portions of the swing arm 10 via left and right mounting pins. They are arranged in an independent state so as to be individually abutted against each other vertically and horizontally. The massage body 12 on the lower end side has a larger diameter than the massage body 11 on the upper end side.

A pair of left and right cam members 14 having cam surfaces that are inclined with respect to the rotation shaft 5 are fixed to the middle portion of the first rotation shaft 5 in the axial direction. The cam member 14 is fixed to the first rotating shaft 5 so as not to be relatively rotatable, and an outer peripheral surface thereof forms a cam surface. The cam surfaces of the cam member 14 are arranged so as to incline in opposite directions.
On the cam surface, a peripheral edge portion of a fitting hole formed in the intermediate portion 10A of the swing arm 10 is fitted so as to be relatively rotatable.
A reduction gear 20 is provided at a substantially central portion of the front surface of the support frame 3, and an axial central portion of the first rotating shaft 5 passes through the reduction gear 20. The speed reducer 20 includes a gear case including a gear case, a bearing that rotatably supports the first rotating shaft 5 in the gear case, a worm wheel fixed to the first rotating shaft 5, and a worm that meshes with the worm wheel. And an output shaft of a first drive body 25 (stagnation drive body) made of a forward / reverse electric motor attached above the gear case is connected to the worm.

Here, the first driving body 25, the speed reducer 20, the first rotating shaft 5, the cam member 14, and the like constitute a stagnation operation mechanism 7 that causes the massage member 6 to squeeze and massage.
On the other hand, on the rear side of the swing arm 10 (the side close to the support frame 3), an anti-sway member 30 that prevents the swing arm 10 from rotating together with the first rotating shaft 5 is provided. The steady-rest member 30 has a cylindrical shape that is long in the left-right direction, and an engagement member 32 made of a pin protruding rearward from the intermediate portion 10A of the swing arm 10 is inserted into the barrel of the steady-state member 30. It is engaged with the steadying member 30.

For this reason, the rotation of the swing arm 10 is restricted so that it does not rotate with the first rotation shaft 5, and the engagement member 32 moves left and right as the swing arm 10 swings left and right by the kneading operation mechanism 7. Is allowed in the range of the left and right cylinder width of the steady rest member 30.
With the above configuration, when the first driving body 25 is operated, the first rotating shaft 5 rotates via the worm and the worm wheel, and when the first rotating shaft 5 rotates, the first rotating shaft 5 rotates integrally with the first rotating shaft 5. The pair of left and right swing arms 10 swings along the cam surface of the cam member 14, whereby the massage bodies 11 and 12 attached to the swing arms 10 swing in opposite directions. Since the cam surfaces of the left and right cam members 14 are inclined in opposite directions, when the massage bodies 11 attached to the upper end of the left and right swing arm 10 approach each other, the massage bodies 12 attached to the lower end are separated from each other. On the contrary, when the massage bodies 11 attached to the upper end portions are separated from each other, the operations such that the massage bodies 12 attached to the lower end portions approach each other are repeatedly performed.

Thereby, massage massage is performed between each two massage bodies 11 and 12 corresponding to right and left.
A second rotating shaft 27 parallel to the first rotating shaft 5 is provided in the left-right direction on the lower side of the support frame 3, that is, on the opposite side of the first driving body 25 across the first rotating shaft 5. A disc-shaped crank member 28 is integrally provided at both ends of the second rotating shaft 27 in an eccentric state.
The central portion of the second rotating shaft 27 in the axial direction penetrates the speed reducer 34 in the left-right direction. The speed reducer 34 includes a gear case and a bearing that rotatably supports the second rotating shaft 27 in the gear case. A gear mechanism including a worm wheel fixed to the second rotating shaft 27 and a worm meshing with the worm wheel is provided.

A second drive body 40 (striking drive body) made of a forward / reverse electric motor is attached to the upper side of the speed reducer 34, and an output shaft of the second drive body 40 is connected to the worm. Accordingly, when the second driving body 40 is operated, the second rotating shaft 27 rotates through the worm and the worm wheel.
When the second rotating shaft 27 rotates, the crank member 28 rotates eccentrically, and the interlocking member 29 connected to the crank member 28 is pushed and pulled (retracted) in the longitudinal direction thereof, and thereby the swing arm via the steady member 30. 10 repeatedly moves (repetitively rotates) around the first rotation axis 5. At this time, the massage bodies 11 and 12 provided at the upper end and the lower end of the swing arm 10 are alternately moved back and forth to the back side (front side) of the user to perform a tapping massage.

Here, the second driving body 40, the speed reducer 34, the second rotating shaft 27, the interlocking member 29, the crank member 28, and the like constitute a tapping operation mechanism 8 that causes the massaging member 6 to perform massage such as tapping.
The second drive body 40 and the speed reducer 34 integrated with the second drive body 40 are slidable in the vertical direction on the support frame 3 by a guide support portion 41 provided on the support frame 3. Specifically, the guide support portion 41 includes a rail member 80 obtained by bending a plate material into a U-shape, and flange portions are formed on the left and right sides of the rail member 80, and the flange portions are the back surfaces of the substrate 3C. Are connected by bolts or the like. And the 2nd drive body 40 is engaged inside the rail member 80 so that sliding up and down is possible. The second driving body 40 that has slid upward enters the space formed on the back side of the mounting base 3D.

The tapping mechanism 8 includes a connecting link 83, a slider 84 attached via a leg 83A extending from the connecting link 83, and a guide rail 86 with which the slider 84 is slidably engaged. A second guide support part 90 is provided.
Specifically, one end portion of the interlocking member 29 is rotatably connected to the outer periphery of the crank portion 28 via a bearing. The other end of the interlocking member 29 is pivotally connected to a connecting link 83 via a connecting pin 88, and the steadying member 30 is also pivotally connected to the connecting link 83 via a connecting pin 89. A pair of leg portions 83 </ b> A directed to 3 is erected.

The guide rail 86 has a rail member 85 formed by bending a plate material into a U-shape, and bolts flange portions 85A formed on both left and right sides of the rail member 85 to the board 3C. It is configured to be attached to the support frame 3. Specific mounting positions are the left and right sides of the mounting base 3D on the surface side of the substrate 3C of the support frame 3.
The slider 84 is slidable inside the rail member 85, and vertical grooves 85B are formed on the left and right sides of the left and right rail members 85. The leg portions 83A of the connecting link 83 described above are formed in the vertical grooves 85B. Is inserted.

  Since it has the structure described above, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the massage body 11 on the upper end side of the swing arm 10 protrudes forward and the massage body 12 on the lower end side retreats backward. As a result, the engaging member 32 faces upward, and accordingly, the steadying member 30 is pulled upward. Both the connecting link 83 and the interlocking member 29 are lifted upward in a manner interlocking with the lifted steady member 30, and consequently the second rotating shaft 27 connected to the interlocking member 29 and the shaft 27 are driven to rotate. The second driving body 40 that slides on the support frame 3 slides upward. This state corresponds to the case where the swing arm 10 corresponds to the shoulder position of the user M.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the protrusions of the massaging body 11 on the upper end side and the massaging body 12 on the lower end side of the swing arm 10 are substantially the same, the engaging member 32 moves back and forth. It becomes substantially parallel to the direction (thickness direction) and faces rearward, and accordingly, the steadying member 30 is pushed downward. The linkage link 83 and the linkage member 29 are pushed downward in a manner interlocked with the depressed steadying member 30, and as a result, the second rotary shaft 27 connected to the linkage member 29 and the shaft 27 that rotationally drives the shaft 27. The two-drive body 40 slides downward on the support frame 3. This state corresponds to the case where the swing arm 10 corresponds to the back of the user M.

The shoulder position detection mechanism 70 that detects the positional relationship of the massage body 11 (the massage mechanism 1 and the swing arm 10) with respect to the user M using the relationship between the swing arm 10 and the second drive body 40 is a chair. The type massage device 61 is provided.
The shoulder position detection mechanism 70 converts an angle of swing θ around the left and right axis (around the first rotation axis 5) of the swing arm 10 into a linear movement distance at a position away from the left and right axis. A distance measurement unit 72 that measures the linear movement distance converted by the angle conversion unit 71, and a shoulder position detection that detects the shoulder position of the user M based on the linear movement distance measured by the distance measurement unit 72. The structure which consists of the part 73 is provided.

Specifically, the angle conversion unit 71 includes an engagement member 32 protruding rearward from the intermediate portion 10A of the swing arm 10, and a steady member 30 into which the engagement member 32 is inserted. Further, the steadying member 30 includes a connection link 83 that is rotatably connected by a connection pin 89, and an interlocking member 29 that is rotatable by a connection pin 88. In addition, a second rotating shaft 27 connected to the interlocking member 29 and a second driving body 40 that rotationally drives the shaft 27 are provided.
As the swing arm 10 rotates about the axis of the first rotation shaft 5, the second drive body 40 slides up and down on the support frame 3 through the steady stop member 30 and the interlocking member 20 and moves linearly. It is like that. By increasing the length of the engaging member 32, the radius of rotation around the first rotating shaft 5 can be increased, and the moving distance of the second drive body 40 can be increased.

The distance measurement unit 72 includes a detection light shield 74 provided on the second drive body 40 and a photo interrupter 75 disposed at a position where the detected light amount changes corresponding to the movement of the detection light shield 74. Have.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a long detection light along the sliding direction of the second drive body 40 is provided on the lower end side of the second drive body 40 (electric motor) and on the front side thereof. A shield 74 is attached. The cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the detection light shield 74 has an inverted T shape, and includes a front protruding piece 74A (a protruding piece facing forward) and a base piece 74B perpendicular to the front protruding piece 74A.

When the front projecting piece 74A is viewed from the side, the length of the standing side 76D located on the lower end side of the second driving body 40 is longer than the length of the standing side 76S located on the center side of the second driving body 40, and the front projecting piece 74A is projected forward. The upper side 77 of the piece 74A is inclined (linearly inclined). Thereby, the output of the photo interrupter 75 mentioned later and the moving distance of the 2nd drive body 40 become a proportional relationship.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the photo interrupter 75 has a gate shape and is disposed so as to straddle the front protruding piece 74 </ b> A of the detection light shield 74. The photo interrupter 75 has a light emitting portion 78 composed of a light emitting diode or the like and a light receiving portion 79 that receives light emitted from the light emitting portion 78, and has both leg portions forming a portal shape. A light emitting portion 78 is provided on one inner side of 92 and 92, and a light receiving portion 79 made of a phototransistor or the like is provided on the inner side of the other leg portion facing it. Several types of such photo interrupters 75 have already been manufactured and sold.

The detection light shield 74 described above is disposed between both legs 92 of the photo interrupter 75, so that the detection light from the light receiving unit 79 is blocked and a voltage corresponding to the amount of light reaching the light receiving unit 79 is output. Is done.
As shown in FIG. 5, the photo interrupter 75 is actually attached to the inside of the cover body 93 that covers the lower end portion of the second drive body 40, and is detected by attaching the cover body 93 to a predetermined position. It is deployed so as to just straddle the light shield 74.
FIG. 7 shows the positional relationship between the photo interrupter 75 and the detection light shield 74 and the relationship between the output voltages. In the state of FIG. 7A in which the detection light is substantially blocked, the output is substantially 0. Conversely, in the state of FIG. 7C in which all of the detection light reaches the light receiving unit 79, the output is maximum. In FIG. 7B, which is a state in between, the output of the photo interrupter 75 takes an intermediate value, and as a whole, the position of the detection light shield 74 and the output of the photo interrupter 75, in other words, the detection light shield 74 The movement and the output of the photo interrupter 75 have a linear relationship.

  6 and 7, when the swing arm 10 is positioned at the shoulder position of the user M, the positional relationship between the detection light shield 74 and the photo interrupter 75 is as shown in FIG. Thus, the output is small. Conversely, when the swing arm 10 is positioned on the back of the user M, the positional relationship between the detection light shield 74 and the photo interrupter 75 is as shown in FIG. 7C, and the output is large. . That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the output waveform of the photo interrupter 75 (distance measuring unit 72) directly represents the linear movement distance (sliding distance) of the second drive body 40, but in actuality it is used. It has a profile similar to the shape of the person M from the rear side (head to neck to back).

When the output from the photo interrupter 75 exceeds or falls below a predetermined threshold, the massage mechanism 1 (especially the massage body 11 on the upper end side) of the chair type massage device 61 of the present invention is positioned at the shoulder position of the user M. It has a shoulder position detection unit 73 that determines that it corresponds to.
As shown in FIG. 9, the shoulder position detection unit 73 includes an A / D converter 94 that converts the output from the distance measurement unit 72 into a digital signal, and a differentiation unit 95 that differentiates the output of the A / D converter 94 ( A differentiation circuit), and a shoulder position determination unit 96 that compares the output from the differentiation unit 95 with a predetermined threshold value to determine the shoulder position. The differentiation unit 95 and the shoulder position determination unit 96 May be realized in the form of a program on a computer, or may be realized by hardware such as LCA.

Specifically, the output of the photo interrupter 75 is input to a low-pass filter 97 constituted by an LC circuit or the like, and then input to an A / D converter 94, where it is converted into, for example, an 8-bit digital signal. “Photo interrupter 75 output” in FIG. 8 indicates a digitized voltage output. As described above, the waveform of this signal shows the body profile of the user M. The voltage differs greatly between the back and the head (neck), and a predetermined threshold value is set because of the change point. Thus, the shoulder of the user M can be recognized.
However, in the present embodiment, the shoulder position is detected by differentiating the output of the photo interrupter 75 and setting a threshold value in the shoulder position determination unit 96 for the obtained differential waveform. In this way, it is possible to surely capture a steep change corresponding to the shoulder position, and to remove an output change due to a temperature change or a secular change of the photo interrupter 75 and an error in an attachment position of the detection light shield 74. It becomes possible to do.

In addition, when the differential waveform of FIG. 9 is seen, although it contains many high frequency noises, this high frequency noise originates in the pulse signal of the raising / lowering motor which raises / lowers the massage mechanism 1 within the backrest part 63. FIG. . Even if such high-frequency noise exists, when the massage body 11 on the upper end side of the swing arm 10 comes to the shoulder position, a sharp change is seen in the differential waveform, so that reliable shoulder position detection is possible. It is.
In the chair type massage apparatus 61 described above, an operation mode when detecting the shoulder position will be described.

First, the user M is seated on the seat 62 of the chair type massage device 61 so that the back is in close contact with the backrest 63. At this time, the massage mechanism 1 is located at the uppermost part of the backrest part 63. The swing arm 10 is preferably in a state in which the massage body 11 on the upper end side protrudes forward and the massage body 12 on the lower end side retreats backward.
Thereafter, the massage mechanism 1 is moved downward while keeping the posture in which the user M is seated. Then, the massage body 11 on the upper end side comes into contact with the shoulder position of the user M, as shown in FIG. In the massage body of this embodiment, the massage body 12 on the lower end side is larger in diameter than the massage body 11 on the upper end side, so that the protruding state of the swing arm 10 toward the front is large.

Further, when the massage mechanism 1 is moved downward, the massage body 11 on the upper end side moves backward along the back portion, and suddenly becomes a state as shown in FIG. The swing arm 10 in the back portion swings the head finely up and down according to the shape of the back portion.
Along with such a change in the situation, the engaging member 32 comes to be substantially parallel to the front-rear direction and faces rearward, and accordingly, the steadying member 30 is pushed downward. The link link 83 and the interlocking member 29 are pushed downward in a manner interlocking with the pushed-down steadying member 30, and the second driving body 40 is pushed downward toward the lower end side of the support frame 3, and the detection light shield 74 is Then, the state transitions from the state of blocking the detection light to the state of not blocking, and the output from the photo interrupter 75 increases as shown in FIG.

This voltage output is differentiated by the differentiation unit 95 of the shoulder position detection mechanism 70 and then input to the shoulder position detection unit 73. The point at which the differential waveform changes abruptly is indicated by the massage mechanism 1 (specifically, the swing arm 10). Alternatively, it is determined that the upper end massage body 11) and the shoulder position of the user M correspond to the “approximate position”.
Since the shoulder position determination using the differential waveform only knows the relative positional relationship, the specific position information includes the number of rotation motor rotation pulses when the differential waveform exceeds a predetermined threshold value. It is preferable to use a moving distance obtained from the moving pitch of 1 pulse.

Based on the shoulder position obtained as described above, emphasis is given to shoulder massage, massage of other parts such as the waist from the shoulder position, and superposition of acupuncture points on the human body. And you can perform an effective massage of acupoints.
In addition, embodiment described in this specification is an illustration of this invention, Comprising: This is not for limiting interpretation. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims, and all modifications that fall within the meaning of each claim and equivalents of the claims are included in the present invention.
For example, the distance measuring unit 72 may be configured using a distance sensor using laser light or the like, and the moving distance of the position of the lower end portion of the second driving body 40 may be measured.

Further, when sensing the shoulder position, there is no problem because the output from the distance measuring unit 72 is substantially the same even if the swing arm 10 is moved from the waist side to the head side of the user.
In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the output from the photo interrupter 75 has a low voltage from the head to the neck and a high voltage from the back, but the reverse voltage output. It may be a thing to do. Even in that case, the shoulder position can be detected by differentiating the voltage waveform and setting a threshold value in the shoulder position determination unit 96 for the obtained differential waveform.

It is a side view of a chair type massage apparatus. It is a perspective view of a massage mechanism (however, the right side bracket is omitted). It is a perspective view of a distance measurement part. It is a general-view figure of a distance measurement part. It is a perspective view of the distance measurement part covered with the cover body. It is a figure which shows the principle of a shoulder position detection. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a distance detection part. It is a wave form diagram of each signal in a shoulder position detection part. It is a block diagram showing a distance detection part and a shoulder position detection part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Massage mechanism 5 1st rotating shaft 7 Kneading movement mechanism 8 Tapping movement mechanism 10 Oscillating arm 11 (Upper end side) Massage body 12 (Lower end side) Massage body 14 Cam member 25 1st drive body (Sludge drive body)
27 Second Rotating Shaft 28 Crank Member 29 Interlocking Member 30 Stabilizing Member 40 Second Drive Body (Tapping Drive Body)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 41 Guide support part 61 Chair type massage apparatus 62 Seat part 63 Backrest part 70 Shoulder position detection mechanism 71 Angle conversion part 72 Distance measurement part 73 Shoulder position detection part 74 Detection light shield 75 Photointerrupter 95 Differentiation part 96 Shoulder position determination part M User

Claims (6)

The seat portion and a backrest portion erected on the rear end side of the seat portion. The backrest portion includes a massage body and swing arms provided swingably around the left and right axis. In a chair type massage apparatus having a shoulder position detection mechanism for determining that a massage mechanism provided in a pair is movable in the vertical direction and that the massage mechanism is located at a location corresponding to the shoulder position of the user ,
The massage mechanism is engaged with a support frame in which the swing arm is provided via a left and right axis, and the swing arm to restrict the swing arm from being rotated around the left and right axis. An anti-sway member, a tapping drive arranged to be slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the support frame, one end of which is eccentrically connected to the rotation output of the tapping drive, and the other end connected to the anti-skid member And an interlocking member that moves up and down in accordance with the rotational output of the tapping drive body and causes the swinging arm to perform a tapping operation,
The shoulder position detection mechanism includes an angle conversion unit that converts a swing angle around the left and right axis of the swing arm into a linear movement distance at a position away from the left and right axis, and a straight line converted by the angle conversion unit. A distance measuring unit for measuring a moving distance, and a shoulder position detecting unit for detecting a shoulder position of the user based on the linear moving distance measured by the distance measuring unit,
The angle conversion unit has a configuration in which the hitting drive body moves linearly up and down on a support frame via a steadying member and an interlocking member when the swing arm rotates around a left and right axis. Yes,
The distance measuring unit includes a detection light shield provided on the hitting drive body, and a photo interrupter disposed at a position where the detected light amount changes corresponding to the movement of the detection light shield ,
The shoulder position detection unit determines that the massage mechanism corresponds to a shoulder position of a user when the output of the photo interrupter exceeds or falls below a predetermined threshold value. A chair type massage device. The chair-type massage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the swing arm includes a massage body at an upper end portion and a lower end portion thereof . In the shoulder position detection unit, when the output of the photo interrupter exceeds or falls below a predetermined threshold, a massage body provided at the upper end of the swing arm is positioned on the shoulder of the user. The chair-type massage apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the chair-type massage apparatus is determined. The detection light shielding body is a long body arranged along the moving direction of the hitting drive body, and in order to make the movement distance of the hitting drive body and the output of the photointerrupter proportional to each other, The chair type massage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion that shields the detection light is inclined. The shoulder position detecting unit includes a differentiating unit that differentiates an output from the photo interrupter, and a shoulder position determining unit that compares the output from the differentiating unit with a predetermined threshold to determine the shoulder position. The chair type massage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the chair type massage apparatus is provided. The chair type massage apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6 , wherein a massage body attached to a lower end portion of the swing arm is larger in diameter than a massage body attached to an upper end portion.

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