Massage units and massage machines

Abstract

To provide a massage unit and a massage machine with a simple configuration that can press a wide range of the body of a person to be treated.SOLUTION: A massage unit treats the body of a person to be treated. The massage unit includes a base member disposed opposed to the body of the person to be treated, an expansion and contraction member disposed in the base member that can repeat expansion and contraction by air, and a moving mechanism disposed in the base member that moves the expansion and contraction member. The moving mechanism includes a guide part disposed in the base member, a moving body that moves along the guide part, and a drive part that drives the moving body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-70382 discloses a configuration in which an airbag disposed on a mat treats the body of a patient lying on the mat.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to treat a wide range of the body of a patient with the massage machine described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-70382, many airbags are required, and the configuration of the massage machine becomes complicated. In addition, in order to adopt a configuration for supplying air to many airbags, the piping becomes complicated and the amount of air supply may increase.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a massage unit and a massage machine having a simple configuration and capable of pressing a wide range of the body of a patient.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the massage unit of the present invention provides treatment to the body of a person receiving treatment. The massage unit comprises a base member positioned opposite the body of the person receiving treatment, an expandable / contractible member positioned on the base member and capable of repeatedly expanding and contracting with air, and a moving mechanism positioned on the base member for moving the expandable / contractible member. The moving mechanism comprises a guide portion positioned on the base member, a moving body that moves along the guide portion, and a drive unit that drives the moving body.

[0007] Furthermore, the massage machine of the present invention comprises a massage unit having the above configuration and a mat in which the massage unit is placed inside.

[0008] Furthermore, the massage machine of the present invention comprises a massage unit having the above configuration and a chair-shaped body support section that supports the body of the person receiving treatment, wherein the massage unit is positioned on the body support section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The massage unit and massage machine according to the present invention have a simple configuration and can apply pressure to a wide area of ​​the body of the person receiving treatment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a massage machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the massage machine shown, cut along line II-II. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the massage machine. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the moving mechanism. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the moving mechanism. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the moving mechanism of the first modified example. [Figure 7] This is a front view of a massage machine equipped with a massage unit of the second modified example. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the massage machine according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the arm treatment section of the massage machine shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a front view of massage machine A according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of massage machine A shown in Figure 1, taken along line II-II. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of massage machine A shown in Figure 1. In the following description, the head side of a person lying on massage machine A is referred to as "upper U," and the leg side as "lower D." Also, "right R" and "left L" are defined based on a person lying supine on massage machine A. Similarly, the front of a person lying supine is referred to as "front" or "back." The opposite side of the front is referred to as "back" or "back."

[0012] Furthermore, "extending along" a predetermined direction includes not only cases where the device extends strictly in the predetermined direction, but also cases where it extends in a direction inclined by less than 45° with respect to the precise direction. In addition, unless otherwise stated in this specification, the body Bd of the person being treated refers to the upper body of the person being treated. Figure 2 shows the approximate positions of the pump 22 and the mobile pump 433 with dashed lines.

[0013] <Massage machine A> As shown in Figure 1, the massage machine A massages the body of the person receiving treatment who is lying supine on its upper surface (hereinafter referred to as "treatment"). As shown in Figure 1, the massage machine A has a massage unit 100 and a mat 200. The mat 200 is, for example, rectangular in plan view. However, it is not limited to this, and a wide range of shapes that allow the person receiving treatment to lie down on their body Bd can be adopted, such as an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape.

[0014] The mat 200 has a body holding part 201 at the center. The body holding part 201 is at the center in the short side direction of the mat 200 and is an area along the long side direction of the mat 200. The subject can lie across the body holding part 201. Also, the mat 200 has a pillow part 202 that supports the head of the subject at the upper U-shaped end of the body holding part 201. In the following description, although the case of treating the body Bd of the subject lying supine on the body holding part 201 will be described as an example, it is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to treat the body Bd of the subject lying on the side.

[0015] <Massage unit 100> Next, the details of the massage unit 100 will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the massage unit 100 includes a base member 10, a pressing part 20, a moving mechanism 40, and a control part 50.

[0016] The massage unit 100 is disposed inside the mat 200. In the massage machine A, the body Bd of the subject is treated by the pressing part 20 operating inside the mat 200. Therefore, in the following description of the massage unit 100, there may be cases where the pressing part 20 is said to treat the body Bd of the subject.

[0017] <Control part 50> The control part 50 controls the massage unit 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the control part 50 includes a processing part 51 and a storage part 52. The processing part 51 includes an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU or MPU. Also, the processing part 51 controls the massage unit 100 based on the processing results.

[0018] The storage part 52 includes a semiconductor memory such as a ROM or RAM, a memory element having portability such as a flash memory, and a storage medium such as a hard disk, or is a circuit to which a memory element or a storage medium is connected.

[0019] In the control unit 50, the processing unit 51 may be configured to perform calculations using only the circuit itself, or it may be configured to use a general-purpose calculation circuit and read and execute a control program stored in the storage unit 52.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 50 is connected to the pressing unit 20 and the moving mechanism 40. The control unit 50 is also connected to the operation unit 60, which receives input from the patient or operator. The operation unit 60 has a display unit 61 and an input unit 62. The display unit 61 includes a display device for displaying the operating status of the massage unit 100. Examples of display devices include liquid crystal panels and organic EL panels. It may also have a configuration that notifies information by turning on or off LEDs, etc.

[0021] The input unit 62 includes an input device that receives input from the patient or operator. Examples of input devices include push buttons, slide buttons, volume switches, etc. Alternatively, a touch panel that is mounted on the surface of the display unit 61 and receives input by contact may be used.

[0022] <Base member 10 and pressing part 20> As shown in Figure 1, the base member 10 is rectangular in plan view. As shown in Figure 1, the base member 10 is positioned inside the mat 200 so that its longitudinal and transverse directions coincide with those of the mat 200. The base member 10 is positioned offset to the upper U side of the mat 200, that is, towards the pillow portion 202.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the pressing portion 20 is positioned on the base member 10. More specifically, the pressing portion 20 is positioned on the upper surface of the base member 10. The pressing portion 20 includes an inflatable / inflatable member 21 and a pump 22. The inflatable / inflatable member 21 is a bag that can be filled with air, a so-called airbag.

[0024] The inflatable / contractible member 21 expands when filled with air and contracts when the internal air is expelled. By repeatedly expanding and contracting, the inflatable / contractible member 21 periodically presses against the user's body Bd. Depending on the treatment method, continuous expansion may also occur.

[0025] Pump 22 is an example of a pressing actuator. Pump 22 and the expandable / contractible member 21 are connected by piping (not shown). Pump 22 supplies air to the expandable / contractible member 21 via the piping. Pump 22 is connected to the control unit 50 and operates based on instructions from the control unit 50. Note that Pump 22 may be replaced by any air supply unit capable of supplying air to the expandable / contractible member 21, other than a pump.

[0026] The pump 22 may be configured to supply air to the expandable / contractible member 21 and also to forcibly discharge air from the expandable / contractible member 21. Furthermore, when the expandable / contractible member 21 is contracted, the internal air may be released into the atmosphere. However, by configuring the pump 22 to forcibly exhaust the air, the contraction time of the expandable / contractible member 21 can be shortened. Additionally, by configuring the pump 22 to forcibly exhaust the air, the control unit 50 can accurately determine the remaining amount of air inside the expandable / contractible member 21 during contraction. This allows for accurate adjustment of the air pressure of the expandable / contractible member 21.

[0027] In massage machine A, the pump 22 is located inside the mat 200. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pump 22 is located at the lower end D of the mat 200. This arrangement keeps the pump 22 away from the head of the person receiving treatment. This makes it less likely for the operating noise and vibrations of the pump 22 to reach the ears of the person receiving treatment. Although the pump 22 is located inside the mat 200, it may also be located outside the mat 200.

[0028] <Movement mechanism 40> In the massage unit 100, the moving mechanism 40 moves the pressing part 20 along the body Bd of the person receiving treatment. The moving mechanism 40 that moves the pressing part 20 will now be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the moving mechanism 40. Figure 5 is a schematic arrangement diagram of the moving mechanism 40. The pressing part 20 has an expandable / contractable member 21 and a pump 22, and the moving mechanism 40 moves the expandable / contractable member 21 of the pressing part.

[0029] s As shown in Figure 2, the moving mechanism 40 is positioned on the front side of the base member 10. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the moving mechanism 40 includes a guide section 41, a moving body 42, and a drive unit 43 (see Figure 2). The guide section 41 is a frame that guides the direction in which the moving body 42 moves. The guide section 41 is positioned at the center of the base member 10 in the left-right direction (short side direction) and along the up-down direction (long side direction).

[0030] The guide section 41 has a pair of rails 44 arranged in parallel. In the massage unit 100 of this embodiment, the rails 44 are straight, but are not limited to this. For example, the rails 44 may be curved. In this case, the pair of rails 44 are arranged side by side at equal intervals.

[0031] The movable body 42 is positioned on the guide portion 41 so as to be movable along the guide portion 41. The movable body 42 has a movable body main body 421 and a sliding projection 422. The movable body main body 421 is positioned on the front side of the rail 44, i.e., on the side of the patient's body Bd. An expandable / contractible member 21 is fixed to the movable body main body 421. The expandable / contractible member 21 presses against the patient's body Bd by expanding. Preferably, the movable body main body 421 has sufficient rigidity so that the expandable / contractible member 21 can sufficiently apply pressure to the patient's body Bd.

[0032] The sliding projection 422 protrudes from the moving body 421 towards the rear. The sliding projection 422 is positioned between a pair of rails 44. The sliding projection 422 has parallel surfaces 4221 and 4222, and these surfaces 4221 and 4222 slide against the opposing surfaces of the pair of rails 44. As a result, the moving body 42 moves along the pair of rails 44. The sliding projection 422 also has a flange portion 423, which is provided on the side opposite to the moving body 421. The flange portion 423 and the moving body 421 face each other with the rails 44 in between. The surface of the flange portion 423 facing the moving body 421 contacts the rails 44. The flange portion 423 prevents the moving body 42 from falling off the guide portion 41.

[0033] Furthermore, in the case where the movable body 42 (for example, the movable body main body 421) has an engaging portion (not shown) that engages with the rail 44, the flange portion 423 may be omitted. In other words, the flange portion 423 can be said to be an example of an engaging portion.

[0034] The drive unit 43 is an actuator that applies force to the sliding projection 422 described above to move the mobile body 42. The drive unit 43 includes a pneumatic cylinder 431, a spring 432, and a moving pump 433 (see Figures 1 to 3, etc.). The moving pump 433 is connected to the pneumatic cylinder 431 by piping (not shown). In other words, the moving pump 433 supplies air to the pneumatic cylinder 431. The moving pump 433 is an example of a moving air supply unit. The moving pump 433 is connected to the control unit 50 and operates based on instructions from the control unit 50. Note that the moving pump 433 may be an air supply unit capable of supplying air to the pneumatic cylinder 431, and may have a configuration other than a pump.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the mobile pump 433 is positioned at the lower end D inside the mat 200. More specifically, the mobile pump 433 is positioned alongside the pump 22 at the lower end D of the mat 200. This arrangement allows the mobile pump 433, like the pump 22, to be kept away from the patient's head. This makes it less likely for the operating noise and vibrations of the mobile pump 433 to reach the patient's ears.

[0036] As described above, massage machine A is equipped with a pump 22 for operating the pressing section 20 and a moving pump 433 for operating the moving mechanism 40. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the moving pump 433 and pump 22 may share a common pump and have a switching section (not shown) that switches the air (e.g., flow rate) flowing through the piping, such as a solenoid valve or a switching valve.

[0037] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the pneumatic cylinder 431 has a cylinder 4311 and a piston 4312. When air is supplied to the cylinder 4311, the piston 4312 is pushed out. The pneumatic cylinder 431 is positioned above U of the movable body 42. The piston 4312 of the drive unit 43 is then pushed downward D. The pneumatic cylinder 431 changes the protrusion speed of the piston 4312 depending on the amount of air supplied.

[0038] The spring 432 is an example of an elastic member; a coil spring is used here, but it is not limited to this. For example, a torsion spring can also be used. An air spring can also be used. The spring 432 is connected to the movable body 42 and cooperates with the pneumatic cylinder 431. The spring 432 is positioned on the opposite side of the pneumatic cylinder 431, i.e., downward D, so as to straddle the sliding projection 422 of the movable body 42.

[0039] In the drive unit 43, when air is supplied to the pneumatic cylinder 431, the piston 4312 is pushed out. The movable body 42 is pushed downward D by the piston 4312 and moves downward D. At this time, the spring 432 is compressed by the movable body 42. In other words, the restoring force due to the compression of the spring 432 acts upward U on the movable body 42.

[0040] When the supply of air to the pneumatic cylinder 431 is stopped, the restoring force of the spring 432 becomes greater than the force with which the piston 4312 pushes the movable body 42. As a result, the movable body 42 moves upward U. The speed of movement of the movable body 42 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of air supplied to the pneumatic cylinder 431.

[0041] In this embodiment, the pneumatic cylinder 431 and the spring 432 are positioned on opposite sides of the movable body 42, but they may also be positioned on the same side. In this case, the spring 432 is stretched by the protrusion of the piston 4312. Thus, it is possible to position the pneumatic cylinder 431 and the spring 432 on the same side relative to the movable body 42. Furthermore, by using a spring 432 that allows both compression and extension from its natural length, the degree of freedom in positioning the pneumatic cylinder 431 and the spring 432 relative to the movable body 42 can be increased.

[0042] In this embodiment, the drive unit 43 uses a pneumatic cylinder 431 in which the piston 4312 protrudes when air is supplied, but it is not limited to this. For example, a double-acting pneumatic cylinder may be used in which the piston 4312 protrudes or retracts from the cylinder 4311 by adjusting the air supply. By using a double-acting pneumatic cylinder and switching and controlling the air supply from the moving pump 433, the moving body 42 can be moved downward D and upward U. When a pneumatic cylinder that can move in both directions is used in this way, the spring 432 can be omitted, and the massage unit can be simplified. In addition, by using a double-acting pneumatic cylinder, it is possible to precisely adjust the position of the moving body 42. The massage unit 100 has the configuration described above.

[0043] <Regarding the operation of massage machine A> Next, the treatment of the patient's body Bd using massage machine A will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the massage unit 100 is located inside massage machine A. In massage machine A, the guide section 41 is positioned in the center of the body support section 201 in the left-right direction, along the longitudinal direction of the mat 200. The guide section 41 is positioned along the spine of the patient's body Bd, who is lying supine on the body support section 201.

[0044] The mobile body 421 of the mobile body 42 is a long rectangle with its longitudinal direction relative to the short direction of the mat 200 described above. More specifically, the mobile body 421 is a rectangle that is the same width as or wider than the width of the patient's body Bd.

[0045] In massage machine A, the massage unit 100 is activated and treatment begins when the control unit 60 is operated. As treatment begins, the control unit 50 operates the transport pump 433. As a result, the transport body 42 moves downward D along the guide unit 41 at a predetermined speed.

[0046] The control unit 50 then operates the pump 22 to supply air to the inflatable / contractible member 21. This causes the inflatable / contractible member 21 to expand and press against the patient's body Bd. At this time, the amount of air discharged from the pump 22 may be adjusted to repeatedly expand and contract the inflatable / contractible member 21.

[0047] Generally, when performing treatment by applying pressure to the patient's body Bd, there are areas where the treatment effect is enhanced. Let's assume there are three such areas, designated as massage points Mp1, Mp2, and Mp3. Here, massage points Mp1, Mp2, and Mp3 are located in the neck, lower back, and legs, respectively, from top to bottom (see Figure 2). It is assumed that massage points Mp1, Mp2, and Mp3 are detected in advance by detection means (not shown). The number of massage points is not limited to three.

[0048] At this time, the movement speed of the mobile body 42 may be increased between each massage point Mp1, Mp2, and Mp3, and decreased near each massage point Mp1, Mp2, and Mp3. This allows for more focused treatment of massage points Mp1, Mp2, and Mp3. Furthermore, if a pneumatic cylinder 431 is used that has a configuration to stop and fix the movement of the piston 4312, it is also possible to stop the mobile body 42 at massage points Mp1, Mp2, and Mp3 and treat massage points Mp1, Mp2, and Mp3 more intensively with the pressing part.

[0049] Alternatively, the pump 22 may be operated simultaneously with the treatment to inflate the expandable / contractible member 21, and the mobile body 42 may be moved while the member is inflated. In this way, by moving the mobile body 42 while the expandable / contractible member 21 is inflated, it is possible to perform treatment that stretches the body Bd of the person being treated, that is, straightens the spine.

[0050] <First variation> The first modified example of the moving mechanism 40a will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the first modified example of the moving mechanism 40a. As shown in Figure 6, in the moving mechanism 40a, the guide portion 41a has one rail 44a. The moving body 421a of the moving body 42a has a groove portion 424a that fits into the rail 44a. In this case, "fitting" refers to a loosely fitted relationship that allows for sliding movement. That is, the moving body 42a has a shape that fits into one rail 44a, and moves along the rail 44a while fitted into the rail 44a.

[0051] This configuration allows for a simplification of the movement mechanism 40a.

[0052] <Second variation> A massage machine B equipped with the second modified massage unit 100b will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 7 is a front view of the massage machine B equipped with the second modified massage unit 100b. In the massage unit 100b of massage machine B shown in Figure 7, the moving mechanism 40b differs from the moving mechanism 40 of the massage unit 100 of massage machine A. Other than the above, massage machine B is the same as massage machine A. Therefore, parts of massage machine B that are substantially the same as those of massage machine A are given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations are omitted. In the massage machine B shown in Figure 7, the body Bd of the person being treated is indicated by a dashed line.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, the massage unit 100b has guide portions 41b extending in the longitudinal direction of the base member 10, arranged side by side in the short direction of the base member 10. A movable body 42 is positioned on each of the guide portions 41b so as to be movable. An expandable / contractable member 21 is attached to each of the movable bodies 42.

[0054] This configuration makes it possible to treat the patient's body Bd independently on the left and right sides. In other words, by expanding and contracting the expandable / contractible member 21 at positions offset in the left-right direction of the body, it becomes possible to perform complex treatments such as twisting and stretching in addition to simple pressing.

[0055] In this modified example, two guide sections 41b are arranged in parallel, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, three or more guide sections 41b may be arranged. In this case, the guide sections 41b do not have to be parallel. For example, they may be arranged to extend radially from a predetermined point such as the neck.

[0056] <Second Embodiment> Figure 8 is a perspective view of the massage machine C of the second embodiment. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the arm treatment unit 305 provided in the massage machine C shown in Figure 8. The massage machine C shown in Figure 8 is a chair-type massage machine. The massage machine C has a massage unit 100c and a massage unit 100d. The massage unit 100c has substantially the same configuration as the massage unit 100, except that it is shaped to be attachable to the massage machine C.

[0057] Therefore, each part of the massage unit 100c has essentially the same configuration as the massage unit 100 and performs the same operation. For this reason, a detailed explanation of the massage unit 100c will be omitted.

[0058] Furthermore, the massage unit 100d differs from the massage unit 100 in that the guide portion 41d of the moving mechanism 40d is positioned to move closer to or further away from the arm Am of the person being treated. Therefore, parts of the massage unit 100d that are substantially the same as those of the massage unit 100 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted. In Figure 9, the moving mechanism 40d in the retracted position P0 is shown by a dashed line.

[0059] Massage machine C has a chair-shaped body support section 300. The body support section 300 includes a seat section 301, a backrest section 302, armrests 303, a foot treatment section 304, and an arm treatment section 305.

[0060] The seat 301 supports the buttocks and thighs of the person being treated. The backrest 302 is positioned behind the seat 301 and is erected above the seat 301. The armrests 303 are where the arms of the person being treated are rested when seated on the seat 301. The armrests 303 are arranged in pairs on the left and right sides of the seat 301. The armrests 303 have an arm treatment section 305 that opens at the top.

[0061] The foot treatment unit 304 is positioned in front of the seat 301 and extends downward below the seat 301. The foot treatment unit 304 is configured to be rotatable at its lower end, with its upper end serving as a pivot point. The foot treatment unit 304 may be capable of treating both the left and right calves and feet.

[0062] Massage machine C has a massage unit 100c. The massage unit 100c is located inside the backrest 302. In massage machine C, the massage unit 100c can perform treatment on the back of the person being treated Bd. When performing treatment with the massage unit 100c in massage machine C, it may be done with the backrest 302 upright, or with the upper part of the backrest 302 tilted backward in a reclined position.

[0063] A massage unit 100d is positioned in the arm treatment section 305. The massage unit 100d is positioned within the arm treatment section 305. Although not shown in Figure 9, the expandable / contractable member 21 of the massage unit 100d positioned in the arm treatment section 305 is covered, for example, with a cover to prevent direct contact with the arm Am of the person being treated.

[0064] The arm treatment section 305 has an opening at the top, and the arm of the person being treated, Am, is housed in the arm treatment section 305 through the opening at the top. In the arm treatment section 305, the massage unit 100d has a guide section 41d positioned vertically, and the movable body 42d moves up and down along the guide section 41d. For example, the guide section 41d can be positioned vertically along the inner side wall of the arm treatment section 305.

[0065] When the massage unit 100d is not operating, the moving body 42d of the moving mechanism 40d is located at the retracted position P0 at the lower end in the direction along the guide section 41d. At this time, the inflatable / contractible member 21 is in a contracted state (see the dashed line in Figure 9). For example, when a sensor (not shown) or the like detects that the arm of the person being treated is placed on the arm treatment section 305, the control unit 50 drives the drive unit 43 to move the moving body 42d to the upper end P1 of the guide section 41d. Furthermore, the control unit 50 drives the pump 22 to inflate the inflatable / contractible member 21 and applies pressure to the arm of the person being treated from above.

[0066] Then, when the treatment of the patient's arm Am is completed, the control unit 50 controls the amount of air supplied by the pump 22 to expel the air from inside the inflatable / contractible member 21 and deflate the inflatable / contractible member 21. After the inflatable / contractible member 21 has become smaller than a certain size, the control unit 50 drives the drive unit 43 to move the mobile body 42d to the retracted position P0.

[0067] In the massage unit 100d, when the person receiving treatment inserts or removes their arm Am, which is part of the person receiving treatment's body Bd, into or out of the arm treatment section 305, the movable body 42 and the expandable / contractable member 21 are less likely to get in the way. In this embodiment of the massage machine C, the massage unit 100d is provided on one inner wall of the arm treatment section 305, but it is not limited to this and may be placed on the inner wall on the opposite side. Also, the guide section 41d may be arranged along the arm Am.

[0068] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the configurations and combinations thereof in the embodiments are merely examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications to the configurations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments.

[0069] An example of the massage unit 100 according to the present invention is used to treat the body of a person receiving treatment. The massage unit 100 includes a base member 10 positioned opposite the body Bd of the person receiving treatment, an inflatable / contractible member 21 positioned on the base member 10 that can be repeatedly inflated and deflated by air, and a moving mechanism 40 positioned on the base member 10 that moves the inflatable / contractible member 21. The moving mechanism 40 includes a guide portion 41 positioned on the base member 10, a moving body 42 that moves along the guide portion 41, and a drive unit 43 that drives the moving body 42.

[0070] This configuration allows for the movement of the inflatable / contractible member 21, which expands and contracts using air pressure to apply pressure to the patient's body and perform treatment. This enables treatment of a wide area of ​​the patient's body Bd with fewer inflatable / contractible members 21. Therefore, the number of inflatable / contractible members 21 can be reduced compared to a configuration where the inflatable / contractible members 21 are widely distributed across the area that contacts the patient's body Bd. As a result, the structure for supplying air pressure, such as piping and switching valves, can be simplified, and the device can be made smaller and lighter.

[0071] In the above configuration, the guide portions 41b may extend in the same direction and be arranged in pairs side by side. This configuration allows for simultaneous treatment at different locations on the patient's body Bd. Therefore, the range of treatment options can be broadened.

[0072] In the above configuration, the guide section 41 may have a pair of parallel rails 44, and the movable body 42 may be slidably positioned between the pair of rails 44. This arrangement ensures that the movable body 42 is firmly guided, making it possible to reliably treat the patient's body Bd.

[0073] In the above configuration, the drive unit 43 may have a pneumatic cylinder 431 that moves the movable body 42 using air pressure. Furthermore, a common configuration may be used to supply air to the pneumatic cylinder 431 and the expandable / contractable member 21. This configuration simplifies the structure of the massage unit. Alternatively, a pneumatic cylinder capable of reciprocating a piston using air pressure may be employed. Using such a reciprocating pneumatic cylinder allows for precise adjustment of the piston's position.

[0074] In the above configuration, the massage machine A(B) includes the massage unit 100(100b) described above and a mat 200 on which the massage unit 100(100b) is placed. With this configuration, the body of a person lying down can be treated.

[0075] In the above configuration, the massage machine C comprises a massage unit 100c and a chair-type body support unit 300 that supports the body Bd of the person receiving treatment. The massage unit 100c is positioned on the body support unit 300. With this configuration, the number of inflatable / contractible members 21 can be reduced because the treatment can be performed by moving the inflatable / contractible members 21.

[0076] In the massage machine C with the above configuration, the body support section 300 has an arm treatment section 305 that opens upward and treats the arm Am of the person being treated. The massage unit 100d is positioned in the arm treatment section 305. The guide section 41d of the massage unit 100d is positioned so that the movable body 42d can move up and down within the arm treatment section 305. With this configuration, the expandable / contractable member 21 is less likely to get in the way when the person being treated places their arm Am in the arm treatment section 305 and when they move their arm out of the arm treatment section 305. [Industrial applicability]

[0077] This invention can be used in a massage machine that kneads and relaxes the body of the person receiving treatment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 10 Base member 20 Pressing part 21 Expanding and contracting member 22 pumps 40, 40a, 40b Moving mechanism 41, 41a, 41b Guide section 42, 42a Mobile 43 Drive unit 44, 44a Rail 50 Control Unit 51 Processing Unit 52 Storage section 60 Control section 61 Display section 62 Input section 100, 100b, 100c Massage Unit 200 mat 201 Body holding part 202 Pillow part 300 Body support part 301 Seat area 302 copies 303 Armrest 304 Foot Treatment Department 305 Arm Treatment Area 421 Mobile Unit 422 Sliding protrusion 423 Flange section 431 Pneumatic cylinder 433 Portable pump 4311 Cylinder 4312 Piston A massage machine Bd body Am Arm

Claims

1. A massage machine equipped with a massage unit for treating the body of a person being treated, Having a mat, The aforementioned massage unit is A base member positioned opposite the body of the person receiving treatment, An expandable / contractable member is disposed on the base member and is capable of repeatedly expanding and contracting with air, The base member is provided with a moving mechanism for moving the expandable / contractable member, The aforementioned moving mechanism is The base member is arranged, and the guide portions are substantially linear in shape, extending in the same direction and arranged in pairs side by side, A movable body is provided, on which the expandable / contractible member is arranged and which moves along the guide portion, The moving body has a drive unit that moves the moving body along the guide portion, At least a portion of the moving body is positioned between a pair of guide portions, and the portion of the moving body positioned between the guide portions has a surface that slides against a surface provided on each of the pair of guide portions and facing each other. A massage machine in which at least the massage unit is arranged inside the mat.

2. A massage machine equipped with a massage unit for treating the body of a person being treated, Having a mat, The aforementioned massage unit is A base member positioned opposite the body of the person receiving treatment, An expandable / contractable member is disposed on the base member and is capable of repeatedly expanding and contracting with air, The base member is provided with a moving mechanism for moving the expandable / contractable member, The aforementioned moving mechanism is The base member comprises a substantially straight guide portion, A movable body is provided, on which the expandable / contractible member is arranged and which moves along the guide portion, The moving body has a drive unit that moves the moving body along the guide portion, The movable body has grooves formed in it that are movably in contact with the guide portion, and at least three surfaces of the grooves are in contact with different surfaces of the guide portion. A massage machine in which at least the massage unit is arranged inside the mat.

3. The massage machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the guide portion is substantially linear.

4. The massage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide portion has a rectangular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the extension direction.

5. The massage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the guide portion is positioned on the base member from a portion corresponding to the shoulder portion of the person being treated to a portion corresponding to the buttocks portion.

6. The massage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the expandable / contractible member has an elongated shape, and the shorter direction of the base member is the longer direction of the expandable / contractible member.

7. The guide portions are arranged in the short-side direction of the base member. The massage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the moving bodies are arranged in a plurality so as to be movable in each of the guide sections.

8. The mat is divided into a plurality of massage points, A massage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the speed of the moving body is slowed down in the vicinity of a plurality of massage points.

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