The present invention relates to a chair type massage machine including a cushion arranged on a front surface of a backrest.
Patent document 1 describes an example of a chair type massage machine known in the prior art that includes a massage unit, which may be raised and lowered in a backrest, and a massager, which is arranged on the massage unit and projects toward the front from the backrest. The massage machine of patent document 1 includes a cushion, which is arranged on a front surface of the backrest and has a generally rectangular shape. The massage machine performs massages with the massager through the cushion. Thus, the massager may not effectively perform massages.
The cushion 4b at the lower central portion as viewed in
However, the three cushions 4a to 4c for the chair type massage machine shown in
The present invention provides a chair type massage machine that enables a massager to effectively perform massages, ensures safety, reduces costs, and allows for easy attachment and removal of a cushion to and from a backrest.
One aspect of the present invention is a chair type massage machine including a backrest. The chair type massage machine includes a massage unit that may be raised and lowered in the backrest. A massager is arranged on the massage unit and projects toward the front from the backrest. A cushion is formed to be generally U-shaped and arranged on a front surface of the backrest. The cushion includes an opening in which the massager is movably arranged. A fastening means fastens the cushion to the front surface of the backrest. The fastening means includes at least one pair of first hook-and-loop fasteners that are separated by application of downward external force of a certain amount or more to a lower rim of the opening.
A chair type massage machine according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be discussed with reference to the drawings. As shown in
The backrest 2, which is inclined toward the rear in
The cushion 4, which is arranged along the front surface of the backrest 2, is plate-shaped and somewhat thick. The cushion 4, which is generally U-shaped and has an open upper end, is formed monolithically. An opening 8, which has a rectangular shape elongated in the vertical direction, is formed in the cushion 4. The opening 8 extends downward from the top end of the cushion 4 through a central portion in the widthwise direction. The opening 8 is overlapped with an upper portion of the pocket 6 in the backrest 2, and the two side portions of the cushion 4 cover the two side portions in the front surface of the backrest 2. Further, a lower central connection portion, which covers the two side portions of the cushion 4, covers a lower portion of the pocket 6 in the backrest 2. In other words, except for the upper portion, the cushion 4 covers the pocket 6 in the front surface of the backrest 2.
A fastening means for fastening the cushion 4 to the front surface of the backrest 2 includes two hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 10, which are arranged on a rear surface of the cushion 4, and two hook-and-loop fasteners 11 and 11, which are arranged on the front surface of the backrest 2 in correspondence with the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 10. One of the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and one of the hook-and-loop fasteners 11 form a pair of hook-and-loop fasteners. In the illustrated example, the male hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 10, of which fastening surfaces are hook surfaces, are respectively arranged on the top part of two outer portions in the rear surface of the cushion 4 located on opposite sides of the opening 8. The female hook-and-loop fasteners 11 and 11, of which fastening surfaces are loop surfaces, are respectively arranged on the backrest 2 at locations corresponding to the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 10, namely, the top part of the two side portions of the backrest 2. Further, the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 10 arranged on the cushion 4 are removably attached to the corresponding hook-and-loop fasteners 11 and 11 arranged on the backrest 2. The present embodiment uses two pairs of the hook-and-loop fasteners 10, 10 and 11, 11. However, just one pair of the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 11 may be used. For example, a rectangular hook-and-loop fastener 10 connecting the top end of the two side portions of the cushion 4 may be arranged on the cushion 4, and a corresponding rectangular hook-and-loop fastener 11 may be arranged on the backrest 2.
The massagers 7, which are moved upward and downward together with the massage unit 5, are arranged in the pocket 6 of the backrest 2 and in the opening 8 of the cushion 4, which is attached to the front surface of the backrest 2. This allows for the massagers 7 to be raised and lowered in the pocket 6 of the backrest 2 and the opening 8 of the cushion 4 without contacting the backrest 2 and the cushion 4 in the raising and lowering range of the massage unit 5.
The fastening force of the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 11, which serve as a means for fastening the cushion 4 to the backrest 2, is set so that the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 11 are separated when a downward external force of a certain amount or more is applied to the lower rim of the opening 8 in the cushion 4. This is achieved by changing the area of the fastening surface or by changing the type of the fastening surface, for example, to a mohair type or a loop type. The fastening force described here is set so that each pair of the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 11 do not normally separate when a person to receive a massage just rests on the cushion 4 and the backrest 2 but separate when a child's neck or the like becomes entrapped between the massagers 7 and the lower rim of the opening 8 in the cushion 4 as the massage unit 5 descends. As described above, the pairs of hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 11 are formed by male and female hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 11. However, the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 11 may be formed by a pair of hook-and-loop fasteners that includes both hooks and loops on their fastening surfaces and thus may not be categorized into male and female.
The chair type massage machine according to the present embodiment has the advantages described below.
(1) The generally U-shaped cushion 4 is arranged on the front surface of the backrest 2, and the massagers 7, which are raised and lowered together with the massage unit 5, are arranged in the opening 8 of the cushion 4 so that the massagers 7 are movable in the opening 8 of the cushion 4. Accordingly, the massages 7 may be directly placed against the back or waist of a person who will be receiving a massage. This allows for the massagers 7 to effectively perform a massage.
(2) The fastening means for fastening the cushion 4 to the front surface of the backrest 2 is formed by the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 11, which are separated when a downward external force of a certain amount or more is applied to the lower rim of the opening 8 in the cushion 4. Thus, if, by any possibility, a child's neck or the like becomes entrapped between the massagers 7 and the lower rim of the opening 8 in the cushion 4 as the massage unit 5 descends, the hook-and-loop fasteners 10 and 10 arranged on the cushion 4 separate from the corresponding hook-and-loop fasteners 11 and 11 arranged on the backrest 2. Accordingly, the cushion 4 falls down from the backrest 2. This prevents entrapment and ensures safety.
(3) The cushion 4 is generally U-shaped and formed monolithically. Further, the cushion 4 is easily attached to and removed from the backrest 2.
The embodiment discussed above may be modified as described below.
As shown in
In the massage machine of
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2007-255853 | Sep 2007 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2008/066744 | 9/17/2008 | WO | 00 | 3/23/2010 |