Massage machine

Abstract

To construct a portable and inexpensive massage machine that allows the person being treated to sit in a simple chair and easily receive back massage. [Solution] The massage machine 10 comprises a cover member 14 made of a stretchable material and having a strip-shaped member 14C that extends longitudinally in the center between an upper end 14T and a lower end 14B; a housing 30 having a housing section 30A that accommodates a treatment block 20 comprising a back shell 22, a pair of rails 18A and 18B, a pair of massage ball units 32A and 32B comprising massage balls 32, and a tapping ball unit 16, and the upper part of which is covered when the cover member 14 is attached; a controller 100 that controls the operation of a brushless motor 70 and a brushed DC motor 48 in the treatment block 20; and a remote controller 40 that sends and receives bidirectional signals to and from the controller 100.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a massage machine.

Background Art

[0002] A chair-type massage machine includes, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a chair installed on a predetermined floor surface to support the body, a treatment device arranged movably inside the backrest of the chair to perform various massage operations, and a control device arranged at the lower part of the chair and electrically connected to a controller attached to one armrest, and configured to control the operation of the treatment block of the treatment device based on information from the controller. The above-mentioned backrest is integrally attached to the seat rotatably about the connection portion with the seat of the chair.

[0003] The treatment block of the treatment device is arranged movably along a pair of rails extending in the height direction of the backrest inside the backrest of the chair, and includes a treatment unit including a plurality of kneading balls. The treatment unit includes a pair of first kneading ball units, a pair of second kneading ball units, and a pair of base arms. The treatment block of the treatment device includes a vertical drive unit having a motor for moving the plurality of above-mentioned kneading balls of the treatment unit relative to the backrest in the height direction of the backrest, a width drive unit having a motor for moving the plurality of kneading balls of the treatment unit relative to the backrest in the width direction of the backrest, a percussion drive unit having a motor for causing the plurality of kneading balls of the treatment unit to perform a percussion massage operation on the body of the subject, and a strength drive unit having a motor for moving the plurality of above-mentioned kneading balls relative to the chair in the front-rear direction of the chair. In such a configuration, based on information from the controller, the above-mentioned control device controls the treatment unit to move downward from above in the height direction of the backrest, and controls the strength drive unit, and controls the treatment block so that the pair of first kneading ball units and the pair of second kneading ball units move while treating the back of the subject.

Prior Art Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6607443 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Chair-type massage machines, such as the one shown in Patent Document 1, require a relatively large installation space, are heavy and therefore not easy to move, and are also relatively expensive. However, for those receiving treatment, there is a need for a portable and inexpensive massage machine that can be used not only at home but also, for example, at work, during breaks, allowing them to sit in a simple chair and easily receive back treatment.

[0006] Considering the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a portable and inexpensive massage machine that allows the person being treated to sit in a simple chair and easily receive back treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the massage machine according to the present invention has a portable housing that houses a treatment block which contains a pair of kneading ball units, a first drive motor that drives the pair of kneading ball units via a first drive mechanism, a pair of tapping ball units, a second drive motor that drives the pair of tapping ball units via a second drive mechanism, and which is moved along a pair of rails by the first drive motor via a third drive mechanism, and a pair of rails, and has a strip-shaped member that is positioned facing the back of the person being treated and expands in the longitudinal direction, made of a material that expands and contracts in response to the movement of the pair of kneading ball units and the movement of the pair of tapping ball units as the treatment block moves or stops, and is portable. The device comprises a cover member that covers the housing, a remote controller having an operation unit consisting of a plurality of LED-equipped operation buttons and a controller that transmits a group of command signals via a wireless signal transmitter / receiver to cause the first drive motor and the second drive motor to operate based on command signals from the LED-equipped operation buttons on the operation unit, and a controller for the massage machine body located inside the housing that forms control signals to cause the first drive motor and the second drive motor to operate based on the group of command signals transmitted via the wireless signal transmitter / receiver of the remote controller and the command signals received via the wireless signal transmitter / receiver, and supplies the control signals to the first drive motor and the second drive motor.

[0008] Furthermore, the first drive mechanism of the treatment block is configured to include a drive shaft that supports a worm wheel with a pinion gear that meshes with a worm fixed to the output shaft of the first drive motor, a transmission gear having a spur gear that meshes with the pinion gear of the worm wheel and also having a bevel gear portion, and a bevel gear that meshes with at least the bevel gear portion of the transmission gear, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the treatment block, and the second drive mechanism of the treatment block is configured to include a crank member fixed to both output shafts of the second drive motor, and one end of which is connected to a striking ball unit, and The third drive mechanism of the treatment block may include a pair of piston members whose ends are connected to a crank member and which are reciprocated in a direction perpendicular to the axes of both output shafts of a second drive motor, which is arranged substantially parallel to the axis of the drive shaft, and a pinion gear which is arranged in the lower case of the treatment block and meshes with the rack gear of the rail, and a pinion gear which meshes with the spur gear of a driven gear which has a spur gear integrally with the pinion gear and is fixed to both ends of the drive shaft, a pair of driven gears which are arranged in the lower case of the treatment block, and a rack gear of each rail.

[0009] Each massage ball unit consists of a pair of roughly frustoconical massage balls and a swing arm connected to the lower part of the pair of massage balls. The central part of each swing arm may be pivotably supported on the upper part of each support base supported by the drive shaft, and may be pivoted by an eccentric cam that is fitted adjacent to each support base and rotatably arranged on the drive shaft.

[0010] A pair of tapping ball units may include a pair of tapping balls that perform a tapping motion on the back of the person being treated, a pair of piston members having connecting parts that are connected to each tapping ball, a pair of piston housings that guide and house the connecting parts of the pair of piston members, a housing that houses the pair of piston housings at intervals, rubber rings disposed on the outer circumference of the connecting parts of the piston members within the pair of piston housings, and bearing members inserted into the lower holes of each of the pair of piston members to rotatably support the shafts of each crank member. The piston members may have bearing parts between the rubber rings disposed within the piston housings and the bearing members. The ends of the pair of rails are fixed to a back shell provided in the housing so that the pair of rails are substantially parallel to each other, and the treatment block may be placed inside the back shell. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The massage machine according to the present invention comprises a portable housing that houses a treatment block which contains a pair of kneading ball units, a first drive motor that drives the pair of kneading ball units via a first drive mechanism, a pair of tapping ball units, a second drive motor that drives the pair of tapping ball units via a second drive mechanism, and which is moved along a pair of rails by the first drive motor via a third drive mechanism, and a pair of rails, a cover member which covers the portable housing and has a band-shaped member that expands in the longitudinal direction and is made of a material that expands and contracts in response to the movement of the pair of kneading ball units and the movement of the pair of tapping ball units as the treatment block moves or stops, and a plurality of LED-equipped operation buttons The device includes a remote controller having an operating section and a controller that transmits a group of command signals via a wireless signal transmitter / receiver to cause a first drive motor and a second drive motor to operate based on command signals from the LED-equipped operating buttons on the operating section, and a controller for the massage machine body located inside the housing that forms control signals to cause the first drive motor and the second drive motor to operate based on the group of command signals transmitted via the wireless signal transmitter / receiver of the remote controller, and supplies the control signals to the first drive motor and the second drive motor. Thus, it is possible to provide a portable and inexpensive massage machine in which the person being treated can sit in a simple chair and easily receive back treatment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an exploded view of an example of the configuration of a massage machine according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a massage machine with the cover member attached to the housing. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a massage machine installed on a chair. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the operating section of a remote controller used in an example of a massage machine according to the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a disassembled view of the treatment block configuration in an example of a massage machine. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the treatment block in an example of a massage machine, with the upper case removed. [Figure 7] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of the first and third drive mechanisms of a pair of massage ball units in an example of a massage machine. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a pair of tapping ball units in a treatment block in an example of a massage machine. [Figure 9] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing a disassembled view of the configuration of a pair of tapping ball units in the treatment block. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view shown along line XX in Figure 8. [Figure 11] Figure 1 shows a control block diagram of the controller and remote controller included in an example of a massage machine. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Figure 3 shows an example of the massage machine according to the present invention, installed on a chair 12 with armrests, which is equipped with a seat 12A and a backrest 12B, so that the back of the person being treated can be massaged.

[0014] In Figure 3, the lower end 14B of the cover member 14 of the massage machine 10 is placed on the seat 12A, which is close to the backrest 12B, so as to face the back of the person receiving treatment (not shown in the figure), and the massage machine 10 is installed on the chair 12 so that the entire lower surface of the housing 30, which will be described later, is in contact with the backrest 12B. The external dimensions (W×H×T) of the massage machine 10 are set to, for example, approximately 350mm×671mm×107mm, and the total weight is approximately 2.8kg.

[0015] The massage device 10 includes a housing 30 having a receiving portion 30A for housing a treatment block 20 that includes a cover member 14 made of an elastic material and having a strip-shaped member 14C extending longitudinally in a central portion between an upper end portion 14T and a lower end portion 14B, a back shell 22 described later, a pair of rails 18A and 18B, a kneading ball 32 including a pair of kneading ball units 32A and 32B, and a tapping ball unit 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the cover member 14 is coupled to cover the upper portion. The massage device 10 also includes a remote controller 40 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) that controls the operations of a brushless motor 70 (see FIG. 9) and a brushed DC motor 48 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) in the treatment block 20 described later.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 30 has a pair of engaging grooves in an upper end portion 30T corresponding to the upper end portion 14T of the cover member 14, into which a pair of positioning protrusions of the back shell 22 are engaged. A resin-made bow-shaped decorative member 28 is fixed to the curved outermost end portion of the upper end portion 30T. A metal plate 26 is fixed to an inclined surface portion of a lower end portion 30B corresponding to the lower end portion 14B of the cover member 14 via an intermediate member 24. The receiving portion 30A of the housing 30 is formed inside the housing 30 and is surrounded by the above-described upper end portion 30T and lower end portion 30B, a pair of side surface portions connecting the upper end portion 30T and the lower end portion 30B, and a bottom surface portion integrally formed with the upper end portion 30T, the lower end portion 30B, and the pair of side surface portions and extending longitudinally. In FIG. 1, a concave portion 30H for removably housing the remote controller 40 is formed in a left side surface portion of the pair of side surface portions of the housing 30. In FIG. 1, the upper edges of the pair of side surface portions of the housing 30 are inclined obliquely upward to the right from a portion connected to the upper end portion 30T toward the lower end portion 30B, and then are inclined obliquely downward to the right toward the end of the lower end portion 30B corresponding to the inclined surface portion of the lower end portion 30B.

[0017] The back shell 22 has a relatively large opening at the center, and a pair of positioning protrusions are engaged with a pair of engaging grooves of the housing 30 at the upper end portion 30T and placed on the bottom surface portion of the housing 30. At four locations on the periphery of the opening in the inner peripheral portion of the back shell 22, rail fixing portions are formed where the upper end portion 18Ae2 and the lower end portion 18Ae1 of the above-described rail 18A, and the upper end portion 18Be2 and the lower end portion 18Be1 of the rail 18B (see FIG. 5) are fixed by small screws, respectively.

[0018] The rails 18A and 18B are each made of, for example, a flexible plastic material, and as shown in a partially enlarged view in FIG. 6, have rack gears 18Ara and 18Bra that are engaged with the pinion gear 54Lb of the driven gear 54L (see FIG. 7) and the pinion gear 54Rb of the driven gear 54R (see FIG. 7) described later.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the treatment block 20 includes an upper case 20UC that supports the housing 84 of the percussion ball unit 16, a lower case 20LC that is coupled to the upper case 20UC and houses a brushed DC motor 48 and a drive mechanism described later in an internal accommodation portion, and a drive mechanism that swings the kneading ball units 32A and 32B and moves the coupled upper case 20UC and lower case 20LC along the rails 18A and 18B.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 6, the lower case 20LC supports a brushed DC motor 48 that drives the kneading ball units 32A and 32B via a drive mechanism and moves the percussion ball unit 16 and the kneading ball units 32A and 32B along the rails 18A and 18B in the moving direction indicated by the arrow.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper case 20UC has a through hole 20UA into which the housing 84 of the percussion ball unit 16 is inserted.

[0022] The lower case 20LC has passages 20LCa and 20LCb at both ends along the direction of movement at a predetermined interval, through which a pair of rails 18A and rail 18B, which are arranged parallel to each other along the direction of movement indicated by the arrows in Figure 6, pass. Both ends of the pair of rails 18A and rail 18B are fixed to the rail fixing parts of the back shell 22 described above.

[0023] In the lower case 20LC, a recess for the brushed DC motor 48 is formed on the left side of the central partition wall in Figure 6. On the right side of the central partition wall, three recesses are formed adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to the aforementioned direction of movement, for the ends and central part of the housing 84 of the striking ball unit 16, respectively. Multiple slits are formed in the lower part of each recess.

[0024] The drive mechanism comprises a worm wheel 52 with a pinion gear that meshes with a worm 48WO fixed to the output shaft of a brushed DC motor 48 and is rotatably supported by a lower case 20LC; a transmission gear 58 having a spur gear that meshes with the pinion gear of the worm wheel 52 and a bevel gear portion that meshes with a bevel gear 56, which will be described later; and a drive shaft 50 to which the aforementioned driven gear 54L and driven gear 54R, respectively, and the pinion gears 52L and 52R, and the bevel gear 56 are fixed.

[0025] The drive gear 58 is rotatably supported in the lower case 20LC at a position below the drive shaft 50. The bevel gear 56 is fixed in the center between the pinion gears 52L and 52R, which are fixed near both ends of the drive shaft 50. Both ends of the drive shaft 50 are rotatably supported together with the driven gears 54L and 54R by a rotating shaft and bearing unit, described later, which is fixed to the lower case 20LC. As shown in Figure 7, the driven gears 54L and 54R are rotatably supported on the inside of both sides of the lower case 20LC by opposing rotating shafts and bearing units, respectively. The driven gear 54L includes a spur gear 54La that meshes with the pinion gear 52L, and a pinion gear 54Lb that is arranged side by side integrally with the spur gear 54La. The driven gear 54R comprises a spur gear 54Ra that meshes with the pinion gear 52R, and a pinion gear 54Rb that is mounted side-by-side with the spur gear 54Ra.

[0026] Furthermore, the drive shaft 50 extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement described above, passing through support bases 62R and 62L that pivotably support the swing arms 32AL and 32BL of the massage ball units 32A and 32B, respectively, and eccentric cams 60R and 60L that are rotatably supported on the periphery of the through holes in the support bases 62R and 62L. The eccentric cam 60L is fixed between the support base 62L and the bevel gear 56 on the drive shaft 50. The lower ends of the support bases 62R and 62L abut against the lower case 20LC. As shown in Figure 11, the brushed DC motor 48 is driven and controlled by a controller 100, which will be described later. As a result, when the brushed DC motor 48 is activated and the drive shaft 50 is rotated, the eccentric cams 60R and 60L rotate together with the drive shaft 50, causing the swing arms 32AL and 32BL to swing in the direction indicated by the arrows shown in Figure 7, at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the axis of the drive shaft 50, for example, about 13°, in the direction in which the longitudinal centerlines of the swing arms 32AL and 32BL intersect (see Figure 6).

[0027] The massage ball unit 32A consists of a pair of roughly frustoconical massage balls 32AU and a swing arm 32AL coupled to the pair of massage balls 32AU. The massage ball unit 32B consists of a pair of roughly frustoconical massage balls 32BU and a swing arm 32BL coupled to the pair of massage balls 32BU. The lower parts of the swing arms 32AL and 32BL are connected to the upper parts of the support bases 62R and 62L with bolts and nuts (not shown) so that they can swing, such that their longitudinal centerlines intersect the axis of the drive shaft 50 at a predetermined inclination angle, for example, about 13°.

[0028] The tapping ball unit 16, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, comprises a pair of tapping balls 88R and 88L that perform a tapping motion on the patient's back, piston members 74R and 74L having connecting parts 92R and 92L connected to the tapping balls 88R and 88L respectively by small screws Bs1 (see Figure 10), piston housings 86R and 86L that guide and house the connecting parts 92R and 92L of the piston members 74R and 74L respectively, a housing 84 having cylindrical parts 84R and 84L that position and house the piston housings 86R and 86L within cavities 84HR and 84HL respectively, and a double-shaft brushless motor 7 positioned below the approximate center of the housing 84. The assembly comprises: 0, crank members 72R and 72L connected to the output shafts 70SA and 70SB of the brushless motor 70 and connected to the lower part of the piston members 74R and 74L via bearing members 76R and 76L, bearing members 76R and 76L inserted into the lower holes of the piston members 74R and 74L and rotatably supporting the shaft portions 72Re and 72Le of the crank members 72R and 72L, magnet holder portion 80 connected to the crank member 72R and holding an encoder magnet (not shown) so as to rotate concentrically with the axis of the output shaft 70SA, and motor support component 90 for fixing the inner rotor of the outer rotor type brushless motor 70. As shown in Figure 10, above the bearing members 76R and 76L of the piston members 74R and 74L, bearing portions 78R and 78L are provided, respectively, which are rotatably supported by the support shafts 74Rs and 74Ls.

[0029] Since piston housings 86R and 86L have the same structure, the structure of piston housing 86L will be described, and the description of piston housing 86R will be omitted.

[0030] As shown in Figure 10, the piston housing 86L has a neck portion 86La at its upper end that movably guides the outer circumference of the connecting portion 92L, and houses the piston member 74L inside. The lower end of the piston housing 86L is fixed to the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 84L of the housing 84. A rubber ring 94L is provided on the outer circumference of the connecting portion 92L on the inner circumference of the piston housing 86L. A rubber ring 94R ​​(not shown) is also provided on the outer circumference of the connecting portion 92R on the inner circumference of the piston housing 86R, which is not shown. As a result, the sliding contact of the bearing portions 78R and 78L with the inner circumference of the piston housings 86R and 86L, ​​and the elastic force of the rubber rings 94L and 94R, restrict the swing angle of the piston members 74R and 74L within a predetermined range when the brushless motor 70 is under high load in the tapping ball unit 16.

[0031] A slot 86Ln formed on the outer circumference of the piston housing 86L engages with a projection 84HLp formed on the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 84L of the housing 84.

[0032] The output shafts 70SA and 70SB of the brushless motor 70 are rotatably supported by bearing portions 82 provided on bearing bases 84R and 84L, respectively. As shown in Figure 11, the brushless motor 70, which has a brush position sensor 78S, is driven and controlled by a controller 100, which will be described later. When the brushless motor 70 is activated and the crank members 72R and 72L are rotated, the connecting portions 92R and 92L of the piston members 74R and 74L move up and down by a predetermined stroke together with a pair of striking balls 88R and 88L, so that the pair of striking balls 88R and 88L strike the back of the person being treated, thereby providing treatment.

[0033] In addition to this configuration, as shown in Figure 11, the massage machine 10 includes a controller 100 that controls the operation of the brushed DC motor 48 and brushless motor 70 of the massage machine 10 based on a bidirectional signal group RD from the controller 40C of the remote controller 40.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the remote controller 40 has an operating section 40F formed sequentially from the top end to the bottom end, consisting of an LED-equipped power button 40PB1, an emergency stop button 40PB2, an LED-equipped full-range button 40PB3 for massaging from the back to the waist in automatic mode, an LED-equipped upper button 40PB4 for focusing the massage on the upper back, an LED-equipped lower button 40PB5 for focusing the massage on the area from the lower back to the waist, a + button 40PB6 for increasing the vibration level of the pair of tapping balls 88R and 88L between level 0 and level 8 (8 levels), a - button 40PB7 for decreasing the vibration level, and a mode switching button 40PB9 and a mode switching button 40PB8 that, when long-pressed, switch from automatic mode to manual mode and move the pair of tapping balls 88R and 88L to the desired position to perform the tapping action. If the mode switching button 40PB8 or mode switching button 40PB9 is pressed for a short period of time, the automatic mode will be stopped and the operation of the pair of striking balls 88R and 88L will be switched to manual mode. Furthermore, if mode switching buttons 40PB8 and 40PB9 are pressed and held, the striking positions of the pair of striking balls 88R and 88L are moved vertically, and when the finger is released from mode switching button 40PB9, the operation of the pair of striking balls 88R and 88L begins at the predetermined position they were moved to.

[0035] As shown in Figure 11, the aforementioned operating unit 40F is electrically connected to a controller 40C provided on a control board (not shown) located inside the remote controller 40. The controller 40C is connected to a push-button control unit 40SC that supplies a group of control signals to the controller 40C in response to the operation of the operating unit 40F, an LED lamp display control unit 40I that turns on or off an LED based on the group of control signals corresponding to the operation of the operating unit 40F, a wireless signal transmitter / receiver 40T that sends and receives a bidirectional group of signals RD from the wireless signal transmitter / receiver 100T of the massage machine 10, and a battery (dry cell) 40B. The controller 40C is equipped with a memory 40M that stores predetermined program data, including control of the LED display, data representing the ID of the pairing partner device (massage machine 10) as the destination ID for the pairing request signal related to the pairing operation between the remote controller 40 and the massage machine 10, and program data for controlling the operation of the wireless signal transmitter / receiver 40T.

[0036] Inside the massage machine 10, a controller 100 is provided on a control board (not shown) to control the operation of a brushed DC motor 48 and a brushless motor 70. In addition, two vertical stroke position limit sensors 104, which are necessary for controlling the movement of the treatment block 20 and for detecting the position of the treatment block 20 on the rail 18B, are provided at predetermined positions with a predetermined interval between them, for example, at the right end of the lower case 20LC facing the rail 18B in the treatment block 20 shown in Figure 6. In addition, guide magnets (not shown) are provided at the upper end 18Be2 and the lower end 18Be1 of the rail 18B, respectively.

[0037] The controller 100 is electrically connected to a brushed DC motor 48, a brushless motor 70, and a vertical stroke position limit sensor 104. The brushless motor 70 includes a brushless motor 78M and a brush position sensor 78S. The controller 100 is supplied with detection output signals from the two vertical stroke position limit sensors 104.

[0038] The controller 100 includes a memory 100M that stores program data for controlling the vibration level of a pair of tapping balls 88R and 88L by a brushless motor 70 in the range of level 0 to level 8 (8 levels), program data for controlling the operation of massage balls 32AU and 32BU by a brushed DC motor 48, program data for controlling the operation of a wireless signal transmitter / receiver 100T, data representing the ID of the pairing partner device (remote controller 40) as the source ID of the pairing request signal related to the pairing operation between the remote controller 40 and the massage machine 10, and program data, etc.

[0039] When the massage machine 10 is connected to a power source via the DC adapter 102, the controller 40C sends a pairing request signal to the wireless signal transmitter / receiver 100T via the wireless signal transmitter / receiver 40T when the emergency stop button 40PB2 and the - button 40PB7 are pressed simultaneously for approximately 2 seconds. At this time, the LED lamp display control unit 40I causes the LED to blink, and the controller 100's determination unit determines that the pairing request signal matches the data representing the ID of the pairing partner device (remote controller 40) stored in the memory 100M as the source ID. After the power plug of the massage machine 10 is unplugged from the outlet and then plugged back in, the notification unit of the wireless signal transmitter / receiver 100T supplies a notification signal to the wireless signal transmitter / receiver 40T indicating that pairing is complete. At this time, the LED on the LED-equipped power button 40PB1 of the remote controller 40 is turned off.

[0040] After the pairing described above is complete, when the LED-equipped power button 40PB1 is pressed, the controller 40C transmits a signal group RD to the wireless signal receiver 100T via the wireless signal receiver 40T in order to operate the massage balls 32AU and 32BU of the massage machine 10, to perform a massage from the back to the waist in automatic mode, and to set the vibration level of the pair of tapping balls 88R and 88L to level 1. The controller 100 controls the rotational speed of the output shafts 70SA and 70SB of the brushless motor 70 by adjusting the output voltage of the brushless motor 70 based on the signal group RD. By adjusting the output voltage of the brushless motor 70, the vibration level (corresponding to the number of rotations per minute of the output shaft of the brushless motor 70) is adjusted. When the + button 40PB6 and - button 40PB7 are operated, for example, to set the level to 8 or level 0 (the minimum level, the stopped state), the rotations per minute (rpm) of the output shaft of the brushless motor 70 will be set to 1800, 1500, 1430, 1280, 1030, 850, 650, 450, and 0, respectively. When level 8 is selected, the + button 40PB6 is operated, and when level 0 is selected, the - button 40PB7 is operated, the LED on the LED-equipped power button 40PB1 lights up twice to alert the user that the vibration level is at the maximum or minimum level.

[0041] When the mode switching button 40PB8 or mode switching button 40PB9 is pressed for a short period of time, the controller 40C transmits a signal group RD to the wireless signal receiver 100T via the wireless signal receiver 40T in order to stop the automatic mode and operate the pair of striking balls 88R and 88L in manual mode. The controller 100 first controls the rotational speed of the output shafts 70SA and 70SB of the brushless motor 70 by adjusting the output voltage of the brushless motor 70 based on the signal group RD in order to operate the pair of striking balls 88R and 88L at level 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10 Massage Machines 14 Cover component 16 Hitting Ball Unit 18A, 18B rails 20 Treatment Blocks 22 Backshell 30 Housing 32 massage balls 32A, 32B Massage Ball Unit 40 Remote Controllers 40C Controller 40T Wireless Signal Transmitter 40F Operation section 48 Brushed DC Motors 70 Brushless Motors 78R, 78L bearing part 88R, 88L Hitting Ball 94R, 94L rubber rings 100 controllers

Claims

1. A treatment block housing a pair of massage ball units, a first drive motor that drives the pair of massage ball units via a first drive mechanism, a pair of tapping ball units, a second drive motor that drives the pair of tapping ball units via a second drive mechanism, and which is moved along a pair of rails by the first drive motor via a third drive mechanism, and a portable housing that houses the pair of rails, A cover member that covers the portable housing, having a band-shaped member that expands in the longitudinal direction and is made of a material that expands and contracts in response to the movement of the pair of massage ball units and the movement of the pair of tapping ball units, positioned opposite the back of the person being treated, A remote controller having an operation unit consisting of multiple LED-equipped operation buttons, and a controller that transmits a group of command signals via a wireless signal transmitter / receiver to cause the first drive motor and the second drive motor to operate based on command signals from the LED-equipped operation buttons of the operation unit, A controller for the massage machine body, which is disposed within the housing and receives the command signal group transmitted through the wireless signal receiver of the remote controller, and which forms control signals to cause the first drive motor and the second drive motor to operate based on the command signal group received through the wireless signal receiver, and supplies the control signals to the first drive motor and the second drive motor, A massage machine comprising the following components.

2. The first drive mechanism of the treatment block comprises a worm wheel with a pinion gear that meshes with a worm fixed to the output shaft of the first drive motor, a transmission gear having a spur gear that meshes with the pinion gear of the worm wheel and also having a bevel gear portion, and a drive shaft that supports at least a bevel gear that meshes with the bevel gear portion of the transmission gear, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the treatment block. The second drive mechanism of the treatment block comprises a crank member fixed to both output shafts of the second drive motor, and a pair of piston members, one end of which is connected to the striking ball unit and the other end of which is connected to the crank member, and which are reciprocated in a direction perpendicular to the axes of both output shafts of the second drive motor, which are arranged substantially parallel to the axis of the drive shaft. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein the third drive mechanism of the treatment block comprises a pinion gear disposed in the lower case of the treatment block and meshing with the rack gear of the rail, a driven gear having a spur gear integrally with the pinion gear, a pinion gear meshing with the spur gear and fixed to both ends of the drive shaft, a pair of the driven gears disposed in the lower case of the treatment block, and the rack gears of each of the rails.

3. The massage machine according to claim 1, wherein each massage ball unit comprises a pair of substantially frustoconical massage balls and a swing arm coupled to the lower part of the pair of massage balls, the central part of each swing arm is pivotably supported on the upper part of each support base supported by the drive shaft, and is pivotally supported by an eccentric cam fitted adjacent to each support base and rotatably disposed on the drive shaft.

4. The massage machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the pair of tapping ball units comprises a pair of tapping balls that perform a tapping motion on the back of the person being treated; a pair of piston members having connecting portions that are connected to each tapping ball; a pair of piston housings that guide and house the connecting portions of the pair of piston members; a housing that houses the pair of piston housings at intervals from each other; rubber rings disposed on the outer circumference of the connecting portions of the piston members within the pair of piston housings; and bearing members inserted into the lower holes of each of the pair of piston members and that rotatably support the shaft portions of each crank member.

5. The massage machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the piston member has a bearing portion between the rubber ring disposed within the piston housing and the bearing member.

6. The massage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that each end of the pair of rails is fixed to a back shell provided in the housing such that the pair of rails are substantially parallel to each other, and the treatment block is arranged in the back shell.

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