Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Device with applicator having specific movement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-16
2001-11-06
DeMille, Danton D. (Department: 3733)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Device with applicator having specific movement
C601S101000, C601S103000, C601S116000, C601S105000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312400
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a positioning device and to a massager provided with this positioning device. The massager includes a massager body and a movable massage element mounted to the massager body and being able to reciprocate. In the massager, the positioning device is used for adjusting a reference height position of the movable massage element with respect to the massager body.
In some of conventional chair type massagers including neck massage elements, the neck massage element can adjust a reference height position in up and down directions along a back rest. This is because a height of a predetermined position of a neck at which a user sitting on a chair body (massager body) of the massager desires to be massaged is different from each other among a plurality of people. Therefore, in a massager having a movable massage element whose reference height position can be adjusted, whenever a different user sits on the chair body (massager body), the movable massage element are moved in the up and down directions to adjust the reference height position such that the movable massage element is disposed in the predetermined height at which the user sitting on the chair body (massager body) desires to be massaged.
In such a conventional chair type massager, the reference height position of the movable massage element is adjusted by moving a movable member which supports the movable massage element in the back rest in the up and down directions by a mechanical driving mechanism embedded in the back rest. The mechanical driving mechanism includes an electric motor, a reduction gear device for decelerating a rotation of an output shaft of the electric motor, and a driving force transmitting mechanism for transmitting the decelerated driving force from the reduction gear device to the movable member supporting the movable massage element.
However, in such a conventional mechanical driving mechanism, whenever the reference height position of the movable massage element is adjusted, operating noise of the electric motor, meshing noise of gears of the reduction gear device and operating noise of the driving force transmitting mechanism are generated and thus, great noise is generated. Further, the electric motor and the reduction gear device are heavy and expensive.
The present invention has been derived from the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a positioning device and a massager provided with such a positioning device capable of suppressing noise generated during adjusting operation of a reference height position of a movable massage element, and capable of reducing a weight and a manufacturing cost.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above object, a positioning device according to the present invention comprises:
a movable member provided for reciprocating motion;
expandable bodies disposed at opposite sides of the movable member in its moving direction and expanded and contracted by air pressure;
an air supplying device;
an air path device for bringing the air supplying device and the expandable bodies into communication with each other, and for supplying air from the air supplying device to the expandable bodies; and
a valve device provided in the air path device, for opening and closing the air path device, and for holding the expandable bodies in arbitrary expanded states by a valve closing action.
In the positioning device of the present invention characterized in such a structure as described above, movement of the movable member and stop thereof at a desired position are carried out by the expandable bodies which expand and contract by air pressure. Therefore, noise generated when the movable member is moved to the desired position is lowered. Further, an expensive electric motor and a reduction gear device used in the above-described conventional mechanical driving mechanism can be omitted, a manufacturing cost of the positioning device can be reduced.
In the positioning device of the present invention characterized in such a structure as described above, when the movable member is capable of reciprocating in up and down directions and the expandable bodies are disposed above and under the movable member, it is preferable that an upper end of the expandable body disposed under the movable member is connected to the movable member, and a lower end of the expandable body disposed above the movable member is capable of contacting with and separating from the movable member.
The lower end of the expandable body disposed in an upper side of the movable body can be so structured that it is capable of contacting with and separating from the movable member because the expandable body of the upper side needs not to transmit great force to the movable member only when the expandable body expands. with this structure, the manufacturing cost of the positioning device of the invention can further be reduced.
In the positioning device of the present invention characterized in such a structure as described above, it is preferable that each of the expandable bodies is formed into a bellows shape.
With such a structure, it is possible to accurately define expansion and contraction directions of the expandable body to set a size in other than the expansion and contraction directions to a small value, and to set a size in the expansion and contraction directions to a great value.
In the positioning device of the present invention characterized in such a structure as described above, it is preferable that the positioning device further comprises a supporting member extending in expanding and contracting directions of the expandable bodies and supporting ends of the expandable bodies opposite from the movable member.
With such a structure, a rigidity of the positioning device of the present invention is enhanced, directions of expansion and contraction of the expandable bodies and movement of the movable member which is moved by expansion and contraction of the expandable bodies are controlled more accurately.
In the positioning device of the present invention characterized in such a structure as described above, it is preferable that each of the expandable bodies has a substantially elliptic cross section in a direction perpendicular to the expanding and contracting directions.
With such a structure, it is possible to reduce not only a size of the expandable body in the above-described perpendicular direction, but also a size of the positioning device of the present invention in the above-described perpendicular direction. This reduces a thickness of the massager when the positioning device of the present invention is used in the massager.
As described above, when the cross section of the expandable body in the direction perpendicular to the expansion and contraction directions is of a substantially elliptic shape and the positioning device of the present invention further comprises a supporting member extending in the expansion and contraction directions of the expandable bodies and supporting ends of the expandable bodies opposite from the movable member to control the expansion and contraction directions of the expandable bodies and the movement of the movable member moved by the expansion and contraction of the expandable body more accurately, it is preferable that a portion of the supporting member extending in the expanding and contracting directions of the expandable bodies is extended along long side portions of peripheries of the expandable bodies in a state in which the supporting member is adjacent to the long side portions.
The expandable body having the substantially elliptic cross section tends to be bent in its short side at the time of expansion. However, the supporting member which is disposed as described above effectively suppresses the bending of the expandable body, effectively suppresses inefficiency of the expansion of the expandable body due to the bending, and effectively suppresses inaccuracy of the movement of the movable member moved by the expansion of the expandable body.
In t
Hosino Syouji
Itikawa Hiromitu
Suzuki Yuuji
DeMille Danton D.
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
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