Bioelectrical Supply Device

Abstract

To provide a bioelectricity supplying device that can enhance the variation of a stimulation area to which electricity is supplied, and can impart electric stimulation like massage by a person that a user receives, by enlarging the changes of continuous stimulation areas in a time sequence.SOLUTION: A bioelectricity supplying device 10 selects a pair of combinations among three protrusion electrode parts 13 (one example of an electrode part), determines the respective polarities of the pair, and energizes the pair of combinations according to the determined pair of combinations and the respective polarities of the pair. With this, the variation of a stimulation area to which electricity is supplied can be enhanced by appropriately switching the pair of combinations, and electric stimulation like massage by a person that a user receives can be imparted by enlarging the changes of continuous stimulation areas in a time sequence.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bioelectrical supply device. [Background technology]

[0002] In the human body, bioelectric currents flow constantly, causing cellular activity and muscle contraction. In order to maintain health, electricity is supplied from the outside to activate cellular activity and muscle contraction as an external action. One such device is a bioelectricity supplying device that supplies a pulse current similar to bioelectric currents from the outside to stimulate the living body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The bioelectricity supplying device has multiple electrodes that directly supply electricity to a living body, and is used for health purposes such as promoting blood circulation, for slimming and tightening, for facial beauty purposes such as improving wrinkles and sagging, and for other purposes. Specific forms include those in which the electrodes are attached to a belt, pants, gloves, etc., or so-called handy types in which the user holds the device body and contacts the electrodes with any desired location on the skin surface.

[0004] In this kind of handheld bioelectricity supplying device, the user contacts the multiple electrodes with the user's skin surface, and electricity is applied in this contact state. This current supply supplies current between the body parts that are in contact with the multiple electrodes, and the muscles or cells located between the electrodes are electrically stimulated. In the case of muscles, the muscles contract and relax, promoting blood flow. This electrical stimulation allows care to be performed through the user's skin surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-129866 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the device of Patent Document 1, the multiple electrode units are composed of a parent electrode unit and multiple child electrode units corresponding to the parent electrode unit, and are arranged on the device body so that the parent electrode unit and each of the multiple child electrode units are spaced apart from each other by different distances. Therefore, it is said that the stimulation area to which electricity is supplied can be changed arbitrarily by appropriately switching the combination of the parent electrode unit and the child electrode unit.

[0007] However, the device in Patent Document 1 has a fixed parent electrode, and the stimulation area to which electricity is supplied has few variations (types), and the operation is static, so the continuous change in the stimulation area over time, as in a massage, is small. In this respect, there is room for improvement.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides a bioelectricity supply device that can increase the variety of stimulation areas to which electricity is supplied, and can increase the continuous change in the stimulation area over time, thereby providing the user with electrical stimulation that feels like they are receiving a human massage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above-mentioned object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration. (1) A bioelectricity supply device having three or more electrode units that engage with a user's skin surface at their tip and are capable of supplying electricity to the user's body through the skin surface when engaged with the skin surface, a holding unit that holds the three or more electrode units and is held by the user, a selection determination unit that selects a combination of pairs of the three or more electrode units and determines the polarity of each of the pairs, and a current supply unit that passes electricity through the combination of pairs in accordance with the combination of pairs and the polarity of each of the pairs determined by the selection determination unit. (2) The bioelectricity supplying device according to (1), wherein the selection determination unit automatically switches the selection of the pair of combinations in sequence over time. (3) The bioelectricity supply device described in (2), wherein the three or more electrode sections are arranged along a circumferential direction on a specific surface, and the selection determination section selects the pair of combinations between adjacent electrode sections and switches the selection sequentially along the circumferential direction. (4) A bioelectricity supply device described in any one of (1) to (3), wherein each of the electrode parts has a contactor at its tip for contacting the skin surface and a holding part formed to extend in a rod shape and hold the contactor, three electrode parts are arranged, and the length of the holding part of at least one of the electrode parts is formed to be shorter or longer than the other electrode parts. (5) The bioelectricity supply device described in (4), wherein the length of the holding portion is formed to be approximately the same for two of the electrode portions, and the remaining electrode portion is formed to be shorter or longer than the two electrode portions.

[0010] According to the configuration (1) above, a combination of pairs is selected from three or more electrode units, the polarity of each pair is determined, and electricity is applied to the combination of pairs according to the determined combination of pairs and the polarity of each pair. Therefore, by appropriately switching the combination of pairs, the variation of the stimulation area to which electricity is supplied can be increased. In addition, it is possible to increase the change in the continuous stimulation area in a time series, so that an electrical stimulation can be applied to the user as if he or she were receiving a massage from a human being. According to the configuration (2) described above, the selection determination unit automatically switches between pairs of combinations over time, so that the change in the continuous stimulation area over time can be further increased, thereby providing electrical stimulation with a higher massage effect for the user. According to the configuration of (3), three or more electrode parts are arranged along the circumferential direction on a predetermined surface. The selection unit selects a pair of combinations between adjacent electrode parts, and switches the selection sequentially along the circumferential direction. Therefore, by generating stimulation areas in multiple directions, it is possible to easily apply electrical stimulation to muscles such as facial muscles that are arranged in a complex manner. In other words, it is possible to apply electrical stimulation with an even higher massage effect. According to the configuration of (4) above, the length of the holding portion of at least one of the three electrode portions is formed to be shorter or longer than the other electrode portions. Therefore, even on a curved skin surface such as the user's head that is located above the user's hand, the user can easily slide the three electrode portions while holding the device body. This improves the usability of the device. According to the configuration of (5) above, the length of the holding portion is formed to be approximately the same for two of the electrodes, and the remaining electrode is formed to be shorter or longer than the other two electrodes. Therefore, the three electrodes can be slid while being more easily and more reliably in contact with the skin surface that has a curved surface and is located above the user's hand, such as the user's head. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the bioelectricity supplying device of the present invention, a selection determining unit selects a combination of pairs of three or more electrode units and determines the polarity of each pair, and a current supply unit supplies electricity to the combination of pairs according to the combination of pairs and the polarity of each pair determined by the selection determining unit. Therefore, the combination of the multiple electrode units and their polarities can be changed in various ways for use. As a result, the parts that receive different electrical stimulation change over time, so that electrical stimulation of the skin surface can be realized as if the user were receiving a massage from a human being.

[0012] In other words, it is possible to increase the variety of stimulation areas to which electricity is supplied, and to increase the continuous change in stimulation area over time, thereby providing the user with electrical stimulation that feels like they are receiving a human massage.

[0013] The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be more clearly understood by reading the following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of a bioelectricity supplying device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the appearance of the bioelectricity supplying device shown in FIG. 1 with the cover removed; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the lower end of the bioelectricity supply device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] Bottom view of the bioelectricity supply device shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] A block diagram illustrating the electrical functions of the bioelectricity supply device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which electricity is applied to the protruding electrode portion shown in FIG. 3; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a bioelectricity supplying device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] However, in some cases, more detailed explanations than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or duplicate explanations of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims. In addition, each of the accompanying drawings shall be referenced according to the direction of the reference numerals.

[0017] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

[0018] [Hardware configuration of the bioelectricity supply device] The hardware configuration of the bioelectricity supplying device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of the bioelectricity supplying device 10 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a front view illustrating the appearance of the bioelectricity supplying device 10 shown in Fig. 1 with a cover C removed.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the bioelectricity supplying device 10 of this embodiment is a handy type device, and the device body is generally formed in a hammer shape, in other words, in a substantially T-shape, and is configured with an upper half 10A and a lower half 10B (an example of a gripping part). The upper half 10A of the bioelectricity supplying device 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending along the left-right direction in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The lower half 10B is integrally connected to the lower part of the left-right middle part of the upper half 10A, and is formed in a cylindrical shape extending downward in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

[0020] The lower half 10B is a portion that is held by the user as a gripping portion. The user holds the lower half 10B with one hand and, as described below, uses the device by abutting (contacting) the multiple electrode portions 11, 12, and 13 provided on the upper half 10A and the lower half 10B, respectively, against any of the user's own skin surfaces. Each of the multiple electrode portions 11, 12, and 13 abuts or contacts (engages) with the user's skin surface at its tip or tip surface, and when engaged with the skin surface, can supply electricity to the user's body through the skin surface. The bioelectricity supplying device 10 of this embodiment has a built-in battery and is configured to be operable even when not connected to a power source.

[0021] 1 and 2, flat electrode portions 11 formed in a disk shape are disposed on both the left and right end faces of the upper half portion 10A. The flat electrode portions 11 come into surface contact with the skin surface, and this surface contact makes it possible to apply electrical stimulation widely to the skin surface. The flat electrode portions 11 are made of a material such as a corrosion-resistant titanium material to suppress metal allergies, and the same is true for the protruding electrode portions described below. For example, a Peltier element (not shown) is configured to be built into the upper half portion 10A, and the flat electrode portions 11 are affixed to one end of the Peltier element, and the Peltier element can be operated to cool the skin surface. The flat electrode portion 11 may be configured so as to be capable of applying other ultrasonic vibrations.

[0022] On the periphery of the lower half 10B, a plurality of operation input units 16 and indicators (one example of a display unit: not shown) are arranged in parallel along the vertical direction in Figs. 1 and 2. The plurality of operation input units 16 include a power button for switching the main power on or off, a start / stop button for starting or ending the electrical stimulation, a mode selection button for switching the pattern of the electrical stimulation, and the like. These power button, start / stop button, mode switching button, and the like are operated by the user by pressing them appropriately (in this case, for example, a mechanical switch) or touching them with a finger (in this case, for example, a capacitive switch). In addition, an indicator lights up in response to the user's operation, and the user can visually confirm the operation content. In addition, a plurality of indicators may be arranged in succession in parallel to allow the remaining battery level to be visually confirmed.

[0023] Furthermore, the user can arbitrarily set the pulse strength, frequency, and direction of the electricity flow (current direction) related to the electrical stimulation when electricity is supplied through the operation input unit 16. In other words, the user can perform variable electrical stimulation on the skin surface by operating the operation input unit 16.

[0024] Furthermore, three (3) protruding electrode portions 13 formed to protrude downward are disposed on the lower end surface of the lower half portion 10B. In other words, the three protruding electrode portions 13 are held by the lower half portion 10B. The bioelectricity supplying device 10 further has a cover C detachably provided on the lower end portion of the lower half portion 10B. When the three protruding electrode portions 13 are not needed, the cover C is attached (see FIG. 1), and the three protruding electrode portions 13 are stored inside the cover C. In this case, the three protruding electrode portions 13 are not exposed to the outside. Palm electrode section 12 is attached to each of the front and back surfaces (both sides) of lower half section 10B, extending along the longitudinal direction. When a user holds the device body, the hand comes into surface contact with palm electrode section 12, and electricity is appropriately supplied to the skin surface of the palm through palm electrode section 12.

[0025] [About the protruding electrodes] The protruding electrode portion 13 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the lower end portion of the bioelectricity supplying device 10 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the bioelectricity supplying device 10 shown in Fig. 1.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the three protruding electrode portions 13 according to this embodiment are disposed along the circumferential direction on the lower end surface (an example of a predetermined surface) of the lower half portion 10B. In this embodiment, the lower end surface of the lower half portion 10B is formed in a substantially circular shape. The three protruding electrode portions 13 are disposed spaced apart at intervals of 120 degrees from the center of the lower end surface, and the distances between adjacent protruding electrode portions 13 are substantially the same. In other words, the three protruding electrode portions 13 are disposed so as to describe an equilateral triangle when viewed from the front of the lower end surface.

[0027] Each of the three protruding electrode sections 13 is configured to have a contact 14 and a holder 15 for holding the contact 14. The contact 14 is disposed at the tip of the protruding electrode section 13, and is formed in a ball shape so as to be able to come into contact with the surface of the user's skin. The holder 15 is formed to extend in a rod shape, and is connected to the contact 14 at its tip and fixed to the lower end surface of the lower half section 10B at its base end.

[0028] In addition, the two (two) protruding electrodes 13 are provided to have approximately the same length, and the remaining one is formed to be shorter than the two. This allows the user to easily slide the three protruding electrodes 13 in contact with the skin surface that has a curved surface and is located above the user's hand, such as the user's head, while holding the device main body.

[0029] It is also possible for the user to slide the electrode along the chin using only two protruding electrode parts 13 of the same length. In this case, if electricity is supplied only to these two protruding electrode parts 13, the face line of the user can be treated by electrical stimulation to the skin surface. In this embodiment, one protruding electrode part 13 is formed shorter than the other two protruding electrode parts 13, but this is not limiting and it may be formed longer. In this case, the same action and effect can be obtained.

[0030] [Electrical functional configuration of the bioelectricity supply device] The electrical functional configuration of the bioelectricity supplying device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the electrical functions of the bioelectricity supplying device 10 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the energization of the protruding electrode portion 13 shown in Fig. 3. In the following description, the supply of electricity to protruding electrode portion 13 will be described, but the same operation applies to flat electrode portion 11 and palm electrode portion 12, so the description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, the bioelectricity supplying device 10 includes a control unit 20, an operation input unit 16, an electrode switching unit 21 (an example of a selection determination unit), and a current supply unit 22 as functions (electrical functions) of supplying electricity to the three protruding electrode units 13. As described above, the operation input unit 16 is a button or the like that is operated by the user.

[0032] The control unit 20 is a so-called minicomputer, and is configured to include a computing unit (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit): not shown) and an interface circuit (not shown) as a circuit board. Furthermore, the control unit 20 is also equipped with circuits such as a ROM circuit (not shown) as a read-only memory circuit, and a RAM circuit (not shown) as a writable memory circuit.

[0033] The ROM circuit stores and holds a program (not shown) as software, and the program is executed by a computing unit of the control unit 20. The RAM circuit is used as a temporary memory holding circuit during the execution. In this embodiment, the device body also contains multiple dedicated circuits that specialize in performing predetermined processing as hardware that is physically implemented. In other words, each of the blocks shown in FIG. 5 represents a function realized by software such as a program, or a function realized by hardware such as a dedicated circuit.

[0034] In this embodiment, the functions shown in Fig. 5 are realized by both software and hardware, but are not limited to this. For example, all of the functions may be configured by hardware as a physical configuration of an "apparatus."

[0035] In this embodiment, the control unit 20 monitors the operation of the operation input unit 16 by the user, and controls the on / off of the device itself based on the monitoring. The control unit 20 also controls the electrode switching unit 21 and the current supply unit 22, and during this control, manages the settings of various parameters related to the electrical stimulation associated with the electricity supplied to the skin surface, such as the supply time, the strength and frequency of the pulse. In accordance with this management, the electrode switching unit 21 and the current supply unit 22 work together to supply electricity to the user's skin surface to impart the electrical stimulation.

[0036] The electrode switching unit 21 selects a combination of pairs among the three protruding electrode portions 13 and determines the polarity of each pair. The electrode switching unit 21 also automatically switches the selection of the combination of pairs in sequence over time. In particular, in this embodiment, the electrode switching unit 21 selects a combination of pairs between adjacent protruding electrode portions 13 and switches the selection in sequence along the circumferential direction. Under the control of the control unit 20, the current supply unit 22 supplies current to the combination of pairs in accordance with the combination of pairs and the polarity of each pair determined by the electrode switching unit 21.

[0037] For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the electrode switching unit 21 and the current conducting unit 22 first select a pair of the first protruding electrode portion 13A and the second protruding electrode portion 13B from among the three protruding electrode portions 13, and set the first protruding electrode portion 13A to a positive electrode and the second protruding electrode portion 13B to a negative electrode to conduct electricity. The electrode switching unit 21 and the current conducting unit 22 next select a pair of the second protruding electrode portion 13B and the third protruding electrode portion 13C by switching the protruding electrode portion 13 to be selected, and set the second protruding electrode portion 13B to a positive electrode and the third protruding electrode portion 13C to a negative electrode to conduct electricity. Next, the electrode switching unit 21 and the current conducting unit 22 select a pair of the third protruding electrode portion 13C and the first protruding electrode portion 13A, and set the third protruding electrode portion 13C to a positive electrode and the first protruding electrode portion 13A to a negative electrode to conduct electricity.

[0038] In this way, the selection of the paired combinations of the multiple (three in this embodiment) protruding electrode parts 13, i.e., the first protruding electrode part 13A, the second protruding electrode part 13B, and the third protruding electrode part 13C, is sequentially switched over time and repeatedly executed. By this switching and repetition, the stimulation areas are rotated in sequence and electricity is supplied, so that stimulation areas can be generated in many directions, and as a result, it becomes possible to easily apply electrical stimulation to muscles such as facial muscles that are arranged in a complex manner. The switching order may be the reverse of the above-mentioned order, or may be set to a random order if the switching direction is the circumferential direction.

[0039] [Advantages of this embodiment] As described above, according to the bioelectricity supplying device 10 of the present embodiment, a combination of pairs is selected from three protruding electrode parts 13 (an example of an electrode part). In addition to the selection, the polarity of each pair is determined, and electricity is applied to the combination of pairs according to the determined combination of pairs and the polarity of each pair. Therefore, by appropriately switching the combination of pairs, the variation of the stimulation area to which electricity is supplied can be increased. In addition, it is also possible to increase the change in the continuous stimulation area in a time series, so that an electrical stimulation can be applied to the user as if he or she were receiving a massage from a human being.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the bioelectricity supplying device 10 of the present embodiment, the electrode switching unit 21 (an example of a selection determining unit) automatically switches the selection of the pair of combinations in sequence over time. This allows the continuous change in the stimulation area in a time series to be further increased, and electrical stimulation with a higher massage effect can be applied to the user.

[0041] Moreover, according to the bioelectricity supplying device 10 of this embodiment, three protruding electrode parts 13 (an example of an electrode part) are arranged along the circumferential direction on a predetermined surface. Furthermore, the electrode switching part 21 (an example of a selection deciding part) selects a pair of combinations between adjacent electrode parts, and switches the selection sequentially along the circumferential direction. Therefore, by generating stimulation areas in multiple directions, it is possible to easily apply electrical stimulation to muscles such as facial muscles that are arranged in a complex manner. In other words, it is possible to apply electrical stimulation with an even higher massage effect.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the bioelectricity supplying device 10 of this embodiment, the length of the holding portion 15 of at least one of the three protruding electrode portions 13 (one example of an electrode portion) is formed shorter than the other protruding electrode portions 13. Therefore, even on a curved skin surface such as the user's head and located above the user's hand, the user can easily slide the three protruding electrode portions 13 while holding the device main body. This can improve the usability of the device.

[0043] Furthermore, according to the bioelectricity supplying device 10 of this embodiment, the two holding parts 15 of the protruding electrode part 13 (one example of an electrode part) are formed to have approximately the same length, and the remaining one of the protruding electrode parts 13 is formed to be shorter or longer than the other two of the protruding electrode parts 13. Therefore, the three protruding electrode parts 13 can be slid while being more easily and more reliably in contact with the skin surface that has a curved surface and is located above the user's hand, such as the user's head.

[0044] That is, according to the bioelectricity supplying device 10 of the present embodiment, the combination of the three protruding electrode parts 13 (one example of a plurality of electrode parts) and the polarity thereof can be changed in various ways for use. As a result, the parts receiving different electrical stimulation change in a time series, so that electrical stimulation of the skin surface can be realized as if the user were receiving a massage from a human being.

[0045] In other words, it is possible to increase the variety of stimulation areas to which electricity is supplied, and to increase the continuous change in stimulation area over time, thereby providing the user with electrical stimulation that feels like they are receiving a human massage.

[0046] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications, corrections, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the components in the above-mentioned embodiments may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10: Bioelectrical supply device 10A: Upper half 10B:Lower half 11:Flat electrode part 12: Palm electrode part 13:Protruding electrode part 13A: First protruding electrode portion 13B: second protruding electrode portion 13C: Third protruding electrode portion 14: Contact 15: Holding part 16: Operation input section 20: Control section 21: Electrode switching unit 22: Current carrying section C: Cover

Claims

1. Three protruding electrodes are provided at their tips to engage with a skin surface of a user and to supply electricity to the inside of the user's body through the skin surface when the electrodes are engaged with the skin surface; a grip portion that holds the three protruding electrode portions and is gripped by the user; a selection / determination unit that selects a combination of pairs of the three projecting electrode portions and determines the polarity of each of the pairs; a current supply unit that supplies current to the combination of the pairs in accordance with the combination of the pairs and the polarities of the pairs determined by the selection determination unit, the selection determination unit automatically switches the selection of the pair of combinations in sequence over time; the three protruding electrode portions are arranged along a circumferential direction on a predetermined surface, Each of the three protruding electrode portions has a contactor at its tip for contacting the skin surface, and a holding portion formed to extend in a rod shape and holding the contactor; Each of the holding portions has a fixed length, The length of the holding portion of each of the two protruding electrodes is fixed and substantially the same, the holding portion of the remaining one of the protruding electrodes is fixed to be shorter or longer than the two of the protruding electrodes, The three protruding electrode parts are used by changing the combination and polarity of the three protruding electrode parts by the selection determination unit in a state where the three protruding electrode parts are in contact with and slid against the skin surface. Bioelectrical supply device.

2. The selection determination unit selects the pair of combinations between adjacent protruding electrode portions, and sequentially switches the selection along the circumferential direction. The bioelectrical supply device according to claim 1.

3. The three protruding electrode portions are arranged so as to form an equilateral triangle in a plan view on the specified surface. The bioelectricity supplying device according to claim 2.

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