Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Device with applicator having specific movement
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-26
2001-05-01
DeMille, Danton D. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Device with applicator having specific movement
C601S100000, C601S101000, C601S103000, C601S111000, C601S116000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224563
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the operation of therapeutic fingers of a massage machine, and more particularly to a massage machine for producing improved massage effects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Massage machines of the chair type or bed type are already known for massaging the shoulders, waist or other affected part of the person to be massaged. Such machines have a backrest for supporting the back of the person leading thereon, and a pair of therapeutic fingers positioned on the backrest inwardly thereof. The therapeutic fingers are moved toward and away from each other laterally by driving a motor to treat the affected part by “nipping-kneading massage”, or moved up and down longitudinally of the backrest by another motor to treat the person from the scruff of the neck toward the waist by “rolling massage”.
To give an enhanced massage effect, Japanese pre-examination publication SHO 62-253060 discloses a similar device wherein a motor for reciprocatingly moving the therapeutic fingers is so controlled by a timer that the direction and speed of rotation of the motor are changed every time the timer produces a time-up output to alter the operating speed of the fingers. With this device, the therapeutic fingers move inwardly and outwardly of the backrest in a circular motion to apply a finger pressure, and a unit carrying the fingers and the motor is movable upward and downward along the backrest of the chair by a lift motor.
With the massage machine described, the speed of rotation of the motor for driving the therapeutic fingers is determined by the timer regardless of the direction of movement of the fingers, with the result that the kneading direction of the fingers is not always in conformity with the speed of movement of the fingers to entail variations in the intensity of therapy given by the fingers. Thus, it is difficult to perform effective massage with distinct movements.
An object of the present invention is to provide a massage machine comprising therapeutic fingers which are initiated into movement toward and away from each other approximately simultaneously with the start of up-and-down movement of the fingers so as to perform effective massage with distinct movements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a massage machine comprising a pair of therapeutic fingers arranged on the backrest of a chair, bed or the like for supporting the back of the person to be treated (hereinafter referred to as the “user”, lift means for moving the therapeutic fingers upward and downward longitudinally of the backrest, and means for laterally moving the therapeutic fingers toward and away from each other, the massage machine being characterized in that the therapeutic fingers are initiated into an upward or downward movement by the lift means approximately simultaneously with the start of a movement of the therapeutic fingers toward or away from each other by the laterally moving means.
The therapeutic fingers are movable upward or downward approximately simultaneously with the movement thereof toward or away from each other to perform effective massage by distinct movements.
For example, the massage machine has control means for causing the laterally moving means to start to move the therapeutic fingers, as spaced apart by the largest distance, toward each other or to start to move the fingers, as spaced apart by the smallest distance, away from each other approximately simultaneously with the start of a downward movement of the therapeutic fingers by the lift means, and causing the laterally moving means to move the therapeutic fingers away from or toward each other at least once while the fingers are being moved further downward after completion of the first movement of the fingers toward or away from each other, and for causing the laterally moving means to start to move the therapeutic fingers, as spaced apart by the largest distance, toward each other or to start to move the fingers, as spaced apart by the smallest distance, away from each other approximately simultaneously with the start of an upward movement of the therapeutic fingers by the lift means, and causing the laterally moving means to move the therapeutic fingers away from or toward each other at least once while the fingers are being moved further upward after completion of the first movement of the fingers toward or away from each other.
The machine can be provided with control means for interrupting the upward or downward movement of the therapeutic fingers by the lift means after the completion of each movement of the fingers toward and/or away from each other by the laterally moving means, subsequently causing the therapeutic fingers as held out of the upward or downward movement to be moved away and/or toward each other at least once, and causing the lift means to resume the upward or downward movement of the therapeutic fingers approximately simultaneously with the start of movement of the fingers toward or away from each other by the laterally moving means after the completion of the subsequent movement of the fingers.
In addition to the massage given to the user by the movement of the therapeutic fingers toward and away from each other, the upward and downward movement of the fingers which is started approximately simultaneously with this movement massages the affected part, and these effects synergestically provide excellent massage.
An upward kneading operation and downward kneading operation can be performed to produce distinct massage effects by starting the approaching-departing movement and initiating the upward-downward movement approximately at the same time. Unless these movements are started approximately simultaneously, it is likely that the therapeutic fingers will descend during the upward movement or ascend during the downward movement in the course of the approaching-departing movement to give incomplete massage of diminished effect.
By causing the therapeutic fingers to move upward and downward over the part of the scruff of the neck through the waist while allowing the fingers to move toward and away from each other, uniform rolling massage can be given to a wide region instead of local massage.
When the fingers as held out of upward or downward movement are moved toward and away from each other after the fingers have been moved toward and away from each other completely, followed by resumption of the upward or downward movement, massage can be given in a wide variety of modes to the satisfaction of the user.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4422448 (1983-12-01), Sugai et al.
patent: 4718408 (1988-01-01), Barreiro
patent: 4875470 (1989-10-01), Contone
patent: 5233973 (1993-08-01), Gill et al.
patent: 5352186 (1994-10-01), Yamasaki et al.
patent: 5460598 (1995-10-01), Yamasaki et al.
patent: 2 143 438 (1985-02-01), None
Furuie Yoshiya
Jikiba Yasuhiro
Matsushita Takeya
Nonoue Torahiko
Yuchi Takahiro
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
DeMille Danton D.
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
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