Massage machine

Abstract

The invention provides a massage machine, which can perform massage operation through a technology using a wide surface in addition to the prior art. A massage machine (1) is provided with: a treatment unit (3) that moves while treating a human body; a power source (4); and a power transmission unit (5) for transmitting power for the treatment and the movement from the power source (4) to the treatment unit (3), the treatment unit (3) having a treatment element (31) as a unit for performing treatment on the human body, and the power transmission unit (5) transmitting power for the treatment and the movement from the power source (4) to the treatment unit (3). The treatment part (3) is provided with a first part (3a) and a second part (3b), wherein the treatment area of the first part (3a) on the human body is relatively small, and the treatment area of the second part (3b) on the human body is relatively large.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a massage machine for performing massage treatment on a human body. Background Art

[0002] In conventional massage machines, for example, in the case of a seat-type massage machine, a structure in which treatment is performed by a treatment member (so-called "massage ball") provided at the front end of an arm of a treatment mechanism built into the back is mainstream. During treatment, for example, the treatment mechanism is moved in the vertical direction relative to the back portion of the human body to move it to an appropriate treatment site, or an action along the back muscles of the human body, that is, a so-called back stretching action, or a rolling action is performed. In relation to performing such actions, the treatment member is generally configured to have a substantially cylindrical or disc shape, and the circumferential direction of the curved surface located on the outer periphery of the treatment member with respect to the human body is parallel to the moving direction of the treatment member so that it can move up and down smoothly.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5853172 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, in the shape of the conventional treatment member, the contact surface with the human body corresponds to the curved surface on the outer periphery of the treatment member and becomes a point or a line, so there is a tendency for the pressure applied from the treatment mechanism to the human body to concentrate. Therefore, in the conventional treatment member, although it is suitable for a technique of strongly pressing a point during treatment, it is difficult to implement a massage technique such as rubbing (friction) the back widely in a planar manner or hitting with a relatively wide surface, like the technique using the palm by a masseur.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a massage machine capable of performing a massage action that a conventional massage machine does not have. Specifically, in addition to the conventional techniques, it can perform a massage action using a relatively wide surface technique.

[0009] Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The massage machine of the present invention includes: a treatment unit that moves while performing treatment on a human body; a power source; and a power transmission unit that transmits power for the treatment and the movement from the power source to the treatment unit. The treatment unit has a treatment member as a unit for performing the treatment on the human body, and the treatment unit has a first part with a relatively small area for performing the treatment on the human body and a second part with a relatively large area for performing the treatment on the human body.

[0011] According to this structure, different treatment effects can be obtained in the case of using the first part for treatment and in the case of using the second part with an area related to treatment larger than that of the first part for treatment.

[0012] In addition, it is possible that, according to the change in the state of the treatment part relative to the human body, the main part of the treatment switches between the first part and the second part.

[0013] According to this structure, by changing the state of the treatment part, it is possible to switch between treatment parts (the first part, the second part) with different treatment effects.

[0014] In addition, it is possible that the first part has a curved surface as the surface for performing the treatment, and the second part has a curved surface or a flat surface with a curvature smaller than that of the first part as the surface for performing the treatment.

[0015] According to this structure, by making the shapes of the surfaces of the treatment part different, the first part and the second part can be formed.

[0016] In addition, it is possible that the first part and the second part are provided on the same treatment member.

[0017] According to this structure, different treatment effects can be obtained through a single treatment member.

[0018] In addition, it is possible that the treatment member has a disk-shaped part, the first part is provided on the curved peripheral surface of the disk-shaped part, and the second part is provided on the end surface of the disk-shaped part.

[0019] According to this structure, the first part and the second part can be formed in the shape of a general treatment member.

[0020] In addition, it is possible that the state change is generated by the change in the posture of the treatment member relative to the human body.

[0021] According to this structure, by the change in the posture of the treatment member relative to the human body, it is possible to switch between treatment parts (the first part, the second part) that result in different treatment effects.

[0022] In addition, it is possible that the massager has a support part that supports the treatment member so that the treatment and the movement can be performed, and the posture change can be generated by the change in the support angle of the support part relative to the treatment member.

[0023] According to this structure, the posture change can be formed by the change in the support angle of the support part relative to the treatment member. Therefore, regarding the posture change, the treatment part can have a simple structure.

[0024] Alternatively, it is possible that the massage machine has a support portion that supports the treatment member so as to be able to perform the pressing and the movement, and the support portion moves the second portion along the surface of the human body when the second portion faces the human body.

[0025] According to this structure, by moving the second portion along the surface of the human body, it is possible to perform a treatment of "kneading (friction)".

[0026] Alternatively, it is possible that the treatment portion has a heating / cooling portion that can heat or cool the second portion.

[0027] According to this structure, it is possible to simultaneously perform a heating treatment or a cooling treatment of the treatment portion on the human body.

[0028] Advantages of the Invention

[0029] According to the present invention, different treatment effects can be obtained when performing treatment using the first portion and when performing treatment using the second portion. Therefore, it is possible to provide a massage machine that can perform a massage action that has not been performed by conventional massage machines. Specifically, in addition to conventional techniques, it is also possible to perform a massage action using a technique that uses a relatively wide surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 FIG. is a perspective view showing an example of the external shape of a massage machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 FIG. is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the structure of a treatment mechanism built in the massage machine.

[0032] Figure 3 FIG. is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the second portion faces the front by rotation of the treatment member relative to the support portion in the treatment mechanism.

[0033] Description of Reference Numerals:

[0034] 1 Massage machine

[0035] 11 Seat portion

[0036] 12 Backrest portion

[0037] 13 Armrest portion

[0038] 14 Footrest

[0039] 2 Treatment mechanism

[0040] 3 Treatment portion

[0041] 3a First portion

[0042] 3b Second part

[0043] 31 Treatment member

[0044] 311 Disk-shaped part

[0045] 312 Connecting part

[0046] 32 Support part

[0047] 4 Power source

[0048] 5 Power transmission part

[0049] 6 Housing. Detailed implementation mode

[0050] Next, a massage machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. It should be noted that the following description of directions is Figure 1 the directions in the illustrated massage machine (seat-type massage machine) 1. And, the front side of the massage machine 1 is regarded as the "front". In addition, "left and right" is set as the left and right when facing the front side (front) of the massage machine 1 (opposite to the left and right as observed from the person to be treated).

[0051] As Figure 1 shown, the massage machine 1 of the present embodiment is a seat-type massage machine, and mainly includes a seat part 11, a backrest part 12, an armrest part 13, and a footrest 14. It should be noted that the structures of each part are basically the same as those in the past, so no detailed description will be given. As Figure 2 shown, a unitized treatment mechanism 2 is built in the backrest part 12. As the part related to the present invention, the treatment mechanism 2 includes a treatment part 3, a power source 4, and a power transmission part 5. As Figure 2 shown, the treatment mechanism 2 can be configured to be assembled in a box-shaped body, that is, a housing 6, but this is only an example, and the treatment mechanism 2 can be configured in various ways. In addition, Figure 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating in a form that realizes the content including the characteristic part of the present invention, and does not intend to limit the present invention to the content shown in the figure.

[0052] The treatment part 3 is a part that moves while treating a human body in a posture where the back part is leaned against the backrest 12 while sitting on the seat part 11. In the present embodiment, it is a part that massages and treats the human body facing the backrest 12 by pressing and moving from the outside of the human body. By pressing, "kneading" and "tapping" are performed on the human body, and by pressing accompanied by movement, "rubbing (friction)", "kneading", and "tapping" are performed on the human body (each content will be described later). It should be noted that as Figure 1As shown, there is a surface sheet (cloth or leather) of the backrest 12 between the treatment part 3 and the human body, so the pressing is performed across the surface sheet. In addition, in addition to the pressing, the treatment also includes heating or cooling the human body, and vibration (pressing, so that the strength of the pressing changes in a short period of time) or applying electromagnetic waves to the human body, or irradiating light.

[0053] The treatment part 3 is composed of a treatment piece 31 and a support part 32 that physically supports the treatment piece 31. It should be noted that in this description, one treatment part 3 is defined as a treatment part corresponding to a unit that contacts the human body at one place. Therefore, in this embodiment, a plurality of (specifically, two) treatment parts 3 are provided. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality of (specifically, two) treatment parts 3 are provided in one treatment mechanism 2. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, one treatment member 31 is provided in one treatment part 3, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of treatment members 31 to 31 may be provided in one treatment part 3. It should be noted that the case where only "treatment member" is recorded below refers to one (single) treatment member 31.

[0054] The treatment piece 31 is sometimes referred to as a "massage ball", and is a unit (in one piece) for treatment. The treatment piece 31 of the present embodiment is a portion that at least presses the human body. Furthermore, the treatment piece 31 of the present embodiment has a disc-shaped portion 311 of a general shape that has existed in the past as a "treatment piece". The treatment piece 31 of the present embodiment is rotatably supported on the support portion 32 by a connecting portion 312 that is formed by integrally protruding at the radial center of one of the axial end faces of the disc-shaped portion 311. That is, the treatment piece 31 is "cantilever supported" on the support portion 32. The support is capable of angular changes such as swinging relative to the front end portion of the slender support portion 32. The angle change in the present embodiment is from Figure 2 The state shown is rotated by 90 degrees relative to the support portion 32. Figure 3 In this embodiment, the switch is Figure 2 The status and Figure 3 In the two states shown, the angle with the support portion 32 is fixed in each state. Figure 2 The state shown is the state where the first part 3a is opposite to the human body. Figure 3 The state shown is a state where the second part 3b is opposite to the human body. It should be noted that the state switching is not limited to this, and it can also be configured to fix the treatment member 31 at an intermediate angle (that is, "obliquely" relative to the human body) to switch to more than three states. In addition, in this case, the intermediate angle is not limited to a fixed angle, and it can also be a free stop structure fixed at an arbitrary angle.

[0055] The support portion 32 is a portion that supports the treatment piece 31 so that it can be pressed and moved relative to the human body. In the present embodiment, it is a rod-shaped body whose width dimension decreases toward the front end, and is operated by the power transmission portion 5 described later. It should be noted that the shape of the support portion 32 is not limited thereto, and it may be, for example, a plate-shaped body, or a shape having a constant width dimension. Although not shown in the figure, a fixing mechanism that fixes the support angle of the treatment piece 31 by interlocking or the like can be provided on the support portion 32. By fixing the support angles of the support portion 32 and the treatment piece 31 by the fixing mechanism, the treatment at the first portion 3a and the treatment at the second portion 3b described later can be reliably performed respectively. The situation in which the support portion 32 moves the treatment piece 31 relative to the human body to perform treatment will be described later.

[0056] The power source 4 is a part that generates power for the pressing and moving the treatment part 3, and includes, for example, an electric motor and a structure for supplying electricity to the electric motor. In this embodiment, the power source 4 is built into the housing 6 (the specific shape is not shown).

[0057] The power transmission unit 5 is a part that transmits the power generated by the power source 4 to the treatment unit 3 (specifically, the treatment member 31) as the power for the pressing and moving. The power transmission unit 5 is composed of, for example, a speed reduction mechanism, a power interruption mechanism (gears, cams, etc.), a connecting rod mechanism, etc. It should be noted that from the perspective of power transmission to the treatment member 31, the support portion 32 constitutes a part of the power transmission unit 5.

[0058] The treatment part 3 has a treatment surface as a surface for applying a pressing force to the human body. The treatment part 3 has a first part 3a with a relatively small area for treatment and a second part 3b with a relatively large area for treatment as a part having a treatment surface. The "area for treatment" refers to an area for producing a treatment effect on the human body. The treatment part 3 of this embodiment has a first part 3a with a relatively small area for applying a pressing force to the human body (i.e., an area of ​​the backrest 12 in contact with the surface (skin) of the human body through the surface sheet) and a second part 3b with a relatively large area for applying the pressing force. In the first part 3a and the second part 3b, the area related to the treatment effect on the treatment surface is different, so different treatment effects can be obtained when the first part 3a is used for treatment and when the second part 3b is used for treatment. In addition, in this embodiment, the first part 3a and the second part 3b are provided on the treatment piece 31. In more detail, the first part 3a and the second part 3b are provided on the same treatment piece 31. Therefore, different treatment effects can be obtained by using a single treatment member 31 .

[0059] The first part 3a is the part that mainly performs "kneading" or "tapping" as the content of massage therapy. The second part 3b is the part that mainly performs "rubbing" or performs a larger area of "tapping" compared to the first part 3a as the content of massage therapy. For example, "kneading" refers to the therapy performed when the treatment member 31 moves in a circular or arc shape relative to the human body. For example, "tapping" refers to the therapy performed by moving on the human body in the front-back direction of the human body. The "rubbing" refers to, for example, for the human body (specifically the skin), with a pressing force smaller than "tapping" or "kneading", the treatment member 31 moves in a circular or arc shape along the human body (skin) for the therapy. The pressing and movement of the treatment member 31 relative to the human body are controlled by a control unit (not shown) provided in the massage machine 1, so that the magnitude of the power generated by the power source 4 and the transmission of the power to the treatment unit 3 (treatment member 31) in the power transmission unit 5 and the movement trajectory change in accordance with the treatment content.

[0060] The first part 3a is the surface for performing therapy, and in this embodiment, it has a curved surface that is the surface for pressing the human body. The therapy surface of the first part 3a is at least a part of this curved surface. The second part 3b is the surface for performing therapy, and in this embodiment, it is a curved surface or a flat surface that has a curvature for pressing the human body smaller than that of the first part 3a. The therapy surface of the second part 3b is at least a part of this curved surface or flat surface. By making the shapes of the surfaces (the surfaces to which the therapy surfaces in the treatment unit 3 belong) of the treatment unit 3 different, the first part 3a and the second part 3b that can obtain different therapy effects can be formed. In particular, compared with the second part 3b, the part of the first part 3a that presses the human body is smaller, so that massage can be concentrated.

[0061] In addition, for example, even if the pressing force and movement (trajectory) of the treatment unit 3 on the human body are the same, by changing the part where the therapy (pressing in this embodiment) is performed between the first part 3a and the second part 3b, the therapy effect on the human body can be made different. Therefore, the person being treated can select the preferred treatment content by using the therapy of the first part 3a and the therapy of the second part 3b. Therefore, even if the action of the treatment unit 3 is the same action, by changing the state of the treatment member 31 between the first part 3a and the second part 3b, the change of the therapy increases, so that the options for the person being treated can be increased, and different therapy effects can be obtained according to the options. For example, in the action in the front-back direction ("tapping"), in the first part 3a with a relatively small pressing area, the "tapping" performed in the past (the treatment member 31 moves relatively fast) can be achieved. In addition, in the second part 3b with a relatively large pressing area, by making the action of the treatment member 31 relatively slow, the person being treated can be given a feeling close to the palm pressing of the masseur (by slow pressing, the muscles of the human body stretch, becoming a therapy close to stretching).

[0062] In the present embodiment, a first portion 3a is provided on the curved circumferential surface of the disc-shaped portion of the treatment member 31, and a second portion 3b is provided on the end surface (the end surface axially located on the side opposite to the connecting portion 312) which is the plane including the disc-shaped portion. In this way, it is possible to form the first portion 3a and the second portion 3b with different treatment effects without forming a special shape while maintaining the shape (disc shape) of the general treatment member 31.

[0063] In the present embodiment, according to the state change of the treatment portion 3 relative to the human body, the main part of the massage treatment is switched between the first portion 3a and the second portion 3b. By changing the state of the treatment portion 3, it is possible to switch the part that exerts the treatment effect, thereby switching the massage treatment with different treatment effects. The "switching" is not limited to a complete switch (for example, when the first portion 3a is in contact with the human body, the second portion 3b is completely separated from the human body), and also includes a case where there are multiple massage treatment contents and there is a main / auxiliary relationship or a light / heavy relationship, and the treatment equivalent to "main" or "heavy" is switched.

[0064] It should be noted that the "state change" widely includes a manner in which the appearance of the treatment portion 3 changes. This state change is generated by the change in the posture of the treatment member 31 relative to the human body. In the present embodiment, the posture change is generated due to the change in the support angle of the support portion 32 relative to the treatment member 31 (swing within a range of 90 degrees). By changing the posture of the treatment member 31 relative to the human body, it is possible to switch the massage treatment with different treatment effects. In the present embodiment, since the posture change can be formed by the change in the support angle of the support portion 32 relative to the treatment member 31, it is not necessary to make the treatment member 31 itself have a special structure, and thus the treatment portion 3 can have a simple structure.

[0065] As described above, the support angle of the treatment member 31 changes in a manner of swinging 90 degrees relative to the support portion 32. According to this change in the support angle, the case where the part for the massage treatment is switched to the first portion 3a ( Figure 2 ) and the case of the second portion 3b ( Figure 3). When the support part 32 faces the human body in the second part 3b, it uses the power transmitted from the power source 4 via the power transmission part 5 to move the second part 3b along the surface of the human body. Through this action, the treatment of "kneading" can be performed. In this way, for example, the treatment with a feeling similar to that of a masseur kneading the human body with the palm can be achieved by this massage machine 1. It should be noted that when performing the treatment of "kneading", the support part 32 can make the second part 3b travel linearly relative to the surface (skin) of the human body, or can travel by applying a "shaking" action (an action like a wave). The applied "shaking" action is in a corresponding relationship with the concept of "kneading", and is mainly an action along the direction of the human body (skin), but an action in the direction of approaching and separating from the human body (skin) is also allowed incidentally.

[0066] The treatment part 3 can have a cooling and heating part capable of heating or cooling the second part 3b. In the present embodiment, as the cooling and heating part, a heating element such as an electric heater is provided inside the treatment member 31 corresponding to the second part 3b, and there is a heating part capable of warming the second part 3b. In this structure, through the heating part, the heating treatment (warming treatment) of the treatment part 3 can be performed simultaneously with the massage treatment. In the present embodiment, in addition to the treatment effect brought by the movement of the treatment member 31 in the treatment part 3 relative to the human body along with the pressing, the treatment effect based on the warming treatment can also be achieved. In particular, when performing the "kneading" treatment with the second part 3b, as the "kneading" is performed in sequence, a warming effect can be brought to a large area of the surface of the human body, so effective treatment can be performed. On the other hand, by cooling the second part 3b, a cooling effect can be brought to the human body, so effective treatment can also be performed in this case. It should be noted that it can also be configured such that the cooling and heating part is not built in the treatment member 31, but is pre-configured on other parts separated from the treatment member 31, and the heat used to heat or cool the human body is transmitted from the other parts to the second part 3b.

[0067] As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0068] For example, the massage machine 1 in the above embodiment is a seat-type massage machine, but it is not limited thereto, and it can also be massage machines of various types and structures. For example, it can also be a bed-type massage machine used by the person to be treated lying down. In addition, it can also be a portable massage machine (for example, a massage machine for treating feet) that can be carried and moves the massage machine itself to the desired part of the human body for treatment.

[0069] In addition, the treatment mechanism 2 can also be provided in a seat-type massage machine other than the backrest 12 (for example, the seat part 11, the footrest 14).

[0070] In addition, the state change of the treatment unit 3 is not limited to the angular change of the treatment member 31 relative to the support portion 32 in the above-described embodiment, and other changes are also possible. For example, the shape of the treatment member 31 itself can also change. In this case, for example, a substance that can change between a fluid state and a solid state is pre-encapsulated inside the treatment member 31, and the encapsulated substance is solidified in a state where the treatment member 31 is deformed, thereby changing the shape of the treatment member 31 itself to a state where the first part 3a faces the human body and a state where the second part 3b faces the human body. In addition, it is considered that the treatment member 31 is formed by a shape memory alloy to form a frame, so that the treatment member 31 can be deformed. In these cases, the part facing the human body changes without an angular change.

[0071] In addition, even in the structure where the treatment member 31 is supported by the support portion 32 as in the above-described embodiment, for example, it can be configured in different moving manners such as the support portion of the treatment member 31 sliding and moving along a linear trajectory.

[0072] In addition, it is not limited to Figure 2 and Figure 3 the manner in which a pair (two) of the treatment members 31, 31 shown in the arrangement face the same direction. It is also possible to perform treatment by having only the first part 3a of one (either left or right) of the pair (two) of the treatment members 31, 31 face the human body and the second part 3b of the other face the human body.

[0073] In addition, for example, it can also be configured such that the support portion 32 is formed in a bifurcated shape in advance, and the treatment member 31 in the state (the state where the first part 3a faces the human body) shown in Figure 2 is fixed to one end side of the bifurcated shape, and the treatment member 31 in the state (the state where the second part 3b faces the human body) shown in Figure 3 is fixed to the other end side. On this basis, the distance between the support portion 32 and the human body is changed, so that the main part of the treatment of the human body is switched to the first part 3a or the second part 3b.

[0074] In addition, the treatment member 31 can also be composed of a plurality of blocks that can be separated and combined. The first part 3a is formed by the combination of a single block or a small number of blocks, and the second part 3b is formed by the combination of a plurality of blocks (relatively more than the small number of cases). That is, this is a structure in which the state where the first part 3a faces the human body and the state where the second part 3b faces the human body are changed by the recombination (combination and separation) of the blocks. In this case, particularly for the second part 3b, it is formed over the treatment member 31 and an additional part relative to the treatment member 31 (corresponding to a part of the block).

[0075] Alternatively, it may be configured such that both the first portion 3a and the second portion 3b are provided in the circumferential direction in a single treatment member 31, and by rotating the treatment member 31 in the circumferential direction, the portion facing the human body is switched between the first portion and the second portion.

[0076] Alternatively, a plurality of protrusions that can be expanded and contracted relative to the surface may be provided on the surface of the second portion 3b, and when treatment is performed by the second portion 3b, pressing against the human body by the plurality of protrusions in the protruding state is additionally performed.

Claims

1. A massage machine, wherein: The massage machine comprises: A treatment part that moves while treating the human body; Power source; as well as a power transmission unit that transmits power for the treatment and the movement from the power source to the treatment unit, The treatment part has a treatment piece as a unit for performing the treatment on the human body. The treatment part has a first part having a relatively small area for performing the treatment on the human body and a second part having a relatively large area for performing the treatment on the human body.

2. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein: A main portion of performing the treatment is switched between the first portion and the second portion according to a change in the state of the treatment part relative to the human body.

3. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein: The first portion has a curved surface as a surface for performing the treatment, The second portion has a curved surface or a flat surface having a smaller curvature than that of the first portion as a surface for performing the treatment.

4. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein: The first part and the second part are arranged on the same treatment piece.

5. The massage machine according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The treatment member has a disc-shaped portion, the first portion is arranged on a curved circumferential surface of the disc-shaped portion, and the second portion is arranged on an end surface of the disc-shaped portion.

6. The massage machine according to claim 2, wherein: The state change is caused by a change in the posture of the treatment member relative to the human body.

7. The massage machine according to claim 6, wherein: The massage machine includes a support portion that supports the treatment member so as to enable the treatment and the movement. The posture change is caused by a change in the support angle of the support portion relative to the treatment member.

8. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein: The massage machine includes a support portion that supports the treatment member so as to enable the treatment and the movement. The support portion moves the second portion along a surface of a human body when the second portion is opposed to the human body.

9. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein: The treatment part has a hot and cold part capable of heating or cooling the second portion.

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