Massage unit and massage machine

Abstract

In this massage unit, a control unit performs, in conjunction with each other: a kneading operation in which, by operating a kneading mechanism, a width adjusting mechanism, and a lifting mechanism synchronously, the maximum value in the left-right direction and the maximum value in the up-down direction of a trajectory drawn by the center of each of a pair of treatment elements are made lower than when only the kneading mechanism operates; and a tapping operation by a tapping mechanism.

Description

Massage units and massage machines

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a massage machine that can perform kneading by placing a treatment element on a stiff muscle and rotating the treatment element in a small circular motion while applying localized pressure.

[0003] Patent No. 7072701

[0004] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for massage machines that can provide even greater therapeutic effects.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a massage unit and a massage machine that can provide a high therapeutic effect.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the massage unit of the present invention includes a pair of treatment applicators, a kneading mechanism capable of moving the pair of treatment applicators so that the centers of the pair of treatment applicators describe a path having widths in the up, down, left, and right directions, a tapping mechanism capable of moving the pair of treatment applicators back and forth in the front and back directions, a lifting mechanism capable of adjusting the vertical positions of the pair of treatment applicators, a width adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the left-right width of the pair of treatment applicators, a strength adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the front-to-back positions of the pair of treatment applicators, and a control unit. The control unit synchronizes the kneading mechanism, the width adjustment mechanism, and the lifting mechanism to perform a kneading operation in which the maximum left-right and maximum up-down values ​​of the path are smaller than when the kneading mechanism alone is operating, and a tapping operation by the tapping mechanism in conjunction with each other.

[0007] The massage unit and massage machine according to the present invention can provide a higher therapeutic effect than conventional massage units.

[0008] 10 is a perspective view of a massage machine according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a front view of a backrest portion. FIG. 10 is a front view of a backrest portion with another configuration. FIG. 10 is a front view of a backrest portion with yet another configuration. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a massage unit. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a massage unit as seen from the front side. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a massage unit as seen from the rear side. FIG. 10 is a front view of a massage unit. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the massage unit shown in FIG. 9 taken along line X-X. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the massage unit shown in FIG. 9 taken along line XI-XI. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the massage unit shown in FIG. 9 taken along line XII-XII. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a treatment unit as seen from the front. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a treatment unit as seen from the rear. FIG. 10 is a side view of the treatment unit. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the range of movement of the body of a user and treatment applicators. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the treatment procedure. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a body measurement operation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the left-right positions of the treatment applicators and the first width adjustment guide during a kneading operation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the trajectory of the treatment applicators. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the up-down positions of the treatment applicators and the drive shaft during a kneading operation. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the trajectory of the treatment applicators.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a massage machine 100 according to one embodiment. The massage machine 100 shown in Fig. 1 is covered with a cover Cv made of natural leather, synthetic leather, fabric, or the like.

[0010] In the following description, the front side (front face side) of the user seated on the massage machine 100 will be referred to as the "front side," and the back side (back face side) of the user seated on the massage machine 100 will be referred to as the "rear side." The upper side (head side) of the user seated on the massage machine 100 will be referred to as the "upper side," and the lower side (leg side) of the user seated on the massage machine 100 will be referred to as the "lower side." The right side of the user seated on the massage machine 100 will be referred to as the "right side," and the left side of the user seated on the massage machine 100 will be referred to as the "left side." "Extending along" a predetermined direction includes not only cases where the user extends strictly in the predetermined direction, but also cases where the user extends in a direction tilted at an angle of less than 45° relative to the strict direction.

[0011] <Massage Machine 100> The massage machine 100 massages and loosens the entire body of a supported user. As shown in Figure 1, the massage machine 100 has a base unit 10, a seat unit 20, a backrest unit 30, an arm treatment unit 40, and a leg treatment unit 50.

[0012] The seat 20 and backrest 30 support the body of the user. The seat 20 supports the buttocks and thighs of the user. The seat 20 may have an inflatable / deflatable section for treating the buttocks or thighs. The inflatable / deflatable section has, for example, a bag (a so-called airbag) that can be repeatedly inflated and deflated by filling and discharging air. Note that the inflatable / deflatable sections used in the following description have a similar configuration.

[0013] The backrest 30 supports the shoulders, waist, and back of the user and is erected upward from the rear of the seat 20. The backrest 30 has a reclining function, in which the upper part of the backrest 30 is tilted backward relative to the seat 20 by a reclining motor (not shown).

[0014] A massage unit 60, which will be described later, is disposed within the backrest 30 and moves up and down along the backrest 30, guided by guide rails 31R and 31L provided on the backrest 30. The backrest 30 may also have an expansion / contraction section for massaging the shoulders and upper arm sides of the user. Details of the backrest 30 and the massage unit 60 will be described later.

[0015] The base 10 supports the seat 20 and the backrest 30. The arm treatment units 40 are provided on the base 10 and stand upright from both the left and right ends of the seat 20. The arm treatment units 40 incorporate expansion / contraction units (not shown) and treat the arms of the user by expanding and contracting the expansion / contraction units.

[0016] The leg treatment unit 50 supports the lower legs of the user. The lower legs are, for example, the parts of the legs below the knees. The leg treatment unit 50 is provided below the front of the seat 20. The lower part of the leg treatment unit 50 rotates upward around the front of the seat 20 as an axis. The rotation of the leg treatment unit 50 can be performed in synchronization with the reclining movement of the backrest 30. The reclining movement of the backrest 30 and the rotation of the leg treatment unit 50 may also be performed independently.

[0017] The leg treatment section 50 has a recess 51 into which the lower leg of the user can be inserted. The recess 51 is provided with, for example, an expansion / contraction section, and is configured to compress the inserted lower leg to provide treatment.

[0018] <Backrest 30> Figure 2 is a front view of the backrest 30. The backrest 30 shown in Figure 2 has the cover Cv removed. As shown in Figure 2, the backrest 30 has a back frame 300, which has a hole 33 extending in the vertical direction at the center when viewed from the front. The hole 33 extends from the lower end of the back frame 300 toward the upper part.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2 , the hole 33 has a first region 331 and a second region 332. The width of the first region 331 in the left-right direction is a first width W1. The width of the second region 332 in the left-right direction is a second width W2, which is narrower than the first width W1. As shown in FIG. 2 , the hole 33 in the backrest 30 has an upper first region 331u and a lower first region 331d. The second region 332 is disposed between the upper first region 331u and the lower first region 331d, and is formed continuously with the first region 331u and the first region 331d.

[0020] The first region 331u above the hole 33 in the back frame 300 of the backrest 30 corresponds to the shoulders of the seated user. The first region 331d below the hole 33 corresponds to the waist of the seated user. The second region 332 corresponds to the back of the seated user.

[0021] The treatment elements 622 of the massage unit 60 protrude forward from the back frame 300 of the backrest 30 through the holes 33. In the massage machine 100, the treatment is performed on the shoulders and lower back of the user over a wide range in the left-right direction, while the treatment is performed on the back of the user over a narrower range in the left-right direction than on the shoulders and lower back. This allows the treatment elements 622 to provide a kneading and tapping effect over a wide range in the left-right direction on the shoulders and lower back of the user, whose muscles are distributed over a wide range in the left-right direction.

[0022] On the other hand, on the back, there is muscle in the left-right central portion, but not much muscle at the ends. Therefore, the treatment effect of the treatment elements 622 is low at the left-right ends of the back. In other words, even if the treatment elements 622 are moved over a wide range in the left-right direction, the effect is low in the portion corresponding to the back, so a second region 332 of the second width W2 is formed in the portion of the hole 33 corresponding to the back.

[0023] In the backrest 30, the back frame 300 can be made lighter by forming holes 33. On the other hand, if the holes 33 are too large, the rigidity of the back frame 300 of the backrest 30 may decrease, and the user's body may sink into the holes 33. By providing the second region 332 in the holes 33 with a second width W2 narrower than the first width W1 of the first region 331, it is possible to prevent the rigidity of the back frame 300 from decreasing and also to prevent the user's body from sinking.

[0024] The portion of the backrest 30 adjacent to the second region 332 of the back frame 300 in the left-right direction is a protrusion 34 whose opening protrudes inward of the backrest 30. An inflation / deflation section 35 is disposed on the front surface of the protrusion 34. The inflation / deflation section 35 expands when compressed air is supplied from an air compressor (not shown), for example, and contracts when the air is removed. In other words, the inflation / deflation section 35 is a bag (a so-called airbag) that can be repeatedly inflated and deflated with air.

[0025] When the expansion / contraction unit 35 expands, it simultaneously or alternately pushes both the left and right ends of the user's back forward and inward in the left-right direction. The expansion / contraction unit 35 is configured to press the user's body by expanding through filling with air, and can provide gentler treatment than the kneading and tapping by the treatment elements 622.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a front view of a backrest 30A having another configuration. The back frame 300a of the backrest 30A shown in FIG. 3 has a pair of movable protrusions 34a that can move (move) in the left-right direction. The protrusions 34a can move toward or away from each other in the left-right direction between a first width W1 and a second width W2, for example. The width of the protrusions 34a can be set based on a user's operation or pre-stored body information (e.g., including shoulder position P1, back position P2, waist position P3, and buttocks position P4, which will be described later; hereinafter, this information will be referred to as "body type information"). In addition, in the massage machine 100, the protrusions 34a may be configured to move inward as the expansion / contraction unit 35 expands and move outward as the expansion / contraction unit 35 contracts.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a front view of a backrest 30B having yet another configuration. The back frame 300b of the backrest 30B shown in FIG. 4 has two pairs of protrusions 34. As a result, the hole 33 has two second regions 332, one above the other. A first region 331 is disposed between adjacent second regions 332 in the vertical direction of the hole 33. As a result, the protrusions 34 support multiple points on the user's body, preventing the user's body from falling into the hole 33. Note that the backrest 30B may also be configured to have three or more second regions 332. Furthermore, each of the two pairs of protrusions 34 may be movable in the left-right direction.

[0028] Fig. 5 is a front view of a backrest 30C having yet another configuration. The back frame 300c of the backrest 30C shown in Fig. 5 has three movable protrusions 34a. The three pairs of protrusions 34a are arranged vertically. The three protrusions 34a are arranged in areas corresponding to the shoulders, back, and waist of the user's body, for example.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 5, the left-right movement of the protrusion 34a is synchronized with the up-down movement of the massage unit 60. For example, the protrusion 34a that overlaps the massage unit 60 in the front-to-back direction moves outward in the left-to-right direction. This allows the massage machine 100 to widen the treatment range in the left-to-right direction by the massage unit 60. In other words, the massage machine 100 can treat a wide range of the user's body with the massage unit 60.

[0030] The protrusions 34a other than those overlapping with the massage unit 60 are arranged on the inside. Therefore, the protrusions 34a arranged on the inside support the body of the person to be treated, and can prevent the body from falling into the hole 33. This allows the massage machine 100 to perform a wide range of treatment while preventing the body from falling. The number of protrusions 34a is not limited to three. Furthermore, at least one pair of protrusions 34 may be stationary.

[0031] Furthermore, the protrusion 34a may be arranged to be movable in the left-right and up-down directions. By moving the protrusion 34a up and down, the vertical position of the second region 332 can be changed. This configuration allows the narrow region in the left-right direction through which the treatment element 622 can protrude forward from the hole 33 to be adjusted. The protrusion 34 may also be moved to change its width in the left-right direction. In this way, the movable protrusion 34 allows the rigidity of the backrest 30 to be maintained while expanding the region on the user's body that the treatment element 622 can treat. Furthermore, the narrow region in the left-right direction can be adjusted to fit the user's body, allowing treatment to be tailored to the user's body.

[0032] <Configuration of Massage Unit 60> Next, the details of the massage unit 60 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the massage unit 60. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the massage unit 60 as seen from the front side. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the massage unit 60 as seen from the rear side. FIG. 9 is a front view of the massage unit 60. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the massage unit 60 shown in FIG. 9 taken along line X-X. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the massage unit 60 shown in FIG. 9 taken along line XI-XI. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the massage unit 60 shown in FIG. 9 taken along line XII-XII.

[0033] 6, 7, and 8, the massage unit 60 includes a base portion 61, a pair of treatment portions 62, a kneading mechanism 63, a tapping mechanism 64, a width adjustment mechanism 65, a strength adjustment mechanism 66, and a lifting mechanism 67. The massage machine 100 also includes a control portion 70 and an operation portion 80.

[0034] 6, the control unit 70 is connected to the kneading mechanism 63, the hitting mechanism 64, the width adjustment mechanism 65, the strength adjustment mechanism 66, and the lifting mechanism 67, and acquires information from each mechanism and controls the operation of each mechanism. Details of the connection between the control unit 70 and each mechanism will be explained as necessary when explaining each mechanism.

[0035] 6, the control unit 70 includes a processing unit 71 and a storage unit 72. The processing unit 71 includes an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The processing unit 71 controls the massage unit 60 based on arithmetic processing using information from each mechanism and information stored in the storage unit 72.

[0036] The storage unit 72 includes a semiconductor memory element such as a read only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), a portable memory element such as a flash memory, or a storage medium such as a hard disk, or is a circuit to which a memory element or a storage medium is connected. The storage unit 72 stores information from each of the above-mentioned mechanisms and information necessary for controlling each mechanism.

[0037] In the control unit 70, the processing unit 71 may be configured to perform calculations using a stand-alone circuit, or may perform calculations and control by using a general-purpose calculation circuit and executing a program stored in the memory unit 72.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 6, an operation unit 80 that receives operations from the user is connected to the control unit 70. The operation unit 80 has a display unit 81 and an input unit 82. The display unit 81 includes a display device for displaying the operating status of the massage unit 60. Examples of the display device include a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. The control unit 70 may also be configured to notify the user by turning on or off an LED or the like.

[0039] The input unit 82 includes an input device that accepts input from the user or the operator. Examples of the input device include a push button, a slide button, a volume switch, etc. Alternatively, the above-mentioned touch panel that is attached to the surface of the display unit 81 and accepts input by touch may be used.

[0040] Although the massage machine 100 of this embodiment is shown as being equipped with an operation unit 80, a mobile device such as a smartphone carried by the user may also be used. In this case, the massage machine 100 is configured to have a connection unit for connecting to the mobile device. Note that the massage machine 100 may be configured to have both the operation unit 80 and the connection unit.

[0041] 7, the base unit 61 has a left base plate 610L and a right base plate 610R. The left base plate 610L and the right base plate 610R are plate-shaped members arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides and arranged to face each other in the left-right direction. A strength adjustment shaft 661 and a strength adjustment motor 665 (described later) of the strength adjustment mechanism 66, and a drive shaft 671, a driven shaft 672, and an elevation motor 675 of the elevation mechanism 67 are attached to the base unit 61.

[0042] The base unit 61 is provided with a connecting unit 611 that connects the kneading mechanism 63, the hitting mechanism 64, and the width adjustment mechanism 65. The connecting unit 611 has a first support unit 612 and a second support unit 613. The first support unit 612 and the second support unit 613 are both flat plate-shaped members that are arranged in the left-right direction of the treatment unit 62 and support the treatment unit 62.

[0043] A pair of left and right connecting portions 611 are provided on the base portion 61. A bracket 617 is provided in the middle portion in the left-right direction of the pair of connecting portions 611. The bracket 617 rotatably supports a kneading shaft 631 (described later) of the kneading mechanism 63 and a hitting shaft 641 (described later) of the hitting mechanism 64. In other words, the kneading shaft 631 and the hitting shaft 641 are rotatable relative to the bracket 617.

[0044] <Pair of treatment units 62> The pair of treatment units 62 are arranged symmetrically. Here, the right treatment unit 62R arranged on the right side will be described as the treatment unit 62. When it is necessary to distinguish between the left and right of the pair of treatment units 62, the treatment unit 62 on the left side will be referred to as the left treatment unit 62L, and the treatment unit 62 on the right side will be referred to as the right treatment unit 62R. In the following description, when other components are distinguished between the left and right sides, they will also be distinguished by adding the suffix L to the left component and the suffix R to the right component.

[0045] The treatment unit 62 includes an arm 621 and a treatment element 622. The arm 621 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the front-rear and up-down directions, and the treatment element 622 is attached to the front end. The treatment element 622 is a rotating body centered on a central axis extending in the left-right direction. A rotating body centered on a central axis is a three-dimensional object created when a figure arranged on a plane including the central axis is rotated around the central axis. In this embodiment, the central axis is an axis perpendicular to one plane of the arm 621, but is not limited to being perpendicular. The treatment element 622 comes into contact with the body of the user to provide treatment such as kneading and tapping to the user. The kneading and tapping operations will be described in detail below.

[0046] A rod connection part 645 to which a driven ring 633 of the kneading mechanism 63 and a rod 644 of the hitting mechanism 64 are connected is disposed at the rear end of the arm 621. The driven ring 633 and the rod connection part 645 are integrally formed. Note that the driven ring 633 and the rod connection part 645 may be configured to be firmly fixed together, and may be formed, for example, by integral molding. In other words, the arm 621 is supported by the kneading mechanism 63 and the hitting mechanism 64 in a state where it protrudes forward.

[0047] <Kneading mechanism 63> As shown in Figures 7, 8, 10, etc., the kneading mechanism 63 has a kneading shaft 631, a kneading cam 632, a driven ring 633, a kneading motor 634, and a power transmission unit 635. The kneading shaft 631 is a rod member extending in the left-right direction. Both left and right ends of the kneading shaft 631 are rotatably supported by a pair of adjustment members 663 (described later) of the strength adjustment mechanism 66. A rotary encoder 636 is disposed on the kneading shaft 631, and the rotary encoder 636 is connected to the control unit 70 (see Figure 6). By obtaining the detection value of the rotary encoder 636, the control unit 70 can obtain the state of the kneading shaft 631, such as the rotation speed and rotation angle.

[0048] The kneading cam 632 is disposed on the kneading shaft 631. The kneading cam 632 is rotatable together with the kneading shaft 631 and is movable in a direction along the axis of the kneading shaft 631. As such a configuration, for example, a configuration can be adopted in which the kneading cam 632 has a protrusion that protrudes radially from the inner surface of a through-hole through which the kneading shaft 631 passes or from the outer circumferential surface of the kneading shaft 631, and a recessed groove on the other side into which the protrusion fits. However, other configurations may also be adopted.

[0049] The kneading cam 632 is disk-shaped, and its center line is misaligned with, i.e., eccentric to, the center line of the kneading shaft 631. Furthermore, the center line of the kneading cam 632 is inclined with respect to the center line of the kneading shaft 631. When the kneading shaft 631 rotates in this state, the kneading cam 632 rotates eccentrically and also oscillates in a direction along the axis of the kneading shaft 631.

[0050] The driven ring 633 is annular, and its inner peripheral surface is arranged to be able to slide in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the kneading cam 632. The inner peripheral surface of the driven ring 633 and the outer peripheral surface of the kneading cam 632 are formed so as not to move in the axial direction of the kneading shaft 631. An example of such a configuration is a configuration in which convex portions extending in the circumferential direction and concave portions that fit into the convex portions are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the kneading cam 632 and the inner peripheral surface of the driven ring 633.

[0051] When the kneading cam 632 rotates, the driven ring 633 moves in accordance with the movement of the kneading cam 632. In other words, when viewed from the front, the rotation of the kneading shaft 631 causes the driven ring 633 to move closer to or away from the center line of the kneading shaft 631 and change its tilt direction relative to the center line. The driven ring 633 is fixed to the arm 621 of the treatment unit 62. Therefore, the arm 621 moves in accordance with the movement of the driven ring 633. As a result, the center of the treatment element 622 arranged at the front end of the arm 621 moves to describe an orbit Cbt having widths in all directions (see FIG. 9 ).

[0052] The trajectory Cbt may be formed, for example, in the shape of a closed curve. Here, a "closed curve" refers to a shape in which the start point and end point coincide. For example, a "closed curve" should be understood to include shapes such as an arc, an ellipse, a loop, and a polygon.

[0053] The kneading motor 634 and the power transmission unit 635 are attached to the bracket 617. The power transmission unit 635 is configured using a pulley and a belt, and transmits the power of the kneading motor 634 to the kneading shaft 631. The power transmission unit 635 reduces the rotation speed of the kneading motor 634 and amplifies the output torque. However, the power transmission unit 635 may be configured to increase the rotation speed of the kneading motor 634 and decrease the output torque. The power transmission unit 635 may also be configured with gears. Furthermore, the power of the kneading motor 634 may be directly transmitted to the kneading shaft 631. In this case, the power transmission unit 635 may be omitted.

[0054] The kneading motor 634 is connected to the control unit 70 and is driven based on instructions from the control unit 70. The control unit 70 may change the torque and rotation speed of the kneading motor 634 to change the strength and speed of the massage performed by the treatment elements 622 during the kneading operation.

[0055] Power from the output shaft of the kneading motor 634 is transmitted to the kneading shaft 631 via a power transmission unit 635. The power transmission unit 635 is connected to the control unit 70, and may be configured to switch between transmitting and not transmitting the power of the kneading motor 634. In this case, the switching between transmitting and not transmitting the power can be performed using, for example, a clutch, and the clutch is controlled by the control unit 70. Each of the power transmission units 646, 655, 666, and 676, which will be described later, may also have a similar configuration.

[0056] The kneading cam 632 and the driven ring 633 are provided on the left treatment section 62L and the right treatment section 62R, and have the same configuration.

[0057] <Striking Mechanism 64> As shown in Figures 7, 8, 10, etc., the striking mechanism 64 includes a striking motor 640, a striking shaft 641, a striking cam 642, a driven ring 643, a rod 644, a rod connection portion 645, and a power transmission portion 646. The striking shaft 641 is a rod member extending in the left-right direction. Both left-right ends of the striking shaft 641 are rotatably supported by a pair of adjustment members 663 of the intensity adjustment mechanism 66. Note that, when viewed from the front, the striking shaft 641 is positioned above the kneading shaft 631.

[0058] The striking cam 642 is disposed on the striking shaft 641. The striking cam 642 is rotatable together with the striking shaft 641 and is movable in a direction along the axis of the striking shaft 641. For example, such a configuration can be employed in which the striking cam 642 has a protrusion that protrudes radially from the inner surface of a through-hole through which the striking shaft 641 passes or from the outer circumferential surface of the striking shaft 641, and a recessed groove on the opposite side into which the protrusion fits. However, other configurations may also be employed.

[0059] The striking cam 642 is disk-shaped, and its center line is offset, i.e., eccentric, from the center line of the striking shaft 641. Therefore, the striking cam 642 rotates eccentrically.

[0060] The driven ring 643 is annular, and is disposed so that its inner peripheral surface can slide circumferentially against the outer peripheral surface of the striking cam 642. The inner peripheral surface of the driven ring 643 and the outer peripheral surface of the striking cam 642 are formed so as not to move in the axial direction of the striking shaft 641. An example of such a configuration is one in which the outer peripheral surface of the striking cam 642 and the inner peripheral surface of the driven ring 643 are formed with protrusions extending circumferentially and recesses that fit into the protrusions.

[0061] When the striking cam 642 rotates, the driven ring 643 moves in accordance with the movement of the striking cam 642. In other words, when viewed from the front, the driven ring 643 moves toward and away from the center line of the striking shaft 641 while maintaining a constant angle with the center line of the striking shaft 641. In the massage unit 60, the driven ring 643 moves back and forth in the axial direction of the striking shaft 641, for example, left and right.

[0062] One end of the rod 644 is connected to the driven ring 643 via a universal joint. The other end of the rod 644 is connected to a rod connection part 645 via a universal joint. The rod connection part 645 is attached integrally to the arm 621. The rod connection part 645 is swingable around the center line of the kneading shaft 631. One end of the rod 644 is connected to the driven ring 643 that moves linearly, and the other end is connected to the swingable rod connection part 645.

[0063] As a result, the rod 644 converts the linear movement of the driven ring 643 into the swinging of the rod connection part 645. The swinging of the rod connection part 645 causes the treatment elements 622 attached to the arm 621 to move back and forth. As a result, the pair of treatment elements 622 perform a tapping motion, tapping the body of the person to be treated. An example of the tapping motion is a motion in which the pair of treatment elements 622 move back and forth alternately left and right.

[0064] The hitting motor 640 is connected to the control unit 70 and operates based on instructions from the control unit 70. The hitting motor 640 is provided on the adjustment member 663L on the left side of the strength adjustment mechanism 66. The control unit 70 may change the torque and rotation speed of the hitting motor 640 to change the strength and speed of the treatment performed by the treatment elements 622 during the kneading operation.

[0065] The power transmission unit 646 is provided on the left adjustment member 663L, similar to the impact motor 640. The power transmission unit 646 is configured using a pulley and a belt, and transmits the power of the impact motor 640 to the impact shaft 641. In this example, the power transmission unit 646 reduces the rotation speed of the impact motor 640 and amplifies the output torque. However, the power transmission unit 646 may also be configured to increase the rotation speed and reduce the output torque.

[0066] The power transmission unit 646 may be configured using gears. Furthermore, the power of the striking motor 640 may be directly supplied to the striking shaft 641. In this case, the power transmission unit 646 may be omitted.

[0067] The striking cam 642, the driven ring 643, the rod 644, and the rod connecting portion 645 are provided on both the left treatment unit 62L and the right treatment unit 62R and have the same configuration. Note that the striking cams 642 have the same shape, but are eccentrically positioned so that the left and right treatment elements 622 alternately strike the body of the person to be treated.

[0068] The control unit 70 controls the kneading motor 634 and the hitting motor 640 to operate either or both of the kneading mechanism 63 and the hitting mechanism 64, and can perform either the kneading operation only, the hitting operation only, or the kneading operation and the hitting operation in conjunction with each other.

[0069] <Width Adjustment Mechanism 65> The width adjustment mechanism 65 adjusts the width of the treatment elements 622. As shown in Figures 7, 8, 10, etc., the width adjustment mechanism 65 has a width adjustment shaft 651, a first width adjustment guide 652, a second width adjustment guide 653, a width adjustment motor 654, and a power transmission unit 655. The width adjustment shaft 651 is a rod member extending in the left-right direction. Both left-right ends of the width adjustment shaft 651 are rotatably supported by a pair of adjustment members 663 of the strength adjustment mechanism 66. In the state shown in Figure 10, the width adjustment shaft 651 is disposed behind the kneading shaft 631 and in front of the hitting shaft 641.

[0070] A rotary encoder 658 is disposed on the width adjustment shaft 651 and is connected to the control unit 70 (see FIG. 6). By obtaining the detection value of the rotary encoder 658, the control unit 70 can acquire the state of the width adjustment shaft 651, such as the rotation speed and rotation angle. Furthermore, the control unit 70 can obtain the position of the treatment units 62 and the width between the pair of treatment units 62 in the left-right direction based on the detection value of the rotary encoder 658.

[0071] The width adjustment shaft 651 has a first threaded portion 656 formed on the right side and a second threaded portion 657 formed on the left side. The first threaded portion 656 has a concave-convex shape with a left-hand thread, and the second threaded portion 657 has a concave-convex shape with a right-hand thread.

[0072] The first width adjustment guide 652 is cylindrical, and its inner peripheral surface is formed with concaves and convexes in a left-handed thread shape. The concaves and convexes of the first width adjustment guide 652 are arranged to mesh with the concaves and convexes of the first screw portion 656. The second width adjustment guide 653 is cylindrical, and its inner peripheral surface is formed with concaves and convexes in a right-handed thread shape. The concaves and convexes of the second width adjustment guide 653 are arranged to mesh with the concaves and convexes of the second screw portion 657.

[0073] As the width adjustment shaft 651 rotates, the first width adjustment guide 652 and the second width adjustment guide 653 move (left-right) along the center line J1 of the width adjustment shaft 651 (see FIGS. 7, 9, etc.). Because the recesses and protrusions of the first screw portion 656 are left-handed and the recesses and protrusions of the second screw portion 657 are right-handed, rotation of the width adjustment shaft 651 moves the first width adjustment guide 652 and the second width adjustment guide 653 in opposite directions in the left-right direction. More specifically, depending on the direction of rotation of the width adjustment shaft 651, the first width adjustment guide 652 and the second width adjustment guide 653 move closer to or farther apart. This adjusts the distance between the treatment elements 622, and, in combination with a kneading motion, adjusts the left-right width of the path Cbt traced by the centers of the treatment elements 622.

[0074] The first width adjustment guide 652 is fixed to both the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 of the left connecting portion 611L. The second width adjustment guide 653 is fixed to both the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 of the right connecting portion 611R. As a result, when the first width adjustment guide 652 and the second width adjustment guide 653 move to adjust the width in the left-right direction, the left connecting portion 611L and the right connecting portion 611R move toward or away from each other along the length direction (left-right direction) of the width adjustment shaft 651.

[0075] In the massage unit 60 of this embodiment, the first width adjustment guide 652 and the first screw portion 656, and the second width adjustment guide 653 and the second screw portion 657 are configured with a normal screw structure, but are not limited to this. For example, a ball screw structure may be adopted.

[0076] The width adjustment motor 654 is connected to the control unit 70 and operates based on instructions from the control unit 70. The width adjustment motor 654 is provided on the right adjustment member 663R of the strength adjustment mechanism 66. The power transmission unit 655 transmits the power of the width adjustment motor 654 to the width adjustment shaft 651. Like the width adjustment motor 654, the power transmission unit 655 is provided on the right adjustment member 663R.

[0077] The power transmission unit 655 is configured using a pulley and a belt, and reduces the rotation speed of the width adjustment motor 654 and amplifies the output torque. However, the power transmission unit 655 may be configured to increase the rotation speed and decrease the output torque. The power transmission unit 655 may also be configured using gears. The power of the width adjustment motor 654 may also be configured to be supplied directly to the width adjustment shaft 651. In this case, the power transmission unit 655 may be omitted.

[0078] In the massage unit 60, the hitting motor 640 and the power transmission unit 646 may be attached to the right adjustment member 663R, and the width adjustment motor 654 and the power transmission unit 655 may be attached to the left adjustment member 663L.

[0079] <Strength Adjustment Mechanism 66> The massage unit 60 is equipped with a strength adjustment mechanism 66. The strength adjustment mechanism 66 can adjust the position of the pair of treatment elements 622 in the front-to-rear direction. The treatment elements 622 are moved in the front-to-rear direction by the strength adjustment mechanism 66. In the massage unit 60, the further forward the position of the path Cbt traced by the center of the treatment elements 622 protrudes, the stronger the force with which the body of the treatment recipient can be pressed. The strength adjustment mechanism 66 utilizes this fact and is configured to move the position of the path Cbt traced by the center of the treatment elements 622 back and forth when a stronger force is required for treatment. Furthermore, during the tapping motion, by positioning the treatment elements 622 in the forward direction by the strength adjustment mechanism 66, the treatment recipient can experience a stronger tapping motion.

[0080] As shown in Figures 7, 8, 10, etc., the strength adjustment mechanism 66 has a strength adjustment shaft 661, a pinion gear 662, a pair of adjustment members 663, a strength adjustment motor 665, and a power transmission unit 666.

[0081] The strength adjustment shaft 661 is a rod member extending in the left-right direction. The strength adjustment shaft 661 has both left-right ends rotatably supported by the left base plate 610L and the right base plate 610R of the base unit 61. A pair of pinion gears 662 is fixed to the strength adjustment shaft 661. A rotary encoder 668 is also provided on the strength adjustment shaft 661, and the rotary encoder 668 is connected to the control unit 70 (see FIG. 6 ). By obtaining the detection value of the rotary encoder 668, the control unit 70 can obtain the rotation speed, rotation angle, and other status of the strength adjustment shaft 661. The control unit 70 can obtain the strength of the treatment provided by the strength adjustment mechanism 66 based on the detection value of the rotary encoder 668.

[0082] The pair of adjustment members 663 are fan-shaped plate materials in a side view. An arc-shaped rack gear 664 is disposed in the arc portion of the fan shape. A drive shaft 671 (described later) of the lifting mechanism 67 passes through the center of the arc portion of each adjustment member 663, and the adjustment members 663 are rotatably supported by the drive shaft 671. A reinforcing bar 667 is fixed to each of the pair of adjustment members 663. The reinforcing bar 667 prevents misalignment of the pair of adjustment members 663 in the left-right direction and in their respective positions.

[0083] The rack gear 664 meshes with the pinion gear 662. Rotation of the strength adjustment shaft 661 rotates the pinion gear 662, and power is transmitted to the rack gear 664. As a result, the pair of adjustment members 663 move back and forth around the drive shaft 671.

[0084] The strength adjustment motor 665 is attached to the left base plate 610L. The strength adjustment motor 665 is connected to the control unit 70 and operates based on instructions from the control unit 70. A power transmission unit 666 is also attached to the left base plate 610L and transmits the power of the strength adjustment motor 665 to the strength adjustment shaft 661.

[0085] The power transmission unit 666 is formed by a combination of gears, and in this case, reduces the rotation speed of the intensity adjustment motor 665 and amplifies the output torque. However, the power transmission unit 666 may be configured to increase the rotation speed of the intensity adjustment motor 665 and decrease the output torque. Furthermore, the power transmission unit 666 is not limited to a combination of gears.

[0086] In the massage unit 60 of this embodiment, the strength adjustment shaft 661 is rotated by one strength adjustment motor 665 and power transmission unit 666, but this is not limited to this. A similar strength adjustment motor 665 and power transmission unit 666 may be arranged on the right-side base plate 610R, and the strength adjustment shaft 661 may be rotated in synchronization with the strength adjustment motor 665 and power transmission unit 666 arranged on the left-side base plate 610L.

[0087] 7 to 12, the strength adjustment shaft 661 is disposed rearward of the kneading shaft 631, the hitting shaft 641, and the width adjustment shaft 651. A pair of adjustment members 663 rotatably support the kneading shaft 631, the hitting shaft 641, and the width adjustment shaft 651. Therefore, when the adjustment member 663 moves back and forth about the drive shaft 671, the treatment unit 62, the kneading mechanism 63, the hitting mechanism 64, and the width adjustment mechanism 65 also move back and forth about the drive shaft 671. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the treatment unit 62, the kneading mechanism 63, the hitting mechanism 64, and the width adjustment mechanism 65, excluding the arm 621 and the treatment element 622, are disposed so as to overlap with the pair of adjustment members 663 in a side view.

[0088] The pair of adjustment members 663 are formed so as not to protrude forward of the massage unit 60 when moved to the most forward position. That is, the front ends 663T of the adjustment members 663 are formed so as not to protrude forward of the front surface 30F of the backrest portion 30. Because the pair of adjustment members 663 are formed so as not to protrude forward of the front surface 30F of the backrest portion 30, the pair of adjustment members 663 can be disposed on the rear side of the back frame portion 300.

[0089] As a result, in the massage machine 100, the width of the hole 33 can be made narrower than the left-right distance of the adjustment member 663. In addition, in the massage machine 100, the width of the hole 33 in the back frame portion 300 can be maintained at a width appropriate for supporting the body, thereby preventing the body from falling into the hole 33. As a result, in the massage machine 100, the discomfort caused by the body falling into the hole 33 is reduced.

[0090] Furthermore, in the massage unit 60, when the pair of adjustment members 663 are moved to the forwardmost position, only the arms 621 and the treatment applicators 622 protrude forward from the holes 33 of the backrest 30. The amount by which the arms 621 and the treatment applicators 622 protrude from the front surface 30F of the backrest 30 is changed by adjusting the front-rear position of the pair of adjustment members 663. The greater the amount by which the treatment applicators 622 protrude from the front surface 30F of the backrest 30, the stronger the intensity of the treatment that the treatment applicators 622 provide to the user. The intensity adjustment mechanism 66 can adjust the intensity of the treatment that the treatment applicators 622 provide to the user's body by adjusting the front-rear position of the pair of adjustment members 663.

[0091] When the adjustment member 663 is at the rearmost position, at least the treatment element 622 may be configured to protrude forward from the front surface 30F of the backrest 30. When the adjustment member 663 is at the rearmost position, the entire massage unit 60 may be configured to be located behind the front surface 30F of the backrest 30.

[0092] <Elevation Mechanism 67> As shown in Figures 7, 8, 10 to 12, etc., the elevation mechanism 67 includes a drive shaft 671, a driven shaft 672, a pair of pinion gears 673, a pair of guide rollers 674, an elevation motor 675, and a power transmission unit 676. The drive shaft 671 and the driven shaft 672 are both rod members extending in the left-right direction. Both ends of the drive shaft 671 are rotatably supported by the left base plate 610L and the right base plate 610R. Both ends of the driven shaft 672 are fixed to the left base plate 610L and the right base plate 610R. In the massage unit 60, the drive shaft 671 is positioned lower than the driven shaft 672.

[0093] A rotary encoder 677 is disposed on the drive shaft 671 and is connected to the control unit 70 (see FIG. 6). By obtaining the detection value of the rotary encoder 677, the control unit 70 can obtain the state of the drive shaft 671, such as the rotation speed and rotation angle. In addition, the control unit 70 can obtain the vertical position of the massage unit 60 based on the detection value of the rotary encoder 677.

[0094] Both ends of the drive shaft 671 in the left-right direction protrude outward beyond the left base plate 610L and the right base plate 610R. A pair of pinion gears 673 are fixed to the portions of the drive shaft 671 that protrude outward beyond the left base plate 610L and the right base plate 610R in the left-right direction. The pair of pinion gears 673 rotate together with the drive shaft 671.

[0095] Similarly to the drive shaft 671, both ends of the driven shaft 672 in the left-right direction protrude outward beyond the left base plate 610L and the right base plate 610R. A pair of guide rollers 674 are rotatably disposed on the portions of both ends of the driven shaft 672 that protrude outward beyond the left base plate 610L and the right base plate 610R in the left-right direction.

[0096] The right pinion gear 673R of the massage unit 60 meshes with a rack provided on the right guide rail 31R. The left pinion gear 673L of the massage unit 60 meshes with a rack provided on the left guide rail 31L. The right guide roller 674R of the massage unit 60 engages with the right guide rail 31R so as to be slidable on the right guide rail 31R. The left guide roller 674L of the massage unit 60 engages with the left guide rail 31L so as to be slidable on the left guide rail 31L.

[0097] The lift motor 675 is attached to the left base plate 610L. The lift motor 675 is connected to the control unit 70 and operates based on instructions from the control unit 70. A power transmission unit 676 is also attached to the left base plate 610L and transmits the power of the lift motor 675 to the drive shaft 671. Rotation of the drive shaft 671 causes the pinion gear 673 to rotate.

[0098] The power transmission unit 676 is formed by a combination of gears, and in this case, reduces the rotation speed and amplifies the output torque of the lift motor 675. However, the power transmission unit 676 may be configured to increase the rotation speed and decrease the output torque of the lift motor 675. Furthermore, the power transmission unit 676 is not limited to a combination of gears.

[0099] In the massage unit 60 of this embodiment, the drive shaft 671 is rotated by one lifting motor 675 and power transmission unit 676, but this is not limited to this. A similar lifting motor 675 and power transmission unit 676 may be arranged on the right-side base plate 610R, and the drive shaft 671 may be rotated in synchronization with the lifting motor 675 and power transmission unit 676 arranged on the left-side base plate 610L.

[0100] As described above, the pair of pinion gears 673 mesh with the racks provided on the guide rails 31R and 31L, and the pair of guide rollers 674 engage with the guide rails 31R and 31L, thereby supporting the massage unit 60 on the guide rails 31R and 31L. Then, as the pair of pinion gears 673 rotate, the massage unit 60 can move up and down along the guide rails 31R and 31L.

[0101] <First Support Section 612, Second Support Section 613> Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the connecting section 611 (611R) supporting the treatment section 62, as seen from the front. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the connecting section 611 supporting the treatment section 62, as seen from the back. Fig. 15 is a side view of the connecting section 611R supporting the treatment section 62. Here, the connecting section 611R supporting the right treatment section 62R of the massage unit 60 will be described. The left connecting section 611L is configured to be a mirror image of the right connecting section 611R, and supports the left treatment section 62L.

[0102] The first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 of the connecting portion 611R are symmetrical. The first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 are shaped to extend in the vertical direction, and their upper ends and lower ends are connected by support members 614. By connecting the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 by the support members 614, the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 are connected with a certain width between them. The first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 have a first through hole 615 and a second through hole 616.

[0103] When the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 are connected by the support member 614, the first through holes 615 are aligned in the left-right direction, and the second through holes 616 are aligned in the left-right direction. In the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613, the first through holes 615 are positioned below the second through holes 616. In other words, the first through holes 615 and the second through holes 616 form pairs on the left and right, respectively.

[0104] With the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 connected by the support member 614, kneading cams 632 are rotatably disposed in the pair of first through holes 615. The kneading cam 632 has flange portions on both left and right ends, and the flange portions serve to prevent the kneading cam 632 from slipping out of the first through holes 615. Furthermore, striking cams 642 are rotatably disposed in the pair of second through holes 616. The striking cam 642 has flange portions on both left and right ends, and the flange portions serve to prevent the striking cam 642 from slipping out of the second through holes 616.

[0105] Additionally, a first width adjustment guide 652 is fixed to the outer edge of the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613. The first width adjustment guide 652 also serves to connect the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613. The first width adjustment guide 652 moves left and right as the width adjustment shaft 651 rotates. At this time, the kneading cam 632, the driven ring 633, the tapping cam 642, the driven ring 643, the arm 621, and the treatment element 622 supported by the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 are moved by the movement of the first width adjustment guide 652. Therefore, the first width adjustment guide 652 is attached at a position that allows the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 to move in a balanced manner. In the massage unit 60 of this embodiment, the first width adjustment guide 652 is disposed between the first through-hole 615 and the second through-hole 616 when viewed from the front.

[0106] The first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 of the left connecting portion 611L have the same configuration as the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 of the right connecting portion 611R. That is, a kneading cam 632 and a hitting cam 642 are attached to the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 of the left connecting portion 611L. A second width adjustment guide 653 is fixed to the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 of the left connecting portion 611L.

[0107] As described above, the kneading shaft 631, the hitting shaft 641, and the width adjustment shaft 651 are connected by the plate-shaped first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613. Since the kneading shaft 631 and the hitting shaft 641 are connected to the width adjustment shaft 651 only by the plate-shaped first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613, the configuration can be made with a small number of parts.

[0108] Furthermore, the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 are connected to each other at a certain distance by support members 614 (width adjustment guides, etc.). Furthermore, a kneading shaft 631 and a tapping shaft 641, which are arranged alongside the width adjustment shaft 651, penetrate the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613. Therefore, the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 are supported by the kneading shaft 631 and the tapping shaft 641 when moving along the width adjustment shaft 651. This allows the treatment element 622 to be stably moved in the width direction while performing the kneading and / or tapping motions. Furthermore, by combining the kneading motion, the tapping motion, and left-right movement, a wide range of treatments can be performed using the kneading and / or tapping motions, and the number of treatment patterns can be increased.

[0109] Furthermore, the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613 connect the striking shaft 641 and the kneading shaft 631 to the width adjustment shaft 651 without providing an extra support shaft to stably hold the width adjustment shaft 651. This reduces the number of parts in the massage unit 60 and lightens the overall weight. Furthermore, the massage unit 60 arranges the width adjustment shaft 651, striking shaft 641, and kneading shaft 631 close to each other, making it easy to connect the width adjustment shaft 651 to the striking shaft 641 and kneading shaft 631 via the connecting portion 611.

[0110] Furthermore, since the connecting portion 611 is composed of the first support portion 612 and the second support portion 613, the distance between the kneading shaft 631, the hitting shaft 641 and the width adjustment shaft 651 is stably maintained, and the treatment head can be moved to an accurate position.

[0111] <Treatment at a Part of the Patient> Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the range of movement of the patient's body Bd and the treatment element 622. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the treatment procedure. The arm 621 of the treatment unit 62 passes through the hole 33 in the backrest 30 and protrudes forward. While the shoulders, waist, and buttocks of the patient's body Bd have muscles distributed over a wide range in the left-right direction, the muscles of the back are concentrated in the center in the left-right direction.

[0112] Therefore, the control unit 70 of the massage machine 100 controls the treatment applicators 622 to be spaced apart in the width direction to provide a wide treatment in the shoulder, lower back, and buttocks areas. For example, the massage machine 100 controls the treatment applicators 622 to be spaced apart in the width direction to provide a narrow treatment in the width direction (left and right) to the back between the shoulders and lower back. Such body type information, including information such as the treatment width at each area, and treatment information, including information on treatment movements, are stored in association with each other in the storage unit 72.

[0113] 16, the shoulder position P1, back position P2, waist position P3, and buttocks position P4 of the body Bd of the user are stored in the memory unit 72. In other words, the memory unit 72 of the massage machine 100 pre-stores the vertical positions of the treatment unit 62 corresponding to each position of the body Bd of the user (shoulder position P1, back position P2, waist position P3, and buttocks position P4). In this embodiment, values ​​predetermined by the massage machine 100 are used, but they may be correctable by the user or may be adjusted by measurement as described below.

[0114] The shoulder position P1, back position P2, waist position P3, and buttocks position P4 (hereinafter referred to as treatment positions) may indicate a specific point in the vertical direction or may indicate a certain range in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the treatment position indicates a certain range.

[0115] As shown in Fig. 17, the control unit 70 operates the lift motor 675 to move the massage unit 60 (step S101). At this time, the control unit 70 acquires the vertical position of the massage unit 60 based on the detection value of the rotary encoder 677 of the lift mechanism 67. For example, the control unit 70 moves the massage unit 60 to the shoulder position P1 based on the detection value of the rotary encoder 677. Here, an example will be described in which the massage machine 100 performs treatment from the upper side (shoulders) of the body Bd of the user. However, the massage machine 100 is not limited to performing treatment from the upper side of the body. There are also cases in which treatment is performed from the lower side upward, and cases in which two or more parts are repeatedly treated.

[0116] The control unit 70 checks whether the treatment element 622 has reached the treatment position (shoulder position P1) (step S102). As described above, the control unit 70 acquires the vertical position of the massage unit 60 based on the detection value of the rotary encoder 677, and checks whether the treatment element 622 has reached the treatment position (shoulder position P1) based on the vertical position.

[0117] The process repeats steps S101 and S102 until the treatment element 622 reaches the treatment position (while step S102 returns No). In other words, the control unit 70 continues operating the lift motor 675 until the massage unit 60 reaches the treatment position (here, shoulder position P1). When the treatment element 622 reaches the treatment position (step S102 returns Yes), the control unit 70 stops the operation of the lift motor 675 and acquires information from the storage unit 72, including the treatment range in the lateral direction for the area corresponding to the current treatment position, the treatment method (kneading, tapping, or both), and the intensity of the treatment (hereinafter referred to as treatment information) (step S103). While the control unit 70 acquires the treatment information by stopping the operation of the lift motor, this is not a limitation and the information may be acquired during movement or when the massage unit 60 approaches the treatment position.

[0118] As described above, the treatment range in the left-right direction is determined by the body part of the user (e.g., shoulders, waist, buttocks). In other words, the treatment range in the left-right direction of the treatment element 622 differs depending on the treatment position (shoulder position P1, back position P2, waist position P3, buttocks position P4). The treatment range in the left-right direction is also determined in relation to the first width W1 of the first region 331 and the second width W2 of the second region 332, which are the shapes of the holes 33 in the backrest 30.

[0119] The treatment method is selected from kneading only, tapping only, or kneading, tapping, and vertical movement (either alone or in combination). The strength of the treatment is determined by controlling the strength adjustment mechanism 66, for example, so that stronger treatment is applied to the shoulders and waist and weaker treatment is applied to the back. However, the strength of the treatment is not limited to the above.

[0120] The above-mentioned treatment information may be input for each treatment position from the input unit 82 of the operation unit 80 or a mobile terminal owned by the user. Furthermore, this treatment information may be stored as a predetermined course. The treatment information may also include information on a specific treatment operation prohibition area An (described below) where a specific treatment operation, in this case, a kneading operation or a tapping operation, is not performed. The treatment information may also include information on operations that determine the operation of the kneading mechanism 63, the tapping mechanism 64, the width adjustment mechanism 65, the strength adjustment mechanism 66, and the lifting mechanism for each treatment position. In this way, the massage machine 100 can set different treatments for each part of the user's body.

[0121] Then, the control unit 70 performs treatment using the treatment applicators 622 based on the treatment information (step S104). In the treatment using the treatment applicators, the control unit 70 operates at least one of the kneading motor 634 and the tapping motor 640 in accordance with the treatment information, so that the treatment operation specified in the treatment information is performed. The treatment using the treatment applicators may include a rubbing operation in which the lifting motor 675 and the intensity adjustment motor 665 are operated to move the treatment applicators 622 in contact with the body Bd of the user up and down.

[0122] At this time, the treatment may be configured to perform a kneading operation by the kneading mechanism 63 and / or a tapping operation by the tapping mechanism 64 while the left-right movement of the treatment unit 62 is temporarily stopped, or the treatment unit 62 may be moved left-right while performing the kneading operation and / or the tapping operation. Furthermore, treatment may be performed by operation of the expansion / contraction unit 35. Furthermore, if the treatment information specifies the intensity of the treatment at the treatment position, the control unit 70 operates the intensity adjustment motor 665 to adjust the front-rear position of the trajectory Cbt drawn by the center of the treatment element 622. Furthermore, the treatment may be performed by operating the lift motor 675 and the intensity adjustment motor 665, such as rubbing.

[0123] The intensity of the treatment may be constant at the treatment position, or may vary depending on the left-right position of the treatment element 622. When the intensity varies depending on the left-right position of the treatment element 622, the control unit 70 operates the intensity adjustment motor 665 so that the intensity of the treatment varies as specified depending on the position of the treatment element 622. In other words, the control unit 70 can synchronize the operation of the intensity adjustment mechanism 66 with at least one of the kneading mechanism 63 and the tapping mechanism 64 depending on the position of the massage unit 60.

[0124] The control unit 70 then determines whether or not treatment at the current treatment position (here, shoulder position P1) has been completed (step S105). For example, the control unit 70 may terminate treatment at one treatment position (e.g., shoulder position P1) based on the duration of treatment. Furthermore, treatment may be completed by the treatment applicator 622 reciprocating left and right a certain number of times at one treatment position. In such a case, the control unit 70 terminates treatment at one treatment position when the number of left and right reciprocations of the treatment applicator 622 has reached a specified number, or based on the distance traveled by the treatment applicator 622.

[0125] If the end of treatment at one treatment position is not confirmed (No in step S105), the process repeats steps S104 and S105, and the control unit 70 continues treatment at the current treatment position. Furthermore, if the end of treatment is confirmed (Yes in step S105), the control unit 70 checks whether the current treatment position is the last treatment position among the positions to be treated (step S106). The last treatment position is determined by the treatment course. Furthermore, when the patient sets the area to be treated, the treatment position corresponding to the area set to be treated last may be set as the last treatment position.

[0126] For example, if a treatment course is set to sequentially treat the areas from shoulder position P1 to buttock position P4, in step S106, the control unit 70 determines whether treatment at the final treatment position (buttock position P4) has been completed. If the control unit 70 determines that the position of the massage unit 60 is not the final treatment position (No in step S106), the process returns to step S101, and the control unit 70 moves the massage unit 60 to the next treatment position in the above-described manner to continue treatment. If the control unit 70 determines that the current treatment position is the final treatment position (Yes in step S106), the process ends.

[0127] As described above, the massage machine 100 can perform treatment by changing the width in the left-right direction, the treatment method, and the strength of the treatment according to the treatment position (shoulder position P1, back position P2, waist position P3, buttocks position P4) set in the vertical direction of the massage unit 60. Therefore, it is possible to perform treatment that is just right for each part, thereby improving the effectiveness of the treatment.

[0128] <Body Measurement (Body Shape Detection) Operation> In the treatment according to the flowchart shown in Fig. 17, a predetermined position in the vertical direction is set as the treatment position, and treatment is performed in the width direction. On the other hand, the vertical positions and widths of the shoulders, back, waist, buttocks, etc. of the body Bd of the treatment recipient are different. In order to accommodate such differences in the body Bd of the treatment recipient, the massage machine 100 has a function to measure the body parts of the treatment recipient. The procedure for measuring the body parts of the treatment recipient will be described below. Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing the body measurement operation.

[0129] As shown in Fig. 18, the control unit 70 brings the treatment element 622 into contact with the body Bd of the user and measures the treatment position of the user's body Bd in the vertical direction (step S201). The upper part of the shoulder may be detected in a previous step. For example, when measuring the upper part of the shoulder, the control unit 70 moves the treatment element 622 to the highest position. The control unit 70 controls the lifting mechanism 67 so that the treatment element 622 moves downward from the highest position. When the treatment element 622 comes into contact with the body, a load is applied to the treatment element 622. In the strength adjustment motor 665, an electromotive force is generated by the load, which is a force from the user's body Bd.

[0130] Based on this electromotive force, the control unit 70 can obtain the load acting on the treatment element 622. The control unit 70 obtains the load acting on the treatment element 622 based on the electromotive force generated by the intensity adjustment motor 665, and detects the upper part of the shoulder based on the load. Then, the control unit 70 measures the treatment position by moving the treatment element 622 up and down from the upper part of the shoulder while keeping it in contact with the body Bd of the person to be treated.

[0131] For example, the body Bd of the user moves downward from the upper part of the shoulders toward the backrest 30. When the treatment element 622 that has come into contact with the body Bd of the user at the upper part of the shoulders is moved downward, the load acting on the treatment element 622 increases as the body Bd moves downward.

[0132] The control unit 70 then operates the lift motor 675 to move the treatment elements 622 in the up-down direction while they are in contact with the recipient's body Bd. At this time, a large load is applied to the treatment elements 622 in the protruding portions of the recipient's body Bd, and a small load is applied to the concave portions. For example, assume that the recipient's body Bd is curved in the same manner as the spine, with the back and buttocks protruding and the shoulders and waist concave. In this case, the load acting on the treatment elements 622 is small when the treatment elements 622 come into contact with the shoulders and waist. On the other hand, the load acting on the treatment elements 622 is large when the treatment elements 622 come into contact with the back and buttocks. Therefore, the control unit 70 acquires, as the up-down curved shape of the recipient's body Bd, a curved shape in which the areas where the treatment elements 622 are subject to a large load are more protruding than areas where the load is small.

[0133] The electromotive force generated by the strength adjustment motor 665 varies depending on the magnitude of the load acting on the treatment element 622. Therefore, in actual processing, the control unit 70 may obtain the curved shape of the body Bd of the treatment recipient in the vertical direction based on the electromotive force generated by the strength adjustment motor 665.

[0134] Note that there are cases where no load is applied to the intensity adjustment motor 665 depending on the amount of protrusion of the treatment element 622 from the front surface 30F of the backrest 30, the shape of the body Bd of the person being treated, etc. When no load is applied to the intensity adjustment motor 665, the control unit 70 moves the treatment element 622 forward until a certain load is applied, thereby measuring the curvature of the body Bd. In this way, the treatment position at the part of the body Bd of the person being treated is measured.

[0135] In the massage machine 100, the body measurement of the user is performed by sequentially measuring the treatment positions (back position P2, waist position P3, buttocks position P4) from the uppermost shoulder position P1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the measurements may be performed in the reverse direction, that is, sequentially measuring the treatment positions (waist position P3, back position P2, shoulder position P1) from the lowermost treatment position (buttocks position P4) to the uppermost treatment positions (waist position P3, back position P2, shoulder position P1).

[0136] The control unit 70 may determine the shoulder position P1, back position P2, waist position P3, and buttocks position P4 from the measurement results, or may determine one of the treatment positions and then determine the other treatment positions. For example, the control unit 70 may measure the position of the shoulder position P1 and estimate the distance to the seat. The control unit 70 may then determine the remaining treatment positions from the estimated distance to the seat. Furthermore, each treatment position may be manually corrected by the user.

[0137] The control unit 70 operates the lifting motor 675 to move the massage unit 60 (step S202). At this time, the control unit 70 can obtain the vertical position of the massage unit 60 based on the detection value of the rotary encoder 677 of the lifting mechanism 67. In the massage machine 100, the body measurement of the user is performed from the shoulders at the top end downward. Conversely, the measurement may be performed from the buttocks at the bottom end upward.

[0138] The control unit 70 checks whether the treatment element 622 has reached the treatment position in the vertical direction (step S203). As described above, the control unit 70 acquires the vertical position of the massage unit 60 based on the detection value of the rotary encoder 677, and checks whether the treatment element 622 has reached the treatment position based on the vertical position.

[0139] Until the treatment element 622 reaches the treatment position (while the answer is No in step S203), the process repeats steps S202 and S203, and the control unit 70 continues to operate the lift motor 675. When the treatment element 622 reaches the treatment position (when the answer is Yes in step S203), the control unit 70 stops the operation of the lift motor 675 and operates the width adjustment motor 654 to move the treatment element 622 in the left-right direction (step S204). The control unit 70 obtains the left-right position of the treatment element 622 based on the detection value of the rotary encoder 658.

[0140] For example, the control unit 70 repeatedly moves the treatment element 622 forward and backward each time the treatment element 622 is moved a certain amount in the left-right direction. When the control unit 70 moves the treatment element 622 forward, if the treatment element 622 comes into contact with the body Bd of the person being treated, the treatment element 622 is pushed by the body Bd of the person being treated, and an electromotive force corresponding to the load acting on the treatment element 622 is generated in the intensity adjustment motor 665. The control unit 70 obtains this electromotive force as the load on the treatment element 622 and obtains body shape information of the body Bd of the person being treated (step S205). Note that the treatment element 622 may be moved left-right while being pressed against the body Bd of the person being treated.

[0141] The body shape information of the recipient's body Bd includes the width, curvature, etc. of the recipient's body Bd. The control unit 70, for example, operates the width adjustment motor 654 to move the treatment element 622 a certain distance from the center of the recipient's body Bd outward in the left-right direction. In this state, the control unit 70 operates the strength adjustment motor 665 to move the treatment element 622 forward a certain distance. At this time, the treatment element 622 comes into contact with the recipient's body Bd and receives a load from the body Bd. The control unit 70 obtains the curvature shape of the recipient's body Bd in the left-right direction at the treatment position based on this load and the position at which the load is received.

[0142] As with the acquisition of the curved shape in the up-down direction described above, the control unit 70 may acquire the curved shape in the left-right direction based on the electromotive force generated by the strength adjustment motor 665 and the position at which the electromotive force is generated. The control unit 70 may also operate the width adjustment motor 654 to move the treatment element 622 a certain distance from the center of the recipient's body Bd from the outside to the inside in the left-right direction. When the treatment element 622 moves from the outside to the inside, the strength adjustment motor 665 can be operated in the same manner as described above to acquire the curved shape in the left-right direction at the treatment position of the recipient's body.

[0143] The control unit 70 obtains the curved shape of the user's body Bd from the load on the treatment element 622, but it can also measure a wide range of other information that can be inferred from the load, such as muscle structure and muscle hardness.

[0144] In the massage machine 100, the control unit 70 measures the curvature of the body at the treatment position. That is, the control unit 70 uses the strength adjustment mechanism 66 to move the treatment applicators 622 in the front-to-back direction at the treatment position to measure the curved shape of the body Bd in the left-to-right direction. By measuring the degree of curvature at the treatment position, the massage machine 100 can change the front-to-back position of the treatment applicators 622 for each treatment position. In this way, the massage machine 100 can perform a massage that conforms to the body Bd at the treatment position by measuring the curved shape of the body Bd in the left-to-right direction.

[0145] The control unit 70 determines whether the end Be of the body Bd in the left-right direction (the width direction of the body Bd) at the current treatment position has been reached (step S206). As described above, the control unit 70 detects the left-right curve of the body Bd of the treatment recipient based on the load acting on the treatment element 622. As described above, the greater the load acting on the treatment element 622, the more the treatment recipient's body Bd is determined to be a protruding part. Therefore, the control unit 70 may determine that the end Be of the body Bd of the treatment recipient at the treatment position has been reached based on the load acting on the treatment element 622 becoming equal to or less than a certain value.

[0146] The control unit 70 may also determine that the treatment element 622 has reached the end of the body Bd of the treatment recipient by a method other than the above. When the end Be is set in advance, the left-right position of the end Be may be set to a different position depending on the treatment position (shoulder position P1, back position P2, waist position P3, buttocks position P4), or may be set to the same position regardless of the treatment position.

[0147] If the treatment element 622 has not reached the left-right end of the current treatment position of the body Bd (No in step S206), steps S204 to S206 are repeated to continue the left-right movement of the treatment element 622 and the acquisition of body shape information of the patient's body Bd. Furthermore, if the treatment element 622 has reached the left-right end of the current treatment position of the body Bd (Yes in step S206), the control unit 70 checks whether the current treatment position is the last treatment position (here, buttocks position P4) (step S207). Here, the control unit 70 moves the treatment element 622 from above the body to measure the treatment position, and therefore, buttocks position P4 is set as the last treatment position.

[0148] If the current treatment position is not the final treatment position (No in step S207), steps S202 to S207 are repeated, and the control unit 70 operates the lift motor 675. If the current treatment position is the final treatment position (Yes in step S207), it is confirmed whether to set a specific operation disabled area An in which one of the kneading operation and the tapping operation is not performed (step S208).

[0149] The specific movement prohibition area An can be, for example, an area where no tapping movement is performed in the left and right end portions of the back where there is little muscle. In addition to this, for example, there may be a part of the shoulder where no kneading movement is performed. The specific movement prohibition area An may be set according to predetermined conditions, or may be input by the user via the input unit 82 or a mobile terminal carried by the user.

[0150] If a specific movement prohibition area An exists (Yes in step S208), the control unit 70 refers to the measured body shape information of the recipient's body Bd and sets a specific movement prohibition area An corresponding to the recipient's body Bd (step S209). If a specific movement prohibition area An does not exist (No in step S208) or after setting a specific movement prohibition area An (step S209), the control unit 70 stores the measured body shape information of the recipient's body Bd in the storage unit 72 (step S210). Here, the body shape information is stored collectively after all treatment positions are measured, but this is not limiting. For example, body shape information may be stored in the storage unit 72 whenever it is measured.

[0151] The control unit 70 may store the body shape information of the body Bd in the storage unit 72 in association with identification information that identifies the individual recipient. At this time, the treatment information may also be stored in the storage unit 72 in association with the identification information. Alternatively, the body shape information of the recipient may be erased each time the treatment is completed without identifying the individual recipient. The treatment may be completed, for example, when the main power of the massage machine 100 is turned off, the automatic course is completed, or the treatment course is switched from the automatic course to the manual course.

[0152] The control unit 70 displays the body shape information of the body Bd of the user stored in the storage unit 72 on the display unit 81 (step S211). At this time, the information may be displayed on the display unit of a mobile terminal carried by the user.

[0153] The massage machine 100 can measure not only the vertical unevenness of the user's body, but also the horizontal unevenness at a predetermined position in the vertical direction or at a predetermined position on the body. Therefore, by controlling the operation of the treatment element 622 in accordance with the horizontal unevenness, the treatment effect can be improved.

[0154] <Operation of treatment element 622> Here, the operation of the width adjustment mechanism 65 in response to the operation of the kneading mechanism 63 will be described. Fig. 19A is a diagram showing the left-right positions of the treatment element 622 and the first width adjustment guide 652 during the kneading operation. Fig. 19B is a diagram showing the trajectories Cbt1 and Cbt2 of the treatment element 622. Fig. 20A is a diagram showing the up-down positions of the treatment element 622 and the drive shaft 671 during the kneading operation. Fig. 20B is a diagram showing the trajectories Cbt1 and Cbt3 of the treatment element 622.

[0155] In Fig. 19A, the vertical axis represents time, and time progresses from top to bottom. The horizontal axis represents the left-right position of the center of the treatment element 622. In other words, it shows the left-right position of the treatment element 622 at a given time. Fig. 19B shows the trajectory Cbt of the treatment element 622, with the vertical axis representing the up-down direction and the horizontal axis representing the left-right direction. This shows the trajectory Cbt2 of the treatment element 622.

[0156] In Fig. 20A, the horizontal axis represents time, progressing from left to right. The vertical axis represents the vertical position of the center of the treatment element 622. This indicates the vertical position of the treatment element 622 at a given time. Fig. 20B shows the trajectory of the treatment element, with the vertical axis representing the vertical direction and the horizontal axis representing the left-right direction. This indicates the trajectory Cbt3 of the treatment element 622.

[0157] 19B, when the kneading mechanism 63 operates, the centers of the treatment elements 622 move along a path Cbt1 having a width in the left-right direction. In the massage unit 60 of this embodiment, the path Cbt1 is a generally ellipse with the major axis in the up-down direction, and the centers of the treatment elements 622 move back and forth within a certain range in the left-right direction at a constant cycle. In addition, by operating the width adjustment mechanism 65, the centers of the treatment elements 622 can be moved left-right.

[0158] 19A , the left-right position of the center of the treatment element 622 over time due to the operation of the kneading mechanism 63 is denoted by Cx1, and the left-right position of the center of the treatment element 622 over time due to the operation of the width adjustment mechanism 65 is denoted by Cx2. The control unit 70 synchronizes the operation of the kneading mechanism 63 and the width adjustment mechanism 65. Therefore, the positions Cx1 and Cx2 change synchronously.

[0159] The control unit 70 then synchronizes the kneading mechanism 63 and the width adjustment mechanism 65 to operate so that the phases of positions Cx1 and Cx2 are reversed. As a result, the left-right position of the center of the treatment element 622 over time becomes as shown by Cx3, where position Cx1 is offset by position Cx2. As a result, the left-right width of the trajectory Cbt2 traced by the center of the treatment element 622 when the kneading mechanism 63 and the width adjustment mechanism 65 are operated in conjunction with each other is narrower than the left-right width of the trajectory Cbt1 traced by the center of the treatment element 622 when only the kneading mechanism 63 is operated.

[0160] When performing a kneading operation with the treatment element 622, narrowing the width of the track Cbt allows for small rotational movements while applying local pressure to the area where the muscle is stiff, which is known as kneading. As described above, the control unit 70 drives the width adjustment motor 654 of the width adjustment mechanism 65 in a direction opposite to the left-right movement direction of the treatment element 622 caused by the operation of the kneading mechanism 63, thereby enabling kneading.

[0161] 19A and 19B, the control unit 70 controls the width adjustment motor 654 so that the first width adjustment guide 652 moves to the left end of its movable range when the treatment element 622 is at the right end due to the operation of the kneading mechanism 63. As a result, the maximum value of the left-right width of the trajectory Cbt2 drawn by the center of the treatment element 622 when the kneading mechanism 63 and the width adjustment mechanism 65 are interlocked becomes minimum.

[0162] 19A and 19B, the lateral position Cx1 of the center of the treatment element 622 when moving along the trajectory Cbt1 is shown as a sinusoidal wave for ease of understanding, but is not limited to this. The lateral position of the center of the treatment element 622 may be a reciprocating motion with a constant period and amplitude. Furthermore, the lateral position Cx2 of the center of the treatment element 622 caused by the movement of the width adjustment mechanism 65 is also sinusoidal in accordance with the position Cx1, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the periods of the positions Cx1 and Cx2 are perfectly synchronized, but may be misaligned as long as the operation of the width adjustment mechanism 65 can offset the lateral movement of the treatment element 622 caused by the operation of the kneading mechanism 63.

[0163] 20B , when the kneading mechanism 63 is operating, the center of the treatment element 622 moves along a trajectory Cbt1 that has a certain width in the vertical direction. The center of the treatment element 622 then moves back and forth within a certain range in the vertical direction at a constant interval. Furthermore, by operating the lifting mechanism 67, the center of the treatment element 622 can be moved vertically.

[0164] 20A , the vertical position of the center of the treatment element 622 over time due to the operation of the kneading mechanism 63 is defined as Cy1, and the vertical position of the center of the treatment element 622 over time due to the operation of the lifting mechanism 67 is defined as Cy2. The control unit 70 operates the kneading mechanism 63 and the lifting mechanism 67 in synchronization. Therefore, the positions Cy1 and Cy2 change in synchronization.

[0165] The control unit 70 then synchronizes the kneading mechanism 63 and the lifting mechanism 67 to operate so that the phases of positions Cy1 and Cy2 are reversed. As a result, the vertical position of the center of the treatment element 622 over time becomes such that position Cy1 is offset by position Cy2, as shown by Cy3. As a result, the vertical width of the trajectory Cbt3 drawn by the center of the treatment element 622 when the kneading mechanism 63 and the lifting mechanism 67 are operated in conjunction with each other is narrower than the vertical width of the trajectory Cbt1 drawn by the center of the treatment element 622 when only the kneading mechanism 63 is operated.

[0166] The control unit 70 drives the lifting motor 675 of the lifting mechanism 67 in the direction opposite to the vertical movement direction of the treatment elements 622 caused by the operation of the kneading mechanism 63, thereby enabling kneading.

[0167] 20A and 20B, when the treatment element 622 is at the vertical end due to the operation of the kneading mechanism 63, the control unit 70 controls the lifting motor 675 to move the treatment element 622 to the vertical opposite end of the movable range of the treatment element 622. As a result, the maximum value of the vertical width of the trajectory Cbt3 drawn by the center of the treatment element 622 when the kneading mechanism 63 and the lifting mechanism 67 are interlocked becomes minimum.

[0168] 20A and 20B, the horizontal position Cy1 of the center of the treatment element 622 when moving along the trajectory Cbt1 is shown as a sinusoidal wave for ease of understanding, but is not limited to this. The vertical position of the center of the treatment element 622 may be a reciprocating motion with a constant period and amplitude. Furthermore, the vertical position Cy2 of the center of the treatment element 622 caused by the movement of the lifting mechanism 67 is also sinusoidal in accordance with the position Cy1, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the periods of the positions Cy1 and Cy2 are perfectly synchronized, but may be misaligned as long as the operation of the lifting mechanism 67 can offset the vertical movement of the treatment element 622 caused by the operation of the kneading mechanism 63.

[0169] The control unit 70 then synchronously operates the kneading mechanism 63, the width adjustment mechanism 65, and the lifting mechanism 67, thereby enabling kneading that reduces the maximum value (width) in the left-right direction and the maximum value (width) in the up-down direction of the trajectory Cbt compared to when only the kneading mechanism 63 is operating. Furthermore, by using the massage unit 60 according to this embodiment, it is possible to perform a kneading operation with the treatment elements 622 while also adding a tapping operation with the tapping mechanism 64. This enhances the therapeutic effect of the treatment elements 622.

[0170] The control unit 70 can operate the kneading mechanism 63 and the width adjustment mechanism 65 in synchronization so that the maximum value in the left-right direction is smaller than when only the kneading mechanism 63 is operating, as in the trajectory Cbt2 shown in Figure 19B, and can operate the lifting mechanism 67 so that the maximum value in the up-down direction is smaller than when only the kneading mechanism 63 is operating, as in the trajectory Cbt3 shown in Figure 20B.

[0171] For example, when the area to be treated is vertically long, the control unit 70 can synchronize the kneading mechanism 63 and the width adjustment mechanism 65 to minimize the maximum value of the trajectory Cbt in the left-right direction, and by linking the lifting mechanism 67, it is possible to perform kneading with a reduced maximum value of the trajectory Cbt in the up-down direction.

[0172] In addition, when the vertical width of the area to be treated is small, the control unit 70 synchronizes the kneading mechanism 63 and the lifting mechanism 67 to minimize the maximum value of the trajectory Cbt in the vertical direction, and by linking the width adjustment mechanism 65, it is possible to perform kneading with a reduced maximum value of the trajectory Cbt in the horizontal direction.

[0173] The massage unit 60 according to this embodiment can simultaneously perform a kneading operation in which the kneading mechanism 63, the width adjustment mechanism 65, and the lifting mechanism 67 are linked together, and a tapping operation by the tapping mechanism 64. Therefore, the effect of the kneading operation can be enhanced by narrowing the range of movement of the treatment elements 622 during the kneading operation, and the treatment effect can be further enhanced by adding a tapping operation. For example, the massage unit 60 can further enhance the effect of the kneading operation by performing the tapping operation by the tapping mechanism 64 and the kneading operation in a timed manner in a kneading region in which the range of movement of the treatment elements 622 during the kneading operation is narrowed.

[0174] Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, the configurations and their combinations in the embodiments are merely examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

[0175] <Summary> The present invention has the following configuration.

[0176] (1) A massage unit comprising: a pair of treatment elements; a kneading mechanism capable of moving the pair of treatment elements so that the center of each of the pair of treatment elements describes an orbit having widths in the up, down, left, and right directions; a tapping mechanism capable of moving the pair of treatment elements back and forth in the front and back directions; a lifting mechanism capable of adjusting the vertical positions of the pair of treatment elements; a width adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the left-right width of the pair of treatment elements; a strength adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the front-to-back positions of the pair of treatment elements; and a control unit, wherein the control unit synchronizes the operation of the kneading mechanism, the width adjustment mechanism, and the lifting mechanism to perform a kneading operation in which the maximum left-right and maximum up-down values ​​of the orbit are smaller than when the kneading mechanism alone is operating, and a tapping operation by the tapping mechanism in conjunction with each other.

[0177] (2) A massage unit as described in (1) in which the kneading mechanism and the width adjustment mechanism are operated synchronously to make the maximum value of the trajectory in the left-right direction smaller than when only the kneading mechanism is operating, and the lifting mechanism is operated so that the maximum value of the trajectory in the up-down direction is smaller than when only the kneading mechanism is operating.

[0178] (3) The control unit of the massage unit described in (1) operates the kneading mechanism and the lifting mechanism in synchronization to make the maximum vertical value of the track smaller than when only the kneading mechanism is operating, and operates the width adjustment mechanism to make the maximum horizontal value of the track smaller than when only the kneading mechanism is operating.

[0179] (4) A massage machine having a massage unit described in any one of (1) to (3) and used to treat the body of a seated user, the massage machine having a backrest portion supporting the back of the user, wherein at least the treatment element passes through a vertically extending hole provided in the backrest portion, protruding forward from the front surface of the backrest portion, and is arranged to be movable vertically along the hole.

[0180] (5) A massage machine for treating the body of a seated user, comprising: a backrest portion having a hole extending vertically in the center in the left-right direction and supporting the back of the user; and a massage unit supported on the backrest portion so that a portion of the massage unit can protrude forward through the hole and can move up and down, wherein the massage unit comprises: a pair of treatment applicators; a kneading mechanism that can move the pair of treatment applicators so that the center of each of the pair of treatment applicators describes an orbit having a width in the up-down, left-right, and right directions; a tapping mechanism that can move the pair of treatment applicators forward and backward in the front-to-back direction; a lifting mechanism that can adjust the vertical position of the pair of treatment applicators; a width adjustment mechanism that can adjust the width between the pair of treatment applicators in the left-to-right direction; and an intensity adjustment mechanism that can adjust the forward-to-back position of the pair of treatment applicators, wherein the intensity adjustment mechanism is located outside the width adjustment mechanism in the left-to-right direction and is located behind the front surface of the backrest portion when the pair of treatment applicators has moved to the forwardmost position.

[0181] (6) The intensity adjustment mechanism includes an intensity adjustment shaft extending in the left-right direction, a pinion gear attached to the intensity adjustment shaft, and an adjustment member having an arc-shaped rack that meshes with the pinion gear, and the adjustment member moves the pair of treatment heads back and forth by rotation of the pinion gear, and when the pair of treatment heads are at their forwardmost positions, the front end of the adjustment member is located behind the front surface of the backrest portion, a massage machine as described in (5).

[0182] (7) A massage machine as described in (5) or (6), wherein the hole has a first region having a first width in the left-right direction and a second region having a second width narrower than the first width.

[0183] (8) The strength adjustment mechanism includes a strength adjustment shaft extending in the left-right direction, a pinion gear attached to the strength adjustment shaft, and an adjustment member having an arc-shaped rack that meshes with the pinion gear, and the adjustment member is positioned outside the outer end of the first region in the left-right direction. (7) The massage machine described above.

[0184] (9) A massage machine as described in (7) or (8), in which the hole has a plurality of the second regions, and the first region is arranged between the plurality of second regions adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

[0185] (10) The massage machine according to any one of (7) to (9), wherein an airbag is disposed in a portion of the backrest portion adjacent to the second region in the left-right direction.

[0186] (11) A massage machine described in any one of (7) to (10), further having a protrusion attached to the backrest portion and constituting the outer end of the second region in the left-right direction, wherein the protrusion is movable in at least one of the up-down direction and the left-right direction.

[0187] (12) A massage machine for treating the body of a seated user, comprising: a backrest portion for supporting the back of the user; a massage unit disposed on the backrest portion and movable up and down; and a control unit for controlling the massage unit, wherein the massage unit comprises: a pair of treatment applicators; a kneading mechanism for moving the pair of treatment applicators so that the centers of the pair of treatment applicators describe an orbit having widths in the up, down, left, and right directions; a tapping mechanism for moving the pair of treatment applicators forward and backward in the front and back directions; a lifting mechanism for adjusting the vertical positions of the pair of treatment applicators; a width adjustment mechanism for adjusting the width in the left and right directions between the pair of treatment applicators; a strength adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the pair of treatment applicators in the front and back directions; and a control unit, wherein the control unit adjusts the width in the left and right directions between the pair of treatment applicators according to the vertical position of the massage unit, and determines the operation of the massage unit to perform treatment using at least one of the kneading mechanism and the tapping mechanism.

[0188] (13) A massage machine as described in (12), in which the part of the body of the user is associated with the vertical position of the massage unit, and the control unit determines the left-right width between the pair of treatment elements and the treatment action by the massage unit depending on the part of the body of the user to be treated by the massage unit.

[0189] (14) The control unit of the massage machine described in (13) narrows the width between the pair of treatment elements in the left-right direction when the massage unit is treating the back area between the shoulders and waist of the person being treated compared to when treating the shoulders and waist.

[0190] (15) A massage machine described in any one of (12) to (14), wherein the control unit synchronizes operation of at least one of the kneading mechanism and the tapping mechanism with the strength adjustment mechanism depending on the position of the massage unit.

[0191] (16) A massage machine described in any of (12) to (15), further having a memory unit that stores treatment information that determines the operation of the kneading mechanism, the tapping mechanism, the width adjustment mechanism, and the intensity adjustment mechanism for each part of the patient's body that is treated by the massage unit, and the control unit operates at least one of the kneading mechanism, the tapping mechanism, the width adjustment mechanism, and the intensity adjustment mechanism based on the body shape information of the patient's body that is treated by the massage unit and the treatment information.

[0192] (17) A massage machine for treating the body of a seated user, comprising: a backrest portion for supporting the back of the user; a massage unit disposed on the backrest portion and movable up and down; and a control unit for controlling the massage unit, wherein the massage unit comprises: a pair of treatment applicators; a kneading mechanism for moving the pair of treatment applicators so that the centers of the pair of treatment applicators describe an orbit having a width in the up, down, left, and right directions; a tapping mechanism for moving the pair of treatment applicators forward and backward in the front and back directions; a lifting mechanism for adjusting the positions of the pair of treatment applicators in the up and down direction; a width adjustment mechanism for adjusting the width between the pair of treatment applicators in the left and right direction; a strength adjustment mechanism for adjusting the positions of the pair of treatment applicators in the front and back direction; and a control unit. The control unit of this massage machine performs a body shape detection operation that links together an up-and-down movement operation that operates the lifting mechanism to move the pair of treatment applicators to a predetermined position in the up-and-down direction, a width change operation that operates the width adjustment mechanism to change the width in the left-right direction between the pair of treatment applicators, and a body measurement operation that moves the pair of treatment applicators forward to measure the body of the person being treated based on the load received by the strength adjustment mechanism when it comes into contact with the body of the person being treated.

[0193] (18) The control unit of the massage machine described in (17) obtains the width of the body of the user based on the detection value of the width adjustment mechanism, and estimates the part of the user based on the vertical position and width of the pair of treatment elements.

[0194] (19) The massage machine according to (18), wherein the control unit stores the estimated vertical position and width of the body part in the memory unit as body shape information.

[0195] (20) A massage machine as described in (18) or (19), in which the control unit performs the width change operation and the physical measurement operation at each part of the neck, shoulders, waist, and buttocks of the patient each time the control unit estimates the part.

[0196] (21) A massage machine described in any one of (18) to (20) sets an area in which at least one of the kneading action by the kneading mechanism and the hitting action by the hitting mechanism is not performed depending on the estimated area.

[0197] (22) A massage machine described in any one of (17) to (21), wherein the control unit is connected to a display unit and causes the display unit to display the part of the body of the person being treated and the measurement details of that part.

[0198] The present invention can be used in a chair-type massage machine that massages the body of a person to be treated.

[0199] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Massage machine 10 Base 20 Seat 30, 30A, 30B, 30C Backrest 30F Front 300 Back frame 31L, 31R Guide rail 33 Hole 331, 331d, 331u First region 332 Second region 34, 34a Projection 35 Inflating / deflating section 40 Arm treatment section 50 Leg treatment section 51 Recess 60 Massage unit 61 Base 610L, 610R Base plate 611, 611L, 611R Connecting section 612 First support section 613 Second support section 614 Support member 615 First through-hole 616 Second through-hole 617 Bracket 62 Treatment section 62L Left treatment section 62R Right treatment section 621 Arm 622 Treatment element 63 Kneading mechanism 631 Kneading shaft 632 Kneading cam 633 Follower ring 634 Kneading motor 635 Power transmission unit 636 Rotary encoder 64 Striking mechanism 640 Striking motor 641 Striking shaft 642 Striking cam 643 Follower ring 644 Rod 645 Rod connection unit 646 Power transmission unit 65 Width adjustment mechanism 651 Width adjustment shaft 652 First width adjustment guide 653 Second width adjustment guide 654 Width adjustment motor 655 Power transmission unit 656 First screw portion 657 Second screw portion 658 Rotary encoder 66 Strength adjustment mechanism 661 Strength adjustment shaft 662 Pinion gear 663 Adjustment member 664 Rack gear 665 Strength adjustment motor 666 Power transmission unit 667 Reinforcement bar 668 Rotary encoder 67 Lifting mechanism 671 Drive shaft 672 Driven shaft 673 Pinion gear 674 Guide roller 675 Lifting motor 676 Power transmission unit 677 Rotary encoder 70 Control unit 71 Processing unit 72 Storage unit80 Operation unit 81 Display unit 82 Input unit

Claims

1. A massage unit comprising: a pair of treatment elements; a kneading mechanism capable of moving the pair of treatment elements so that the center of each of the pair of treatment elements describes a trajectory having a width in all directions; a tapping mechanism capable of moving the pair of treatment elements back and forth; a lifting mechanism capable of adjusting the vertical position of the pair of treatment elements; a width adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the left-right width of the pair of treatment elements; a strength adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the front-to-back position of the pair of treatment elements; and a control unit, wherein the control unit operates the kneading mechanism, the width adjustment mechanism and the lifting mechanism in synchronization to perform a kneading action in which the maximum left-right and up-down values ​​of the trajectory are smaller than when only the kneading mechanism is operating, and a tapping action by the tapping mechanism in conjunction with each other.

2. A massage unit as described in claim 1, in which the kneading mechanism and the width adjustment mechanism are operated synchronously to make the maximum left-right value of the track smaller than when only the kneading mechanism is operating, and the lifting mechanism is operated so as to make the maximum up-down value of the track smaller than when only the kneading mechanism is operating.

3. The massage unit of claim 1, wherein the control unit operates the kneading mechanism and the lifting mechanism in synchronization to make the maximum value of the track in the up-down direction smaller than when only the kneading mechanism is operating, and operates the width adjustment mechanism to make the maximum value of the track in the left-right direction smaller than when only the kneading mechanism is operating.

4. A massage machine having a massage unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, for treating the body of a seated recipient, comprising a backrest portion for supporting the back of the recipient, and in which at least the treatment element protrudes forward beyond the front surface of the backrest portion through a vertically extending hole provided in the backrest portion, and is arranged so as to be movable vertically along the hole.

5. A massage machine for treating the body of a seated user, comprising: a backrest portion having a hole extending vertically in the left-right center portion and supporting the back of the user; and a massage unit supported on the backrest portion so that a portion of the massage unit can protrude forward through the hole and can move up and down, the massage unit comprising: a pair of treatment applicators; a kneading mechanism capable of moving the pair of treatment applicators so that the centers of each of the pair of treatment applicators describe an orbit having a width in the up-down and left-right directions; a tapping mechanism capable of moving the pair of treatment applicators back and forth in the front-to-back direction; a lifting mechanism capable of adjusting the vertical position of the pair of treatment applicators; a width adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the left-to-right width between the pair of treatment applicators; and a strength adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the front-to-back position of the pair of treatment applicators, the strength adjustment mechanism being provided outside the width adjustment mechanism in the left-to-right direction and being located behind the front surface of the backrest portion when the pair of treatment applicators have moved all the way forward.

6. The massage machine of claim 5, wherein the strength adjustment mechanism comprises an strength adjustment shaft extending in the left-right direction, a pinion gear attached to the strength adjustment shaft, and an adjustment member having an arc-shaped rack that meshes with the pinion gear, and the adjustment member moves the pair of treatment heads back and forth by rotation of the pinion gear, and when the pair of treatment heads are at their forwardmost positions, the front end of the adjustment member is located rearward of the front surface of the backrest portion.

7. The massage machine according to claim 5, wherein the hole has a first region having a first width in the left-right direction and a second region having a second width narrower than the first width.

8. The massage machine described in claim 7, wherein the strength adjustment mechanism comprises an adjustment member having a strength adjustment shaft extending in the left-right direction, a pinion gear attached to the strength adjustment shaft, and an arc-shaped rack that meshes with the pinion gear, and the adjustment member is positioned outside the outer end of the first region in the left-right direction.

9. The massage machine according to claim 7, wherein the hole has a plurality of the second regions, and the first region is disposed between the plurality of second regions adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

10. The massage machine according to claim 7, wherein an airbag is disposed in a portion of the backrest portion adjacent to the second region in the left-right direction.

11. A massage machine as described in any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising a protrusion attached to the backrest portion and constituting the outer lateral end of the second region, the protrusion being movable in at least one of the up-down direction and the left-right direction.

12. A massage machine for treating the body of a seated person, comprising: a backrest portion for supporting the back of the person to be treated; a massage unit arranged on the backrest portion and movable up and down; and a control portion for controlling the massage unit, wherein the massage unit comprises: a pair of treatment elements; a kneading mechanism for moving the pair of treatment elements so that the centers of the pair of treatment elements describe an orbit having a width in all directions; a tapping mechanism for moving the pair of treatment elements forward and backward in the front-rear direction; a lifting mechanism for adjusting the vertical position of the pair of treatment elements; a width adjustment mechanism for adjusting the width in the left-right direction between the pair of treatment elements; a strength adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the pair of treatment elements in the front-rear direction; and a control portion, wherein the control portion adjusts the width in the left-right direction between the pair of treatment elements according to the vertical position of the massage unit, and determines the operation of the massage unit to treat using at least one of the kneading mechanism and the tapping mechanism.

13. A massage machine as described in claim 12, wherein the part of the recipient's body is associated with the vertical position of the massage unit, and the control unit determines the left-right width between the pair of treatment elements and the operation performed by the massage unit depending on the part of the recipient's body that is to be treated by the massage unit.

14. A massage machine as described in claim 13, wherein the control unit narrows the width between the pair of treatment elements in the left-right direction when the massage unit is treating the back area between the shoulders and waist of the person being treated compared to when the massage unit is treating the shoulders and waist.

15. The massage machine according to claim 12, wherein the control unit operates at least one of the kneading mechanism and the tapping mechanism in synchronization with the strength adjustment mechanism in accordance with the position of the massage unit.

16. A massage machine as described in claim 14 or claim 15, further comprising a memory unit which stores treatment information in which the operation of the kneading mechanism, the tapping mechanism, the width adjustment mechanism and the intensity adjustment mechanism are determined for each part of the recipient's body treated by the massage unit, and the control unit operates at least one of the kneading mechanism, the tapping mechanism, the width adjustment mechanism and the intensity adjustment mechanism based on the part of the recipient's body treated by the massage unit and the treatment information.

17. A massage machine for treating the body of a seated user, comprising: a backrest supporting the back of the user; a massage unit disposed on the backrest and movable up and down; and a control unit for controlling the massage unit, the massage unit comprising: a pair of treatment members; a kneading mechanism for moving the pair of treatment members so that the centers of the pair of treatment members describe an orbit having a width in the up, down, left and right directions; a tapping mechanism for moving the pair of treatment members forward and backward in the front and back directions; a lifting mechanism for adjusting the vertical positions of the pair of treatment members; a width adjustment mechanism for adjusting the left and right width between the pair of treatment members; a strength adjustment mechanism for adjusting the front and back positions of the pair of treatment members; and a control unit, The control unit of this massage machine performs a body type detection operation which links together an up-down movement operation which operates the lifting mechanism to move the pair of treatment members to a predetermined position in the up-down direction, a width change operation which operates the width adjustment mechanism to change the width in the left-right direction between the pair of treatment members, and a body measurement operation which moves the pair of treatment members forward to measure the body of the person being treated based on the load received by the strength adjustment mechanism when it comes into contact with the body of the person being treated.

18. A massage machine as described in claim 17, wherein the control unit obtains the width of the body of the person being treated based on the detection value of the width adjustment mechanism, and estimates the part of the person being treated based on the vertical position and width of the pair of treatment elements.

19. The massage machine according to claim 18, wherein the control unit stores the estimated vertical position and width of the body part in a memory unit as body type information.

20. The massage machine of claim 18, wherein the control unit executes the width changing operation and the physical measurement operation for each part of the neck, shoulders, waist, and buttocks of the person being treated each time the control unit estimates the part.

21. The massage machine according to claim 18, wherein an area is set in which at least one of the kneading action by said kneading mechanism and the hitting action by said hitting mechanism is not performed, depending on said estimated area.

22. A massage machine as described in any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the control unit is connected to a display unit and causes the display unit to display the part of the body of the person being treated and the measurement details of said part.

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