Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application 2003-367447 filed Oct. 28, 2003.
This invention relates to a massaging machine and more particularly to the structure of its massaging mechanism.
It has been known to form the kneading mechanism of a massaging machine by using sectionally U-shaped guide rails on the right-hand and left-hand side of a frame and using rollers, racks and pinions to provide vertical motions.
Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai 63-145656, for example, discloses a massaging machine with a massaging shaft which is hollow and through which a lifting shaft is passed. Attached to each end part of the lifting shaft are a rotatable roller and a pinion affixed to the shaft. An eccentric shaft for pounding operations is inside a force-adjusting mechanism, and its eccentric part and an end part of the massaging arm are connected by a link. Another pair of rotatable rollers is affixed to the frame of the massaging part through supporting shafts for the aforementioned rotatable rollers. The structure thus described is supported by and attached to the frame.
Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai 7-323052 discloses another massaging machine provided with a rotatable roller at both end parts of the massaging shaft and a lifting shaft is provided separately through a decelerator. At each end part of the lifting shaft are a rotatable roller and a pinion affixed to the shaft. A pounding shaft for the pounding operation is provided separately through a decelerator. There is an eccentric top at the center of the pounding shaft, and the link support and the end part of the massaging arm are connected by a link through a bearing. These shafts and the decelerator in this example are supported by a large frame.
Japanese Patent Publications Tokkai 11-332942 and 2001-224644 disclose still another massaging machine provided with a pounding function. Its lifting mechanism is structured such that rollers and pinion shafts are supported by a unit case and the pinion shafts are rotated by means of a worm decelerator. It is also provided with a large molded resin case for supporting the massaging and pounding mechanisms as well as the lifting mechanism.
According to the technologies of aforementioned Japanese Patent Publications Tokkai 63-145656 and 7-323052, the supporting part for the link for controlling the rotation of the massaging arm and the pounding operations is provided to the shaft dedicated to the pounding operations. Such a massaging mechanism requires a dedicated shaft for the pounding and a bearing structure for rotatably supporting the shaft. Since the pounding operations are carried out at a fast rate, large impulse loads are generated and communicated to the pounding shaft. Thus, a shaft with a relatively large diameter is required and this means that an accordingly large bearing is needed. Moreover, the frame that supports this bearing must be made stronger and hence tends to become a large and heavy structure.
According to the technology of aforementioned Japanese Patent Publications Tokkai 11-332942 and 2001-224644, the link is provided so as to be three-dimensionally rotatable at a portion of the support structure of a massaging mechanism for controlling the rotation of the massaging arm. In such a massaging mechanism, since the link must be able to support the large reaction force received from the patient's body by the massaging balls, the support structure must be structured so as to withstand this large force. As a result, the support structure tends to become structurally complicated as the thickness is increased in the case of a molded produce or as more ribs are used or iron plates are used besides a resin material for increasing the strength. Since the link undergoes a three-dimensional motion, furthermore, a ball joint structure becomes necessary and the end part of the link has the shape of a ball. Thus, a cover structure for holding this ball-shaped structure becomes necessary, and this causes the structure to become complicated and the number of parts to increase.
It is therefore an object of this invention to address these technical problems and to provide a massaging machine with a massaging mechanism structured such that it can be made compact and lighter and hence that its production cost can be reduced.
A massaging machine embodying this invention in view of the object of the invention described above, may be characterized as comprising a massaging unit including massaging balls for contacting a patient, a massaging shaft that is rotationally driven for causing the massaging balls to undergo massaging motions, a massaging power source that provides rotary power and rotationally drives the massaging shaft and a rotation-massaging conversion device that converts the rotary power of the massaging power source into the massaging motions of the massaging balls and a lifting mechanism for moving the massaging unit along guide devices, the lifting mechanism including a lifting shaft that is rotated for moving the massaging unit, a moving power source for rotationally driving the lifting shaft and a motion converting device for converting rotary motion of the lifting shaft into movement of the lifting mechanism, wherein the rotation-massaging conversion device includes a rotation control device that is connected to the lifting shaft and serves to limit rotation of the rotation-massaging conversion device around the massaging shaft.
With a massaging mechanism thus structured, there is no need to provide a special component for limiting the rotation of the rotation-massaging conversion device around the massaging shaft and hence a massaging machine can be made thinner and more compact.
It is preferable that the massaging unit further includes pounding rotary bodies that are supported rotatably by the lifting shaft and are rotationally driven for causing the massaging balls to undergo pounding motions, a pounding power source that provides rotary power for rotationally driving the pounding rotary bodies, and a rotation-pounding conversion device that converts rotary motions of the pounding rotary bodies into the pounding motions of the massaging balls.
With the massaging unit thus structured, there is no need to provide any shaft specifically for supporting the pounding rotary bodies and since it becomes easier to arrange these components, the massage machine as a whole can be made compact and lighter and hence the production cost can be reduced.
It is also preferable to further provide a mode switching mechanism for switching between different modes of the pounding motions by varying direction of rotationally driving the pounding rotary bodies because the switching between the modes of pounding can be effected by a simple operation of merely changing the direction of rotation of the pounding power source.
According to a preferred embodiment, the massaging balls consist of first massaging balls and second massaging balls, the pounding rotary bodies consist of a first rotary body that moves the first massaging balls and a second rotary body that moves the second massaging balls, and the massaging machine further comprises a first power transmission system that transmits the rotary power of the pounding power source to the first rotary body and a second power transmission system that transmits the rotary power of the pounding power source to the second rotary body. In the above, a single motor with two drive shafts may be used as the power source of both the first and second power transmission systems or two different power sources may be used.
Each of these power transmission systems may comprise a toothed belt that is driven by the pounding power source and toothed pulleys around which the belt is wound such that the first rotary body and the second rotary body are rotated by rotary power communicated to the pulleys. With the power transmission systems thus structured, they can be operated dependably at their intended timings and the massaging machine can be accurately controlled. The belts used in these power transmission systems may be helical belts and their pulleys may be helical pulleys with matching teeth such that the noise of operation can be reduced while operations at accurate timings can be assured. The belts and the pulleys may be provided with sectionally V-shaped grooves.
The deceleration ratio of the two power transmission systems may be different such that the phase difference in the pounding motions of the first and second massaging balls will change periodically and the patient can enjoy a variety of modes of pounding.
It is further preferable to provide the massaging shaft with supporting devices for supporting the massaging unit against the guide devices. With such supporting devices provided to the massaging shaft, there is no need for a frame structure or a case structure specifically for supporting the massaging unit and hence the massaging machine as a whole can be made more compact.
If both the massaging power source and the moving power source are disposed between the massaging shaft and the lifting shaft, the number of machine components can be reduced and since the distance of required wiring is reduced, this also allows the massaging machine as a whole to be made compact and lighter.
The invention is described next by way of an example with reference to the drawings. The lifting mechanism and the massaging mechanism will be described first, followed by the explanation of the pounding mechanism and the switching mechanism for simultaneous and alternate pounding.
Numeral 2 indicates a massaging unit 2 of the massaging machine 1, provided with four massaging balls 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d which are arranged up and down on the right-hand and left-hand sides and each rotatably supported at a tip of one of generally V-shaped ball-supporting arms 4 and 5. In what follows, the direction in which the massaging balls 3a-3d protrude is referred to as the front, and the right-hand and left-hand sides are defined as one faces the massaging balls 3a-3d from the front. A cover 6 is provided on the front surface side from the upper part to the lower part between the massaging balls on the right-hand and left-hand sides for protecting motors and pulleys placed behind.
The massaging unit 2 is adapted to move up and down along a pair of lifting guides (“guide devices”) 7 and 8 placed on its right-hand and left-hand sides. The lifting guides 7 and 8 are each sectionally U-shaped and are disposed such that their opening parts face each other, supported by supporting plates 11 and 12, respectively at the top and at the bottom. Vertically extending racks 13 and 14 are disposed on the back inner side surfaces of the lifting guides 7 and 8, respectively so as to be mutually symmetrically positioned.
Numeral 23 indicates a lifting motor (“moving power source”) disposed in the front-back direction at a lower position at the center of the massaging unit 2 between the lifting shaft 17 and the massaging shaft 18. The output shaft of the lifting motor 23 protrudes to the backside of the massaging unit 2 where a small pulley 24 is attached. A worm gear 25 is disposed above the lifting motor 23 so as to be parallel thereto. A large pulley 26 (larger than the aforementioned small pulley 24) is attached to the back end of the worm gear 25 such that the rotary driving force of the lifting motor 23 is communicated to the worm gear 25 through an endless transmission belt 27 stretched between the aforementioned small and large pulleys 24 and 26.
A worm wheel 28 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the lifting shaft nearly at its center and engages with the worm gear 25. Thus, the rotary driving force of the lifting motor 23 is transmitted through the small pulley 24, the endless transmission belt 27, the large pulley 26, the worm gear 25 and the worm wheel 28 to cause the lifting shaft 17 to rotate. The worm gear 25 and the worm wheel 28 are contained inside a gear case 29.
As the lifting shaft 17 is rotationally driven, the pinions 15 and 16 at its end parts are also rotated. Since these pinions 15 and 16 engage with the racks 13 and 14 on the lifting guides 7 and 8, the massaging unit 2 moves upward or downward along the lifting guides 7 and 8 as a result of the rotary motion of the lifting shaft 17. Thus, the lifting shaft 17 is hereinafter also referred to as the “rotary shaft for transportation”, the racks 13 and 14 and the pinions 15 and 16 are also referred to as the “motion converting devices”, and the lifting shaft 17, the racks 13 and 14, the pinions 15 and 16 and the lifting motor 23 are together referred to as forming a “unit transporting mechanism” for moving the massaging unit 2.
In
As shown in
A rotation sensor 38 is attached to the sensor-supporting board 31 at a position corresponding to the rotation sensor dog 36, having a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part (not shown) and being adapted to detect any interruption in the optical path for light from the light-emitting part to the light-receiving part by the protrusion 361 on the rotation sensor dog 36. The rotary angle of the lifting shaft 17 can thus be counted.
Outwardly protruding columnar members 411, 421, 402 and 502 are provided outside the arm-supporting members 41 and 42 and below and outside the ball-supporting arms 4 and 5. Coil springs 43 and 44 are stretched between these columnar members so as to provide a biasing diagonally upward force on the lower parts of the ball-supporting arms 4 and 5. Thus, unless there is an external force, the upper massaging balls 3a and 3c normally protrude forward and the lower massaging balls 3b and 3d remain in their backward retracted positions.
The upper side surfaces of the cover 6 is also provided with outwardly protruding columnar members 61 and 62. Sound-suppressing springs 45 and 46 are stretched between this pair of columnar members 61 and 62 and another pair of columnar members 411 and 421 on the arm-supporting members 41 and 42. These sound-suppressing springs 45 and 46 provide a biasing upward force on the arm-supporting members 41 and 42, thereby serving to absorb the vibrations of the arm-supporting members 41 and 42 when they are undergoing a pounding operation and to suppress the sound of the pounding.
As shown in
On both right-hand and left-hand sides of the lifting shaft 17, which is placed parallel to and above the massaging shaft 18, link holders 51 and 52 are disposed rotatably around the outer peripheries of eccentric collars 71 and 72 (to be described below) through bearings at positions corresponding to the sloped sleeves 47 and 48, respectively. These link holders 51 and 52 are connected to the arm-supporting members 41 and 42 by links 53 and 54. As shown in
A massaging motor 55 is disposed between the lifting shaft 17 and the massaging shaft 18, diagonally above the lifting motor 23. As shown in
As shown in
As the massaging motor 55 is rotationally driven such that the massaging shaft 18 is rotated, the massaging balls 3a-3d move along three-dimensional tracks because the arm-supporting members 41 and 42 are rotatably engaged with the outer peripheries of the sloped sleeves 47 and 48 and connected to the links 53 and 54 supported on the link holders 51 and 52 on the lifting shaft 17 so as to be able to freely swing around. It is to be noted that the massaging balls 3a and 3b on the right-hand side and the massaging balls 3c and 3d on the left-hand side move such that the separation between them vary as they move. The pounding motor 66 (to be described below) is usually stopped during a pounding operation but it need not be stopped.
For the convenience of the present invention, the arm-supporting members 41 and 42, the sloped sleeves 47 and 48, the links 53 and 54 and the link holders 51 and 52 may be together referred to as the rotation-massaging conversion device, and the links 53 and 54 and the link holders 51 and 52 may be together referred to as the rotation control device for the rotation-massaging conversion device.
The pounding operation by the massaging unit 2 is carried out through the lifting shaft 17 disposed in the right-left direction in the upper portion of the massaging unit 2.
As shown in
An endless transmission belt 73 is wound around the small pulley 67 on the output shaft protruding to the right from the pounding motor 66 and the pounding mode switching pulley 69. Another endless transmission belt 74 is wound around the small pulley 68 on the output shaft protruding to the left from the pounding motor 66 and the collar-integrated pulley 37. Both of these endless transmission belts 73 and 74 are toothed belts.
For the convenience of the present invention, the right-hand small pulley 67, the pounding mode switching pulley 69 and the transmission belt 73 are said to together form a first power transmission system, and the left-hand small pulley 68, the collar-integrated pulley 37 and the transmission belt 74 are said to together form a second power transmission system.
The aforementioned eccentric collars 71 and 72 are respectively on the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the lifting shaft 17, each having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface which is eccentric with respect to the center axis of the lifting shaft 17. The link holders 51 and 52 are disposed rotatably around the outer peripheries of the eccentric collars 71 and 72 through bearings.
As the pounding motor 66 is rotationally driven to cause the eccentric collars 71 and 72 to rotate, the link holders 51 and 52 are displaced along the lifting shaft 17 by a distance depending on the eccentricity of the eccentric collars 71 and 72, undergoing reciprocating motions. Since the links 53 and 54 connect the link holders 51 and 52 with the arm-supporting members 41 and 42, this motion of the link holders 51 and 52 is communicated to the arm-supporting members 41 and 42. Since the arm-supporting members 41 and 42 are rotatably engaging with the outer peripheries of the sloped sleeves 47 and 48, the arm-supporting members 41 and 42 undergo reciprocating motions around the sloped sleeves 47 and 48, causing the massaging balls 3a-3d to move reciprocatingly to carry out the pounding operations.
For the convenience of the present invention, the eccentric collars 71 and 72 are also referred to as the first pounding rotary body and the second pounding rotary body, respectively, and the link holders 51 and 52, the links 53 and 54 and the arm-supporting members 41 and 42 are also together referred to as the rotation-pounding converting device.
Next, the pounding mode switching mechanism for the massaging unit 2 is explained with reference to
The inner end surface of the pounding mode switching pulley 69 is formed in the shape of having a portion left in the circumferential direction and the remaining parts removed. In other words, there are fan-shaped protrusions 691 spanning a specified angular range and a fan-shaped space 692 formed over the remaining angular range.
The inner end part of the eccentric collar 71 in the axial direction is positioned on the side of the inner diameter of the pounding mode switching pulley 69. A protrusion 711 in the radial direction is formed on its outer peripheral surface, being also fan-shaped and extending in the circumferential direction with respect to the center of the lifting shaft 17. The protrusion 711 is at a position in the radial direction corresponding to the aforementioned protrusions 691 and the space 692 with respect to the center of the lifting shaft 17. The pounding mode switching pulley 69 and the eccentric collar 71 are combined so as to be able to rotate with respect to each other.
As the pounding motor 66 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction, the pounding mode switching pulley 69 also rotates in the same counter-clockwise direction. At this moment, the eccentric collar 71 is not rotating, its protrusion 711 being in a stationary condition at a specified angular position with respect to the center of the lifting shaft 17. As the pounding mode switching pulley 69 begins to rotate in the counter-clockwise direction in this condition, its end part soon comes to contact the end part of the protrusion 711 of the eccentric collar 71. If the pounding mode switching pulley 69 is further rotated in the counter-clockwise direction, its protrusions 691 come to push the protrusion 711 from the eccentric collar 71 with which it contacts, thereby causing the eccentric collar 71 to also rotate in the counter-clockwise direction. At this moment, the two eccentric collars 71 and 72 on the right-hand and left-hand sides are both displaced in the same direction with respect to the center of the lifting shaft 17. Thus, the links 53 and 54 move in the same manner, as shown in
As the pounding motor 66 is rotated in the clockwise direction, the pounding mode switching pulley 69 also rotates in the same clockwise direction. At this moment, the eccentric collar 71 is not rotating, its protrusion 711 being in a stationary condition at a specified angular position with respect to the center of the lifting shaft 17. As the pounding mode switching pulley 69 begins to rotate in the clockwise direction in this condition, its end part soon comes to contact the end part of the protrusion 711 of the eccentric collar 71. If the pounding mode switching pulley 69 is further rotated in the clockwise direction, its protrusions 691 come to push the protrusion 711 from the eccentric collar 71 with which it contacts, thereby causing the eccentric collar 71 to also rotate in the clockwise direction. At this moment, there is a phase difference of 180° between the two eccentric collars 71 and 72 with respect to the center of the lifting shaft 17. Thus, the links 53 and 54 move in such a way that there is a phase difference of 180° therebetween, as shown in
If the number of teeth (cogs) is the same on the pounding mode switching pulley 69 and the collar-integrated pulley 37, the ratio of deceleration in the power transmission systems from the pounding motor 66 to them is the same. The ratio of deceleration may be made different, however, between the transmission systems, say, by changing the diameters and/or the numbers of teeth on the pounding mode switching pulley 69 and the collar-integrated pulley 37. In this manner, the phase difference in the motion of the massaging balls on the right-hand side and the left-hand side may be varied. For example, they may be pounding simultaneously but soon the massaging balls on one side will start pounding sooner until they will pound in the alternate pounding mode. Thereafter, their phase difference will continue until they being to pound simultaneously. In other words, the patient will be able to enjoy pounding in a variety of modes.
Friction belts with sectionally V-shaped grooves may be used in these power transmission systems by providing correspondingly V-shaped grooves on the peripheries of the pounding mode switching pulley 69 and the collar-integrated pulley 37. This has the advantage of reducing the noise of operation associated with the power transmission. Alternatively, helical pulleys and helical belts may be used in the power transmission systems for improving the dependability of the timing of motion by the massaging balls on the right-hand and left-hand sides.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2003-367447 | Oct 2003 | JP | national |