Patent Application
20130088059
This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Serial No. 2011-221460 filed Oct. 6, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a massage machine suitable for rocking a chair main body in a forward-backward direction.
Conventionally, a massage machine has been known, in which a movable frame and a fixed frame are coupled to each other, a seat portion and a backrest portion are attached to the moveable frame, and a pivot point is set at a fulcrum Such a massage machine is capable of rocking the movable frame in the forward-backward direction about the pivot point with respect to the fixed frame by driving a rocking drive unit with a motor (see FIGS. 4 and 5 in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-72595, for example).
In addition, another massage machine has also been known, in which a supported portion and a base portion are coupled to each other with two front and back links, a seat portion and a backrest portion are attached to the supported portion, and which is capable of rocking the supported portion in the forward-backward direction with respect to the base portion (see FIG. 14 in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-137626, for example).
According to the massage machine disclosed in JP 2011-72595, however, a movable frame 11 (chair main body) is supported by a fixed frame 10 (base) while only a pivot point A2 is set to a movable portion, and therefore, the load of a user is concentrated and acts on the movable portion. Therefore, excessive load acts on the rocking mechanism portion, and there is a problem in that smooth rocking motion of the movable frame is prevented when the movable frame is rocked.
On the other hand, in the massage machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-13762, since both front and back ends of a supported portion 56 (chair main body) are coupled to a base portion 5 (base) with two links 54 and 54, the load of a user acts on the movable portion (coupling portions 55 and 55 between the supported portion and the base portion) of the supported portion 56 with respect to the base 5 and is distributed in the forward-backward direction. Therefore, less load acts on the rocking mechanism portion during the rocking of the supported portion 56, and it is possible to smoothly rock the supported portion 56.
However, since the massage machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-137626, is configured such that a lower end of the link 54 is coupled to the supported portion 56 (chair main body) and an upper end of the link 54 is coupled to the base portion 5 (base), it is necessary to locate the coupling portion to the link 54 in the base portion 5 at a higher position than a floor surface, and there is a problem in that the height of entire massage machine becomes larger.
Thus, the present invention has been made in order to solve the aforementioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a massage machine, which is capable of stably rocking a chair main body in the forward-backward direction, the overall height of which is suppressed.
According to the present invention, there is provided a massage machine including: a chair main body including a seat portion on which a user is seated and a back rest portion which is provided behind the seat portion; a base which supports the chair main body; a massage portion which is provided in the chair main body to perform massage on a body of the user; and a rocking mechanism portion which rocks the chair main body in a forward-backward direction with respect to the base, wherein the rocking mechanism portion includes link members, each of which has a lower portion pivotally supported by the base and an upper portion pivotally supported by the chair main body, wherein each link member includes a first link portion and a second link portion positioned behind the first link portion, and wherein the chair main body is rocked in the forward-backward direction by rocking the upper portions of the link members in the forward-backward direction. With such a configuration, the chair main body is supported by the base via the first and second link portions provided in the forward-backward direction, and, therefore, it is possible to distribute the load working on the rocking mechanism portion in the forward-backward direction and thereby to stably rock the chair main body in the forward-backward direction. In addition, since the lower portions of the link members are coupled to the base, and the upper portions of the link members are coupled to the chair main body, it is not necessary to locate the coupling portions of the link members in the base at a position which is higher than the floor surface, and it is possible to suppress a height of the entire massage machine.
In addition, it is preferable that the chair main body include an accommodating portion, which accommodates at least a part of the rocking mechanism portion inside the chair main body, to which the link members are attached. With such a configuration, fewer parts of the rocking mechanism portion are exposed outside of the chair main body, and it is possible to enhance aesthetic appearance.
In addition, it is preferable that the rocking mechanism portion include a rocking drive unit which rocks the link members. With such a configuration, it is possible to forcibly rock the chair main body in the forward-backward direction by driving the rocking drive unit.
In addition, it is preferable that the rocking drive unit include a motor, a decelerator whose output shaft is rotated by rotation of the motor, and a converter which converts rotational movement of the output shaft into reciprocating rocking motion in the forward-backward direction of the link members, and that the converter include a rotational member which is rotatable integrally with the output shaft, an eccentric shaft which is attached to the rotational member, and a crank member which is provided between the eccentric shaft and the base. With such a configuration, it is possible to sequentially reciprocate and rock the chair main body in the forward-backward direction by sequentially rotating the motor in one direction.
In addition, it is preferable that the chair main body include a footrest which is provided in front of the seat portion such that the footrest is turnable in the vertical direction, that the chair main body be configured such that a front portion of the seat portion moves upward in accordance with forward movement and a front portion of the seat portion moves downward in accordance with backward movement, and that the footrest be configured to be turned upward in accordance with the forward movement of the chair main body. With such a configuration, the legs are stretched as they move to a higher position, and therefore, it is possible to promote the blood flow in the legs to be directed to the heart as in a so-called centripetal method and thereby to enhance a relaxing effect.
In addition, it is preferable that the massage machine further include foot link members which vertically turn the footrest in accordance with movement of the chair main body in the forward-backward direction and that the footrest be connected to the link members via the foot link members. With such a configuration, it is not necessary to separately provide a drive source for vertically turning the footrest.
In addition, it is preferable that a configuration be made such that the first link portions are coupled to the rocking drive portion and the second link portions follow operations of the first link portions, and that the foot link members be pivotally supported by the first link portions. With such a configuration, the load from the legs acts on the footrest, the drive force of the rocking drive unit is directly delivered to the first link portions since the rocking drive unit is coupled to the first link portions to which the foot link members are coupled, and it is possible to smoothly rock the chair main body in the forward and backward direction and turn the footrest in the vertical direction.
According to the present invention, it is possible to stably rock the chair main body in the forward-backward direction and suppress the height of entire massage machine.
Hereinafter, description will be given of an overall configuration of a massage machine 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in
In addition, directional concepts used in the following description are the same as those when viewed from the user seated on the massage machine 1 in the standing state as shown in
The seat portion 3 and the backrest portion 4 are integrally formed to configure a first body supporting portion 20. The first body supporting portion 20 includes a first body supporting portion main body 21 with openings 21a which sequentially open to the front side from the seat portion 3 to the backrest portion 4 and a pad portion (not shown) which is disposed in front of the first body supporting portion main body 21 and has a stretching property.
The first body supporting portion 20 is provided a mechanical first massage portion 9 which can move up and down by being driven by an elevation motor M1 (see
The seat portion 3 include a pair of left and right side walls 3a and 3a which face the outer surfaces from the hips to the thighs of the user, and pneumatic second massage portions 10, which perform massage on the hips to the thighs, are provided on the inner surfaces of the side walls 3a. The backrest portion 4 includes a pair of left and right side walls 4a and 4a which face the outer surfaces of upper arms of the user, and pneumatic third massage portions 11, which perform massage on the upper arms, are provided on the inner surfaces of the side walls 4a.
In addition, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Since the chair main body 2 is supported by the base 7 via the first link portions 42 and the second link portions 43 which are provided with the predetermined intervals as described above, the load (load from the user) working on the rocking mechanism portion 8 is distributed in the forward-backward direction as shown in
As shown in
The converters 63 are coaxially provided with the output shaft 67a of the decelerator 62 (spur gear 67), that is, the converters 63 are attached to the output shaft 67a, and each converter 63 includes a rotational member 68 which can be integrally rotated with the output shaft 67a, an eccentric shaft 69 attached to the rotational member 68, and a crank member 70 provided between the eccentric shaft 69 and the base 7. The rotational member 68 rotates about a center line C1 when the output shaft 67a rotates about the center line C1 and the rotational force thereof is delivered. The eccentric shaft 69 is attached to the rotational member 68 about an axis C2 which is eccentric with respect to the rotational center C1 of the rotational member 68. In addition, one end of the crank member 70 is rotationally attached to the eccentric shaft 69, and the other end thereof is rotationally attached to the third shaft 7d. Moreover, the output shaft 67a is provided so as to extend in the horizontal direction, and the first link portions 42 and 42 are coupled to each other at both left and right ends thereof.
According to such a configuration of the converters 63, the output shaft 67a of the decelerator 62 and the rotational member 68 sequentially rotate in one direction when the motor 61 sequentially rotates in one direction. In so doing, the eccentric shaft 69 on the rotational member 68 performs circular motion about the rotation center C1, and the crank member 70 converts the circular motion into reciprocation of the link member 40 in the forward-backward direction. That is, the converters 63 configure a reciprocation crank mechanism, and it is possible to sequentially and forcibly reciprocate and rock the chair main body 2 in the forward-backward direction while an angle of a seating face of the seat portion 3 is changed, by causing the motor 61 to sequentially rotate in one direction. Such converters 63 are provided as a pair on the left and right sides, which makes it possible to stably rock the chair main body 2.
As shown in
According to this embodiment, it is possible to detect a standing state (a state shown in
In addition, as shown in
As shown in
When the first link portions 42 are rocked forward about the first shaft 7b and made to approach the reclining state from the standing state, the first foot link portions 51 are rocked in the back direction about the pivot A3, the front portion of the second foot link portion 52 is rocked upward about the pivot A6 with respect to the first link portion 42, and the third foot link portion 53 is rocked downward about the pivot A5. Therefore, when the chair main body 2 is rocked forward and made to approach the reclining state, the footrest 5 is turned upward. More specifically, the seat portion 3 is reclined and the footrest 4 is elevated in the course in which the chair main body 2 is shifted from the standing state to the reclining state. On this occasion, the legs are stretched as they move to a higher position, and therefore, it is possible to promote blood flow to be directed from toes to the heart as in a so-called centripetal method and thereby to enhance a relaxing effect.
On the other hand, when the first link portions 42 is rocked backward about the first shaft 7b and made to approach the standing state from the reclining state, the first foot link portion 51 is rocked to the front direction about the pivot A3, the front portion of the second foot link portion 52 is rocked downward about the pivot A6 with respect to the first link portion 42, and the third foot link portion 53 is rocked upward about the pivot A5. Therefore, when the chair main body 2 is rocked backward and made to approach the standing state, the footrest 5 is turned downward. Since the footrest 5 is lowered when the chair main body 2 is in the standing state, the user can easily sit down on and stand up from the chair main body 2.
Hereinafter, description will be given of a massage machine 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention with reference to the
Each rocking drive unit 81 is configured by a direct acting type actuator including a motor 82, a cylinder 83 which is driven by the motor 82 to extend and contract. In the rocking drive unit 81, the base portion 83a is attached in a turnable manner by the third shaft 7d (pivot) of the base 7, and the leading end 83b is attached to the first link portion 42 (link member 40) in a rotatable manner by a pivot 84. With such a configuration, it is possible to rock the link members 40 forward as shown by a one-dotted chain line and shift the chair main body 2 to the reclining state when the rocking drive unit 81 is elongated, and it is possible to rock the link members 40 backward as shown by a solid line and shift the chair main body 2 to the standing state when the rocking drive unit 81 is shortened.
The rocking drive unit 81 includes a position detecting sensor 85 which detects the rocking position of the chair main body 2 with respect to the base 7. The position detecting sensor 85 is configured by detected objects 85b made of a magnet or the like which are attached to an output shaft 82a of the motor 82 and detectors 85a made of Hall ICs or the like which are provided at a motor main body 82b for detecting the passing of the detected objects 85b so as to be able to detect an arbitrary rocking position between the standing state and the reclining state of the chair main body 2 by the detectors 85a detecting the number of rotations of the output shaft 82a (motor 82). Moreover, two detectors 85a are provided so as to be adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction of the output shaft 82a and can also detect the rotation direction of the output shaft 82a (motor 82) by determining which detector 85a has detected the passing of the detected object 85b earlier. The position detecting sensor 85 is electrically connected to the control unit 13, and the control unit 13 is configured to control the drive of the motor 82 in accordance with a detection result of the position detecting sensor 85.
In addition, the massage machine of the present invention is not limited to the configurations shown in the drawings, and other configurations are also applicable within the scope of the present invention. For example, a biasing member made of a spring (tension spring), a damper, or the like may be provided which is attached between the base 7 and the first link portion 42 (link member 40) instead of the rocking drive unit 60 or 81 so as to bias the chair main body 2 to the standing state, in the rocking mechanism portion. In such a case, the chair main body 2 can be maintained in the standing state by the biasing force of the biasing member, and the backrest portion 4 can be brought to be in the reclining state when the user seated on the seat portion 3 leans on the backrest portion 4. Then, when the user weakens the force of leaning on the backrest portion 4, the backrest portion 4 in the reclining state can be recovered to the standing state by the biasing force of the biasing member.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-221460 | Oct 2011 | JP | national |
