Massage device

Abstract

To provide a massage device in which a treatment member can operate more complicatedly, so that various massage stimulations not causing weariness can be provided.SOLUTION: A massage device according to the present invention includes: a treatment member 2 including a treatment shaft 21; a linear motion mechanism 3 that causes the treatment member 2 to reciprocate in an axial core direction of the treatment shaft 21; a rotary motion mechanism 4 that causes the treatment member 2 to rotate around an axial core of the treatment shaft 21; and a motor 5 being a driving source of the linear motion mechanism 3 and the rotary motion mechanism 4. The massage device is configured such that the treatment member 2 simultaneously performs linear motion and rotary motion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a massage machine having a movable treatment member that applies physical stimulation to a user. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a prior art document relating to this type of massage machine is Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a handheld massage device that includes a rod-shaped handle and a head formed in a cross shape at the tip of the handle. A pair of tapping massage members (treatment members) is provided at the tip of the head. The head contains a drive motor that serves as the drive source for the tapping massage members, and a motion conversion mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the output shaft of the drive motor into the retracting motion of the tapping massage members. When the drive motor is driven, the tapping massage members perform linear motion to retract and retract relative to the head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-282322 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the massage device of Patent Document 1, a linearly moving treatment member (a beating massage member) is pressed against the surface of the human body to provide a massage stimulus. However, the massage stimulus provided to the user by the massage device of Patent Document 1 is only one type of massage stimulus caused by the linear motion of the treatment member, so the massage stimulus given to the user is monotonous and does not provide a high level of satisfaction. In addition, since only one type of massage stimulus is provided, it is also disadvantageous in that it is difficult to obtain a massage effect.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a massage machine capable of providing a user with a variety of massage stimuli that the user will not tire of, by allowing the treatment members to operate in a more complex manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The massage machine of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a treatment member 2 including a treatment shaft 21, a linear motion mechanism 3 which moves the treatment member 2 back and forth in the axial direction of the treatment shaft 21, a rotational motion mechanism 4 which rotates the treatment member 2 around the axial center of the treatment shaft 21, and a motor 5 which is the driving source for the linear motion mechanism 3 and the rotational motion mechanism 4, and is configured so that the treatment member 2 performs linear motion and rotational motion simultaneously.

[0007] The tip of the treatment member 2 is disposed at one end of the massage machine in the longitudinal direction, and the center of gravity of the motor 5 is disposed at the other end of the massage machine in the longitudinal direction.

[0008] A linear drive gear 15 that constitutes the linear motion mechanism 3 and a rotary drive gear 16 that constitutes the rotary motion mechanism 4 are provided on the output shaft 14 of the motor 5, with the linear drive gear 15 being arranged at the base end of the output shaft 14 and the rotary drive gear 16 being arranged at the tip end of the output shaft 14.

[0009] The linear motion mechanism 3 includes a linear driving gear 15 that rotates integrally with the output shaft 14 of the motor 5, a linear driven gear 30 that rotates in mesh with the linear driving gear 15, and an eccentric cam 33 that converts the rotational power of the linear driven gear 30 into reciprocating power.

[0010] The rotary motion mechanism 4 includes a rotary drive gear 16 which rotates integrally with the output shaft 14 of the motor 5, and a rotary driven gear 28 which meshes with the rotary drive gear 16 and rotates integrally with the treatment shaft 21 of the treatment member 2.

[0011] The rotating driven gear 28 is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotating drive gear 16, so that when the treatment member 2 reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism 3 is located at one end of the moving stroke, the rotating drive gear 16 meshes with one end of the axial direction of the rotating driven gear 28, and when the treatment member 2 is located at the other end of the moving stroke, the rotating drive gear 16 meshes with the other end of the axial direction of the rotating driven gear 28.

[0012] The rotating driver gear 16 is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotating driven gear 28, so that when the treatment member 2 reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism 3 is located at one end of its moving stroke, the rotating driven gear 28 meshes with one axial end of the rotating driver gear 16, and when the treatment member 2 is located at the other end of its moving stroke, the rotating driven gear 28 meshes with the other axial end of the rotating driver gear 16.

[0013] The circumferential surface of the output shaft 14 of the motor 5 is surrounded by the internal frame 42, restricting radial free movement of the output shaft 14. The rotary drive gear 16 constituting the rotary motion mechanism 4 is fixed to the tip of the output shaft 14 protruding from the internal frame 42, and is rotatably supported by a support surface 53 provided on the surface of the internal frame 42.

[0014] The treatment shaft 21 of the treatment member 2 is supported by a shaft support 25 constituting the linear motion mechanism 3 so as to be relatively rotatable around the axis of the treatment shaft 21 and to be reciprocatively movable along the axis. A return spring 36 is provided to bias the treatment shaft 21 in a direction approaching the shaft support 25.

[0015] A pair of treatment members 2 are arranged in parallel. A treatment element 57 inclined with respect to the treatment axis 21 is provided at the tip of each treatment member 2, and the treatment element 57 of at least one of the treatment members 2 is configured so that the direction of inclination with respect to the treatment axis 21 can be changed.

[0016] A pair of treatment members 2 are arranged in parallel. The rotary motion mechanism 4 includes a rotary drive gear 16 that rotates integrally with the output shaft 14 of the motor 5, and a rotary driven gear 28 that rotates in mesh with the rotary drive gear 16, and the rotary driven gear 28 is provided on the treatment shaft 21 of one of the treatment members 2. The treatment shafts 21 of both treatment members 2 are provided with transmission gears 70 that mesh with each other.

[0017] The rotating driven gear 28 is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotating drive gear 16, so that when the treatment member 2 reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism 3 is located at one end of the moving stroke, the rotating drive gear 16 meshes with one end of the axial direction of the rotating driven gear 28, and when the treatment member 2 is located at the other end of the moving stroke, the rotating drive gear 16 meshes with the other end of the axial direction of the rotating driven gear 28.

[0018] The rotating driver gear 16 is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotating driven gear 28, so that when the treatment member 2 reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism 3 is located at one end of its moving stroke, the rotating driven gear 28 meshes with one axial end of the rotating driver gear 16, and when the treatment member 2 is located at the other end of its moving stroke, the rotating driven gear 28 meshes with the other axial end of the rotating driver gear 16.

[0019] The time required for the treatment member 2 to make one reciprocating motion by the linear motion mechanism 3 is equal to the time required for the treatment member 2 to make one rotation by the rotary motion mechanism 4. The linear motion mechanism 3 reciprocates each treatment member 2 between an advanced position and a retracted position along the treatment axis 21. The pair of treatment members 2 are configured to reach the advanced position at the same time, and the opposing distance between the tip ends of the treatment members 2 is minimized at that timing. The pair of treatment members 2 are configured to reach the retracted position at the same time, and the opposing distance between the tip ends of the treatment members 2 is maximized at that timing. Effect of the Invention

[0020] As in the massage machine according to the present invention, the massage machine includes a treatment member 2 including a treatment shaft 21, a linear motion mechanism 3 for reciprocating the treatment member 2 in the axial direction of the treatment shaft 21, a rotary motion mechanism 4 for rotating the treatment member 2 around the axial center of the treatment shaft 21, and a motor 5 as a drive source for the linear motion mechanism 3 and the rotary motion mechanism 4, and is configured so that the treatment member 2 performs linear motion and rotary motion simultaneously. By pressing the treatment member 2 against the surface of the human body, massage stimuli resulting from both the linear motion and the rotary motion of the treatment member 2 can be applied to the surface of the human body. Therefore, compared to a conventional massage device in which the treatment member performs only linear motion, a more diverse massage stimuli can be applied to the user, making the massage more effective. Since the stimuli applied to the user can be made more interesting, the user's satisfaction can be increased and boredom can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical sectional front view of a main part of a massage machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 13 is a vertical sectional front view of the treatment member and its surroundings in an advanced position. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional front view of a linear motion mechanism for a treatment member. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional front view of the treatment member and its surroundings in the retracted position. [Figure 6] 4 is a plan view showing the rotation direction and trajectory of a treatment pin at the tip of a treatment member. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a treatment pin at the tip of the treatment member. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a front view showing one of the treatment pins reattached in an inverted state. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional front view of a treatment member and its surroundings in a massage machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 4 is a plan view showing the rotation direction and trajectory of a treatment pin at the tip of a treatment member. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view of a treatment member and its surroundings of a massage machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front view of the treatment member and its movement mechanism of the massage machine according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front view of the treatment member and its movement mechanism of the massage machine according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a side view of the treatment member and its movement mechanism of the massage machine according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing modified examples of the treatment pins at the tip of the treatment member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the massage machine according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. In this embodiment, the front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the crossed arrows shown in Fig. 2 and the indications of the front, back, left, right, and up and down written near each arrow. The same applies to the second and subsequent embodiments described below.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, the massage machine includes a vertically elongated, generally cylindrical casing 1, and a pair of left and right treatment members 2 partially exposed from the top surface of the casing 1. Inside the casing 1, there are housed a linear motion mechanism 3 that reciprocates the treatment members 2 along an axis in the vertical direction, a rotary motion mechanism 4 that rotates the treatment members 2 around the axis, a motor 5 with a reducer that is the drive source for the linear motion mechanism 3 and the rotary motion mechanism 4, and a battery 6 that supplies power to the motor 5. The battery 6 may be either a primary battery or a secondary battery.

[0024] The casing 1 gradually narrows in diameter from the center to the bottom in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction), and the bottom portion forms a grip portion that is thick enough for a user to grasp easily. In this embodiment, the motor 5 and the battery 6, which are relatively heavy, are arranged toward the bottom of the casing 1, and the center of gravity of the massage machine is located in the lower half of the casing 1, so that the user can avoid feeling heavy when gripping the grip portion of the casing 1. The casing 1 of this embodiment is composed of a cylindrical case body 9 that occupies the majority of the casing 1, an upper cap 10 that closes the upper opening of the case body 9, and a lower cap 11 that closes the lower opening of the case body 9. The cross sections of the case body 9 and the lower cap 11 are circular, while the cross section of the upper cap 10 changes continuously from circular to elliptical from the bottom end to the top end.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, the motor 5 is provided with an output shaft 14 that rotates at a speed reduced by a reducer. The output shaft 14 extends upward from the upper surface of the motor 5, and a linear drive gear 15 is provided at the lower end of the output shaft 14, and a rotating drive gear 16 is provided at the upper end of the output shaft 14. The output shaft 14 is composed of a relatively short shaft base end 17 between the motor 5 and the linear drive gear 15, and a relatively long shaft tip end 18 that extends upward from the linear drive gear 15. However, in the present invention, the output shaft 14 may be composed of a single shaft body, and the reducer of the motor 5 may be omitted.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, each treatment member 2 includes a round bar-shaped treatment shaft 21 extending vertically inside the casing 1, and a treatment pin 22 attached to the tip (upper end) of the treatment shaft 21. The treatment shaft 21 is formed in a two-layer structure in which a stainless steel (metal) core body 23 is covered with a plastic sheath body 24. A shaft support 25 is disposed below each treatment shaft 21 to support the treatment member 2 from below. The lower end of the core body 23 of the treatment shaft 21 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the sheath body 24 and is inserted into a connecting hole 26 recessed and formed in the upper surface of the shaft support 25, so that the entire treatment member 2 is supported by the shaft support 25. The core body 23 is formed in a round bar shape and is inserted into the connecting hole 26 with a slight margin. Therefore, the entire treatment shaft 21 including the core body 23 can rotate relative to the shaft support 25 and move up and down. In the present invention, the materials of the core body 23 and the sheath body 24 are not limited to metal and plastic. In addition, the treatment shaft 21 may be constructed only from the sheath body 24, the core body 23 may be fixed to the shaft support 25 as a part thereof, and the treatment shaft 21 consisting only of the sheath body 24 may be constructed so as to be rotatable relative to the core body 23 and movable up and down.

[0027] The treatment shaft 21 extends parallel to the output shaft 14 of the motor 5, and a rotary driven gear 28 that meshes with the rotary driving gear 16 is provided integrally with the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the sheath body 24. The rotary driving gear 16 and the rotary driven gear 28 constitute the rotary motion mechanism 4 that transmits the rotational power of the motor 5 (output shaft 14) to the treatment member 2. The treatment member 2 that receives the rotational power from the rotary motion mechanism 4 rotates, i.e., spins, around the axis of the treatment shaft 21 that extends in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the rotary driving gear 16 rotates counterclockwise integrally with the output shaft 14 in a plan view, and the pair of treatment members 2 rotate in the opposite direction to the output shaft 14, i.e., clockwise.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, a pair of linear driven gears 30, one on the left and one on the right, mesh with the linear driving gear 15, and each linear driven gear 30 is supported by a horizontal gear shaft 31 extending in the left-right direction perpendicular to the output shaft 14. While the linear driving gear 15 is a typical spur gear, the linear driven gear 30 is a face gear having an annular row of teeth formed on one surface of a disk. Note that these spur gears and face gears may be replaced with bevel gears that mesh with each other.

[0029] An eccentric pin 32 eccentric to the gear shaft 31 protrudes from the other surface of each linear driven gear 30, and the eccentric pin 32 is connected to the shaft support 25 that supports the treatment member 2 via an eccentric cam 33. The eccentric cam 33 is formed long in the vertical direction, and its upper end is connected to the shaft support 25 and its lower end is connected to the eccentric pin 32 (linear driven gear 30) so as to be capable of relative rotation. Therefore, the rotational power of each linear driven gear 30 is converted into a reciprocating power in the vertical direction by the eccentric cam 33 and transmitted to the shaft support 25. The linear driving gear 15, the linear driven gear 30, the eccentric cam 33, and the shaft support 25 constitute a linear motion mechanism 3 that converts the rotational power of the motor 5 (output shaft 14) into a reciprocating power and transmits it to the treatment member 2. Since the phases of the eccentric pins 32 of the pair of linear driven gears 30 are the same with respect to the gear shaft 31, the pair of treatment members 2 repeatedly rise and fall simultaneously. The speed at which each treatment member 2 moves up and down is highest in the middle of the movement stroke and is lowest at both ends.

[0030] When the eccentric pin 32 rises due to the rotation of the linear driven gear 30, the eccentric cam 33 and the shaft support 25 connected thereto also rise in conjunction with it, pushing up the treatment member 2. On the other hand, when the eccentric pin 32 descends, the eccentric cam 33 and the shaft support 25 descend in conjunction with the eccentric pin 32, but the treatment member 2 does not descend by being pulled by the shaft support 25, but descends by being urged by a return spring 36 wound around the treatment shaft 21. As shown in FIG. 1, the return spring 36 is a compression coil spring that constantly urges the treatment member 2 downward, i.e., in the direction of retracting into the casing 1, and is disposed between an annular spring seat 37 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the treatment shaft 21 inside the casing 1 and a horizontal top wall 38 of the upper cap 10 of the casing 1. This return spring 36 also constitutes a part of the linear motion mechanism 3 that reciprocates the treatment member 2 in the up-down direction. The spring seat 37 is disposed adjacent to the upper side of the rotary driven gear 28. A pair of left and right shaft insertion holes 39 that allow the treatment shaft 21 to pass through are provided in the top wall 38. The shaft insertion holes 39 are formed slightly larger than the outer diameter of the treatment shaft 21 and smaller than the outer diameter of the return spring 36, and restrict the horizontal (radial) movement of the treatment shaft 21 relative to the casing 1.

[0031] In order that the rotary drive gear 16 and the rotary driven gear 28 mesh with each other regardless of the vertical position of the treatment member 2, the length of the rotary driven gear 28 in the axial direction (vertical direction) is set to be greater than the vertical movement stroke of the treatment member 2. In other words, when the treatment member 2 is in the advanced position (see FIG. 1) which is the upper end of the movement stroke, the rotary drive gear 16 meshes with the lower end of the rotary driven gear 28, and when the treatment member 2 is in the retracted position (see FIG. 5) which is the lower end of the movement stroke, the rotary drive gear 16 meshes with the upper end of the rotary driven gear 28.

[0032] An internal frame 42 is disposed around the output shaft 14 of the motor 5 for the purpose of supporting the output shaft 14. The internal frame 42 is composed of a lower frame 43 that covers the motor 5 from above, a middle frame 44 that is connected to the upper side of the lower frame 43, an upper frame 45 that is connected to the upper side of the middle frame 44, and a pair of horizontal frames 46 located on the left and right of the middle frame 44 and the upper frame 45, and the entire internal frame 42 is sandwiched from the left and right by the casing 1. The lower frame 43 is formed with a lower vertical hole 49 that allows the shaft base end 17 of the output shaft 14 to pass through, and the middle frame 44 and the upper frame 45 are also formed with a middle vertical hole 50 and an upper vertical hole 51 that are elongated vertically and allow the shaft tip 18 to pass through. In order to restrict the radial play of the shaft tip 18 and therefore the output shaft 14, the inner diameters of the middle vertical hole 50 and the upper vertical hole 51 are formed slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft tip 18. A cylindrical boss 52 surrounding the shaft tip 18 of the output shaft 14 protrudes from the center of the upper surface of the inner frame 42, and the tip surface of the boss 52 functions as a support surface 53 that rotatably supports the lower surface of the rotary drive gear 16. A washer or the like may be placed between the rotary drive gear 16 and the support surface 53 to improve sliding.

[0033] Of the members constituting the linear motion mechanism 3, the linear driving gear 15 is housed in the space between the lower frame 43 and the middle frame 44, the linear driven gear 30 is housed in the space surrounded by the middle frame 44, and the eccentric cam 33 is housed in the space between the middle frame 44 and the horizontal frame 46. One end (the center side of the casing 1) of the gear shaft 31 of the linear driven gear 30 is journaled by the middle frame 44, and the other end (the outer periphery side of the casing 1) of the gear shaft 31 is journaled by the horizontal frame 46. In addition, the shaft support 25 is guided by a vertical guide hole 54 provided in the upper frame 45 so as to be able to move only vertically relative to the upper frame 45.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, the treatment pin 22 is composed of a cap-shaped treatment element 57 that contacts the user's skin and applies a stimulus, and a holder 58 that supports the treatment element 57. The treatment element 57 is made of a material such as soft resin that is pleasant to the touch, and is formed into a hollow, bell-shaped or dome-shaped shape with a circular cross section. The treatment element 57 is detachable from the holder 58, and when the treatment element 57 becomes dirty or worn, only the treatment element 57 can be replaced. The pair of treatment pins 22 are surrounded on all four sides by an elongated cylindrical protective tube 59 connected to the upper surface side of the casing 1 (upper cap 10). When the treatment member 2 is in the advanced position shown in FIG. 3, only the upper half of the treatment element 57 protrudes upward from the upper edge of the protective tube 59, and when the treatment member 2 is in the retracted position shown in FIG. 5, the entire or most part of the treatment element 57 sinks inside the protective tube 59. The protective tube 59 determines the limit of penetration of the treatment pins 22 into the user's skin, etc., and also prevents the treatment pins 22 from being damaged by strong lateral impact.

[0035] The holder 58 is integrally provided with a lower connecting portion 60 that fits onto the tip of the treatment shaft 21, and an upper mounted portion 61 that is covered by the treatment element 57. The connecting portion 60 is formed in a cylindrical shape that opens downward, and the mounted portion 61 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the connecting portion 60, and the axis of the mounted portion 61 is inclined with respect to the axis of the connecting portion 60. Therefore, when the treatment pin 22 is mounted on the treatment shaft 21, the axis of the mounted portion 61 is inclined with respect to the treatment shaft 21. When the entire treatment member 2 rotates around the axis of the treatment shaft 21, that is, spins on its axis, the treatment element 57 mounted on the mounted portion 61 describes a rotational trajectory around the axis of the treatment shaft 21, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 6.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 7, the treatment head 57 and the holder 58 are provided with a recess 64 and a protrusion 65 that engage with each other when attached, thereby restricting the rotation of the treatment head 57 relative to the holder 58. A pair of left and right slits 66 running vertically are recessed at the tip of the treatment shaft 21, and a pair of protrusions 67 running vertically that can be inserted and removed from the slits 66 are protrudingly formed on the inner surface of the attachment portion 61 of the holder 58. The attachment structure using these slits 66 and protrusions 67 restricts the rotation of the treatment pin 22 relative to the treatment shaft 21, and allows the treatment pin 22 to be freely attached and detached to the treatment shaft 21. Since the attachment portion 61 of the holder 58 is inclined relative to the connecting portion 60, when the treatment pin 22 is removed from the treatment shaft 21 and the treatment pin 22 is rotated 180° around the axis of the connecting portion 60 and then reattached, the inclination direction of the attachment portion 61, i.e., the treatment head 57, can be reversed from the initial direction. That is, the massage machine according to this embodiment can be switched between a first usage mode in which the pair of treatment elements 57 are inclined in opposite directions, and a second usage mode in which the pair of treatment elements 57 are inclined in the same direction. Note that in the present invention, it is not necessary to make the treatment pins 22 of both treatment members 2 detachable from the treatment shaft 21, and switching between the first usage mode and the second usage mode is possible as long as the inclination direction of the treatment elements 57 of at least one of the treatment members 2 is changeable.

[0037] When the treatment member 2 is rotated with the pair of treatment elements 57 in the first use form, the distance between the treatment elements 57 changes constantly, and the state in which the treatment elements 57 are closest to each other as shown in FIG. 1 and the state in which the treatment elements 57 are farthest from each other as shown in FIG. 5 are alternately repeated. In the former state, the pair of treatment pins 22 strongly stimulate a relatively narrow area such as the user's skin, and in the latter state, the pair of treatment pins 22 weakly stimulate a relatively wide area. In other words, the massage machine with the pair of treatment elements 57 in the first use form can perform a well-balanced massage in which the strength of the stimulation continues to change from large to small. On the other hand, when the pair of treatment elements 57 in the second use form as shown in FIG. 8, the distance between the treatment elements 57 does not change and is always constant even when the treatment member 2 rotates, and the strength of the stimulation given by the treatment pins 22 is also constant. In other words, the massage machine with the pair of treatment elements 57 in the second use form can perform a massage with a constant strength of stimulation and excellent relaxation effect.

[0038] 9 and 10 show a second embodiment of the massage machine according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that a pair of treatment members 2 (2A and 2B) rotate in opposite directions in plan view. Specifically, a rotary driven gear 28 meshing with the rotary driving gear 16 is provided only on one of the treatment members 2A, and transmission gears 70 meshing with each other are provided on the outer circumferential surfaces of the treatment shafts 21 of both treatment members 2A and 2B. These transmission gears 70 are provided above the rotary driven gear 28 and also serve as the spring seat 37 of the return spring 36. When the rotary driving gear 16 rotates counterclockwise, one (right) treatment member 2A equipped with the rotary driven gear 28 rotates clockwise. The other (left) treatment member 2B receives rotational power from the treatment member 2A via a transmission gear 70 and rotates in the opposite direction to the treatment member 2A, that is, counterclockwise.

[0039] In this embodiment, the time required for the treatment members 2A and 2B to rotate around the axis of the treatment shaft 21 is equal to the time required for the treatment members 2A and 2B to make one reciprocating movement in the up and down direction. The linear motion mechanism 3 and the rotary motion mechanism 4 are configured so that the distance between the treatment pins 22 is minimized when the treatment members 2A and 2B reach the advanced position, which is the upper end of their stroke, and the distance between the treatment pins 22 is maximized when the treatment members 2A and 2B reach the retracted position, which is the lower end of their stroke. According to the massage machine of this embodiment, the distance between the treatment pins 22 gradually narrows as the treatment members 2A and 2B move from the retracted position to the advanced position, so that a concentrated massage can be performed by applying a strong pinpoint stimulation to one spot on the user's skin or the like. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment, so the same members are given the same reference numerals and their description is omitted. The same applies to the following third and subsequent embodiments.

[0040] (Third embodiment) Fig. 11 shows a third embodiment of the massage machine according to the present invention, which is different from the first embodiment in that the rotation driving gear 16 is longer in the axial direction (vertical direction) than the rotation driven gear 28. The axial length of the rotation driving gear 16 is set to be longer than the movement stroke of the treatment member 2. That is, when the treatment member 2 is in the advanced position, which is the upper end of the movement stroke, the rotation driven gear 28 meshes with the upper end of the rotation driving gear 16, and when the treatment member 2 is in the retracted position, which is the lower end of the movement stroke, the rotation driven gear 28 meshes with the lower end of the rotation driving gear 16. Note that, as a modification of the first and third embodiments, both the rotation driving gear 16 and the rotation driven gear 28 may be formed longer in the axial direction (longer than the movement stroke of the treatment member 2). In this case, the strength of both gears 16 and 28 can be increased to improve the reliability of the rotation movement mechanism 4.

[0041] (Fourth embodiment) Fig. 12 shows a fourth embodiment of the massage machine according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that the pair of treatment members 2 move up and down alternately. Specifically, the phases of the eccentric pins 32 of the pair of linear driven gears 30 constituting the linear motion mechanism 3 are different by 180° with respect to the gear shaft 31, and when one eccentric pin 32 is located at the upper end of its movement locus, the other eccentric pin 32 is located at the lower end of its movement locus. Therefore, the pair of treatment members 2 alternately rise and fall. According to the massage machine of this embodiment, it is possible to perform a well-paced massage in which the pair of treatment members 2 alternately apply stimulation in a short span.

[0042] (Fifth embodiment) Fig. 13 shows a fifth embodiment of the massage machine according to the present invention, which is different from the first embodiment in that the treatment shafts 21 of the treatment members 2 are inclined with respect to the output shaft 14 of the motor 5. The pair of treatment members 2 shown in Fig. 13(a) are inclined in a direction approaching each other toward the tip side (treatment pin 22 side), and according to this embodiment, it is possible to give a pinpoint strong stimulation to a narrower range than when the treatment shafts 21 are parallel to each other. The pair of treatment members 2 shown in Fig. 13(b) are inclined in a direction away from each other toward the tip side, and according to this embodiment, it is possible to stimulate a wider range at once than when the treatment shafts 21 are parallel to each other. The treatment members 2 in both figures are inclined symmetrically, but other than this, for example, both treatment members 2 may be inclined at different angles, or only one of the treatment members 2 may be inclined. In the present invention, the term "a pair of treatment members 2 arranged in parallel" refers to a concept including a form in which the treatment axes 21 of the treatment members 2 are parallel to each other as in each of the above embodiments, as well as a form in which the treatment axes 21 of the treatment members 2 are arranged non-parallel to each other as in this embodiment. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a variety of massage machines that vary in the strength of stimulation and the width of the area to be stimulated.

[0043] 14 shows a sixth embodiment of the massage machine according to the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in that there is only one treatment member 2. The protective tube 59 surrounding the treatment pin 22 on all four sides is formed in a cylindrical shape. In the present invention, the number of treatment members 2 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

[0044] The shape of the treatment pin 22 according to the present invention is not limited to those shown in the above embodiments, and may be, for example, the shape shown in FIG. 15. The treatment pin 22 shown in FIG. 15(a) has a treatment element 57 formed in a spherical shape. The treatment pin 22 shown in FIG. 15(b) has a treatment element 57 formed in a fork shape. The treatment element 57 has two upward protrusions, but the number of protrusions may be three or more. In the treatment pin 22 shown in FIG. 15(c), the tip of the treatment element 57 is formed in a disk shape. The treatment element 57 of the treatment pin 22 shown in FIG. 15(d) has a thicker disk-shaped portion than that of FIG. 15(c), and a plurality of small protrusions are densely provided on the upper surface. The tip of the treatment element 57 of the treatment pin 22 shown in FIG. 15(e) is formed in an approximately conical shape with a rounded top. In these modified examples, the axis of the mounting part 61 of the holder 58 is inclined relative to the axis of the connecting part 60, but this inclination is not required in the present invention, and the axis of the mounting part 61 may coincide with the axis of the connecting part 60 and the treatment axis 21.

[0045] The massager shown in each of the above embodiments can be used as a facial massager or a beauty salon probe, i.e., a beauty tool, to massage various parts of the human body, such as the hands, arms, shoulders, and scalp. The application of the present invention is not limited to handheld devices, but can also be applied to, for example, floor-mounted massagers for the soles of the feet, calves, and other leg massagers, and head massagers that are worn on the head. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to electric massage chairs and massage cushions, and shower heads equipped with a massage mechanism in the water outlet.

[0046] Also, the treatment pins 22 can be partially or entirely made of conductive materials such as metal or conductive rubber, so that the treatment pins 22 can function as electrodes. In this case, for example, RF (radio waves) can be generated from the treatment pins 22 to physically stimulate the user's skin while warming it, making it possible to provide a massage machine that acts on the user's skin in a complex manner. The treatment pins 22 may be equipped with a Peltier element to alternately heat and cool the skin, or both. Also, the treatment pins 22 as electrodes can be used for iontophoresis and electroporation to penetrate active ingredients into the skin, and EMS to electrically stimulate muscles inside the skin. The massage machine according to the present invention can contribute to Goal 3 (health and well-being for all) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations.

[0047] As described above, the massage machine according to each of the above embodiments includes the treatment member 2 having the treatment pin 22 at the tip of the treatment shaft 21, the linear motion mechanism 3 for reciprocating the treatment member 2 in the axial direction of the treatment shaft 21, the rotary motion mechanism 4 for rotating the treatment member 2 around the axial center of the treatment shaft 21, and the motor 5 as the drive source of the linear motion mechanism 3 and the rotary motion mechanism 4. The treatment member 2 is configured to perform linear motion and rotary motion simultaneously, so that the massage stimuli derived from both the linear motion and rotary motion of the treatment member 2 can be applied to the human body surface by pressing the treatment pin 22 against the human body surface. Therefore, according to the massage device according to each embodiment, a more diverse massage stimuli can be applied to the user, making the massage more effective, compared to a conventional massage device in which the treatment member only performs linear motion. In addition, the stimuli applied to the user by the treatment member 2 can be made more interesting, so that the user's satisfaction can be increased and boredom can be suppressed.

[0048] If the tip of the treatment member 2 is located at one end of the massage machine in the longitudinal direction, the user can easily operate the massage machine by gripping the other end of the longitudinal direction. In addition, if the center of gravity of the motor 5, which is relatively heavy, is located at the other end of the massage machine, the user can avoid feeling heavy when gripping the other end.

[0049] When the linear drive gear 15 constituting the linear motion mechanism 3 and the rotary drive gear 16 constituting the rotary motion mechanism 4 are provided on the output shaft 14 of the motor 5, the structure of the output shaft 14 and its surroundings can be simplified compared to when both gears 15, 16 are provided on different shafts. Also, when the linear drive gear 15 is disposed on the base end of the output shaft 14 and the rotary drive gear 16 is disposed on the tip end of the output shaft 14, the load that the output shaft 14 receives from the motion mechanisms 3 and 4 is distributed to the base end side and the tip end side, preventing deformation of the output shaft 14 due to concentration of the load.

[0050] If the linear motion mechanism 3 includes a linear driving gear 15 that rotates integrally with the output shaft 14 of the motor 5, a linear driven gear 30 that rotates in mesh with the linear driving gear 15, and an eccentric cam 33 that converts the rotational power of the linear driven gear 30 into reciprocating power, the rotational power of the motor 5 can be converted relatively easily into reciprocating power and transmitted to the treatment member 2.

[0051] If the rotary motion mechanism 4 includes a rotary driving gear 16 that rotates integrally with the output shaft 14 of the motor 5, and a rotary driven gear 28 that meshes with the rotary driving gear 16 and rotates integrally with the treatment shaft 21 of the treatment member 2, it is possible to minimize the number of gears that constitute the rotary motion mechanism 4, thereby simplifying the rotary motion mechanism 4. Furthermore, when a pair of treatment members 2 are arranged in parallel, by providing a rotary driven gear 28 on each treatment shaft 21, it is possible to transmit rotational power from one rotary driving gear 16 to two rotary driven gears 28.

[0052] If the rotation driven gear 28 is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotation driving gear 16, so that when the treatment member 2 reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism 3 is at one end of the movement stroke, the rotation driving gear 16 meshes with one end in the axial direction of the rotation driven gear 28, and when the treatment member 2 is at the other end of the movement stroke, the rotation driving gear 16 meshes with the other end in the axial direction of the rotation driven gear 28, so that the rotation driving gear 16 and the rotation driven gear 28 can be meshed with each other regardless of the position of the reciprocating treatment member 2. Furthermore, compared to a case in which the rotation driving gear 16 is formed as long as the rotation driven gear 28, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by the amount of the thinner rotation driving gear 16.

[0053] If the rotary drive gear 16 is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotary driven gear 28, so that when the treatment member 2 reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism 3 is located at one end of the movement stroke, the rotary driven gear 28 meshes with one end in the axial direction of the rotary drive gear 16, and when the treatment member 2 is located at the other end of the movement stroke, the rotary drive gear 16 and the rotary driven gear 28 mesh with each other, thereby rotating the treatment member 2 regardless of the position of the reciprocating treatment member 2. Furthermore, compared to when the rotary driven gear 28 is formed as long as the rotary drive gear 16, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by the amount of the thinner rotary driven gear 28.

[0054] By surrounding the output shaft 14 of the motor 5 with the internal frame 42 to restrict its radial movement, and supporting the rotary drive gear 16 fixed to the tip of the output shaft 14 with the support surface 53 on the surface of the internal frame 42, the posture of the output shaft 14 and the rotary drive gear 16 inside the massage machine can be more stabilized, and the rotational power can be more reliably transmitted to the rotary driven gear 28 and ultimately to the treatment member 2. Furthermore, by having the internal frame 42 serve two purposes, restricting the movement of the output shaft 14 and supporting the rotary drive gear 16, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0055] If the treatment shaft 21 of the treatment member 2 is supported by the shaft support 25 constituting the linear motion mechanism 3 so as to be relatively rotatable, the rotational power transmitted from the output shaft 14 of the motor 5 to the treatment shaft 21 is not transmitted to the linear motion mechanism 3 including the shaft support 25, and only the treatment member 2 can be rotated. Furthermore, if the treatment shaft 21 is biased by the return spring 36 in a direction approaching the shaft support 25, when the shaft support 25 moves in a direction away from the treatment shaft 21 due to the action of the linear motion mechanism 3, the treatment shaft 21 can be moved together with the treatment shaft 21. This makes it unnecessary to connect the treatment shaft 21 and the shaft support 25 in the axial direction, and simplifies the assembly of the treatment shaft 21 to the shaft support 25.

[0056] If a pair of treatment members 2 are arranged in parallel and a treatment element 57 inclined with respect to the treatment axis 21 is provided at the tip of each treatment member 2, when the treatment member 2 rotates, i.e. spins, about the axis of the treatment axis 21, the treatment element 57 traces a revolution path about the axis of the treatment axis 21, and can alternately approach and move away from the other treatment element 57. Furthermore, if the direction of the inclination of the treatment element 57 of at least one treatment member 2 with respect to the treatment axis 21 is changeable, multiple usage patterns can be adopted, such as a pattern in which the pair of treatment elements 57 approach and move away at the same time, or a pattern in which one treatment element 57 approaches while the other treatment element 57 moves away, and the massage stimulation provided to the user can be diversified.

[0057] A rotating driven gear 28 that rotates in mesh with the rotating drive gear 16 is provided on one of the treatment shafts 21 of a pair of treatment members 2 arranged in parallel, and meshing transmission gears 70 are provided on the treatment shafts 21 of both treatment members 2, respectively, so that rotational power is transmitted from one treatment member 2 to the other treatment member 2 only via the transmission gear 70.This makes it possible to rotate both treatment members 2 in opposite directions with a relatively simple configuration.

[0058] If the rotation driven gear 28 is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotation driving gear 16, so that when the treatment member 2 reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism 3 is at one end of the movement stroke, the rotation driving gear 16 meshes with one end in the axial direction of the rotation driven gear 28, and when the treatment member 2 is at the other end of the movement stroke, the rotation driving gear 16 meshes with the other end in the axial direction of the rotation driven gear 28, so that the rotation driving gear 16 and the rotation driven gear 28 can be meshed with each other regardless of the position of the reciprocating treatment member 2. Furthermore, compared to a case in which the rotation driving gear 16 is formed as long as the rotation driven gear 28, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by the amount of the thinner rotation driving gear 16.

[0059] If the rotary drive gear 16 is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotary driven gear 28, so that when the treatment member 2 reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism 3 is located at one end of the movement stroke, the rotary driven gear 28 meshes with one end in the axial direction of the rotary drive gear 16, and when the treatment member 2 is located at the other end of the movement stroke, the rotary drive gear 16 and the rotary driven gear 28 mesh with each other, thereby rotating the treatment member 2 regardless of the position of the reciprocating treatment member 2. Furthermore, compared to when the rotary driven gear 28 is formed as long as the rotary drive gear 16, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by the amount of the thinner rotary driven gear 28.

[0060] If the massage machine is configured so that a pair of treatment members 2 reach the advancing position at the same time and the distance between the opposing tips of the treatment members 2 is minimum at that timing, and so that a pair of treatment members 2 reach the retracted position at the same time and the distance between the opposing tips of the treatment members 2 is maximum at that timing, the distance between the opposing tips of the treatment members 2 gradually narrows as the two treatment members 2 move from the retracted position to the advanced position, so that a strong pinpoint stimulation can be applied to one area, such as the user's skin, to perform a concentrated massage on that area. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 2 Treatment materials 3 Linear motion mechanism 4 Rotational Mechanism 5 Motor 14 Output shaft 15 Linear drive gear 16 Rotating drive gear 21 Treatment axis 22 Treatment Pin 25 Axial support 28 Rotating driven gear 30 Linear driven gear 33 Eccentric Cam 36 Return spring 42 Internal Frame 53 Support surface 57 Treatment child 70 Transmission gear

Claims

1. A treatment member (2) including a treatment shaft (21); a linear motion mechanism (3) for reciprocating the treatment member (2) in the axial direction of the treatment shaft (21); a rotary motion mechanism (4) for rotating the treatment member (2) around the axis of the treatment shaft (21); A motor (5) that is a drive source for the linear motion mechanism (3) and the rotary motion mechanism (4); Equipped with A massage machine characterized in that the treatment member (2) is configured to perform linear motion and rotational motion simultaneously.

2. The distal end of the treatment member (2) is disposed at one end of the massage machine in the longitudinal direction, 2. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein the center of gravity of the motor (5) is disposed on the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the massage machine.

3. A linear drive gear (15) constituting the linear motion mechanism (3) and a rotary drive gear (16) constituting the rotary motion mechanism (4) are provided on an output shaft (14) of the motor (5); 2. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein the linear drive gear (15) is disposed at a base end of the output shaft (14), and the rotary drive gear (16) is disposed at a tip end of the output shaft (14).

4. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein the linear motion mechanism (3) includes a linear driving gear (15) that rotates integrally with the output shaft (14) of the motor (5), a linear driven gear (30) that rotates in mesh with the linear driving gear (15), and an eccentric cam (33) that converts the rotational power of the linear driven gear (30) into reciprocating power.

5. The massage machine of claim 1, wherein the rotary motion mechanism (4) includes a rotary driving gear (16) that rotates integrally with the output shaft (14) of the motor (5), and a rotary driven gear (28) that meshes with the rotary driving gear (16) and rotates integrally with the treatment shaft (21) of the treatment member (2).

6. The rotary driven gear (28) is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotary driving gear (16), 6. The massage machine of claim 5, wherein when the treatment member (2) reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism (3) is located at one end of its movement stroke, the rotary drive gear (16) meshes with one axial end of the rotary driven gear (28), and when the treatment member (2) is located at the other end of its movement stroke, the rotary drive gear (16) meshes with the other axial end of the rotary driven gear (28).

7. The rotary driving gear (16) is formed to be longer in the axial direction than the rotary driven gear (28), 6. The massage machine of claim 5, wherein when the treatment member (2) reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism (3) is located at one end of its movement stroke, the rotating driven gear (28) meshes with one axial end of the rotating drive gear (16), and when the treatment member (2) is located at the other end of its movement stroke, the rotating driven gear (28) meshes with the other axial end of the rotating drive gear (16).

8. The circumferential surface of the output shaft (14) of the motor (5) is surrounded by an internal frame (42) to restrict radial play of the output shaft (14), The massage machine of claim 1, wherein the rotary drive gear (16) constituting the rotary motion mechanism (4) is fixed to the tip of the output shaft (14) protruding from the internal frame (42) and rotatably supported by a support surface (53) provided on the surface of the internal frame (42).

9. The treatment shaft (21) of the treatment member (2) is supported by a shaft support (25) constituting a linear motion mechanism (3) so as to be relatively rotatable around the axis of the treatment shaft (21) and so as to be reciprocatively movable along the axis, 2. The massage machine according to claim 1, further comprising a return spring (36) for biasing the treatment shaft (21) in a direction approaching the shaft support (25).

10. A pair of treatment members (2) are arranged in parallel, A treatment element (57) inclined with respect to the treatment axis (21) is provided at the tip of each treatment member (2), 2. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein the treatment element (57) of at least one of the treatment members (2) is configured so that the direction of inclination of the treatment element (57) relative to the treatment axis (21) can be changed.

11. A pair of treatment members (2) are arranged in parallel, The rotary motion mechanism (4) includes a rotary driving gear (16) that rotates integrally with the output shaft (14) of the motor (5) and a rotary driven gear (28) that rotates in mesh with the rotary driving gear (16), A rotary driven gear (28) is provided on the treatment shaft (21) of one of the treatment members (2), 2. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein the treatment shafts (21) of the treatment members (2) are provided with transmission gears (70) which mesh with each other.

12. The rotary driven gear (28) is formed longer in the axial direction than the rotary driving gear (16), The massage machine of claim 11, wherein when the treatment member (2) reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism (3) is located at one end of its movement stroke, the rotating drive gear (16) meshes with one axial end of the rotating driven gear (28), and when the treatment member (2) is located at the other end of its movement stroke, the rotating drive gear (16) meshes with the other axial end of the rotating driven gear (28).

13. The rotary driving gear (16) is formed to be longer in the axial direction than the rotary driven gear (28), A massage machine as described in claim 11, wherein when the treatment member (2) reciprocated by the linear motion mechanism (3) is located at one end of its movement stroke, the rotating driven gear (28) meshes with one axial end of the rotating driving gear (16), and when the treatment member (2) is located at the other end of its movement stroke, the rotating driven gear (28) meshes with the other axial end of the rotating driving gear (16).

14. The time required for the treatment member (2) to make one reciprocating motion by the linear motion mechanism (3) is equal to the time required for the treatment member (2) to make one rotation by the rotary motion mechanism (4). The linear motion mechanism (3) reciprocates each treatment member (2) between an advanced position and a retracted position along a treatment axis (21); The pair of treatment members (2) reach the advanced position at the same time, and the opposing distance between the tip ends of the treatment members (2) is minimized at that timing.

12. The massage machine according to claim 11, wherein the pair of treatment members (2) reach the retracted position simultaneously, and the opposing distance between the tip ends of the treatment members (2) becomes maximum at that timing.

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