MASSAGE BALL VERTICALLY-MOVING MECHANISM FOR HYPERTHERMO-THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS

A massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for a hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, includes a hyperthermo-therapeutic massage ball; a ball support, and configured to support the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage ball and configured to vertically move; and a driving gear installed at the movable frame and configured to vertically move the ball support. A rack gear meshing with the driving gear is integrally formed with the ball support. A movable wheel is installed at the rack gear, wherein a vertical-movement guide is fixedly installed at the movable frame. A curved wheel guide groove for guiding the movable wheel during the vertical movement of the ball support is defined in the vertical-movement guide. A guide wheel is installed on one side of the vertical-movement guide so as to guide a vertical movement of the rack gear.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0037935 (filed on Mar. 23, 2023), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for a hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, and more specifically, relates to a massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for a hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus to ensure that the vertical movement of the massage ball is more stably performed during hyperthermo-therapeutic treatment using the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage ball.

Generally, a massage chair or a massage mattress is equipped with a massage module equipped with rollers to perform massage on user body parts while moving along a guide rail.

This massage module has a square-shaped movable frame, and a pairs of massage rollers supported on a support frame, wherein the rollers perform hyperthermo-therapeutic massage on each body part while performing vertical movement.

However, in the massage module in a prior art, the massage roller ball vertically pivots around a hinge shaft. Thus, a load is concentrated on the hinge shaft during the vertical movement in a pivot manner such that damage and deformation occur on the hinge shaft.

PRIOR ART LITERATURE

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify all key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used alone as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The present disclosure is intended to solve the problems of the prior art as described above. A purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for a hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus to ensure that the vertical movement of the massage ball is more stably performed during hyperthermo-therapeutic treatment using the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage ball.

Purposes in accordance with the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned purpose. Other purposes and advantages in accordance with the present disclosure as not mentioned above may be understood from following descriptions and more clearly understood from embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure. Further, it will be readily appreciated that the purposes and advantages in accordance with the present disclosure may be realized by features and combinations thereof as disclosed in the claims.

An aspect of the present disclosure provides a massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for a hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, wherein the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus includes a mat and a movable frame configured to be movable along the mat, wherein the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism comprises: a hyperthermo-therapeutic massage ball; a ball support installed at the movable frame, and configured to support the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage ball and configured to vertically move; and a driving gear installed at the movable frame and configured to vertically move the ball support, wherein a rack gear meshing with the driving gear is integrally formed with the ball support, wherein a movable wheel is installed at the rack gear, wherein a vertical-movement guide is fixedly installed at the movable frame, wherein a curved wheel guide groove for guiding the movable wheel during the vertical movement of the ball support is defined in the vertical-movement guide, wherein a guide wheel is installed on one side of the vertical-movement guide so as to guide a vertical movement of the rack gear.

In one implementation of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, a guide protrusion extending in a curved manner protrudes from the rack gear, wherein the guide protrusion is supported on the guide wheel during the vertical movement of the rack gear.

In one implementation of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, the movable wheel is positioned at a low end of the rack gear.

In one implementation of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, the guide protrusion is spaced apart from the movable wheel by a predefined spacing.

In one implementation of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, the guide protrusion is coated with a protective coating layer to prevent damage due to friction with the guide wheel.

The massage ball vertically-moving mechanism in accordance with the present disclosure allows the vertical movement of the ball support having the massage ball to be guided by the guide wheel and the movable wheel, thereby preventing the failure thereof, and improving the massage efficiency, due to the load distribution.

In particular, the load distribution effect can be maximized compared to the conventional scheme in the ball pivots around the hinge shaft.

In addition to the effects as described above, specific effects in accordance with the present disclosure will be described together with following detailed descriptions for carrying out the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS

A shape, a size, a ratio, an angle, a number, etc. disclosed in the drawings for illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrative, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The same reference numerals refer to the same elements herein. Further, descriptions and details of well-known steps and elements are omitted for simplicity of the description. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present disclosure.

In one example, when a certain embodiment may be implemented differently, a function or operation specified in a specific block may occur in a sequence different from that specified in a flowchart. For example, two consecutive blocks may be actually executed at the same time. Depending on a related function or operation, the blocks may be executed in a reverse sequence.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

First, a configuration of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIG.1toFIG.9.

FIG.1is a perspective view of a massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.2is a plan view of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.3is a front view of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.4is a detailed view of major components of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.5is a side view of major components of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.6is a perspective view of major components of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.7andFIG.8are side and perspective views of major components of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.9is a detailed view of main parts of a rack gear in accordance with the present disclosure.

In the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a movable frame10moves along a mat. In the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism in this embodiment, a ball support30including a hyperthermo-therapeutic massage ball20is installed at the movable frame10and is configured to vertically move. In this regard, the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage ball20may include a heater wire or a PTC element for hyperthermo-therapeutic treatment. The hyperthermo-therapeutic structure and the configuration in which the movable frame10moves along the mat are well known in the art. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

A driving gear40for enabling the vertical movement of the ball support may be installed at the movable frame10in accordance with the present disclosure. The ball support30has a rack gear31which is integrally formed therewith and meshes with the driving gear40. A movable wheel32is formed at a lower end of the rack gear31. A vertical-movement guide51is fixedly installed at the movable frame10. A curved wheel guide groove51for guiding the movable wheel32during the vertical movement of the ball support30is defined in the vertical-movement guide51. A guide wheel52is installed on one side of the vertical-movement guide50so as to guide a vertical movement of the rack gear31.

In one implementation of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, a guide protrusion33extending in a curved manner protrudes from the rack gear31, wherein the guide protrusion33is supported on the guide wheel52during the vertical movement of the rack gear31.

In one implementation of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, the guide protrusion33is spaced apart from the movable wheel52by a predefined spacing h.

In one implementation of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism for the hyperthermo-therapeutic apparatus, the ball support30has a ball support base30a. A drive motor41transmits forward and reverse rotation power to the driving gear40. A further drive motor45transmits a movement fore to the movable frame10.

Hereinafter, an operation of the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism will be described inFIG.10toFIG.16.

FIG.10andFIG.11are diagrams of a state in which the rack gear has been raised up in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.12is a partial cut side view of a state in which the rack gear has been raised up in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.13is a partially cut perspective view of a state in which the rack gear has been raised up in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.14is a rear detailed view of a state in which the rack gear has been raised up in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.15is a side view of a state in which the ball has been raised up in accordance with the present disclosure.FIG.16is a perspective view of a state in which the ball has been raised up in accordance with the present disclosure.

In the massage ball vertically-moving mechanism in accordance with the present disclosure, the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage therapy may be achieved by vertically moving the hyperthermo-therapeutic massage ball20on and along the user body part while moving the movable frame10along a rail provided on the mat.

In other words, when the rack gear31engaged with the drive gear40moves upwards under one-way rotation of the driving gear40, the movable wheel32formed at the lower end of the rack gear31may be guided along the wheel guide groove51formed in the vertical-movement guide50.

In this regard, the guide wheel52is provided at an upper end of the vertical-movement guide50. Thus, the guide protrusion33is supported on the guide wheel52during the vertical movement of the rack gear31. Thus, stable vertical movement of the rack gear can be achieved while preventing shaking the ball support30.

The massage ball vertically-moving mechanism in accordance with the present disclosure allows the vertical movement of the ball support30having the massage ball20to be guided by the guide wheel52and the movable wheel32, thereby preventing the failure thereof, and improving the massage efficiency, due to the load distribution.

In particular, the load distribution effect can be maximized compared to the conventional scheme in the ball pivots around the hinge shaft.

FIG.17shows another embodiment of the present disclosure. The guide protrusion33is coated with a protective coating layer33ato prevent damage due to friction with the guide wheel52.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure may not be limited to the embodiments and may be implemented in various different forms. Those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs will be able to understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments as described above are not restrictive but illustrative in all respects.