Abstract:
The present The present invention relates to a medical apparatus for spinal therapy, which is a bed-type apparatus equipped with a treatment head and performs message and acupressure while moving along the length of the spine, and more particularly to a fixing structure of a treatment head in the medical apparatus, which wears out slowly and allows the treatment head to move in a vertical direction. The medical apparatus for spinal therapy having the fixing structure of a treatment head is advantageous over known apparatuses in that it can give various types of stimulation to human body parts and incurs lower maintenance expenses.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a bed-type massaging apparatus or a medical apparatus equipped with a treatment head giving massage and finger-pressure effects, and more particularly to a fixing structure for fixing a treatment head, which allows the treatment head to perform vertical linear motion as well as lateral rotational motion, and a medical apparatus having the fixing structure. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    “Disk disease” is a term used to describe changes in spinal disks, leading to pain, which are caused when pressure is put on the disk space between adjacent vertebrae in the spine or when spinal fluid leaks out of the disk space due to the deformation of the outer layer (annulus or capsule) of the disk. 
         [0003]    Changes to the spinal disks are generally caused in a manner such that the disks project from the back surface of the spine, putting pressure on the anterior spinal nerve root. This causes a patient to suffer from neuralgia, resulting in deformation of the posture of the patient when the pain is acute. In cases in which disk disease is slight, the pain can be alleviated by taking a rest or wearing a corset. However, in cases of advanced disk disease, the projecting cartilage must be surgically removed. Such disk disease may occur in the cervical vertebral. 
         [0004]    The most widely known therapy for treating disk disease is to expand the narrowed disk space between the vertebrae through various therapies and to reinforce the muscles around the disks so that the spinal fluid returns to its original position. 
         [0005]    However, such therapy is generally performed using expensive medical apparatuses. Accordingly, it is inconvenient for general patients to receive spinal therapy because the patients must visit clinics equipped with the medical apparatuses and the therapy is expensive. 
         [0006]    Due to the disadvantages of the known medical apparatuses, various modified medical apparatuses that can allow patients to receive spinal therapy in their homes have been suggested. Among such medical apparatuses, bed-type medical apparatuses are popular. 
         [0007]    Such a bed-type medical apparatus for spinal therapy generally has a treatment head which is supplied with driving force from a motor. The treatment head performs spinal therapy by reciprocating while putting a predetermined pressure on the spine of a patient. Some treatment heads are equipped with lamps, such as helium lamps, infrared lamps, or high frequency lamps, which have a heating or warming function, so that the treatment heads perform the spinal therapy via the acupressure function and the heating and warming function. 
         [0008]    Korean Patent Application No. 2002-23915 discloses a medical apparatus for spinal therapy, which includes a rocking means which performs a lateral (left and right) rocking motion around the spine while it rectilinearly moves along the length of the spine. The rocking means comprises a pair of wave rails separately disposed on both sides of a guide groove in the widthwise direction of the guide groove. The wave rails are repeatedly curved up and down in opposite directions and guide the treatment head, which is in contact with the upper surfaces thereof, so that it sways left and right. 
         [0009]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , which shows a general medical apparatus for spinal therapy, including the above-mentioned apparatus disclosed in the patent application, the medical apparatus for spinal therapy includes a sponge-like mattress  10  having elasticity, which serves as a bed, on which a patient can lie, and serves as a base on which a treatment head  20  and various components for moving the treatment head  20  are mounted. 
         [0010]    The mattress  10  is provided with a guide groove  15  that has a predetermined width and depth so as to guide the treatment head  20  to move in the longitudinal direction of the spine of a patient. A pair of flat rails  16  having a simple straight line form is disposed on the bottom of the guide groove  15  and are separated from each other in the widthwise direction of the guide groove  15  by a predetermined distance in order to enable the treatment head  20  to move smoothly. 
         [0011]    The treatment head  20  is a device that performs spinal therapy by reciprocating along the guide groove  15 , and thus the treatment head  20  performs the acupressure function against the spine and the muscles around the spine of the patient. The treatment head  20  is provided with a plurality of acupressure protrusions  22 , in which lamps are embedded for performing a heating or warming function, and a pair of wheels  26  and  27 , which are disposed on the lower surfaces thereof and are in contact with the flat rails  16  in a rolling manner. 
         [0012]    The treatment head  20  receives driving force from a driving device installed inside the mattress  10  and thus reciprocates along a predetermined path defined by the guide groove  15 . 
         [0013]    The driving device includes a reversible motor  35  for generating driving force, wheels  30  and  31 , and a transmitting wire  32  for transmitting the driving force to the treatment head  20 . The reversible motor  35  receives electric power from an external power source and generates rotating force in a forward direction or a backward direction. It is known from the illustration of  FIG. 1  that the reversible motor  35  is installed inside the mattress  10 . 
         [0014]    Although it is not shown in the figure, the reversible motor  35  is wired so as to generate the rotating force selectively in the forward direction or the backward direction in response to a signal from a switch (not shown) manipulated by a user, and is also configured so as to generate the rotating force in the forward direction or the backward direction selectively in response to a signal from a limit switch (not shown) installed at both ends of the guide groove  15 . 
         [0015]    The rotating force of the reversible motor  35  can be transmitted in a manner such that the output end of the reversible motor  35  is connected to a drive wheel  30  of the pair of wheels installed at both ends of the guide groove  15 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the drive wheel  30  is installed at one end of the guide groove  15  and a driven wheel  31  is installed in a freely rotatable manner at the other end of the guide groove  15 , which is opposite the end at which the drive wheel  30  is installed. The drive wheel  30  and the driven wheel  31  are connected by the transmitting wire  32 . 
         [0016]    The transmitting wire  32  is a component that is connected with the front and the back surfaces of the treatment head  20  in the advancing direction of the treatment head  20  at both ends thereof, and thus transmits the driving force of the reversible motor  35  to the treatment head  20 . The transmitting wire  32  can take various forms according to the shape of the drive wheel  30  and the driven wheel  31 . For example, if the drive wheel  30  and the driven wheel  31  are configured as sprockets, the transmitting wire may be a chain. In the case in which the drive wheel  30  and the driven wheel  31  are rollers, the transmitting wire  32  may be a belt. 
         [0017]    However, the known medical apparatuses for spinal therapy, including the apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned patent application, have a problem in that the treatment head  20  is fitted in a manner such that a center portion thereof is mounted by a hinge member  24 , so that the treatment head  20  can pivot to left side and the right side of a main body  25  in the widthwise direction of the guide groove  15 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , which is a sectional view illustrating the fixing structure of the treatment head. However, the hinge member  24  is subjected to a strong frictional force when the treatment head  20  undergoes left and right rotational motion. Accordingly, the hinge member  24  may be easily worn out, resulting in operational failure of the medical apparatus. Further, in the case in which the medical apparatus has the above- described structure, it is impossible to replace only a worn component; instead, the entire treatment head must be replaced. 
         [0018]    Further, the above-mentioned fixing structure of the treatment head has a disadvantage in that it can allow the treatment head to pivot to the left side and the right side with respect to the hinged portion, but cannot allow the treatment head to perform vertical linear motion. Accordingly, the medical apparatus employing the fixing structure cannot give various types of stimulation to human body parts. 
         [0019]    Accordingly, it is necessary to develop an innovative fixing structure of a treatment head which can solve the above-mentioned problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of this application have conducted research for a long period of time and performed a number of repeated experiments, and have thus reached an outcome in the form of an innovative fixing structure of a treatment head using a ball bearing structure. 
         [0021]    One advantage of the invention is to provide a fixing structure of a treatment head which wears out slowly even if strong frictional force is applied to the fixing structure due to the lateral rotational motion of the treatment head, so that it is possible to greatly extend the replacement period of the treatment head. 
         [0022]    Another advantage of the invention is to provide a fixing structure of a treatment head which permits only a worn component of the treatment head to be replaced with a new one, rather than requiring replacement of the entire body of the treatment head. 
         [0023]    A further advantage of the invention is to provide a fixing structure which allows vertical linear motion of the fixing head as well as lateral rotational motion thereof. 
         [0024]    A still further advantage of the invention is to provide a medical apparatus for spinal therapy having the above-mentioned fixing structure, which is thereby capable of giving various types of stimulation to human body parts and incurs lower maintenance expenses. 
         [0025]    According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a fixing structure of a treatment head including a main body equipped with wheels in contact with a rail installed on a guide groove in a rolling manner, and a head equipped with a plurality of acupressure protrusions which are installed on an upper portion of the main body so as to be separated from each other in order to apply predetermined pressure to the spine, the fixing structure including a pair of fixing units provided to both ends of the head for fixing the head to the main body so that the height thereof is smaller than the distance between the head and the main body. 
         [0026]    In the fixing structure, it is preferable that each of the fixing units have a ball bearing structure including a ball bearing, a ball bearing member which is disposed at the end of the head so that it is perpendicular to the upper portion of the main body, and in which part of the ball bearing is inserted, and a cover member fixed to the upper portion of the main body and provided with a trench-type groove extending in a vertical direction so that the other part of the ball bearing is inserted in the trench-type groove and moves in the vertical direction. 
         [0027]    In the fixing structure, it is preferable that a plurality of elastic supports be provided between a lower portion of the head and the upper portion of the main body. 
         [0028]    In the fixing structure, it is preferable that the ball bearing be made of a material having high strength and durability, which is selected from a group consisting of ceramic, engineering plastic, fiberglass, metal, and magnet. 
         [0029]    In the fixing structure, it is preferable that the material forming the trench-type groove of the cover portion have high strength and durability, and that it be selected from the group consisting of ceramic, engineering plastic, fiberglass, metal, and magnet. 
         [0030]    According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a medical apparatus for spinal therapy which is provided with the fixing structure according to the invention. 
         [0031]    In the medical apparatus, it is preferable that laser diodes be provided on the upper portion of the head, particularly in the acupressure protrusions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0032]    The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0033]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a known medical apparatus for spinal therapy; 
           [0034]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view illustrating a treatment head of the medical apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a treatment head of a medical apparatus, which is fitted to a base using a fixing structure according to one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0036]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view illustrating the fixing structure shown in  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0037]      FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B  are views illustrating details of a ball bearing member and a cover member of the fixing structure shown in  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0038]    Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0039]    The invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0040]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a fixing structure of a treatment head according to one embodiment of the invention,  FIG. 4  is a sectional view illustrating the fixing structure shown in  FIG. 3 , and  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are views illustrating details of a cover member of the fixing structure shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG.3 , the fixing structure of a treatment head according to one embodiment of the invention includes a pair of fixing units  130  which are provided at both ends of a head  120  for fixing the head  120 , which is equipped with a plurality of acupressure protrusions which apply predetermined pressure to human body parts, to a main body  110 , which is provided with wheels that are in contact with a rail installed in a guide groove in a rolling manner. Each of the fixing units  130  is installed above the main body  110  so as to be spaced apart from the upper surface of the main body  110 . 
         [0042]    The fixing unit  130  serves to fix the head  120  to the main body  110  and has a height less than the distance between the head  120  and the main body  110 . A plurality of elastic supports  140  is installed between the head  120  and the main body  1   10  so that the lower portion of the head  120  is connected to the upper portion of the main body  110 . 
         [0043]    The plurality of elastic supports  140  is provided to help the fixing units  130  more securely fix the head  120  to the main body  110 , and thus they may be resilient members such as springs. The plurality of elastic supports  140  maintains the distance between the head  120  and the main body  110  and thus a ball bearing  131  of each of the fixing units  130  shown in  FIG. 4  is disposed on the upper side of the cover member  133 . 
         [0044]    With reference to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 A, and  5 B, it can be seen that the fixing unit  130  includes the ball bearing  131 , a ball bearing member  132  and the cover member  133 . 
         [0045]    The ball bearing  131  refers to a sphere shape, and is made of a material that can endure abrasion, for example, ceramic, engineering plastic, fiberglass, metal, and magnet, but the material is not limited thereto. That is, the ball bearing  131  may be made of a material having high strength and durability, such as metal and a magnetic material. 
         [0046]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the ball bearing member  132  is disposed perpendicular to the upper portion of the main body  110  at the end portion of the head  120 . The ball bearing member  132  has a hemispherical space in which part of the ball bearing  131  is received and which is formed so as to project in the direction of the head  120 . It is preferable that the ball bearing member  132  and the ball bearing  131  be combined by force such that part of the ball bearing  131 , which is less than the half of the ball bearing, is inserted in the ball bearing member  132  but is not separated from the ball bearing member  132 . In such a state, the ball bearing  131  rotates in the ball bearing member  132 . 
         [0047]    For this instance, as shown in  FIG. 5A , the ball bearing member  132  includes a hemispherical groove  132   a,  in which part of the ball bearing  131  is inserted, and a plate portion  132   b.  The ball bearing member  132  may be formed integrally with the head  120 , but may alternatively be formed detachably from the head  120 . 
         [0048]    At least the hemispherical groove  132   a,  receiving part of the ball bearing  131 , is preferably made of a material having high strength and durability, such as ceramic, engineering plastic, fiberglass, metal, and magnet. 
         [0049]    According to the circumstances, the entire body of the ball bearing member  132  may be made of a material having high strength and durability. 
         [0050]    Next, as shown in  FIG. 5B , the cover member  133  includes a trench-type groove  133   a  in which the other part of the ball bearing  131 , which is not inserted into the ball bearing member  132 , is inserted, and can move in a vertical direction, and a plate portion  133   b  which is to be fixed to the upper portion of the main body  110 . 
         [0051]    The trench-type groove  133   a  is concave in the direction facing away from the head  121 . The trench-type groove  133   a  has a width such that the ball bearing  131  can be inserted in the trench-type groove  133   a  but not come out of the trench-type groove  133   a  while it can rotate in the trench-type groove  133   a.  The maximum depth of the trench-type groove  133   a  is set such that half of the ball bearing  131  can be inserted, and the length of the trench-type groove  133   a  is set so that it is equal to the distance between the head  120  and the main body  110  and is smaller than the diameter of the ball bearing  131 . It is preferable that the length of the trench-type groove  133   a  be at least two times the diameter of the ball bearing  131 . 
         [0052]    The material of a member forming the trench-type groove  133   a  has high strength and durability, and examples thereof include ceramic, engineering plastic, fiberglass, metal, and magnet. According to the circumstances, the entire body of the cover member  133  may be made of a material having high strength and durability. 
         [0053]    If the main body  110  and the head  120  of the treatment head  100  are fixed by the fixing units  130 , which are described above, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the center portion of the head  120  is fixed to the main body  110 . 
         [0054]    According to such a structure, the treatment head  1   00  can perform vertical linear motion as well as lateral rotational motion thanks to the ball bearing  131 , which moves in the vertical direction along the length of the trench-type groove  133   a  in the ball bearing members  132  at both ends of the head  120 . That is, the treatment heads  100  can linearly move in the vertical direction within a range limited by the length of the trench-type groove  133   a.    
         [0055]    At this time, it is preferable that the ball bearing, the ball bearing member, and the cover member be configured in a manner such that an attraction force is exerted between them. For example, any one of them is made of a magnetic material, and the others are made of metal. In such a case, the fixing structure may be more stable. 
         [0056]    A medical apparatus for spinal therapy (not shown), including the treatment head  100  fixed by the fixing structure  130 , are similar to known medical apparatuses except for the fixing structure. Accordingly, details about parts of the medical apparatus other than the fixing structure will not be described. When electric power is applied to the medical apparatus for spinal therapy according to the invention, the treatment head can perform vertical linear motion as well as lateral rotational motion. Accordingly, the medical apparatus can give various types of stimulation to human body parts, and thus have an increased therapy effect. 
         [0057]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , the ball bearing  131 , which is an element of the fixing structure, may be worn due to friction attributable to lateral rotational motion and vertical linear motion, but the rate of wear is very low. Further, even if the ball bearing  131  is worn, the ball bearing  131  is worn uniformly over the entire surface thereof due to the rotational motion. Accordingly, the ball bearing can be used for a long period. 
         [0058]    Still further, when the ball  131  is worn out and cannot be used any longer, it is sufficient to replace only the ball bearing  131 , instead of replacing the entire treatment head  100 . Yet further, even if the ball bearing member  132  or the cover member  133  is worn out after the treatment head  100  is repeatedly used for a lengthy period of time, only the worn components, the ball bearing member  132  or the cover member  133 , need be replaced with new ones. Accordingly, the life span of the medical apparatus according to the invention is very long and maintenance cost is remarkably low compared to known medical apparatuses. 
         [0059]    Further, according to the embodiment of the invention, the acupressure protrusions of the treatment head are equipped with laser diodes  150  therein, unlike the known medical apparatuses, in which the acupressure protrusions are equipped with lamps having a heating and warming function. Accordingly, the medical apparatus according to the embodiment has a laser treatment effect. 
         [0060]    The invention is not limited to the above-described particular embodiments, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. All such changes, modifications, and variations should be therefore seen as falling within the scope of the invention defined by claims. 
         [0061]    As described above, the invention has the following advantages. 
         [0062]    Thanks to the innovative fixing structure, even if the fixing structure is subjected to strong friction due to lateral rotational motion, the wear rate is very low and thus the replacement period for the components of the medical apparatus can be prolonged. 
         [0063]    Further, even if the fixing structure of the treatment head is worn out, only the worn component need be replaced with a new one, instead of replacing the entire body of the treatment head. Accordingly, it is possible to remarkably decrease the maintenance and labor costs. 
         [0064]    Still further, since the treatment head can perform vertical linear motion as well as lateral rotational motion, it is possible to give various types of stimulation to human body parts. 
         [0065]    The medical apparatus for spinal therapy equipped with a treatment head which is fixed by the fixing structure according to the invention has a long lifespan, can be easily repaired, incurs a low maintenance cost, and has good therapeutic performance because it employs a structure that can give various types of stimulation to human body parts.