MASSAGE APPARATUS

• US 20160106620A1
• Filed: 10/16/2015
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: ONUMA, Masahiko, UNO, Yosuke, SAITO, Koji, YANAGAWA, Masashi
• Application Number:
  US14/885,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20160106620A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0149 Seat or chair
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1654 Layer between the skin and massage elements, e.g. fluid or ball
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5002 Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5066 Limit switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0078 with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/976 massaging systems

Abstract

A massage apparatus includes: a pump that is an air supply source; a motor that actuates a distributor; a power switch that optionally supplies power to the pump and the motor to actuate the pump and the motor; and a limit switch that is connected in parallel with the power switch, and is operated by a cam working with the distributor so as to be turned ON when the distributor assumes a position to supply air to any of bladders, and so as to be turned OFF when the distributor assumes a position to discharge air from at least any of the bladders.

Claims

1. A massage apparatus that performs a massage action by sequentially supplying and discharging air to and from a plurality of bladders via a distributor, the massage apparatus comprising:

a pump that is an air supply source;

a motor that actuates the distributor;

a power switch that optionally supplies power to the pump and the motor to actuate the pump and the motor; and

a limit switch that is connected in parallel with the power switch, and is operated by a cam working with the distributor so as to be turned ON when the distributor assumes a position to supply air to any of the bladders, and so as to be turned OFF when the distributor assumes a position to discharge air from at least any of the bladders.

2. The massage apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the distributor is a rotary-type distributor, and the rotary-type distributor includes:

a stator having a plurality of output ports that are air passages connected to the bladders, respectively, an air supply port that is an air passage connected to the pump, and an air discharge port that is an air passage open to an atmosphere;

a rotor that rotates relative to the stator, and, at each of a plurality of air supply positions set for each predetermined rotational angle, brings the air supply port into communication with an output port of a bladder corresponding to the air supply position out of the output ports, and, at a plurality of air discharge positions set between the respective air supply positions, brings the air discharge port into communication with the output port most recently in communication with the air supply port; and

the cam that is set on a rotational outer periphery of the rotor, and is formed so as to turn OFF the limit switch at a position corresponding to each of the air discharge positions, and turn ON the limit switch at a position other than the air discharge positions.

3. The massage apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein in the stator, the plurality of output ports are dispersedly arranged in a circular shape, the air supply port is disposed in a center of the circular shape, the air discharge port is disposed between the output ports and the air supply port in a radial direction of the circular shape, the plurality of air discharge ports are dispersedly arranged concentrically with the plurality of output ports, and the rotor brings the output port most recently in communication with the air supply port into communication with all of the air discharge ports at each of the air discharge positions.

4. The massage apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the cam includes a projection that is provided projecting to an outer peripheral side of the rotor corresponding to each of the air discharge positions set between the respective air supply positions in the rotor, the limit switch is turned OFF when the projection of the cam comes into abutment with the limit switch, and is turned ON when the projection of the cam is separated from the limit switch, and the projection is formed so as to have an inclined surface at a front end portion in a rotational direction of the rotor such that a projection amount with respect to the limit switch is gradually increased along with the rotation of the rotor when the projection starts to abut with the limit switch.