3D Relaxing Hairdressing Chair

Abstract

We have redesigned the form of flat-seat type barber / beauty chairs to provide a three-dimensional relaxing barber / beauty chair that suppresses the generation of tension on the user's body and the displacement of the user's body position. [Solution] The chair seat 10 is provided, in which the lower leg surface 11, seat surface 12, and backrest surface 15 are arranged from rear to front. The chair seat 10 is configured to be changeable by an operating unit to change between at least two forms: a seated position when getting on and off the chair and a supine position during treatment, by being arranged so that the angles between adjacent surfaces can be changed. The seat surface 12 comprises a thigh seat surface 13 and a buttock seat surface 14 behind it, and the angles between the two seat surfaces can be changed. In the seated position, the lower leg surface 11 and backrest surface 15 are in an upright position, and in the supine position, the thigh seat surface 13 and the buttock seat surface 14 form a mountain shape that is inclined in opposite directions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beauty treatment chair.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as shown in Patent Documents 1 to 5, a beauty treatment chair is provided with a chair seat in which a lower leg surface, a seat surface, and a backrest surface are arranged from the rear to the front, and the chair seat is arranged such that the angle between the adjacent surfaces can be changed, and the chair seat is configured to be changeable into at least two forms, namely, a sitting position form when sitting on the chair and a supine position form during treatment.

[0003] By changing from the sitting position form to the supine position form, these beauty treatment chairs can be changed in form so that the user can receive treatment in a relaxed position and the operator can easily perform treatment on the user. In particular, in the supine position form, the chair seat was deformed so as to approach a flat state. However, a flat chair seat is not necessarily relaxing for the user, and it is a form that causes tension in the vicinity of the user's waist.

[0004] When the human body lies on its back on a floor surface such as a flat chair seat, the waist has a skeletal structure that floats from the floor surface. That is, a space is formed between the floor surface and the waist, and tension and burden are applied to the waist. In particular, for a person with a swayback body shape (a body shape in which the lumbar lordosis becomes stronger due to the pelvis tilting forward from the correct position), the space becomes larger and the state of the floating waist becomes prominent. Therefore, in the supine position on a flat floor surface, low back pain may be caused.

[0005] In addition, when changing from the sitting position form to the supine position form, as the backrest surface tilts from the standing state in the sitting position form, the user's body tends to shift forward. As a result, it may be necessary to return the user's body to the desired rear position on the chair seat. In the following, unless otherwise specified, "front" refers to the direction of the user's feet, and "back" refers to the direction of the user's head. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-65803 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5451526 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 5451527 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 5477787 [Patent Document 5] Patent No. 4796098 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a three-dimensional relaxing barber chair that can suppress the generation of tension on the user's body by revising the conventional flat-seat type barber chair, which deforms to a nearly flat state when the user is lying on their back. Another problem that this invention aims to solve is to suppress the displacement of the user's body relative to the chair seat, which tends to occur when changing from a seated position to a supine position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The inventors of this invention have fundamentally re-examined the traditional hairdressing chair, which has been considered to have a flat supine position as desirable, and have developed a three-dimensional relaxing hairdressing chair that can provide a relaxing effect to the user through a three-dimensional supine position.

[0009] The three-dimensional relaxing hairdressing chair of the present invention comprises a chair seat in which the lower leg surface, seat surface, and backrest surface are arranged from rear to front, and the chair seat is configured to be changeable by allowing the angles between adjacent surfaces to be changed, so that it can be changed to at least two forms: a seated position when getting on and off the chair and a supine position during treatment, and the chair seat is supported by an operating unit so that its form can be changed, which is an improvement on a hairdressing chair. The seat surface comprises a thigh seat surface and a buttock seat surface located behind the thigh seat surface, and the angle between the two seat surfaces can be changed.

[0010] In the aforementioned seated position, the lower leg surface and the backrest surface are in an upright position, the user's buttocks rest on the buttock seat, and the user's thighs rest on the thigh seat. In the supine position described above, the thigh seat and the lower leg seat form a mountain-shaped configuration, with each inclined in opposite directions.

[0011] The inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane is characterized in that the thigh seating surface is larger than the buttock seating surface, and the lower leg seating surface is larger than the buttock seating surface.

[0012] In the supine position described above, the thigh seat and the backrest are inclined in a valley shape, facing each other with the buttock seat in between, and the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane is configured such that the backrest is greater than that of the buttock seat.

[0013] The buttock seat surface has the same angle with respect to the horizontal plane in both the seated position and the supine position. When transitioning from the seated position to the supine position, the angle of inclination of the backrest surface and the lower leg surface with respect to the horizontal plane gradually decreases, while the angle of inclination of the thigh seat surface with respect to the horizontal plane gradually increases. In the supine position described above, the angle with respect to the horizontal plane can be such that the angle of the thigh seat surface is greater than that of the backrest surface. The operation unit can be configured and implemented such that the operation of the form change can be enabled by a remote switch connected by short-range wireless communication.

[0014] The operation unit includes a link mechanism that operates with a hydraulic mechanism as a driving means. The link mechanism includes a lower leg support portion, a thigh support portion, and a hip support portion that are rotatably connected at nodes. The lower leg support portion, the thigh support portion, and the hip support portion are respectively disposed below the lower leg surface, the thigh seat surface, and the hip seat surface of the chair seat and support them. The thigh support portion and the hip support portion can be implemented as having nodes for links that move with the drive of the hydraulic mechanism in the middle of each.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] The present invention has been able to provide a three-dimensional relaxation beauty chair that is advantageous for alleviating and suppressing the generation of tension applied to the user's body compared to a flat supine position chair seat.

[0016] Also, the present invention has been able to provide a three-dimensional relaxation beauty chair that is advantageous for suppressing the positional deviation of the user's body with respect to the chair seat that tends to occur when changing from the chair seat form to the supine position form.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a side view of the usage state of the three-dimensional relaxation beauty chair according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a side view of the chair seat form and (B) is a side view of the supine position form. [Figure 2] It is a side view of the three-dimensional relaxation beauty chair with the cover removed, where (A) is a side view of the chair seat form and (B) is a side view of the semi-chair seat form. [Figure 3] It is a side view of the three-dimensional relaxation beauty chair with the cover removed, where (A) is a side view of the semi-supine position form and (B) is a side view of the supine position form. [Figure 4]It is a plan view of an operation switch of a same three-dimensional relaxing beauty chair.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 〔Overview〕

[0019] This beauty chair, which is also called a shampoo chair, is a movable chair that can be suitably used when performing treatments such as shampooing and hair dyeing on users. More specifically, it is suitable for performing treatments on the hair, such as shampooing and hair dyeing, by placing the user's head face up in a shampoo bowl (not shown) provided on a shampoo stand.

[0020] However, of course, this beauty chair can also be used for other hair treatments such as cutting and blow-drying, and facial treatments such as face shaving and massage. The present invention can also be applied and implemented to other beauty chairs.

[0021] The chair seat 10 of this beauty chair is composed of a seat that allows the user to sit or lie down comfortably, such as a cushion material having elasticity inside, and accessories such as its substrate and cover.

[0022] The chair seat 10 has a lower leg surface 11, a seat surface 12, and a backrest surface 15 arranged from the rear to the front. The seat surface 12 includes a thigh seat surface 13 and a hip seat surface 14 behind it. In the figure, the chair seat 10 is depicted as a single integrated unit, but it may be separated into one or more seats, for example, by implementing only the backrest surface 15 as a different seat separated from the other lower leg surface 11 to hip seat surface 14.

[0023] The chair seat 10 has four surfaces, a lower leg surface 11, a thigh surface 13, a buttock surface 14, and a backrest surface 15, which are arranged so that the angles of adjacent surfaces can be changed. It is configured to be able to change to at least two forms: a seated position when getting on and off the chair (Figures 1(A) and 2(A)) and a supine position during treatment (Figures 1(B) and 3(B)). The chair seat 10 is supported by an operating unit 30 so that it can change between these forms. [Regarding seated posture (Figures 1(A) and 2(A))]

[0024] In the seated position, the lower leg surface 11 and backrest surface 15 are in an upright position (similar to the typical chair inclination angle of approximately 70-90 degrees), and the thigh surface 13 and buttock surface 14 that make up the seat surface 12 are flat (approximately parallel to the horizontal plane GL). The user sits with their buttocks mainly on the buttock surface 14 and their thighs mainly on the thigh surface 13. Although not shown in the illustration, in a plan view, the front center of the buttock surface 14 may be made into a convex shape that protrudes slightly forward, and the rear left and right sides of the thigh surface 13 may be made into a concave shape that protrudes slightly backward. In practice, the shape may be changed to something other than a rectangle depending on the user's body shape.

[0025] While this seated position is convenient for users to get on and off the hairdressing chair, it does not prevent treatments from being performed in this position. Since users get on and off the chair in this seated position, it is desirable that the seat surface 12 be at a low position that facilitates getting on and off. [Regarding the transition from a semi-chaired sitting position (Figure 2(B)) to a semi-supine position (Figure 3(A))]

[0026] The hairdressing chair gradually changes its form from a seated position to a semi-seated position (Figure 2(B)) and a semi-supine position (Figure 3(A)), before reaching the supine position (Figure 1(B) and Figure 3(B)).

[0027] Regarding the semi-seated (seat) position (Figure 2(B)) and semi-supine (lying) position (Figure 3(A)), the movements are usually performed continuously, but they can be stopped midway if necessary. [Regarding the supine position (Figures 1(B) and 3(B))]

[0028] In the supine position, similar to conventional barber / hairdressing chairs, the lower leg support 21 and the back support 25 rotate in opposite directions from the seated position, reducing the inclination angle between the lower leg surface 11 and the back surface 15. In this book, unless otherwise specified, the inclination angle refers to the angle with respect to the horizontal plane GL.

[0029] In conventional barber chairs, the chair simply reclines so that the lower leg support 21 and the back support 25 become closer to horizontal. However, in this embodiment of the barber chair, the thigh seat 13 rotates relative to the buttock seat 14, increasing the inclination angle so that it becomes an upward slope towards the front. The thigh seat 13 also rotates relative to the lower leg seat 11, and the thigh seat 13 and the lower leg seat 11 form a mountain-shaped configuration that is inclined in opposite directions.

[0030] In this way, because the thigh seat surface 13 and the lower leg surface 11 form a mountain shape, the user's body is positioned with their knees bent at an angle and their hips lowered compared to when using a flat chair seat 10. This naturally brings the hips closer to the chair seat 10, preventing the gap between the user and the chair seat 10 from widening or widening. As a result, tension around the user's hips that occurs when changing to a supine position is suppressed.

[0031] Furthermore, the thigh seat 13 and the backrest 15 rotate so that they become upward slopes relative to the buttock seat 14, adopting a valley-shaped configuration where they face each other with the buttock seat 14 in between. Conventionally, only the backrest 15 slopes downward toward the front, which could cause the user's body to slide forward. However, in this example, the thigh seat 13 slopes upward toward the front, which suppresses the user's body from sliding forward.

[0032] The inclination angle of the thigh seat 13 is greater than that of the buttock seat 14, which maintains a nearly horizontal position. In this example, the buttock seat 14 maintains a nearly horizontal position even when changing from a seated position to a supine position, while the thigh seat 13 tilts upwards towards the front. An inclination angle of 20 to 35 degrees is appropriate for the thigh seat 13, but it can be changed during implementation.

[0033] Furthermore, the lower leg surface 11 is in an upright position in the seated position to make it easier for the user to sit down and stand up from the chair seat 10, but the downward tilt angle decreases as the user changes to a supine position. The tilt angle of the lower leg surface 11 in the supine position is appropriately 20 to 35 degrees, similar to the thigh seat surface 13, but it can be changed. In this example, the tilt angles of the lower leg surface 11 and the thigh seat surface 13 in the supine position are set to be approximately equal, but they can be set to different angles.

[0034] The backrest surface 15 is in an upright position in the seated position to make it easier for the user to sit down and stand up from the chair seat 10, but the downward tilt angle decreases as the user changes to a supine position. The tilt angle of the backrest surface 15 in the supine position is appropriate to be around 5 to 15 degrees, but it can be changed. The backrest surface 15 can be tilted all the way to a horizontal position, but if it is tilted all the way to a horizontal position the user's head will be too low and they will feel insecure, so it is desirable to set it to have a slight upward tilt towards the rear.

[0035] In this example, the angle of inclination of the buttock seat 14 (horizontal in the example figure) remains constant regardless of changes in shape. Since the buttock seat 14 is the central surface that receives the user's load, keeping the angle of inclination of the buttock seat 14 constant without changing during changes in shape ensures stable load support and prevents the user from feeling unstable. However, if the angle change is slight (smaller than the angle changes of the lower leg surface 11, thigh seat 13, and backrest surface 15), it is acceptable to allow the angle to change during the process. Alternatively, the practitioner may adjust the angle of inclination of the buttock seat 14 while the device is stationary. [Regarding the operating unit]

[0036] Next, the actuation unit 30 that realizes the movement of the chair seat 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. This actuation unit 30 is merely one example, and the present invention can be implemented by various mechanisms that realize the movement of the chair seat 10, and should not be understood as being limited to this actuation unit 30. [Base frame and parallel link]

[0037] The operating unit 30 is installed on the floor by a base frame 31 and includes ac links and bd links, which are rotatably connected to the base frame 31 by nodes a and b, respectively. Unless otherwise specified below, a node refers to a rotatable connection point, also known as the pair of links in a link mechanism. A link is a member that spans between nodes, and its specific form can be varied and implemented using rod-shaped bodies, plate-shaped bodies, or any other material that functions as a link in a link mechanism. In the diagram, links are generally not labeled with symbols, and are shown by link names formed by hyphenating the English letters of the two nodes.

[0038] The other ends of the AC link and BD link are connected to the upper frame 32 by nodes C and D, respectively. The length between node A and node B is equal to the length between node C and node D, and the length between node A and node D is equal to the length between node B and node C. Therefore, the base frame 31 (i.e., the AB link), the AC link, the BD link, and the upper frame 32 (i.e., the CD link) constitute a four-bar parallel link mechanism. [Operation of the parallel link mechanism]

[0039] This parallel link mechanism uses a seat cylinder 33, which is composed of a hydraulic cylinder or the like, as a driving source to change the inclination angle. The base end of the seat cylinder 33 is connected to the base frame 31 by node e, and the tip of the piston rod is connected to the bc link by node f. When the piston rod extends, the inclination angle of the bc link increases, and when the piston rod retracts, the inclination angle of the ac link decreases. Under these operating conditions, the upper frame 32 moves parallel to the base frame 31, and the chair seat 10 moves up and down. Specifically, as the piston rod of the seat cylinder 33 extends, as shown in Figures 2(A) to 3(B), the bc link rotates around node b, increasing its inclination angle, and the upper frame 32 and the chair seat 10 rise. [Upper frame]

[0040] The upper frame 32 is equipped with front and rear frames 34 that extend in the front-rear direction above it. These front and rear frames 34 support the hip support section 24, which is positioned on top of them, so that it can move parallel to the front-rear direction within a predetermined range, and the hip support section 24 is biased rearward by a biasing means such as a gas cylinder or a spring. [Back panel mounting component and back panel support part]

[0041] A rear end member 35 (hi-link) is connected to the rear end of the front and rear frames 34 by a node i. A back plate mounting member 37 is fixed to this rear end member 35, and a back plate support 25 is fixed to the back plate mounting member 37. Therefore, the back plate support 25 rotates around node i relative to the front and rear frames 34 and the hip support 24, allowing it to be raised and lowered. The tip of the rear end member 35 (hi-link) is connected to the tip of the gh-link by a node h. The base end of the gh-link is connected to the mg-link at node g, and also to the gq-link at the same node g. The mg-link is connected to the front and rear frames 34 at node m. Furthermore, the tip of the rear end member 35 (hi-link) is also connected to the hj-link by node h, and the base end of the hj-link is connected to the middle of the ac-link by node j.

[0042] Therefore, as the tilt angle of the ac link changes due to the extension and retraction of the seat cylinder 33, the rear end member 35 (hi link) changes its angle with respect to the hj link and gh link. As a result, the rear end member 35 and the back support portion 25 rotate around node i relative to the buttock support portion 24 and the buttock seat surface 14, causing them to tilt up and down.

[0043] As explained in the diagram, Figure 2(A) shows the seat cylinder 33 in its most retracted state, the inclination angle of the ac link is the gentlest, and the upper frame 32, buttock support 24, and buttock seat surface 14 are in their lowest and furthest forward positions. Also in Figure 2(A), the angle between the backrest mounting member 37 and the rear end member 35 and the buttock support 24 is the largest. In Figure 2(A), the backrest support 25 is almost perpendicular to the buttock seat surface 14.

[0044] Then, moving from Figure 2(B) and Figure 3(A) to Figure 3(B), as the seat cylinder 33 extends, the angle between the backrest mounting member 37 and the buttock seat surface 14 decreases, and the backrest support 25 rotates and tilts to an angle close to two right angles with respect to the buttock seat surface 14, becoming almost flat. [Relationship between the lower leg support, thigh support, and buttock support]

[0045] The base end of the thigh support portion 23 is rotatably attached to the front end of the buttock support portion 24 by node y, and the base end of the lower leg support portion 21 is rotatably attached to the front end of the thigh support portion 23 by node z. The hip support section 24 is connected to the gm link at node m, and the gm link is connected to the gh link at node g. The middle node n of the gm link and the middle node p of the thigh support 23 are connected by an np link. Furthermore, the node q in the middle of the lower leg support section 21 and the node g of the gm link and gh link are connected by a gq link.

[0046] As a result, the gm link rotates as the seat cylinder 33 extends and retracts. The rotation of the gm link causes the np link to rotate, which in turn causes the thigh support portion 23 to rotate, and the lower leg support portion 21 to rotate via the gq link. [Other operating units]

[0047] The above-described operating unit 30 is merely one example using a hydraulic mechanism as the driving means; the link mechanism can be modified, and gears or the like can be used as the power transmission means. Furthermore, the driving means can be changed to other means, such as using an electric motor. [Regarding the upward switch]

[0048] The operating unit 30 operates based on instructions from an operating switch 50, such as a foot switch. Figure 4 shows an example of an operating switch 50. Pressing the upward switch 51 extends the seat cylinder 33, and releasing it stops the operating unit 30. Similarly, pressing the downward switch 52 retracts the seat cylinder 33, and releasing it stops the operating unit 30. In both extension and retraction, the unit is set to stop when it reaches a set limit position. Information transmission between the operating switch 50 and the operating unit 30 may be via a wired connection, but connecting via short-range communication such as Bluetooth® allows for a cleaner look around the base of the barber / beauty chair, reducing the risk of tipping accidents, and also allows the operating switch 50 to be moved to a position that is easily accessible to the practitioner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10: Chair seat 11: Lower leg surface 12: Seat 13: Thigh seat 14: Buttocks seat 15: Back plate surface 21: Lower leg support 23: Thigh support part 24: Buttocks support part 25: Back plate support part 30: Actuator Unit 31: Base frame 32: Upper frame 33: Cylinder seat 34: Front and rear frames 35: Rear end member 37: Back panel mounting component 50: Activation switch 51: Up Switch 52: Down switch GL: horizontal plane

Claims

1. The chair seat is equipped with a lower leg surface, seat surface, and backrest surface arranged from rear to front. The chair seat is configured such that the angles between adjacent surfaces can be changed, allowing it to be changed to at least two forms: a seated position when getting on and off the chair, and a supine position during treatment. In a hairdressing chair, the aforementioned chair seat is supported by an operating unit so that its shape can be changed. The aforementioned seat surface comprises a thigh seat surface and a buttock seat surface located behind the thigh seat surface. The angle between the two seat surfaces can be changed. In the aforementioned seated position, the lower leg surface and the backrest surface are in an upright position, the user's buttocks rest on the buttock seat, and the user's thighs rest on the thigh seat. In the supine position described above, the thigh seat and the lower leg seat form a mountain shape, with each inclined in opposite directions. A three-dimensional relaxing barber / hairdressing chair characterized in that the angle of inclination with respect to the horizontal plane is such that the thigh seat surface is larger than the buttock seat surface, and the lower leg seat surface is larger than the buttock seat surface.

2. In the supine position described above, the thigh seat surface and the backrest surface are, The aforementioned seat surface for the buttocks is inclined so as to face each other. It takes on a valley-like shape, The three-dimensional relaxing hairdressing chair according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle of inclination with respect to the horizontal plane is configured such that the backrest surface is larger than the seat surface for the buttocks.

3. The buttock seat surface has the same angle with respect to the horizontal plane in both the seated position and the supine position. When transitioning from the aforementioned seated position to the aforementioned supine position, The inclination angle of the back plate surface and the lower leg surface with respect to the horizontal plane is gradually reduced. The three-dimensional relaxing hairdressing chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the thigh seat surface is configured such that the angle of inclination with respect to the horizontal plane gradually increases.

4. The three-dimensional relaxing hairdressing chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in the supine position, the angle with respect to the horizontal plane is greater for the thigh seat surface than for the backrest surface.

5. The three-dimensional relaxing hair and beauty chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating unit can be operated by a remote switch connected via short-range wireless communication to change its form.

6. The aforementioned operating unit includes a link mechanism that operates using a hydraulic mechanism as the driving means. The link mechanism comprises a lower leg support, a thigh support, and a buttock support, which are rotatably connected at the nodes. The lower leg support portion, the thigh support portion, and the buttock support portion are positioned below the lower leg surface, the thigh seating surface, and the buttock seating surface of the chair seat, respectively, and support them. The three-dimensional relaxing hair and beauty chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the thigh support portion and the buttock support portion each have a node in the middle of a link that moves in conjunction with the driving of the hydraulic mechanism.

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