Abstract:
Disclosed is a sequential compression massage device using a stacked member which repeatedly applies compression force to a human body ( 10 ). The message includes: a driving unit for rotatably supporting a shake rod on an upper plate and a lower plate connected to each other through a guide rod; a pressing unit for maintaining a plurality of pressing plates in a stacked state on the driving unit by positioning the guide rod and the shake rod ( 34 ) in the pressing plates; and a control unit for sequentially shaking the pressing plates. Thus, the reliability and durability are improved in such a manner that the plurality of stacked pressing plates cause shake movement without causing a user inconvenience, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the prevention and alleviation of venous circulation disorder.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a massage device, and more particular, to a sequential compression massage device using stacked member, which is capable of improving blood circulation by pressing the leg calf of a user similarly with that of an actual massage. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The leg calf of a human body is an important muscular system enough to be called the second heart. When the leg calf is periodically massaged, it is an effect on fatigue recovery and immunity improvement. In addition, the massage of the leg calf may enhance connective tissue of venous wall to improve vein circulation disability that causes undercurrents or retention of blood and body fluid flowing into a heart. As a nonsurgical method for preventing or releasing such symptoms, exercise and compression circulation massage are preferred. 
     Documents of the related art about calf massage have been disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1139538 (document 1) and Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1572974 (document 2). 
     Document 1 discloses a portable compression cuff which is wearable on a calf for prevention of low leg varicose vein and rehabilitation, where the cuff includes at least two air pressure rooms embedded therein and expanded or contracted by air to sequentially press the calf level by level. The air pressure chamber includes pressing parts spaced apart from each other. Thus, the portable compression cuff prevents blood from flowing backward and helps blood circulation to promote prevention of low leg varicose vein and rehabilitation. 
     However, since the portable compression cuff employs an air pump, the volume is enlarged so that it is inconvenient to carry the portable compression cuff while the portable compression cuff is worn. In addition, since noise is generated due to the input and output of air, it is improper to wear portable compression cuff at a public place. 
     Document 2 discloses a compression massage device which includes a wearing unit having a wearing band and pressing bands and tightly attached to a human being; a driving unit connected to a side of the wearing unit to stretch and release the pressing bands; and a control unit for controlling the pressure bands through the driving unit, respectively. Thus, a user may receive a massage in activity based on the compact and low-noise structure, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the prevention and alleviation of the venous circulation disorder. 
     However, since the pressure transferred to the pressing bands through a rotational shaft is not constant and there is apprehension that the pressing bands are released, the compression massage device may have room for improvement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been made to solve the above problems occurring in the related art. An object of the present invention is to provide a sequential compression massage device using stacked member, which is capable of improving blood circulation by pressing the leg calf of a user similarly with that of an actual massage based on components having reliability and durability, so that the prevention or alleviation of the venous circulation disorder may be expected. 
     In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a sequential compression massage device using a stacked member, which repeatedly applies compression force to a human body ( 10 ). The sequential compression massage device includes: a driving unit ( 30 ) for rotatably supporting a shake rod ( 35 ) on an upper plate ( 31 ) and a lower plate ( 32 ) connected to each other through a guide rod ( 34 ); a pressing unit ( 40 ) for maintaining a plurality of pressing plates ( 41 ) in a stacked state on the driving unit ( 30 ) by positioning the guide rod ( 34 ) and the shake rod ( 34 ) in the pressing plates ( 41 ); and a control unit ( 50 ) for sequentially shaking the pressing plates ( 41 ). 
     The driving unit ( 30 ) is integrally coupled with a wearing band ( 20 ) having a tightening part ( 25 ) and the tightening part ( 25 ) has an adjustable length. 
     The shake rod ( 35 ) of the driving unit ( 30 ) is formed in at least one of a wave-shaped curved line having a planar shape and a spiral-shaped curved line. 
     The pressing plate ( 41 ) of the pressing unit ( 40 ) includes an arch surface ( 42 ) which has a curved shape and makes contact with the human body ( 10 ). 
     The pressing plate ( 41 ) of the pressing unit ( 40 ) comprises a longitudinal groove ( 44 ) for determining a shake movement direction and a traversal groove ( 45 ) for receiving rotational movement of the shake rod ( 35 ) to cause shake movement. 
     The pressing plate ( 41 ) of the pressing unit ( 40 ) includes a Teflon resin layer provided on a contact surface between stacked pressing plates ( 41 ), a longitudinal groove ( 44 ) and a traversal groove ( 45 ). 
     The control unit ( 50 ) includes a sensing part ( 52 ) for detecting a variation in pressing force, a power source part ( 54 ) for providing operation power, and a control part ( 56 ) for storing and executing a set algorithm. 
     According to the massage device of the present invention, the reliability and durability are improved in such a manner that the plurality of stacked pressing plates cause shake movement without causing a user inconvenience, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the prevention and alleviation of venous circulation disorder. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view showing a massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view showing a massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing a massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention 
         FIG. 4  is a view showing main components of a massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     The present invention proposes a massage device for repeatedly applying pressing force to a human body ( 10 ). Although the calf is targeted as the human body  10  in the present disclosure in order to explain vein circulation disability, specifically, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of a lower leg around the calf, the present invention is not limited thereto. The massage device according to the present invention seeks for the convenience in use on daily life or during the travel due to the portability thereof. 
     As the details of the present invention, a driving unit  30  is integrally coupled with a wearing band  20  having a tightening part ( 25 ), and the tightening part ( 25 ) has an adjustable length. The wearing band  20  is formed of a material having some elasticity. As will be described below, a driving unit  30 , a pressing unit  40  and a control unit  50  are mounted on the wearing band  20 . A tightening part  25  is formed by selectively using a Velcro belt, a zipper, a button and the like. It is preferable to form the wearing band  20  in a multi-divided structure to allow the wearing band  20  to be easily adjustable to a shape or size of a human body. 
     According to the present invention, the driving unit  30  is structured to rotatably support a shake rod  35  on an upper plate  31  and a lower plate  32  connected to a guide rod  34 . The driving unit  30 , which constitutes the frame of the massage device, firmly fixes the upper and lower plates  31  and  32  with the guide rod  34 . The upper and lower plates  31  and  32 , which are formed of a high-strength lightweight plate, each has a front curved surface for making contact with a human body. Although a pair of left and right guide rods  34  is depicted in the drawings, two pairs of guide rods  34  may be provided for left and right sides, respectively. A pair of left and right shake rods  35  is provided inside the guide rod  34  and rotatably supported on the upper and lower plates  31  and  32 . 
     In this case, a gear train  37  provided on a lower end of the shake rod is connected to a motor  38  on the lower plate  32 . The gear train  37  is configured to transfer rotational force of the motor  38  to the shake rods  35  of both sides at the same time. 
     As the details of the present invention, the shake rod  35  of the driving unit  30  is formed in at least one of a wave-shaped curved line having a planar shape and a spiral-shaped curved line. The wave-shaped curved line having a planar shape implies a sinusoidal wave or a non-sinusoidal wave having various amplitudes and periods, and the spiral-shaped curved line implies a three-dimensional shape such as a shape of a spiral spring having a narrow amplitude and a short period. Of course, the shake rod  35  may be configured to have the combination of the wave-shaped curved line and the spiral-shaped curved line. Since the shake rod  35  is operated to press a human body, although the shake rod  35  is required to have a basic strength and stiffness, the shake rod  35  may be elastically deformed suitable for soft massage. 
     In addition, according to the present invention, the pressing unit  40  is structured to be maintained in a stacked state on the driving unit  30  by positioning the guide rod  34  and the shake rod  35  in the pressing plates  41 . The pressing unit  40 , which is an operating part coupled to a frame of the massage device, is a key element of implementing a sequential compression device (SCD) by stacking the same or similar pressing plates thereon. Although it may be no matter that the pressing plate  41  has strength less than the upper and lower plates  31  and  32 , lightweightness and durability are required. 
     As the details of the present invention, the pressing plate  41  of the pressing unit  40  includes an arch surface  42  which has a curved shape and makes contact with the human body  10 .  FIG. 3  exemplarily shows the pressing plate  41  which has the arch surface  42  concaved at the center of the front surface thereof like the upper and lower plates  31  and  32 . Preferably, the arch surface  42  of the stacked pressing plates  41  has a variable curvature such that the arch surface  42  is changed little by little to substantially correspond to the curved shape of a human body, for example, a calf. 
     As the details of the present invention, the pressing plate  41  of the pressing unit  40  includes a longitudinal groove  44  for determining a shake movement direction and a traversal groove  45  for receiving rotational movement of the shake rod  35  to cause shake movement. The longitudinal groove  44  is formed in front and rear of the pressing plate  41  and the traversal groove  45  is formed in a direction orthogonal with an inside of the longitudinal groove  44 . The guide rod  34  passes through the longitudinal groove  44  of the stacked pressing plates  41  and the shake rod  35  passes through the traversal groove  45  of the stacked pressing plates  41 . The longitudinal and traversal grooves  44  and  45  are not necessarily limited to the straight-line shape. The longitudinal and traversal grooves  44  and  45  may be formed in a curved-line shape with a partial clearance fit tolerance such that the longitudinal and traversal grooves  44  and  45  may not restrict the shaking movements of the pressing plates  41 . 
     When the driving power of the motor  38  is transferred to the shake rod  35 , the stacked pressing plates  41  sequentially do the shaking movement substantially in forward and rearward directions determined by the longitudinal groove  44  at the amplitude and period determined by the traversal groove  45 . 
     Meanwhile, the pressing plate  41  may have an additional groove to reduce the weight in such a range that the strength is not weakened. A cutting surface  47  shown in  FIG. 3  provides a space for containing the motor  38  as well as for weight lightening. 
     As a modified example of the present invention, the pressing plate  41  of the pressing unit  40  includes a Teflon resin layer provided on a contact surface between stacked pressing plates  41 , a longitudinal groove  44  and a traversal groove  45 . If the pressing plate  41  is made of an expensive wear-resistance material such as engineering plastic, the manufacturing cost is increased, so it is preferable to coat common plastic with Teflon resin. As the Teflon resin is applied to the pressing plates  41 , the pressing plates  41  have variable thickness so that the sliding contact can be reduced over the whole area of the pressing plates  41 . The Teflon resin layer is provided in areas where the guide and shake rods  34  and  35  make sliding contact in the longitudinal and traversal grooves  44  and  45 . 
     Of course, the present invention is not limited to the Teflon resin layer of the pressing plate  41 . The pressing plate  41  may be integrated with a separated wear-resistance material in an inserting molding scheme. 
     In addition, according to the present invention, the control unit  50  is structured to sequentially shake the pressing plate  41 . The control unit  50  is an element that drives the driving unit  30  in a set algorithm to perform a massage for improving vein circulation disability. Of course, as well as the set algorithm, a massage function desired by a user may be performed through manual selection. 
     As a modified example of the present invention, the control unit  50  includes a sensing part  52  for detecting a variation in pressing force, a power source part  54  for providing operation power, and a control part  56  for storing and executing a set algorithm. The sensing part  52 , which detects an overload, selectively uses a current sensor installed to the motor  38  or a rotation sensor. The power source part  54  is based on a chargeable battery and further has a function of using commercial power. The control part  56  is a microcomputer circuit including a microprocessor, a memory and an I/O interface and an operational panel attached to the wearing band  20  or a remote controller is selectively used. 
     As one example of an operation,  FIG. 4  shows a state that the pressing plate  41  applies pressing force through a spaced portion between the upper portion and lower portions of a human being  10 . As the motor  38  is rotated, a pressing point is sequentially changed such that the massage is performed at a set period. Although a user may usually increase or reduce pressing feeling by releasing or tightening the tightening part  25  of the wearing band  20 , the control part  56  changes the speed of the motor  38  or stops driving the motor  38  in response to an input of the sensing part  52 . 
     The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein and it should be understood that the present invention may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it should be appreciated that the modifications and changes are included in the claims of the present invention.