KR20230011453A - Massage apparatus for providing ventilation of foot massage module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a massage apparatus including a foot massage unit, which comprises: a foot sole massage member which massages at least a portion of a user's foot; an air discharge valve which transfers air supplied from an air compressor to an air discharge member based on a signal of a control unit; the air discharge member which receives the air from the air discharge valve, and discharges the air to the user's foot; and a leg massage frame which supports the foot sole massage member and the air discharge member.

Description

Massage device providing ventilation of the foot massage module {MASSAGE APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING VENTILATION OF FOOT MASSAGE MODULE}

The present disclosure relates to a massage device or a method of operating the massage device, and more particularly, to a massage device providing ventilation for a foot massage module and a method of operating the massage device.

Massage or massage is a method of controlling the modulation of a subject's body by applying various types of mechanical stimulation to a part of the subject's body, such as kneading, pressing, pulling, tapping, or moving a part of the subject's body. , It is a medical auxiliary therapy that helps blood circulation and relieves the subject's fatigue.

The increase in demand for massage has resulted in an increase in demand for a massage device or massage device providing an artificial massage function due to economic reasons and time. That is, as the demand for relieving fatigue or stress while relaxing muscles through massage increases, various massage devices that are time- and cost-effective are being released. Any type of instrument, device, or device that performs a massage through a mechanical device without a separate masseur is referred to as a massage device.

The massage device may include a foot massage unit. The foot massage unit may provide a massage to the user by using a massage protrusion or an air bag. Since the user's feet are surrounded by massage protrusions or airbags, humidity may increase in the foot massage unit, and high humidity may cause discomfort to the user, which is a problem.

A massage device including a foot massage unit according to the present disclosure includes a foot massage member for massaging at least a portion of a user's foot, an air discharge valve that transfers air supplied from an air compressor to an air discharge member based on a signal from a controller, and an air discharge valve. It includes an air discharge member receiving air supplied from the valve and discharging air to the user's feet, and a leg massage frame supporting the foot massage member and the air discharge member.

The air discharge member of the massage device according to the present disclosure includes an air discharge portion including a downward concave portion including a hole through which air is discharged to the user's feet.

The air discharge member of the massage device according to the present disclosure includes a vertical movement guide unit for guiding the vertical movement of the air discharge unit, a rotation bar rotating by receiving power from a foot massage actuator, and fixed to the rotation bar to rotate and move the air discharge unit up and down It further includes a vertical movement cam for the air outlet, and includes a massage protrusion convex upward to apply stimulation to the sole of the user's foot.

The massage device according to the present disclosure further includes a foot massage unit cover for covering at least a portion of a foot massage member, an air discharge member, and a leg massage frame, and the air discharge unit is guided by the vertical movement guide unit on both sides, A first guide surface including a vertical movement guide groove extending vertically, and a vertical movement guide unit including a guide protrusion extending vertically inserted into the vertical movement guide groove and a second guide fixed to the upper surface of the foot massage unit cover It includes a surface, and the first guide surface and the second guide surface are perpendicular to each other.

The air discharge member of the massage device according to the present disclosure is located between a plurality of upwardly convex massage protrusions and a plurality of massage protrusions so as to apply stimulation to the soles of the user's feet, and at least one hole for discharging air to the user's feet It includes an air discharge unit including a.

The air discharge member of the massage device according to the present disclosure includes a forward and backward movement guide unit for guiding the forward and backward movement of the air discharge unit, a rotation bar rotating by receiving power from a foot massage actuator, and a massage roller rotating by the rotation bar and providing a massage to the user. , And a forward and backward movement link, one side of which is eccentrically rotated on the rotating rod, and the other side is connected to the air discharge unit to cause forward and backward movement of the air discharge unit.

An air discharge member of a massage device according to the present disclosure is fixed to a leg massage frame, includes at least one hole for discharging air to a user's feet on an upper surface, and has a U-shaped air discharge unit and an air discharge valve from which air is discharged. An air flow pipe for supplying air to the discharge unit is included, and the air discharge unit is coupled to the air flow tube at at least two locations.

The air discharge member of the massage device according to the present disclosure further includes a humidity sensor for measuring humidity around the sole of the user's foot, and the controller controls the air when the humidity measured by the humidity sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold humidity value. The discharge valve is controlled to open, and the air discharge valve is controlled to close when the humidity measured by the humidity sensor is less than a predetermined critical humidity value.

The air discharge member of the massage device according to the present disclosure further includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature around the sole of the user's foot, and the control unit controls the air when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold temperature value. Control to open the discharge valve, and control to close the air discharge valve when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is less than a predetermined critical temperature value.

The air discharge member of the massage device according to the present disclosure further includes a heart rate sensor for measuring the user's heart rate, and the controller opens the air discharge valve when the heart rate measured by the heart rate sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. and, when the heart rate measured by the heart rate sensor is less than a predetermined threshold, controls to close the air discharge valve.

The air discharge member of the massage device according to the present disclosure further includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature around the sole of the user and a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity around the sole of the user's foot, and the controller controls the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. is obtained, the humidity measured by the humidity sensor is obtained, and foot health information is generated based on the temperature and humidity, and the foot health information has a higher value as the temperature is higher and the humidity is lower.

The control unit of the massage device according to the present disclosure controls the air discharge valve to open when the foot massage actuator supplies power to the rotation bar, and controls the air discharge valve to close when the foot massage actuator does not supply power to the rotation bar. do.

In addition, a program for implementing the method of operating the massage device as described above may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

According to the foot massage part of the massage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the user's feet from getting wet, and since contaminants can be removed, the user can feel comfortable when receiving a foot massage.

1 is a diagram for explaining a massage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a diagram for explaining a main frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 is a view showing a massage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing an external device that can communicate with the massage device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
5 is a view showing a leg massage unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
6 is a view showing a part of a leg massage unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
7 is a view showing a part of a leg massage unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
8 is a view showing another air discharge valve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
9 is a view for explaining an air discharge member 620 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
10 shows an actual picture of an air exhaust member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
11 is a view for explaining an air exhaust member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
12 is a view for explaining an air exhaust member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
13 is a diagram for explaining a vertical movement guide unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
14 is a view for explaining an air discharge member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
15 is a diagram for explaining forward and backward movement links according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
16 is a view for explaining an air exhaust member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
17 is a diagram illustrating an operating method of a massage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Advantages and features of the disclosed embodiments, and methods of achieving them, will become apparent with reference to the following embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms, only the present embodiments make the present disclosure complete, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs It is provided only to fully inform the person of the scope of the invention.

Terms used in this specification will be briefly described, and the disclosed embodiments will be described in detail.

The terms used in this specification have been selected from general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while considering the functions in the present disclosure, but they may vary according to the intention of a person skilled in the related field, a precedent, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in a specific case, there is also a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, terms used in the present disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the general content of the present disclosure, not simply the name of the term.

Expressions in the singular number in this specification include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates that they are singular. Also, plural expressions include singular expressions unless the context clearly specifies that they are plural.

When it is said that a certain part "includes" a certain component throughout the specification, it means that it may further include other components without excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

Also, the term “unit” used in the specification means a software or hardware component, and “unit” performs certain roles. However, "unit" is not meant to be limited to software or hardware. A “unit” may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium and may be configured to reproduce on one or more processors. Thus, as an example, “unit” can refer to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, properties, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays and variables. Functionality provided within components and "parts" may be combined into fewer components and "parts" or further separated into additional components and "parts".

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, “unit” may be implemented as a processor and a memory. The term “processor” should be interpreted broadly to include general-purpose processors, central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), controllers, microcontrollers, state machines, and the like. In some circumstances, “processor” may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic device (PLD), field programmable gate array (FPGA), or the like. The term "processor" refers to a combination of processing devices, such as, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. may also refer to

The term "memory" should be interpreted broadly to include any electronic component capable of storing electronic information. The term memory includes random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable-programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrical may refer to various types of processor-readable media, such as erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical data storage, registers, and the like. A memory is said to be in electronic communication with the processor if the processor can read information from and/or write information to the memory. Memory integrated with the processor is in electronic communication with the processor.

In this specification, an actuator means a component capable of providing a driving force. For example, the actuator may include a motor, a linear motor, an electric motor, a DC motor, an AC motor, a linear actuator, an electric actuator, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

In the present specification, according to one embodiment, a massage device may refer to a massage device including a body massage unit and a leg massage unit. Also, according to another embodiment, the body massage unit 2100 and the leg massage unit 2300 may exist as separate devices (eg, a body massage device and a leg massage device), and the massage device may massage the body. It may refer to a device or a leg massage device.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the embodiments. And in order to clearly describe the present disclosure in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted.

1 is a diagram for explaining a massage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The massage device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure forms an area for accommodating at least a portion of the user's body, and includes a body massage unit 2100 that massages the user's body and massages the user's legs. It may include a leg massage unit 2300 that does.

The body massage unit 2100 may provide massage to at least a portion of the user's body. The body massage unit 2100 includes a massage module 2170 for providing a massage function to at least a part of the user's body, an audio output module 2160 for providing an arbitrary type of audio output to the user, and a body massage unit 2100. It may include a main frame 2110 constituting the skeleton of and a user input unit 2180 for receiving an arbitrary type of input from a user.

Components included in the aforementioned body massaging unit 2100 are merely exemplary embodiments, and the body massaging unit 2100 may include various components other than the aforementioned components.

In addition, the shape and structure of the massage device 100 shown in FIG. 1 are merely exemplary, and various types of massage device 100 may also be provided as long as they do not deviate from the scope of rights defined by the claims of the present disclosure. It can be included within the scope of the content.

The body massage unit 2100 may form any type of space for accommodating a user. The body massage unit 2100 may have a space corresponding to the shape of the user's body. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the body massage unit 2100 may be implemented as a seating type capable of accommodating the user's entire body or a part of the body.

The part in contact with the ground in the body massage unit 2100 may include any material for increasing frictional force or any member for increasing frictional force (eg, non-slip pad, etc.), and the massage device 100 It may include wheels to enhance the mobility of.

At least a portion of the body massage unit 2100 may slide. For example, when the body massaging unit 2100 starts a massage, at least a portion of the body massaging unit 2100 may slide forward. Also, the body massage unit 2100 may be tilted backward. As a result, the body massage unit 2100 may provide a massage in a backward tilted state.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage device 100 may include at least one air cell (not shown). The air cell may be located in the user's shoulder, pelvis, arm massage unit, leg massage unit 2300, etc., but is not limited thereto and may be disposed in various parts of the massage device 100.

The massage device 100 may include an air supply unit, and the air supply unit may inflate the air cell by supplying air to the air cell. The air supply unit may be located inside the body massage unit 2100 and may be located in the leg massage unit 2300 . In addition, the air supply unit may be located outside the massage device 100.

The leg massage unit 2300 may provide a leg massage to the user. For example, the leg massage unit 2300 may include a calf massage unit that massages the user's calves and/or a foot massage unit that massages the user's feet.

The length of the leg massage unit 2300 may be adjustable according to the user's physical characteristics. For example, when a tall user uses the massage device 100, the length of the leg massage unit 2300 needs to be increased because the length of the calf is long. In addition, when a short user uses the massage device 100, the leg massage unit 2300 needs to be shortened because the length of the calf is short. Accordingly, the leg massage unit 2300 may provide a leg massage customized to the height of the user.

The massage module 2170 may be provided inside the body massage unit 2100 to provide any type of mechanical stimulation to the user accommodated in the body massage unit 2100 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the massage module 2170 may move along the main frame 2110 provided inside the body massage unit 2100 .

For example, a rack gear may be provided in the main frame 2110 of the body massage unit 2100, and the massage module 2170 moves along the rack gear to provide mechanical effects to various parts of the user's body. stimulus can be provided. The massage module 2170 may include a ball massage unit or a roller massage unit, but is not limited thereto.

The main frame 2110 constitutes the skeleton of the internal structure of the body massage unit 2100, and may be implemented with a metal material or a plastic material. For example, the main frame 2110 may be implemented with iron, alloy, steel, etc., but is not limited thereto and may be implemented with various hard materials.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage device 100 may include an audio output module 2160. The audio output module 2160 may be provided in various locations. For example, the audio output module 2160 may include an upper audio output unit disposed on the top of a seat unit that contacts the user, a front audio output unit attached to the front end of the arm massage unit on the left and right sides of the seat unit, and/or attached to the rear end of the arm massage unit. It may include a plurality of output units, such as a rear audio output unit, etc., but is not limited thereto. In this case, the audio output module 2160 may provide stereo sound such as 5.1 channels, but is not limited thereto.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the user may control the massage device 100 using the massage device control device 2200. The massage device control device 2200 may be connected to the massage device 100 through wired communication and/or wireless communication.

The massage device control device 2200 may include a remote controller, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and the like, but is not limited thereto, and through wired or wireless communication with the massage device 100. It may include a variety of connectable electronic devices.

2 is a diagram for explaining a main frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the main frame 2110 may include an upper frame 2250 having a massage module 2170 and a base frame 2210 supporting the upper frame 2250.

A rack gear 2251 may be provided on at least a part of the upper frame 2250 . The rack gear 2251 is a member for guiding the vertical movement of the body massage module 2170, and may include a plurality of valleys and a plurality of crests.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the rack gear 2251 may be provided on both sides of the upper frame 2250 in a form facing each other, and the body massage module 2170 may move along the rack gear 2251 .

In FIG. 2, the rack gear 2251 is formed in the vertical direction, but is not limited thereto. The leg gear 2251 may include a forward-rearward leg gear and a vertical leg gear. In the present disclosure, the front-rear direction means a direction from the body massage module 2170 toward the user or from the user toward the body massage module 2170, and may also be referred to as the Z-axis direction.

The body massage module 2170 may include a gear meshed with the rack gear 2251. More specifically, the body massage module 2170 may include gears meshed with the forward-rearward leg gear and the up-and-down leg gear, respectively. As the gear is rotated by the actuator provided in the body massage module 2170, the body massage module 2170 may move forward, backward, upward or downward.

As the body massage module 2170 moves forward, the strength of the massage may increase. Also, as the body massage module 2170 moves backward, the strength of the massage may decrease.

The rack gear 2251 may be implemented with a metal material or a plastic material. For example, the rack gear 2251 may be implemented with iron, steel, alloy, reinforced plastic, melamine resin, phenol resin, etc., but is not limited thereto.

The upper frame 2250 may be implemented in various shapes. For example, the upper frame 2250 may be classified into an S frame, an L frame, an S&L frame, and a double S&L frame according to its shape, but is not limited thereto.

The S frame refers to a frame in which at least a part of the upper frame 2250 includes a curved shape like “S”. The L frame means a frame in which at least a part of the upper frame 2250 includes a curved shape like “L”, and the S&L frame means a frame including both a curved shape like “S” and a curved shape like “L” , and the double S&L frame means a frame that includes a curved shape like an “L” and a curved shape like an “S” of two parts.

The base frame 2210 refers to a portion of the main frame 2110 that supports the upper frame 2250 and contacts the ground. The base frame 2210 may include a base upper frame 2211 and a base lower frame 2212 .

The base upper frame 2211 may support the upper frame 2250, and the base lower frame 2212 may contact the ground. In addition, the base upper frame 2211 may be located in contact with the base lower frame 212 .

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the base upper frame 2211 may move along the base lower frame 2212 . For example, the base upper frame 2211 may slide forward or backward along the base lower frame 2212 . In this case, the upper frame 2250 is connected to the base upper frame 2211 and can move according to the movement of the base upper frame 2211 .

For example, when the base upper frame 2211 moves forward, the upper frame 2250 may also move forward, and when the base upper frame 2211 moves rearward, the upper frame 2250 also moves backward. can move Due to this, the sliding movement of the body massaging unit 2100 may be allowed.

Specifically, in order to allow movement of the base upper frame 2211, a moving wheel may be provided below the base upper frame 2211. In addition, a guide member capable of guiding the moving wheel may be provided above the base lower frame 2212 . The moving wheel provided on the base upper frame 2211 moves along the guide member provided on the base lower frame 2212, so that the base upper frame 2211 can be moved forward or backward.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage device 100 may not provide a sliding function, and in this case, the base frame 2210 may not be separated into upper and lower frames.

3 is a view showing a massage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The massage device 100 may include at least one of a control unit 300, a sensor unit 310, a communication unit 320, a memory 330, an audio output unit 340, and an input unit 350. The controller 300 may include at least one processor and memory. At least one processor may execute instructions stored in memory.

The controller 300 may control the operation of the massage device 100. The controller 300 may include one processor or may include a plurality of processors. When the controller 300 includes a plurality of processors, at least some of the plurality of processors may be physically located at a distance. In addition, the massage device 100 is not limited thereto and may be implemented in various ways.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 300 may control the operation of the massage device 100. For example, the massage device 100 may include a plurality of actuators, and the massage device 100 may control the operation of the massage device 100 by controlling the operation of the plurality of actuators. For example, the massage device 100 includes a driving unit for moving the armrest frame support, a massage module 2170 movement actuator, at least one actuator included in the massage module, a back angle actuator, a leg angle actuator, a foot massage actuator, and a leg length It may include at least one of a control actuator and a sliding actuator, and the control unit 300 may control the operation of the massage device 100 by controlling them.

The massage module movable actuator is an actuator that allows the massage module 2170 to move up and down, and the massage module 2170 may move along the leg gear by the operation of the massage module 2170 movable actuator.

The back angle actuator is an actuator that adjusts the angle of a part of the massage device 100 in contact with the user's back, and the back angle of the massage device 100 can be adjusted by the operation of the back angle actuator.

The leg angle actuator is an actuator that adjusts the angle of the leg massage unit 2300 of the massage device 100, and the angle between the leg massage unit 2300 and the body massage unit 2100 can be adjusted by the operation of the leg angle actuator. there is.

The foot massage actuator refers to an actuator that operates a foot massage module included in the leg massage unit 2300 . Using the foot massage actuator, the massage device 100 may provide a foot massage to the user.

The massage module 2170 may include at least one actuator, and the controller 300 may provide various massage operations by operating the at least one actuator. For example, the controller 300 may provide tapping massage, kneading massage, etc. by operating at least one actuator included in the massage module 2170, but is not limited thereto, and may provide various massage operations.

The leg length adjustment actuator refers to an actuator that adjusts the length of the leg massage unit 2300 . For example, the controller 300 may adjust the length of the leg massage unit 2300 according to the user by using the leg length adjusting actuator, and as a result, the user may receive a massage suitable for the body shape.

The sliding actuator enables the sliding operation of the massage device 100. For example, the upper frame of the horizontal base may move forward or rearward by the operation of the sliding actuator, and as a result, the upper frame connected to the upper frame of the horizontal base may also move forward or backward.

The memory 330 may be included in the controller 300 or may be external to the controller 300 . The memory 330 may store various information related to the massage device 100. For example, the memory 330 may include massage control information and personal authentication information, but is not limited thereto.

The memory 330 may be implemented through a non-volatile storage medium capable of continuously storing arbitrary data. For example, memory 330 may include, but is not limited to, disks, optical disks, and magneto-optical storage devices, as well as flash memory and/or battery-backed memory based storage devices. don't

The memory 330 is a main storage device directly accessed by a processor, such as random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM), and stores data stored when power is turned off. It may refer to a volatile storage device in which information is instantly erased, but is not limited thereto. This memory 330 may be operated by the control unit 300.

The massage device 100 may include a sensor unit 310. The sensor unit 310 may acquire various types of information using at least one sensor. The sensor unit 310 may be provided with a sensor using a measuring means such as pressure, electric potential, and optics. For example, the sensor may include a pressure sensor, an infrared sensor, an LED sensor, a touch sensor, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

Also, the sensor unit 310 may include a biometric information acquisition sensor. The biometric information acquisition sensor may obtain fingerprint information, face information, voice information, iris information, weight information, electrocardiogram information, body composition information, and the like, but is not limited thereto and may include various types of biometric information.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the massage device 100 may detect a contact area and/or a contact position with the user through sensors. In addition, the massage device 100 may provide a customized massage based on information obtained through sensors. Also, the massage device 100 may include a communication unit. The communication unit of the massage device 100 may receive a signal from an external device. The controller 300 may obtain a resultant signal by processing the received signal. The communication unit may output the resulting signal to an external device.

The communication unit 320 may communicate with a module inside the massage device 100, an external massage device, and/or a user terminal through any type of network. The communication unit may include a wired/wireless connection module for network access. As a wireless access technology, for example, Wireless LAN (WLAN) (Wi-Fi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), etc. can be used. As a wired access technology, for example, Digital Subscriber Line (XDSL), Fibers to the home (FTTH), Power Line Communication (PLC), and the like may be used. In addition, the network connection unit may include a short-distance communication module to transmit/receive data with any device/terminal located in a short distance. For example, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, etc. may be used as short range communication technologies, Not limited to this.

Also, the massage device 100 may further include an input unit 350 or an output unit. Massage device 100 may receive an input from the user using the input unit 350. In addition, the massage device 100 may output the processing result of the control unit 300 to the output unit. The input unit 350 and the output unit may be integrated and implemented as a single device. For example, a touch screen can output an image while receiving an input from a user.

Specifically, the input unit 350 may receive a command related to operation control of the massage device 100 from a user, and the input unit 350 may be implemented in various forms. For example, the input unit 350 may be included in the body massage unit 2100 and may be included in the leg massage unit 2300, but is not limited thereto. Also, the input unit 350 may include the user input unit 2180 of FIG. 1 , the massage device control device 2200 or various external devices to be described in FIG. 4 .

The massage device 100 may obtain various commands from the user through the input unit 350 . For example, the massage device 100 may select a massage module, select a massage type, select a massage intensity, select a massage time, select a massage part, select a location and operation of the body massage unit 2100, and perform massage. Arbitrary commands for selecting power on/off of the device 100, selecting whether or not to operate a heating function, and selecting related to reproduction of a sound source may be received, but are not limited thereto.

The massage device 100 may provide an interface for selecting a massage mode. For example, the input unit 350 or the output unit may include the massage device control device 2200 . A medical massage list of various modes related to body improvement may be listed through the massage device control device 2200 .

The medical massage mode may include at least one of a concentration mode, a meditation mode, a recovery mode, a stretching mode, a sleep mode, a vitality mode, a golf mode, a hip-up mode, a student mode, a weightless mode, and a growth mode.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the input unit 350 executes hot key type buttons and/or direction selection, cancellation, and input according to a preset user setting function or a preset function itself. It may be provided with a selection button for

The input unit 350 may be implemented as a touch screen, a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure/capacity), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like, but is not limited thereto. Also, the input unit 350 may obtain a command through a user's speech based on voice recognition technology.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the output unit may include a display for displaying an operating state of the massage device 100 or a user's current state. In this case, the display includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display ), and at least one of a 3D display, but is not limited thereto.

The output unit may include an audio output unit 340 . The audio output unit 340 may include the audio output module 2160 of FIG. 1 . The audio output unit 340 may provide an arbitrary type of audio output to the user. For example, the audio output unit 340 may provide brain stimulation to the user by outputting a sound source and/or a binaural beat optimized for a massage pattern provided by the massage device 100 to the user. The audio output unit 340 may output a sound signal received through a network (not shown) or stored in an internal/external storage medium (not shown). For example, the audio output unit 340 may output a sound source under control of the user terminal through a network connection (eg, Bluetooth connection, etc.) with the user terminal. In addition, the audio output unit 340 may output any type of sound signal generated in relation to the operation of the massage device 100 .

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in combination with other program modules and/or as a combination of hardware and software. For example, the present invention may be implemented by a computer-readable medium.

Computer readable media can be any medium that can be accessed by a computer, including volatile and nonvolatile media, transitory and non-transitory media, removable and non-transitory media. Includes removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may include computer readable storage media and computer readable transmission media.

Computer readable storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile media, transitory and non-transitory, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. includes media Computer readable storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital video disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage device, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage device or other magnetic storage device. device, or any other medium that can be accessed by a computer and used to store desired information.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an external device that can communicate with the massage device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The massage device 100 may communicate with an external device by wire or wirelessly and transmit/receive various data.

The external device may include a portable electronic device 410 such as an AI speaker, tablet or smartphone. The portable electronic device 410 may be a dedicated massage device 100 or a general-purpose portable electronic device. Also, the external device may include a wearable device 420 such as a smart watch or a smart band. The external device may include a massage device 430 other than the massage device 100 currently being used by the user. External devices may include the hospital server 440 . The external device may include a personal health record (PHR) server. Also, the external device may include the cloud server 450. The external device may include a medical measuring device such as an electronic weight scale, a blood glucose meter, or a blood pressure meter.

In the present disclosure, some examples of external devices have been described, but all devices capable of communicating with the massage device 100 by wire or wirelessly and exchanging information may correspond to external devices.

5 is a view showing a leg massage unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the leg massage unit 2300 may include a leg massage frame 500 . The leg massage frame 500 may constitute a frame of the leg massage unit 2300 . The leg massage frame 500 according to an example may be coupled to the main frame 2110 constituting the frame of the body massage unit, but is not limited thereto.

The leg massage frame 500 may constitute the skeleton of the internal structure of the leg massage unit 2300 . The leg massage frame 500 according to an example may be implemented with a metal material or a plastic material. In addition, the leg massage frame 500 according to one example may be implemented with iron, alloy, steel, etc., but is not limited thereto and may be implemented with various hard materials. The leg massage frame 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed in a form surrounding the user's feet to support the user's feet, but is not limited thereto.

6 is a view showing a part of a leg massage unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 7 is a view showing a part of a leg massage unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

6 shows a state in which the cover is removed, and FIG. 7 shows a state in which the cover is covered.

6 and 7, the leg massage unit 2300 may include at least one of a sole massage member 610, an air discharge member 620, an air discharge valve 800, and a sole massage actuator 630. can At least one of the sole massage member 610 , the air discharge member 620 , the air discharge valve 800 , and the sole massage actuator 630 may be coupled to the leg massage frame 500 of FIG. 5 . The leg massage frame 500 may support at least one of the sole massage member 610, the air discharge member 620, the air discharge valve 800, and the sole massage actuator 630.

The sole massage member 610 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of a massage roller 611, a rotation rod 612, a rotation connection member 613, and a rotation support member 614.

The massage roller 611 may provide mechanical stimulation to the user's foot. The massage roller 611 may be rotated by power transmitted from the sole massage actuator 630 . At this time, protrusions are provided on the body of the massage roller 611 to effectively stimulate the user's feet. The massage roller 611 according to one example may be replaced with a massage member such as a massage ball, and various massage members capable of stimulating a user's foot may be applied.

The rotating rod 612 may transmit power of the sole massage actuator 630 to the massage roller 611 . A massage roller 611 may be inserted into the rotating rod 612, and when the rotating rod 612 rotates, the massage roller 611 may also rotate. One side of the rotary rod 612 according to an example may be coupled to a rotation connection member 613 and the other side may be coupled to a rotation support member 614 to be described later.

The rotation connecting member 613 may transmit power of the sole massage actuator 630 to the rotating rod 612 . The rotating connecting member 613 may have a gear therein, and when the gear provided therein rotates by the sole massage actuator 630, the rotary rod 612 connected to the gear may be rotated. The rotating connecting member 613 according to one example may be coupled to the leg massage frame 500 and may be disposed at the center of the leg massage frame 500, but is not limited thereto.

The rotation support member 614 may support the rotation bar 612 . One side of the rotating rod 612 is supported by the rotation connection member 613, and the other side may be supported by the rotation support member 614.

The sole massage actuator 630 may provide power for rotating the massage roller 611 . The sole massage actuator 630 according to an example may be formed of at least one of a motor, a linear motor, an electric motor, a DC motor, an AC motor, a linear actuator, and an electric actuator, but is not limited thereto.

So far, the sole massage member 610 for massaging at least a part of the user's foot has been described. Hereinafter, a configuration for discharging air to the user's feet will be described.

The massage device 100 may include an air discharge valve. Reference is made to FIG. 8 for a moment to describe the air discharge valve.

8 is a view showing another air discharge valve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Although not shown in FIG. 8 , the air discharge valve 800 may be included in the leg massage unit 2300 . The air discharge valve 800 is connected to the air compressor through a flow pipe. The air discharge valve 800 may receive air from an air compressor. An air cooling device may be included between the air compressor and the air discharge valve 800 . However, it is not limited thereto, and only a flow pipe may be included between the air compressor and the air discharge valve 800 .

The air discharge valve 800 may deliver air supplied from the air compressor to the air discharge member 620 based on a signal from the control unit 300 . The air discharge valve 800 may adjust the amount of air to be supplied to the air discharge member 620 . More specifically, the air discharge valve 800 may adjust the amount of air to be supplied to the air discharge member 620 based on a control signal from the controller 300 . The control signal of the controller 300 may have a value corresponding to the amount of air to be supplied to the air discharge member. However, it is not limited thereto, and the signal of the controller 300 may be determined to be on/off. The air discharge valve 800 may or may not deliver air from the air compressor to the air discharge member 620 .

The air discharge valve 800 may include a solenoid valve. The air discharge valve 800 may include at least one valve. For example, the air discharge valve 800 may include a valve for supplying air to the air discharge member 620 . Also, the air discharge valve 800 may include valves for supplying air to airbags located on both sides of the user's feet. Also, the air discharge valve 800 may include a valve for supplying air to an airbag located on a user's heel.

The air discharge valve 800 may include a flow pipe coupler 810 . A flow pipe may be connected to the flow pipe coupler 810 . The flow pipe may connect between the air discharge valve 800 and the air discharge member 620 .

Referring back to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the massage device 100 may include an air discharge member 620 . The air discharge member 620 and the air discharge valve 800 may be connected through a flow pipe. The air discharge member 620 may include a hole through which air from the air discharge valve 800 is discharged to the user's foot. The air discharge member 620 may receive air from the air discharge valve 800 and discharge air to the user's feet.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the massage device 100 may include a foot massage unit cover 710 for covering at least a portion of a foot massage member, an air discharge member, and a leg massage frame 500 . The foot massage unit cover 710 can prevent the user's feet from being injured by the mechanical device of the massage device 100. In addition, the foot massage unit cover 710 may be configured to maintain the shape of the leg massage unit 2300 . In addition, the foot massage unit cover 710 may be configured to fix at least one of the sole massage member 610, the air discharge member 620, the air discharge valve 800, and the sole massage actuator 630.

The air exhaust member 620 may be implemented in various forms, and various embodiments of the air exhaust member 620 will be described below.

9 is a view for explaining an air discharge member 620 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the air discharge member 620 may include a downward concave portion 920 including a hole through which air is discharged at the user's foot. The concave portion 920 may prevent airflow from being blocked by the user's feet. When the air flow is blocked, the air compressor may overheat, but the air discharge member 620 including the concave portion 920 may prevent the air compressor from overheating. The air discharge member 620 may include at least one concave portion 920 .

Referring to FIG. 9 together with FIGS. 6 and 7 , the air discharge member 620 may be coupled onto the foot massage unit cover 710 . The air discharge member 620 may include a screw hole 930 for coupling with the foot massage unit cover 710 . The air discharge member 620 may be fixed to the foot massage unit cover 710 and not move.

Also, the air discharge member 620 may include a flow pipe coupler 910 to be connected to the flow pipe. The air discharge member 620 may receive air from the flow pipe. Also, the air discharge member 620 may discharge air to the user through a hole included in the concave portion 920 . Since the discharged air can remove moisture or dust from the user's feet, the user can feel comfortable.

10 shows an actual picture of an air exhaust member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is an actual picture in which the air discharge member 620 of FIG. 9 is combined with the foot massage unit cover 710. A photograph 1010 of FIG. 10 is a view of the air evacuation member 620 from above. Also, the photo 1020 of FIG. 10 is a view of the air exhaust member 620 from below. The photo 1020 shows the flow pipe 1021. As already described, the flow pipe 1021 is a component for supplying air from the air discharge valve 800 to the air discharge member 620 .

11 is a view for explaining an air exhaust member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Unlike FIGS. 9 and 10 , FIG. 11 shows a movable air discharge member 620 . The air discharge member 620 may include an air discharge unit 1130 . The air discharge unit 1130 may not be fixed to the foot massage unit cover 710 . The air outlet 1130 may include a concave portion 920 that is concave downward. In addition, the concave portion 920 may include a hole through which air is discharged from the user's foot. As already described, the concave portion can prevent the flow of air from being blocked by the sole of the user's foot.

The air discharge member 620 may include a vertical movement guide part 1110 . The vertical movement guide unit 1110 may guide the vertical movement of the air discharge unit. In addition, the air discharge member 620 may include a rotating rod 1120 that rotates by receiving power from the sole massage actuator 630 . The rotating rod may receive power from the sole massage actuator 630 and rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.

The air discharge member 620 may include a vertically movable cam 1140 . The vertical movement cam 1140 may be fixed to the rotating rod 1120 and rotate together with the rotating rod 1120 . A cross section of the vertical movement cam 1140 may have an egg shape. The vertical movement cam 1140 may be positioned under the air discharge unit 1130 to support the air discharge unit 1130 . The vertical movement cam 1140 may convert the rotational motion of the rotating bar 1120 into a vertical reciprocating motion. The air discharge unit 1130 may be moved up and down by the rotation of the up and down movement cam 1140 . The vertical movement cam 1140 may move the air discharge unit 11300 up and down by about 3 mm to 10 mm.

The air discharge unit 1130 may include a massage protrusion 1131 convex upward to apply a stimulus to the sole of the user's foot. The massage protrusion 1131 may provide an acupressure effect to the user according to the vertical movement of the air discharge unit 1130 .

Additionally, at least one massage protrusion 1131 may include an air discharge hole. The air discharge hole of the massage protrusion 1131 may discharge the air supplied from the air discharge valve 800 to the user. When at least one massage protrusion 1131 includes an air discharge hole, the user's comfort can be increased because air can be discharged over a wide range of the user's sole.

12 is a view for explaining an air exhaust member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

12 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the air discharge unit 1130 according to the rotation of the up-down cam 1140 . The vertical movement cam 1140 may have an egg shape. The vertical movement cam 1140 may be fixed to the rotating rod 1120 . The vertical movement cam 1140 may rotate together with the rotating rod 1120 . The up and down movement cam 1140 may rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.

As shown in the drawing 1210 of FIG. 12 , when the point of the long radius 1211 of the vertical movement cam 1140 contacts the lower surface of the air discharge unit 1130, the air discharge unit 1130 may rise. In addition, as shown in the figure 1220 of FIG. 12 , when the point of the short radius b 1221 of the vertical moving cam 1140 contacts the lower surface of the air discharge unit 1130, the air discharge unit 1130 may descend. A movement path of the air exhaust unit 1130 may be limited by the vertical movement guide unit 1110 . The vertical movement guide unit 1110 will be described in more detail together with FIG. 13 .

13 is a diagram for explaining a vertical movement guide unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

A drawing 1310 of FIG. 13 may indicate a state in which the air outlet 1130 is raised. Also, a drawing 1320 of FIG. 13 may indicate a state in which the air discharge unit 1130 is lowered.

The air discharge unit 1130 is guided by the vertical movement guide unit 1110 on both sides, and may include vertical movement guide grooves 1132 extending vertically. Here, both sides may mean left and right sides when the user sits on the massage device 100 .

The vertical movement guide part 1110 may include a first guide surface 1111 . The first guide surface 1111 may include a vertical movement guide protrusion 1112 that is inserted into the vertical movement guide groove 1132 and extends vertically. The vertical movement guide protrusion 1112 is inserted into the vertical movement guide groove 1132, so that the air discharge unit 1130 can move up and down.

13 limited the vertical movement guide groove 1132 and the vertical movement guide protrusion 1112 to extend vertically, but is not limited thereto. The vertical movement guide groove 1132 and the vertical movement guide protrusion 1112 may be formed in an oblique line on the air discharge unit 1130 and the vertical movement guide unit 1110, respectively. Accordingly, the air discharge unit 1130 may move up and down and move forward and backward at the same time.

As already described, the massage device 100 may include a foot massage unit cover 710 for covering at least a portion of the foot massage member, the air discharge member, and the leg massage frame 500 . The vertical movement guide groove 1132 may include a second guide surface 1113 . The second guide surface 1113 may be fixed to the upper surface of the foot massage unit cover 710 . The second guide surface 1113 may include a screw hole for coupling with the foot massage unit cover 710 . The first guide surface 1111 and the second guide surface 1113 may be coupled. The first guide surface 1111 and the second guide surface 1113 may form a right angle to each other.

14 is a view for explaining an air discharge member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

The air exhaust member 620 may include an air exhaust unit 1430 . The air outlet 1430 may include at least one massage protrusion 1431 . Unlike FIG. 13, according to FIG. 14, the air discharge unit 1430 may move forward and backward. Also, according to FIG. 14 , the air discharge unit 1430 may not include the concave portion 920 that is concave downward. At least one massage protrusion 1431 may convex upward to apply a stimulus to the sole of the user's foot. An upper end of the at least one massage protrusion 1431 may include a hole through which air is discharged to the user's foot. Here, "upper" may mean an upper side when the user sits on the massage device 100. When air is discharged from the hole, the acupressure effect by at least one massage protrusion 1431 may be increased.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the air discharge member 620 may include an air discharge unit 1430, and the air discharge unit 1430 may include a plurality of massage protrusions 1431. The plurality of massage protrusions 1431 may be convex upward to apply stimulation to the sole of the user's foot. The air discharge member 620 may include at least one hole through which air is discharged from the user's foot. At least one hole may be located between the plurality of massage protrusions 1431 . Unlike FIG. 13 , according to FIG. 14 , the air outlet 1430 may include holes between the plurality of massage protrusions 1431 without including the concave portion 920 that is concave downward. In this way, when at least one hole is disposed between the plurality of massage protrusions 1431, it is possible to prevent a situation in which air cannot be discharged because the at least one hole is blocked by the sole of the user's foot.

As already described, the air discharge member 620 may receive air from the air discharge valve 800 . A tube through which air can flow to the air discharge hole formed in the massage protrusion 1431 may be formed inside the air discharge unit 1430 included in the air discharge member 620 . The air discharge member 620 may discharge air from a hole formed in the massage protrusion 1431 . Since the air is discharged from at least one massage protrusion 1431, the air can be discharged to a wide area of the user's sole, and the user can feel comfortable.

The air discharge member 620 may include a front and rear movement guide part 1410 . The forward and backward movement guide unit 1410 may guide the forward and backward movement of the air discharge unit 1430 . The forward and backward movement guide unit 1410 may be fixed to the foot massage unit cover 710 .

The air discharge unit 1430 is guided by the forward and backward movement guide units 1410 on both sides, and may include forward and backward movement guide grooves extending forward and backward. Here, both sides may mean left and right sides when the user sits on the massage device 100 . In addition, front and back may mean front and back when the user sits on the massage device 100 .

The forward and backward movement guide unit 1410 may include forward and backward movement guide protrusions that are inserted into the forward and backward movement guide grooves of the air discharge unit 1430 and extend forward and backward. The forward and backward movement guide protrusion of the forward and backward movement guide unit 1410 is inserted into the forward and backward movement guide groove of the air discharge unit 1430, so that the air discharge unit 1130 can move forward and backward. However, it is not limited thereto, and the air discharge unit 1430 may include a forward and backward movement guide protrusion, and the forward and backward movement guide unit 1410 may include a forward and backward movement guide groove. The forward and backward movement guide protrusion of the air discharge unit 1430 is inserted into the forward and backward movement guide groove of the forward and backward movement guide unit 1410, so that the air discharge unit 1130 can move forward and backward.

Although FIG. 14 limited the forward and backward movement guide grooves and the forward and backward movement guide protrusions to extend forward and backward, it is not limited thereto. The forward and backward movement guide grooves and the forward and backward movement guide protrusions may be formed in an oblique line on the air discharge unit 1130 and the vertical movement guide unit 1110, respectively. Accordingly, the air discharge unit 1130 may move forward and backward and move up and down at the same time.

The air discharge member 620 may include a rotating rod 1420 that rotates by receiving power from the sole massage actuator 630 . The rotating rod 1420 may correspond to the rotating rod 1120 of FIG. 11 . The air discharge member 620 may include a massage roller 1450. The massage roller 1450 may be fixed to the rotating rod 1420 and rotate together with the rotating rod 1420 . The massage roller 1450 may rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. The outer surface of the massage roller 1450 may include protrusions. Since the massage roller 1450 acupressure or rubs the sole of the user's foot while rotating, the massage roller 1450 may provide a massage to the user.

The air evacuation member 620 may include a forward and backward moving link 1440 . Reference is made to FIG. 15 to describe the forward and backward movement link.

15 is a diagram for explaining forward and backward movement links according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to FIG. 15 together with FIG. 14 . The air evacuation member 620 may include a forward and backward moving link 1440 . One side 1441 of the forward and backward movement link 1440 may be eccentric to the rotating bar 1420 and rotated. Also, the other side of the forward/backward moving link 1440 may be connected to the air discharge unit 1430 . The forward/backward moving link 1440 may convert the rotational motion of the rotation bar 1420 into linear motion. The forward and backward movement link 1440 may cause the air discharge unit 1430 to move forward and backward.

In addition, at least one massage protrusion 1431 may rub or press the sole of the user's foot by the movement of the air discharge unit 1430 . Accordingly, the air discharge unit 1430 may provide comfort to the user by discharging air and at the same time provide a massage by protrusions.

16 is a view for explaining an air exhaust member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

The air exhaust member 620 may include an air exhaust unit 1620 . The air outlet 1620 may be fixed to the leg massage frame 500 . The air outlet 1620 may include at least one hole on an upper surface for discharging air to the user's feet. The air outlet 1620 may have a U shape. The air discharge unit 1620 may include an upper air vent 1621 and a lower air vent 1622 . The upper air vent 1621 may be coupled to the lower air vent 1622 . At least one hole may be formed in the upper air vent 1621 . Air may be discharged to the user from at least one hole formed in the upper air vent 1621 .

The air discharge member 620 may include an air flow pipe 1610 . The air passage pipe 1610 may supply air from the air discharge valve 800 to the air discharge unit 1620 . The air passage pipe 1610 may move air supplied from the air discharge valve 800 to the air discharge unit 1620 . The air passage pipe may be connected to the lower air vent 1621 . The lower air vent 1621 may have a connection portion formed to be connected to the air flow pipe 1610 .

The air discharge unit 1620 may be coupled to the air flow pipe 1610 at at least two locations. For example, the lower air vent 1621 may include at least two connection parts. The lower air vent 1621 may be coupled to the air flow pipe 1610 at at least two locations. Since the lower air vent 1621 is coupled to the air passage pipe 1610 at least two parts, air with uniform pressure can be discharged to the user's feet.

Air supplied from the air passage pipe 1610 may be supplied to the user through at least one hole formed in the upper air vent 1621 . Since the air removes dust or moisture from the user's feet, the user can feel comfortable.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the air discharge valve 800 by the controller 300 of the massage device 100 will be described.

At least one sensor may be included on an upper surface of the air discharge member 620 or on at least one protrusion included in the air discharge member 620 . The sensor may include at least one of a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a heart rate sensor, or an electrocardiogram sensor. The sensor may contact the sole of the user's foot. Also, the sensor may approach the sole of the user's foot without contacting it.

More specifically, the air discharge member 620 may include a humidity sensor for measuring humidity around the user's sole. The controller 300 may determine whether the humidity measured by the humidity sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold humidity value. Here, the critical humidity value may be a value previously stored in a memory. The critical humidity value may be received from an external server. Also, the critical humidity value may be determined based on the current external humidity value. The external humidity value may be measured from a humidity sensor mounted on the outer surface of the massage device 100 or may be received from an external server. The critical humidity value may be proportional to the external humidity value. The critical humidity value may be determined as a*H+b. Here, a and b may be predetermined constant values, and H may be an external humidity value.

The controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be opened when the humidity measured by the humidity sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold humidity value. Also, the controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be closed when the humidity measured by the humidity sensor is less than a predetermined threshold humidity value. Since the massage device 100 controls the humidity value of the sole of the foot so that it does not become excessively high, the user can feel comfortable.

Also, the air discharge member 620 may include a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature around the sole of the user's foot. The controller 300 may determine whether the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold temperature value. Here, the critical temperature value may be a value previously stored in a memory. The critical temperature value may be received from an external server. Also, the critical temperature value may be determined based on the current external temperature value. The external temperature value may be measured from a temperature sensor mounted on the outer surface of the massage device 100 or received from an external server. The critical temperature value may be proportional to the external temperature value. The critical temperature value may be determined as a*T+b. Here, a and b may be predetermined constant values, and T may be an external temperature value.

The controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be opened when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined critical temperature value. Also, the controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be closed when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is less than a predetermined critical temperature value. Since the massage device 100 controls the temperature value of the sole of the foot not to be excessively high, the user can feel comfortable.

Also, the massage device 100 may open or close the air discharge valve 800 by comparing the calculated value with the threshold value. Here, the massage device 100 may obtain a calculated value based on the measured temperature value and the measured humidity value. The calculated value may be equal to a * (H+b)/(T+c). Here, a, b, and c may be predetermined constant values. Also, H may be a humidity value measured by a humidity sensor included in the air discharge member 620 . The humidity value may be an absolute humidity value. Also, T may be a temperature value measured by a temperature sensor included in the air discharge member 620 . The massage device 100 may acquire a predetermined threshold value from memory. The calculated value may be an analog of the relative humidity value. Also, the massage device 100 may receive a predetermined threshold value from an external server. The massage device 100 may control to open the air discharge valve 800 when the calculated value is greater than or equal to the critical value. In addition, the massage device 100 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be closed when the calculated value is smaller than the threshold value. The massage device 100 controls the air discharge valve 800 as above, so that the user can receive a foot massage in a comfortable state.

In addition, the controller 300 may generate information indicating a comfortable level near the sole of the foot based on the calculated value. The calculated value and the information representing the level of comfort may be inversely proportional. The control unit 300 may store a correspondence between information representing the degree of comfort and calculated values in a table. The controller 300 may generate information indicating a level of comfort based on the table and the calculated value. The controller 300 may display information indicating pleasant information on the display. The user can check the condition near the sole of the foot and take necessary measures.

The air discharge member 620 may include a heart rate sensor for measuring the user's heart rate. The controller 300 may determine whether the heart rate measured by the heart rate sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. Here, the threshold value may be a value pre-stored in the memory. The threshold value may be received from an external server.

The controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be opened when the heart rate measured by the heart rate sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. Also, the controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be closed when the heart rate measured by the heart rate sensor is less than a predetermined threshold value. A high heart rate may mean that the user is likely to break a cold sweat. When the heart rate measured by the heart rate sensor near the user's sole is too high, the massage device 100 blows air into the sole to dry sweat on the sole, so the user can feel comfortable.

The air discharge member 620 may include a dust sensor for measuring the concentration of dust around the sole of the user's foot. The controller 300 may determine whether the dust concentration measured by the dust sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined critical dust concentration value. Here, the critical dust concentration value may be a value previously stored in a memory. The critical dust concentration value may be received from an external server. Also, the critical dust concentration value may be determined based on the current external dust concentration value. The external dust concentration value may be measured from a dust sensor mounted on the outer surface of the massage device 100 or received from an external server. The critical dust concentration value may be proportional to the external dust concentration value. The critical dust concentration value may be determined as a*D+b. Here, a and b may be predetermined constant values, and D may be an external dust concentration value.

The controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be opened when the dust concentration measured by the dust sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined critical dust concentration value. Accordingly, the air discharge member 620 may blow air into the user's feet. Dust near the sole of the user's foot may escape from the foot massage unit by the discharged air. In addition, the controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be closed when the dust concentration measured by the dust sensor is less than a predetermined critical dust concentration value. Since the massage device 100 controls the dust concentration value of the sole of the foot not to be excessively high, the user can feel comfortable.

In addition, the controller 300 may periodically measure the concentration of dust using a dust sensor included in the air discharge member 620 when the user is not sitting on the massage device 100 . A period can be one day, one week or one month. The period may be inversely proportional to the number of times the user uses the massage device 100 . For example, the more the user uses the massage device 100, the shorter the period may be. Also, the less the user uses the massage device 100, the longer the cycle may be.

The controller 300 may determine that the foot massage unit is contaminated when the concentration of dust measured by the dust sensor when the user is not sitting on the massage device 100 is continuously greater than or equal to a threshold value. That is, the control unit 300 may determine that the foot massage unit is contaminated when the dust concentration values measured 2 to 5 times all exceed the threshold value. The controller 300 may control information indicating that the foot massage unit is contaminated to be displayed on the display unit. The user may call a service center to clean the foot massage part or directly clean the foot massage part. Alternatively, the massage device 100 may transmit information indicating contamination to the server. The server may transmit information indicating contamination to the terminal of the regular checkup technician. Regular check-up technicians can visit customers and take necessary measures. Since the massage device 100 notifies the user of when to clean the foot massage unit, the user can receive a foot massage in a clean state.

In addition, the controller 300 may measure the concentration of dust by using a dust sensor included in the air discharge member 620 while the user is using the massage device 100 . The controller 300 may measure a time from when the user starts using the massage device 100 until the measured concentration of dust exceeds a threshold value. The controller 300 may determine whether the measured time is shorter than a threshold time. The critical time may be previously stored in a memory. The massage device 100 may obtain a critical time from an external server. When the measured time is shorter than the critical time, the control unit 300 may determine that a contaminated substance has flowed into the foot massage unit. The controller 300 may control alarm information indicating that a substance contaminated by the foot massage unit is displayed on the display. Users can take the necessary action. Since the user can easily know that the contaminated material has been introduced in this way, even if a plurality of users use the massage device 100, cleanliness can be maintained.

The above operation of the dust sensor may be replaced by a smell sensor. Since the case of using the smell sensor is the same as the description of the case of using the above dust sensor, duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

The controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be opened when the sole massage actuator 630 supplies power to the rotating rod. In addition, the controller 300 may control the air discharge valve 800 to be closed when the sole massage actuator 630 does not supply power to the rotating rod. That is, the controller 300 may blow air into the soles of the user's feet only while providing the sole massage to the user by the sole massage actuator 630 .

17 is a diagram illustrating an operating method of a massage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The air discharge member 620 may include a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature around the user's sole and a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity around the user's sole. The controller 300 may perform step 1710 of acquiring the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. In addition, the controller 300 may perform step 1720 of acquiring the humidity measured by the humidity sensor. The controller 300 may generate foot health information based on temperature and humidity.

The foot health information may have a higher value as the temperature is higher and the humidity is lower. For example, foot health information may be obtained based on a* (T+b)/(H+c). Here, a, b, and c may be predetermined constant values. Also, H may be a humidity value measured by a humidity sensor included in the air discharge member 620 . The humidity value may include at least one of an absolute humidity value and a relative humidity value. Also, T may be a temperature value measured by a temperature sensor included in the air discharge member 620 .

Foot health information may be displayed as numbers or letters. The controller 300 may select foot health information corresponding to a*(T+b)/(H+c) from the table. The controller 300 may store the correspondence between foot health information and a*(T+b)/(H+c) as a table. The controller 300 may display foot health information on the display. In addition, the controller 300 may control to display a brief description of the foot health information in text. Users can read foot health information and brief descriptions and take necessary actions. The massage device 100 may accumulate and store foot health information. The massage device 100 may display changes in the user's foot health information as a graph over time. The massage device 100 may previously store recommendation information according to a shape of a change graph of foot health information, and may select recommendation information to a user based on the change graph of foot health information. Users can check the recommended information and take action to improve foot health.

So far, we have looked at various embodiments. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to understand that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative rather than a limiting point of view. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

On the other hand, the above-described embodiments of the present invention can be written as a program that can be executed on a computer, and can be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer that operates the program using a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include storage media such as magnetic storage media (eg, ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and optical reading media (eg, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.).

Claims (1)

massage device.

Images