JPH10263037A - Massager - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify the constitution of an air circuit, to suppress an increase in size, and to reduce costs for a chair type massager which performs massaging and beating actions on each part of the body using air actuators each of which has a structure in the form of a bellows pump. SOLUTION: Three-way valves 41, 42, 43, 51, 52 are provided (approximately at the rate of one for two air actuators) in predetermined portions of air actuators 21, 25, 35, 36, 37 where the air actuators should be changed over selectively among an intake state, a selfcontained state after intake, and an exhaust state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a massage machine for performing a massage operation on a body by an air actuator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a chair-type massage machine,
As shown in FIG. 8, some include a massage driving unit 101 that includes a plurality of air actuators 100 and enables a massage operation on the body, and an air control unit 102 connected to the massage driving unit 101. The air actuator 100 is, for example, a bellows pump, and has an operation element 103 such as a fir ball at one end thereof. The operation element 103 is retracted by supplying and exhausting air to obtain a finger pressure operation and the like. Like that.

In general, in a massage machine, four operators 103 are provided in the upper, lower, left, and right directions, and the upper two operators 103 and the lower two operators 103 are alternately moved back and forth. It is said that a good massage effect can be obtained if all the operators 103 are simultaneously moved out and back. Therefore, in order to adopt this configuration in the massage driving unit 101 described above, the air control unit 102 is instructed by the air actuator 1
It is necessary to independently switch between the air supply state, the self-holding state after air supply, and the exhaust state for each of 00 and the air actuator 100 used for the lower operation element 103.

[0004] Therefore, all the air actuators 10
For each 0, a two-way valve 105 used for turning ON / OFF the air supply and a two-way valve 106 used for turning ON / OFF the exhaust are connected, or these two two-way valves 10 are used.
It was necessary to provide a four-way valve (not shown) having a function corresponding to 5,106.

[0005]

In a configuration in which two two-way valves 105 and 106 are connected to each of the air actuators 100, it goes without saying that the number of two-way valves used is large, so that the cost is high, and There is a disadvantage that the circuit configuration and the electric control circuit are complicated and large.

[0006] Even when a four-way valve (not shown) is connected to each air actuator 100, the four-way valve itself is large and expensive. On the other hand, this kind of massage machine using the air actuator 100 generally has a drawback that the exhaust sound of the air is annoying. In addition, air filters (not shown) need to be periodically cleaned to prevent clogging, which is troublesome and often causes insufficient cleaning in ordinary households and the like. Or a failure may be caused.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to simplify the air circuit configuration and the electric control circuit, to suppress an increase in size, and to reduce the cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a massage machine that also makes it possible to prevent air exhaust noise and to prevent clogging of an air filter.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the following technical measures have been taken in order to achieve the above object. That is, in the massage machine according to the present invention, the air control unit connected to the massage drive unit includes the three-way switching valve. The three-way switching valve can switch between a selective air supply state for each air actuator, a self-holding state after air supply, and an exhaust state.

With such a configuration, the number of three-way switching valves used can be reduced, and the air circuit configuration and the electric control circuit can be simplified and the size thereof can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. . It is preferable that the number of air actuators for switching the state (in particular, the selection of the air supply state) by one three-way switching valve is about two, but the number of air actuators used in the massage driving unit is limited. Therefore, the number of three-way switching valves used may be appropriately increased according to the rate at which the number of used three-way switching valves increases.

When a massage machine is configured in a chair body having a backrest portion and a seat surface portion, a massage drive portion can be provided separately for each of the backrest portion and the seat surface portion. Therefore, an air control unit having the three-way switching valve can be separately provided for each of these massage driving units. In this case, if the two air control units are drivably connected by the same air supply source, it is possible to further simplify the air circuit configuration and the electric control circuit and to suppress an increase in size.

The air supply source may be configured to take in outside air when the three-way switching valve is switched to an air supply state to maintain a constant air supply pressure, or to always store a predetermined amount of compressed air. In such a case, the compressor can be configured to keep the supply pressure constant. In any case, the supply pressure always acts on the three-way switching valve. Therefore,
If the exhaust side of each three-way switching valve is connected to the suction side of the air supply source in the air control unit, when the air supply source is taking in outside air and the three-way switching valve is switched to the exhaust state, The three-way switching valve has a suction effect corresponding to the supply pressure, and the exhaust gas is forcibly exhausted.

[0012] This means that the exhaust of the air actuator is ensured, so that not only the quantitative and temporal operation can be ensured, but also the exhaust noise can be prevented and the energy loss can be reduced. This leads to an increase in the operating efficiency of the pump used for the air supply source. Further, when the three-way switching valve is in the exhaust state when the pump of the air supply source is stopped, the exhaust has a function to reverse the flow of air to the air filter provided in the air supply source. Bring. Therefore, a so-called self-cleaning action can be obtained in which the dust, hair, pet hair, clothing, bedding cotton, soil, and the like attached to the side of the air filter exposed to the outside air are removed.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The massage machine 1 according to the present invention comprises:
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, it is configured to include the chair main body 2, and the upper massage drive unit 5 for massaging the operator 4 provided on the backrest unit 3 of the chair main body 2 and And a movement drive unit 6 for moving the massage drive unit 5 along the height direction of the backrest unit 3, and provided on the seat surface unit 7 and the footrest 8 of the chair body 2 as shown in FIG. Lower massage drive 9,1
It has 0.

An upper air control section 11 shown in FIG. 1 is provided for the upper massage drive section 5, and a lower air control section is similarly provided for the lower massage drive sections 9 and 10. 12 are provided. The upper air control unit 11 and the lower air control unit 12 are connected to each other, and can be entirely driven by an air supply source 13 provided in the lower air control unit 12.

First, the configuration of various devices including the chair body 2 and the massage drive unit 5 will be described. In the chair body 2, the angle of the footrest 8 and the backrest portion 3 with respect to the seat surface portion 7 can be appropriately changed for reclining by an electric mechanism or a fluid pressure drive mechanism (not shown). The footrest 8 itself
Along with the change in the angle of the backrest portion 3, a certain amount of forward and backward movement, up and down movement, and the like are possible.

The movement drive unit 6 is provided with a feed screw 14 provided along the height direction of the backrest unit 3 and an upper massage drive unit 5.
, And the feed screw 14 is made rotatable forward and reverse by a driving unit 15 having an electric motor and the like. Therefore, the massage drive unit 5 can be moved to the user's neck side or waist side by the operation of the driving unit 15, and the operator 4 can be stopped at, for example, the acupoint position.

It is to be noted that, as the moving drive section 6, it is also possible to employ various other linear moving means such as a winding drive mechanism, a meshing structure of a rack and a pinion, or a hydraulic cylinder. The main part of the upper massage drive unit 5 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a base frame 17 which can be directly moved by the movement drive unit 6,
A pair of left and right side link mechanisms 1 is mounted on the base frame 17.
A swing plate 19 provided at the upper and lower ends of the base frame 17 and the swing frame 1
9 and the link mechanism 2 provided in the upper half and the lower half of the swinging plate 19.
3 and 24, and air actuators 25 provided correspondingly to the respective link mechanisms 23 and 24.

The above-described operator 4 is provided for each of the link mechanisms 23 and 24 (the arrangement of the air actuators 21 and 25, the operator 4 and the like is schematically shown in FIG. 7). Each of the actuators 4 is formed as a roller rotatable about a horizontal axis.
The operator 4 held by the lower link mechanism 24 is larger in diameter than the operator 4 held by the lower link mechanism 24.
The protruding height of the backrest portion 3 is large, and the left-right space is also wide.

Since the upper and lower link mechanisms 23 and 24 have substantially the same structure, the upper link mechanism 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Only three will be described. The upper link mechanism 23 includes operator support frames 27 and 28 provided so as to be able to intersect and swing about a vertical axis 26 provided on both left and right outer sides, and links 29 and 30 for regulating the swing range of these. And

Each of these operator support frames 27, 28
The air actuator 2 described above is
5 are provided. As the air actuator 25, an air cell having a bellows pump structure or a balloon structure is used. Therefore, this air actuator 25
When the air is supplied to the armature, the armature support frames 27 and 28 swing by the axial expansion, so that the armature 4 moves in an arc around the vertical axis 26 and obliquely forward of the swinging plate 19. Then, the operator 4 returns to the original state by discharging air from the air actuator 25.

As a result, when air supply and exhaust are repeated synchronously with respect to the left and right air actuators 25, the left and right operators 4 come close to and move away from each other while moving in and out. If this operation is performed slowly, the fir acupressure operation is performed, and if the operation is performed at a high speed, a tapping action can be added. On the other hand, four air actuators 21 provided between the base frame 17 and the rocking plate 19 are used at approximately the same position as the air actuator 25 as is apparent from FIGS. These air actuators 21 also use air cells having a bellows pump structure or a balloon structure.

Of the four air actuators 21, two in the upper row corresponding to the air actuator 25 of the upper link mechanism 23 communicate with each other, and the lower link mechanism 24
The left and right two in the lower row corresponding to the air actuator 25 are also in communication with each other. Therefore, if air is supplied only to the upper row of air actuators 21, the swinging plate 19 is inclined with the upper end advanced forward. Conversely, if air is supplied only to the lower row of air actuators 21, the swinging plate 19 is tilted. Reference numeral 19 denotes an inclined state in which the lower end is advanced forward. When air is supplied to the upper and lower rows of air actuators 21 at the same time, the swinging plate 19 advances forward while being parallel to the base frame 17.

After all, the upper row and lower row of air actuators 2
By supplying and exhausting air alternately with respect to 1, the four upper and lower operators 4 move up and down alternately through the swing of the swing plate 19. If this operation is performed slowly, acupressure operation is performed, and if performed at high speed, a beating operation is performed.
The air actuator 2 in either the upper row or the lower row
When air is supplied and exhausted at a predetermined interval only to one, a finger pressure operation or a hitting operation by the two upper or lower operators 4 can be obtained.

Further, by simultaneously supplying and discharging air to the upper and lower rows of air actuators 21, all the operators 4 move in and out synchronously. This causes different acupressure operations and beating operations. In addition, the upper row of air actuators 21
In accordance with the supply and exhaust of air to the lower link mechanism 24,
Supply and discharge of air to and from the air actuator 25 corresponding to the upper link mechanism 23 in accordance with supply and discharge of air to and from the air actuator 21 in the lower row. For example, when the supply and discharge are performed, it is possible to reduce the retracting stroke of the operator 4.

Further, all the air actuators 21 and
When the massage drive unit 5 is moved by operating the movement drive unit 6 without supplying or exhausting air to or from the air supply unit 5 at all, the rollers can be hooked by the respective operating elements 4, thereby providing a massage effect similar to a rubbing operation. Can be obtained. FIG.
As shown in the figure, the lower massage drive unit 9 is provided with an air actuator 35 provided with the buttocks to be capable of acupressure, and the back side of the thigh to be capable of acupressure for the user sitting on the seat surface 7 of the chair body 2. Air actuator 36 provided.

In the present embodiment, air cells having a bellows pump structure or a balloon structure are also used for these air actuators 35 and 36 (however, the actuator 4 is not provided). The left and right are in communication. Therefore, it is also possible to form it as a long one in the left-right direction.

Needless to say, each air actuator 3
If the air supply and exhaust is repeated synchronously or alternately with respect to 5, 36, the acupressure operation can be performed by doing this slowly,
Performing at high speed results in a beating operation. Further, another lower massage drive unit 10 is provided when the user sitting on the chair body 2 further places the lower leg on the footrest 8.
It has a plurality of air actuators 37 provided so as to be capable of acupressure so as to grasp a part from the calf to the shin from one side and the other from the left and right sides.

The air actuator 37 also employs an air cell having a bellows pump structure or a balloon structure (however, the actuator 4 is not provided). It has a pair configuration. In these air actuators 37, the air supply / discharge is repeated synchronously with respect to two pieces corresponding to one foot. Become.

Incidentally, the pair of air actuators 37 may be replaced with balloons having a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section in order to form a groove for putting in a foot. Next, upper and lower massage driving units 5, 9, 1 based on FIG.
The upper and lower air control units 11 and 12 provided for 0 will be described. In the upper air control unit 11, the back 4
Of the air actuators 25 (see FIG. 7), the one arranged on the upper right (firth R) and the one arranged on the lower right (Shiatsu R) are connected via the three-way switching valve 41, The one arranged at (firth L) and the one arranged at the lower left (Shiatsu L) are connected via a three-way switching valve 42.

Therefore, the three-way switching valve 41 can selectively supply air to the upper right (fir R) and lower right (Shiatsu R) air actuators 25, and can hold both the self-holding state after the air supply. The state can be switched between the exhaust state and the exhaust state.
The three-way switching valve 42 also enables the same state switching with respect to the upper left (firth L) and lower left (Shiatsu L) air actuators 25.

It should be noted that the three-way switching valve may switch between a set of upper right and lower left air actuators 25 and a set of upper left and lower right air actuators 25. In addition, for the back different from the above (for tilting the rocking plate 19)
The two air actuators 21 are three-way switching valves 4
3, and the three-way switching valve 43 enables the two air actuators 21 to perform the same state switching as described above.

By appropriately combining such state switching, the various operations of the operator 4 described above can be obtained. The small circuit 4 of the air actuator 25
5 and the small circuit 46 of the air actuator 21 are also provided with three-way switching valves 47 and 48, and the three-way switching valves 41 and 4 are provided via these three-way switching valves 47 and 48.
2 and 43 are connected to the air supply source 13. As described above, the switching valves used in the upper air control unit 11 are all three-way switching valves.

On the other hand, in the lower air control section 12, an air actuator 35 for the hip and an air actuator 36 for the thigh are connected via a three-way switching valve 51.
The three-way switching valve 51 allows the two air actuators 3
It is possible to switch between a selective air supply state for the air conditioners 5 and 36, a self-holding state after air supply, and both exhaust states.

Each of the air actuators 37 for the lower leg (leg) is one for the left and right feet, and the other is the three-way switching valve 5.
2 and the three-way switching valve 52 enables each air actuator 37 to perform the same state switching as described above. In addition, the air actuator 3
The three-way switching valves 60 and 61 are also provided at the connection portions of the small circuits 55 and 36, the small circuit 56 of the air actuator 37, and the main circuit 57 of the air supply source 13. Three-way switching valves 51, 52 via 60, 61
Are connected to the air supply source 13. In this way, the switching valves used in the lower air control unit 12 are all unified three-way switching valves.

The three-way switching valve 4 is supplied from the air supply source 13.
An accumulator 62 is provided in the middle of the air passage to 7,48. The exhaust sides of these three-way switching valves 60 and 61 are connected to the suction side of the air supply source 13 so that the lower air control unit 12 as a whole forms a closed loop.

It should be noted that the three-way switching valve 47 in the portion where the small circuits 45 and 46 are connected in the upper air control unit 11 described above.
Although not shown, the exhaust valve and the check valve 48 may be connected to the suction side of the air supply source 13, so that the upper air control unit 11 can also be configured as a closed loop. The air supply source 13 includes a pump 64 and a motor 65 for driving the pump, and when any one of the three-way switching valves is switched to the supply state, takes in outside air and keeps the supply pressure constant. The one having the configuration is used. An air filter 66 is provided in the outside air intake portion of the air supply source 13.

With such an air circuit configuration, for example, with respect to the upper right and lower right air actuators 25 in the upper air control unit 11, only one three-way switching valve 41 is used for two air actuators 25. , The respective self-holding states after air supply, and both exhaust states can be switched.

Therefore, the number of three-way switching valves used can be extremely reduced as compared with the conventional case using a two-way valve (see FIG. 8), and the air circuit configuration and electric control circuit can be simplified and the size can be increased. Can be suppressed. For example, regarding the lower air control unit 12, the air supply source 1
3 is taking in outside air, and when one of the three-way switching valves 60, 61 at the portion connecting the small circuits 55, 56 is switched to the exhaust state, the three-way switching valve has a suction action. Forced exhaust.

Therefore, the air actuators 35, 3
Exhaust at the air outlets 6 and 37 is ensured, so that a reliable operation can be obtained, the sound of the exhaust sound can be reduced, and the operation efficiency of the pump 64 of the air supply source 13 can be improved. Not only the pump 6 of the air supply source 13
4 is in a stopped state, any one of the three-way switching valves 6
When 0 and 61 are in the exhaust state, the exhaust has a function of causing the air flow to flow backward to the air filter 66. Therefore, the air filter 66 is self-cleaned.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the connection between the upper air control unit 11 and the lower air control unit 12 is not limited.
Each may be provided with an air supply source 13 to enable independent configuration and control. Further, a configuration including only one of the air control units 11 and 12 is also possible.

In the massage driving units 5, 9, and 10,
The detailed structure, the number of used air actuators, the arrangement thereof, the shape of the actuator 4, and the like can be changed as appropriate.

[0042]

As is apparent from the above description, in the massage machine according to the present invention, the three-way switching valve is used in the circuit switching portion of the air control section connected to the massage driving section. The use number can be reduced, the air circuit configuration and the electric control circuit can be simplified and the size can be suppressed, and the cost can be reduced.

When the massage machine is configured as a chair type, a massage drive section is provided for each of the backrest portion and the seat surface, and an air control section is provided for each of these massage drive sections, and both air control sections are provided. When connected drivably by the same air supply source, it is possible to further simplify the air circuit configuration and the electric control circuit and to suppress an increase in size.

If the exhaust side of each three-way switching valve is connected to the suction side of the air supply source in the air control section, forced exhausting of the three-way switching valve becomes possible, thereby ensuring operation of the air actuator and reducing exhaust noise. There is an advantage that the soundproofing and the operation efficiency of the pump used for the air supply source can be improved.
Further, if the three-way switching valve is in the exhaust state when the pump of the air supply source is stopped, the air filter is self-cleaned by this exhaust, so that firstly, the air filter can be prevented from being clogged, Secondly, it is possible to lengthen the interval of the periodic cleaning of the air filter, thereby simplifying the work. Thirdly, it is possible to prevent functional deterioration or failure due to clogging of the air filter even in a general household or the like. The effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an air control unit of a massage machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view when the massage machine according to the present invention is applied to a chair type.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing an internal configuration of a part (a seat surface portion and a footrest) of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the massage driving unit shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line WW of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line HH of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing an arrangement of an air actuator and the like in the massage driving section shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is an air circuit diagram schematically showing an air control unit provided in a conventional massage machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Massage machine 2 Chair body 3 Backrest part 7 Seat part 13 Air supply source 11,12 Air control part 5,9,10 Massage drive part 21,25,35,36,37 Air actuator 41,42,43,47, 51, 52, 60, 61, 6
2 Three-way switching valve

Claims (5)

[Claims] A plurality of air actuators (25) (2)
1) a massage drive unit (5) that enables a massage operation on the body by allowing a massage operation on the body; and an air supply source (13) to the massage drive unit (5). In the massage machine to which the control unit (11) is connected, a three-way switching valve that switches between a selective air supply state for each of the air actuators (25) and (21), a self-holding state after air supply, and an exhaust state. (41) A massage machine comprising (42) and (43) in the air control section (11). 2. A chair body (2) having a backrest (3).
In contrast, the backrest section (3) has a massage drive section (5).
2. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein the air control unit (11) corresponding to the massage drive unit (5) is provided. 3. A massage drive section (9) is provided on the chair body (2) having a seat section (7) and corresponds to the massage drive section (9). The massage machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air control unit (12) is provided. 4. With respect to a chair body (2) having a backrest portion (3) and a seat surface portion (7), a massage drive portion (5, 9) is provided to the backrest portion (3) and the seat surface portion (7). ) Are separately provided, and the corresponding air control units (11,
The massage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the massaging device (12) is provided, and both air controllers (11, 12) are drivably connected by the same air supply source (13). 5. The air control section (11), wherein an exhaust side of each of the three-way switching valves (41), (42) and (43) is connected to a suction side of an air supply source (13). Item 5. The massage machine according to any one of Items 1 to 4.