The present invention relates to a massage machine and, more particularly, to a massage machine which can stretch user's legs.
Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No.9-56766 discloses a massage chair with a leg-rest disposed in front of a seat. The leg-rest is provided with air bags and can give a massage to user's lower thighs by expanding and contracting the air bags. Furthermore, the leg-rest is rotatably linked to a front-end of the seat to be rotatable relative to the seat, and the massage chair can stretch the knees and the thighs of the user by rotating the leg-rest while fixing the user's lower thighs by the air bags.
However, although the massage machine can stretch the user's knees and thighs, it can not stretch the user's ankles.
In view of the above problem, the object of the present invention is to provide a massage machine which can stretch a user's ankle.
The massage machine in accordance with a present invention comprises a seat, a leg-rest for holding a lower thigh of a user, a footrest for holding a foot of the user, a footrest driving means, and a controller. The leg-rest is disposed in front of the seat. The footrest is movably linked to a lower end of the leg-rest to be movable relative to the leg-rest, and is provided with a foot restraining means configured to restrain a foot of the user. The footrest driving means is configured to move the footrest relative to said leg-rest. The controller gives the user a leg stretching mode, and in the leg stretching mode, the controller controls the footrest driving means and the foot restraining means such that the footrest driving means moves the footrest relative to the leg-rest while the foot restraining means restrains the foot of the user.
Therefore, in the leg stretching mode, because the footrest is moved relative to the leg-rest by the footrest driving means while the user's foot is restrained by the foot restraint means, the user's ankle can be stretched adequately.
Preferably, the footrest is configured to be rotatably linked to the lower end of the leg-rest to be rotatable relative to the leg-rest, and the footrest driving means is configured to rotate the footrest relative to the leg-rest, and the controller is configured to control the foot restraining means and the footrest driving means such that, in the leg stretching mode, the footrest driving means rotates the footrest relative to the leg-rest while the foot restraining means restrains the foot of the user. In this case, because the user's foot is rotated relative to the lower thigh, the user's ankle can be stretched efficiently.
More preferably, in the leg stretching mode, the controller controls the footrest driving means such that the footrest driving means rotates the footrest alternately in a direction in which a user's ankle is stretched and in a direction in which the user's ankle is bent and, when rotation direction of the footrest is changed from the direction in which the user's ankle is stretched into the direction in which the user's ankle is bent, the footrest driving means stops rotating the footrest for a predetermined time period. In this case, because a situation where the user's ankle is stretched is maintained for a while, the user's ankle can be stretched more adequately.
It is also preferable that the footrest is configured to be slidably linked to the lower end of the leg-rest to be slidable relative to the leg-rest, and the footrest driving means is configured to slide the footrest relative to the leg-rest, and the controller is configured to control the foot restraining means and the footrest driving means such that, in the leg stretching mode, the footrest driving means slides the footrest relative to said leg-rest while the foot restraining means restrains the foot of the user. In this case, the user's foot is pulled relative to the user's lower thigh, so the user's ankle can be stretched efficiently.
In the above case, it is more preferable that the controller is configured to control the footrest driving means such that, in the leg stretching mode, the footrest driving means slides the footrest alternately in a direction in which an ankle of the user is stretched and in a direction in which the ankle of the user is compressed and, when sliding direction of the footrest is changed from the direction in which the ankle of the user is stretched into the direction in which the ankle of the user is compressed, the footrest driving means stops sliding the footrest for a predetermined time period. In this case, because a situation where the user's ankle is stretched is maintained for a while, the user's ankle can be stretched more adequately.
Preferably, the leg-rest is provided with a lower thigh restraining means configured to restrain a lower thigh of the user, and the controller is configured to control the footrest driving means, the foot restraining means, and the lower thigh restraining means such that, in the leg stretching mode, the footrest driving means moves the footrest relative to the leg-rest while the foot restraining means and the lower thigh restraining means restrain the user's foot and lower thigh, respectively. In this case, the user's foot is moved under a situation where the user's lower thigh, as well as the user's foot, is restrained, so the user's ankle can be stretched more adequately.
Preferably, the leg-rest is configured to be rotatably linked to a front-end of the seat to be rotatable relative to the seat, and the massage machine further comprises a leg-rest driving means configured to rotate the leg-rest relative to the seat, and the controller is configured to control the leg-rest driving means such that, in the leg stretching mode, the leg-rest driving means rotates the leg-rest relative to the seat while the footrest driving means moves the footrest relative to the leg-rest. In this case, because the leg-rest is rotated while the footrest is moved, the user's knee, in addition to the user's ankle, can also be stretched. Further, the user's ankle can be stretched at various angles of the user's leg.
In the above case, preferably, the seat is provided with a thigh restraining means configured to restrain a thigh of the user, and the controller is configured to control the thigh restraining means such that, in the leg stretching mode, the thigh restraining means restrains the thigh of the user while the leg-rest driving means rotates the leg-rest relative to the seat. In this case, because the user's thigh is restrained by the thigh restraining means while the leg-rest is rotated, a gap is not formed between the seat and the undersurface of the user's thigh while the leg-rest is rotated. If the gap is formed between the seat and the undersurface of the user's thigh while the leg-rest is rotated, the user's leg can not be stretched adequately. So, by restraining the user's thigh while rotating the leg-rest, this massage machine can stretch user's leg adequately.
Each of the foot restraint means, the thigh restraint means, and the lower thigh restraint means may comprise an air bag that is expanded and contracted by an air supply and exhaust device.
FIGS. 4 to 5 are schematic diagrams of a frame of the massage machine of
FIGS. 9 to 11 are schematic diagrams of a frame of a massage machine in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 3 show a massage machine 1 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The massage machine 1 is a chair type massage machine, and comprises a base 10, a seat 20 disposed on the base 10, a reclining backrest 30, armrests 40, a leg-rest 50 for holding user's lower thighs (calves), a footrest 60 for holding the user's feet, and an input device 200. The backrest 30 includes an well-known massage unit 100 (see
The leg-rest 50 is disposed in front of the seat 20 and is rotatably linked to the front-end of the seat 20 to be rotatable relative to the seat 20. That is, as shown in
The footrest 60 is rotatably linked to the lower end of the leg-rest 50 to be rotatable relative to the leg-rest 50. That is, as shown in
The frame 51 of the leg-rest 50 and the frame 61 of the footrest 60 are linked with a link mechanism 70 connected to the frame 11 of the base 10. The link mechanism 70 is driven by an electric extendable mechanism 80 disposed in the base 10. By a movement of the link mechanism 70 caused by extension and contraction of the electric extendable mechanism 80, the leg-rest 50 can rotate between a vertical position where an angle θ (shown in
Turning back to
The footrest 60 has two U-shaped grooves 62 for holding the feet of the user. Disposed in both side walls of each grooves 62 and an end of each of the grooves 62 are air bags 63, 64, each of which is expanded and contracted by the air supply and exhaust device 110. These air bags 63, 64 can give a massage to the user's feet by expanding and contracting repeatedly. Furthermore, the air bags 63, disposed in both side walls of each groove 62, can restrain the user's feet by expanding and then pressing each foot of the user from both sides of each of the groove 62. That is, these air bags 63 constitute a foot restraining means which restrains feet of the user.
The seat 20 also includes air bags 21, which are expanded and contracted by the air supply and exhaust device 110 to give a massage to the undersurfaces of the user's thighs. Further, these air bags 21 can restrain the undersurfaces of the user's thighs by expanding. That is, these air bags 21 constitute a thigh restraining means which restrains thighs of the user.
Referring to
The controller 90 stores a leg stretching program for stretching the user's legs, in addition to a normal massage program, and, when the user selects a leg stretching mode from the input device 200, the controller 90 gives the user the leg stretching mode based of the leg stretching program.
Hereinafter, the leg stretching mode will be explained in detail.
In the leg stretching mode, first, the controller 90 gives the electric extendable mechanism 80 instructions to rotate the leg-rest 50 until the vertical position shown in
As a result, the footrest 60 is rotated repeatedly relative to the leg-rest 50 under a situation where the user's feet are restrained, so the user's ankles are forced to be stretched or bent adequately. Further, because the leg-rest 50 is rotated relative to the seat 20 while the footrest 60 is rotated relative to the leg-rest 50, the user's knees, in addition to the user's ankles, are also stretched.
In
Further, as shown in
The control method of the controller 90 in the leg stretching mode is not limited to the above method, and the controller 90 may give another stretching patterns to the user. Hereinafter, another control method in the leg stretching mode will be explained.
When the user selects the leg stretching mode using the input device 200, the controller 90 gives the electric extendable mechanism 80 instructions to rotate the leg-rest 50 until the horizontal position. Then, the controller 90 gives the air supply and exhaust device 100 and the air distributor 120 instructions to expand the air bags 21 disposed in the seat 20 to restrain the undersurfaces of the user's thighs. Then, keeping the air bags 21 expanded, the controller 90 gives the air supply and exhaust device 100 and the air distributor 120 instructions to expand the air bags 53 disposed in the leg-rest 50 and the air bags 63 disposed in the footrest 60 in order to restrain the user's lower thighs and feet. Then, keeping the air bags 21, 53, and 63 expanded, the controller 90 gives the electric extendable mechanism 80 instructions to rotate the leg-rest 50 downward. That is, the controller 90 controls the air supply and exhaust device 100, the air distributor 120, and the electric extendable mechanism 80 so that the electric extendable mechanism 80 rotates the leg-rest 50 and the footrest 60 relative to the seat 20 and the leg-rest 50, respectively, through the link mechanism 70 while the air bags 21, 53, and 63 restrain the user's thighs, lower thighs, and feet, respectively.
Then, after maintaining the state where the user's legs are stretched for a while, the controller 90 gives the air supply and exhaust device 100 and the air distributor 120 instructions to contract the air bags 53, 63 to release the user's lower thighs and the feet. And then, the controller 90 gives the electric extendable mechanism 80 instructions to rotate the leg-rest 50 until the horizontal position. When the leg-rest 50 reach the horizontal position, the controller 90 gives the air supply and exhaust device 100 and the air distributor 120 instructions to contract the air bags 21 to release the user's thighs, and finishes a sequence of the leg stretching mode. The controller 90 may repeat the above sequence a predetermined times.
In this control method, because the footrest 60 is rotated relative to the leg-rest 50 while the user's lower thighs as well as the user's feet are restrained, the user's ankle is stretched more adequately. Furthermore, because the leg-rest 50 is rotated relative to the seat 20 while the footrest 60 is rotated relative to the leg-rest 50, the user's knee, in addition to the user's ankle, can also be stretched. Still furthermore, because the user's thighs are restrained while the leg-rest 50 is rotated in a downward direction relative to the seat 20, a gap does not formed between the seat 20 and the undersurfaces of the user's thighs, so the user's knees and ankles are stretched adequately.
The controller 90 may rotate the leg-rest 50 up and down repeatedly while keeping the air bags 21 expanded. That is, after the leg-rest 50 returns to the horizontal position, the controller 90 expands the air bags 53, 63 again to restrain the lower thighs and feet without contracting the air bags 21, and rotates the leg-rest 50 downward again. And, after stretching the user's legs for a while, the controller 90 contracts the air bags 53, 63 to release the user's lower thighs and the feet, as mentioned above, and then rotates the leg-rest 50 until the horizontal position. And, the controller 90 expands the air bags 53, 63 again, and rotates the leg-rest 50 downward.
Although the footrest 60 is rotated by the link mechanism 70 with the rotation of the leg-rest 50 in this embodiment, the footrest 60 may be rotated by a motor M independently of the leg-rest 50, as shown in
In addition, the massage machine is not limited to the chair type massage machine. For example, the massage machine may be a bed type massage machine which have a berth constituting the seat.
FIGS. 9 to 11 show a massage machine 2 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The basic composition of this embodiment is identical to the first embodiment, so the similar part of these embodiments are identified by the same reference character and no duplicate explanation is made here.
In the massage machine 2, the footrest 60 is slidably linked to the lower end of the leg-rest 50 to be slidable relative to the leg-rest 50. That is, as shown in
As is the case with the first embodiment, the leg-rest 50 is rotated relative to the seat 20 by the electric extendable mechanism 80.
In the leg stretching mode, the controller 90 gives the air supply and exhaust device 100 and the air distributor 120 instructions to expand the air bags 63 disposed in the side walls of each of the grooves 62 of the footrest 60 in order to restrain the feet of the user. Then, keeping the air bags 63 expanded, the controller 90 gives the extendable mechanism 130 instructions to slide the footrest 60 back and forth, relative to the leg-rest 50, repeatedly. Therefore, in this massage machine 2, because the user's feet are pulled relative to the user's lower thigh while the feet are restrained, so the user's ankle is stretched efficiently.
In
Further, as shown in
In addition, the controller 90 may restrains the user's lower thighs while sliding the user's feet. In this case, the massage machine 2 can stretch the user's feet more adequately. And the controller 90 may slide the footrest 60 while rotating the leg-rest 50 relative to the seat 20. In this case, the user's knees, in addition to the ankles, can be stretched. In the case, the controller 90 may restrain the user's thighs by the air bags 21 while rotating the leg-rest 50.
Or, the controller 90 may slide the footrest 60 after rotating the leg-rest 50 until a predetermined position.
As mentioned above, as many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2004-93366 | Mar 2004 | JP | national |
2004-156773 | May 2004 | JP | national |