JP7265329B2 - Massage unit and massage machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a massage unit having treatment elements and a massage machine equipped with the massage unit.

Patent Document 1 discloses a massage machine including a pair of upper main treatment elements, a pair of lower main treatment elements, and a secondary treatment element provided between the upper main treatment elements and the lower main treatment elements. ing.

JP 2006-296907 A

In the massage machine disclosed in Patent Document 1, the upper main treatment element is rotatably attached to the upper part of the first arm, and the lower main treatment element and the sub-treatment element are also indirectly attached to the first arm. It is Therefore, the lower main treatment element and sub-treatment element are affected by the movement of the first arm. Therefore, in order to place the lower main treatment element and the sub-treatment element at desired positions, it is necessary to perform control in consideration of the influence of the movement of the first arm, which causes the problem of complicated control.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above situation, it is an object of the present invention to provide a massage unit in which the lower treatment element is not affected by the movement of the arm to which the upper treatment element is attached, and a massage machine equipped with the massage unit. .

The massage unit disclosed in this specification includes a base member, an upper treatment element, a lower treatment element, a first arm to which the upper treatment element is attached at one end, and one end of the first arm. a first adjustment mechanism that adjusts the amount of forward projection with respect to the base member, wherein the lower treatment element is indirectly attached to the base member independently of the first arm (first configuration).

In the massage unit having the first configuration, a configuration (second configuration) may be employed in which the amount of forward projection of the lower treatment element with respect to the base member is fixed.

In the massage unit having the first configuration, a second arm to which the lower treatment element is attached at one end, and a second adjustment mechanism for adjusting an amount by which one end of the second arm protrudes forward with respect to the base member. and a configuration (third configuration).

In the massage unit of the third configuration, the second adjustment mechanism may be configured (fourth configuration) to include a slide mechanism that can extend and contract in a slide axis direction along a plane substantially perpendicular to the left-right direction.

The massage unit having any one of the first to fourth configurations further comprises a kneading drive mechanism for causing the upper treatment element to perform a kneading motion, a first member, a second member, and a third member, wherein The kneading drive mechanism has a kneading shaft that supports the first arm and a kneading motor that rotates the kneading shaft, and the first member rotatably supports the left end of the kneading shaft. The second member has a second bearing that rotatably supports the right end of the kneading shaft, and the third member rotatably supports an intermediate portion of the kneading shaft. A configuration (fifth configuration) in which the third member is directly or indirectly attached to the base member so as to be rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis extending in the left-right direction is also provided. good.

The massage machine disclosed in this specification includes a massage unit having any one of the first to fifth configurations, a body support section that supports the body of a user, and the body support section that is in contact with the body. and a guide rail extending along the surface, wherein the massage unit is guided by the guide rail to ascend and descend within the body support section (sixth configuration).

In the sixth massage machine, a first operation mode in which the person to be treated is treated using the upper treatment elements without using the lower treatment elements; A second operation mode in which both of the lower treatment elements are used for treatment, and a third operation mode in which the user is treated with the lower treatment elements without using the upper treatment elements. A configuration (seventh configuration) may be used.

According to the massage unit and the massage machine equipped with the massage unit disclosed in this specification, the lower treatment element is not affected by the movement of the arm to which the upper treatment element is attached. Thereby, the lower treatment element can be arranged at a desired position without performing complicated control.

A perspective view of a massage machine according to an embodiment 1 is a front perspective view of a massage unit according to one embodiment; FIG. Front view of a massage unit according to one embodiment Top view of a massage unit according to one embodiment Front perspective view of a massage unit according to a first modification FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the massage unit according to the first modification in which the projection amounts of the upper and lower treatment elements are increased; Front perspective view of a massage unit according to a second modification FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a massage unit according to a second modification in which the projection amounts of the upper and lower treatment elements are increased; Schematic diagram showing an operation example of the massager Schematic diagram showing an operation example of the massager Schematic diagram showing an operation example of the massager Schematic diagram showing an operation example of the massager Schematic diagram showing an operation example of the massager Schematic diagram showing an operation example of the massager Schematic diagram showing an operation example of the massager Schematic diagram showing an operation example of the massager Schematic diagram showing an operation example of the massager Partial perspective view showing a modification of the massage unit

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

<1. Configuration of Massager>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a massage machine 100 according to one embodiment. In the following description, the front side (front side) viewed from the user seated on the massage machine 100 is referred to as the "front side", and the rear side (back side) viewed from the user seated on the massage machine 100 is referred to as the "rear side." side. Also, the upper side (head side) as viewed from the user seated on the massage machine 100 is referred to as the "upper side", and the lower side (the leg side) as viewed from the user seated on the massage machine 100 is referred to as the "lower side". . Also, the right side as viewed from the user seated on the massage machine 100 is referred to as the "right side", and the left side as viewed from the user seated on the massage machine 100 is referred to as the "left side".

The massage machine 100 includes a seat portion 200 , a backrest portion 300 , a base portion 400 , an arm treatment portion 500 , an operation portion 600 , a cord wire 700 , a stand 800 and a legrest portion 900 .

The seat 200 supports the user's buttocks and upper legs.

The backrest 300 supports the shoulders, waist, and back of the user. The backrest portion 300 is attached to the rear end of the seat portion 200 so as to be rotatable about a reclining rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The backrest portion 300 incorporates guide rails 300B and 300C extending along a surface 300A in contact with the shoulders and hips of the user. The massage unit 1, which will be described later, moves up and down within the backrest portion 300 while being guided by the guide rails 300B and 300C. The guide rails 300B and 300C may be extended to the rear portion of the seat portion 200 so that the massage unit 1, which will be described later, moves up and down within the seat portion 200 and the backrest portion 300.

The base portion 400 is provided upright on both left and right sides of the seat portion 200 and below the seat portion 200 . 400 A of control parts are incorporated in the inside of the base part 400 provided in the left side of the seat part 200. As shown in FIG.

The arm treatment units 500 are provided upright on both the left and right sides of the seat portion 200 and above the seat portion 200 . The arm treatment unit 500 incorporates an expandable and contractible bag, and treats the patient's arm while supporting it with the expandable and contractible bag.

The operation unit 600 is an input device for the user to select a treatment pattern and adjust the strength of the treatment. The operation unit 600 is connected to the control unit 400A via the code line 700. FIG. 400 A of control parts control each part of the massage machine 100 based on the signal output from the operation part 600. FIG.

The stand 800 is fixed to the arm treatment section 500 provided on the left side of the seat section 200 . The operating unit 600 is attachable to and detachable from the stand 800 .

The legrest 900 supports the lower leg of the user.

<2. Configuration of massage unit>
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the massage unit 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the massage unit 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a top view of the massage unit 1. FIG.

The massage unit 1 has a base member. The base member comprises base member parts 2A-2E.

Each of the base member parts 2A and 2B has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front and an L shape when viewed from the side.

The base member part 2C connects the lower end of the base member part 2A and the lower end of the base member part 2B.

The base member part 2D is fixed to the base member part 2C at a position to the left of the center of the base member part 2C in the left-right direction. The base member part 2E is fixed to the base member part 2C at a position to the right of the center of the base member part 2C in the left-right direction.

The massage unit 1 further comprises guide rollers 3 and 4 . The guide rollers 3 slide on the guide rails 300B when the massage unit 1 is raised and lowered, and the guide rollers 4 slide on the guide rails 300C when the massage unit 1 is raised and lowered.

The massage unit 1 further includes an elevating shaft, an elevating motor 6, and pinion gears 7 and 8. A lifting motor 6 is interlocked with a lifting shaft extending in the left-right direction. The lifting motor 6 is interlocked with the lifting shaft by the rotation transmission portion R1. The rotation transmission portion R1 includes a bearing portion and a gear mechanism for changing the rotation axis direction. The lifting shaft is rotatably supported by the bearing portion B1 and the bearing portion in the rotation transmission portion R1. The rotation transmission part R1 is fixed to the lower back surface of the base member part 2B, and the bearing part B1 is fixed to the left end of the base member part 2C. The elevating motor 6 is a drive source for elevating the massage unit 1 . A pinion gear 7 is provided at the left end of the lifting shaft, and a pinion gear 8 is provided at the right end of the lifting shaft. The pinion gear 7 meshes with the rack provided on the guide rail 300B, and the pinion gear 8 meshes with the rack provided on the guide rail 300C. Therefore, by driving the lifting motor 6 to rotate the lifting shaft, the massage unit 1 moves up and down along the guide rails 300B and 300C.

The massage unit 1 further includes a pair of left and right upper treatment elements 9 and 10, a pair of left and right arms AM1 and AM2, a tapping drive mechanism, a kneading drive mechanism, and first to fourth flat plate members P1 to P4. . The tapping driving mechanism causes the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 to perform a tapping action by rocking the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 in the front-rear direction. The kneading drive mechanism causes the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 to perform a kneading operation by eccentrically rotating the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 .

In addition, the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 are the treatment elements located at the uppermost position in the massage unit 1 .

The beating drive mechanism includes a beating motor 11, a gear 12, a beating shaft 13, a left eccentric rotating body, a right eccentric rotating body, a left protrusion, and a right protrusion. A left eccentric rotating body and a right eccentric rotating body are fixed to the beating shaft 13 . A through-hole concentric with the beating shaft 13 is provided at the rear end of the left projection extending forward. When the beating shaft 13 rotates, the left eccentric rotating body rotates while sliding in the through hole of the left protrusion. A through-hole concentric with the beating shaft 13 is provided at the rear end of the right projection extending forward. When the beating shaft 13 rotates, the right eccentric rotating body rotates while sliding in the through hole of the right protrusion. The front end of the left protrusion attached to the tapping shaft 13 is connected to the arm AM1 by a left ball joint. The front end of the right protrusion attached to the tapping shaft 13 is connected to the arm AM2 by a right ball joint. When the beating motor 11 is driven, a driving force is applied to the beating shaft 13 via the gear 12, and the beating shaft 13 rotates. As the beating shaft 13 rotates, the arms AM1 and AM2 swing around a kneading shaft 15, which will be described later.

The arm AM1 supports the upper treatment element 9, and the arm AM2 supports the upper treatment element 10. The upper treatment element 9 is rotatably attached to the front end of the arm AM1, and the upper treatment element 10 is rotatably attached to the front end of the arm AM2.

The kneading drive mechanism includes a kneading motor 14, a kneading shaft 15, and an eccentric rotating body. A pair of left and right eccentric rotating bodies are fixed to a kneading shaft 15 extending in the left-right direction. The kneading shaft 15 supports the rear part of the arm AM1 via the left eccentric rotating body, and supports the rear part of the arm AM2 via the right eccentric rotating body. A kneading motor 14 is interlocked with a kneading shaft 15 . When the kneading motor 14 is driven, the kneading shaft 15 rotates, and the pair of left and right eccentric rotating bodies fixed to the kneading shaft 15 also rotate. The arms AM1 and AM2 swing up and down, left and right, and back and forth by the rotation of the pair of left and right eccentric rotating bodies.

A bearing portion that rotatably supports the left end portion of the kneading shaft 15 is arranged inside the first flat plate member P1. A bearing portion that rotatably supports the left end portion of the beating shaft 13 is also arranged inside the first flat plate member P1.

A bearing portion that rotatably supports the right end portion of the kneading shaft 15 is arranged inside the second flat plate member P2. A bearing portion that rotatably supports the right end portion of the beating shaft 13 is also arranged inside the second flat plate member P2.

A bearing portion that rotatably supports the intermediate portion of the kneading shaft 15 is arranged inside the third flat plate member P3. A bearing portion that rotatably supports the intermediate portion of the beating shaft 13 is also arranged inside the third flat plate member P3.

Since the kneading drive mechanism is supported at three points, the left end, the right end, and the intermediate portion of the kneading shaft 15, that is, the kneading shaft 15, the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2 have high rigidity. Not required. Therefore, a large case for housing and supporting the kneading drive mechanism is not required, and as a result, the size of the massage unit 1 can be reduced.

A body portion of a fourth flat plate member P4 is fixed to the front end of the third flat plate member P3 substantially perpendicularly to the third flat plate member P3.

The fourth flat plate member P4 includes, in addition to the main body portion of the fourth flat plate member P4, a first folded portion extending rearward from the left side of the main body portion of the fourth flat plate member P4 and rearward from the right side of the main body portion of the fourth flat plate member P4. and a second folded portion extending to.

The lower part of the first folded portion is attached to the base member part 2D so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis AX1, and the lower part of the second folded part is attached to the base member part 2E so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis AX1. Note that the rotation axis AX1 is an axis extending in the left-right direction. Therefore, the third flat plate member P3 is attached to the base member via the fourth flat plate member P4 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis AX1.

The massage unit 1 further comprises connecting rods 16 and 17 . The connecting rods 16 and 17 are rod-shaped members extending in the left-right direction, and connect the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2. In other words, the massage unit 1 does not have a case that houses the kneading drive mechanism and the tapping drive mechanism. Therefore, the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2 do not form part of the case that accommodates the kneading drive mechanism and the beating drive mechanism.

Upper portions of the first folded portion and the second folded portion of the fourth flat plate member P4 are attached to the connecting rod 16 so as not to rotate. As a result, it is possible to prevent the position of the third flat plate member P3 from shaking due to vibration during operation of the kneading drive mechanism or the beating drive mechanism.

The massage unit 1 further includes an advancing/retreating shaft 18 , pinion gears 19 and 20 , and an advancing/retreating motor 21 . The advance/retreat shaft 18 extends along the left-right direction. A pinion gear 19 is fixed to the left side of the advancing/retreating shaft 18 , and a pinion gear 20 is fixed to the right side of the advancing/retreating shaft 18 . An advance/retreat motor 21 is interlocked with the advance/retreat shaft 18 . The advance/retreat motor 21 is interlocked with the advance/retreat shaft 18 by the rotation transmission portion R2. The rotation transmission portion R2 includes a bearing portion and a gear mechanism for changing the rotation axis direction.

An arc-shaped rack is provided on each upper portion of the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2. The pinion gear 19 meshes with the rack provided on the first flat plate member P1, and the pinion gear 20 meshes with the rack provided on the second flat plate member P2. As the forward/backward shaft 18 rotates, the pinion gears 19 and 20 rotate and move relative to the rack. The movement of the pinion gears 19 and 20 relative to the rack rotates the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2 about the rotation axis AX1 in the front-rear direction, and the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 advance and retreat in the front-rear direction. That is, the protrusion amounts of the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 are adjusted by rotating the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2 in the front-rear direction about the rotation axis AX1.

The massage unit 1 further includes a pair of left and right lower treatment elements 22 and 23 , a support shaft 24 , and projections 25 and 26 . The lower treatment element 22 is rotatably attached to the support shaft 24 at a position shifted to the left from the center in the left-right direction. The lower treatment element 23 is rotatably attached to the support shaft 24 at a position shifted to the right from the center in the left-right direction. The left end of the support shaft 24 is fixed to the right side surface of a projecting portion 25 projecting forward from the lower left end of the base member component 2A. The right end of the support shaft 24 is fixed to the left side of a projecting portion 26 projecting forward from the lower right end of the base member part 2B. With such a structure, the amount of forward projection of the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 with respect to the base member is fixed.

In addition, the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 are the treatment elements located at the lowest position in the massage unit 1 .

In the massage unit 1 described above, the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 are attached to the base member independently from the arms AM1 and AM2. In other words, the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 are unaffected by the movement of arms AM1 and AM2 relative to the base member. As a result, the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 can be arranged at desired positions without performing complicated control.

<3. First modification of massage unit>
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a massage unit 1' according to the first modified example. FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a massage unit 1' according to a first modification in which the projection amounts of the upper and lower treatment elements are increased. In the massage machine 100, instead of the massage unit 1, a massage unit 1' according to the first modified example may be used.

The massage unit 1' shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 differs from the massage unit 1 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 only in the support structure of the lower treatment elements, and the structure related to the upper treatment elements is the same. . Therefore, description of the structure related to the upper treatment elements of the massage unit 1' shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 will be omitted.

The arm AM3 supports the lower treatment element 22, and the arm AM4 supports the lower treatment element 23. Arm AM3 includes a curved portion and a branch portion BR1 that branches off from an intermediate portion of the curved portion and extends linearly. Arm AM4 includes a curved portion and a branch portion BR2 that branches off from an intermediate portion of the curved portion and extends linearly. The lower treatment element 22 is rotatably attached to one end of the curved portion of the arm AM3, and the lower treatment element 23 is rotatably attached to one end of the curved portion of the arm AM4.

A through hole is provided at the other end of each curved portion of the arms AM3 and AM4, and the elevating shaft 5 passes through the through hole. Each other end of each curved portion of the arms AM3 and AM4 is not fixed to the elevation shaft 5 .

Each tip of the branch portions BR1 and BR2 is connected to a slide member 29 via a shaft 27 extending in the left-right direction.

The forward ends of screws 28 are rotatably attached to base member parts 2F and 2G. The base member part 2F is fixed to the base member part 2C at a position to the left of the center of the base member part 2C in the left-right direction. The base member part 2G is fixed to the base member part 2C at a position to the right of the center of the base member part 2C in the left-right direction.

The slide member 29 is moved along the longitudinal direction of the screw 28 by the driving force of the motor 30 . That is, the slide member 29 extends and retracts along the longitudinal direction of the screw 28 with respect to the front end of the screw 28 .

When the slide member 29 shrinks with respect to the front end of the screw 28 along the longitudinal direction of the screw 28, as shown in FIG. When extending along the longitudinal direction of the screw 28 with respect to the front end of the lower treatment elements 22 and 23, as shown in FIG.

In the massage unit 1' described above, the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 are attached to the base member independently from the arms AM1 and AM2. In other words, the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 are unaffected by the movement of arms AM1 and AM2 relative to the base member. As a result, the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 can be arranged at desired positions without performing complicated control.

In addition, since the massage unit 1' described above can adjust the amount of projection of the lower treatment elements 22 and 23, it is possible to perform more diverse treatments on the subject than the massage unit 1 described above.

<4. Second modification of massage unit>
FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a massage unit 1″ according to the second modification. FIG. 8 is a massage unit 1 according to the second modification in which the projection amounts of the upper and lower treatment elements are increased. '' is a front perspective view of the . In the massage machine 100, instead of the massage unit 1, a massage unit 1'' according to the second modification may be used.

The massage unit 1'' shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 differs from the massage unit 1 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 only in the supporting structure of the lower treatment elements, and the structure related to the upper treatment elements is the same. Therefore, description of the structure related to the upper treatment elements of the massage unit 1'' shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 will be omitted.

The arm AM3 supports the lower treatment element 22, and the arm AM4 supports the lower treatment element 23. The lower treatment element 22 is rotatably attached to one end of the arm AM3, and the lower treatment element 23 is rotatably attached to one end of the arm AM4.

A through hole is provided at the other end of each of the arms AM3 and AM4, and the rotary shaft 31 passes through the through hole. Each other end of the arms AM3 and AM4 is fixed to the rotating shaft 31. As shown in FIG.

A bearing portion that rotatably supports the intermediate portion of the rotating shaft 31 is arranged inside the flat plate member 32 . The rotating shaft 31 is rotated by the driving force of the motor 30 . When the rotating shaft 31 is at the standard position, the amount of protrusion of the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 is small as shown in FIG. 8, the amount of protrusion of the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 increases.

In the massage unit 1'' described above, the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 are attached to the base member independently from the arms AM1 and AM2. Insensitive to movement relative to the base member, this allows the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 to be placed in desired positions without performing complex controls.

Moreover, since the massage unit 1 ″ described above can adjust the amount of projection of the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 , it is possible to perform more diverse treatments on the person to be treated than the massage unit 1 described above.

<5. Operation example of the massager>
An example of the operation of the massage machine 100 will be described, taking as an example the case where the massage unit 1' is mounted on the massage machine 100. FIG.

The massage machine 100 preferably has first to third operation modes. The first operation mode is an operation mode in which the user is treated using the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 without using the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 . The second operation mode is an operation mode in which both the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 and the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 are used to treat the person to be treated. The third operation mode is an operation mode in which the user is treated using the lower treatment elements 22 and 23 without using the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 .

The upper treatment elements 9 and 10, which are the uppermost treatment elements, and the lower treatment elements 22 and 23, which are the lowermost treatment elements, can execute the first to third operation modes. With this configuration, it is possible to perform a wide variety of treatments on the person to be treated.

A more specific operation example of the massage machine 100 will be described below.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a shoulder grab action. The shoulder grab motion is an example of a motion that can be realized by executing the second motion mode.

The shoulder grasping motion is performed with the massage unit stopped at a predetermined elevation position so that the upper treatment element is positioned above the user's shoulder and the lower treatment element is positioned below the user's shoulder. This is an action to simultaneously increase the amount of protrusion of the treatment element and the amount of protrusion of the lower treatment element to sandwich the shoulder between the upper and lower treatment elements. The amount of projection of the lower treatment element may be increased after increasing the amount of projection of the upper treatment element.

Since the massage machine equipped with the massage unit 1 cannot adjust the amount of protrusion of the lower treatment elements, it is impossible to perform the above-described original shoulder grasping motion. However, even in a massage machine equipped with the massage unit 1, if the lower treatment elements protrude to some extent, by increasing the amount of protrusion of the upper treatment elements, the upper and lower treatment elements will move the shoulders together. can be realized.

In a state in which the upper treatment element and the lower treatment element are performing the action of sandwiching the shoulder, the upper treatment element may perform the kneading action or the tapping action. When the upper treatment element performs the kneading action, it is desirable to limit the kneading action to a lower half-rotation kneading action so that the action of sandwiching the shoulder between the upper treatment element and the lower treatment element is maintained.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the lower treatment element roller operation. The lower treatment element roller operation is an example of an operation that can be realized by executing the third operation mode.

The lower treatment element roller movement is an operation in which the massage unit is moved up and down while only the lower treatment element functions as a roller, with the projection amount of the upper treatment element reduced so that treatment using the upper treatment element is not performed. be. According to the massage machine of the present invention, the rollers can reach lower parts of the user than in a massage machine that does not have lower treatment elements.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the kneading motion of the upper treatment element. The upper treatment element kneading motion is an example of a motion that can be realized by executing the first motion mode. The upper treatment element kneading operation is a kneading operation performed in a state in which the upper treatment element protrudes more than the lower treatment element by increasing the amount of protrusion of the upper treatment element.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a lower treatment element acupressure operation. The lower treatment element acupressure operation is an example of an operation that can be realized by executing the third operation mode. The lower treatment element acupressure action is an action that simulates acupressure pushing up from below, and is an action that increases or decreases the amount of protrusion of the lower treatment element.

It should be noted that a massage machine equipped with the massage unit 1 cannot adjust the amount of protrusion of the lower treatment elements, so the lower treatment element acupressure operation described above cannot be performed.

13 and 14 are schematic diagrams showing a back stretching action. The stretching motion is an example of a motion that can be realized by repeating the second motion mode and the third or first motion mode.

The back-stretching motion is performed by moving the upper and lower treatment elements as shown in FIG. Switching from the first state in which the back of the user is pressed by both of the arms to the second state in which the back of the user is pressed by the lower member only by increasing the amount of protrusion of the lower member, for example, and then It is an operation to repeat a routine of reducing the protrusion amount of the lower treatment element and returning it to the first state.

In order to prevent the back stretching treatment from being hindered by gravity, it is desirable to perform the back stretching operation with the backrest portion of the massage machine lying down.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a grasping action on the buttocks. A grasping motion is an example of a motion that can be realized by executing the second motion mode. The buttocks grasping motion is performed with the massage unit stopped at a predetermined elevation position so that the upper treatment element faces the upper part of the user's buttocks and the lower treatment element faces the lower part of the user's buttocks. This is an action to simultaneously increase the amount of protrusion of the upper treatment element and the amount of protrusion of the lower treatment element to sandwich the buttocks between the upper treatment element and the lower treatment element. The amount of projection of the lower treatment element may be increased after increasing the amount of projection of the upper treatment element.

Since the massage machine equipped with the massage unit 1 cannot adjust the amount of protrusion of the lower treatment elements, it is impossible to perform the above-described original buttocks grasping motion. However, even in a massage machine equipped with the massage unit 1, if the lower treatment element protrudes to some extent, the buttocks can be massaged by the upper and lower treatment elements by increasing the amount of protrusion of the upper treatment element. It is possible to realize the operation of pinching the part.

In a state in which the upper treatment element and the lower treatment element are performing the action of pinching the buttocks, the upper treatment element may further perform the kneading action or the tapping action. When the upper treatment element performs the kneading action, it is desirable to limit the kneading action to the lower half-rotation kneading action so as to maintain the action of pinching the buttocks with the upper treatment element and the lower treatment element. .

16 and 17 are schematic diagrams showing the grabbing up and down motion. The grabbing up and down motion is an example of a motion that can be realized by executing the second motion mode.

Grabbing up and down motion is motion to pull the shoulder while grasping it. With the shoulder sandwiched between the upper treatment element and the lower treatment element, the massage unit is lifted from the third state shown in FIG. 17, and then lower the massage unit to return to the third state. In addition, it is desirable to vary the protrusion amount of the upper treatment element in conjunction with the elevation of the massage unit so that the action of sandwiching the shoulder between the upper treatment element and the lower treatment element is maintained.

<6. Others>
The above embodiments should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the technical scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of claims rather than the description of the above embodiments. It should be understood that all modifications that fall within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims are included.

For example, in the above embodiment, a so-called chair-type massage machine has been described as an example, but the massage unit according to the present invention can also be mounted on a so-called bed-type massage machine.

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the third flat plate member P3 is attached to the base member through the fourth flat plate member P4 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis AX1. Thus, the third flat plate member P3 may be directly attached to the base member so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis extending in the left-right direction.

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the massage unit does not have a case for accommodating the kneading drive mechanism and the tapping drive mechanism, but the massage unit has a case for accommodating the kneading drive mechanism and the tapping drive mechanism. may be

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the structure is such that the amount of protrusion of the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 is adjusted using arc-shaped racks provided on the upper portions of the first flat plate member P1 and the second flat plate member P2. However, as long as the amount of protrusion of the upper treatment elements 9 and 10 can be adjusted, the massage unit may have a structure that does not have an arc-shaped rack.

1 massage unit 2A to 2G base member parts 9, 10 upper treatment element 18 advance/retreat shaft 19, 20 pinion gear 21 advance/retreat motor 22, 23 lower treatment element 27 shaft 28 screw 29 slide member 30 motor 100 massage machine AM1 to AM4 arm BR1, BR2 branching parts P1 to P4 first to fourth flat plate members

Claims (5)

a base member;
an upper treatment element;
a lower treatment element;
a first arm to which the upper treatment element is attached at one end;
a first adjustment mechanism for adjusting an amount by which one end of the first arm protrudes forward with respect to the base member;
a second arm to which the lower treatment element is attached at one end;
with
the lower treatment element is indirectly attached to the base member independently of the first arm;
having a function of gripping the shoulder or buttocks of the user between the upper treatment element and the lower treatment element,
The second arm has a curved portion to which the lower treatment element is attached at one end that curves forward as it extends downward,
The other end of the curved portion is arranged on a shaft extending in the left-right direction,
The massage unit, wherein the lower treatment element is rotatable about the axis together with the bending portion. 2. The massage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the upper treatment performs a kneading motion or a tapping motion during the grasping motion. further comprising a kneading drive mechanism for causing the upper treatment element to perform kneading motion, a first member, a second member, and a third member,
The kneading drive mechanism has a kneading shaft that supports the first arm and a kneading motor that rotates the kneading shaft,
The first member has a first bearing that rotatably supports the left end of the kneading shaft,
The second member has a second bearing that rotatably supports the right end of the kneading shaft,
The third member has a third bearing that rotatably supports an intermediate portion of the kneading shaft,
3. The massage unit according to claim 1 , wherein said third member is directly or indirectly attached to said base member so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. A massage unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ;
a body support section that supports the body of the user;
a guide rail extending along a surface of the body support that contacts the body;
with
A massage machine according to claim 1, wherein said massage unit is guided by said guide rail to ascend and descend within said body support during said gripping motion. a first operation mode in which the person to be treated is treated using the upper treatment element without using the lower treatment element;
a second operation mode for treating the person to be treated using both the upper treatment element and the lower treatment element;
a third operation mode in which the person to be treated is treated using the lower treatment element without using the upper treatment element;
5. The massage machine of claim 4 , comprising:

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