JPWO2013051225A1 - Automatic head care method and automatic head care system - Google Patents

Abstract

To realize an automatic head care system that can reliably support the occipital region of a person while performing care such as washing or massaging the entire occipital region. Using an automatic head care system (100) including a back head care unit (500) having a back head contact portion (548) and a pair of care arms (114L, 114R) having a head contact portion (409L, 409R) When the head (10) excluding the back of the head (11) is cared for by the care arms (114L, 114R), the back of the head (11) is supported by the back of the head contact unit (548) of the back of the head care unit (500). When the back head (11) is cared for by the back head care unit (500), the head (10) is supported by the head contact portions (409L, 409R) of the care arms (114L, 114R).

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic head care system that automatically cares for a human head.

  One example of human head care is cleaning the head of a person, including hair. In the field of hairdressing and haircutting, human head cleaning requires human hands, and automation is desired. Further, in the medical field, the cleaning of the head of a patient or the like who is admitted to a hospital or the like similarly requires human hands, and automation is desired.

  Conventionally, as an apparatus for automatically washing a human head, for example, there is an automatic hair washing machine disclosed in Patent Document 1. This automatic hair washer has a bowl that accommodates the head of a person lying on its back, a head support net that supports the back of the head from below in the bowl, and sprays washing water from below on the head. A plurality of nozzles. This automatic hair washer cleans the head hair of a person supported by the head support net by spraying water from the nozzle. The injection pressure at each nozzle is controlled to switch at a predetermined time interval. According to Patent Document 1, it is assumed that a person who is washed with this automatic hair washer can feel as if being massaged by a person's hand by such control.

International Publication No. 2010/090005

  However, there is a possibility that a sensation that the head is swallowed or massaged cannot be sufficiently obtained only by switching the spraying pressure of the washing water as in the automatic hair washer disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  Therefore, the inventor of the present application has a pair of left and right movable types for massaging or massaging a human head as an automatic head care system capable of obtaining the same sensation as care for massaging or massaging the head. We thought about developing an automatic head care system with an arm.

  However, when performing care such as massage or massage using an automatic head care system having an arm as described above, it is necessary to support the back of the head from below with some support member. For this reason, the occipital region cannot be cared for by the arm for the portion that interferes with the support member.

  In order to solve this problem, an object of the present invention is to realize an automatic head care system that can reliably support the occipital region of a person and can perform care such as scouring or massaging the entire occipital region. .

  In order to achieve the above object, an automatic head care method according to the present invention includes a occipital care unit for supporting a human head and a pair of care arms arranged on both the left and right sides of the occipital care unit. A head contact portion provided on each of the pair of care arms, an arm driving device for driving the care arm, a back head contact portion provided on the back head care unit, and driving the back head care unit The head care except for the back of the head by the care arm, using an automatic head care system comprising: a back head care unit driving device that causes the back head contact detection unit to detect a pressing force against the back head contact portion Is carried out, the occipital region is supported by the occipital region contact portion of the occipital region care unit, and the occipital region care unit supports the occipital region. When the head of care is performed, characterized by supporting said head by said head contact part of the care arm.

  In order to achieve the above object, an automatic head care system according to the present invention includes a occipital head care unit for supporting a human head and a pair of cares arranged on both right and left sides of the occipital head care unit. Arm, a head contact portion provided in each of the pair of care arms, an arm driving device for driving the care arm, a occipital contact portion provided in the occipital care unit, and the occipital care unit A occipital region care unit driving device for driving the occipital region, a occipital region pressing force detecting device for detecting a pressing force against the occipital region contact portion, and a control device for controlling the arm driving device and the occipital region care unit driving device. When the head except for the back of the head is cared for by the care arm, the device Control so that the back of the head is supported by a head contact portion, and when the back of the head is cared for by the back of the head care unit, the head is supported by the head contact of the arm for care It is characterized by controlling.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, care, such as a scouring or a massage, can be performed reliably about the whole back of a head, supporting a person's back of a head reliably.

It is a perspective view which shows the specific example of the automatic head washing system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the automatic head washing system shown in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a left washing | cleaning unit and a right washing | cleaning unit. It is a figure which shows the drive structure of an arm. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the kneading operation | movement of an arm. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the kneading operation | movement of an arm. It is a side view which shows the specific example of the head care unit of an arm. It is a perspective view which shows the specific example of the head care unit of an arm. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the direction of the press rotation of an arm. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the direction of the swing rotation of an arm. It is a perspective view which shows the specific example of a back head care unit. It is a side view for demonstrating rocking | fluctuation operation | movement of a back head care unit. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control apparatus of the automatic head washing system shown by FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the back head pressing force control part which concerns on the 1st embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the back head pressing force control part which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the back head pressing force control part which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the back head pressing force control part which concerns on another aspect of the 1st embodiment. 3 is a flowchart of a head cleaning operation according to the first embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component and description may be abbreviate | omitted. Further, the drawings schematically show each component as a main component for easy understanding.

  In the description of this embodiment, the term “water” is used as including “hot water”. That is, the term “water” in the description of the present embodiment means “water or hot water”, and the term “hot water” means only “hot water”.

  In the description of the present embodiment, an automatic head cleaning system that automatically cleans a human head will be described as an example of an automatic head care system that automatically cares for a human head. In the description of the present embodiment, a head washing operation for automatically washing a human head will be described as an example of an automatic head care method for automatically caring a human head. In the description of the present embodiment, the term “care of the human head” means that the human head is pressed and cared, such as washing or massage of the human head. Further, in the description of the present embodiment, the phrase “cleaning a human head” means washing the scalp or hair of a person by scouring. Furthermore, in the description of the present embodiment, the term indicating the direction of “left” or “right”, “front” or “rear” refers to the direction seen from the person whose head is washed.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an automatic head washing system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the automatic head washing system 100.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic head washing system 100 includes a bowl 101 for accommodating so as to wrap around a substantially half surface on the back of the head 10 of a person 10 lying on his / her back.

  The bowl 101 is provided with a notch 101c for supporting a person's neck from below. The notch 101 c is provided at the center in the left-right direction of the bowl 101. By setting the person's neck in the notch 101c, the person's head 10 is positioned at a substantially central portion of the bowl 101 in the left-right direction. A occipital region care unit 500 is provided inside the bowl 101 so that the occipital region 11 (see FIG. 13) of the human head 10 can be supported from below. The back head care unit 500 is provided so as to rise from the bottom 101 d of the bowl 101. A specific configuration of the occipital region care unit 500 will be described later. A hood 113 is detachably attached to the bowl 101 in order to prevent water, shampoo, and the like from splashing outside during cleaning. The hood 113 is preferably configured to be openable and closable and formed of a transparent material so as not to give a feeling of pressure or anxiety during cleaning.

  When the human head 10 is cleaned by the automatic head cleaning system 100, a water shield (not shown) may be attached to the human head 10. When a water shield is attached to the human head 10, water or the like ejected from a nozzle 110 described later is blocked by the water shield, and water or the like can be prevented from splashing on the human face.

  In the housing 101 a constituting the bowl 101, struts 102 </ b> L and 102 </ b> R are provided on both right and left sides with the occipital care unit 500 interposed therebetween. The struts 102L and 102R are configured to be movable in the left-right direction of the head 10. Thereby, according to the magnitude | size of the person's head 10, the distance of the person's head 10 and the arm bases 103L and 103R mentioned later can be adjusted.

  A cleaning unit 12 for cleaning the human head 10 is provided inside the bowl 101. The cleaning unit 12 includes a left cleaning unit 12L disposed on the left side with the occipital head care unit 500 interposed therebetween, and a right cleaning unit 12R disposed on the right side with the occipital head care unit 500 interposed therebetween. The cleaning unit 12 and the back head care unit 500 are driven and controlled by a control device 600 described later.

  First, the configuration of the left cleaning unit 12L will be described.

  The left cleaning unit 12L has a support shaft 104L connected to the support column 102L, and is configured to be rotatable around the support shaft 104L. The support shaft 104 </ b> L is provided on the left side across the head 10 so as to extend in the left-right direction of the head 10. The left cleaning unit 12L includes a left arm 114L and a pipe 111L. The left arm 114L includes an arm housing 115L. The left arm housing 115 </ b> L has a shape along the outer shape of the left half of the head 10. Specifically, the arm housing 115L has, for example, a shape that extends substantially linearly from the base end portion to the center portion and extends in a substantially arc shape from the center portion to the tip end portion. A first arm 105L, a second arm 106L, and third arms 107L and 108L shown in FIG. 3 or 4 are accommodated in the arm housing 115L. The arms 114L and 114R are examples of care arms.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the left cleaning unit 12L and the right cleaning unit 12R, and FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a driving configuration of the left arm 114L. 3 and 4, the direction along the vertical direction is represented as the Z axis, and the directions perpendicular thereto are represented as the X axis and the Y axis.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the pipe 111 </ b> L of the left cleaning unit 12 </ b> L includes a plurality of nozzles 110 for ejecting at least one of water, a cleaning liquid, and a conditioner toward the head 10. The pipe 111L is attached to an arm base 103L fixed to the support shaft 104L, and is configured to be rotatable about the support shaft 104L together with the arm base 103L.

  The first arm 105L is attached to the arm base 103L and is configured to be rotatable around the support shaft 104L together with the arm base 103L. A second arm 106L is rotatably supported on the first arm 105L. Two third arms 107L and 108L are rotatably supported on the second arm 106L. A head contact portion 409L that can come into contact with the head 10 is attached to the third arms 107L and 108L.

  The head contact portion 409L has a plurality of contacts 109. The contact 109 is provided so as to be exposed to the outside of the arm housing 115L. The contact 109 is made of a flexible rubber material, for example. As shown in FIG. 1, when caring for the head 10 using the automatic head washing system 100, a cover 116 (see FIG. 1) may be attached to the contact 109. By attaching the cover 116, it is possible to prevent water, shampoo, dirt, or the like from adhering to the contact 109.

  A left arm swing motor 201L is disposed in the support column 102L. The rotation output of the left arm swing motor 201L is transmitted to the support shaft 104L via a gear 203L attached to the motor rotation output shaft 202L and a gear 204L attached to the support shaft 104L. The arm base 103L attached to the support shaft 104L is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow 205L by the transmitted rotation output of the left arm swing motor 201L.

  A left arm pressing motor 206L and an arm rotation shaft 209L are disposed in the arm base 103L. The arm rotation shaft 209L is provided at a substantially right angle to the support shaft 104L. The rotation output of the left arm pressing motor 206L is transmitted to the first arm 105L via a gear 207L attached to the motor rotation output shaft 207La and a gear 208L attached to the arm rotation shaft 209L. The first arm 105L is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow 210L around the arm rotation shaft 209L by the transmitted rotation output of the left arm pressing motor 206L.

  The first arm 105L includes a first pressure sensor 211L as a first head pressure detection device that detects the pressure of the head 10 against the head contact portion 409L. The first arm 105L rotatably supports the second arm 106L by a support shaft 212L. The second arm 106L rotatably supports the third arm 107L by the support shaft 213L, and rotatably supports the third arm 108L by the support shaft 214L.

  In FIG. 4, the figure which looked at the 3rd arms 107L and 108L toward the normal line direction 215L (refer FIG. 3) from the skin surface of the head 10 is shown. In FIG. 4, in order to describe the drive transmission system of the left arm 114L, the arrangement of the arm base 103L, the first arm 105L, the second arm 106L, and the like is schematically represented.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a left arm kneading motor 301L is arranged in the second arm 106L. The rotation output of the left arm kneading operation motor 301L is transmitted to the drive shaft 304L via a gear 302L attached to the motor rotation output shaft and a gear 303L attached to the drive shaft 304L. The drive shaft 304L is driven to rotate about its axis by the rotation output of the transmitted left arm kneading motor 301L.

  The rotation output of the gear 305L attached to one end of the drive shaft 304L is transmitted to the gear 307L and the gear 311L attached to the third arm 107L via the cylindrical rack 306L. When the cylindrical rack 306L moves in a direction parallel to the support shaft 213L, the gear 307L rotates about the rotation shaft 308L and the gear 311L rotates about the rotation shaft 312L. The cylindrical rack 306L is rotatably supported by the second arm 106L by a support shaft 213L and is held so as to be movable in a direction parallel to the support shaft 213L.

  The cylindrical rack 306L is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and includes an axisymmetric rack mechanism 306La on the side surface. The rack mechanism 306La is provided to engage with a gear 305L attached to the drive shaft 304L and to engage with a gear 307L and a gear 311L.

  A fourth arm 309L that couples the two contacts 109 is coupled to the gear 307L. The two contacts 109 of the fourth arm 309L are rotationally driven around the rotational shaft 308L integrally with the gear 307L. Similarly, a fourth arm 310L that couples the two contacts 109 is coupled to the gear 311L. The two contacts 109 of the fourth arm 310L are rotationally driven around the rotational shaft 312L integrally with the gear 311L.

  On the other hand, the rotation output of the gear 313L attached to the other end of the drive shaft 304L is transmitted to the gear 315L and the gear 318L attached to the third arm 108L via the cylindrical rack 314L. When the cylindrical rack 314L moves in a direction parallel to the support shaft 214L, the gear 315L rotates about the rotation shaft 316L and the gear 318L rotates about the rotation shaft 319L. The cylindrical rack 314L is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and includes an axially symmetric rack mechanism 314La on its side surface. The cylindrical rack 314L is rotatably supported by the second arm 106L by a support shaft 214L and is held so as to be movable in a direction parallel to the support shaft 214L.

  A fourth arm 317L that couples the two contacts 109 is coupled to the gear 315L. The two contacts 109 of the fourth arm 317L are rotationally driven around the rotation shaft 316L integrally with the gear 315L. Similarly, a fourth arm 320L that couples the two contacts 109 is coupled to the gear 318L. The two contacts 109 of the fourth arm 320L are rotationally driven around the rotation shaft 319L integrally with the gear 318L.

  5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams for explaining the kneading operation of the left arm 114L. In FIG. 5A, cylindrical racks 306L and 314L supported by the second arm 106L, gears 307L, 311L, 315L and 318L attached to the third arms 107L and 108L, fourth arms 309L, 310L, 317L and 320L, and contacts 109 is shown. 5B shows the fourth arms 309L, 310L, 317L, 320L and the contact 109, and the cylindrical racks 306L, 314L and the gears 307L, 311L, 315L, 318L are not shown. 5A and 5B, the second arm 106L and the third arms 107L and 108L are schematically shown as a bar 27 as a single unit.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when the cylindrical rack 306L moves in the direction of the arrow 27a, the gear 307L adjacent to the cylindrical rack 306L rotates in the direction of the arrow 27b, and the gear 311L rotates in the direction of the arrow 27c. Accordingly, the contact 109 attached to the gears 307L and 311L via the fourth arms 309L and 310L moves in the directions opposite to each other in the directions of arrows 27d and 27e.

  When the cylindrical rack 314L moves in the direction of the arrow 27a, the gear 315L adjacent to the cylindrical rack 314L rotates in the direction of the arrow 27b, and the gear 318L rotates in the direction of the arrow 27c. Accordingly, the contacts 109 attached to the gears 315L and 318L via the fourth arms 317L and 320L move in the directions opposite to each other in the directions of arrows 27d and 27e.

  When the cylindrical racks 306L and 314L move in the direction of the arrow 27a, the adjacent gears 307L and 318L attached to the different third arms 107L and 108L (see FIG. 4) rotate in opposite directions. As a result, the contact 109 attached to the gears 307L and 318L via the fourth arms 309L and 320L moves in the directions opposite to each other in the directions of arrows 27d and 27e. As described above, when the cylindrical racks 306L and 314L move in the direction of the arrow 27a, the two contacts 109 adjacent in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the cylindrical racks 306L and 314L approach or move in the direction of the arrows 27d and 27e. Move away.

  If the cylindrical racks 306L and 314L are moved in the direction of the arrow 27a after the contact 109 comes into contact with the scalp of the human head 10, the regions of the scalp in contact with the contact 109 can be approached or separated from each other. As a result, the scalp of the person's head 10 is shrunk or stretched, and the scalp of the person's head 10 is swollen.

  Further, if the cylindrical racks 306L and 314L are moved in the direction of the arrow 27a in a state where the contact 109 is in contact with the hair of the human head 10, the hair located between the contacts 109 is pinched or pulled, and the hair The hair bundle constituting the hair can be displaced in various directions and moved, and the hair bundle can be massaged.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the cylindrical racks 306L, 314L (see FIG. 5A) are moved in the direction opposite to the arrow 27a, the gears 307L, 311L, 315L, 318L (see FIG. 5A) and the contact 109 are Each moves in the direction opposite to the operation direction shown in FIG. 5A. In the left cleaning unit 12L, the cylindrical racks 306L and 314L are reciprocated in the direction of the arrow 27a and the direction opposite to the arrow 27a, so that the state A shown in FIG. 5A and the state B shown in FIG. The child 109 can be swung. As a result, an operation of pinching the head 10 by the plurality of contacts 109 (hereinafter referred to as “squeezing operation”) is realized.

  The right washing unit 12R has a symmetrical structure compared to the left washing unit 12L.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the right washing unit 12 </ b> R has a support shaft 104 </ b> R connected to the support column 102 </ b> R, and is configured to be rotatable around the support shaft 104 </ b> R. The right washing unit 12R includes a right arm 114R and a pipe 111R, and the right arm 114R has an arm housing 115R. First to third arms 105R, 106R, 107R, 108R are accommodated in the arm housing 115R. As shown in FIG. 3, the first arm 105R is attached to the arm base 103R, and is configured to be rotatable about the support shaft 104R together with the arm base 103R. A head contact portion 409R that can come into contact with the head 10 is attached to the third arms 107R and 108R. The head contact portion 409R has a plurality of contacts 109.

  A right arm swing motor 201R is disposed in the support column 102R. The rotation output of the right arm swing motor 201R is transmitted to the support shaft 104R via a gear 203R attached to the motor rotation output shaft 202R and a gear 204R attached to the support shaft 104R. The arm base 103R attached to the support shaft 104R is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow 205R by the transmitted rotation output of the right arm swing motor 201R.

  A right arm pressing motor 206R and an arm rotation shaft 209R are disposed in the arm base 103R. The arm rotation shaft 209R is provided substantially at right angles to the support shaft 104R. The rotation output of the right arm pressing motor 206R is transmitted to the first arm 105R via the gear 207R attached to the motor rotation output shaft 207Ra and the gear 208R attached to the arm rotation shaft 209R of the first arm 105R. Is done. The first arm 105R is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow 210R around the arm rotation shaft 209R by the transmitted rotation output of the right arm pressing motor 206L.

  The first arm 105R includes a second pressure sensor 211R as a second head pressure detection device that detects the pressure of the head 10 against the head contact portion 409R. The first arm 105R rotatably supports the second arm 106R by a support shaft 212R. The second arm 106R rotatably supports the third arm 107R by the support shaft 213R, and rotatably supports the third arm 108R by the support shaft 214R.

  Further, gears that engage with the cylindrical rack are attached to the third arms 107R and 108R, respectively. The cylindrical rack is rotatably supported by the second arm 106R by support shafts 213R and 214R and is held so as to be movable in a direction parallel to the support shafts 213R and 214R. A fourth arm for connecting the two contacts 109 is coupled to the gear, and the two contacts 109 are integrated with the gear by a right arm kneading motor disposed in the second arm 106R. Is rotationally driven.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a specific example of the head care unit 40 configured with the left arm 114 </ b> L and the right arm 114 </ b> R including the first arm 105 </ b> L, 105 </ b> R on the arm tip side will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a side view showing a specific example of the head care unit 40, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a specific example of the head care unit 40. 6 and 7, the second arm 106L is partially illustrated. 6 and 7 show the head care unit 40 of the left arm 114L, the right arm 114R also has the same head care unit.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the head care unit 40 is disposed at both ends of the drive shaft 304L and the drive shaft 304L for transmitting the output from the left arm kneading motor 301L disposed on the second arm 106L. The second cylindrical racks 306L and 314L respectively engaged with the gears 305L and 313L, and the support shafts 213L and 214L respectively corresponding to the central axes 306Lb and 314Lb of the two cylindrical racks 306L and 314L are rotatably held. Three arms 107L and 108L.

  In the head care unit 40, the rotation output of the left arm kneading operation motor 301L is attached to the third arms 107L and 108L via gears 305L and 313L and cylindrical racks 306L and 314L arranged at both ends of the drive shaft 304L. The gears 307L, 311L, 315L, and 318L are transmitted. The gear 307L, 311L, 315L, 318L is rotated by the transmitted rotation output of the left arm kneading operation motor 301L, and the two contacts 109 attached to the gears 307L, 311L, 315L, 318L are rotated. Move.

  The two cylindrical racks 306L and 314L are rotatably supported by the second arm 106L by support shafts 213L and 214L, respectively. A gear 307L that engages with the cylindrical rack 306L is coupled to a rotation shaft 308L that is rotatably held by the third arm 107L. The rotation shaft 308L is coupled to a fourth arm 309L that couples the two contacts 109. As a result, the gear 307L and the contact 109 can rotate integrally around the rotation shaft 308L. Note that the rotation shaft 308L is configured to maintain the engaged state between the cylindrical rack 306L and the gear 307L, for example, by providing flange portions on both upper and lower sides across the third arm 107L. The gears 311L, 315L, and 318L are configured similarly to the gear 307L. Specifically, the gears 311L, 315L, and 318L are configured to be rotatable integrally with the contactor 109 around the respective rotation shafts 312L, 316L, and 319L.

  The fourth arms 309L, 310L, 317L, and 320L are formed in an inverted V shape and function as a leaf spring that is an example of an elastic body. Therefore, the contact 109 is pressed against the human head 10 by the elastic force of the fourth arms 309L, 310L, 317L, and 320L, and can move following the surface shape of the human head 10. Therefore, the contact 109 can smoothly and efficiently care for the human head 10.

  Various definitions relating to the operation directions of the left and right arms 114L and 114R will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, only the left arm 114L is shown as a representative of the left and right arms 114L, 114R, but the same definition applies to the right arm 114R.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the arm 114L (114R) rotates around the arm rotation shaft 209L (209R) so as to approach or separate from the surface of the person's head 10, the "push rotation" is performed. ". The direction in which the arm 114L (114R) approaches the head 10 is referred to as a “pressing direction (direction of arrow D1)”, and the direction in which the arm 114L (114R) is separated from the head 10 is referred to as the “release direction (indicated by arrow D2). Direction) ”. Further, regarding the angular position of the press rotation, the angle position at which the arm 114L (114R) is farthest from the head 10 is defined as 0 °, and the magnitude of the angle deviated from the 0 ° angular position in the pressing direction is defined as 0 °. This is referred to as “pressing angle θ _PL (θ _PR )”.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the automatic head washing system 100, the rotation of the arm 114 </ b> L (114 </ b> R) around the support shaft 104 </ b> L (104 </ b> R) in the front-rear direction of the head 10 is referred to as “swing rotation”. . Further, the direction of swing rotation (the direction of the arrow D3) toward the front side of the head 10 is a positive direction. Further, regarding the angle position of the swing rotation, the angle position on the rear side of the head 10 is defined as 0 °, and the magnitude of the angle shifted in the positive direction from the angle position of 0 ° is defined as “swing angle θ _SL (θ _SR ) ". That is, the direction in which the swing angle θ _SL (θ _SR ) is 0 ° is a vertically downward direction. In the present embodiment, the maximum value of the swing angle θ _SL (θ _SR ) is set to 130 °, for example. That is, in the present embodiment, the swing angle at the position where the head contact portions 409L and 409R of the arms 114L and 114R are arranged vertically below the support shafts 104L and 104R is θ _SL (θ _SR ) = 0 °. It is defined as In the present embodiment, the head contact portions 409L and 409R are horizontally disposed in the direction of the top of the head 10 supported by the occipital care unit 500 with respect to the support shafts 104L and 104R of the arms 114L and 114R. The swing angle of the arms 114L and 114R is defined as θ _SL (θ _SR ) = 90 °.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the description will be continued. In FIG. 3, the automatic head washing system 100 includes a water system valve 216, a cleaning liquid system valve 217, and a conditioner system valve 218. The output ports of the water system valve 216, the cleaning liquid system valve 217 and the conditioner system valve 218 are connected in parallel and connected to the pipes 111 </ b> L and 111 </ b> R via the pipe 219. The water system valve 216 has an input port connected to a water system supply unit (not shown), and water is supplied from the outside. The cleaning liquid valve 217 is connected at its input port to a mixing unit 220 for mixing the cleaning liquid and compressed air, and the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid supply unit 222 for supplying the cleaning liquid such as shampoo and the compressed air are mixed in the mixing unit 220. A mousse cleaning solution is supplied. The conditioner system valve 218 is connected to the conditioner supply unit 221 at its input port, and is supplied with the conditioner from the conditioner supply unit 221.

  In the automatic head washing system 100, the water system 216, the cleaning liquid system valve 217, and the conditioner system valve 218 are appropriately controlled, so that water or mousse cleaning liquid or conditioner is supplied from the plurality of nozzles 110 provided on the pipes 111L and 111R. Can be erupted. The conditioner may be sprayed in a mist form from a nozzle (not shown) provided separately from the nozzle 110. In this case, the conditioner supply path may be configured to connect a nozzle (not shown) capable of spraying the conditioner to the conditioner system valve 218.

  In the automatic head washing system 100, the head 10 can be washed by operating the washing unit 12 in accordance with the shape of the human head 10. Thereby, the human head 10 can be washed efficiently, the amount of water or shampoo used can be reduced, and the amount of dirty water or the like can be reduced.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the automatic head washing system 100, two drain ports 101b are provided in the bottom 101d of the bowl 101, and water used for cleaning can be discharged from the drain port 101b. . A drain pipe (not shown) is connected to the drain port 101b. The water used for cleaning is drained from the drain port 101b to the outside.

  Next, a specific example of the occipital region care unit 500 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. The occipital care unit 500 supports the occipital region 11 from below when the occipital region 11 (see FIG. 13) is cared for and the human head 10 is cared for by the arms 114L and 114R. With functions. When the back head 11 is cared for by the back head care unit 500, the head 10 is supported from below by the arms 114L and 114R as described later.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the back head care unit 500 has the same structure as the head care unit 40 of the arms 114L and 114R. The occipital region care unit 500 includes a occipital region contact portion 548 having a plurality of contacts 550 that can contact the occipital region 11, and an occipital region kneading operation motor 501 for performing an occluding operation by the occipital region contact unit 548. In addition, although each component of the back head care unit 500 shown by FIG. 10 is accommodated in the housing 560 (refer FIG. 11), illustration of the housing 560 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. However, contacts 550 and squeezing operation arms 509, 510, 539, and 540 described later are provided to be exposed from the housing 560.

  The back head kneading motor 501 is mounted in the housing 560. The rotational output of the back head kneading motor 501 is transmitted to the drive shaft 504 via a gear 502 attached to the motor rotation output shaft and a gear 503 attached to the drive shaft 504. Gears 505 and 513 are provided at both ends of the drive shaft 504. One gear 505 meshes with the first cylindrical rack 506, and the other gear 513 meshes with the second cylindrical rack 514. Support shafts 523 and 524 of these cylindrical racks 506 and 514 are rotatably held by holding stages 527 and 528.

  Two gears 507 and 511 are engaged with the first cylindrical rack 506, and two gears 537 and 541 are engaged with the second cylindrical rack 514. 10 shows an example in which the gears 507, 511, 537, and 541 are fan-shaped, but the shapes of the gears 507, 511, 537, and 541 are not particularly limited.

  These gears 507, 511, 537, and 541 are coupled with squeezing operation arms 509, 510, 539, and 540 through rotation shafts 508, 512, 538, and 542, respectively. As a result, the gears 507, 511, 537, 541 and the stagnation operation arms 509, 510, 539, 540 are integrally rotatable about the rotation shafts 508, 512, 538, 542. .

  The rotation shafts 508, 512, 538, and 542 are rotatably held by the holding stages 527 and 528. The rotating shafts 508, 512, 538, and 542 are provided with cylindrical racks 506 and 514 and gears 507, 511, 537, and 541, for example, by providing flange portions on both upper and lower sides across the holding stages 527 and 528. The engagement state is maintained.

  The contacts 550 are provided at both ends of the squeezing operation arms 509, 510, 539, and 540, respectively. 10, the contact 550 shown on the right side of the center of the drawing is for contacting the left half of the occipital region 11, and the contact 550 shown on the left side of the center of the drawing is the right side of the occipital region 11. It is for contacting half.

  The kneading operation arms 509, 510, 539, and 540 are V-shaped and function as leaf springs as an example of an elastic body. Therefore, the contact 550 is pressed against the human back head 11 by the elastic force of the kneading operation arms 509, 510, 539, and 540, and can move following the surface shape of the back head 11. Therefore, the back head 11 can be smoothly and efficiently cared for by the contact 550.

  With the above configuration, in the occipital region care unit 500, the rotational output of the occipital region kneading motor 501 is transmitted through the gears 505 and 513 disposed at both ends of the drive shaft 504 and the cylindrical racks 506 and 514, It is transmitted to gears 507, 511, 537, 541 coupled to one end of 512, 538, 542. By this transmitted rotational output of the occipital head kneading operation motor 501, the kneading operation arms 509, 510, 539, 540 are rotated integrally with the gears 507, 511, 537, 541, and the kneading operation arms 509, 510 are rotated. , 539, 540, and the contact 550 provided at both ends can perform an operation of pinching the back of the head 11 of a person.

  FIG. 11 is a side view schematically showing the attachment structure of the occipital region care unit 500.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the present embodiment, a occipital rocking motor 572 is provided as a rocking device that rocks the occipital care unit 500. The back head swinging motor 572 swings the back head care unit 500 around a rotation shaft 564 extending in the left-right direction of the human head 10. The rear head swinging motor 572 is fixed to the bottom 101 d of the bowl 101. The rotation shaft 564 is drivingly connected to the rotation output shaft of the occipital rocking motor 572 at one end, and is rotatably supported by the base portion 570 attached to the bottom 101 d of the bowl 101 at the other end. Further, the lower end portion of the swing arm portion 562 is connected to the rotation shaft 564. The swing arm portion 562 can rotate integrally with the rotation shaft 564.

  A housing 560 of the back head care unit 500 is fixed to the upper end of the swing arm portion 562. In addition, a third pressure sensor 580 is attached to the housing 560 as a back head pressing force detection device that detects a pressing force of the back head 11 against the back head contact portion 548.

  With the above configuration, the occipital head care unit 500 swings in the direction of approaching or moving away from the notch 101c of the bowl 101 integrally with the rotation shaft 564 and the swing arm 562 by driving the back head swing motor 572. It is possible. Thereby, the position of the occipital region care unit 500 can be adjusted in the swinging direction, and the occipital region 11 can be supported or cared for by the occipital region care unit 500 at a more appropriate position.

The swinging direction of the back head care unit 500 is defined as follows. First, the swing direction (the direction of the arrow D4) approaching the notch 101c is defined as the positive direction. Further, regarding the angular position in the swinging direction, the angular position farthest from the notch 101c in the swingable range of the occipital care unit 500 is defined as 0 °. Also, define the size of the angle shifted in the positive direction from the angular position of the 0 ° and the swing angle theta _T. In addition, the angle position closest to the notch 101c in the swingable range is defined as _θTMAX .

  Note that the occipital region care unit 500 may be configured to be able to adjust the position in the horizontal direction along the bottom 101 d of the bowl 101 in addition to the position adjustment in the swinging direction. In this case, the occipital region care unit 500 can be arranged at a more appropriate position, and support or care of the occipital region 11 by the more comfortable occipital region care unit 500 can be realized.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the occipital region care unit 500 includes a occipital region cleaning nozzle (not shown). By providing the nozzle, when the occipital head unit 11 is cleaned by the occipital region care unit 500, water, a cleaning liquid, or a conditioner can be ejected from the occipital region cleaning nozzle toward the occipital region 11. In this case, for example, the above-described water supply unit, the cleaning liquid supply unit 222, and the conditioner supply unit 221 are connected to the pipe connected to the nozzle for cleaning the back of the head.

  Hereinafter, control of various operations of the automatic head washing system 100 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the automatic head washing system 100 includes a control device 600 that comprehensively controls the overall operation of the automatic head washing system 100.

  The control device 600 performs a pair of left and right arm drive devices 401L and 401R for driving the arms 114L and 114R, a back head care unit drive device 402 for driving the back head care unit 500, and opening / closing operations of various valves 216, 217, and 218. By controlling, various operations of the automatic head washing system 100 are realized. Here, the pair of left and right arm drive devices 401L and 401R drive the arms 114L and 114R so that the head 10 is cared for by the head contact portions 409L and 409R. The occipital region care unit driving device 402 drives the occipital region care unit 500 so that the occipital region 11 is cared for by the occipital region contact part 548.

  The left arm drive device 401L includes a left arm swing motor 201L, a left arm pressing motor 206L, and a left arm kneading operation motor 301L. The right arm driving device 401R includes a right arm swinging motor 201R, a right arm pressing motor 206R, and a right arm kneading operation motor 301R.

The left arm swing motor 201L and the right arm swing motor 201R incorporate encoders 291L and 291R that generate pulse signals in synchronization with the rotation angles of the arm swing motors 201L and 201R, respectively. The pulse signals generated by the encoders 291L and 291R are input to the control device 600 as information on the swing angles θ _SL and θ _SR of the arms 114L and 114R.

Similarly, the left arm pressing motor 206L and the right arm pressing motor 206R incorporate encoders 296L and 296R that generate pulse signals in synchronization with the rotation angles of the arm pressing motors 206L and 206R, respectively. The pulse signals generated by the encoders 296L and 296R are input to the control device 600 as information on the pressing angles θ _PL and θ _PR of the arms 114L and 114R.

The occipital region care unit driving device 402 includes an occipital region swinging motor 572 and an occipital region kneading operation motor 501. The occipital swing motor 572, a swing angle detecting apparatus for detecting a swinging angle theta _T occipital care unit 500, an encoder 592 for generating a pulse signal in synchronization with the rotation angle of the occipital swing motor 572 is built ing. Pulse signal encoder 592 generates is inputted to the controller 600 as information of the swing angle theta _T occipital care unit 500.

  Further, the automatic head washing system 100 includes an operation unit 404 that receives a human operation input. The operation signal input to the operation unit 404 is input to the control device 600. Furthermore, the automatic head washing system 100 includes a display unit 406 that displays various operation states of the automatic head washing system 100 based on an output signal from the control device 600. However, the operation unit 404 may be a touch panel type operation unit. When the operation unit 404 is a touch panel type operation unit, the display unit 406 can be integrated with the operation unit.

  The control device 600 includes a head care control unit 602, a back head care control unit 604, a head support control unit 606, a back head pressing force control unit 610, and a storage unit 690 that stores various types of information. The head care control unit 602 controls the care operation of the human head 10 by the left and right arms 114L and 114R. The occipital care control unit 604 controls the care operation of the occipital region 11 of the person by the occipital care unit 500. The head support controller 606 moves the head contact portions 409L and 409R of the arms 114L and 114R to a head support position at which the head 10 can support the head 10 from below during the care operation of the back head 11 by the back head care unit 500. Control to be placed. The back head pressing force control unit 610 controls the pressing force of the back head contact portion 548 of the back head care unit 500 with respect to the back head 11 in a state where the head contact portions 409L and 409R are arranged at the head support position.

  The head care control unit 602 controls the opening / closing operations of the left and right arm driving devices 401L and 401R and various valves 216, 217, and 218 in order to perform the cleaning operation of the head 10 by the arms 114L and 114R. By controlling in this way, the swing rotation or pressing rotation operation of the arms 114L and 114R, the stagnation operation by the contact 109, and the operation of ejecting water, cleaning liquid or conditioner from the nozzle 110 in various patterns. Can be linked. Thereby, various washing | cleaning operation | movement of the head 10 such as scouring, rinsing, draining, and brushing can be realized.

  Further, the head care control unit 602 controls the left and right arm drive devices 401L and 401R in order to perform a massaging operation of the head 10 by the arms 114L and 114R. By controlling in this way, the swing rotation or press rotation operation of the arms 114L and 114R and the squeezing operation by the contact 109 can be linked in various patterns. Thereby, various massage operations can be realized.

  As described above, when the head care control unit 602 controls the cleaning operation or the massage operation of the head 10, the human back 10 is supported by the back head care unit 500 from below, so that the head 10 is stable. A washing operation or a massage operation can be performed in the state.

  The occipital region care control unit 604 controls the occipital region care unit driving device 402 to perform the occipital region 11 care operation by the occipital region care unit 500, thereby causing the occipital region care unit 500 to swing and itch. As a result, a care operation such as a cleaning operation or a massage operation by the occipital care unit 500 can be realized for a portion in the occipital region 11 where care cannot be performed by the arms 114L and 114R. In addition, when performing the washing | cleaning operation | movement by the back head care unit 500, it is preferable to eject water, a washing | cleaning liquid, or a conditioner from the nozzle for the above-mentioned back head washing. In this case, the opening / closing operation of the valve for controlling the ejection is controlled together with the swinging and squeezing operation of the occipital head care unit 500.

  The head support control unit 606 controls the left and right arm driving devices 401L and 401R during the care operation of the occipital region 11 by the occipital region care unit 500, thereby controlling the head contact portions 409L and 409R of the left and right arms 114L and 114R. These are arranged at the head support position described later.

The head support position where the arms 114L and 114R are arranged is set to a position that does not interfere with the back head contact portion 548 of the back head care unit 500 in the back head 11, and is set to a position that reduces the burden on the person's neck. . When the occipital contact portion 548 is provided so as to contact the lower portion 11 b of the occipital region 11, the head support position is set so as to contact the upper portion 11 a of the occipital region 11. Specifically, the head support position is set so that the swing angles θ _SL and θ _SR of the arms 114L and 114R are 0 ° ≦ θ _SL and θ _SR ≦ 30 °. By setting the head support position so that the swing angles θ _SL and θ _SR are 0 ° or more and 30 ° or less, when the support of the head 10 is changed from the occipital care unit 500 to the arms 114L and 114R, The posture of the unit 10 does not change so much, and the burden on the person's neck can be reduced.

Further, in order to stabilize the support of the head 10 against gravity, it is desirable to set the head support position so that the swing angles θ _SL and θ _SR are 0 ° or more and 10 ° or less. Thus, by setting the swing angle to be 0 ° or more and 10 ° or less, the support of the head 10 is stabilized against gravity, and further, the burden on the person's neck can be reduced. .

Further, in order to reduce the load on the arms 114L and 114R, it is desirable to set the head support position so that the swing angles θ _SL and θ _SR are 20 ° or more and 30 ° or less. Thus, by setting the swing angle to 20 ° or more and 30 ° or less, the load on the arms 114L and 114R can be reduced, and the fulcrum for the arms 114L and 114R, the occipital care unit 500, and the notch 101c, and The burden on the person's neck can be reduced from the relationship between the force point and the action point.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 16, the positions of the arms 114L and 114R adjacent to the occipital region care unit 500 are set as the head support positions, so that the change in the posture of the person's head 10 is further reduced and the person's neck is reduced. Can alleviate the burden. However, when the head support position is set adjacent to the occipital region care unit 500 in this way, there is a high possibility that the arms 114L and 114R and the occipital region care unit 500 interfere with each other. Devices such as control are necessary.

  The movement of the arms 114L and 114R to the head support position is performed by first turning the arms 114L and 114R to adjust the swing angle and then pressing the arms 114L and 114R in the direction of the head 10. It is desirable to move it gradually. At this time, it is desirable that the arms 114L and 114R are interlocked and moved gradually so as to be pressed toward the head 10 at the same time. Thus, by adjusting the swing angle of the arms 114L and 114R and moving in the pressing direction, when the support is switched from the back head care unit 500 to the arms 114L and 114R, the burden on the person's neck is further reduced. be able to.

Specifically, the head support control unit 606 determines the swing angles θ _SL and θ _SR and the pressing angle θ _PL of the left and right arms 114L and 114R so that the head contact portions 409L and 409R are arranged at the head support positions. , Θ _PR are controlled. At this time, the swing angles θ _SL and θ _SR of the left and right arms 114L and 114R are controlled to be equal to each other. However, in order to avoid interference between the arms 114L and 114R, the swing angles θ _SL and θ _SR may be controlled to be slightly shifted.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the occipital head care unit 500 performs the care operation for the occipital region 11, the head portion 10 is supported by the left and right arms 114L and 114R, and thus the head portion 10 is stabilized. Thus, care of the occipital region 11 can be executed.

  When the head 10 is supported by the arms 114L and 114R, the fourth arms 309L, 310L, 317L, and 320L of the arm 114L are preferably arranged so as to be parallel to each other. Thus, by arranging the fourth arms 309L, 310L, 317L, and 320L in parallel to each other, the load from the head 10 to each contactor 109 can be dispersed and made uniform.

  Further, while performing the care operation of the occipital region 11 by the occipital region care unit 500, the contact elements 109 of the head contact portions 409L and 409R of the arms 114L and 114R supporting the head unit 10 are swung to thereby remove water and cleaning liquid. Or it is possible to make a conditioner flow easily. Specifically, it is generated by a cleaning operation by the occipital care unit 500 by swinging the contact 109 of the arms 114L and 114R that support the head 10 while performing the care operation of the occipital region 11 by the occipital region care unit 500. It is possible that the water, the cleaning liquid or the conditioner dripping down flows through the gap between the contact 109 and the head 10 caused by the swinging, so that the water, the cleaning liquid or the conditioner can easily flow. Further, in this case, the head 10 can be massaged by the arms 114L and 114R that support the head 10.

  The back head pressing force control unit 610 includes a command value output unit 612 that outputs a predetermined command value regarding the pressing force of the back head contact portion 548 with respect to the back head 11. The command value output unit 612 outputs a pressing force that can optimally perform the care operation of the occipital region 11 by the occipital region care unit 500 as an instruction value. Therefore, the command value output from the command value output unit 612 changes so as to be always an optimal value according to the mode of the care operation of the occipital region 11.

  Further, the occipital head pressing force control unit 610 is configured so that the pressing force of the occipital region 11 against the occipital head contact unit 548 detected by the third pressure sensor 580 matches the command value output from the command value output unit 612. A support position adjustment unit 614 that adjusts the head support position under the control of the driving devices 401L and 401R is provided.

Specifically, the support position adjustment unit 614 controls the pressing angles θ _PL and θ _PR of the arms 114L and 114R by controlling the left arm pressing motor 206L and the right arm pressing motor 206R to Adjust the height of the part support position. The pressing force of the back head contact portion 548 against the back head 11 decreases when the head support position rises, and increases when the head support position drops. Therefore, by controlling the height of the head support position by the support position adjustment unit 614, it is possible to control the pressing force of the occipital contact portion 548 with respect to the occipital region 11 to match the command value output from the command value output unit 612. it can.

Furthermore, the back head pressing force control unit 610 has an output correction unit 616 that corrects the command value output from the command value output unit 612 according to the swing angle θ _T of the back head care unit 500 detected by the encoder 592. May be. A specific description of the output correction unit 616 will be made in conjunction with the description of the second embodiment described later.

  Further, the back head pressing force control unit 610 has a pressing force detected by the first pressure sensor 211L provided on the left arm 114L and a pressing force detected by the second pressure sensor 211R provided on the right arm 114R. May be provided with an input correction unit 618 that corrects a command value input from the command value output unit 612 to the right arm drive device 401R via the support position adjustment unit 614. A specific description of the input correction unit 618 will be made in conjunction with the description of a third embodiment described later.

  Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the occipital pressure control unit 610 will be described.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the occipital pressure control unit 610 according to the first embodiment. 13 shows that the upper part 11a of the occipital region 11 is supported from below by the head contact parts 409L and 409R of the arms 114L and 114R arranged at the head supporting position. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a state in which a care operation according to 500 is performed as viewed from the left side of the head. Here, the upper portion 11 a of the occipital region 11 is a portion on the top side of the occipital region 11, and the lower portion 11 b of the occipital region 11 is a portion on the neck side of the occipital region 11. However, in FIG. 13, only the head contact portion 409L of the left arm 114L is shown, but the head contact portion 409R of the right arm 114R is also disposed at the head support position.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the occipital pressure control unit 610 includes a comparator 622. The comparator 622 compares the command value output from the command value output unit 612 with the pressing force detected by the third pressure sensor 580, and calculates an error between the two.

Further, the back head pressing force control unit 610 includes a position controller 624 controlled by the support position adjustment unit 614. The position controller 624 performs an operation based on the error signal sent from the comparator 622. The calculation result signal is sent from the position controller 624 to the left arm pressing motor 206L and the right arm pressing motor 206R. As a result, by adjusting the pressing angles θ _PL and θ _PR of the arms 114L and 114R, the positions of the head contact portions 409L and 409R of the arms 114L and 114R are adjusted, and the back head contact portion 548 of the back head 11 with respect to the lower portion 11b of the back head 11 is adjusted. The pressing force can be matched with the command value of the command value output unit 612.

  By performing the feedback control as described above, in the first embodiment, the head 10 is stabilized by being supported by the arms 114L and 114R, and the back of the head is always kept at an appropriate pressure by the back of the head care unit 500. Eleven care operations can be performed.

  FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the occipital pressure control unit 610 according to another aspect of the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is the same as FIG. 13 except that the positions of the head contact portion 409L of the left arm 114L and the head contact portion 409R of the right arm 114R are different from those in FIG.

  A head washing operation using the automatic head washing system of the first embodiment described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the occipital care unit 500 supports the occipital region 11 of the human head 10 in the bowl 101 (step S01). Here, the support of the occipital region 11 may be performed by a person placing the occipital region 11 on the occipital region care unit 500, or the automatic occipital washing system moves the occipital region care unit 500 based on information such as a sensor (not shown). It may be done by letting it support.

  Subsequently, the region of the head 10 excluding the back of the head 11 is cleaned by causing the cleaning unit 12 to perform pressing rotation, swing rotation, and / or squeezing operation (step S02).

  Subsequently, when the cleaning of the region of the head 10 excluding the back of the head 11 is completed, the head 10 is supported at the above-described head support position using the cleaning unit 12 (step S03).

  Subsequently, when the support of the head 10 by the cleaning unit 12 is confirmed, the support of the back of the head 11 by the back of the head care unit 500 is released (step S04). Here, if the support of the head 10 by the cleaning unit 12 in step S03 is incomplete, the head 10 may fall at the moment when the support of the back head care unit 500 is released. Alternatively, it is desirable to sufficiently confirm the support of the head 10 by the cleaning unit 12 using the pressure sensors 211L and 211R.

  Subsequently, the occipital region 11 is washed by squeezing or / and swinging the occipital region care unit 500 (step S05).

  Subsequently, when the cleaning of the occipital region 11 is completed, the occipital region 11 is supported using the occipital region care unit 500 (step S06).

  Subsequently, when the support of the back of the head 11 by the back of the head care unit 500 is confirmed, the support of the head 10 by the cleaning unit 12 is released (step S07).

  In the head washing operation using the automatic head washing system of the first embodiment, after performing these steps S01 to S07, steps S02 to S07 are repeated a predetermined number of times (one or more times) as necessary. Is done.

  In addition, you may perform washing | cleaning by changing the order of washing | cleaning of the area | region of the head 10 except the back of the head 11 (steps S02-S04), and washing | cleaning of the back of the head 11 (steps S05-S07). However, in this case, it is necessary to support the head 10 at the head support position using the cleaning unit 12 in step S01. In addition, since it seems that the direction where the occipital region 11 is supported first has a high sense of security for the person to be cleaned, it is desirable to perform the cleaning in the order of the flow shown in FIG. 17 if possible.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the occipital pressure control unit 610 according to the second embodiment. In the automatic head washing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention, only the occipital pressure control unit 610, which is different from the automatic head washing system according to the first embodiment described above, will be described. The description of the same configuration and operation as the partial cleaning system is omitted. 14 shows only the head contact portion 409L of the left arm 114L as in FIG. 13, but the head contact portion 409R of the right arm 114R is also disposed at the head support position. And

  The occipital region pressing force control unit 610 according to the second embodiment is accompanied by swinging of the occipital region care unit 500 when the occipital region 11 is cleaned by the occipital region care unit 500 in addition to the control similar to the first embodiment described above. Perform control to suppress defects.

Specifically, the pressing force of the occipital contact portion 548 relative to occipital 11 varies with the oscillation angle theta _T occipital care unit 500. Therefore, if the head support positions of the arms 114L and 114R are simply adjusted according to the output value of the third pressure sensor 580 as in the first embodiment, the occipital region 11 while swinging the occipital region care unit 500 is used. When the care operation is performed, the head support position and the head 10 move up and down each time the occipital care unit 500 swings, which may cause discomfort to the person.

  In order to suppress this problem, in the second embodiment, the output correction unit 616 compensates for the command value output from the command value output unit 612 in order to suppress the height variation of the head support position. Execute.

  As illustrated in FIG. 14, the occipital pressure control unit 610 includes a comparator 622 and a position controller 624 as in the first embodiment. Further, the occipital pressure control unit 610 according to the second embodiment includes an FF compensator 632 and an adder 634 controlled by the output correction unit 616.

The FF compensator 632, information of the swing angle theta _T occipital care units 500 output from the encoder 592 is input. FF compensator 632, depending on the value of the swing angle theta _T input, executes the compensation processing for the output command value from the command value output unit 612. The compensation process, information stored in advance in correspondence with the oscillation angle theta _T in storage unit 690 is used.

A specific example will be described. When the swing angle θ _T is smaller, the pressing force of the occipital contact portion 548 against the occipital region 11 tends to be larger. When the swing angle θ _T is smaller, the head support position is increased. likely, the head supporting position as is large oscillation angle theta _T is easily lowered. Therefore, in this case, the output correction unit 616 allows the command value output from the command value output unit 612 to increase as the swing angle θ _T is smaller, and allows the pressing force to increase. The rise of the head support position due to the swing of the occipital head care unit 500 is suppressed. In this case, the output correction unit 616 corrects the command value output from the command value output unit 612 to be smaller as the swing angle θ _T is larger, and allows the pressing force to be smaller. Lowering of the head support position due to swinging of the occipital head care unit 500 is suppressed.

  The adder 634 adds the value output from the FF compensator 632 to the command value output from the command value output unit 612. The command value corrected in this way is sent to the comparator 622, and feedback control similar to that in the first embodiment is performed.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the same feedback control as in the first embodiment, by the feedforward control according to the swing angle theta _T are used in combination, to suppress the fluctuation of the pressing force It is possible to execute the care operation of the occipital region 11 with an appropriate pressing force by the occipital region care unit 500 while giving priority to suppressing the vertical movement of the human head 10 rather than the above.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the occipital pressure control unit 610 according to the third embodiment. In the automatic head washing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention, only the occipital pressure control unit 610, which is different from the automatic head washing system according to the first embodiment described above, will be described. The description of the same configuration and operation as the partial cleaning system is omitted. FIG. 15 shows that the human head 10 is supported from below by the head contact portions 409L and 409R of the arms 114L and 114R arranged at the head support position. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a state in which an operation is performed as viewed from the top side of the head.

  The occipital pressure control unit 610 according to the third embodiment includes the left and right arms 114L regarding the load received from the head 10 when the occipital region 11 is cleaned by the occipital region care unit 500 in addition to the same control as in the first embodiment. , 114R is controlled to suppress the imbalance.

  Specifically, the shape of the human head 10 is not bilaterally symmetric, is stored in the bowl 101 with the head 10 tilted left or right, or the head with respect to the center of the bowl 101 in the left-right direction. The height of the lower end of the head 10 accommodated in the bowl 101 may be different on the left and right, for example, because the center of the portion 10 is displaced. In this case, if the head support positions of the left and right arms 114L and 114R are set to the same height, the load applied to the left and right arms 114L and 114R becomes unbalanced, so an excessive load is applied to one arm 114L and 114R. There is a case.

  In order to suppress this problem, in the third embodiment, the input correction unit 618 responds to a command value input from the command value output unit 612 via the support position adjustment unit 614 to the right arm pressing motor 206R. The compensation process for suppressing the imbalance of the load applied to the left and right arms 114L and 114R is executed.

  As illustrated in FIG. 15, the occipital pressure control unit 610 includes a comparator 622 and a position controller 624 as in the first embodiment. The occipital pressure control unit 610 according to the third embodiment includes a comparator 646, a balance compensator 648, and an adder 650 that are controlled by the input correction unit 618.

  In the comparator 646, the output value of the first pressure sensor 211L provided in the left arm 114L is compared with the output value of the second pressure sensor 211R provided in the right arm 114R. A difference in pressing force applied to the arms 114L and 114R is calculated. The error signal output from the comparator 646 is sent to the balance compensator 648.

  The balance compensator 648 is input to the right arm pressing motor 206R so that the pressing force applied to the left arm 114L and the pressing force applied to the right arm 114R coincide with each other according to the information input from the comparator 646. Compensation processing for the command value of the pressing force is executed.

  In the adder 650, the value output from the balance compensator 648 is added to the command value of the pressing force input from the command value output unit 612 via the position controller 624. The command value after the addition in the adder 650 is input to the right arm pressing motor 206R.

The compensation process in the balance compensator 648 will be specifically described. For example, if the pressing force applied to the right arm 114R is larger than the pressing force applied to the left arm 114L, balance compensator 648 performs compensation processing to press the angle theta _PR of the right arm 114R decreases. Thereby, since the head contact portion 409R of the right arm 114R is lowered, the load applied to the right arm 114R is suppressed, and the load imbalance applied to the left and right arms 114L, 114R is suppressed. Conversely, when the pressing force applied to the right arm 114R is smaller than the pressing force applied to the left arm 114L, balance compensator 648 performs compensation processing to press the angle theta _PR of the right arm 114R increases. As a result, the head contact portion 409R of the right arm 114R is raised, so that the load on the left arm 114L is reduced, and the load imbalance on the left and right arms 114L, 114R is suppressed.

  As described above, in the third embodiment, since the balance of loads applied to the left and right arms 114L and 114R is compensated, it is possible to prevent an excessive load from being applied to the arms 114L and 114R on one side. In addition, the load on the human head 10 from the arms 114L and 114R can be balanced to the left and right.

  In the third embodiment, the above control by the occipital pressure control unit 610 may be combined with the same feedforward control as in the second embodiment, thereby suppressing the vertical movement of the head 10. You can also plan.

  While the present invention has been described with reference to the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the head contact portions 409L and 409R are configured by the plurality of contacts 109 and the back head contact portion 548 is configured by the plurality of contacts 550 has been described. The configurations of the part contact parts 409L and 409R and the back head contact part 548 are not particularly limited.

  Further, a link mechanism (not shown) for expanding and contracting the lengths of the arms 114L and 114R may be provided on the left and right arms 114L and 114R. By providing such a link mechanism, care corresponding to the shape and size of the head 10 can be performed more suitably.

  The automatic head washing system controlled by the present invention can be widely used in fields such as beauty and barber and medical fields such as care and nursing, and is useful.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Head 11 Rear head 100 Automatic head washing system 101 Bowl 101c Notch part 101d Bottom part 104L, 104R, 212L, 212R, 213L, 213R, 214L, 214R, 523,524 Support shaft 109,550 Contact 114L, 114R Arm 201L, 201R motor for arm swing 203L, 203R, 204L, 204R, 207L, 207R, 208L, 208R, 302L, 303L, 305L, 307L, 311L, 313L, 315L, 318L, 502, 503, 505, 507, 511, 513, 537 , 541 Gear 206L, 206R Arm pressing motor 209L, 209R Arm rotation shaft 211L First pressure sensor 211R Second pressure sensor 291L, 291R, 296L, 296R, 92 Encoder 301L, 301R Arm kneading motor 304L, 504 Drive shaft 306L, 314L, 506, 514 Cylindrical rack 306La, 314La Rack mechanism 308L, 312L, 316L, 319L, 564 Rotating shaft 401L, 401R Arm drive device 402 Rear head care Unit driving device 409L, 409R Head contact portion 500 Rear head care unit 501 Rear head squeezing motion motor 508, 512, 538, 542 Rotating shaft 509, 510, 539, 540 Squeezing motion arm 527, 528 Holding stage 548 Rear head contact portion 562 Swing arm unit 570 Base unit 572 Motor for swinging back of head 580 Third pressure sensor 600 Controller 602 Head care control unit 604 Rear head care control unit 606 Head support control 610 back head pressing force controller 612 command value output unit 614 support position adjustment portion 616 outputs the correction unit 618 input correction unit 690 storage unit

Claims (13)

A occipital region care unit for supporting a human head, a pair of care arms disposed on both right and left sides of the occipital region care unit, and a head contact portion provided on each of the pair of care arms; , An arm driving device for driving the care arm, a occipital contact portion provided in the occipital care unit, a occipital care unit drive device for driving the occipital care unit, and a pressure applied to the occipital contact portion. Using an automatic head care system equipped with a occipital pressure detection device,
When care of the head excluding the back of the head is performed by the care arm, the back of the head is supported by the back of the head contact unit of the back of the head care unit,
When the back of the head is cared for by the back of the head care unit, the head is supported by the head contact portion of the arm for care,
Automatic head care method. When the head is supported by the head contact portion of the care arm, the care arm is arranged at a head support position to support the head.
The automatic head care method according to claim 1. When the head is supported by the head contact portion of the care arm, the head support position is adjusted based on the detected pressing force of the occipital contact portion.
The automatic head care method according to claim 2. The pressing force of the one arm for care against the head contact portion is detected by a first head pressing force detection device, and the pressing force of the other arm against the head contact portion is detected by a second head pressing force. Detect with pressure detector,
Adjusting the head support position so that the pressing force detected by the first head pressing force detector matches the pressing force detected by the second head pressing force detector;
The automatic head care method according to claim 3. The swing angle of the care arm in a state where the care arm is disposed vertically downward is 0 °, and the swing angle of the care arm in the state where the care arm is disposed horizontally is 90 ° The swing angle of the care arm at the head support position is 0 ° or more and 30 ° or less.
The automatic head care method of any one of Claim 2 to 4. The head support position is a position adjacent to the occipital care unit.
The automatic head care method of any one of Claim 2 to 4. When the occipital region is cared for by the occipital region care unit, the oscillating angle of the occipital region care unit is detected, and the pressing force of the occipital region care unit is corrected according to the detected oscillating angle.
The automatic head care method according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The automatic head care system includes at least one of an aqueous supply unit, a cleaning liquid supply unit, or a conditioner supply unit,
Using the head contact portion of the care arm to clean the head excluding the back of the head,
Washing the occipital region using the occipital region contact unit of the occipital region care unit,
The automatic head care method according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A occipital care unit for supporting the human head;
A pair of care arms arranged on the left and right sides across the occipital care unit;
A head contact portion provided on each of the pair of care arms;
An arm driving device for driving the care arm;
A occipital contact portion provided in the occipital care unit;
A occipital region care unit driving device for driving the occipital region care unit;
A occipital pressure detecting device for detecting a pressing force against the occipital contact portion;
A control device for controlling the arm driving device and the occipital care unit driving device,
The controller is
When care of the head excluding the occipital region is performed by the care arm, control is performed so that the occipital region is supported by the occipital region contact unit of the occipital region care unit,
When the back of the head is cared for by the back of the head care unit, the head is controlled to be supported by the head contact portion of the care arm.
Automatic head care system. The control device supports the head by arranging the care arm at a head support position when the head is supported by the head contact portion of the care arm.
The automatic head care system according to claim 9. The control device adjusts the head support position based on the detected pressing force of the occipital contact portion when the head is supported by the head contact portion of the care arm.
The automatic head care system according to claim 10. An oscillating device that swings the occipital care unit around an axis extending in the left-right direction of the occipital care unit during occipital washing;
A swing angle detecting device for detecting a swing angle of the occipital care unit by the swing device,
The control device includes an output correction unit that corrects the pressing force of the occipital contact portion according to the swing angle detected by the swing angle detection device.
The automatic head care system according to any one of claims 9 to 11. Comprising at least one of an aqueous supply part, a cleaning liquid supply part or a conditioner supply part,
The control device cleans the head except the back of the head using the head contact portion of the care arm, and cleans the back of the head using the back head contact portion of the back head care unit.
The automatic head care system according to any one of claims 9 to 12.

Images