Patent ID: 6056707
Filing Date: 2000-05-02
Classification: A47C,A61H

Abstract:
A chair-type massaging apparatus comprising:a chair body including a seat portion having a substantially horizontally extending seating surface and a backrest portion extending substantially vertically from the seat portion;a base disposed inside the backrest portion;a first pair of right and left massaging heads disposed inside the backrest portion;a second pair of right and left massaging heads disposed inside the backrest portion and below the first pair of massaging heads, each of the massaging heads of the first and second pairs being pivotally mounted on the base so as to be individually swingable forwardly and inwardly of the backrest portion;a first elastically deformable connecting member interconnecting the right and left massaging heads of the first pair, said first elastically deformable connecting member having a middle portion serving as a mounting portion at which said first elastically deformable connecting member is mounted on the base, so as to allow each of said first pair of massaging heads to be swingable;a second elastically deformable connecting member interconnecting the right and left massaging heads of the second pair, said second elastically deformable connecting member having a middle portion serving as a mounting portion at which said second elastically deformable connecting member is mounted on the base, so as to allow each of said second pair of massaging heads to be swingable;a drive unit for driving each massaging head of the first and second pairs, said drive unit comprising upper and lower pairs of right and left air cells corresponding to the first and second pairs of massaging heads respectively, each air cell of the upper and lower pairs being expansible when air is supplied thereinto and contractible when air is discharged therefrom and being interposed between the base and a respective massaging head of the first and second pairs so as to cause the respective massaging head to swing by expansion and contraction thereof; andcontrol means for controlling the drive unit so as to cause the first and second pairs of massaging heads to perform alternately a first operation such that the left massaging head of the first pair and the right massaging head of the second pair are operated synchronously and a second operation such that the right massaging head of the first pair and the left massaging head of the second pair are operated synchronously.