Pressure massage machine

Abstract

To provide a compact and thin pressure massage machine capable of applying pressure massage to a treatment object part of a user in a relaxed and gentle posture.SOLUTION: A pressure massage machine 1 includes massaging elements 3 provided to protrude outside from an upper surface of a case body 2, and a drive mechanism 7 for driving the massaging elements 3 to move in and out of the case body 2. The drive mechanism 7 includes a frame body 10 housed in the case body 2, with the massaging elements 3 disposed on the upper surface, and a reciprocating mechanism 20 for vertically reciprocating the frame body 10 inside the case body 2, where the reciprocating mechanism 20 is disposed in an internal space surrounded by the frame body 10 at a position overlapped with the frame body in side view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure massage machine that performs pressure massage (acupoint massage) on the treatment area of ​​a user. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, many massage machines have been sold that perform local pressure massage on the area to be treated of a user, similar to the acupressure massage performed by a masseuse.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an acupressure machine with sponge rubber balls that has washers attached to the seat plate and allows acupressure balls to be attached and removed. In more detail, the acupressure machine with sponge rubber balls is attached to the seat plate, the washers are installed in different locations, and the acupressure balls are of different lengths and are screw-type so that the height of each ball can be adjusted using the screw.When using the acupressure machine, the acupressure balls can be combined and rearranged in any number of ways to perform acupressure.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a technique relating to a device that applies continuous pressure to the body with the tip of a driven body that moves up and down due to a cam that is rotated by an electric motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3010381 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-35091 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The pressure massage machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 performs pressure massage by the user pressing their body against the treatment elements or putting their weight on them. Therefore, if you want to get a massage with a strong kneading sensation, you necessarily need to press your body against the treatment elements (in other words, the massage machine). This makes it difficult to receive a massage while relaxing, and the massage machine is not capable of providing a comfortable massage.

[0007] The device of Patent Document 2 is configured to apply continuous pressure to the body with the tip of a driven body (treatment element) that moves up and down due to a cam rotated by an electric motor, so there is no need to press the body against the treatment member. However, as can be seen from Figure 3 of Patent Document 2, the device itself is thick (vertical height) due to the presence of gears and cams directly below the treatment element for moving the treatment element up and down. This type of massage machine may be used to treat the user's back, in which case the massage machine of Patent Document 2 is placed on the floor and the user lies down on the massage machine. With a device body as thick as the device of Patent Document 2, it is difficult to lie down on the massage machine, and ultimately it is thought that it is difficult to receive a comfortable massage.

[0008] Furthermore, when using conventional small massage machines to massage the back of a user seated in a chair, the device itself is thick, so when the user places the device between the upper body and the back of the chair, the user's upper body is pushed forward, making it difficult to receive a comfortable massage.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a pressure massager that is compact and thin and can apply pressure massage to the treatment area while the user is in a relaxed and comfortable position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the pressure massager of the present invention employs the following technical means.

[0011] In other words, the pressure massage machine of the present invention is a pressure massage machine having a treatment head that is arranged to protrude outward from the top surface of a case body, and a drive mechanism that drives the treatment head to move in and out of the case body, wherein the drive mechanism has a frame body that is stored within the case body and has the treatment head arranged on its upper surface, and a reciprocating mechanism that moves the frame body back and forth in the vertical direction within the case body, and the reciprocating mechanism is arranged in an internal space surrounded by the frame body in a position that overlaps the frame body when viewed from the side.

[0012] Preferably, the reciprocating mechanism has a drive shaft that is horizontally suspended within the internal space of the frame, and an electric motor that rotates the drive shaft.

[0013] Preferably, both ends of the drive shaft are eccentrically fitted into horizontally oriented slide holes formed in the frame body, and the drive shaft is configured to transmit only the vertical component of the rotational driving force to the frame body.

[0014] Preferably, a slide bar extending in the vertical direction is fitted through the frame body, and the frame body is configured to move back and forth in the vertical direction along the slide bar.

[0015] Preferably, the slide bars are fitted into the frame body so as to sandwich a slide hole formed in the frame body from the front and rear. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the pressure massager of the present invention, a compact and thin device can be realized, and pressure massage can be received on the treatment area in a relaxed and comfortable position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the pressure massage machine from the left front. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the left front showing the internal structure of the pressure massage machine. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view from the right rear showing the internal structure of the pressure massager. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how to use the pressure massage machine (to treat the shoulders while sitting). [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how to use the pressure massage machine (to treat the lower back while sitting). [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a side view showing how the pressure massager is used (treatment of the back while lying on one's back). [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the internal structure of the pressure massager (the position where the reciprocating mechanism overlaps with the frame body). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The pressure massager 1 according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the front-rear direction, left-right direction (width direction), and up-down direction in the description will be indicated appropriately in the drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a pressure massager 1 of the present invention.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the pressure massager 1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as massager 1) is a small device having a roughly rectangular case body 2 measuring approximately 15 cm x 10 cm in plan view. As shown in FIG. 5, the top surface of the case body 2 is curved with a raised center, and is approximately 7 cm thick at its highest point. The bottom surface of the case body 2 is flat, and rubber pads (anti-slip members) for installation are provided at the four corners. There are no limitations on the shape, size, material, etc. of the case body 2.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a perspective view from the front left showing the internal structure of the massage machine 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view from the rear right showing the internal structure of the massage machine 1.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the massage machine 1 is provided with a plurality of treatment elements 3 that apply pressure massage to the treatment area S (such as the back) of the user U. More specifically, a pair of treatment elements 3a (left and right) are provided on the front side of the case body 2. In addition, a pair of treatment elements 3b (left and right) are provided on the rear side of the upper surface of the case body 2.

[0023] The treatment element 3 has a rod body 4 and a treatment member 5. The rod body 4 is approximately 2 cm in diameter and 5 cm in length and is made of plastic or the like. The treatment member 5, which is detachable from the rod body 4, is attached to the tip of the rod body 4. The treatment member 5 (the head of the treatment element 3) is in the shape of a circular or oval ball with a diameter of approximately 2 cm to 3 cm, or in the shape of a pointed orb. The treatment member 5 is preferably made of a material such as a resin with a predetermined elasticity in order to reduce pain during massage. There are no limitations on the shape, size, or material of the treatment member 5.

[0024] The rod 4 is loosely fitted through an opening 6 formed in the top surface of the case body 2. The base end of the body 4 is attached to a drive mechanism 7 built into the case body 2. This drive mechanism 7 allows the rod body 4 (i.e., the treatment element 3) to reciprocate in and out of the case body 2 (hereinafter, also referred to as up and down movement). The up and down movement of the rod body 4 performs a local pressure massage (acupoint massage) on the treatment area S (e.g., the back) of the user U via the treatment member 5.

[0025] The distance between the pair of left and right treatment elements 3a arranged on the front side of the upper surface of the case body 2 is wider than the distance between the pair of left and right treatment elements 3b arranged on the rear side of the upper surface of the case body 2. In this embodiment, the distance between the front treatment elements 3a is approximately 12 cm. The distance between the rear treatment elements 3b is approximately 8 cm. The distance between the front treatment elements 3a and 3b is approximately 7 cm.

[0026] The protrusion (height) of the treatment heads 3 is such that the front treatment head 3a protrudes slightly higher than the rear treatment head 3b (see Figure 5). The front treatment head 3a is approximately 10 cm from the support surface when stopped (at its lowest position). The rear treatment head 3b is approximately 9 cm from the support surface when stopped.

[0027] However, the distance between the pair of left and right treatment elements 3a arranged at the front and the distance between the pair of left and right treatment elements 3b arranged at the rear may be approximately the same, or the distance between the front treatment elements 3a may be narrower.Similarly, the protrusion amount (height) of the treatment elements 3 can also be appropriately changed, and the protrusion amounts (heights) of the front treatment elements 3a and the rear treatment elements 3b may be approximately the same, or the front treatment elements 3a may be shorter.

[0028] Various mechanisms can be used to move the treatment element 3 up and down. For example, the base end of the rod body 4 constituting the treatment element 3 is attached to the upper surface of an airbag, and the airbag is inflated and deflated by injecting and evacuating compressed air into and out of the airbag. When the airbag inflates, the rod body 4 of the treatment element 5 is lifted upward, and the rod body 4 protrudes outside the case body 2 through the opening 6. Then, the treatment member 5 attached to the tip of the rod body 4 presses against the treatment area S (e.g., the back) of the user U, allowing the user to receive a massage that feels just like a massage therapist's fingers are pressing on acupressure points.

[0029] However, in this embodiment, a mechanical driving mechanism 7, which will be described below, is employed to move the treatment heads 3 up and down.

[0030] As shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3, especially in Figure 3, the pressure massage machine 1 of this embodiment is thin and compact, yet the treatment elements 3 are reliably moved up and down by a mechanical drive mechanism 7.

[0031] First, the drive mechanism 7 housed in the case body 2 of the massage machine 1 has a base body 9 with a vertically erected slide bar 8. The base body 9 is a semicircular plate that bulges out to the left or right, and the bottom surface of this plate is attached to the inner bottom surface of the case body 2. A pair of slide bars 8 extending in the front-rear direction are erected on the top surface of the base body 9. The slide bars 8 have a circular cross section, i.e., are cylindrical shaft members. The slide bars 8 are made of, for example, plastic. The shape and material of the slide bars 8 are not limited.

[0032] The base bodies 9 are disposed at positions symmetrical on the left and right sides of the inner bottom surface of the case body 2. Therefore, four slide bars 8 pointing upward stand upright from the inner bottom surface of the case body 2.

[0033] A guide body 10 is provided which moves up and down while fitting into this slide bar 8. The guide body 10 is a frame body 10 that is rectangular in plan view, with a central space. In addition, the guide body 10 (frame body 10) is a member with a large cutout on the front side, and includes a rear frame body 10a extending to the left and right, and a right frame body 10b and a left frame body 10c extending forward from both ends of the rear frame body 10a.

[0034] That is, the guide body 10 of this embodiment is a U-shaped frame body 10. However, the shape of the guide body 10 is not limited to this embodiment, and it is also possible to make the guide body 10 a square-shaped frame body by increasing the width in the front, back, left and right directions. In other words, it is preferable that the drive mechanism 7 (reciprocating mechanism 20) can be accommodated in the internal space of the guide body 10.

[0035] The guide body 10 is fitted with a slide bar 8 extending in the vertical direction. A guide body 10 is configured to move up and down along the guide bar 8.

[0036] Specifically, circular through-holes 11 that penetrate in the vertical direction are formed on both the front and rear sides of the left frame body 10c, and the slide bar 8 described above is slidably fitted into these holes. Circular through-holes 11 that face in the vertical direction are also formed on both the front and rear sides of the right frame body 10b, and the slide bar 8 described above is slidably fitted into these holes. Therefore, the guide body 10 is movable in the vertical direction along the slide bar 8.

[0037] As will be described in more detail later, slide holes 24 are formed on the inside of each of the right frame body 10b and the left frame body 10c so as to face in the front-to-rear direction, and slide bars 8 are fitted into these slide holes 24 so as to sandwich them from the front and back.

[0038] Due to this configuration, the guide body 10 is stably supported by the four slide bars 8 and slides up and down, and the upper surface of the guide body 10 does not tilt, and it can move back and forth up and down (vertically) while maintaining a horizontal state.

[0039] A drive shaft 12 is disposed in the central space of the guide body 10, which is a U-shaped frame, facing in the left-right direction. The drive shaft 12 is rotatably supported by a rotary pivot part 13. The rotary pivot parts 13 are provided on the right, central, and left sides of the drive shaft 12. In other words, the drive shaft 12 is rotatably supported by the three rotary pivot parts 13 at a predetermined distance from the inner bottom surface of the case body 2. A worm wheel 14 is provided on the right side of the drive shaft 12 (between the right rotary pivot part 13 and the central rotary pivot part 13). This worm wheel 14 is engaged with a worm gear 15 provided on the upper part.

[0040] The worm gear 15 is provided at the rear end of an intermediate drive shaft 16 that faces the front-rear direction. The intermediate drive shaft 16 is disposed so as to be perpendicular to the drive shaft 12. A worm wheel 17 is provided at the front end of the intermediate drive shaft 16. The worm wheel 17 is engaged with a worm gear 19 provided at the bottom. The worm wheel 17 is provided at the tip of an output shaft 18a of an electric motor 18.

[0041] The electric motor 18 is disposed in front of the drive shaft 12. The electric motor 18 is disposed so that the output shaft 18a is parallel to the drive shaft 12 and faces in the left-right direction. In this manner, the electric motor 18 is also disposed so as to be housed within the internal space of the guide body 10.

[0042] That is, the drive mechanism 7 has a guide body 10 (frame body 10) that is housed in the case body 2 and has the treatment head 3 arranged on its upper surface, and a reciprocating mechanism 20 that moves the guide body 10 up and down reciprocally within the case body 2. The reciprocating mechanism 20 has a drive shaft 12 that is suspended horizontally within the internal space of the guide body 10, and an electric motor 18 that rotates the drive shaft 12.

[0043] The front portion of the guide body 10 is cut out, and there is no front frame body. An elongated cylindrical battery 21 is arranged in this cutout portion so as to face in the left-right direction. The battery 21 is capable of supplying sufficient power to drive the electric motor 18, and a lithium-ion battery is used. Furthermore, since the battery 21 is housed in the compact massage machine 1 (case body 2), a small battery is used. In this embodiment, for example, a small battery 21 having a cylindrical housing with a length of approximately 8 cm and a diameter of approximately 3 cm is used. The battery 21 is not limited to the example shown.

[0044] As is clear from the above, the drive mechanism 7, including the drive shaft 12, the reciprocating mechanism 20 equipped with the electric motor 18, and the battery 21, is housed in the internal space of the guide body 10. The drive mechanism 7 is arranged so that it does not protrude significantly above or below the guide body 10 in side view. In other words, as shown in FIG. 6, the reciprocating mechanism 20 is arranged in the internal space surrounded by the guide body 10, at a position that overlaps with the guide body 10 in side view.

[0045] In this way, since there is no electric motor 18 or the like below the guide body 10, the massage machine 1 of this embodiment does not have a thickness in the vertical direction, and is thin and compact.

[0046] In the massage machine 1 of this embodiment, the engagement between the distal ends (right distal end and left distal end) of the drive shaft 12 and the guide body 10 is distinctive.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, for example, at the right end of the drive shaft 12, A tip shaft 22 is provided at a position where the tip shaft 22 is centered. The base end of this tip shaft 22 and the right tip end of the drive shaft 12 are connected by a protruding piece 23. The protruding piece 23 is a crank-shaped member. The axis of the tip shaft 22 is not coaxial with the axis of the drive shaft 12, but is arranged to face the same direction as and be parallel to the axis of the drive shaft 12 due to the crank-shaped protruding piece 23. Therefore, when the drive shaft 12 rotates, the tip shaft 22 rotates eccentrically around the axis of the drive shaft 12 via the protruding piece 23.

[0048] Further, the tip shaft 22 is fitted so as to be slidable toward a slide hole 24 that opens horizontally in the right frame body 10b of the guide body 10. The slide hole 24 is a long groove-shaped opening that opens to the inside of the right frame body 10b so as to face the front-rear direction, and in the present embodiment, is formed so as to penetrate the right frame body 10b in the left-right direction.

[0049] In other words, both ends of the drive shaft 12 (left and right tip shafts 22) are eccentrically fitted into horizontally facing slide holes 24 formed in the guide body 10 via protruding pieces 23, and are configured to transmit only the vertical component of the rotational driving force transmitted by this drive shaft 12 to the guide body 10.

[0050] The tip shaft 22, slide hole 24, etc. constitute a reciprocating mechanism 20 that moves the guide body 10 up and down reciprocally within the case body 2. With the above structure, when the drive shaft 12 rotates, the tip shaft 22 slides within the slide hole 24 and rotates eccentrically around the axis of the drive shaft 12, and the guide body 10 moves up and down while being guided by the slide bar 8.

[0051] The structure of the reciprocating mechanism 20, including the tip shaft 22 and slide hole 24 that are eccentric with respect to the drive shaft 12, is similar to that at the left end of the drive shaft 12, and the tip shaft 22, which is eccentrically arranged at the left end of the drive shaft 12, is slidably fitted into the slide hole 24 that is opened horizontally in the left frame body 10c via the protruding piece 23.

[0052] 2 and 3, four treatment elements 3 are provided on the top surface of the guide body 10. Specifically, one treatment element 3a is provided at the tip of the right frame body 10b, and one treatment element 3a is provided at the tip of the left frame body 10c. A pair of treatment elements 3b are provided at the center of the rear frame body 10a, spaced apart in the left-right direction.

[0053] Each treatment head 3 has the same structure and includes a rod 4 standing upward. The rod 4 passes through an opening 6 formed on the top surface of the case body 2 so as to fit loosely, and the tip of the rod 4 projects outside the case body 2.

[0054] A treatment member 5 is detachably attached to the tip of the rod body 4 that protrudes outside the case body 2. This treatment member 5 applies pressure to massage the treatment area S of the user U. Because the diameter of the treatment member 5 is approximately 2 cm to 3 cm, the pressure applied by the treatment member 5 is strong, resulting in an effective massage similar to the finger pressure and acupressure massage given by a masseuse.

[0055] The treatment member 5 may be made of a variety of shapes and materials, including a circular or elliptical shape, or may have a pointed tip (top). The treatment member 5 is preferably made of a resin with a certain hardness (hardness that allows slight deformation) so as not to cause unpleasant pain during massage. The treatment member 5 can be attached to the tip of the rod 4 in an interchangeable manner.

[0056] The base end of the rod 4 is attached to the guide body 10. Specifically, the guide body 10 has a guide hole 25 (a vertically oriented cylindrical hole) into which the base end of the rod 4 fits, and a spring 26 is inserted into the bottom of the guide hole 25. The treatment element 3 is positioned on the spring 26 and can slide vertically within the guide hole 25. Therefore, the rod 4 is elastically movable vertically. Even if excessive pressure is applied to the treatment member 5, the rod 4 (treatment element 3) can sink downward by the amount of deformation of the spring 26. The action of the spring 26 prevents the treatment member 5 from excessively pressing the treatment area S of the user U, ensuring that the treatment area S of the user U is always pressed with a comfortable pressure. Furthermore, the elasticity of the spring 26 allows excessive force to escape, preventing damage to the treatment element 3. [Usage] The manner of use of the pressure massager 1 having the above-described configuration will now be described.

[0057] For example, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a user U sits on a chair C and uses the backrest of the chair C. The massager 1 is placed between the treatment area S of the user U and the treatment area S of the user U.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 4A, when massaging the shoulders K, it is preferable to apply the treatment heads 3 with a narrower left-right spacing to the area corresponding to the nape of the neck, but this is not limitative. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 4B, when applying the massage machine 1 to the lower back W, it is preferable to apply the treatment heads 3 with a wider left-right spacing to the side closer to the buttocks, but this is not limitative.

[0059] When the massage machine 1 is used on the back of a chair C, for example, it may be placed with the front side facing up or the rear side facing up. Also, it may be placed with either the left or right side facing up.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5, the massage machine 1 may be placed on a floor surface F, and the massager may lie down on the massage machine with the part to be treated (usually the back) placed on it for massage.

[0061] 4A, 4B, 5, etc., a switch provided on the side of the case body 2 is operated to drive the electric motor 18. This causes a rotational driving force to be output from the output shaft 18a and transmitted to the worm wheel 14 via the worm wheel 17 and worm gear 15 of the intermediate driving shaft 16. The worm wheel 14 rotates the drive shaft 12, which is disposed so as to face the left and right directions in the internal space of the guide body 10, and the tip shafts 22, which are eccentrically provided at both ends (right end and left end) of the drive shaft 12, begin to rotate eccentrically.

[0062] This tip shaft 22 slides inside slide holes 24 that are formed in the right frame body 10b and the left frame body 10c and face the front-rear direction, and transmits only the vertical component of the driving force to the guide body 10. In other words, the rotation of the drive shaft 12 is converted into eccentric rotation by the crank-shaped protruding piece 23 as the tip shaft 22 rotates while sliding back and forth within the slide holes 24.

[0063] Therefore, the guide body 10 is guided by the slide bar 8 and moves up and down while maintaining a horizontal position, and as a result, the treatment element 3 moves in and out from the top surface of the case body 2, and the treatment member 5 provided on the treatment element 3 massages the acupressure points of the treatment area S of the user U.

[0064] Even if excessive force is applied to the treatment member 5 during the massage, the treatment member 5 will move away by the amount of deformation of the spring member 26 provided on the base end side of the rod body 4, thereby preventing excessive pressure massage on the user U. Furthermore, the treatment member 5 can be changed to one with various shapes depending on the preference of the user U, making it possible to provide an effective massage.

[0065] As described above, the massager 1 of this embodiment can realize a compact and thin device, and allows the user U to receive a pressure massage on the treatment area S in a relaxed and comfortable position.

[0066] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In particular, in the embodiments disclosed herein, matters not explicitly disclosed, such as operating conditions, parameters, dimensions, weights, and volumes of components, do not deviate from the scope of ordinary skill in the art and are values ​​that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art. For example, the shape, size, and spacing of the treatment heads 3, the rhythm and amount of protrusion, the shape and size of the internal space of the guide body 10 (frame body 10), the magnitude of vertical movement, and the degree of eccentricity of the tip shaft 21 relative to the drive shaft 12 can be appropriately changed in consideration of the treatment range. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1. Pressure massage machine 2 Case body 3 Treatment child 4. Rod 5 Treatment material 7 Drive mechanism 8 Slide Bar 9 Base 10 Guide body (frame body) 11 Through hole 12 Drive shaft 16 Intermediate drive shaft 18 Electric motor 20 Reciprocating mechanism 22 Tip shaft 23 Projecting piece 24 slide holes 25 Guide hole 26 Spring body U user S Treatment Department C. Chair

Claims

1. A pressure massage machine having treatment heads protruding from the top surface of a case body to the outside, and a drive mechanism for driving the treatment heads to move in and out of the case body, The drive mechanism includes a frame housed in a case and having the treatment head disposed on an upper surface thereof, and a reciprocating mechanism for vertically reciprocating the frame within the case, The reciprocating mechanism is disposed in an internal space surrounded by the frame body at a position overlapping the frame body in a side view. A pressure massage machine characterized by:

2. The reciprocating mechanism includes a drive shaft that is horizontally suspended within the internal space of the frame, and an electric motor that rotates the drive shaft.

2. The pressure massager according to claim 1.

3. Both ends of the drive shaft are eccentrically fitted into horizontally oriented slide holes formed in the frame, and only the vertical component of the rotational driving force transmitted by the drive shaft is transmitted to the frame.

3. The pressure massager according to claim 2.

4. A slide bar facing up and down is fitted through the frame body, and the frame body is configured to move back and forth in the up and down direction along the slide bar.

4. The pressure massager according to claim 3.

5. The slide bars are fitted into the frame body so as to sandwich slide holes formed in the frame body from the front and rear.

5. The pressure massager according to claim 4.

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