Massage machine

Abstract

A massage machine 1 includes: side wall parts 33, 38 on both sides for holding a part 9 to be treated so as to sandwich the part 9 to be treated from both sides; a first rocking mechanism 30 for rocking one first side wall part 33 from among the side wall parts on both sides so as to follow one or both of the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the part to be treated; a pressing part 29 for pressing the part to be treated between the side wall parts on both sides; and a pressing displacement mechanism 26 for displacing the pressing part approximately in the opposite direction to the first side wall part.

Description

Massage machine

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

[0002] Massage machines for providing treatment to a user have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a massage machine that includes a side massage unit configured to reciprocate a pair of side massage plates arranged opposite to each other so as to sandwich a body part from both sides, in mutually opposite directions of movement, and a back massage unit that applies a tapping or rubbing massage to a back massage plate arranged opposite to the back of the body part.

[0003] JP 2014-18616 A

[0004] However, in the massage machine described in Patent Document 1, the back massage unit does not operate when the side massage plates are reciprocated, and more effective massage is desired.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and aims to provide a massage machine that can improve the therapeutic effect on the treatment area.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the massage machine according to the present disclosure is characterized by comprising side wall portions on both sides that hold the treatment area by sandwiching it from both sides, a first swinging mechanism that swings a first side wall portion of one of these side wall portions along one or both of the longitudinal and depth directions of the treatment area, a pressing portion that presses the treatment area between the side wall portions on both sides, and a pressing displacement mechanism that displaces this pressing portion in a direction generally opposite to that of the first side wall portion.

[0007] The massage machine according to the present disclosure has the above-described configuration, and is therefore able to improve the therapeutic effect on the area to be treated.

[0008] 1A and 1B are schematic front and plan views illustrating an example of a massage machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. (a) and (b) are partially omitted perspective views illustrating an example of a treatment unit included in the massage machine. (a) and (b) are partially omitted longitudinal cross-sectional views of the treatment unit. (a) and (b) are partially omitted longitudinal cross-sectional views of the treatment unit. (a) and (b) are partially omitted longitudinal cross-sectional views of the treatment unit. (a) and (b) are partially omitted longitudinal cross-sectional views of the treatment unit. (a) and (b) are partially omitted longitudinal cross-sectional views of the treatment unit. (a) and (b) are partially omitted longitudinal cross-sectional views of the treatment unit. (a) to (d) are conceptual diagrams illustrating an example of a treatment mode according to a modified example of the treatment unit, and (e) and (f) are conceptual diagrams illustrating other modified examples of the treatment unit.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In some figures, some of the detailed reference numerals used in other figures are omitted. In the following embodiments, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions will be described based on a user seated on the massage machine in an upright position with the backrest as the reference. Figures 1 to 9 are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of a massage machine according to this embodiment, as well as examples and modifications of the treatment unit provided in the massage machine.

[0010] 2(a) and 3(a), the massage machine 1 according to this embodiment includes side walls 33, 38 on both sides that hold the treatment area 9 (see FIG. 9(a)) so as to sandwich it from both sides, and a first swinging mechanism (30) that swings the first side wall 33 of the side walls 33, 38 along one or both of the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the treatment area 9. With this configuration, with the treatment area 9 sandwiched between the side walls 33, 38 on both sides, the first side wall 33 can be swung along one or both of the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the treatment area 9, and the treatment area 9 can be effectively treated. The massage machine 1 includes a pressing portion 29 that presses the treatment area 9 between the side wall portions 33, 38 on both sides, and a pressing displacement mechanism (26) that displaces the pressing portion 29 in a direction generally opposite to that of the first side wall portion 33. With this configuration, the treatment area 9 can be effectively stimulated by the pressing portion 29 that displaces in a direction generally opposite to that of the first side wall portion 33, which swings along one or both of the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the treatment area 9. In other words, because the first side wall portion 33 and the pressing portion 29 are displaced in generally opposite directions relative to each other, the treatment area 9 can be effectively stimulated while the range of their respective displacements is small.

[0011] In this embodiment, the side walls 33, 38 are configured to be positioned on both sides of the toes (portions forward of the ankles) constituting the treatment target portion 9, and are provided in the toe treatment unit 13 that treats the toes. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively treat the toes constituting the treatment target portion 9. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(a), the massage machine 1 includes a left toe treatment unit 13A having side walls 33, 38 on both sides of the left toe constituting the treatment target portion 9, a first swinging mechanism (30), a pressing unit 29, and a pressing displacement mechanism (26), and a right toe treatment unit 13B having side walls 33, 38 on both sides of the right toe constituting the treatment target portion 9, a first swinging mechanism (30), a pressing unit 29, and a pressing displacement mechanism (26). With this configuration, the left and right toes can be effectively treated by the pressing portions 29, 29 that are displaced in roughly opposite directions while swinging at least the first side wall portions 33, 33. As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the left toe treatment portion 13A and the right toe treatment portion 13B are provided on a footrest 10 of a chair-type massage machine 1 in this embodiment. An example of a specific configuration of the footrest 10 including the left and right toe treatment portions 13A, 13B will be described later.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the massage machine 1 includes a backrest 2 that supports the back of the user and a seat 3 on which the user sits. The massage machine 1 includes armrests 4, 4 that rise up on both sides of the seat 3 and support the user's arms. The backrest 2 can be raised and lowered (reclined) by a backrest drive unit. The backrest 2 may be rotatable relative to the seat 3 with its lower end on the seat 3 side as a fulcrum, or may be configured to rock together with the seat 3. The backrest drive unit may be an electric actuator that is connected to the backrest 2 and has a rod that is extended and retracted by an appropriate motor. The massage machine 1 may be provided with an appropriate inclination angle detection unit that detects the inclination angle of the backrest portion 2 in order to control the backrest drive unit, and an appropriate stopping means that stops the backrest drive unit at the standing limit and the lying limit.

[0013] The left and right armrests 4, 4 are provided from the seat 3 side to the backrest 2 side so as to support the user's fingers, forearms, and upper arms. The left and right armrests 4, 4 may be provided with arm receiving grooves for receiving the user's left and right arms, respectively. Appropriate treatment mechanisms, such as air cells or rollers, may be provided to treat the arms received in the arm receiving grooves of the left and right armrests 4, 4. The massage machine 1 includes a treatment unit 5 having a left treatment element 8A and a right treatment element 8B, which constitute a treatment section movable along the longitudinal direction of the body. In the illustrated example, the left treatment element 8A and the right treatment element 8B are provided on a single treatment unit 5. The left and right treatment elements 8A, 8B may be roller-shaped and rotatable around axes whose axial direction is generally in the left-right direction.

[0014] The treatment unit 5 is movable within the massage machine 1 along a guide rail formed in an elongated shape along the longitudinal direction of the body. The guide rail is appropriately shaped to fit the shape of the back of the body. This guide rail may be provided continuously over substantially the entire vertical direction of the backrest 2 and substantially the entire front-to-rear direction of the seat 3, or may be provided only on the backrest 2. The guide rails are provided in pairs at laterally spaced positions so as to guide both left and right ends of the treatment unit 5. These left and right guide rails are provided with guide grooves that guide guided parts such as rollers and pins provided on both left and right ends of the treatment unit 5, and racks that engage with pinions provided on both left and right ends of the treatment unit 5.

[0015] The treatment unit 5 has guided portions at both left and right ends that are guided along the guide grooves of the left and right guide rails. The guided portions may be provided at two locations on both left and right ends of the treatment unit 5, spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the body. The treatment unit 5 has pinions that mesh with the racks of the left and right guide rails at both left and right ends. The pinions on both the left and right sides may be coaxial with the guided portion on one side in the longitudinal direction of the body. The treatment unit 5 has a main body lifting / lowering drive unit that rotates the pinions on both the left and right sides. This main body lifting / lowering drive unit is composed of an appropriate motor and rotates the pinion shafts on both the left and right sides via an appropriate reducer. In other words, when the main body lifting / lowering drive unit is driven, the pinions on both the left and right sides of the treatment unit 5 rotate, and the treatment unit 5 moves in the longitudinal direction of the body along the racks of the left and right guide rails that mesh with the pinions. The massage machine 1 has a main body lifting / lowering position detection unit that detects the lifted position of the treatment unit 5 moved by the main body lifting / lowering drive unit. This main body lifting position detection unit may be a rotary encoder that detects the number of rotations of the rotating body rotated by the main body lifting drive unit, or it may be an appropriate sensor that detects a detected part provided on either the treatment unit 5 or the guide rail.

[0016] The treatment unit 5 is provided with a main body advancement / retraction drive unit that drives the treatment unit main body 6, which is provided with left and right treatment elements 8A, 8B, to advance and retract in the front-rear direction relative to the guide rail. The treatment unit main body 6 may be oscillated relative to the main body holder of the treatment unit 5, for example, with its lower end as a fulcrum and its upper end displacing in the generally front-rear direction, which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail. Such a main body advancement / retraction mechanism may include a pinion connected to a motor constituting the main body advancement / retraction drive unit via an appropriate reducer, provided on one of the main body holder and the treatment unit main body 6, and an arc-shaped rack extending generally in the front-rear direction and engaging with the pinion, provided on the other. In other words, when the main body advancement / retraction drive unit is driven, the pinion rotates, and the upper end of the treatment unit main body 6 advances and retracts in the generally front-rear direction along the arc-shaped rack with which it engages. The main body advancing / retracting mechanism is not limited to the above configuration, and may be configured to linearly advance / retract the treatment unit main body 6 relative to the guide rail, or may have various other configurations. The massage machine 1 is provided with a main body advancing / retracting position detecting unit that detects the advancing / retracting position of the treatment unit main body 6 moved by the main body advancing / retracting drive unit. The main body advancing / retracting position detecting unit may be the same as the main body lifting / lowering position detecting unit described above.

[0017] The treatment unit 5 is provided with a treatment element width drive unit that is driven to move the left and right treatment element 8A, 8B provided on the treatment section main body 6 in the left-right direction (width direction). The treatment section main body 6 may be provided with a guide shaft that guides the left treatment element unit 7A having the left treatment element 8A and the right treatment element unit 7B having the right treatment element 8B so that they can move freely in the left-right direction, or a screw shaft that is connected to the motor constituting the treatment element width drive unit via an appropriate reducer and is threaded into female threads provided on the left treatment element unit 7A and the right treatment element unit 7B to displace them toward or away from each other. The treatment unit 5 may be provided with an appropriate detection unit that detects the left and right positions of the left treatment element unit 7A and the right treatment element unit 7B.

[0018] The treatment unit 5 is provided with a kneading drive unit that is driven when the left and right treatment elements 8A, 8B are kneaded. The treatment unit main body 6 may be provided with an appropriate eccentric rotor, kneading shaft, etc. that is connected to the motor constituting the kneading drive unit via an appropriate reducer and displaces the left and right treatment elements 8A, 8B in an arc. The treatment unit 5 is provided with a beating drive unit that is driven when the left and right treatment elements 8A, 8B are beated. The treatment unit main body 6 may be provided with an appropriate crank mechanism, eccentric rotor, beating shaft, etc. that is connected to the motor constituting the beating drive unit via an appropriate reducer and displaces the left and right treatment elements 8A, 8B roughly up and down in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail. Instead of providing all of the main body forward / backward drive unit, treatment element width drive unit, kneading drive unit, and beating drive unit, at least one of these may be omitted. For example, the kneading operation may be performed by a massage element width drive unit and a main body lift drive unit, or by an appropriate forward / backward mechanism that individually moves the left and right massage elements 8A, 8B forward and backward, without providing a kneading drive unit. Instead of or in addition to the above-described treatment unit 5, the massage mechanism for treating the user's back may be an air cell provided in the backrest 2, or even if no treatment mechanism for treating the user's back is provided. Various other known configurations may be adopted for the basic configuration of the massage machine 1 described above.

[0019] The leg rest 10 is provided with a toe treatment section 13 for treating the toes of the user, as well as a calf treatment section 11 for treating the user's calves. The calf treatment section 11 is provided with a left calf groove 12A for receiving the left calf and a right calf groove 12B for receiving the right calf. The toe treatment section 13 is provided with a left toe groove 14A for receiving the left toe and a right toe groove 14B for receiving the right toe. The left calf groove 12A and the left toe groove 14A are arranged to be connected, and the right calf groove 12B and the right toe groove 14B are arranged to be connected. The leg rest 10 may be tiltable by a leg rest drive unit. The leg rest 10 may be rotatable relative to the seat 3, with its upper end on the seat 3 side as a fulcrum. The leg rest drive unit may be an electric actuator having a rod connected to the leg rest 10 and extended and retracted by an appropriate motor. Note that the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions described below will be described based on the state in which the leg rest 10 is arranged so as to hang down from the seat 3, that is, the state in which the bottom surfaces of the left and right toe receiving grooves 14A, 14B facing the soles of the feet are arranged in a generally horizontal plane. In this state, the longitudinal direction of the toes, which are the treatment areas 9, is the front-to-rear direction, and the depth direction of the toes is the up-to-down direction.

[0020] The massage machine 1 may be provided with a leg rest position detection unit including an appropriate tilt angle detection unit that detects the tilt angle of the leg rest unit 10 to control the leg rest drive unit, and appropriate stopping means that stops the leg rest drive unit at the upper and lower tilt limits. The leg rest unit 10 may be configured to be extendable or movable up and down along the longitudinal direction of the user's legs by the leg rest drive unit, so that at least the portion opposite the sole of the foot is displaceable along the longitudinal direction of the leg. In this case, the massage machine 1 may be provided with a leg rest position detection unit including an appropriate lift position detection unit that detects the lift position of the portion opposite the sole of the foot of the leg rest unit 10 to control the leg rest drive unit, and appropriate stopping means that stops the leg rest drive unit at the upper and lower lift limits. The calf treatment unit 11 may be provided with appropriate treatment mechanisms such as air cells or rollers that treat the left and right calves received in the left and right calf receiving grooves 12A and 12B.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b), the first side wall 33 and the second side wall 38 of the toe treatment unit 13 are provided with air cells 34, 39 that expand and contract by introducing and discharging air (see also FIG. 9(a)). With this configuration, the treatment area 9 can be treated by expanding and contracting the air cells 34, 39 of the side wall 33, 38 on both sides. Furthermore, when holding the treatment area 9 by sandwiching it from both sides, expanding the air cells 34, 39 of the side wall 33, 38 on both sides can improve holding performance. The massage machine 1 includes an interlocking mechanism (22) that interlocks the first swinging mechanism (30) and the pressing / displacing mechanism (26). With this configuration, there is no need to separately provide a drive source for swinging the first side wall 33 and a drive source for displacing the pressing unit 29, and there is no need to separately control these, which simplifies the configuration.

[0022] The massage machine 1 is provided with a second swinging mechanism (35) that swings the other, second side wall 38, of the side wall portions 33, 38 on both sides so as to follow one or both of the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the treatment area 9. With this configuration, both the first side wall 33 and the second side wall 38 can be swung so as to follow one or both of the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the treatment area 9 while the treatment area 9 is sandwiched between the side wall portions 33, 38 on both sides, thereby enabling more effective treatment of the treatment area 9. The first side wall 33 and the second side wall 38 are configured to swing out of phase with each other. With this configuration, the treatment area 9 can be sandwiched from both sides and both the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38 can be oscillated out of phase, allowing the treatment area 9 to be rubbed while being pressed by the pressing portion 29, thereby allowing the treatment area 9 to be treated more effectively.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2( b), the massage machine 1 includes a shared drive unit 20 that drives the first rocking mechanism (30) of the left toe treatment unit 13A and the first rocking mechanism (30) of the right toe treatment unit 13B. This configuration simplifies the configuration and control compared to a configuration in which separate drive units are provided for the first rocking mechanisms that rock the first side wall portions 33, 33 of the left toe treatment unit 13A and the right toe treatment unit 13B, which treat the left and right toes. Specifically, the left toe treatment unit 13A and the right toe treatment unit 13B have the same configuration and are bilaterally symmetrical. The drive unit 20 is composed of a motor or the like and rotates a drive shaft 22 that rocks the first rocking mechanism (30) of the left toe treatment unit 13A and the right toe treatment unit 13B. Such a drive unit 20 may be a servomotor or the like that can rotate forward and backward and whose rotation speed can be controlled. The drive unit 20 and the drive shaft 22 are connected via an appropriate transmission mechanism. Such a transmission mechanism may include a worm 20a provided on the shaft of the drive unit 20 and an appropriate worm wheel that meshes with the worm 20a, and may be a reducer 21 connected to the drive shaft 22, or may have various other configurations. The drive shaft 22, the details of which will be described later, is provided to extend in the opposing direction between the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38, and forms an interlocking mechanism.

[0024] 2(b) shows an example in which the drive shaft 22 that swings the first swinging mechanisms (30) of the left toe treatment section 13A and the right toe treatment section 13B is a shared drive shaft 22 that is rotated by the drive unit 20 via a shared reducer 21, but is not limited to this. For example, the drive unit 20 may be a motor or the like with two shafts, and the first swinging mechanisms (30) of the left toe treatment section 13A and the right toe treatment section 13B may be swung by each drive shaft that is rotated via a reducer on each shaft. Furthermore, instead of providing a shared drive unit 20 for rocking the first rocking mechanism (30) of the left toe treatment unit 13A and the first rocking mechanism (30) of the right toe treatment unit 13B as described above, a drive unit for rocking the first rocking mechanism (30) of the left toe treatment unit 13A and a drive unit for rocking the first rocking mechanism (30) of the right toe treatment unit 13B may be provided separately. With such a configuration, it is possible to perform treatment in different ways for the left toe treatment unit 13A and the right toe treatment unit 13B. Note that, hereinafter, similar configurations in the left toe treatment unit 13A and the right toe treatment unit 13B will be described using one of them as an example, referring to the toe treatment unit 13. In addition, in the illustrated example, the side wall portion 33, 38 on both sides that is arranged on the outside of the toes is the first side wall portion 33, and the side wall portion that is arranged on the inside of the toes is the second side wall portion 38, but these may also be arranged in the opposite order.

[0025] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the first swinging mechanism (30) includes a cam receiving portion 31 that rotatably receives the first eccentric cam 23 rotated by the drive shaft 22, and a guide portion (side wall guide portion) 18 that guides the swinging of the first side wall portion 33. With this configuration, when the first eccentric cam 23 is rotated by the drive shaft 22, the first side wall portion 33 can be swung along the longitudinal direction and depth direction of the treatment area 9. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pressing displacement mechanism (26) includes a cam receiving portion 27 that rotatably receives the pressing eccentric cam 25 that is disposed out of phase with the first eccentric cam 23 and rotated by the drive shaft 22, and a guide portion (pressing guide portion) 19 that guides the swinging of the pressing portion 29. With this configuration, when the pressing eccentric cam 25 is rotated by the drive shaft 22, the pressing portion 29 can be oscillated along the longitudinal and depth directions of the treatment area 9 so as to be out of phase with the first side wall portion 33. In other words, when the first side wall portion 33 is displaced to one side in the longitudinal direction of the treatment area 9, the pressing portion 29 is displaced to the other side in the longitudinal direction, which is generally the opposite side, and when the first side wall portion 33 is displaced to one side in the depth direction of the treatment area 9, the pressing portion 29 is displaced to the other side in the depth direction, which is generally the opposite side, thereby effectively applying a stimulus to the treatment area 9. Furthermore, a common drive source can be used to oscillate the first oscillating mechanism (30) and the pressing displacement mechanism (26), which simplifies the configuration and control compared to a configuration in which these are provided separately.

[0026] 3 and 4, the second rocking mechanism (35) includes a cam receiving portion 36 that rotatably receives the second eccentric cam 24 rotated by the drive shaft 22, and a guide portion (side wall guide portion) 18 that guides the rocking of the second side wall portion 38. With this configuration, by rotating the first eccentric cam 23 and the second eccentric cam 24 by the drive shaft 22, the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38 can be rocked along the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the treatment area 9, respectively. This makes it possible to share a drive source that rocks the first rocking mechanism (30) and the second rocking mechanism (35), thereby simplifying the configuration and control compared to a configuration in which these mechanisms are provided separately. In other words, in this embodiment, the drive source that rocks the first rocking mechanism (30), the drive source that rocks the second rocking mechanism (35), and the drive source that rocks the pressing displacement mechanism (26) are all shared as a drive source.

[0027] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2( a), the toe treatment unit 13 includes a case 15 that houses each of the mechanical components. The case 15 is held by an appropriate holder provided on the foot rest 10 of the massage machine 1. The case 15 has grooves that define the left toe receiving groove 14A and the right toe receiving groove 14B, extending in the longitudinal direction of the treatment area 9 and opening forward. The case 15 is covered by an appropriate sheet-like cover or the like provided on the massage machine 1. In the illustrated example, the case 15 is divided into a lower case portion and an upper case portion. The case 15 is not shown in FIG. 2( b), and the upper case portion of the case 15 is not shown in FIGS. 3 to 8. Also, FIGS. 3 and 4 are longitudinal cross-sectional views taken at approximately the center between the left and right toe treatment units 13A and 13B in the left-right direction, looking toward the right toe treatment unit 13B. 5 and 6 are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the right toe treatment section 13B taken between the second side wall 38 and the pressing section 29, looking toward the pressing section 29. Also, Figs. 7 and 8 are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the right toe treatment section 13B taken between the pressing section 29 and the first side wall 33, looking toward the first side wall 33.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2( b), the toe treatment unit 13 includes a base 16 supporting each mechanical component. The base 16 includes a four-way frame surrounding the lower four sides and a vertical frame extending from the rear end of the frame. The base 16 also includes support members 17 extending from both left and right sides of the four-way frame. These support members 17 are plate-shaped and arranged with their thicknesses aligned in the left-right direction. The drive unit 20 is fixed to the left support member 17, which is one of the support members 17, along the outer lateral side of the left support member 17. The reducer 21 is also fixed to the outer lateral side of the left support member 17. The drive shaft 22 is provided below the bottoms of the left and right toe receiving grooves 14A, 14B, so as to span the left-right direction. The drive shaft 22 has one of its axial ends, the left end, connected to the reducer 21, and the other right end, which is rotatably held in an appropriate bearing portion provided in the other right-side holding portion 17.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 to 8, the first eccentric cam 23, the second eccentric cam 24, and the pressing eccentric cam 25 are cylindrical or disk-shaped, with their axial direction aligned with the axial direction of the drive shaft 22, and are perfectly circular when viewed in the axial direction. In the illustrated example, the first eccentric cam 23 and the second eccentric cam 24 have substantially the same diameter, and the pressing eccentric cam 25 has a smaller diameter than the first eccentric cam 23 and the second eccentric cam 24. The first eccentric cam 23, the second eccentric cam 24, and the pressing eccentric cam 25 are fixed to the drive shaft 22 so as to be offset from their respective centers of circle. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first eccentric cam 23 and the pressing eccentric cam 25 are arranged to be offset from each other in the circumferential direction so that the first side wall portion 33 and the pressing portion 29 are displaced in substantially opposite directions. In other words, the maximum diameter portions of the first eccentric cam 23 and the pressing eccentric cam 25 are offset from each other in the circumferential direction when viewed in the axial direction. In the illustrated example, the first eccentric cam 23 and the pressing eccentric cam 25 are provided so that their maximum diameter portions are offset from each other by approximately 150 degrees in the circumferential direction, but they may also be provided so that they are offset from each other by approximately 140 to 220 degrees in the circumferential direction so that the first side wall portion 33 and the pressing portion 29 are displaced in roughly opposite directions. Furthermore, the first eccentric cam 23 and the pressing eccentric cam 25 may also be provided so that they are offset from each other by 180 degrees in the circumferential direction so that the first side wall portion 33 and the pressing portion 29 are displaced in exactly opposite directions.

[0030] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first eccentric cam 23 and the second eccentric cam 24 are disposed so as to be offset from each other in the circumferential direction. The first eccentric cam 23 and the second eccentric cam 24 are disposed so that their maximum diameter portions are offset from each other by approximately 120 degrees in the circumferential direction. That is, the second eccentric cam 24 and the pressing eccentric cam 25 are disposed so that their maximum diameter portions are offset from each other by approximately 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. The phase difference between the first eccentric cam 23, the second eccentric cam 24, and the pressing eccentric cam 25, their respective diameters, and the distance from their respective centers to the drive shaft 22, which serves as the eccentric shaft, can be appropriately set in consideration of factors such as the therapeutic feel. The first eccentric cam 23, the second eccentric cam 24, and the pressing eccentric cam 25 are fixedly disposed relative to the drive shaft 22 so as to be spaced from each other in the axial direction of the drive shaft 22. The first eccentric cam 23 is provided so as to be located at the outer end in the left-right direction, which is the end in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft 22. The second eccentric cam 24 is provided so as to be located at the middle part in the left-right direction, which is the central part in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft 22. The pressing eccentric cam 25 is provided so as to be located approximately in the center between the first eccentric cam 23 and the second eccentric cam 24.

[0031] The sidewall guide portion 18 is axially shaped and extends in the opposing direction between the first sidewall portion 33 and the second sidewall portion 38. The sidewall guide portion 18 is provided so as to span the left-right direction below the bottoms of the left toe receiving groove 14A and the right toe receiving groove 14B. The sidewall guide portion 18 is provided parallel to the drive shaft 22. The sidewall guide portion 18 is provided so as to be positioned at approximately the same height as the drive shaft 22 and further forward than the drive shaft 22. In this embodiment, the sidewall guide portion 18 is a shared guide portion that guides the swinging of the first sidewall portion 33 and the second sidewall portion 38. This configuration reduces the number of parts compared to a configuration in which a guide portion for guiding the swinging of the first sidewall portion 33 and a guide portion for guiding the swinging of the second sidewall portion 38 are provided separately. This side wall guide portion 18 has one of its axial ends, the left end, fixed to the left retaining portion 17, and the other, the right end, fixed to the right retaining portion 17.

[0032] The pressing guide portion 19 is axially shaped and extends in the opposing direction between the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38, and is provided so as to span the left-right direction below the groove bottoms of the left toe receiving groove 14A and the right toe receiving groove 14B. The pressing guide portion 19 is provided parallel to the drive shaft 22. The pressing guide portion 19 is provided so as to be located below the drive shaft 22. One of the axial ends of the pressing guide portion 19, the left end, is fixed to the left holding portion 17, and the other axial end, the right end, is fixed to the right holding portion 17.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the cam receiving portion 31 of the first eccentric cam 23 is provided on a first rocking member 30 constituting the first rocking mechanism. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the first rocking member 30 is provided so that its upper end portion rises from the groove bottom of the toe receiving grooves (left toe receiving groove 14A and right toe receiving groove 14B) and forms a groove wall on one side in the groove width direction. In the illustrated example, the first rocking member 30 is generally plate-shaped, with its thickness direction aligned with the axial direction of the drive shaft 22. In this embodiment, the upper end portion of the first rocking member 30 forms a first side wall portion 33. This first side wall portion 33 may be provided so as to be biased toward the toe (toe) side of the toe receiving groove. In other words, the first side wall portion 33 does not have to be provided over the entire fore-aft direction of the toe receiving groove. In the illustrated example, the heel-side portion of the toe receiving groove does not have the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38, but instead has a heel receiving wall portion formed to receive the heel. The illustrated example also shows an example in which protrusions for pressing against the heel are provided on both opposing inner walls of the heel receiving wall portion. This heel receiving wall portion may be provided with appropriate air cells or the like that stimulate the heel from the left and right, or various other treatment mechanisms. The cam receiving portion 31 is provided at the rear end portion of the lower end portion of the first oscillating member 30. An appropriate rolling bearing or the like may be provided between the inner peripheral surface of this cam receiving portion 31 and the outer peripheral surface of the first eccentric cam 23.

[0034] The first swinging member 30 is provided with a guided portion 32 that is guided by the sidewall guide portion 18. This guided portion 32 is provided at the front end portion of the lower end portion of the first swinging member 30. In this embodiment, the guided portion 32 is an elongated hole through which the axial sidewall guide portion 18 is inserted. This guided portion 32 is provided so as to extend obliquely downward from a rear end portion that is approximately the same height as the cam receiving portion 31 toward the front end portion. This guided portion 32 is provided so that the front end portion of the first sidewall portion 33 swings in accordance with the rear end portion of the first sidewall portion 33 that swings in the longitudinal direction and depth direction of the treatment area 9 due to the first eccentric cam 23. The guided portion 32 and the sidewall guide portion 18 of the first swinging member 30 are not limited to this example. For example, a guide groove for guiding a protrusion or shaft provided on the first swinging member 30 may be provided on the case 15 side, such as the base portion 16. Furthermore, the guided portion 32 and the side wall guide portion 18 are not limited to a configuration consisting of an elongated hole or guide groove and a protrusion or shaft inserted therein, but may be guide surfaces that rub against each other. Furthermore, a cam receiver that receives an eccentric cam provided on the rotatable side wall guide portion 18 may be provided as the guided portion, or various other configurations may be used. Furthermore, instead of being integrally provided on the lower end side of the first side wall portion 33, the cam receiver 31 and the guided portion 32 of the first swinging member 30 may be provided separately from the first side wall portion 33.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2( b), the air cells 34 provided on the first side wall 33 are arranged along the surface of the first side wall 33 facing the toe receiving groove. In the illustrated example, the upper end of the air cell 34 protrudes upward beyond the upper end of the first side wall 33, and both front and rear ends of the air cell 34 protrude in the front-rear direction beyond both front and rear ends of the first side wall 33. The air cell 34 may be configured such that its expanded dimension at its upper end is larger than its expanded dimension at its lower end (the bottom side of the toe receiving groove) generally along the width direction of the toe receiving groove. The first side wall 33 may be provided with an appropriate through-hole through which the connecting portion of the air cell 34 is inserted. The connecting portion of the air cell 34 may be connected to an air source such as an air pump via an air pipe. An air cell supply / exhaust unit such as an electromagnetic valve for controlling the supply and exhaust of air to and from the air cell 34 may be provided at an appropriate location in the air pipe.

[0036] The first side wall portion 33 (and air cell 34) configured as described above is displaced along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) and depth direction (up-down direction) of the treatment area 9 when the first oscillating member 30 is oscillated by rotating the drive shaft 22 by the drive unit 20. That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , when the drive shaft 22 is rotated, the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is displaced front-rear and up-down along with the rotation of the first eccentric cam 23. Furthermore, the front end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is guided and restricted by the side wall guide portion 18 inserted into the guided portion 32 so as to displace along the elongated hole of the guided portion 32 in response to the displacement of the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33. FIG. 7( a) illustrates a lower position in which the maximum diameter portion of the first eccentric cam 23 faces downward and the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is retracted downward. In this state, the front end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is guided and restricted by the side wall guide portion 18 and positioned higher than the rear end portion. Figure 7(b) illustrates a rear position in which the first eccentric cam 23 has rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state in Figure 7(a) so that the maximum diameter portion of the first eccentric cam 23 faces rearward, and the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 has been pushed rearward, i.e., diagonally upward. At this time, the front end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is also guided and restricted by the side wall guide portion 18 and displaced so as to be pushed rearward, i.e., diagonally upward, to assume the rear position and the upper position.

[0037] Figure 8(a) illustrates an upper position in which the first eccentric cam 23 has rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state shown in Figure 7(b) so that the maximum diameter portion thereof faces upward, and the rear end portion of the first sidewall portion 33 has been pushed forward, diagonally upward. At this time, the front end portion of the first sidewall portion 33 is guided and restricted by the sidewall guide portion 18 and displaced so as to be pushed forward, diagonally downward. Figure 8(b) illustrates a front position in which the first eccentric cam 23 has rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state shown in Figure 8(a) so that the maximum diameter portion thereof faces forward, and the rear end portion of the first sidewall portion 33 has been pulled forward, diagonally downward. At this time, the front end portion of the first sidewall portion 33 is similarly guided and restricted by the sidewall guide portion 18 and displaced so as to be pulled forward, diagonally downward, to the front position and the lower position. 7A, when the first eccentric cam 23 is rotated approximately 90 degrees from this state so that the maximum diameter portion faces downward, the rear end portion of the first side wall 33 is pulled rearward, which is diagonally downward, to the above-mentioned downward position. At this time, the front end portion of the first side wall 33 is guided and restricted by the side wall guide 18 and is displaced so as to be pushed rearward, which is diagonally upward.

[0038] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cam receiving portion 27 of the pressure eccentric cam 25 is provided on a pressure displacement member 26 that constitutes a pressure displacement mechanism. The pressure displacement member 26 is generally elongated in the vertical direction, with a pressing portion 29 provided at its upper end exposed at the bottom of the toe receiving grooves (left toe receiving groove 14A and right toe receiving groove 14B). A portion of the pressure displacement member 26 below the pressing portion 29 may be generally plate-shaped, with its thickness direction aligned with the axial direction of the drive shaft 22. The cam receiving portion 27 is provided to be located below the pressing portion 29. An appropriate rolling bearing or the like may be provided between the inner peripheral surface of the cam receiving portion 27 and the outer peripheral surface of the pressure eccentric cam 25.

[0039] The pressing displacement member 26 is provided with a guided portion 28 that is guided by the pressing guide portion 19. This guided portion 28 is provided to be located below the cam receiver 27. In this embodiment, the guided portion 28 is an elongated hole through which the axial pressing guide portion 19 is inserted. This guided portion 28 is provided to extend generally vertically, which is the longitudinal direction of the pressing displacement member 26. This guided portion 28 is provided so that the lower end portion of the pressing displacement member 26 swings in response to the pressing portion 29 that swings in the longitudinal and depth directions of the treatment area 9 due to the pressing eccentric cam 25. The guided portion 28 and the pressing guide portion 19 of the pressing displacement member 26 are not limited to this example. For example, a configuration similar to that described above may be adopted in which a guide groove for guiding a protrusion or shaft provided on the pressing displacement member 26 is provided on the case 15 side of the base portion 16, etc. Furthermore, the guided portion 28 and the pressing guide portion 19 are not limited to a configuration consisting of an elongated hole or guide groove and a protrusion or shaft portion inserted therein, but may also be guide surfaces that rub against each other. Furthermore, a cam receiving portion that receives an eccentric cam provided on the rotatable pressing guide portion 19 may be provided as the guided portion, or various other configurations may be used. Furthermore, instead of the configuration in which the cam receiving portion 27 and the guided portion 28 of the pressing displacement member 26 are provided integrally on the lower end side, which is the base end side of the pressing portion 29, they may be provided separately from the pressing portion 29.

[0040] The pressing portion 29 is provided at the upper end of the pressing displacement member 26 so as to be displaced at approximately the center of the toe receiving groove in the front-to-rear direction. The pressing portion 29 may be configured to press against a region of the sole, including the arch of the foot. In this case, the pressing portion 29 may be configured with appropriate protrusions to effectively treat the medial longitudinal arch. The illustrated example shows an example in which the pressing portion 29 has multiple (two in the illustrated example) protrusions that protrude upward and are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction so as to be positioned in accordance with the medial longitudinal arch. In addition to these multiple protrusions, the pressing portion 29 may also have appropriate protrusions that press against an area outside the medial longitudinal arch. The number of protrusions constituting the pressing portion 29 is not limited to the above number, and may be one. Furthermore, the shape of the protrusions constituting the pressing portion 29 is not limited to the shape shown in the illustration. They may have a surface with irregularities that enhance the acupressure effect, or may be roller-shaped and rotatable around an axis parallel to the drive shaft 22. The pressing portion 29 configured as described above is displaced along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) and depth direction (up-down direction) of the treatment portion 9 by rotating the drive shaft 22 with the drive unit 20, causing the pressing displacement member 26 to swing. That is, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the drive shaft 22 is rotated, the pressing portion 29 is displaced back-rear and up-down along with the rotation of the pressing eccentric cam 25. Furthermore, the lower end portion of the pressing displacement member 26 is guided and restricted by the pressing guide portion 19 inserted into the guided portion 28, and is displaced along the elongated hole of the guided portion 28 so as to follow the displacement of the pressing portion 29.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5( a), in the lower position where the maximum diameter portion of the pressure eccentric cam 25 faces downward and the pressure portion 29 is retracted downward, the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is in a substantially upper position. The pressure portion 29 in this lower position may be recessed without substantially protruding from the bottom of the toe receiving groove. In other words, in the lower position, the pressure portion 29 may be configured to be non-contact with the treatment area 9 received in the toe receiving groove (a position where it does not provide stimulation). FIG. 5( b) illustrates a rear position where the pressure eccentric cam 25 is rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 5( a) so that the maximum diameter portion faces rearward, and the pressure portion 29 is pushed rearward, diagonally upward. In this case, the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is displaced forward, diagonally downward. 6A illustrates an example of an upper position in which the pressing eccentric cam 25 is rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 5B so that the maximum diameter portion of the pressing eccentric cam 25 faces upward, and the pressing portion 29 is pushed forward, i.e., obliquely upward. At this time, the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is displaced rearward, i.e., obliquely downward.

[0042] FIG. 6B illustrates a forward position in which the pressing eccentric cam 25 is rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 6A so that the maximum diameter portion faces forward, and the pressing portion 29 is pushed forward, diagonally downward. At this time, the rear end portion of the first side wall 33 is displaced rearward, diagonally upward. From this state, as shown in FIG. 5A , if the pressing eccentric cam 25 is rotated approximately 90 degrees so that the maximum diameter portion faces downward, the pressing portion 29 is retracted rearward, diagonally downward, to the above-described lower position. At this time, the rear end portion of the first side wall 33 is displaced forward, diagonally upward. In this manner, the pressing portion 29 and the rear end portion of the first side wall 33 are displaced in generally opposite directions, i.e., with a phase difference of approximately 180 degrees, more specifically, with a phase difference of approximately 150 degrees. Note that instead of a configuration in which one pressing portion 29 is provided so as to be located between the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38, a configuration in which two or more pressing portions 29 are provided may be adopted. Instead of or in addition to such an embodiment, a configuration in which pressing portions 29 are provided at multiple locations in the longitudinal direction of the treatment area 9 may be adopted. In these cases, these multiple pressing portions 29 may be configured to displace in the same manner, or may be configured to displace so as to be out of phase with each other. Furthermore, instead of or in addition to a configuration in which a pressing portion 29 is provided on the bottom side of the toe receiving groove, a configuration in which it is provided on the heel side may be adopted.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cam receiving portion 36 of the second eccentric cam 24 is provided on a second rocking member 35 constituting the second rocking mechanism. This second rocking member 35 may have a configuration similar to the first rocking member 30 described above. As shown in FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b) , the second rocking member 35 is provided so that its upper end portion rises from the groove bottom of the toe receiving groove (left toe receiving groove 14A and right toe receiving groove 14B) and forms the groove wall on the other side in the groove width direction. In the illustrated example, the second rocking member 35 is generally plate-shaped, with its thickness direction aligned with the axial direction of the drive shaft 22. In this embodiment, the upper end portion of the second rocking member 35 forms a second side wall portion 38. Like the first side wall portion 33, this second side wall portion 38 may be provided so as to be biased toward the toe side of the toe receiving groove. In other words, the second side wall portion 38 does not have to be provided over the entire fore-and-aft direction of the toe receiving groove. The cam receiving portion 36 is provided at the rear end portion of the lower end portion of the second swinging member 35. An appropriate rolling bearing or the like may be provided between the inner peripheral surface of this cam receiving portion 36 and the outer peripheral surface of the second eccentric cam 24.

[0044] The second swinging member 35 has a guided portion 37 that is guided by the sidewall guide portion 18. This guided portion 37 is provided at the front end portion of the lower end portion of the second swinging member 35. Similar to the first swinging member 30, the guided portion 37 is an elongated hole through which the axial sidewall guide portion 18 is inserted. This guided portion 37 is provided so as to extend obliquely downward from a rear end portion that is positioned at approximately the same height as the cam receiving portion 36 toward the front end portion. This guided portion 37 is provided so that the front end portion of the second sidewall portion 38 swings in accordance with the rear end portion of the second sidewall portion 38 that swings in the longitudinal direction and depth direction of the treatment area 9 due to the second eccentric cam 24. The guided portion 37 and the sidewall guide portion 18 of the second swinging member 35 are not limited to this example. For example, a guide groove for guiding a protrusion or shaft provided on the second swinging member 35 may be provided on the case 15 side, such as the base portion 16. Furthermore, the guided portion 37 and the side wall guide portion 18 are not limited to a configuration consisting of an elongated hole or guide groove and a protrusion or shaft inserted therein, but may be guide surfaces that rub against each other. Furthermore, a cam receiving portion that receives an eccentric cam provided on the rotatable side wall guide portion 18 may be provided as the guided portion, or various other configurations may be used. Furthermore, instead of being integrally provided on the lower end side of the second side wall portion 38, the cam receiving portion 36 and the guided portion 37 of the second swinging member 35 may be provided separately from the second side wall portion 38.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2B , the air cells 39 provided in the second side wall 38 are arranged along the surface of the second side wall 38 facing the toe receiving groove. In the illustrated example, the upper end of the air cell 39 protrudes upward beyond the upper end of the second side wall 38, and both front and rear ends of the air cell 39 protrude in the front-rear direction beyond both front and rear ends of the second side wall 38. The illustrated example also shows an example in which the vertical dimension of the air cell 39 is smaller than the vertical dimension of the air cell 34 of the first side wall 33. The air cell 39 may be configured such that its upper end is larger in inflation than its lower end (the bottom side of the toe receiving groove) in the width direction of the toe receiving groove. The second side wall 38 may be provided with an appropriate through-hole through which the connecting portion of the air cell 39 is inserted. An air source, such as an air pump, may be connected to the connecting portion of the air cell 39 via an air pipe. An air cell supply / exhaust unit such as an electromagnetic valve for controlling the supply and exhaust of air to the air cell 39 may be provided at an appropriate position in the air pipeline.

[0046] The second side wall 38 (and air cell 39) configured as described above is displaced along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) and depth direction (up-down direction) of the treatment area 9 when the second oscillating member 35 is oscillated by rotating the drive shaft 22 by the drive unit 20. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , when the drive shaft 22 is rotated, the rear end portion of the second side wall 38 is displaced front-rear and up-down along with the rotation of the second eccentric cam 24. Furthermore, the front end portion of the second side wall 38 is guided and restricted by the side wall guide 18 inserted into the guided portion 37 so as to displace along the elongated hole of the guided portion 37 in response to the displacement of the rear end portion of the second side wall 38. FIG. 3( a) illustrates a lower position in which the maximum diameter portion of the second eccentric cam 24 faces downward and the rear end portion of the second side wall 38 is retracted downward. In this state, the front end portion of the second side wall portion 38 is guided and restricted by the sidewall guide portion 18 and positioned higher than the rear end portion. Also, in this state, the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is in a generally forward position, and the pressing portion 20 is in the rear position described above. Figure 3( b ) illustrates a rear position in which the second eccentric cam 24 is rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state shown in Figure 3( a ) so that the maximum diameter portion of the second side wall portion 38 faces rearward, and the rear end portion of the second side wall portion 38 is pushed rearward, i.e., diagonally upward. At this time, the front end portion of the second side wall portion 38 is also guided and restricted by the sidewall guide portion 18 and displaced so as to be pushed rearward, i.e., diagonally upward, to the rear and upper positions. Also, at this time, the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is in a generally downward position, and the pressing portion 20 is in the upper position described above.

[0047] Figure 4(a) illustrates an upper position in which the second eccentric cam 24 has rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state shown in Figure 3(b) so that the maximum diameter portion thereof faces upward, and the rear end portion of the second side wall portion 38 has been pushed forward, diagonally upward. At this time, the front end portion of the second side wall portion 38 is guided and restricted by the side wall guide portion 18, and is displaced so as to be pushed forward, diagonally downward. Also, at this time, the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is in a generally rearward position, and the pressing portion 29 is in the forward position described above. Figure 4(b) illustrates an upper position in which the second eccentric cam 24 has rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state shown in Figure 4(a) so that the maximum diameter portion thereof faces forward, and the rear end portion of the second side wall portion 38 has been pulled forward, diagonally downward. At this time, the front end portion of the second side wall portion 38 is similarly guided and restricted by the side wall guide portion 18 and displaced so as to be pulled forward, i.e., diagonally downward, to the front position and the lower position. At this time, the rear end portion of the first side wall portion 33 is generally in the upper position, and the pressing portion 29 is in the lower position. From this state, as shown in FIG. 3( a), if the second eccentric cam 24 is rotated approximately 90 degrees so that the maximum diameter portion faces downward, the rear end portion of the second side wall portion 38 is pulled rearward, i.e., diagonally downward, to the lower position. At this time, the front end portion of the second side wall portion 38 is guided and restricted by the side wall guide portion 18 and displaced so as to be pushed rearward, i.e., diagonally upward.

[0048] As described above, the rear end portion of the second side wall 38 and the pressing portion 29 are displaced with a phase difference of approximately 90 degrees, and the rear end portion of the second side wall 38 and the rear end portion of the first side wall 33 are displaced with a phase difference of approximately 120 degrees. The phase difference when the pressing portion 29, the first side wall 33, and the second side wall 38 are swung is not limited to this. For example, instead of the configuration in which the first side wall 33 and the second side wall 38 are swung out of phase with each other, the first side wall 33 and the second side wall 38 may be configured to displace in the same direction as each other, as in a modified example described below. With this configuration, the treatment area 9 can be sandwiched from both sides and swung in the same direction, while being pressed by the pressing portion 29, which displaces in approximately the opposite direction to the first side wall 33 and the second side wall 38, allowing for more effective treatment of the treatment area 9. The displacement trajectories of the pressing portion 29, the first side wall portion 33, and the second side wall portion 38 are not limited to those described above and may be set appropriately taking into consideration the feeling of treatment, etc. In addition, in the example described above, the eccentric cams 23, 24, and 25 of the right toe treatment portion 13B are rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the center in the left-right direction to the outside in the left-right direction (the eccentric cams 23, 24, and 25 of the left toe treatment portion 13A are rotated clockwise when viewed from the center in the left-right direction to the outside in the left-right direction), but they may be rotated in the opposite direction. Furthermore, the forward position, rearward position, upper position and lower position of the above-mentioned pressing portion 29, first side wall portion 33 and second side wall portion 38 are not limited to the forwardmost position, rearwardmost position, uppermost position and lowermost position, but may also include a further forward position, a further rearward position, a further upper position and a further lower position depending on the displacement trajectory of the pressing displacement member 26, first oscillating member 30 and second oscillating member 35.

[0049] In the above example, the first side wall portion 33, the pressing portion 29, and the second side wall portion 38 are displaced by a single drive shaft 22, but this is not a limitation. For example, the first side wall portion 33, the pressing portion 29, and the second side wall portion 38 may be displaced by multiple drive shafts connected to the drive unit 20 via different reducers. With this configuration, it is possible to vary the operating speed and torque by varying the reduction ratio of each reducer. Furthermore, the manner in which the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38 are oscillated along one or both of the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the treatment area 9 is not limited to the configuration including the oscillating members 30, 35 oscillated by the eccentric cams 23, 24 rotated around the drive shaft 22 as described above. For example, various configurations may be used, such as a configuration including a pinion that meshes with racks provided on the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38, a configuration including an appropriate drive source such as a cylinder or air cell that displaces the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38 along the guide groove, or other configurations. Furthermore, instead of a configuration including a drive source that links the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38, a configuration including a drive source that swings them individually may be used. Furthermore, while the above example illustrates a configuration in which the pressing portion 29 is displaced mechanically linked to the first side wall portion 33 (and the second side wall portion 38), the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The first side wall portion 33 (and the second side wall portion 38) and the pressing portion 29 may not be mechanically linked. In this case, a configuration including an appropriate drive source such as a motor, cylinder, or air cell that displaces the pressing portion 29 may be used. In this case, the drive source of the pressing portion 29 may be controlled by an appropriate control unit so that the pressing portion 29 is linked to one or both of the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38.

[0050] The massage machine 1 may also include a detection unit that detects the position of at least one of the pressing unit 29, the first side wall unit 33, and the second side wall unit 38. The massage machine 1 is also provided with an appropriate power supply unit and power cord that are connected to an external commercial power source or the like and supply drive power to each of the above-mentioned units. The massage machine 1 is also provided with an operation display unit and a control unit that is connected to each unit via signal lines or the like and controls each unit.

[0051] Next, an example of a treatment mode according to one variation of the toe treatment unit will be described with reference to Figures 9(a) to 9(d). In Figures 9(a) to 9(d), the longitudinal direction of the toes constituting the treatment unit 9 is illustrated as the vertical direction of the page. Also, Figures 9(a) to 9(d) illustrate an example in which the first side wall 33 and the second side wall 38 of the toe treatment unit 13 (the left toe treatment unit 13A in the illustrated example) are inflated and then swung in the longitudinal direction (and depth direction) of the treatment unit 9. However, this is not a limitation. For example, when the first side wall 33 and the second side wall 38 are swung, the air cells 34 and 39 may be gradually inflated, gradually deflated, or alternately inflated, or various other modes of inflation and deflation may be used.

[0052] As shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38 in the forward position are displaced rearward, while the pressing portion 29 in the rear position is displaced forward. Also, as shown in Figures 9(c) and 9(d), the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38 in the rear position are displaced forward, while the pressing portion 29 in the forward position is displaced rearward. With this configuration, the toes constituting the treatment area 9 are displaced in the front-to-rear direction by the first side wall portion 33 and the second side wall portion 38, while the pressing portion 29 displaces in the opposite direction, pressing the back side (arch) of the toes. Furthermore, the first side wall portion 33 (air cells 34) and the second side wall portion 38 (air cells 39) function like the fingers other than the thumbs of both hands of a masseuse or other therapist, and the pressing portion 29 functions like the thumbs, which is expected to provide a therapeutic sensation similar to that experienced by a human therapist. In addition, instead of or in addition to a configuration in which the first side wall portion 33, the second side wall portion 38 and the pressing portion 29 are displaceable in the front-to-back direction (longitudinal direction of the toes), they may be configured to be displaceable in the up-down direction (depth direction of the toes).

[0053] In the above example, the chair-type massage machine 1 is provided with the toe treatment unit 13, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the massage machine 1 may be a so-called foot massager that treats only the left and right legs, or may be a massager that treats only the toes. Also, instead of a configuration that includes the left toe treatment unit 13A and the right toe treatment unit 13B that treat both the left and right toes, a configuration that includes only one of them may be used.

[0054] Next, an example of a massage machine including a treatment unit according to a modified example will be described with reference to FIGS. 9( e) and 9( f). FIG. 9( e) schematically illustrates a massage machine including a treatment unit according to a first modified example. The massage machine 1A according to this modified example includes a shoulder treatment unit 13C that treats the area near the shoulders that constitute the treatment area 9A of the user. The shoulder treatment unit 13C includes a left side wall portion 33A that constitutes the first side wall portion, a right side wall portion 38A that constitutes the second side wall portion, and pressing portions 29A, 29A that press against the backside of both shoulders that constitute the treatment area 9A. The left side wall portion 33A and the right side wall portion 38A define both sides of a receiving recess 14C that receives the user. The left side wall portion 33A and the right side wall portion 38A are provided with air cells 34, 39, respectively, in a manner generally similar to that described above. Furthermore, the left side wall 33A and the right side wall 38A and the pressing portions 29A, 29A on both sides are configured to be displaced in generally opposite directions in the front-to-rear direction. According to this modification, the left side wall 33A and the right side wall 38A press the shoulder portions on both sides rearward, while the pressing portions 29A, 29A on both sides press the shoulder portions on both sides from the rear side.

[0055] 9(f) is a schematic diagram of a massage machine including a treatment unit according to a second modification. Similar to the first modification, the massage machine 1B according to this modification includes a shoulder treatment unit 13D that treats the area near the shoulders of the treatment unit 9B of the user. The shoulder treatment unit 13D includes a left side wall 33B that constitutes the first side wall, a right side wall 38B that constitutes the second side wall, and pressing units 29B, 29B that press against the back of the shoulders of the treatment unit 9A. The left side wall 33B and the right side wall 38B define both sides of a receiving recess 14D that receives the user. The left side wall 33B and the right side wall 38B are provided with air cells 34, 39, respectively, similar to those described above. Furthermore, the left side wall 33B and the right side wall 38B and the pressing portions 29B, 29B on both sides are configured to be displaced in generally opposite directions in the up-down direction. According to this modification, the left side wall 33B and the right side wall 38B press the shoulder portions on both sides downward, while the pressing portions 29B, 29B on both sides are displaced upward to press the shoulder portions on both sides from the rear side.

[0056] Instead of the configurations of the first and second modifications, the pressing portion 29A (29B) may be configured to be displaced in a direction generally opposite to the left side wall portion 33A (33B) and the right side wall portion 38A (38B), which are displaced in the front-to-back and up-down directions. Furthermore, the massage machines 1, 1A, and 1B are not limited to the above-described configurations in which the treatment areas 9, 9A, and 9B are the areas near the toes or shoulders. For example, the treatment areas may be the calves (lower legs), thighs (upper legs), forearms, upper arms, or the buttocks, lower back, back, or neck. The positions and displacement manner of the first and second side walls and the pressing portion may be modified depending on the treatment area. For example, if the treatment area is the forearm, the first and second side walls may be arranged so as to face each other vertically. In the above examples, air cells are provided on both the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion, but they may be provided on only one of them, or an appropriate pressing portion may be provided instead of the air cells. In the above examples, both the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion are configured to oscillate along one or both of the longitudinal and depth directions of the treatment area, but only one of them may oscillate along one or both of the longitudinal and depth directions of the treatment area. The configurations and treatment modes of the components constituting the massage machines 1, 1A, and 1B according to the present embodiment are not limited to the above examples, and various other modifications are possible.

[0057] 1, 1A, 1B Massage machine 13A Left toe treatment section 13B Right toe treatment section 18 Side wall guide section (first swinging mechanism, second swinging mechanism, guide section) 19 Pressing guide section (pressing displacement mechanism, guide section) 20 Drive section 22 Drive shaft (interlocking mechanism) 23 First eccentric cam 24 Second eccentric cam 25 Pressing eccentric cam 26 Pressing displacement member (pressing displacement mechanism) 27 Cam receiver 29 Pressing section 30 First swinging member (first swinging mechanism) 31 Cam receiver 33 First side wall section (side wall section) 33A, 33B Left side wall section (first side wall section, side wall section) 34 Air cell 35 Second swinging member (second swinging mechanism) 36 Cam receiver 38 Second side wall section (side wall section) 38A, 38B Right side wall part (second side wall part, side wall part) 39 Air cell 9, 9A, 9B Treated part

Claims

1. Side wall portions on both sides for holding the treatment target portion while sandwiching it from both sides, a first swing mechanism for swinging one of the first side wall portions of these two side wall portions along one or both of the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the treatment target portion, a pressing portion for pressing the treatment target portion between the two side wall portions, and a pressing displacement mechanism for displacing the pressing portion in a direction substantially opposite to that of the first side wall portion. A massage machine characterized by comprising these components.

2. In Claim 1, A massage machine characterized by comprising an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the first swing mechanism and the pressing displacement mechanism.

3. In Claim 2, The interlocking mechanism is rotated by a drive unit and includes a drive shaft extending in the facing direction between the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion. The first swing mechanism includes a cam receiving portion for rotatably receiving a first eccentric cam rotated by the drive shaft, and a guide portion for guiding the swing of the first side wall portion. The pressing displacement mechanism includes a cam receiving portion for rotatably receiving a pressing eccentric cam provided so as to be out of phase with respect to the first eccentric cam and rotated by the drive shaft, and a guide portion for guiding the swing of the pressing portion. A massage machine characterized by comprising these components.

4. In any one of Claims 1 to 3, A massage machine characterized by comprising a second swing mechanism for swinging the other second side wall portion of the two side wall portions along one or both of the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the treatment target portion.

5. In Claim 4, A massage machine characterized in that the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion are configured to swing with a phase shift with respect to each other.

6. In Claim 4, A massage machine characterized in that the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion are configured to swing in the same direction with respect to each other.

7. In Claim 4, The first swing mechanism includes a cam receiving portion for rotatably receiving a first eccentric cam rotated by a drive shaft extending in the facing direction between the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion, and a guide portion for guiding the swing of the first side wall portion. The second swing mechanism includes a cam receiving portion for rotatably receiving a second eccentric cam rotated by the drive shaft, and a guide portion for guiding the swing of the second side wall portion. A massage machine characterized by comprising these components.

8. In any one of Claims 1 to 3, The massage machine is characterized in that air cells that expand and contract by introducing and discharging air are provided on the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion.

9. In any one of Claims 1 to 3, a left foot tip treatment portion having the both side wall portions arranged on both sides of the left foot tip constituting the treatment portion, the first swing mechanism, the pressing portion, and the pressing displacement mechanism; and a right foot tip treatment portion having the both side wall portions arranged on both sides of the right foot tip constituting the treatment portion, the first swing mechanism, the pressing portion, and the pressing displacement mechanism, the massage machine being characterized by including these.

10. In Claim 9, the massage machine is characterized by including a shared drive portion that swings the first swing mechanism of the left foot tip treatment portion and the first swing mechanism of the right foot tip treatment portion.