Abstract:
In operating a massaging machine having massaging members and a motor for causing the massaging members to vibrate to massage a patient, a pulsed driving signal is applied to the motor for repetitively switching on and off the motor for specified time lengths such that the motor is intermittently activated, rather than continuously.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a method of controlling a massaging machine.  
           [0002]    Physical stimuli to a human body have been classified into the following six types: stroking, kneading, pushing, vibrating, pulling and patting. These stimuli are communicated to a body surface or hypodermic soft tissues to directly stimulate the peripheral nerves so as to relax the body tension. Indirectly, they accelerate the recovery of functions of the body as a whole, thereby improving the natural healing power of the body and the natural tendency to maintain the body in a natural condition. It has been expected that such massaging stimuli have therapeutic effects.  
           [0003]    Such stimuli used to be delivered manually, that is, by massaging. Recently, massaging machines having similar effects on the human body by means of mechanical actions are being developed.  
           [0004]    The body contacting portion of a massaging operation is performed in different manners. The masseur may form a fist and pat the body on the side of the little finger. The strength of operation can be controlled by forming the fist tightly or lightly. The masseur may open the operating hand with all fingers stretched and pat the patient&#39;s body repeatedly on the side of the little finger so as to provide small vibrations to the body. The masseur may further clasp both hands and pat the patient&#39;s body with fingers separated so as to deliver elastic forces. Various methods of reproducing these effects mechanically have been tried and incorporated into a massaging machine in the form of a chair.  
           [0005]    One of conventional kinds of massaging machine was comprised of a structure dedicated to a patting operation, driven by a dedicated driving circuit. Another kind included contact members to carry out a repetitive patting action. If a structure dedicated to a patting action is used, the patient can enjoy the feeling of being massaged by a live masseur but the machine tends to become noisy. If it is combined with another kind of massaging machine, it becomes too expensive to be feasible. The method of using contact members is advantageous because they can be operated by adding a simple mechanism for tapping operation and a simple program but the patient does not necessarily receive the same feeling of being treated by a live masseur because the oscillatory stimuli are delivered too continuously.  
           [0006]    Massaging machines would be more highly valued if they were capable of delivering to the patient the feeling of being massaged by the fist or clasped hands of a masseur, but it has been a difficult proposal.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method of controlling a massaging machine such that the sensation given to the patient will be closer to that given by a live masseur.  
           [0008]    By a method according to this invention, the motor of which the rotary motion is transmitted to massaging members of a massaging machine is adapted to receive a driving signal which repeats switching on and off the motor such that the motor is operated intermittently.  
           [0009]    The massaging members are provided for kneading and stretching back muscles. The present invention makes effective use of such massaging members, their control mechanism and their control circuit such that the patient will have a sensation close to that received from a live masseur. Explained more in detail, the same mechanism for causing its massaging members to carry out the continuous oscillatory operation by applying a constant voltage is used but a pulsed voltage is inputted according to this invention such that the motor is switched on and off at specified intervals and is operated intermittently and that the massaging members can provide a more pleasant sensation to the patient. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a diagonal external view of a massaging machine which may employ a method of control embodying this invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a side view of the massaging machine of FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a front view of the therapy unit.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a right-hand side view of the therapy unit.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a back view of the therapy unit.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a diagonal frontal view of the therapy unit.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a diagonal back view of the therapy unit.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a front view of the treatment part.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a back view of the treatment part.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a diagonal back view of the treatment part taken from an upward position.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 is a frontal view of the treatment part taken from its right-hand side.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 12 is a diagonal frontal view of the treatment part taken from the left-hand side.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 13 is a diagonal back view of the treatment part taken from a lower position.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIGS. 14 and 15 are back views of the kneading mechanism with some components removed for clarity.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 16 is a drawing for showing the structure of the patting mechanism.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 17 is a waveform diagram of an ordinary voltage applied to a massaging machine.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 18 is a waveform of pressure felt by a patient when the massaging machine is operated according to FIG. 18.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 19 is a waveform of stimuli to a patient when massaged by a live masseur.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 20 is an example of waveform of the voltage applied according to this invention to a massaging machine.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 21 is a waveform of stimuli by massaging according to this invention.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 22 is a block diagram of an example of circuit for inputting a pulsed waveform to the motor.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 23 is a block diagram of another example of circuit for inputting a pulsed waveform to the motor.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 24 is an example of control circuit for varying the patting strength. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0033]    A massaging machine which may be used according to this invention is described first for explaining the mechanical and electrical principles of the method of this invention. FIG. 1 is a diagonal external view of such a massaging machine  10  for schematically showing its structure (the cover sheet and the cushion on the back supporting part  100   a  being removed). FIG. 2 is its side view with the outer shape and inner structure of its back supporting part  100   a  being shown.  
         [0034]    The massaging machine  10  is basically a reclining chair  100  with the back supporting part  100   a  incorporating a therapy unit  110  including massaging members  201   a - d.  The massaging members  201   a - d  protrude forward from the therapy unit  110  to the front surface of the back supporting part  100   a  covered by a cover sheet. The massaging members include a first pair  201   a  and  201   b  on the right-hand and left-hand sides of the back muscle and a second pair  201   c  and  201   d  similarly disposed below the first pair  201   a  and  201   b.    
         [0035]    The therapy unit  110  is supported by a pair of cross-sectionally U-shaped guide rails (guiding means)  101 R and  101 L such that the openings of their U-shapes face each other and adapted to move upward and downward along the guide rails  101 R and  101 L by the rotary driving motion of pinions  310  which engage with racks inside the guide rails  101 R and  101 L.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 3 is a front view of the therapy unit  110 , FIG. 4 is its right-hand side view, FIG. 5 is its back view, FIG. 6 is its diagonal frontal view and FIG. 7 is its diagonal back view. The front surface of the therapy unit  110  is covered with a planar base board  111  with its upper end part bent backward and its middle part provided with an approximately rectangular opening  1111  through which the massaging members  201   a - d  protrude. The base board  111  also includes a removed portion  1112  and an opening  1113  so as to prevent possible interference with moving parts such as a gear.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 8 is a front view of a treatment part  200  attached to the base board  111 , FIG. 9 is its back view, FIG. 10 is its diagonal back view taken from an upward position, FIG. 11 is its frontal view taken from its right-hand side, FIG. 12 is its diagonal frontal view taken from the left-hand side, and FIG. 13 is its diagonal back view taken from a lower position. The four massaging members  201   a - d  are rotatably supported at the tips of approximately V-shaped arms  202 R and  202 L of which base parts are affixed to arm-supporting members  203 R and  203 L. These arm-supporting members  203 R and  203 L are affixed respectively to a side surface of a bearing case  2031  R or  2031  L. These bearing cases  2031  R and  2031  L are rotatably engaged with sloped sleeves  207 R and  207 L through bearings which rotate along the peripheral surfaces of the sloped sleeves  207 R and  207 L. The sloped sleeves  207 R and  207 L are cylindrically shaped and are affixed to a kneading shaft  205  obliquely from both sides with respect to its axial direction so as to slope symmetrically in the left-right direction. The bearing cases  2031 R and  2031 L are provided not only with a base part  20311 R and  20311 L for engaging with the outer periphery of corresponding one of the sloped sleeves  207  but also with a link receiving part  20312 R or  20312 L to which is engaged a spherically formed end of a link  209 R or  209 L supported so as to swing along the spherical surface.  
         [0038]    A patting shaft  206  is disposed parallel to and above the kneading shaft  205 . Cylindrical eccentric sleeves  208 R and  208 L made eccentric in radial direction are affixed to both sides of the patting shaft  206  at positions corresponding to the sloped sleeves  207 . The two eccentric sleeves  208  are attached to the patting shaft  206  so as to be eccentric in opposite directions with respect to the patting shaft  206 . Bearing cases  2081 R and  2081 L are rotatably engaged to the outer periphery of the eccentric sleeves  208 R and  208 L through bearings which rotate along the peripheral surface.  
         [0039]    The eccentric sleeves  208  have a base part  20811 R and  20811 L engaged to the outer periphery and a link receiving part  20812 R or  20812 L protruding in the peripheral direction. One end of a link  209  (R or L) is connected to the bearing case  2031  (R or L), and the other end of the link  209  (R or L) is supported by the link receiving part  20812  (R or L) so as to swing in the axial direction of the patting shaft  206 .  
         [0040]    The kneading shaft  205  and the patting shaft  206  are rotatably supported from both sides through bearings by planar holder brackets  204 R and  204 L affixed to the baseboard  111 .  
         [0041]    The structure of the kneading mechanism is described next with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 which are both a back view of the base board  111  with some components removed for the purpose of disclosure. The kneading shaft  205  is operated by a motor  210  affixed to a planar supporting member  112  which is bent more or less into an M-shape, covering the back side of the kneading shaft  205  and the patting shaft  206  and having one end affixed to the backside of the base member  111 . A small pulley  211  is affixed to the drive shaft  210   a  of the motor  210 , supporting an endless belt  213  which is wound also around a larger pulley  212  affixed to the shaft of a worm gear  214 . The worm gear  214  engages with a worm wheel  215  which is coaxially affixed to the outer circumference of the kneading shaft  205 . The worm gear  214  and the worm wheel  215  are rotatably held inside a gear box  218  attached to the holder bracket  204 R. Thus, the driving force of the motor  210  is communicated from the small pulley  211  to the endless belt  213  to the larger pulley  212  to the worm gear  214  to the worm wheel  215  while being decelerated, thereby causing the kneading shaft  205  to rotate.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIGS. 16 and 17 are referenced next to explain the patting operation by the massaging machine structured as explained above. The patting shaft  206  is driven by a motor  220  therefor affixed to the backside of the baseboard  111  through supporting members  113   a  and  113   b  as shown in FIG. 5. A small pulley  221  is attached to the drive shaft of the motor  220 , and an endless belt  223  is stretched over this small pulley  221  and a large pulley  222  affixed coaxially to the patting shaft  206 . Thus, the driving force of the motor  220  is communicated through the small pulley  221 , the belt  223  and the patting shaft  206  while being decelerated. Mechanisms for moving the shaft upwards and downwards or forward and backward are not explained although they are provided.  
         [0043]    For effecting a patting operation, the rotation of the kneading shaft  205  is stopped while the patting shaft  206  is activated. At this moment, the sloped sleeves  207  are positioned so as to be approximately perpendicular to the kneading shaft  205  of the arms  202 R and  202 L such that the massaging members are nearly perpendicular to the surface of the back (“zero point of kneading”). A detector plate  216  detecting the zero point of kneading and a kneading position indicator  217  are coaxially affixed to the kneading shaft  205  (as shown in FIG. 14). The zero point detector plate  216  is a disk-shaped member having a slit at one position on its outer periphery such that the zero point of kneading can be detected by means of a photosensor placed behind the base board  111  at a corresponding position so as to sandwich the detector plate  216 .  
         [0044]    Since the links  209  are supported rotatably through the eccentric sleeves  208  which rotate eccentrically with the rotation of the patting shaft  206 , the distance between the axis of rotation of the patting shaft  206  and the link receiving parts  20312 R and  20312 L engaging the end parts of the patting shaft  206  changes as the patting shaft  206  is rotated. Since the arms  202 R and  202 L are supported rotatably around the kneading shaft  205 , the arms  202 R and  202 L swing around the kneading shaft  205  to effect the desired patting operation as the motor  220  is operated to rotate the patting shaft  206  at an appropriate speed.  
         [0045]    In this operation, if a constant voltage is applied continuously, as shown in FIG. 17, the pressure felt by the patient changes more or less sinusoidally as shown in FIG. 18 because of the aforementioned mechanism for causing the arms  202 R and  202 L to swing around the kneading shaft  205 . In other words, after the pressure by the patting gradually increases, it gradually decreases and this is repeated over and over again. FIG. 18 shows an actually measured pressure change with respect to time, the vertical axis representing the pressure felt by the patient&#39;s body. If a masseur pats a patient&#39;s body by hand, by contrast, the stimulus waveform is as shown in FIG. 19. This shows clearly that the pressure rises rapidly as the masseur&#39;s hand touches the patient&#39;s body and after this high-pressure condition is maintained for some length of time, the pressure drops rapidly as the masseur&#39;s hand is separated from the patient&#39;s body. This is repeated as the masseur repeatedly pats the patient&#39;s body and this is what gives a pleasant sensation to the patient.  
         [0046]    In view of the difference in waveform between FIGS. 18 and 19, it is not a constant voltage that is applied continuously to the motor but a pulsed voltage according to this invention. For example, a pulsed voltage of frequency about 2.5Hz and duty ratio about 20% is applied as shown in FIG. 20. FIG. 21 is a measured pressure change on the patient&#39;s body when a pulsed voltage of FIG. 20 was applied to the motor. It clearly shows that the resultant pressure change experienced by the patient is quite similar to that given by a masseur.  
         [0047]    Similar experiments were carried out on a plurality of individual patients. As shown in Table 1, while most of the tested individuals (91%) responded that the conventional operating mode hurt them, all of them found the mode according to this invention to be pleasant.  
                                         TABLE 1                                   Percentage of   Percentage of patients           patients who felt it   who felt it was           hurt   pleasant                                    Conventional method   91%   9%       Method of this invention   0%   100%                  
 
         [0048]    When a pulsed voltage was thus applied, its frequency and duty ratio are important controlling factors. It was discovered that a pulsed voltage with frequency 1-10Hz and duty ratio 2-8.5% is appropriate as shown in Table 2.  
                                     TABLE 2                                   Time                                        Time during which the motor is switched on   0.02-1 sec           Time during which the motor is switched off    0.1-1 sec                      
 
         [0049]    As described above, the present invention is characterized as applying a pulsed voltage to a motor for patting operation in massaging. FIG. 22 shows an example of driving circuit for providing such a voltage to the motor. For generating a pulsed voltage repeatedly outputted at specified intervals, any known pulse control method, pulse width modulation (PWM) method or phase control method may be used. In FIG. 22, numeral  11  indicates an input part comprising switches  11   a,    11   b  and  11   c  for setting necessary conditions for generating a pulse with desired frequency and duty ratio. Numeral  12  indicates a calculating part which may comprise a microcomputer capable of generating and outputting required control signals from the input from the input part  11 . A power control part  13  serves to receive the output from the calculating part  12  and to generate a power control signal for rotating the motor  220  for the patting operation. FIG. 22 shows an example wherein the power control part  13  is formed with two transistors  13   a  and  13   b  and a field effect transistor (FET)  13   c.  Numeral  14  indicates a power source for rectifying power from a commercial source  15  to supply power required by the motor  220 .  
         [0050]    In order to apply the pulse shown in FIG. 20 to the motor  220 , the switches of the input part  11  are operated first to set the frequency and the duty ratio (say, to 2.5Hz and 20%, respectively). The inputted data are transmitted to the calculating part  12  and the calculated result is transmitted to the power control part  13 . The rectified voltage from the power source  14  is applied to the motor  220  but the transistors  13   a  and  13   b  and the FET  13   c  of the power control part  13  serve to switch on and off the source according to the output from the calculating part  12  to provide the pulsed voltage to the motor  220 .  
         [0051]    It now goes without saying that pulse width modulation can also be effected by adjusting the input part  11  in this manner.  
         [0052]    Next, an example of phase control method is explained whereby a portion of an AC waveform is cut off to produce a pulse form and it is electrically amplified to rotate a motor. FIG. 23 shows an example of a circuit for driving the motor for patting operation by the phase control method, indicating like parts by the same symbols as in FIG. 22.  
         [0053]    With reference now to FIG. 23, the input part  11  allows the user to select whether a phase control should be started at a zero-cross point of a waveform from a commercial power source  15  and stopped at a specified position or it should be started at a specified position and stopped at a zero-cross, as well as a phase angle corresponding to the pulse width. The calculating part  12  comprises a microcomputer capable of generating and outputting required control signals from the input from the input part  11 . The power control part  13 ′ serves to receive the output from the calculating part  12  and to generate a power control signal for rotating the motor  220  for the patting operation. FIG. 23 shows an example wherein the power control part  13 ′ is formed with a triac  13   a′  and a diac  13   b′  which is connected to the gate terminal of this triac  13   a′  and insulated from a light emitting diode  13   c′  by a photocoupler. Numeral  14  again indicates a power source for rectifying power from a commercial source  15  to supply power required by the motor  220 .  
         [0054]    In order to apply a specified pulse to the motor  220 , the switches of the input part  11  are operated first to set the pulse rise position and phase angle with respect to the commercial power source  15  such as 50Hz for frequency of repetition and 20% as duty ratio. The inputted data are used by the calculating part  12  and the calculated result is outputted to the power control part  13 ′. Voltage from the power source  14  is being applied to the motor  220  but the triac  13   a′  and the diac  13   b′  of the power control part  13 ′ serve to switch on and off the current according to the output from the calculating part  12  to apply to the motor  220  a pulsed voltage obtained by cutting off a portion of the sinusoidal waveform of the commercial power source  15 .  
         [0055]    Although the invention was described above by way of examples but the essence is that a pulsed waveform or a similar waveform with variable frequency, duty ratio, pulse number, pulse width and pulse interval is electrically amplified and applied to the motor for patting operation.  
         [0056]    A method of directly controlling the strength of patting is explained next. FIG. 24 shows an example of such method wherein another pulse signal B is superposed to a pulse signal A as shown above such that the width of pulse signal B is changed. For this purpose, a sinusoidal wave or a pulse signal B with higher frequency is generated and a logical product is taken with pulse signal A. The duty ratio of the sinusoidal wave or pulse signal B is changed and the outputted pulsed signal is used to drive the motor  220 . This may be considered a kind of PWM method and if the duty ratio of pulse signal B is varied, the effective voltage value applied to the motor changes according to this ratio and a same effect is obtained as if the voltage has been varied or that the strength of the patting operation is varied.  
         [0057]    Many modifications and variations of what has been described above are to be considered to be within the scope of this invention. For example, the waveform of the pulse to be applied to the motor  220  may be generated by the microcomputer. The strength of patting may be varied also by changing the voltage of the pulse applied to the motor  220  and thereby changing the rotation of the motor.  
         [0058]    By either method, a pulse is modulated by another pulse so as to vary its effective voltage to be applied to the motor  220  such that the strength of patting is varied.  
         [0059]    The method of present invention makes it possible to use the mechanism of a conventional massage machine and to give the patient a pleasant sensation of massaging like that by a live masseur, not achieved by prior art massage machines.