JP3445840B2 - Air massager - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for supplying and discharging compressed air from compressed air supply means such as an air compressor to a bag made of an airtight soft material. The present invention relates to an air massage device for performing massage by expanding and contracting a bag body. [0002] Conventionally, a bag made of an airtight soft material is provided in a futon or a mat, and compressed air (forcibly supplied air) is supplied to the bag by an air compressor. 2. Description of the Related Art An air massage device for supplying and exhausting air to expand and contract to perform massage is widely known. In many air massage devices of this type, the futon or the like is also used as a mattress, and such a type is used as it is after the massage is completed. However, a pillow is not always necessary during a massage, and it may even be inconvenient for performing a massage, but a pillow is always required when sleeping or sleeping, so in such a case It is troublesome to remove and attach each pillow, and it is sometimes desirable to go to sleep while massaging from the viewpoint of the massage effect. [0003] As described above, in the conventional air massage device, there is a trouble that a pillow must be removed and attached one by one before and after the massage, and the massage ends. Since she had to prepare pillows later, she couldn't go to sleep while massaging, which was not always satisfactory. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and at least a body support portion including a neck portion is made of an airtight soft material and is expanded and contracted by air supply and exhaust. Body support with airbags and air supply
Means for supplying and exhausting air from the air supply means to the bag body.
Air distribution means, and a driver for driving the air distribution means
Steps and control means are provided inside and
Force means is provided and located outside the body support
Device body, and the device body and the body support
Air massage device with air supply hose to be connected
In the above, the input means, the air of the bag to the neck portion
After supplying air and inflating this bag, maintain this inflated state
Inflatable mode and other operating modes
There, the said control means, causes the supply and exhaust air to the respective bag and controls the air supply means and the drive means in accordance with each mode input from said input means, before
A mode in which the expansion maintaining mode is incorporated in the input means
When There is input, it is obtained by the air Massa <br/> over di apparatus characterized by performing the expansion maintained mode after execution of the other operation modes. Since the present invention is constructed as described above, air is supplied to the bag at the neck as required, and after the bag is inflated, the inflated state is maintained. Real mode
By row, it is possible to have a function as a pillow in this bag by expanding the bag body of the neck, in which it is possible to solve the conventional such complexity. FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 show an embodiment of the present invention.
It will be described based on. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an air massage device, which is a futon 2 as a body support, an air compressor as an air supply unit described later , a rotary valve as an air distribution unit,
The apparatus comprises a device main body 3 in which a stepping motor as driving means, a control device as control means, and the like are provided, and an air supply hose 4 composed of an air tube for supplying air from the device main body 3. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the futon 2 has an upper portion made of two resilient, thick, rectangular sheet materials made of a sponge-like material generally called urethane foam. A futon portion 7 composed of a sheet 5 and a lower sheet 6 and a flat, airtight and soft material disposed inside the futon portion 7, that is, between the rectangular upper sheet 5 and the lower sheet 6. And a cover 9 for covering the futon 7. In FIG. 1, the bag 8a is a neck bag for massaging a neck, the bag 8b is a shoulder bag for massaging a shoulder, and the bags 8c to 8g are massaging the back and waist. The bag 8h is a leg bag for massaging the legs. Each of the bags 8a to 8h is housed in a storage bag made of a rectangular sheet-like cloth (not shown) and is positioned and disposed inside the futon 7. After the bags 8a to 8h are arranged at predetermined positions via the storage bags, the two sheets 5 and 6 are attached to the peripheral portions of the upper sheet 5 and the lower sheet 6 by, for example, an adhesive tape (not shown). Are integrated. A connecting portion 11 for connecting the connecting portion 10 of the air supply hose 4 is provided on one side surface of the futon portion 7, and the connecting portion 11 and the bags 8a to 8h are provided.
Are connected to air tubes 12a to 12h for supplying air. Further, a connection portion 14 at the other end of the air supply hose 4 whose one end is connected to the connection portion 11 is connected to a hose connection portion 13 provided in the apparatus main body 3. In addition, an air supply port (not shown) corresponding to a supply port for supplying eight air of a rotary valve described later is provided in the hose connection portion 13 of the apparatus main body 3.
Is composed of eight air tubes 15a to 15h connected to the respective air supply ports, respectively. The air tubes 15a to 15h are connected to the air tubes 12a to 12h, the connection portion 10, and the connection portion. 11 through 15a and 12a, 15b respectively
, 12b... 15h and 12h are connected in correspondence with each other. Reference numeral 16 denotes a power cord provided on the apparatus main body 3. Next, the overall control configuration of the air massage device 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 21 denotes an air compressor comprising an air pump as an air supply means as described above. This air compressor 21 forcibly applies air (hereinafter referred to as compressed air) to each of the bags 8a to 8h. Is to supply. A filter tank 23 for smoothing the pulsating compressed air via an air supply pipe 22 is connected to the air compressor 21, and a rotary valve 25 as distribution means is connected to the filter tank 23 via an air supply pipe 24. I have. Reference numeral 26 denotes position detecting means for detecting the position of each of the rotary valves 25.
Reference numeral 7 denotes a stepping motor that drives the rotary valve 25 to rotate. The rotary valve 25 is connected to the futon 2 via the air supply hose 4. The reference numeral 28 denotes the air compressor 2
1, a control device as a control means for controlling the stepping motor 27 and the like, which comprises a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc., although not shown. An operation panel 29 as an input means for inputting various operation modes described later is connected to the control device 28. The control device 28 controls the air compressor 21, the stepping motor 27, and the like according to various operation modes input from the operation panel 29, a signal from the detection unit 26, and a control program ,
The compressed air is supplied to and exhausted from each of the bags 8a to 8h through the rotary valve 25. The air compressor 21, the filter tank 23, the rotary valve 25, the position detecting means 26, and the stepping motor 27 are provided in the apparatus main body 3, and the operation panel 29 is provided on the front of the apparatus main body 3. I have. Next, the rotary valve 25 as the air distribution means will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotary valve 25 has a shaft portion 30a formed on the outer periphery of one end and a connection portion 30b connected to the air supply pipe 24 from the filter tank 23 at the other end. Side fixed body 30 and bearing part 3 rotatably fitted to shaft part 30a of this inlet side fixed body 30
1 m is composed of a rotating body 31 formed on the lower side surface, that is, a surface on the side of the inlet side fixed body 30, and an exhaust side fixed body 32 provided on the upper side surface of the rotating body 31. The exhaust-side fixed body 32 is attached to the frame 33 by screws 33a, and the intake-side fixed body 30 is urged toward the exhaust-side fixed body 32 by a spring 34 provided between the exhaust-side fixed body 30 and the frame 33. As a result, the rotating body 31 is airtightly and rotatably held between the intake-side fixed body 30 and the exhaust-side fixed body 32. A through hole 30c penetrating through the connection portion 30b is formed at the center of the inlet side fixed body 30. Lower surface of the rotating body 31, that is, the inlet side fixed body 3
A hole 31b is formed in the center of the surface on the 0 side so that its axis coincides with the axis of the through hole 30c, and the hole 31b is formed on the upper surface of the rotating body 31, that is, on the exhaust-side fixed body 32 side. Communication hole 31c is formed in a hole 31a opened in the outer peripheral portion of the surface.
Is communicated through. A gear 31d is formed on the lower peripheral surface of the rotating body 31, and the rotating body 31 is formed via the gear 31d and a gear 35a meshing with the gear 31d.
Is driven to rotate by a stepping motor 35 as a driving means. The stepping motor 35 is attached to the frame 33 by screws 35b. Also, on the upper surface side of the rotating body 31, FIG.
As shown in the figure, a C-shaped circular groove 31f centering on the hole 31b is formed in the outer peripheral portion, and the hole 31a is formed between both ends of the circular groove 31f, and the circular groove is formed. 31f and hole 31a are located in the same circumference. Also, the hole 31 extends from the center of the arc groove 31f.
A straight groove 31g is provided over “a”. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, a surface of the exhaust-side fixed body 32 on the side of the rotating body 31 is provided at the center thereof with a filter 32j facing the end of the linear groove 31g and communicating with the atmosphere. The provided through hole 32i is provided,
Eight through holes 32 are equally spaced around the through hole 32i.
a to 32h are formed. And the through hole 32
i is always in communication with the linear groove 31g,
When any one of 2a to 32h faces and communicates with the hole 31a, the remaining seven are in the arc groove 3
1f and communicate with the atmosphere through the through hole 32i. For example, when the through hole 32a is opposed to and communicates with the hole 31a of the rotating body 31, the through hole 32b
The lower openings 32h through 32h face and communicate with the arc grooves 31f. The exhaust side fixed body 32 has connecting portions 35a to 35 corresponding to the through holes 32a to 32h.
h (only 35a and 35e are shown in FIG. 4), and air tubes 36a to 36h (36 in FIG. 4) are respectively connected to these connection portions 35a to 35h.
a and 36e only) are connected. The air tubes 36a to 36h are connected to the air tubes 15a to 15h of the hose 4 through the connection portion 13 of the apparatus main body 3, that is, the eight air supply ports (not shown), and the air tubes 15a to 15h are connected to the futon. 2 through the air tubes 12a to 12h connected to the connecting portion 11 provided in the bag 2.
h. Therefore, when the through-hole 32a of the exhaust-side fixed body 32 is in communication with the hole 31a of the rotating body 31, the other through-holes 32b to 32h are in the annular groove 31f of the rotating body 31 as shown in FIG. , Straight groove 31
g and the through-hole 32i of the exhaust-side fixed body 32 communicates with the atmosphere. When compressed air is supplied from the air compressor 21 in this state, the compressed air passes through the air tubes 36a, 15a, and 12a. The bag 8a
, The bag 8a is inflated, but is not supplied to the other bags 8b to 8h and maintains the contracted state. And
The stepping motor 3 is controlled by the control device 28.
5 drives the rotating body 31 to rotate, for example, if the through hole 32h communicates with the hole 31a of the rotating body 31 and the other through holes 32a to 32g communicate with the annular groove 31f, the compressed air is air. Only the bag 8h is supplied via the tubes 36h, 15h and 12h, and the other bag 8a is supplied.
The air in the bag 8a is exhausted to the outside, that is, into the atmosphere through the annular groove 31f and the through hole 32i, and contracts to return to the original flat state. In this manner, the control device 2 is controlled according to the operation mode described later.
Numeral 8 controls the stepping motor 35 to operate the rotating body 31 to control the respective bags 8a to 8h to expand and contract in a predetermined order determined by the operation mode. Next, the position detecting means 26 will be described. The position detecting means 26 is provided with the rotary valve 2.
Position 5, said rotary body 3 for supplying compressed air
One of the holes 31a is a through hole 32 to 3 of the exhaust side fixed body 32.
2h, the four light emitting elements 40a to 40d provided on the frame 33 at the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body 31 and the light emitting elements 40a to 40d. Four light-receiving elements 41a to 41d disposed opposite to each other with a gap between the light-emitting elements 40a to 40d and the light-receiving elements 41a to 41d.
An encoder plate 42 is integrally attached to the rotating body 31 so as to be located in the gap between the two. The light emitting elements 40a to 40d
The light receiving elements 41a to 41d are linearly arranged at regular intervals on a line passing through the center of the exhaust-side fixed body 32 of the rotary valve 25 as shown in FIG. That is, the light emitting elements 40a to 40d and the light receiving elements 41a to 41d are provided so as to correspond to the through holes 32a. The encoder plate 42 is formed in a circular shape as shown in FIG. 6 and specifies the through holes 32a to 32h in correspondence with the light emitting elements 40a to 40d and the light receiving elements 41a to 41d. Light transmitting holes 43d to 50d positioned to specify a through hole communicating with the hole 31a of the rotating body 31 among 32a to 32h are formed. That is, in order to specify the through hole 31a, the light emitting element 4d is so arranged that only the light from the light emitting element 40d among the light emitting elements 40a to 40d can be received by the light receiving element 41d.
0a and the light receiving element 41d are opposed to each other in a light transmitting hole 43d.
In order to specify the through hole 32b, the light emitting element 40
Light transmitting holes 44a and 44d are provided at positions where the light emitting elements 40a and 40d and the light receiving elements 41a and 41d face each other so that light from the light emitting elements 40a and 40d can be received by the light receiving elements 41a and 41d. Similarly, for the through hole 32c, the light transmitting holes 45b and 44d are connected to the through hole 3c.
The light-transmitting holes 46a, 46b, and 44d are provided for 2d, the light-transmitting holes 47c and 47d are provided for the through-hole 32e, and the through-hole 3 is provided.
The light transmitting holes 48a, 48c, and 48d are provided for 2f, the light transmitting holes 49b, 49c, and 49d are provided for the through hole 32g,
The light transmitting holes 50a, 50b, 50
c and 50d are provided. The light receiving element 41 is transmitted through the light transmitting holes 43d to 50d of the encoder plate 42.
Which through-hole is identified by the combination of the light-receiving elements a through 41b. For example, when the hole 31a of the rotating body 31 communicates with the through hole 32a as shown in FIG. 4, only the light receiving element 41d receives light via the light transmitting hole 43d of the encoder plate 42. That is, when only the light receiving element 41d is receiving light,
The hole 31a and the through hole 32a are in communication.
Similarly, for example, the rotating body 31 rotates and the light receiving elements 41a and 41a
When d receives light, the hole 31a is in communication with the through hole 32b. Next, the operation modes of the air massage device include a course-specific operation mode of a full body massage course, an upper body massage course and a lower body massage course, and neck, shoulder, back, waist and leg portions. A “mass” mode is provided as an expansion maintenance mode in which a point massage operation mode or the like for performing massage alone is provided, and compressed air is supplied to the neck bag body 8a to expand the neck bag body 8a. It has. In the “good night” mode, this mode alone may be used alone.
It can be incorporated into the point massage operation mode, but in any case, when the "Good night" mode is selected alone or as the incorporated mode, it is executed after the other massage mode is executed and completed It is. Therefore, when the "good night" mode is selected, the neck bag 8a finally functions as a pillow to keep the inflated state. Therefore, when you want to sleep while massage
By selecting the “good night” mode together with the desired massage operation mode, the “good night” mode is executed after the execution of the desired massage operation mode, and the neck bag 8a is inflated to maintain this state and function as a pillow. This eliminates the hassle of preparing a pillow to sleep after the end of the massage. In each of the course operation modes and the point massage operation mode, each of the bags 8a to 8h included in the mode expands and contracts in a predetermined order and time, and presses the body to be treated. Massage. Next, the air massage device 1 of the embodiment will be described.
Will be described. First, the user M lays his / her back on the futon 2 as shown in FIG. 8, and inputs a desired operation mode from the various modes from the operation panel 29. Then, the control device 28 sets the inner light receiving element 41a
1d, the light transmitting holes 43d to 50d of the encoder plate 42 of the position detecting means 26 corresponding to 1d, that is, any of the light receiving elements 41a to 41d receives light from the light emitting elements 40a to 40d. The through holes 32a to 32a
After recognizing which of the 2h is in communication with the hole 31a of the rotating body 31, the air compressor 21, the stepping motor 27, that is, the rotary valve 25 is controlled based on the input operation mode, and the operation mode is controlled. The compressed air is supplied to and exhausted from each of the bags 8a to 8h in accordance with the order and the time determined according to the order, and the bag is expanded and contracted to perform massage. When the execution of the predetermined massage mode is completed, the control device 28
1 is stopped, the stepping motor 27 is driven to rotate the rotating body 31 of the rotary valve 25, and when the execution of the massage operation mode is completed, the through-hole (communicating with the hole 31a of the rotating body 31) Through holes 32a to 32
h is communicated with the annular groove 31f, and at the end, the air in the inflated bag body is exhausted and contracted. When the user selects the “good night” mode together with the desired operation mode among the various operation modes, the controller 28 causes the position detector 26 to rotate the rotary valve 25 as described above. After recognizing which one of the holes 31a of the body 31 communicates with any of the through holes 32a to 32h, first, the execution of the desired operation mode is started, and after the execution or the end of the operation mode, "Good night"
Execute mode. That is, the execution of the desired mode of operation is completed, the control unit 28 has a hole 31a of the rotating body 31
It is determined based on a signal from the position detecting means 26 whether or not the through hole 32a is in communication with the through hole 32a . When in the communicating state, the compressed air can be supplied to the neck bag 8a as described above , and this state is maintained. Further, when the communication state is not established, the stepping motor 27 is driven to rotate the rotating body 31 of the rotary valve 25, and the hole 31a of the rotating body 31 is communicated with the through hole 32a, and the neck bag body 8a is compressed. After the air is supplied and expanded , the air compressor 21 and the stepping motor 27 are controlled to be stopped while the hole 31a and the through hole 32a are kept in communication. Therefore, the hole 31a of the rotary member 31 and the through hole 32a becomes possible to maintain the state remains in communication with the air of neck bag body 8a is not exhausted, it will be maintained inflated state, FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the function of the pillow is performed. In the case where the “good night” mode is provided in the course-specific operation modes and the like, if this operation mode is selected, the “good night” mode is executed after this operation mode is executed. After the massage according to the mode is completed, compressed air is supplied to the neck bag 8a to expand the neck bag 8a and maintain the expanded state. If the user simply wants to use the neck bag 8a as a pillow, he only needs to enter the "good night" mode. As described above, the present invention is configured as described above, so that air is supplied to the bag at the neck as necessary, and after the bag is inflated, the expanded state is maintained. By executing the inflation maintaining mode, the bag at the neck can be inflated and used as a pillow on the bag, so that the conventional complexity can be eliminated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cross section of a part of an air massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the structure of the futon of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the air massage device of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the rotary valve of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a rotary body of the rotary valve. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of an encoder plate of the position detecting means of the embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of an exhaust-side fixed body of the rotary valve of the embodiment. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a use state of the air massage device of the embodiment. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing an inflated state of the neck bag in a use state of the air massage device of the embodiment. [Description of Signs] 1 air massage device 2 futon (body support) 3 device main body 4 air supply hoses 8a to 8h bag body 21 air compressor (air supply means) 25 rotary valve (air distribution means) 27 stepping motor (drive means) ) 28 control device (control means) 29 operation panel (input means)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-346178 (JP, A) JP-A-6-125949 (JP, A) JP-A-5-49662 (JP, A) 7733 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61H 7/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims 1] A body support provided with a bag made of an air-tight soft material and expanded and contracted by air supply and exhaust at least at a body support portion including a neck, and air. Supply means for supplying air to the bag from the air supply means.
Air distribution means for supplying and discharging air, driving this air distribution means
The drive means and the control means are provided inside.
Input means are provided outside the body support
Device body, and an air supply hose connecting the device body and the body support
When, in the air massager apparatus provided with the input means, and the supply of air to the bag body of the neck
An inflation state that maintains this inflated state after the bag is inflated
Holding mode and other operation modes can be inputted, and the control means controls the air supply means and the driving means in accordance with each mode inputted from the input means to supply and exhaust air to and from each of the bags . With the input hand
The mode in which the expansion maintaining mode is incorporated in the step is input.
The air massaging device is characterized in that, when the other operation mode is executed, the expansion maintaining mode is executed after the other operation mode is executed.