JPH07132132A - Massage machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To constitute the massage machine so that a pushing load of a therapeutic piece for working actually on a part to be treated can be known exactly, strength control at the time of various therapies executed, based on its result, is executed stably, and an agreeable use sensation can always be obtained. CONSTITUTION:To an input side of a control part 7 for executing driving control of a massage driving motor M1, a tapping driving motor M2, a finger- pressure driving motor M3 and a vertically driving motor M4 in order to execute a massage for holding prescribed therapeutic strength, based on an output of a load sensor 6 for detecting a pushing load of a therapeutic piece against a therapeutic part, a moving sensor 8 for detecting a movement of the therapeutic piece for running along a back touching part, and an oscillation angle sensor 9 for detecting an oscillation angle of a supporting arm for supporting the therapeucit piece are connected. In the control part 7, a detected load by the load sensor 6 is corrected, based on a result in detection of the moving sensor 8 and a result in detection of the oscillation angle sensor 9, and this massage machine is constituted so that the abovementioned driving control can be executed by using this corrected load.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention provides a treatment unit that moves along a back contact portion with a treatment element that performs a predetermined treatment operation, and the treatment portion pressed against the back contact portion by the operation of the treatment element. In addition, the present invention relates to a massage machine configured to perform treatments such as rubbing, tapping, and acupressure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Due to the recent trend toward health,
Massage machines used for home use have been receiving attention. In particular, the treatment unit that moves along the back contact portion of the chair is provided with a pair of treatment elements projecting to the front side (front side of the back contact portion), and the treatment unit and movement of the treatment element allow the treatment unit to move to the back contact portion. A chair-type massage machine that performs various types of treatment (rubbing, tapping, acupressure, etc.) on the treatment area that is pressed against it. It is possible to perform a wide range of treatments from the neck to the waist without changing the sitting posture. It is widely used as a massage machine that can provide the desired effects.

The treatment element is attached to the tip of each of the support arms which are supported in the middle by a common support shaft which is horizontally installed inside the treatment unit, and the support arm slides along the support shaft. The left and right movements move toward and away from each other by, and the back and forth movements that increase and decrease the protrusion length from the back contact part due to the swinging of the support arm that occurs in the same phase around the spindle, and the phase shifts around the spindle. It is configured to perform up-and-down motions that alternate up and down by the swinging of the support arm that occurs, and the applicant of the present application has already provided a plurality of drive motors respectively corresponding to the above-mentioned motions, and these motors and treatment A massage machine is proposed, which is configured to separately drive the vertical movement motor of the unit.

In this massage machine, acupressure treatment for applying a pressure stimulus to the treatment site pressed against the back contact portion by the back and forth movement of the treatment element and a tap treatment for applying a stimulus to the treatment site by the vertical movement of the treatment element. In addition to the above, in addition to the forward and backward movements of the treatment element, and the left and right movements, the treatment area is massaged to loosen and massage the treatment area.The combination of the forward and backward movements of the treatment element and the movement of the treatment unit makes rolling treatment to stimulate the treatment area. The treatment can be performed in a complicated form in which the operation and the movement of the treatment unit are appropriately combined, and the treatment effect can be further improved.

Further, in this massage machine, the reaction force load acting on each of the treatment elements in accordance with the pressing to the treatment site is detected, and for example, this detected value is prevented from exceeding a predetermined upper limit value. The strength control is performed by controlling the motor for each operation, and automatically adjusting the acting force applied to the treatment site during the various treatments described above according to the treatment conditions such as the strength designation by the user and the position of the treatment site. Therefore, a comfortable feeling of use and a sufficient medical treatment effect can be obtained without requiring a complicated operation by the user.

[0006]

In the massage machine as described above, the load sensor for detecting the pressing load of the treatment element is attached inside the treatment unit supporting the treatment element. Since the space is limited, there is a configuration in which a strain gauge is attached to the support arm of the treatment element and the strain generated in the support arm due to the pressing of the treatment element against the treatment site is detected through the resistance change of the strain gauge. Has been adopted.

However, when the above-described strength control is performed based on the detection result of such a load sensor, for example, when rolling treatment is performed accompanied by movement of the treatment unit, the feeling of pressing the treatment element applied to the treatment site is pressed. Is different between when the treatment unit moves up and when it moves down, and in the acupressure treatment performed with the back-and-forth movement of the treatment element, the pressing feeling of the treatment element applied to the treatment site can be reduced by a slight change in the strength designation. There is a problem in that the change greatly changes, and the user feels uncomfortable in any case, and the comfortable feeling as the original purpose cannot be obtained.

The problem is that the pressing direction of the treatment element against the treatment region changes depending on the moving direction of the treatment unit and the swinging of the support arm caused by the back-and-forth movement or the up-and-down movement of the treatment element. On the other hand, the output of the strain gauge used as a load sensor merely corresponds to the component force applied to the support arm of the treatment element in one direction (the direction orthogonal to the axis of the support arm) by being pressed against the treatment site. No
This is because the output of the strain gauge does not correspond to the pressing load actually applied to the treatment site.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to accurately know the pressing load of the treatment element that actually acts on the treatment site, and to perform various treatments based on this result. It is an object of the present invention to provide a massage machine in which the strength of the body is stably adjusted and a comfortable feeling is always obtained.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a massage machine has a support arm projecting from a treatment unit that moves along a back contact portion, and a predetermined treatment is performed according to the swing of the support arm. A load sensor attached to the support arm detects a reaction force load that acts on the treatment element when the treatment element is pressed against the treatment site, and the movement of the treatment element based on the detected load. In a massager that automatically adjusts the acting force on the treatment site by correcting the movement sensor that detects the movement direction of the treatment unit and the load detected by the load sensor based on the detection result of the movement sensor. And a correction means for performing the correction.

In the massage machine according to the second aspect of the present invention, the treatment arm that projects from the treatment arm that moves along the back contact portion performs a predetermined treatment operation according to the swing of the support arm. Comprising a load sensor attached to the support arm to detect a reaction force load acting on the treatment element along with pressing against the treatment site, and controlling the operation of the treatment element based on the detected load. In a massage machine that automatically adjusts the acting force on the treatment site, a swing angle sensor that detects a swing angle of the support arm, and a load detected by the load sensor is corrected based on a detection result of the swing angle sensor. And a correction means for performing the correction.

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, during the treatment operation involving the movement of the treatment unit, the direction of this movement is detected by the movement sensor, and the load detected by the load sensor is corrected based on the detection result. This correction is performed, for example, so as to reduce the load detected by the load sensor when the treatment unit moves upward, and conversely increase the detection load when the treatment unit moves downward. Use the load to automatically adjust the treatment strength.

In the second aspect of the invention, the swing angle of the support arm of the treatment element is detected during the treatment operation involving the front-back or up-down movement of the treatment element, and the load detected by the load sensor is corrected based on this detection result. To do. This correction is performed, for example, so as to increase the correction amount in accordance with an increase in the inclination angle of the support arm with respect to the surface of the back contact portion, and the detected load after the correction is used for automatic adjustment of the treatment intensity.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a massage machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing its frame structure.

The massaging machine shown in FIG. 1 has a seat 1 having armrests 1a, 1a on both sides in the width direction, and a back contact portion 2 standing up from the rear edge of the seat 1 to form the appearance of an armchair. It is a chair-type massage machine. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat portion 1 includes a seat plate 11 mounted on a leg frame 10 and a seating pad 12 placed on the seat plate 11, and the back contact portion 2 has its lower end swingable to the leg frame 10. A plurality of brackets 22, 22 are provided which are provided with a vertically-supported vertical frame 20 on both left and right sides (only one side is shown), and which are projected forward at appropriate positions on both vertical frames 20.
Fix the support plate 21 on top, and attach the back support pad to this support plate 21.
It is configured to cover 23.

Between the left and right vertical frames 20, 20, there is supported a treatment unit 3 which moves up and down using these as guide members, and a pair of treatment elements 4, 4 projecting in the width direction is provided on the front side of the treatment unit 3. There is. In the widthwise center of the back pad 23,
As shown in FIG. 1, a notched portion of an appropriate width covered with a highly stretchable covering cloth 24 is formed over substantially the entire length, and the treatment elements 4 and 4 contact the back through the notched portion. By the operation of the separate drive mechanism that is projected to the front side of the portion 2 and is incorporated in the treatment unit 3, the left and right movements for kneading treatment, the up and down movements for tapping treatment, and the front and back for shiatsu treatment are performed. The operation and the operation are performed respectively.

The vertical frame 20 of the back contact portion 2 has a bent shape as shown in FIG. 2 so as to follow the curve of the nape from the back which is the treatment site, and on the rear side of the vertical frame 20, A drive chain 15 stretched between a lower drive sprocket 13 and an upper driven sprocket 14 is provided. The drive force of the vertical drive motor M ₄ installed on the lower rear side of the seat portion 1 is transmitted to the drive sprocket 13 via the speed reducer 16, and the rotation of the drive sprocket 13 according to this transmission causes the drive sprocket 13 to rotate. The drive chain 15 is adapted to move up and down.

The treatment unit 3 is provided with a pair of upper and lower main rollers 3a, 3a which are in rolling contact with the front surface of the vertical frame 20, and an auxiliary roller 3b which is also in rolling contact with the rear surface, and these support three points on both sides in the width direction. Further, the drive chain 15 is connected via a connecting member 3c fixed to the lower rear side of the auxiliary roller 3b.
It is connected to the middle part. Treatment unit 3 Thus, in response to actuation of the drive chain 15 by transmission from the vertical driving motor M _4, as guide surfaces before and after surface of the main roller 3a, 3a and the vertical frame 20 sub roller 3b are in contact with the rolling, back It will move along the contact part 2.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the treatment unit 3 viewed from the back contact portion 2 side. Inside the treatment unit 3, a support shaft 30 is laid across the entire width of the treatment unit 3, and the kneading drive shaft 31, the tapping drive shaft 32, and the acupressure drive shaft 33 are arranged horizontally in parallel with the support shaft 30. It is hung. The kneading drive shaft 31 is a feed screw shaft in which a right-hand screw is formed on one side of the center of the treatment unit 3 in the width direction and a left-hand screw is formed on the other side thereof, and is fixedly installed on one side inside the treatment unit 3. It is adapted to be rotationally driven around the axis by the transmission from the kneading drive motor M ₁ .

The acupressure drive shaft 33 has substantially the same length on both sides of the center of the treatment unit 3 in the width direction, and the acupressure drive motor M ₃ fixed to the other side inside the treatment unit ₃ is provided. It is connected to the output end through a transmission mechanism including a belt and a speed reducer, and is rotated at a low speed within a predetermined rotation angle range around the axis by the transmission from the acupressure drive motor M _3. Yes.

A swing arm 34 is provided at the center of the acupressure drive shaft 33.
The base end portion of is fixed, and the hitting drive shaft 32 is rotatably supported by the tip end portion of the swing arm 34. The swing arm 34 is fixed to both sides of the acupressure drive shaft 33, and the beating drive shaft 32 is pivotally supported by the swing arm 34 at three positions in the axial direction and is held in parallel with the acupressure drive shaft 33. ing. The striking drive shaft 32 is provided with a pair of cranks 32a, 3 which are out of phase on both sides of a pivotal position with respect to the central swing arm 34, as shown in the figure.
2b is a crankshaft provided with a kneading drive motor M ₁
It is adapted to be rotationally driven around the shaft center by transmission from a striking drive motor M ₂ fixed to the same side.

The output of the hitting drive motor M ₂ is the acupressure drive shaft.
A transmission box 35 supporting one side of 33 is taken out to an output end coaxial with the acupressure driving shaft 33 and transmitted to the hitting driving shaft 32 via a transmission belt 36. Then, the hitting drive shaft 32 is
According to the rotation of the acupressure drive shaft 33 due to the transmission from the acupressure drive motor M ₃ , the position is changed around the axial center of the acupressure drive shaft 33 together with the swing arm 34, and the axial center is transmitted by the transmission from the hitting drive motor M _2. It is driven to rotate around, and this rotation is driven by the structure of the transmission system as described above.
It can be performed simultaneously with the rocking of 34.

As shown in FIG. 3, moving blocks 40, 40 are provided between the support shaft 30 and the kneading drive shaft 31. In this erection, one side of the moving blocks 40, 40 is fitted to the support shaft 30 so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and the other side of the moving blocks 40, 40 is rubbed with the left screw portion of the drive shaft 31. And the right-hand thread portion are respectively screwed together, and the moving blocks 40, 40 slide along the support shaft 30 in accordance with the forward / reverse rotation of the kneading drive shaft 31 due to the transmission from the kneading drive motor M ₁ . The left and right movements are performed to approach or separate from each other.

Arm holders 41, 41 are attached to the fitting parts of the moving blocks 40, 40 on the support shaft 30 so as to be rotatable coaxially with the support shaft 30, on the surfaces facing each other. The treatment elements 4 and 4 are attached to the tips of support arms 42 and 42 projecting from one side of the arm holders 41 and 41, respectively. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing the support structure for the massaging elements 4, 4, and as shown in the figure, the support arms 42, 42 are also projectingly provided on the other side of the arm holders 41, 41. It is connected to the cranks 32a, 32b on both sides of the striking drive shaft 32 via separate connecting links 43, 44, respectively.

When the acupressure driving shaft 33 is driven by the transmission of the acupressure driving motor M ₃ , the base ends of the supporting arms 42 and 42 are moved in accordance with the oscillation of the oscillating arms 34 and 34. By the movement of the kneading drive shaft 32 that occurs as described above, the kneading drive shaft 32 is collectively pushed up or pulled down via the connecting links 43 and 44, and when the hitting drive shaft 32 is rotationally driven by the transmission from the hitting drive motor M ₂ , this is accompanied. By the eccentric rotation of the cranks 32a, 32b, the cranks 32a, 32b are individually pushed up or pulled down via the respective connecting links 43, 44.

By the pushing up or pulling down occurring as described above, the support arms 42, 42 are moved to the respective moving blocks 40, 40.
With the rotation of the arm holders 41, 41, the arm holders 41, 41 swing around the axis of the support shaft 30. The rotation of the acupressure drive shaft 33 is a bidirectional rotation at a low speed that occurs within a predetermined angle range, and the swinging of the support arms 42, 42 corresponding to this rotation occurs gently in the same phase. On the other hand, the rotation of the hitting drive shaft 32 is a one-way rotation at a high speed, and the swinging of the support arms 42, 42 in response to this rotation occurs alternately with a phase shift between the cranks 32a, 32b. . Therefore, the treatment elements 4 and 4 at the tips of the support arms 42 and 42 perform forward and backward operations of projecting forward or retracting backward in synchronization with each other in accordance with the rotation of the acupressure drive shaft 33, and the rotation of the hitting drive shaft 32. According to the above, the vertical movement is performed by alternately moving up and down in a short cycle.

Further, when the kneading drive shaft 31 is rotationally driven by the transmission from the kneading drive motor M ₁ , the treatment elements 4, 4 are
Perform a left-right operation in which they move toward or away from each other in accordance with the sliding of the moving blocks 40, 40 that occurs as described above. Hitting drive shaft
The cranks 32a, 32b of 32 have appropriate lengths on both sides of the central rocking arm 34, and the connection of the connecting links 43, 44 to these is rocking around the axis and sliding in the axial direction. The left and right movements of the treatment elements 4 and 4 can be performed by the crank 3
Allowed by sliding the connecting links 43, 44 along 2a, 32b.

In the massage machine constructed as described above, the user seated on the seat portion 1 puts his or her back, which is a treatment site, on the back contact portion 2 and operates the operation portion 5 (see FIG. 1) to perform a desired treatment. A pattern is selected and used.

The kneading drive motor M ₁ , the tapping drive motor M ₂ and the acupressure drive motor M built in the treatment unit 3
₃ and the vertical drive motor M ₄ installed on the lower side of the seat portion 1 are driven according to the selection pattern on the operation portion 5, and the hitting drive motor M 4 is applied to the treatment site pressed against the back contact portion 2. _The tapping treatment is performed by the vertical movements of the treatment elements 4 and 4 driven by _{2, and} the acupressure treatment is performed by the back and forth movements of the treatment elements 4 and 4 driven by the acupressure driving motor M ₃ .
The massage treatment is performed by the combination of the left and right movements of the treatment elements 4, 4 driven by the kneading drive motor M ₁ and the movement of the treatment unit 3 driven by the up and down drive motor M ₄ , and the treatment element 4 driven by the acupressure drive motor M _3. , 4 in combination with the movement of the treatment unit 3 driven by the vertical drive motor M ₄ performs rolling treatment.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, load sensors 6, 6 are provided in the middle of the support arms 42, 42 for supporting the treatment elements 4, 4.
Are attached respectively, and in the above-mentioned treatment operation, the reaction force loads acting on the treatment elements 4, 4 accompanying the pressing to the treatment region are detected by the load sensors 6, 6, and based on the detected load. kneading drive motor M _1, and controls the output of the tapping driving motor M ₂ and acupressure drive motor M _3, are performed while automatically adjusting the pressing force of the treatment element 4,4 to medical treatment site.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the massage machine according to the present invention. In the figure, 7 is a control unit using a microprocessor, the operation unit 5 and the load sensor 6 are connected to the input side of the control unit 7, and the kneading drive motor M ₁ , The hitting drive motor M ₂ , the acupressure drive motor M _3, and the vertical drive motor M ₄ are connected via separate drive circuits.

On the input side of the control unit 7, a movement sensor 8 for detecting the moving direction of the treatment unit 3, a treatment element 4, and a treatment element 4, are provided.
The swing angle sensor 9 for detecting the swing angle of the support arms 42, 42 supporting the 4 is connected. The movement sensor 8 is attached to, for example, a vertical drive motor M _{4 serving as} a drive source for moving the treatment unit 3 or a drive sprocket 13 that is driven by the motor M ₄ and operates a drive chain 15, and the rotation direction thereof. Any rotation direction detector that detects Alternatively, the moving direction may be detected by a drive command given to the vertical drive motor M ₄ from the control unit 7 without providing a special detector.

The swing angle sensor 9 is attached to, for example, the arm holders 41, 41 for holding the support arms 42, 42, and detects the rotation angle relative to the moving blocks 40, 40 serving as the supports. Any rotation angle detector can be used. This type of detector can be constructed using a rotary potentiometer.

The load sensor 6 is a strain gauge adhered to the support arms 42, 42, and the massaging elements 4, 4 for the treatment site are provided.
The pushing load of the support arm 4 depends on this pushing force.
It is detected through the change in resistance value due to the strain generated in 2, 42. As shown in FIG. 5, the load sensor 6 is incorporated in a bridge circuit composed of three other fixed resistors R _{1 to} R _3, and the change in the resistance value of the load sensor 6 depends on this and the resistor R ₃ . Voltage V ₁ between them and 2 connected in parallel with them
One of extracted as the difference between the reference voltage V ₂ between resistors R _1, R _2, are applied to the differential amplifier G2 is amplified to a voltage V ₃ by the differential amplifier G1.

The differential amplifier G2 also includes an initial regulator VR.
The adjustment voltage V ₄ set to the above is applied, and the output voltage V ₅ of the differential amplifier G2 obtained by adding a predetermined amplification to the voltage difference between this and the voltage V ₃ is input to the control unit 7. It has been done. The output voltage V ₅ is limited to the power source voltage V _cc of the initial regulator VR or less by the voltage limiting diode D1.

The output voltage V ₃ of the differential amplifier G1 corresponds to the change in the resistance value of the load sensor 6, but the absolute value thereof varies depending on the mounting state of the strain gauge as the load sensor 6. The initial adjuster VR is a variable resistor that changes a resistance value by an external adjustment and outputs an adjusted voltage V ₄ that is a stepped-down power supply voltage V _cc , and outputs the adjusted voltage V ₄ to the control unit 7. By setting the adjustment voltage V ₄ while monitoring the output voltage V ₅ , the effect of the attachment state of the output voltage V ₃ of the differential amplifier G1 is eliminated and the input to the control unit 7 is made absolute. Fulfill.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing changes in output voltages of the bridge circuit including the load sensor 6, the differential amplifier G1, and the differential amplifier G2. The output voltage V ₅ obtained after passing through the differential amplifier G2 is initially set by the operation of the initial adjuster VR performed when the pressing load on the treatment elements 4 and 4 is 0, as shown in FIG. 6 (c). Voltage V _adj1 and V _adj2
When the treatment elements 4 and 4 are pressed against the part to be treated, the strain is generated in the support arms 42 and 42 due to the action of the pressing load. A proportional change is shown, and the change mode is balanced after reaching the power supply voltage _Vcc by the action of the voltage limiting diode D1.

According to the treatment pattern set in the operation section 5, the control section 7 issues drive commands to the kneading drive motor M ₁ , the tapping drive motor M ₂ , the finger pressure drive motor M ₃ and the vertical drive motor M ₄ on the output side. By the operation of the treatment elements 4 and 4 and the movement of the treatment unit 3 in response to the control operation, a hitting, an acupressure, and a pressure are applied to the treatment site pressed over substantially the entire back contact portion 2. Treatment operations such as rubbing and rolling, and treatments in which these are appropriately combined are performed according to a desired treatment pattern.

During this time, the control section 7 sequentially reads the output voltage V ₅ of the load sensor 6, recognizes the pressing load of the treatment elements 4 and 4, and adjusts the output of each motor based on this result. . By this operation, the pressing load of the treatment elements 4, 4 to the treatment region is automatically adjusted, and the massage is performed under the load control. Note that this load control is executed according to various settings according to the user's intention, such as setting a treatment pattern on the operation unit 5, setting a desired treatment intensity, and the like. The massage in the desired pattern is performed with the desired intensity.

In the massage under load control as described above, the output voltage V ₅ given from the load sensor 6 is
It is premised that the pressing force actually applied to the treatment region by the treatment elements 4 and 4 should be correctly handled. However, the load sensor 6 is a strain gauge attached to the support arms 42, 42 of the treatment elements 4, 4, and the output voltage V ₅ is applied to the support arms 42, 42 by pressing the treatment elements 4, 4. It only corresponds to the component force in one direction (direction orthogonal to the axis) and is affected by the pressing direction of the treatment elements 4, 4 to the treatment site. On the other hand, the treatment elements 4 and 4 during the treatment operation described above are
While moving along the back contact portion 2 in accordance with the movement of the treatment unit 3, the support arms 42, 42 perform forward and backward movements or vertical movements by the swinging of the support arms 42, 42.
Since the pressing direction of is changed sequentially, the output voltage V ₅ of the load sensor 6 does not correspond to the pressing load of the treatment elements 4 and 4.

The control unit 7 receives the input from the movement sensor 8 to indicate the movement direction of the treatment unit 3 and the swing angle sensor 9 as well.
The swing angles of the support arms 42, 42 are respectively recognized by the input from the, and the correction means for correcting the output voltage V ₅ , that is, the load detected by the load sensor 6 based on these recognitions is provided. In the automatic adjustment of the pressing load of the children 4 and 4, not the detection load itself by the load sensor 6 but the correction load obtained by correcting the detection load based on the detection results of the movement sensor 8 and the swing angle sensor 9 is used. There is.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the influence of the movement of the treatment unit 3 on the load detected by the load sensor 6.
FIG. 7A shows a state in which the treatment element 4 is moved downward while being pressed against the treatment site by the movement of the treatment unit 3. FIG.
(B) shows the same upward movement, respectively,
Such a state appears, for example, in rolling treatment.

The treatment element 4 is pressed against the treatment area in a direction perpendicular to the treatment area, but when the treatment element 4 moves up and down with respect to the treatment area, it is actually applied to the treatment area. The direction of the pressing load A is a direction that is inclined downward with respect to a direction perpendicular to the treatment region and downward with upward movement and upward with upward movement. At this time, a reaction force load B equal to the pressing load A acts on the treatment element 4 in the opposite direction, and this reaction force load B is detected by the load sensor 6 attached to the support arm 42. However, the distortion of the support arm 42 which is actually detected by the load sensor 6 is caused by the component force C ′ of the reaction force load B in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the support arm 42, and the treatment element 4 is pressed against it. Is performed in a state in which the axis of the support arm 42 is tilted with respect to the treated region, the magnitude of the component force C'which is the load detected by the load sensor 6 is
As shown in FIG. 7, there is a large difference between the upward movement and the downward movement for the same pressing load A.

The control unit 7 has correction factors α and β corresponding to the ratio of the component force C ′ during vertical movement and the component force C (see FIG. 8) when the treatment unit 3 is not moving. Is stored in advance, and the control unit 7 recognizes the movement of the treatment unit 3 and the movement direction by the input from the movement sensor 8, and when the movement is in progress, when the movement is in the upward direction, the load sensor 6 detects Multiply the given detection load by the correction coefficient α,
When moving in the downward direction, correction is similarly performed by multiplying by the correction coefficient β. By this correction, the load detected by the load sensor 6 corresponds to the load detected when the treatment unit 3 is not moving.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the influence of the swinging angles of the support arms 42, 42 on the load detected by the load sensor 6, and FIG. 8A shows that the support arm 42 is smaller than the treatment site. 8B shows a state in which the treatment element 4 is pressed against the treatment element 4 with a tilt angle of Each one is shown.

At this time, the strain of the support arm 42 detected by the load sensor 6 is not the reaction force load B acting on the treatment element 4 as it is pressed against the treatment site, but is perpendicular to the axis of the support arm 42. It is generated by the component force C of the reaction force load B acting in the direction, and this component force C is expressed by the following equation including the tilt angle θ of the support arm 42 with respect to the treatment site, as is clear from the figure. C = B · cos θ (1)

The swing of the support arm 42 is detected by the swing angle sensor 9 and given to the controller 7. The swing angle θ ′ detected by the swing angle sensor 9 is an angle with respect to an appropriate reference line on the support block 40 whose rotation is restricted by the support shaft 30 according to the above-described configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. The angle of the support block 40 with respect to the center line passing through the center of the detent key, and the support arm 42 for the treatment site.
Corresponding to the tilt angle θ of The control unit 7 obtains the tilt angle θ based on the input from the swing angle sensor 9, applies this result and the detected load (corresponding to C) of the load sensor 6 to the equation (1), and determines the vertical direction from the treatment site. In the right direction 4
The reaction force load B acting on is corrected. This makes it possible to know the actual pressing load A of the treatment element 4 against the treatment site in both cases of FIGS. 8A and 8B.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the contents of the correction operation in the control section 7. This operation is an interrupt operation executed at predetermined time intervals during the massage operation under the load control described above, and the control unit 7 first takes in the load C ′ detected by the load sensor 6 (step 1), Next, the output of the movement sensor 8 is taken in (step 2), and it is determined whether or not the treatment unit 3 is moving (step 3).

When the treatment unit 3 is moving, the moving direction is judged (step 4), and when it is judged that it is moving upward, the correction coefficient α is added to the detected load C ′ of the load sensor 6. The correction load C is calculated by multiplying by (step 5), and when it is determined that the downward movement is in progress,
The detected load C ′ of the load sensor 6 is multiplied by the correction coefficient β to calculate the corrected load C (step 6). On the other hand, if it is determined that the treatment unit 3 is stopped as a result of the determination in step 3, the correction according to the moving direction in steps 5 and 6 is not performed, and the detection captured in step 1 is performed. The load C'is set as the correction load C (step 7).

Next, the control section 7 takes in the output (swing angle θ ') of the swing angle sensor 9 (step 8) and applies this swing angle θ'to a predetermined arithmetic expression to support the treatment arm. The tilt angle θ of 42 is obtained (step 9), and this tilt angle θ and the correction load C corrected by the movement of the treatment unit 3 are applied to the above formula (1) to apply the reaction force to the treatment element 4. The force load B is calculated (step 10).

Since the reaction force load B calculated as described above corresponds to the pressing load A of the treatment element 4 against the treatment site, when the reaction force load B is used in the load control described above, Regardless of the treatment conditions such as the presence or absence of movement and the difference in the protrusion degree of the treatment elements 4 and 4, a constant feeling of use can always be obtained, and a comfortable massage with a desired strength can be achieved.

In the present embodiment, the load sensor 6
Although the correction according to the moving direction of the treatment unit 3 and the correction according to the swing angle of the support arm 42 are both performed with respect to the detected load of No. 1, only one of them may be performed. However, by performing both at the same time, a larger effect can be obtained.

Further, in this embodiment, the correction according to the moving direction of the treatment unit 3 and the correction according to the swing angle of the support arm 42 are both performed by a method of multiplying a predetermined correction coefficient. Create a map according to each case,
It may be stored in the control unit 7, and the correction load may be obtained by searching the map based on the detection results of the load sensor 6, the movement sensor 8, and the swing angle sensor 9.

[0054]

As described above in detail, in the massage machine according to the present invention, the movement direction is detected by the movement sensor during the treatment operation accompanied by the movement of the treatment unit, and the treatment element is moved back and forth or up and down. During the treatment operation, the swing angle of the support arm of the treatment element is detected, the load detected by the load sensor is corrected based on each detection result, and the treatment strength is automatically adjusted based on the corrected load value. Since this is performed, the strength of the various treatments can be adjusted stably, and a comfortable feeling can always be obtained. Therefore, the present invention has excellent effects.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a massage machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a frame structure of the massage machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a treatment unit.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a support structure for the treatment element.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of the massage machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing how the output of each part of the detection circuit of the load sensor changes.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the influence of movement of the treatment unit on the load detected by the load sensor.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the influence of the swing of the support arm of the treatment element on the load detected by the load sensor.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure for correcting the detection result of the load sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Back contact part 3 Treatment unit 4 Treatment element 6 Load sensor 7 Control part 8 Movement sensor 9 Swing angle sensor 42 Support arm M ₁ Kneading drive motor M ₂ Strike drive motor M ₃ Shiatsu pressure drive motor M ₄ Vertical drive motor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A support arm projecting from a treatment unit that moves along a back contact portion is provided with a treatment element that performs a predetermined treatment operation in accordance with the swing of the support unit, and the treatment arm is pressed against a treatment site. The reaction force acting on the treatment element is detected by a load sensor attached to the support arm, the operation of the treatment element is controlled based on the detected load, and the acting force on the treatment site is automatically adjusted. A massage machine comprising: a movement sensor that detects a movement direction of the treatment unit; and a correction unit that corrects a load detected by the load sensor based on a detection result of the movement sensor. 2. A treatment arm that projects from a treatment unit that moves along the back contact portion and is provided with a treatment element that performs a predetermined treatment operation according to the swing of the support arm. The reaction force acting on the treatment element is detected by a load sensor attached to the support arm, the operation of the treatment element is controlled based on the detected load, and the acting force on the treatment site is automatically adjusted. The massage machine includes a swing angle sensor that detects a swing angle of the support arm, and a correction unit that corrects a load detected by the load sensor based on a detection result of the swing angle sensor. Massage machine to do.