Improved massager

Abstract

The invention relates to a massaging machine comprising a substantially rectangular frame defining a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, as well as a plane spanning these directions and a center point, and at least one roller conveyor element, in particular a conveyor belt, chain or rope, which runs along the longitudinal direction of the frame and to which a plurality of massage rollers with a roller body and a roller shaft are rotatably attached about the shaft, wherein the massage rollers are transportable by the roller conveyor element along a closed path which extends in the plane spanned by the longitudinal direction and a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction. According to the invention, the massaging machine is characterized in that the massage rollers extend across the entire width measured in the transverse direction of the free interior space of the frame. The massage rollers can be covered by a massage mat and / or guided along a segmented carrier rail to follow a desired contour.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the massage device as described in the preamble of claim 1. Background Technology

[0002] Massage is used for post-exercise care or to treat pathological changes in muscles and ligaments. Massage involves repeated mechanical deformation of soft tissues. Fascial massage is a type of massage specifically targeting the fascia of the human body. Fascia is the soft tissue component of connective tissue, permeating the entire body like a network of tension that wraps and connects. Fascia includes all collagenous connective tissue, especially joint and organ capsules, aponeurosis, intermuscular septa, ligaments, tendons, retinaculum (supporting ligaments), and the true fascia, the connective tissue form that wraps around muscles, which are formed by bundles of muscle fibers, like stockings.

[0003] To effectively massage the fascia, so-called fascia rollers are known, which are designed as roughly cylindrical rollers with a specially textured surface. Currently, they are used by the person receiving the massage lying on the roller and rolling along it using their own body movement. This rhythmically kneads and deforms the fascial tissue in the area in contact with the massage roller, thus massaging it.

[0004] The drawbacks of this method are twofold. First, certain areas, such as the muscles of the back, hips, or legs, require a high level of muscle tension that must be maintained for an extended period to allow for self-massage as described above. However, the muscle tension required to maintain such a posture reduces the effectiveness of the massage because muscle deformation is more superficial compared to when the muscles are relaxed. Another issue is that the maximum achievable massage pressure, or the overall contact force of the massage rollers, is limited by the user's own weight or the weight of the body parts resting on the rollers. For example, when massaging the calves or gastrocnemius muscles, the initial force is simply the weight of the lower leg. This results in a low initial force and a less effective massage compared to a higher initial force.

[0005] In the field of general massage, especially full-body massage, there are massage machines that provide a surface for the massage recipient to lie face down, on their side, or on their back, and to perform massage through movable massage elements.

[0006] For example, U.S. Patent 3,794,018 illustrates such a device. This patent discloses a massager having a frame defining a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a central plane of the frame. Shafts carrying deflector wheels and drive wheels are attached to both ends of the frame, each bearing two drive wheels symmetrically arranged in a mirror-symmetric plane of the frame. A closed chain is placed around each pair of drive wheels at both ends as a transmission element for the massage rollers, which are rotatably attached to the chain about their respective axes. Drive wheels on a track move the chain, thereby also moving the massage rollers attached thereto. This track consists of two straight sections symmetrically arranged in the central plane of the frame, connected by two arcuate sections with radii equal to the drive wheels. The massage rollers consist of pairs of symmetrically arranged discs in a mirror-plane of the frame, supported on roller shafts. Guide rollers are located at opposite ends of the roller shafts and guided within guide rails of the frame. The rollers do not directly contact the person being massaged, but rather contact the underside of a support surface, which deforms and transmits the mechanical force of the rollers to the person being massaged.

[0007] The drawback of this design is the relatively small contact area between the massage rollers and the recipient. Therefore, to cover the entire width of the recipient, several massage rollers with discs need to be installed, each at a different distance from the plane of symmetry of the frame. This reduces the massage frequency—the number of mechanical deformations per unit time at a given roller rotation speed—which cannot be arbitrarily increased. Furthermore, because the discs cannot directly contact the recipient to prevent localized overload, a cover must be inserted, thus weakening the massage effect. Even with the cover inserted, the massage effect remains limited to a relatively narrow area.

[0008] However, a published Japanese patent application, JP-H09028746A, proposes a similar massage device with a different symmetrical arrangement of the massage discs relative to the frame and a different guide for the massage discs at the ends. This massage device also suffers from essentially the same drawbacks as the device described in the aforementioned US patent. It even completely abandons the attempt to massage a person across the entire width. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Against this backdrop, the present invention aims to find an improved massage device capable of effectively massaging the entire width of a person's body at a relatively high massage frequency. In particular, it should also be able to achieve a massage effect independent of body weight.

[0010] This objective is achieved by a massage device having the features proposed in claim 1.

[0011] A key feature of the massager according to the invention is that, unlike some known solutions in the prior art, it uses massage rollers that span substantially the entire internal width, rather than discs. This allows massage to be applied across the entire width of the recipient's body without the need for multiple different massage roller units to address or massage different lateral points. For example, even at relatively low rotational speeds, the desired massage frequency can be achieved with a small number of massage rollers on a rotating roller-type transmission element. This is advantageous because high rotational speeds or equivalent high rotational paths result in high energy consumption, high noise levels, and increased wear on the massager.

[0012] Unlike known massagers, due to the aforementioned design features, the massage rollers can also make direct contact with the user without the risk of applying excessive pressure to the affected area. For solutions known in the prior art, a pressure distribution layer must be inserted between the massage rollers and the user due to the possibility of localized overload.

[0013] In some embodiments, the massage roller may be a so-called fascia roller, similar to the roller described above that utilizes one's own body weight for self-massage. More precisely, as used herein, the term "massage roller" describes a unit consisting of a roller body and a roller shaft, the latter not necessarily a separate component. The roller shaft may also consist of segments protruding from a generally circular end face of the cylindrical roller body and taper significantly to the diameter of the roller body. However, in other embodiments, the roller shaft is a separate portion rotatably mounted within the roller body. In fascia roller designs, the roller body features a textured surface, enabling the well-known enhanced massage effect. The roller body can be substantially cylindrical, allowing for subtle local variations in its radius. Alternatively, cylindrical or concave roller bodies are also conceivable. Furthermore, the roller's radius may vary longitudinally in a corrugated pattern. However, unlike known automatic massagers, this design does not include reducing the number of disc-shaped elements mounted on the roller shaft to one or two, or even a small number.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the massage rollers do not directly contact the user; instead, they are covered by a flexible cover positioned on the front of the massager. This flexible cover protects the user from being caught between the moving massage rollers, providing crucial safety and preventing accidents. The cover can be made of a film, mesh, or (largely) an openable pad. The cover can be used alone or in combination with other protective measures, such as the control technologies and / or safety switches described below.

[0015] The cover is easy to remove and maintain. For example, it can be clipped to one or both ends of the frame unit using clamping strips. Removing the cover simply involves opening the clamping strips. Alternatively, other known securing methods can be used, such as distributing clips around the edges of the cover. If desired, the removable cover also allows the user to enjoy a more intense massage without the cover.

[0016] If the fabric mesh is used as a protective cover, it preferably has a sufficiently fine mesh size to prevent at least the user's arms and / or legs from passing through. Therefore, the mesh size should be less than about 5 cm. Furthermore, the protective cover mesh can have such fine mesh that it also prevents fingers or toes from passing through. For this purpose, the mesh size is preferably less than about 1 cm, and particularly preferably less than about 5 mm.

[0017] The cover is primarily attached to the end of the frame, where the massage rollers move forward from the back, for example, by clamping between two strips as described above. However, it is also preferably attached to the other end of the frame, particularly in the same manner. The cover may also be attached to the side.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the cover is a mat, i.e., a flat, flexible element made of textiles or other suitable durable materials. The advantage of a mat is that it effectively prevents the recipient's hair from getting caught. The mat preferably covers the massage rollers, and most preferably completely covers the entire interior of the frame. Furthermore, its lateral edges may rest on the longitudinal crossbeams of the frame. For added flexibility, it may also be flush with the interior.

[0019] The pad may have a textured surface to enhance and strengthen the massage effect, for example, raised spikes and / or ribs and / or recesses of different shapes, or a combination of the aforementioned textured features. In this form, it is also referred to as a massage pad. However, the massage rollers used in conjunction with the massage pad do not require a textured surface and are preferably more or less smooth.

[0020] Using a cover in the form of a massage pad can improve the safety of the massage device according to the invention without significantly reducing the massage effect.

[0021] According to the invention, at least one roller-type conveying element is provided to drive the massage rollers along their closed path. This can be a conveyor belt or strip, chain or rope, each being a closed loop. The roller-type conveying element spans the longitudinal direction of the frame. Its shape corresponding to the path of the massage rollers is achieved by two or more guide rollers. In some embodiments, the roller-type conveying element is arranged around (deflection) wheels rotatably mounted at both ends of the frame.

[0022] One or two of the deflecting wheels may be designed as drive wheels and driven by a motor, preferably an electric motor. The roller-type transmission element driven by the drive device carries massage rollers rotatably attached thereto and guides them to the side of the person being massaged, where the desired massage effect is achieved by pressing on the body of the person being massaged.

[0023] When the static friction generated by the roller's contact with the recipient's skin is much greater than the friction of the roller's bearings on the roller-type transmission element, the roller may roll on the recipient. When the contact pressure decreases or the bearing friction increases, or when braking force is applied to the roller (shaft), the roller will eventually slip and begin to glide rather than roll on the skin, which can produce its own positive massage effect. At the transition point—that is, at the critical contact pressure for a given bearing friction, or at the critical bearing friction for a given contact pressure—the gliding and rolling motions transition, during which the roller partially glides and partially rolls on the body.

[0024] Since reducing contact pressure decreases the massage effect, increasing bearing friction is preferable in this case. If the bearing friction is much greater than the surface friction, rolling will not occur; instead, the roller surface will glide across the recipient's body.

[0025] In some embodiments of the invention, the bearing friction of the massage roller is variable and can switch between a low-friction state (the massage roller rolls on the recipient), a transitional state (alternating rolling-sliding motion occurs), and a high-friction state (the massage roller essentially only slides on the recipient). For example, the bearing friction can be increased by installing brake shoes on the roller shaft, particularly by arranging the brake shoes in pairs on opposite sides of the roller shaft. The frame and its attached components, namely the drive / deflection wheel, the roller-type transmission element, and the attached massage rollers, as well as other elements, can form a frame unit. In some embodiments of the invention, the frame unit can be supported on a bracket.

[0026] For example, this can be achieved by having the frame units form a fixed angle along their length and the horizontal direction. The person receiving the massage then adjusts their position so that the massage rollers contact the rollers at specific points along their path. In this configuration, the applied pressure is proportional to the weight of the person receiving the massage and the cosine of the angle between the frame and the horizontal direction, without requiring any additional pressure.

[0027] To allow for massage of the entire back, front, and even sides of the body, it is recommended to equip one end of the frame with a standing platform. The person receiving the massage can stand on this platform and lean their back or abdomen against the massage rollers. Alternatively, a table can be installed at one end of the frame.

[0028] Preferably, there is a mechanism for increasing or decreasing the contact pressure during the massage. Force can be applied to push the person against the machine or pull them away from the machine, for example, by applying force on the side of the person facing away from the frame unit via a pressure arm attached to the frame or support.

[0029] Alternatively or otherwise, the massager includes support rails that the person receiving the massage can hold with both hands and manually reduce or increase the pressure by pulling or pushing the rails inward or outward.

[0030] The support railings can be part of a safety system that uses capacitance or resistance measurements to detect whether the massage recipient's hands are resting on multiple railings or just one. Only in these cases will the drive mechanism of the roller conveyor be activated or started.

[0031] The massager may also include additional control-related safety features. For example, the tension of the roller conveyor can be limited. Alternatively or additionally, a hazard detection system may be provided that shuts off the conveyor drive and, if necessary, slowly reverses the conveyor until its tension returns to normal in the event of a decrease in conveyor speed and a rapid increase in traction. This hazard detection system may also be triggered before any traction limit is reached. Finally, a visually conspicuous emergency stop switch may be provided so that a third party can deactivate the system if other safety measures fail.

[0032] Another advantageous embodiment (which may be implemented alone or in combination, but not mutually exclusive) is protected in the dependent claims and will be presented one by one below.

[0033] In some embodiments of the invention, only a single roller conveyor element is present. However, two or more roller conveyor elements may also be used, particularly arranged symmetrically at the center of the frame or in a mirror-symmetric plane. Roller conveyor elements in the form of closed conveyor belts, strips, ropes, or chains may be positioned or tensioned on deflecting pulleys at the ends of the frame.

[0034] To drive the roller-type conveyor element, one of the pulleys can be designed as a drive wheel and driven by a motor. Alternatively, or otherwise, a dedicated drive wheel not located at the deflection point of the roller-type conveyor element can be used.

[0035] The outline of the roller-type conveyor element (which also represents the path following the conveyed massage roller) in its simplest form consists of two straight segments arranged on either side of the central plane of the frame, connected by two opposing semicircular segments. Besides this simple path, other shapes can be used, for example, by using deflecting pulleys of different sizes at both ends of the frame, or by using wheel rollers or curved rollers to deflect the roller-type conveyor element in a direction other than a straight line.

[0036] If two roller-type conveyor elements are used, they are preferably positioned as close as possible to the long side of the interior space of the rectangular frame to ensure that the roller bodies have sufficient clearance to pass through. If the length of these beams is shorter than the profile defined by the roller-type conveyor elements, the roller-type conveyor elements can also be positioned outside the longitudinal beams of the frame, so that the roller shafts can transport the ends of the longitudinal beams.

[0037] The frame unit, consisting of the frame and its attached components, is preferably pivotally mounted, allowing adjustment of the angle between the frame's longitudinal and horizontal directions. The pivot angle should range at least from +60 degrees to 0 degrees, and preferably from +90 degrees to -10 degrees. A positive angle indicates that the recipient's head is positioned above their feet, while a negative angle indicates the opposite, that the head is positioned below their feet. To maintain a stable position relative to the massager at a negative angle, in addition to the standing platform, appropriate support devices, such as straps or foot loops, must be provided on the platform.

[0038] At least one (preferably all) of the massage rollers has a device that causes it to vibrate. More precisely, these include devices that cause the surface of the roller body to vibrate or oscillate laterally. For example, such a vibrating device could be a flywheel driven by a motor and mounted slightly off-center inside the roller body.

[0039] In some embodiments, the massage unit according to the invention has a control system capable of reversing the direction of travel, wherein the roller-type conveying element periodically and / or at irregular intervals along the track or upon input transports the massage rollers. The resulting oscillating motion of the massage rollers achieves an improved massage effect.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the massage rollers of the massage machine according to the invention include guide rollers mounted on a shaft end projecting from the roller body. In particular, guide rollers are provided on each side of the roller body. The guide rollers of these massage rollers, at least those located at the front of the massage machine, run on or within a guide rail fixed relative to the frame, preferably attached to the frame, or even forming part of the frame. Depending on the design, the guide rail either absorbs only the (reaction) force applied to the massage rollers by the user, or additionally provides lateral guidance for the guide rollers. The latter can be achieved, for example, by using an L-shaped or U-shaped guide rail (combined with cylindrical or annular guide rollers). A guide rail that only bears the load does not require such a profile, and its upper surface can be straight and flat.

[0041] The guide rail can be arranged inside the roller-type transmission element, opposite to the longitudinal crossbeam. This increases the load-bearing capacity of the massage roller shaft and reduces deformation.

[0042] The guide rail, especially the unformed load-bearing guide rail, is preferably segmented, i.e., divided into two or more segments, preferably three or four or more segments, especially between 10 cm and 50 cm. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the segment length corresponds to the distance between two massage rollers along the roller-type conveying element.

[0043] Each guide rail section can be adjusted via lifting columns and / or linear actuators, allowing the contours traced by the front massage rollers to be altered, for example, to adapt to the curve of the cervical spine or the side of the person being massaged.

[0044] Depending on the embodiment, each rail section has one or two lifting columns or linear actuators. In a first embodiment with one lifting column per section, each rail section is divided into two sub-sections, with the first sub-section fixed to the end of the linear actuator. One end of the second sub-section is connected to the first sub-section, while the opposite end is connected to the first sub-section of an adjacent rail section in the same direction, allowing for relative pivoting and displacement to compensate for changes in profile length. Such a connection can be achieved, for example, via pins projecting from the end of one of the two sub-sections, guided within elongated slots at the complementary ends of the connected sub-sections. Other types of sliding-rotation connections can also be used. The advantage of this design is that the desired profile can be simply statically set, and the lifting column only needs to be operated when the profile changes. Almost no energy is consumed as long as the profile remains constant. To make the typically straight sub-sections as close as possible to the desired (typically curved) profile, it is preferable to use the minimum rail section length, or conversely, to use more sections within each frame length.

[0045] In a second preferred embodiment, each guide rail segment is provided with two lifting columns / linear actuators. Unlike the first embodiment, the ends of the guide rail segments are not connected to each other. As the desired contour is crossed, the lifting columns typically extend and retract continuously to maintain the massage roller support on the guide rail segment of the desired contour (via the guide rollers), while ensuring that the ends of the guide rail segments are at the same height as they pass the guide rollers. To maintain the desired contour, in this embodiment, the length of the guide rail segment must not exceed the distance between adjacent massage rollers along the roller-type transfer element. However, it is also advantageous to select guide rail segments shorter than the maximum length. In particular, if for a guide rail segment, transferring one massage roller and taking over the next massage roller do not occur simultaneously, it simplifies the transfer of the guide roller from one guide rail segment to the next. Therefore, the length of the guide rail segment is preferably less than the maximum length. In particular, the length of the guide rail segment is particularly preferably 2 / 3 of the maximum length. At this length, as the massage rollers move from the first guide rail segment to a subsequent guide rail sub-segment, the subsequent massage rollers are located in the middle of the segment preceding the first guide rail segment. In other words, the massage rollers are consecutively numbered, with even-numbered and odd-numbered massage rollers always alternating in their movement, while other types of massage rollers are always located in the middle of their respective current guide rail segments, where they are less affected by the lifting motion of the ends for leveling. Another reasonable choice for the guide rail segment length is half the distance between adjacent massage rollers, as this ensures that the transfer from one guide rail segment to an adjacent guide rail segment always alternates between even-numbered and odd-numbered guide rail segments.

[0046] Shorter guide rail sections can also be used, but the control system becomes increasingly complex, leading to an increase in the number of sections and consequently, an increase in the number of lifting columns. Material costs also increase without any significant advantages.

[0047] The vertical adjustment range or stroke of the lifting column / linear drive and guide rail section is typically between 1 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 2 cm and 8 cm. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Other advantages, features, and characteristics of the invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These are intended to illustrate the invention only and are in no way intended to limit its generality.

[0049] like Figure 1A Figure shown is a side view of a massage machine schematically represented according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 1B :according to Figure 1A A top view of the massager according to the first embodiment shown.

[0051] Figure 2A Side view of a frame unit schematically representing a massage machine according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 2B :according to Figure 2A A top view of the frame unit of the second embodiment shown.

[0053] Figure 2C :along Figure 2A A schematic cross-section of the CC line.

[0054] Figure 2D : Figure 2A An enlarged view of region D in the image.

[0055] Figure 2E Cross-section of a transmission chain with a drive flange suitable for a massage machine according to the second embodiment.

[0056] Figure 3 : A schematic side view of another embodiment of the massager, which has a frame support for the supporting frame unit.

[0057] Figure 4A A top view of an embodiment of a massage machine including a massage table according to the present invention, the massage table having a shortened frame unit with an insertion recess.

[0058] Figure 4B :according to Figure 4A A schematic side view of the shortened frame unit of the embodiment shown.

[0059] Figure 4C :according to Figure 4A A schematic top view of the shortened frame unit of the illustrated embodiment.

[0060] Figure 5A The image shows a schematic top view of a massager according to another embodiment, which has an internal support rail and a massage pad for covering the massage rollers.

[0061] Figure 5B According to the BB line Figure 5A A cross-section of the frame unit of the embodiment shown.

[0062] Figure 5C : Figure 5A A detailed view of the right-side section C of the frame unit 2 of the massage machine shown.

[0063] Figure 6 A schematic side view of a segmented support rail for a massager according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention shows the position of the massage rollers guided along the desired contour at two different points in time.

[0064] Figure 7A : A schematic side view of another embodiment of a segmented support rail for guiding massage rollers along a desired contour.

[0065] Figure 7B : Figure 7A A top view of the segmented load-bearing guide rail. Detailed Implementation

[0066] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Two views of a massage machine schematically represented according to the present invention are shown.

[0067] As can be seen from the accompanying drawings, the massage machine 1 includes a frame 2 to which a conveying device 25 is attached. This conveying device, driven by a drive unit 24, conveys massage rollers 23 along a closed track at a fixed or variable speed v. The massage rollers 23 are cylindrical rollers, and their diameter is approximately the same throughout the entire width W of the free interior space 20 of the frame 2. The massage rollers 23 may have a textured surface (not shown here) for better massage effects, similar to known fascia rollers. Unlike known massage devices, the massage rollers 23 here are in direct contact with the body surface of the person being massaged 9 and can effectively massage the entire width of the person's body.

[0068] The person receiving the massage 9 can stand on a platform 29 that is stationary relative to the frame or support. As shown, the back of the person 9 is massaged. By changing different postures, the person 9 can also have other sides of the body massaged by the massage machine 1, or only specific body parts such as the legs, buttocks, and back massaged. In order to change the massage pressure, it is preferable to change the angle A between the horizontal direction H and the vertical direction L of the massage machine 1, for example, by suspending the frame so that it can rotate about its horizontal axis.

[0069] Figures 2A to 2E Various schematic diagrams and detailed views of the frame unit of the massage machine according to the second embodiment are shown.

[0070] As shown in the figure, the massager 1 includes a frame unit 2 with two longitudinal beams 21 defining a rectangle. These two longitudinal beams are connected by crossbars 22a and 22b to form a frame. These crossbars are positioned near the head and feet, respectively, but slightly spaced apart from them. The frame unit 21 can be supported on a support such as a frame or a rotary hydraulic system by means of support points 221 on the crossbeams 22 that project outward beyond the longitudinal beams 21. According to this embodiment, in a preferred variant, the length of the frame unit 2 can be approximately 2 meters. Alternatively, it can be shorter or longer.

[0071] Shafts 26 also run laterally between the head and foot ends of the longitudinal beam 21. Each shaft 26 carries two deflecting gears 24, which are arranged on the shaft such that they are spaced apart by a distance W and positioned close to the interior of the longitudinal beam, i.e., with a safety clearance of only a few millimeters to several centimeters, for example, about 8 centimeters. Each pair of aligned deflecting gears 24 is surrounded by one of two transmission chains that can be actuated by the deflecting gears 24, for example, by a motor 28 (indicated by dashed lines), which drives the top shaft 26 and thus drives the wheel 24a, as shown. Figure 2B As shown.

[0072] The conveyor chain 25 conveys the massage rollers 23 along a path defined by the outline of the chain 25, such as... Figure 2A Best seen in the side view. Each massage roller includes a roller body 235 and a shaft 230 that passes through the body from one of its opposing circular end faces 234 to the other end face. The shaft 230 is supported by roller bearings 232 on the end face. For simplicity, the roller body 235 is depicted as a (hollow) cylinder (or a rectangular cylindrical longitudinal section) in the figure, but it may also take other shapes, such as a central bulge, a waist-recessed shape, or a corrugated shape, depending on the desired massage effect.

[0073] The tension of the conveyor chain 25 is insufficient to generate adequate contact pressure. Therefore, to ensure that the massage rollers 23 generate sufficiently high contact pressure during massage and do not deflect due to the reaction force applied by the recipient, guide rollers 236 are mounted on the shaft end 231 of the massage rollers 23, protruding beyond the end face 234. These guide rollers are guided at least on a portion of their track (partially, at least on the upper side of the frame facing the recipient) by a longitudinal beam 21, which acts as a guide rail.

[0074] In some embodiments, the longitudinal beam 21 (e.g.) Figure 2A (As shown) or at least the guide rail may have a shape adapted to the body contour. Preferably, this shape is adjustable, for example, by dividing the guide rail into sections that can be adjusted relative to each other, allowing it to move laterally and / or tilt toward the longitudinal beam 21.

[0075] These guide rollers 236 are guided within longitudinal beams 21, which are designed as guide rails. As the roller shafts 230 cross the conveyor chain 25, they are mechanically connected to the conveyor chain by means of brackets, such as... Figure 2D The single exposed lug 251 shown Figure 2E The perforated plate 251a shown in the cross-section of the chain.

[0076] To enable the massage recipient to stably position themselves relative to the frame unit 2, for example, by connecting the feet to the longitudinal beam 21... Figure 2AThe foot platform 29, which is schematically shown, is fixed to the foot end of the frame unit.

[0077] Furthermore, the massager preferably includes grip bars 27, allowing the user to increase pressure on the massage rollers 23 by pushing away the grip bars 27, thereby enhancing the massage effect, or to decrease pressure by pulling towards the bars 27. The grip bars 27 can be attached to the frame unit via one or more supports. The grip bars 27, or portions thereof, are preferably part of the safety circuitry of the massage device according to the invention. This circuit continuously detects (by capacitance detection or resistance measurement) whether the user is gripping one or both grip bars 27 with both hands. The circuit continuously checks, by capacitance or measuring resistance, whether the user is gripping two or at least one of the bars 27 with both hands. Only in this case is the massage device activated, i.e., the massage rollers start. Once all grip bars 27 are released, the massager 1 stops. Additionally, a switch can be integrated into the mounting of the grip bars 27. In the event of a sudden increase in load, for example, if the user instinctively pulls themselves away from the frame unit 2 and moves towards the grip bars 27 in a dangerous situation, the switch will stop the movement of the massage rollers 23.

[0078] Figure 3 Another embodiment of the massage machine according to the invention is shown in a schematic side view.

[0079] The massager includes a fixed gripping railing 27 and a frame unit 2 with support members. The frame unit can be, for example... Figures 2A to 2E The design is illustrated. At support point 221, frame support rods 41, 43 are connected to frame unit 2 via connectors 410, 430. These support rods are anchored to the floor or frame base 42. Support rods 41, 43 may have a fixed length, allowing the longitudinal direction of the frame unit to form a fixed tilt angle with the horizontal direction. Alternatively, as shown in the figure, the head rod 43 may have a variable length, for example, produced by pneumatic or hydraulic extension, thereby enabling a variable tilt angle. In such designs, safety measures must be provided to prevent sudden pressure loss.

[0080] Figures 4A to 4C Another preferred embodiment of the massager according to the invention is shown.

[0081] The massage machine 1 includes a massage table 6, which has a recess 60 into which a frame unit 2 is inserted. (As shown from...) Figure 4B and Figure 4CAs can be seen in the side view, the frame unit can be constructed in a manner known in the second embodiment, and includes a longitudinal beam 21, a shaft 26 connecting the longitudinal beam at the head and foot ends, and pairs of aligned deflector wheels 24, with one of two symmetrically arranged conveyor chains 25 positioned around these deflector wheels. However, the frame unit 2 is shorter than that shown in Figure 2, for example, only 1 to 1.5 meters in length, and especially 1.2 meters.

[0082] The recess 60 can be located at the center of the massage table 6. To allow the recipient to comfortably position themselves on the massage table according to their preferences and the body part to be massaged, the center point MA of the recess 60 is preferably offset to one side of the massage table 6 by an amount V relative to the center point MT of the massage table 6, preferably offset towards the narrower end face. The recipient can sit or lie on the massage table 6 for the massage.

[0083] Unlike all known massage machines, all embodiments of massage machine 1 include massage rollers 23 that extend substantially over the entire net width W of the space between the longitudinal beams 21. This allows for a more effective massage of the entire body width of the user without the need for an intermediate contact layer.

[0084] The massage rollers 23 of the massage machine 1 can be the same in all embodiments. However, different massage rollers may also be used, such as massage rollers with different shapes, diameters, surface textures or materials.

[0085] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a massager according to another preferred embodiment.

[0086] The massage machine 1 includes a frame unit 2, the lower end of which is attached a bed 8 for positioning the person being massaged. The person being massaged can, for example, position themselves at the transition between the bed 8 and the frame unit 2. Preferably, massage rollers 23 move from the rear to the front of the frame and from the bottom to the top, passing over the person being massaged. This provides a particularly strong and effective massage to the portion of the person's body above the frame unit 2.

[0087] Similar to the embodiment described above, frame unit 2 consists of two parallel and spaced longitudinal beams 21, each end of which is fitted with a shaft 241 and deflecting wheels 24 for driving chains 25. These deflecting wheels are symmetrically arranged on the central plane of frame unit 2. Chain 25 has brackets for the shaft ends 231 of massage rollers 23, allowing the latter to be transported along a circumferential path defined by chain 25. On the shaft ends 231, guide rollers 236 are mounted on each side of each roller body 235. The guide rollers 236 of the front massage rollers 23v roll on the upper surface of the internal support rail 7 (see details). Figure 5CThe support rail 7 acts as an absorber of the forces exerted by the user on the massage rollers 23v. These forces are opposite to the massage force and are too large to be absorbed by the (vertically deformable) chain 25. As shown in Figure 5, the support rail 7 is a one-piece, straight, and flat rail. However, the invention also envisions the use of segmented rails, such as… Figure 6 As shown in the embodiment of Figure 7.

[0088] Figure 5A Massage pad 5 is also shown, which is attached to the upper crossbeam 22a of the frame unit by means of fastener 52. Fastener 52 may be, for example, a clamping strip. The depicted fastening position is located at the upper end of the frame unit 2, and is only for illustration. The attachment may also be provided at the lower end, or even preferably at the lower end, depending on the direction of movement of the massage roller 23, as explained in more detail below. The massage pad 5 is schematically shown in the figure in a partially rolled-up state, which can be placed on the front of the frame unit 2 such that its width completely covers the massage roller 23v located there. The massage pad may be attached to the lower rail 22b of the frame 2 by means of other fasteners 53, such as clamping strips, to prevent displacement of its moved massage roller 23.

[0089] For the massager 1 to function properly, it is particularly important that the massage pad 5 is always attached to the end of the frame, with the massage rollers 23 moving from the back to the front. As shown in the figure, the massage rollers are transported from the bottom to the top of the front side, which is the lower end of the frame unit. Therefore, contrary to what is shown in the figure, the massage pad should be placed upwards from the attachment 53 onto the front of the frame unit 2 and onto the massage rollers 23, which are also located there. The attachment at the upper end, as well as attachment 52, are optional attachments, but are preferred.

[0090] With the massage pad 5 unfolded and attached at least to the correct ends (preferably both ends) of the frame unit, the massage rollers are transported by a drive unit (not shown), for example, in the direction indicated by the double arrows, over the underside of the massage pad. Since they are mounted 232 on the shaft 230 and roll over the underside of the massage pad 5, this only slightly increases the energy consumption of the drive unit over the massage pad 5.

[0091] On the upper side facing the recipient, the massage pad has dots 51 or other structural features to enhance the massage effect and intensity. However, the lower side of the massage pad is preferably smooth to avoid obstructing the massage rollers 23, which also preferably have an unstructured outer surface. The massage pad 5 significantly improves the safety of the massage machine 1 according to the invention without significantly reducing the massage effect.

[0092] like Figure 5BAs shown in the cross-sectional view, the massage roller is preferably a hollow cylinder with a circular end face, wherein the bearing 232 (preferably a ball bearing or roller bearing) of the massage roller shaft 230 is located therein, the massage roller shaft extending from one chain 25 to another chain 25.

[0093] Figure 6 A schematic side view of a first embodiment of a segmented support rail is shown, which is compatible, for example, with an embodiment of the massager according to the invention shown in FIG5.

[0094] The guide rail 7 is divided into several sections, where reference numeral 71 indicates the section in the first position at a first time, and reference numeral 71' indicates the same section in the second position at a second time (shown by dashed lines). Each section 71 / 71' is moved by two lifting columns 72, one lifting column 72v at the front end of the section and the other lifting column 72h at the rear end. The lifting columns 72 can also be operated hydraulically or pneumatically, but are preferably operated by electric linear drive.

[0095] The control system (not shown) continuously controls the lifting column so that as the massage rollers 23, 23' or their guide rollers roll on the upper surface of the guide rail sections 71 / 71', they follow a desired contour K, such as the shape of the cervical spine or the side profile of the person being massaged. The length of the guide rail sections 71 is selected such that at any given time, exactly one massage roller rolls on each guide rail section. That is, the length of the guide rail section corresponds to the distance between adjacent massage rollers along the roller conveyor (not shown here). The length of the guide rail sections can also be shorter, but not longer; in any case, the characterizable contour K will be limited in this situation.

[0096] This diagram illustrates the positions of the guide rail segments at two points in time. At the first point in time (solid line), the massage roller 23 is located in the middle of guide rail segment 71; at the second point in time (dashed line), the massage roller 23' is at the transition point from one guide rail segment 71' to the next. At any given time, guide rail segments 71 and 71' are moved by the lifting column 72 such that the roller shaft 230 is positioned on profile K. However, during the transition time, there is a constraint that the ends of adjacent guide rail segments 71' must be aligned, while at other times, guide rail segments 71 and the lifting column are free to move. This means that, in order to characterize profile K, the guide rail segments must generally move continuously and periodically. The period is obtained by dividing the segment length by the travel speed of the massage roller.

[0097] The advantage of this embodiment is that a large number of contours can be provided with relatively few guide rail sections. This is limited only by the maximum possible extension length and travel speed of the lifting column, which, combined with the travel speed of the massage rollers via the roller-type transmission element, limits the shape of the contours.

[0098] Figure 7 shows a partial schematic diagram of another embodiment of a segmented support rail for guiding massage rollers along a desired contour.

[0099] exist Figure 7A In the schematic side view, it can be seen that this embodiment requires only one lifting column 72 for each guide rail section 71. However, each guide rail section 71 is further subdivided into two sub-sections 71a and 71b. H-shaped sub-section 71a (see...) Figure 7B The slider is fixed to the upper end of the lifting column 72. The pin 712, which protrudes laterally from the tongue-shaped end 711 of the sub-section 71b, is guided into the elongated slot 714 in the end of the sub-section 71a. The intermediate cross-section 713 of the directly driven sub-section 71a and the indirectly driven sub-section 71b has the same width.

[0100] The lifting column 72 is fixed to the base guide rail 73 and can be moved to a fixed position via a controller. In this position, guide rollers rolling along the upper surface of the sub-segment 71 and the central section 713 force the massage rollers to follow a path as close as possible to the desired contour. The shorter the length of the guide rail segment, the higher the accuracy of the static approximation contour, with the advantage of not requiring continuous operation of the lifting column. Figure 6 In comparison, this significantly reduces the energy consumption of this embodiment. However, this is offset by the increased mechanical complexity.

[0101] In addition, such as Figure 6 The illustrated embodiment also allows for dynamic control of the rising column. This makes it possible to compensate for any remaining minute deviations between the desired profile and the static approximate profile.

[0102] List of reference numerals 1. Massager 2, 2' Frame, Frame Unit 20 Free interior space 21. Longitudinal beams and guide beams 22a Foot end crossbeam 22b Head end crossbeam 221 Support Point 23 Massage rollers 230 Massage Roller Shaft 231 Shaft end 232 is the bearing located in 235, specifically bearing 230. 234 23 before 235 Roller Body 236 Guide Rollers 24 deflection wheels 24a Drive wheel 241 24 axis 25 Teleportation Chains 251 Drive flange 251a drive disk 26 24 axis 27. Supporting and holding railings 28 drive motors 29 Foot Platform 4. Frame support 41 Frame rod, foot end 410 Connector 42 Frame support base plate / base 43 Telescopic frame pole, head end 430 Connector 5 Massage cushions 51. Nail-like portion Attachments 52 5 to 22a Attachments 53 5 to 22b 6. Massage table 60 is the recess in 6 for 2' The center point of MA 60 MT 6 center point V offset 7. Load-bearing guide rail 71 Guide rail section 71' guide rail section at the transition point 71a 71 direct drive sub-segment 71b 71 indirect drive sub-segment Tongue-shaped end of 711 71b 712 pins The middle part of 713 71b 714 Long Slot 72 Rising bollards 73 Base rail 8 units 9 users Longitudinal axis of L2 H horizontal direction Angle between AL and H v Transmission speed W Clearance Range K outline

Claims

1. A massage machine, particularly for performing body-independent myofascial massage on a recipient, said massage machine comprising: - A frame (2), particularly a generally rectangular frame, defining a longitudinal direction (L) and a transverse direction as well as a central plane, the transverse direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, these directions and the frame center crossing the central plane, and - At least one roller-type conveyor element (25), particularly a closed conveyor belt, closed chain (25), or closed rope, said at least one roller-type conveyor element being attached to the frame and running along the longitudinal direction of the frame, and on said at least one roller-type conveyor element, - There are multiple massage rollers (23), the multiple massage rollers having roller bodies (235) that are rotatably attached to the roller-type transmission element about a roller axis. in, The roller-type transmission element (25) enables the massage roller (23) to move along a closed path that extends in a plane spanned by the longitudinal direction and a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal (L) and transverse directions. Its features are, The massage roller (23) extends substantially across the entire width (W) measured in the lateral direction of the free interior space (20) of the frame (2).

2. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein, The roller-type conveyor element (25): -Arranged around two deflecting wheels (24, 24a) rotatably mounted at opposite ends of the frame (2), and / or - In particular, it is driven by at least one of the deflecting wheels (24), which in particular serves as a drive wheel (24a) driven by a motor.

3. The massage machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The roller body (235) is a hollow cylinder, and / or its shape is cylindrical or concave.

4. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The massage roller (23) is completely covered at least on the front side by a flexible cover (5) that is particularly easy to remove.

5. The massage machine according to the preceding claim, wherein, The covering is a film or a mesh, especially a dense mesh with a mesh size of 4 cm or smaller, or a fine mesh with a mesh size of less than 1 cm, preferably less than 5 mm, or a film.

6. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding two claims, wherein, The cover is a pad or massage pad (5), characterized by having a structured surface on the upper side opposite to the massage roller (23), in particular protrusions, ribs or recesses or combinations thereof.

7. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding three claims, wherein, The massage pad is made of an elastomer, particularly rubber.

8. The massage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The roller body (235) of the massage roller (23) has a surface constructed in the manner of a fascia roller, wherein, in particular, at least one of the massage rollers (23) includes a means for vibrating the surface of the roller body (235).

9. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that... The massage rollers (23) have a plurality of massage rollers (23), particularly three, four or more massage rollers (23) and / or the density of massage rollers along the roller-type transmission element (25) is one or more massage rollers (23) per meter, particularly two or more massage rollers (23) per meter, preferably three or more massage rollers (23) per meter.

10. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, In particular, on the longitudinal side of the free internal frame space (20) or above or outside the longitudinal beam (21) extending along the longitudinal direction (L) of the frame (2), and preferably symmetrically arranged in a plane of symmetry, two roller-type transmission elements (25) are provided, each of the massage rollers (23) being rotatably supported, and attached to the first roller-type transmission element (25) in particular by means of a first roller shaft end (231) protruding beyond the first end face (234) of its roller body (235) and attached to the second roller-type transmission element (25) by means of a second roller shaft end (231) protruding beyond the opposite end face (234) of the roller body (235).

11. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The frame (2) is used to support the person receiving the massage (9). - One foot end has a standing surface (29), or - A reclining surface is provided at the lower end of the frame (2).

12. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The frame (2) is supported by a frame support (4), in particular, such that the longitudinal direction (L) forms an angle with the horizontal direction (H), the angle being preferably a variable angle, and the massager particularly includes a foot end frame rod (41) and a longer and particularly variable length head end frame rod (43).

13. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The massager includes a massage table (6) having a recess (60) into which the frame unit (2) is inserted, wherein, in particular, the center point (MA) of the recess (60) and the center point (MT) of the massage table (6) are offset from each other by a specific distance (V).

14. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The contact pressure of the massage roller (23) against the person being massaged (9) is increased relative to the contact pressure that the roller-type transmission element (25) itself can provide, especially by means of a support rail (27) which is positioned relative to the frame unit (27) and is particularly preferably fixed to the frame unit, such that the person being massaged (9) can grasp the support rail (27) with his / her hand and push it away from the support rail to increase the contact pressure on the massage roller (23) or pull it toward the support rail (27) to reduce the contact pressure.

15. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The bearing friction of the massage roller (23) in the bearing (232) of the massage roller shaft (230) - Variable and / or - Very high, so that the massage roller (23) only rolls when the minimum contact force is exceeded, especially on the person being massaged, while it glides or slides on the person being massaged when the contact force is low.

16. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The massager includes a control unit that is prepared to periodically and / or at irregular intervals or upon input reverse the transmission direction of the roller-type transmission element (25) along the closed path to cause the massage roller (23) to oscillate.

17. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The massage roller (23) includes a guide roller (236) mounted on the shaft end (231) protruding beyond the roller body (235), particularly on the shaft end on each side of the roller body (235).

18. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The guide roller (236) of the massage roller (23) located at the front of the massage machine (1) at a given time runs on a support rail (7) extending along the longitudinal direction (L) of the frame.

19. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The bearing guide rail (7) is a segmented guide rail and each guide rail segment (71) can be adjusted by means of a lifting column and / or a linear drive device.

20. The massage machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Each guide rail segment (71) has a slider (72) at each end facing the adjacent guide rail segment, the slider being pivotally connected to the slider (72) of the adjacent guide rail segment (71).

21. The massage machine according to the preceding claim, wherein, A roller-type conveying element (25) is arranged between each of the said bearing guide rails (7) and the nearest longitudinal beam (21).

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