Cushion body and touch therapy device

Abstract

To give a feeling of being touched by a human hand to a user.SOLUTION: In a cushion body (1), a first pad part (20) storing therein a columnar core part (10) is located inside a second pad part (30) having a cup shape. The core part (10) has higher rigidity than that of the first pad part (20) and the second pad part (30). The first pad part (20) has rubber elasticity. The second pad part (30) is softer than the first pad part (20) and easy to deform.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cushion body and a touch therapy device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a chair-type massage machine that massages the user's back by placing kneading balls against the user's back. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-198169 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Touch therapy is a treatment that uses human hands to relieve stress and provide mental care to the recipient. However, there is room for improvement in the technology used to perform touch therapy using machines.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a cushion body that gives a user the sensation of being touched by a human hand. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a cushion body according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has a first pad portion that houses a cylindrical core portion inside and is positioned inside a second pad portion that has a cup-shaped shape, the core portion is formed of a material that is more rigid than the first pad portion and the second pad portion, the first pad portion is formed of a material that has rubber elasticity, and the second pad portion is formed of a material that is softer and more easily deformed than the first pad portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to give a user the sensation of being touched by a human hand. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a rear view of a cushion body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a cushion body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a touch therapy device using a cushion body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Fig. 1 is a rear view of a cushion body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cushion body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1. For ease of explanation, the up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction of the cushion body 1 are defined below as indicated by arrows in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

[0010] As shown in Fig. 1, the cushion body 1 has a cylindrical core portion 10 and an elastic body 11, and is structured to replicate the shape of a palm. The elastic body 11 has a first pad portion 20 and a second pad portion 30. The first pad portion 20 has a first portion 21 and a second portion 22.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 3 , the second pad portion 30 has a cup-like shape, with the first pad portion 20 located inside the cup. The second pad portion 30 has a treatment surface 31 at its front that comes into contact with the user's body, and the end of the treatment surface 31 curves backward to form a cup-shaped side wall 33. The back surface 32 of the second pad portion 30, opposite the treatment surface 31, is the bottom of the cup and faces the second portion 22 of the first pad portion 20. The inner surfaces of the side wall 33 face the side surfaces of the first portion 21 and second portion 22 of the first pad portion 20. By placing the first pad portion 20 inside the cup-shaped second pad portion 30, the first pad portion 20 and the second pad portion 30 are integrated as an elastic body 11.

[0012] The core 10 is formed of a material having higher rigidity than the first pad portion 20 and the second pad portion 30, for example, a metal such as aluminum or a resin material. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , four cores 10 are housed in each of the upper and lower halves of the cushion body 1. The four cores 10 housed in the lower half of the cushion body 1 are modeled after the metacarpal bones of the human index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger. The four cores 10 housed in the lower half of the cushion body 1 have columnar side surfaces extending substantially upward. The four cores 10 housed in the upper half of the cushion body 1 are modeled after the phalanges of the human index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger. The lower ends of the four cores 10 housed in the upper half of the cushion body 1 face the upper ends of the four cores 10 housed in the lower half of the cushion body 1.

[0013] The first portion 21 and the second portion 22 of the first pad portion 20 are made of a material with rubber elasticity, such as rubber or elastomer, and are intended to mimic the muscles of the palm of the hand. The second pad portion 30 is made of a material that is softer, more easily deformed, has a smaller resilience, and has viscoelasticity than the first pad portion 20, and is intended to mimic the skin and fat of the palm. The second pad portion 30 is made of, for example, a low-resilience resin (such as low-resilience urethane) or a shock-absorbing gel (such as Alpha Gel (registered trademark)).

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the first portion 21 of the first pad portion 20 has a plurality of housing portions 23B on a surface facing the second portion 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the second portion 22 of the first pad portion 20 has a plurality of housing portions 23A on a surface facing the first portion 21. The housing portions 23B of the first portion 21 and the housing portions 23A of the second portion 22 are arranged opposite each other. Between the housing portions 23A and 23B of the first pad portion 20, a space capable of housing one core portion 10 is formed in a direction parallel to the treatment surface 31. At least both ends of the core portion 10 are housed in the space between the housing portions 23A and 23B, with the columnar side surfaces approximately parallel to the treatment surface 31. The core portion 10 moves in the space between the housing portions 23A and 23B in response to the elastic deformation of the first pad portion 20. This movement reproduces the movement of the bones linked to the movement of the muscles in the palm.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the first portion 21 may be provided with a hole 24 for adjusting the amount of deformation of the cushion body 1. In Figs. 1 and 3, the hole 24 is provided so as to penetrate the first portion 21 in the front-rear direction, but it is not necessarily required to penetrate all the way through.

[0016] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a touch therapy device using a cushion according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The touch therapy device 50 shown in Fig. 4 is installed, for example, on the back of a seat of a moving object such as an automobile. The touch therapy device 50 includes a cushion 1, an electric motor 51, a reduction mechanism 52, a pinion gear 53, and a rack gear 54. The electric motor 51, the reduction mechanism 52, the pinion gear 53, and the rack gear 54 are an example of a drive unit that drives the cushion 1. The touch therapy device 50 may further include a mechanism for adjusting the height of the treatment surface 31 of the cushion 1.

[0017] The electric motor 51 rotates a motor shaft (not shown) by an arbitrary operation of a user or a practitioner. The speed reduction mechanism 52 includes one or more speed reduction gears and transmits the rotation of the electric motor 51 to a pinion gear 53.

[0018] The cushion body 1 is connected to the tip of the rack gear 54. When the pinion gear 53 rotates in a predetermined forward direction, the rack gear 54 moves straight in direction R1 together with the cushion body 1. On the other hand, when the pinion gear 53 rotates in the reverse direction, the rack gear 54 moves straight in direction R2 together with the cushion body 1. The rack gear 54 may be connected to the cushion body 1 in any manner.

[0019] When the rack gear moves straight in direction R1, the treatment surface 31 of the second pad portion 30 is pressed against the user's body, causing the elastic body 11 to elastically deform. More specifically, the second pad portion 30 deforms to fit the shape of the user's body, and the first pad portion 20 elastically deforms due to the load applied via the second pad portion 30. At this time, the cushion body 1 gives the user a sensation as if touched by a human hand, and can relieve the mental stress felt by the user.

[0020] When the rack gear moves straight in the direction R2, the cushion body 1 moves away from the user's body. At this time, the first pad portion 20 and the second pad portion 30 of the cushion body 1 return to their initial shapes.

[0021] 1, 2, and 3, core 10, which resembles the bones of the palm, moves within the space between housing portions 23A and 23B in response to the elastic deformation of elastic body 11. By feeling the movement of core 10 through elastic body 11, the user feels an even stronger sensation as if touched by a human hand. When treatment surface 31 of cushion body 1 is pressed against a protruding part of the user's bones, first pad portion 20 deforms significantly, and the user feels even more strongly the presence of core 10 within cushion body 1.

[0022] (Action and effect) As described above, the cushion body according to this embodiment provides the following effects. The cushion body 1 has a first pad section 20 that houses a columnar core section 10 inside, and is positioned inside a cup-shaped second pad section 30. The core section 10 is made of a material that is more rigid than the first pad section 20 and the second pad section 30. The first pad section 20 is made of a material that has rubber elasticity. The second pad section 30 is made of a material that is softer and more easily deformed than the first pad section 20. This configuration allows a user who touches the cushion body 1 to feel as if they are being touched by a human hand.

[0023] The first pad portion 20 of the cushion body 1 is formed from a material having rubber elasticity, and the core portion 10 moves inside the first pad portion 20 in response to the elastic deformation of the first pad portion 20. With the above configuration, the first pad portion 20 imitates the muscles of the palm of the hand, and the core portion 10 imitates the bones of the palm, improving the reality of the sensation that the cushion body 1 gives to the user, as if they were being touched by a human hand.

[0024] The second pad section 30 of the cushion body 1 has a treatment surface 31 at the front that comes into contact with the user's body, and the side wall 33 at the end of the treatment surface 31 curves backward to form a cup shape. With the above configuration, even when the treatment surface comes into contact with the user's body, the first pad section 20 remains positioned inside the second pad section 30. Furthermore, the cushion body 1 allows the user who comes into contact with it to feel that the first pad section 20, which imitates human muscles, is located behind the second pad section 30, which imitates the skin and fat of a human palm.

[0025] The second pad section 30 of the cushion body 1 has a treatment surface 31 at the front that comes into contact with the user's body. The core section 10 of the cushion body 1 is housed inside the first pad section 20 so that the columnar side surface (side wall 33) is parallel to the treatment surface 31. With the above configuration, the cushion body 1 allows the user who comes into contact with the treatment surface 31 to feel that the core section 10, which imitates human bones, is located deep inside the first pad section 20, which imitates muscles.

[0026] A plurality of cores 10 simulating finger bones and a plurality of cores 10 simulating metacarpal bones are housed inside the first pad section 20 of the cushion body 1. According to the above configuration, the number of cores 10 housed inside the first pad section 20 approaches the number of bones present inside the palm of a human hand, improving the reality of the sensation that the cushion body gives to the user, as if they were being touched by a human hand.

[0027] The touch therapy device 50 includes a cushion body 1 and a drive unit (such as an electric motor 51) that drives the cushion body 1. The drive unit presses the cushion body against the user's body, giving the user the sensation of being touched by a human hand.

[0028] (Variation) In the above embodiment, the first pad portion 20 is formed of a two-piece component, the first portion 21 and the second portion 22. However, the first pad portion 20 may be formed in any configuration as long as the core portion 10 is housed inside. For example, the first pad portion 20 may be integrally molded by insert molding or the like, with a plurality of core portions 10 housed therein.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the elastic body 11 is formed of two pieces, the first pad portion 20 and the second pad portion 30. However, if the elastic body 11 can be formed with different elastic moduli in the vicinity of the treatment surface 31 and in the vicinity of the core portion 10, the first pad portion 20 and the second pad portion 30 may be integrated.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the cushion body 1 has core portions 10 simulating the phalanges of the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, and core portions 10 simulating the metacarpal bones of the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger. However, the configuration of the core portions 10 provided in the cushion body 1 is not limited to the configuration in the above embodiment. For example, the cushion body 1 may further have core portions 10 simulating the phalanges and metacarpal bones of the thumb, or may further have core portions 10 simulating the carpal bones. Furthermore, as long as the longitudinal directions of the core portions 10 simulating the metacarpal bones are approximately parallel to the treatment surface 31, the core portions 10 do not need to be parallel to each other. For example, the longitudinal directions of the core portions 10 simulating the metacarpal bones may be in a direction extending radially from a position corresponding to the carpal bones.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the touch therapy device 50 transmits the rotation of the electric motor 51 to the rack gear 54, and the rack gear 54 moves in a straight line, thereby pressing the cushion 1 against the user's body. However, the drive unit that drives the cushion 1 is not limited to one that uses the rotation of the electric motor 51. For example, the cushion 1 may be pressed against the user's body by being driven by air pressure, water pressure, or hydraulic pressure. Alternatively, the user may place the cushion 1 on the back of a chair, a bed, or the like, and the cushion 1 may be pressed against the user's body by the user's own weight.

[0032] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 cushion body 10 core 11 Elastic body 20 First pad section 23A, 23B storage section 30 Second pad section 31 Treatment surface 32 Back side 33 Side wall 50 Touch Therapy Device

Claims

1. The first pad portion, which accommodates the columnar core portion therein, is located inside the second pad portion having a cup shape, the core portion is formed of a material having higher rigidity than the first pad portion and the second pad portion, The first pad portion is formed of a material having rubber elasticity, The second pad portion is a cushion body formed of a material that is softer and more easily deformed than the first pad portion.

2. The cushion body according to claim 1 , wherein the core portion moves inside the first pad portion in response to elastic deformation of the first pad portion.

3. The cushion body according to claim 1 , wherein the second pad portion has a massage surface at the front that comes into contact with the user's body, and the cup shape is formed by an end of the massage surface being curved backward.

4. the second pad portion has a treatment surface at the front that comes into contact with the user's body, The cushion body according to claim 1 , wherein the core portion is accommodated inside the first pad portion so that a side surface of the columnar shape is parallel to the treatment surface.

5. The cushion body according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of core portions simulating finger bones and a plurality of core portions simulating metacarpal bones are housed inside the first pad portion.

6. The cushion body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A touch therapy device comprising: a drive unit that drives the cushion body.

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