Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Masamichi Miyaguchi

Fumihiro Nishio

Takayoshi Tanizawa

Daisuke Tsukada

Yuichi Nishibori

Motoharu Muto

Takeo Iijima

Satoshi Kajiyama

Makoto Fukutani

Shinji Tsutsui

Akihide Sugawa

Haruo Sugai

Masatoshi Dairin

Junji Nakamura

Yuki Yoda

Yousuke Kurata

Hiroyuki Inoue

Yukihiko Kitano

Hironobu Sakaue

Munekiyo Ikebe

Shigeru Dono

Takashi Yukawa

Naoto Sayama

Ryuji Yamada

Hitoshi Hata

Hiroyuki Hojyo

Eiji Masutani

Toshiaki Nanno

Takeo Iljima

Yuuichi Nishibori

Masaki Nagano

Yoshiharu Hayashi

A massage chair is adapted to give a massage to a user using a massaging element attached to a massaging unit. The massage chair comprises a body-shape-information acquisition section for acquiring body-shape information of the user based on loads imposed on the massaging element from respective regions of the user, a shoulder-position detection section for detecting a shoulder position of the user based on the body-shape information, and a shoulder-position identification section. The shoulder-position identification section is operable to thrust the massaging element in a direction for a target protrusion distance at the detected shoulder position while measuring a load imposed on the massaging element. Then, the shoulder-position identification section is operable, based on the measured load, to determine whether the detected shoulder position is a true shoulder position. Further, when the detected shoulder position is determined to be mismatched with the true shoulder position, the shoulder-position identification section is operable to vertically move the massaging unit while re-measuring a load imposed on the massaging element, so as to identify the true shoulder position based on the re-measured load.

Massage chair

A chair type massager includes a seat part on which a person to be treated sits on, a backrest part with a reclining mechanism to perform a raising/tilting operation, and right and left armrest parts in which the arms are inserted. The massager further includes air bags provided at the armrest parts, the air bags holding the arms placed in the armrest part by being swelled by air supplied from an air supply pump; a control part for controlling the raising/tilting operation of the backrest part and the air supply to the air bags; and a manipulation part for giving instructions to the control part. When controlling the reclining mechanism to tilt the backrest part in response to the instructions from the manipulation part to perform the arm stretch, the control part controls the air supply pump to supply air into the air bags intermittently.

Chair type massager

A massaging device having an applicator driven by a plurality of driving unit to move along two or more different axes to generate a combined massaging action to be applied to the user's body. A controller holds individual speed data each defining a speed at which each of the driving units reciprocates the applicator along each of the different axes, and to control the driving units to reciprocate the applicator in accordance with the associated speed data. The controller controls the speed of the applicator along one of the axes independently from the speed of the applicator moving along another of the axes. Accordingly, the applicator's movements along the different axes can be free from being interfered with each other even being subject to a load, thereby assuring to continue the combined massaging action.

Massaging device having a controller to give different reciprocating movements to each applicator along different axes

A massage chair of the present invention includes an electric reclining mechanism for moving a backrest into different sloping positions, left and right holding mechanisms for respectively holding user's left and right forearms, and a controller for controlling operations of the mechanisms. The controller separately controls operations of the electric reclining mechanism and the left holding mechanism as well as operations of the electric reclining mechanism and the right holding mechanism. When controlling the former operations, the controller controls (A) allow the left holding mechanism to hold the left forearm, (B) allow the electric reclining mechanism to recline the backrest to any of the different sloping positions, (C) allow the electric reclining mechanism to raise the backrest to any of the different sloping positions, and (D) allow the left holding mechanism to release the left forearm. Similarly, the controller controls the latter operations.

A massage chair including an electric reclining mechanism for moving a backrest into different sloping positions, a holding mechanism for holding at least one forearm of a user to fix to the base side, and a controller that controls operations of these mechanisms. The controller allows the holding mechanism to hold the at least one forearm and allows the electric reclining mechanism to move the backrest into at least one sloping position before moving the backrest into a final position. An inclination of the at least one sloping position from a sloping position of the different sloping positions when the at least one forearm is held by the holding mechanism is smaller than an inclination of the end position from a sloping position of the different sloping positions when the at least one forearm is held by the holding mechanism.

Message chair

A massage machine is provided, which can efficiently create a massage program to meet the user's preference by reflecting a change in massage parameter performed during an execution of the massage program on the next execution of the massage program. This massage machine comprises an input unit configured to input the change in massage parameter, first memory for temporarily storing the change in massage parameter input by the input unit in a desired massage stage during the execution of the massage program, second memory for storing the change in massage parameter provided from the first memory after the completion of the massage program, and a control unit configured to modify the desired massage stage according to the change in massage parameter stored in the second memory at the next execution of the massage program.

Massage program control method, massage machine using the method, and controller for the massage machine

A massaging device gives different massaging patterns to different parts of a user's body for enhanced and pleasant massaging effect. The device includes an applicator applying a massage force to the user, and at least two driving units for driving the applicator to make different reciprocating movements respectively in different directions from each other. The least two driving units is controlled to reciprocate the applicator for providing the massaging force in different massaging patterns. A sensor is provided to acknowledge the position of the applicator. A massage pattern selector is provided to select one of the massaging patterns depending upon the position of the applicator.

Massaging device having controller to remove dead points during operation

A massage chair has a seating surface, a backrest and armrests at the opposite left and right sides. A covering member vertically displaceable to be opened and closed is provided on the upper surface of an armrest main body of each armrest. A massaging device is provided on at least either one of the lower surface of each covering member and the upper surface of the corresponding armrest main body. The massaging devices are driven with hands and arms tightly held between the lower surfaces of the covering members and the upper surfaces of the armrest main bodies, and the upper surfaces of the covering member serve as arm resting surfaces with the covering members closed and the massaging means not driven. There can be provided a massage chair whose arm resting positions are not restricted when the massage chair is not used to massage the hands and arms.

This massage machine comprises a seat, a leg-rest, a footrest, an electric extendable mechanism, a link mechanism, and a controller. The footrest is movably linked to a lower end of the leg-rest to be movable relative to the leg-rest, and is provided with air bagsconfigured to restrain a foot of the user. The electric extendable mechanism and the link mechanism are configured to move the footrest relative to the leg-rest. The controller gives the user a leg stretching mode, and in the leg stretching mode, the controller controls the electric extendable mechanism and the air bags such that the electric extendable mechanism moves the footrest relative to the leg-rest while the air bags restrains the foot of the user.

Massage machine

A massage device capable of applying favorable pressure stimulation owing to expansion and shrinking of air bags irrespective of thickness of portions to be massaged such as legs or arms. The massage device has supporting bodies, strap bodies made of pliable material that are attached to the supporting bodies at their ends to form U-shaped sections, air bags provided at inner surfaces of strap bodies for receiving portions of a human body such as legs or arms to be massaged, and an air supply means for expanding and shrinking of the air bags. Upon locating portions to be massaged on the strap bodies, the strap bodies assume shapes that fit along the shapes of the portions of the body to be massaged to thus support the portions to be massaged on the strap bodies. Pressuring stimulation can then be applied to the portions to be massaged by making the air bags perform expansion and shrinking.

Massage device with flexible support straps

Massaging device

In a lounger-type massage machine, a back support is reclinable relative to a seat. There is provided a leg rest which is movable between a retracted position where the leg rest is retracted to be held below the seat and a projected position where the leg rest is extended outwardly in front of the seat. A sheet is extended to cover the seat and the leg rest. There is provided a looseness prevention mechanism which pulls an end of the sheet inwardly so as to prevent the loosening of the sheet in both the retracted position and the projected position of the leg rest.

Lounger-type massage machine

A chair type massaging apparatus comprising: a seat; a footrest which is pivotally mounted on a front end portion of the seat; a pivotal member for pivoting the footrest between a projecting position at which the footrest is substantially horizontally projected forwardly of the seat and a retractive position at which the footrest is retracted below the seat substantially vertically; an operating lever for actuating the pivotal member and a locking portion for effecting or cancelling locking of the footrest at a predetermined pivotal angle between the projecting position and the retractive position, which is provided on the operating lever.

Growing community of inventors

Hikone, Japan

Masamichi Miyaguchi