Patent Publication Number: US-2019175390-A1

Title: Ceramic lifting and lowering device for thermotherapeutic apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2017-0014567, filed on Feb. 1, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention relates to a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine, and more particularly, to a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine configured to accurately bring each ceramic member into contact with a set moxibustion point. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     A conventional heating apparatus is configured to include a moving space formed to be perpendicular to a body of a moving object which moves laterally along a screw rotated by a motor, a treatment machine moving plate fixedly inserted into the moving space, and when laterally moving, having an engaging protrusion formed on a lower end of a conveying rod configured to vertically move in the moving space, and an ascending and descending spring located between the treatment machine moving plate and the moving object that is configured to vertically move treatment ceramics to apply pressure and heat to an affected part of a user by elongating and contracting along a curve of a human body, and then the treatment ceramics may apply pressure and heat to the affected part at the same intensity by coming into contact with the human body along the curve of the body of the user when the treatment machine moving plate is moved vertically by the ascending and descending spring. 
     However, since the conventional heating apparatus has a structure in which an entire column of the ceramics ascend and descend by a driving part, and thus an operation range is limited to a vertical direction, the conventional heating apparatus has a limitation in actively coping with a change in a shape of the body when the body has large change, for example, the curve is large, or a sharp change occurs in shape of the body, and accordingly, a massage effect is reduced. 
     Accordingly, an apparatus capable of relatively actively coping with the change in in the shape of the body to maximize the massage effect has been acutely required. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine, in which a ceramic member actively responds to a change in a body of a user during a massage process to maximize a massage effect, and product quality is improved to improve consumer satisfaction. 
     Further, the present invention provides a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine configured to accurately bring each ceramic member into contact with a set moxibustion point. 
     To achieve the above-described purpose, the present invention provides a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine including a base plate, an ascending and descending member of which one end is coupled to the base plate through a coupler, a plurality of ceramic members provided in the ascending and descending member, a first driving part configured to raise and lower the ascending and descending member, and a second driving part configured to convey the base plate in a horizontal direction. 
     The ascending and descending member may ascend and descend while rotating around the coupler. 
     The second driving part may convey the base plate in the horizontal direction to unify a location of each of the ceramic members in a vertical direction when the ascending and descending member ascends and descends. 
     The heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine may further include a controller configured to calculate a conveying distance of the base plate on the basis of an ascending and descending distance of each of the ceramic members and control the second driving part according to the calculated conveying distance. 
     The first driving part may include a driving part, a rotating member connected to the driving part, and a guide member connected to the ascending and descending member and configured to come into contact with the rotating member. 
     The rotating member may include a first gear part, and the guide member may include a second gear part having a curved shape and engaged with the first gear part. 
     The heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine may further include a sensor part configured to sense body information of a user and provide the body information to the controller, and the controller may raise or lower the ascending and descending member according to the sensed body information of the user. 
     According to the present invention, by an ascending and descending operation of each of first and second ascending and descending members, ceramic members can actively cope with a change in a body of a user during a massage process to maximize a massage effect, and product quality can be improved to improve consumer satisfaction. 
     Further, according to the present invention, although the first ascending and descending member ascends and descends while rotating around a coupler, since a second driving part conveys a base plate in a horizontal direction, a location of each of the ceramic members can be unified in a vertical direction. Accordingly, each of the ceramic members can come into contact with a set moxibustion point. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  are perspective views of a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a view for describing an operation state of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine when a second driving part is not provided in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a view for describing an operation state of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine when the second driving part is provided in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which may allow one of ordinary skill in the art to easily perform the present invention. The present invention may be implemented in various forms and is not limited to the following embodiments. Components not related to the description are omitted in the drawings to clearly describe the present invention, and the same reference symbols are used for the same or similar components in the description. 
     It should be further understood that the terms “include,” “including,” “provide,” “providing,” “have,” and/or “having” specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
       FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  are perspective views of a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is a side view of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 4  is a front view of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     Meanwhile, the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention may be installed in heat treatment machines having various types such as a bed type, a chair type, etc. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a base plate  10 , a first ascending and descending member  20 , a second ascending and descending member  40 , a first driving part  30 , an elastic member  50 , and ceramic members  60 . 
     Here, a conveying part (not shown) is provided at one side of the base plate  10 , and the ceramic members  60  are moved by the conveying part and come into contact with a part of the body of a user to perform a massage function and a moxibustion function through heat supply. 
     To further describe the conveying part, guide protrusions (not shown) provided at both sides of the base plate  10  may be connected to a guide rail (not shown) formed in a main body of the heat treatment machine, a fixing bracket (not shown) may be mounted on one side of the base plate  10 , and a conveying motor (not shown) may be connected to the fixing bracket. 
     Since a first conveying gear (not shown) is provided at an end portion of a driving shaft of the conveying motor, and a second conveying gear (not shown) engaged with the first conveying gear (not shown) is provided at the main body of the heat treatment machine, the heating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may be conveyed in a frontward direction or a rearward direction. 
     The base plate  10  may be formed as a plate having a quadrangular shape, and includes a pair of hinge couplers  13  configured to upwardly protrude at a front thereof, and the first ascending and descending member  20  and the second ascending and descending member  40  are provided with a first corresponding hinge coupler (not shown) and a second corresponding hinge coupler (not shown) at front ends thereof, respectively, to correspond to the hinge couplers  13 . Further, the hinge couplers  13 , the first corresponding hinge coupler (not shown), and the second corresponding hinge coupler (not shown) are coupled by coupling pins  13   a.    
     Accordingly, the first ascending and descending member  20  and the second ascending and descending member  40  may ascend and descend while rotating around the hinge couplers  13 , that is, the coupling pins  13   a.    
     Although the first ascending and descending member  20  may be formed as a plate shape, and a shape thereof is preferable to have a roughly triangular shape, the first ascending and descending member  20  may be formed in various shapes according to necessity. 
     The plurality of ceramic members  60  rotatably connected to support brackets  61  are provided on an upper surface of the first ascending and descending member  20 , and although the pair of ceramic members  60  may be provided as shown in  FIG. 1 , an exemplary massage function may be realized by increasing or decreasing the number of ceramic members  60 . 
     The first driving part  30  may include a driving part  31  configured to raise and lower the first ascending and descending member  20  and mounted on the base plate  10 , a rotating member  33  connected to the driving part  31 , and a guide member  35  connected to the first ascending and descending member  20  and configured to come into contact with the rotating member  33 . 
     Here, the driving part  31  may include a gear box  31   a  mounted on a lower surface of the base plate  10 , and the rotating member  33  is connected to both sides of the gear box  31   a  and driven by the driving part  31  to rotate. 
     Further, the guide member  35  is provided under the first ascending and descending member  20 , comes into contact with the rotating member  33 , and ascends and descends through a guide hole  11  formed in the base plate  10  when the rotating member  33  rotates, and the first ascending and descending member  20  connected to the rotating member  33  also ascends and descends. 
     In this case, the guide member  35  is formed in a gradually curved shape and comes into contact with the rotating member  33  having a disc shape to receive power. 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the rotating member  33  may include a first gear part  33   a , and the guide member  35  may include a second gear part  35   a  having a curved shape and engaged with the first gear part  33   a  of the rotating member  33 . 
     Accordingly, when the first gear part  33   a  of the rotating member  33  is rotated by the driving part  31 , the second gear part  35   a  of the guide member  35  ascends and descends through the guide hole  11  along the first gear part  33   a , and the first ascending and descending member  20  connected to the guide member  35  also ascends and descends. 
     An engagement part  39  may be provided so that the guide member  35  and the second gear part  35   a  may be coupled to and separated from each other. 
     For example, the engagement part  39  may engage and separate the guide member  35  and the second gear part  35   a  through a bolt engaging method so that the guide member  35  and the second gear part  35   a  may be attachable to and detachable from each other. 
     In this case, a coupling hole  39   a  may be formed in each of the guide member  35  and the second gear part  35   a  so that the guide member  35  and the second gear part  35   a  correspond to each other, and the guide member  35  and the second gear part  35   a  may be fixed by inserting and fastening a coupling bolt  39   b  into the coupling hole  39   a.    
     Accordingly, when the second gear part  35   a  needs to be replaced or repaired due to abrasion or damage, since the coupling bolt  39   b  may be released to be separated and then reassembled, a maintenance process may be simply performed. 
     Unlike the first ascending and descending member  20 , the second ascending and descending member  40  ascends and descends without power supply according to a curve or shape of the body with which the ceramic members  60  come into contact. 
     To this end, the elastic member  50  uses elasticity thereof for an ascending and descending operation of the second ascending and descending member  40 . 
     The elastic member  50  elastically supports the second ascending and descending member  40  and connects the base plate  10  and the second ascending and descending member  40 , or the first ascending and descending member  20  and the second ascending and descending member  40 . 
     That is, as an elastic spring  51 , the elastic member  50  implements the ascending and descending operation of the second ascending and descending member  40  by having each end portion connected to an upper surface of the first ascending and descending member  20  and a lower surface of the second ascending and descending member  40 , or an upper surface of the base plate  10  and the lower surface of the second ascending and descending member  40 . 
     In this case, a first insertion part  21  and a second insertion part  41  may be provided to be corresponding to each other on the base plate  10  or in the first ascending and descending member  20  and the second ascending and descending member  40  so that each end portion of the elastic spring  51  is insertion-fixed, and in this case, each of the insertion parts  21  and  41  may be manufactured in a protrusion shape or formed in a groove shape so that each end portion of the elastic spring  51  may be forcibly inserted into the insertion parts  21  and  41  to be insertion-fixed. 
     The ceramic members  60  are rotatably provided on each of the first ascending and descending member  20  and the second ascending and descending member  40 , and a heat member is provided in each of the ceramic members  60  to perform a heat massage function and a moxibustion function. 
     Further, the ceramic members  60  are each rotatably connected to the support brackets  61  connected to an upper surface of each of the first ascending and descending member  20  and the second ascending and descending member  40 , and are raised and lowered by the ascending and descending members  20  and  40  according to the curve of the body to perform a massage process and a moxibustion process when coming into contact with the body of the user. 
     In this case, the first ascending and descending member  20  may adjust a massage pressure, and the second ascending and descending member  40  may improve adherence to the body of the user. 
     Meanwhile, the plurality of ceramic members  60  are provided on each of the first ascending and descending member  20  and the second ascending and descending member  40 , so as to be capable of improving balance and stability while securing a sufficient operation area when coming into contact with the body. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Further,  FIG. 6  is a side view of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     Meanwhile, components of the heat treatment machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention the same as those of the first embodiment of the present invention have identical reference numerals. 
     Hereinafter, the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , but descriptions of the components the same as those of the above-described first embodiment of the present invention will be omitted. 
     The heat treatment machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention may include a base plate  10 , an ascending and descending member  20 , a first driving part  30 , first ceramic members  60   a , second ceramic members  60   b , and ceramic driving parts  65 . 
     Here, a pair of hinge couplers  13  configured to protrude upwardly are provided on one end of the base plate  10 , corresponding hinge couplers (not shown) are each provided on one ends of the ascending and descending member  20  to correspond to the hinge couplers  13 . Further, the hinge couplers  13  and the corresponding hinge couplers (not shown) may be coupled to each other by coupling pins  13   a.    
     Accordingly, the ascending and descending member  20  may ascend and descend while rotating around the hinge couplers  13 , that is, the coupling pins  13   a.    
     In this case, when the first driving part  30  raises and lowers the ascending and descending member  20 , the ascending and descending member  20  ascends and descends while rotating around the hinge couplers  13 . 
     The first ceramic members  60   a  and the second ceramic members  60   b  are each rotatably provided on the ascending and descending member  20  and a heat member is provided in each of the ceramic members  60   a  and  60   b  to perform a heat massage function and a moxibustion function. 
     The first ceramic members  60   a  may have at least a pair of first thermal ceramics  63   a.    
     Here, the pair of first thermal ceramics  63   a  may be located to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance and raised and lowered when the first driving part  30  raises and lowers the ascending and descending member  20 . Further, the first thermal ceramics  63   a  may be raised and lowered by the ceramic driving parts  65  which will be described below. 
     The ceramic driving parts  65  may vary a gap between the pair of first thermal ceramics  63   a  according to an ascending and descending location thereof. For example, a gap between the pair of first thermal ceramics  63   a  at a first location may be greater than a gap between the pair of first thermal ceramics  63   a  at a second location. 
     Further, the ceramic driving parts  65  may move the first ceramic members  60   a  so that the gap between the pair of first thermal ceramics  63   a  gradually decreases when the first ceramic members  60   a  move from the first location to the second location. 
     As described above, since the gap between the first thermal ceramics  63   a  is provided to vary according to the ascending and descending location of the first thermal ceramics  63   a , the first thermal ceramics  63   a  may come into contact with a body part according to a width of the body part. For example, in body parts, since the cervical vertebrae has a width smaller than a back, all of the pair of first thermal ceramics  63   a  may come into contact with the cervical vertebrae by decreasing the gap between the first thermal ceramics  63   a  when massaging the cervical vertebrae. Accordingly, by adjusting the gap between the first thermal ceramics  63   a , a massage effect and a heat treatment effect may be maximized. 
     The second ceramic members  60   b  may be located behind the first ceramic member  60   a  and may have at least a pair of second thermal ceramics  63   b.    
     Here, the pair of second thermal ceramics  63   b  may be located to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance and raised and lowered when the first driving part  30  raises and lowers the ascending and descending member  20 . 
     The heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention may move the first thermal ceramics  63   a  and the second thermal ceramics  63   b  in a vertical direction by driving the first driving part  30  and the ceramic driving parts  65  while being moved in a horizontal direction by the conveying part (not shown). 
     That is, when the ascending and descending member  20  is raised and lowered by the first driving part  30 , the first thermal ceramics  63   a  and the second thermal ceramics  63   b  may also be raised and lowered, and in addition, the first thermal ceramics  63   a  and the second thermal ceramics  63   b  may also be raised and lowered by the ceramic driving parts  65 . 
     Accordingly, the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention may perform a massage or heat treatment to the cervical vertebrae and the back by adjusting the gap between the pair of first thermal ceramics  63   a . Further, the heating apparatus may maximize the massage effect and the heat treatment effect by providing uniform massage intensity for each body part. 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to one embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 8  is a view for describing an operation state of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine when the second driving part is not provided in  FIG. 7 , and  FIG. 9  is a view for describing an operation state of the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine when the second driving part is provided in  FIG. 7 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a controller  70 , a first driving part  30 , and a second driving part  90 . 
     A sensor part (not shown) such as a sensor or scanner is provided in a heat treatment machine, which includes the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, to sense body information of a user and then provide the body information to the controller  70  during a massage process. 
     Further, since the controller  70  raises and lowers a first ascending and descending member  20  by driving the first driving part  30  according to the body information of the user, both ceramic members  60  may smoothly come into contact with a body. 
     In this case, a second ascending and descending member  40  ascends and descends by itself due to an elastic member  50  according to a change of the body of the user so that the ceramic members  60  may smoothly come into contact with the body and thus a massage effect may maximally exhibited. 
     Meanwhile, as shown in  FIG. 8 , in a case in which the second driving part  90  is not provided in the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the first ascending and descending member  20  ascends and descends while rotating around couplers  13  and  45 , a location of each of the ceramic members  60  is changed in a vertical direction. That is, in a case in which first ascending and descending member  20  ascends, as in  FIG. 9 ( a ) , and in a case in which first ascending and descending member  20  descends, as in  FIG. 9 ( b ) , the location of each of the ceramic members  60  moves in a horizontal direction in a horizontal distance D. 
     As described above, when the first ascending and descending member  20  ascends and descends and the location of each of the ceramic members  60  moves in the horizontal direction, a moxibustion point is changed while performing a moxibustion process. That is, in a descending state of the first ascending and descending member  20 , when the controller  70  sets the moxibustion point according to the body information of the user sensed by the sensor part, and then the first ascending and descending member  20  ascends, each of the ceramic members  60  departs from the set moxibustion point and comes into contact with another body part. 
     Here, the heating apparatus for a heat treatment machine according to the embodiment of the present invention prevents a change of the moxibustion point while performing the moxibustion process through the second driving part  90 . 
     Specifically, the second driving part  90  conveys the base plate  10  in a horizontal direction and unifies the location of each of the ceramic members  60  in a vertical direction when the first ascending and descending member  20  ascends and descends. 
     In this case, the controller  70  calculates a conveying distance of the base plate  10  on the basis of an ascending and descending distance of each of the ceramic members  60  and controls the second driving part  90  according to the calculated conveying distance. 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 9 , when the first ascending and descending member  20  ascends, as in  FIG. 9 ( a ) , from a state of descending, as in  FIG. 9 ( b ) , although the first ascending and descending member  20  ascends and descends while rotating around the couplers  13  and  45 , since the second driving part  90  conveys the base plate  10  in the horizontal direction, the location of each of the ceramic members  60  may be unified in a vertical direction. 
     That is, when the first ascending and descending member  20  ascends, as in  FIG. 9 ( a ) , from the state of descending, as in  FIG. 9 ( b ) , since the second driving part  90  conveys the base plate  10  to a right side in the horizontal distance D (see  FIG. 8 ), the location of each of the ceramic members  60  may be unified in a vertical direction. 
     Accordingly, each of the ceramic members  60  may accurately come into contact with the set moxibustion point. 
     Although one embodiment of the present invention is described above, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the description, and although those skilled in the art may provide other embodiments due to addition, change, or removal of the components within the scope of the same spirit of the present invention, such embodiments and the above embodiments are also included in the scope of the spirit of the present invention. 
     REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
         
           
               10 : base plate 
               20 : first ascending and descending member 
               30 : first driving part 
               40 : second ascending and descending member 
               50 : elastic member 
               60 : ceramic member 
               70 : controller 
               90 : second driving part