HK1101800A - Ottoman with massage function - Google Patents

Abstract

The publication number of the designated patent applied for is CN101010058A.

Description

Foot stool with massage function

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a footrest with a massage function, which adds a massage function to a footrest (leg placement table).

Background

Conventionally, a footrest (leg rest) is known as a rest for resting a calf of a leg while sitting on a chair such as a sofa or a dining chair. In recent years, there has been proposed a footrest with a massage function, in which the footrest is provided with a massage function.

Japanese patent laid-open No. 2004-180967 (see [0028], [0049], [0050] and fig. 1, 19 to 21) discloses a massage-enabled footrest having a leg rest having a leg placement section for treating a placed limb on one side thereof and a flat placement surface for placing a limb on the other side thereof on the opposite side of the leg placement section. The leg placing table of the footstool with the massage function can rotate and can be fixed and rotated at any angle. The rotation and fixation of the leg rest are switched by an operation lever provided on the side of the footrest. The operation lever is interlocked with a spring, and the operation lever is pulled outward against the urging force of the spring, whereby the leg rest is released from being fixed, and if the operation lever is released, the fixed state is restored by the urging force of the spring. Accordingly, the leg rest can be fixed at a desired angle by rotating the leg rest to a desired angle while continuously pulling the operating lever to maintain the released state, and then releasing the operating lever.

Further, Japanese patent application publication No. 63-52902 (see claim 1, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 of the patent) discloses a foot massage device capable of massaging the sole and the calf. The foot massage device is provided with a double-sided massage device body which can rotate around a support shaft and can use the front and back surfaces, and a rotation limiting unit which can be fixed and rotated at a first and a second predetermined position. If the first predetermined position is fixed, one side surface of the double-sided massage machine body can be fixed substantially horizontally at a height substantially equal to the seat surface of the chair, and the calf can be placed on the one side surface, whereby the double-sided massage machine can be used as a footrest or a calf massage machine. If the double-sided massage device is fixed at the second predetermined position, the double-sided massage device is turned upside down, and the other side surface of the double-sided massage device is fixed in an inclined state at a position further to the back side (the side away from the user) than the first predetermined position. Thus, the sole can be used as a sole massager by placing the sole on the other side surface.

The ottoman with a massage function described in japanese patent application laid-open No. 2004-180967 can fix the leg rest at a desired angle, but in order to release the fixation and adjust the angle of the leg rest, the user must rotate the operation lever disposed on the side surface of the ottoman while pulling it with his/her hand. Therefore, if the user seated in the chair wants to adjust the angle of the leg rest, the user needs to stand up or lift up and put his or her hand on the footrest, which makes the angle adjustment extremely complicated.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a footrest with a massage function that allows easy adjustment of the angle of a leg rest.

The footstool with massage function of the invention has: a leg placement section having a massage mechanism and a leg placement surface on which legs of a user can be placed; a base which rotatably supports the leg placement section, the footrest further having an angle adjustment mechanism which can adjust an inclination angle of the leg placement surface within a range from a horizontal state to a predetermined angle at which a user lowers the leg placement surface, the footrest characterized in that: the angle adjusting mechanism includes: an operating lever operable upward and downward; a switching mechanism which fixes the rotation of the leg placement unit in a state where the operation lever is not operated and releases the fixation by operating the operation lever; an interlock mechanism for interlocking the operating lever and the switching mechanism can release the fixing of the switching mechanism by operating the operating lever in either one of upward and downward directions.

In the above-described footstool with a massage function, the rotation and fixation can be released by operating the operating lever in either one of the upward direction and the downward direction. Therefore, when the leg rest is to be rotated downward (in the direction in which the user lowers), the force and the gravity that press the operation lever downward can be acted by operating the operation lever downward, and the leg rest can be easily rotated downward (in the direction in which the user lowers), and the inclination angle can be increased. Further, when the leg rest is to be rotated upward (in the direction in which the user is raised), the force for pressing the operating lever upward is exerted by operating the operating lever upward, so that the leg rest can be easily rotated upward (in the direction in which the user is raised), and the inclination angle can be reduced. Further, the rotation is fixed in a state where the operation lever is not operated. Thus, the angle of the leg placement section can be easily adjusted by only a simple operation such as a lever.

Further, the "user side" of the ottoman with the massage function means a side (chair side) of the ottoman on which the ottoman is placed in front of the chair in a normal use state and a user sits on the chair. The "lower side" is a direction substantially coinciding with a turning direction when the leg rest is turned from the horizontal state to the user-side lowered state, and includes not only a vertical lower side but also an obliquely lower side. Similarly, "above" means a direction substantially coinciding with a turning direction when the leg rest is turned from a state in which the user is lowered to a horizontal state, and includes not only vertically above but also obliquely above.

Preferably, the operating lever is provided so as to protrude toward a user side of the leg rest. Since the leg placement section is provided on the user side, the toe section and the like can be easily reached, and the operation in the vertical direction by the toe section is easier. Further, if the receiving unit of the wireless remote control for controlling the massage mechanism is provided on the upper surface of the operation lever, the receiving unit is positioned so as to easily receive a signal (radio wave, light, etc.) from the wireless remote control regardless of whether the leg rest is in a horizontal state or an inclined state.

The following configuration may be adopted: the leg placement unit includes a whole rotation shaft as a rotation shaft of the leg placement unit with respect to the base, and the switching mechanism includes: a guide long hole provided along an arc centered on the entire rotating shaft on the base side; a stopper provided on the leg placement section side, penetrating the guide long hole, and movable in the width direction of the guide long hole; and a stopper spring that pushes the stopper toward an inner peripheral side or an outer peripheral side of the long guide hole, wherein a plurality of concave portions engageable with the stopper are provided in parallel in a circumferential direction at an edge portion of the long guide hole on a side pushed by the stopper spring, the stopper is engaged with any one of the concave portions by an urging force of the stopper spring to fix a rotation of the leg placement unit, the operation lever is operated in any one of an upward direction and a downward direction, and the interlocking mechanism can move the stopper in a direction opposite to a pushing direction of the stopper spring to release the engagement of the stopper with the concave portion, release the rotational fixation of the leg placement unit, release the engagement of the stopper with the concave portion, and release the rotational fixation of the leg placement unit.

Further, the following may be configured: the linkage mechanism comprises: a first connecting portion which is integrated with the operating lever, is rotatably supported on a leg placement portion side so as to be rotatable about an axis in accordance with upward and downward operations of the operating lever, and has a protruding rotating portion which protrudes substantially perpendicularly to an axial direction of the axis of rotation of the axis and moves in the same direction as the operating lever; a second connecting portion having one end portion rotatably connected to the protruding end side of the first connecting portion; and a third link portion having one end portion rotatably connected to the other end portion of the second link portion and the other end portion connected to the stopper and rotatably supported on the leg placement portion side at an intermediate position thereof, wherein the operating lever is operated in one of upward and downward directions, and the interlocking mechanism rotates the third link portion around the intermediate position, thereby moving the stopper in a direction opposite to a pushing direction of the stopper spring, releasing the engagement between the stopper and the recess, and releasing the rotational fixation of the leg placement portion.

In this way, the angle adjusting mechanism, the switching mechanism, and the interlocking mechanism can be configured by relatively simple mechanical units.

Further, a tilt control spring may be provided so as to be interposed between the leg rest and the base and to extend the leg rest to be longer as the inclination angle thereof is larger by setting the base-side end fixing position to a predetermined position different from the entire pivot shaft.

When the leg rest is rotated downward, the operation lever is easily and rapidly rotated by the force of gravity added to the downward pressing force, and it tends to be difficult to adjust the leg rest to a desired angle. On the other hand, when the leg rest is rotated upward, the leg rest is rotated against the gravity, and therefore, the rotation is difficult, and similarly, the angle adjustment tends to be difficult. However, by providing the tilt control spring, when the tilt control spring is rotated downward, the tilt control spring is expanded to apply an elastic force in a direction opposite to the rotation direction, thereby suppressing a rapid rotation, and when the tilt control spring is rotated upward, the elastic force of the expanded spring is applied in the rotation direction to assist the rotation. Therefore, it is easy to control the rotation of the leg rest in the upward and downward directions.

Preferably, the massage mechanism may be substantially flat when not in use. In this case, the massage mechanism can be used only as a footrest when not in use. Further, since the surface having the massage mechanism (hereinafter also referred to as a massage surface) and the substantially flat surface used only as the ottoman (hereinafter also referred to as an ottoman surface) can be made common, there is no need to rotate the ottoman by 180 degrees as in the case where the massage surface and the ottoman surface are made opposite to each other.

Further, preferably, the ottoman with a massage function of the present invention has: a leg placement section having a leg placement surface on which legs of a user can be placed, and a massage mechanism provided on the leg placement surface and capable of being substantially flat when not in operation; and a base for rotatably supporting the leg rest, wherein the footrest further includes an angle adjusting mechanism for adjusting an inclination angle of the leg rest surface within a range from a horizontal state to a predetermined angle at which the leg rest surface is lowered toward a user side, and a rotation center of the leg rest is positioned at a position less than half of an entire height of the footrest.

In the conventional ottoman with a massage function described in japanese patent publication No. 63-52902, since the leg placement surface is disposed at a position away from the user when massaging the sole of the foot, there is a problem that the user's legs cannot reach the leg placement surface, or it is difficult to press the sole of the foot against the leg placement surface, and an effective massage effect cannot be obtained. In the above-described conventional technique, the massage mechanisms must be provided on both sides of the ottoman, that is, both the front and back sides, in order to massage both the calf and the sole. Therefore, the massage mechanism is easily complicated, and it is difficult to achieve miniaturization, weight reduction, and cost reduction.

However, since the massage mechanism which can be substantially flat when not in operation is provided on the leg placement surface, the leg placement surface which is substantially flat is fixed in a horizontal state, and thus the footrest can be used only as a footrest. Further, the leg placement surface for use as a footrest, the leg placement surface for massaging the calf, and the leg placement surface for massaging the sole may all be common surfaces. Therefore, only one side of the footrest is needed to be used, and thus massage mechanisms do not need to be arranged on the two sides of the footrest. Thus, both the sole and the calf can be effectively massaged without rotating the footrest by 180 degrees. Further, since the turning center of the leg placement section is located at a position less than half of the entire height of the footrest, the turning radius of the leg placement section can be increased, and when the leg placement surface is turned so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle in the direction of lowering toward the user side, the leg placement surface can be easily moved toward the user side and downward, and can be easily disposed at a position suitable for massaging the sole of the foot.

Therefore, the footrest with massage function can be provided which can be used as a footrest only without activating the massage function and can effectively massage both calves and soles.

Further, a footrest with a massage function is preferable, which has: a leg placement section having a leg placement surface on which legs of a user can be placed, and having a massage mechanism on the leg placement surface that can be substantially flat when not in operation; and a base for rotatably supporting the leg placement section, wherein the footrest further comprises an angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting an inclination angle of the leg placement surface within a range from a horizontal position to a predetermined angle in a direction in which the leg placement surface is lowered toward the user side, and wherein the center point position of the leg placement surface is located closer to the user side in the horizontal direction and lower than the center point position in the horizontal position in the vertical direction by inclining the leg placement surface toward the user side.

Since the massage mechanism which can be substantially flat when not in operation is provided on the leg placement surface, the leg placement surface which is substantially flat can be fixed in a horizontal state, and thus the footrest can be used only as a footrest. Further, the leg placement surface for use as a footrest, the leg placement surface for massaging the calf, and the leg placement surface for massaging the sole may all be common surfaces. Therefore, only one side of the footrest is needed to be used, and thus massage mechanisms do not need to be arranged on the two sides of the footrest. Thus, both the sole and the calf can be effectively massaged without rotating the footrest by 180 degrees. Further, by inclining the leg placement surface in the direction in which the leg placement surface is lowered toward the user side, the center point position of the leg placement surface can be positioned on the user side in the horizontal direction and on the lower side in the vertical direction than in the horizontal state, and therefore, the sole massage can be performed in a more effective and comfortable posture.

Each of the footstools with massage functions may be configured as follows: further comprises a rolling wheel which can move the footstool. At this time, fine adjustment of the leg placement surface is facilitated by moving the footrest using the rolling wheels.

Further, it is preferable that the rotation of the leg rest is performed around a single rotation axis. Thus, the footstool with massage function can be obtained by a relatively simple mechanism, and the footstool with massage function can be advantageously configured to be small and light, and to reduce cost.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view of the internal mechanism of the ottoman with a massage function in one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the outside of the ottoman.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the internal mechanism of fig. 1 as seen from the inside of the footrest.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the internal mechanism of the ottoman with a massage function of fig. 1, viewed from the user side.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the whole of the footrest with a massage function according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the ottoman with a massage function of fig. 4 with the leg placement surface in a horizontal state.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the ottoman with a massage function of fig. 4 with the leg rest surface in an inclined state.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the leg rest and the base in an exploded state.

Fig. 8 is a front view showing the whole of the leg placement unit including the massage mechanism, and is a view showing a state where the air bag is contracted.

Fig. 9 is a front view showing the whole of the leg placement unit including the massage mechanism, and is a view showing a state in which the air bag is inflated.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the operation lever seen from the upper side.

Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining different distances from the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the center point of the leg placement surface between the state inclined by only the angle θ and the horizontal state.

Fig. 12 is an overall view showing a state in which the ottoman with the massage function according to the embodiment of the present invention is used together with a chair with a leg placement surface being horizontal.

Fig. 13 is an overall view showing a state in which the ottoman with the massage function according to the embodiment of the present invention is used together with a chair with a leg rest surface inclined.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the entire footrest 1 with a massage function (hereinafter, simply referred to as the footrest 1) as one embodiment of the present invention. This footstool 1 with massage function has: a leg placement section 3 having a leg placement surface 2 on which a massage mechanism is mounted; a base 4 for supporting the leg placement section 3 rotatably about a predetermined overall rotational axis. Further, an operation lever 5 for adjusting the inclination angle of the leg rest 3 is provided on the user side of the ottoman 1.

The "user side" of the ottoman 1 refers to the user 71 side (chair 70 side) in a normal use state (use state in combination with the chair 70) of the ottoman shown in fig. 12. In the following description, the side opposite to the user side is referred to as the "back side". Further, a direction from the user side to the back side is referred to as a "near-back side direction", and a direction perpendicular to the near-back side direction and connecting both side surfaces of the ottoman 1 is referred to as a "left-right direction".

Fig. 5 and 6 are side views of the footrest 1. Fig. 5 is a view showing a state in which the leg rest surface 2 is horizontal, and for example, when the footrest 1 is used only as a footrest (leg rest), the footrest is used in this state. On the other hand, fig. 6 shows a state in which the angle of the leg placement surface 2 is adjusted to a predetermined angle at which the user side is lowered, and this state is adopted when the sole of the foot is brought into contact with the leg placement surface 2 and a massage is applied. Thus, the inclination angle of the leg rest surface 2 of the footrest 1 can be adjusted within a range from a horizontal state (the state of fig. 5) to a state (the state of fig. 6) in which the user lowers by a predetermined angle.

The operation lever 5 is operable in two directions, an upward direction 10 (an arrow direction indicated by a reference numeral 10 in fig. 5 and 6) and a downward direction 11 (an arrow direction indicated by a reference numeral 11 in fig. 5 and 6). In a state where the operation lever is not operated (no contact operation lever), the rotation of the leg rest 3 is fixed, and the operation lever 5 is operated to release the fixation, thereby rotating the leg rest 3. The leg rest 3 can be released by operating the operating lever 5 in either of the upward direction 10 and the downward direction 11.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the leg rest 3 and the base 4 in an exploded manner. The base 4 has a semi-cylindrical shape as a whole, and is provided with a central opening portion 13 and left and right opening portions 14 on an upper surface 12 thereof, the central opening portion 13 and the left and right opening portions 14 preventing interference with the leg rest 3 due to rotation of the leg rest 3 and allowing rotation of the leg rest 3. In the state of the completed ottoman 1, the left and right side surface portions 21 of the leg rest 3 are located outside the left and right side surface portions 22 of the base 4. In addition, a power cord 23 and a main power switch 34 are attached to lower portions of the left and right side surface portions 22 of the base 4, that is, portions not covered by the left and right side surface portions 21 of the leg rest 3.

Further, rolling wheels 15 for smoothing the movement of the ottoman 1 in the front-rear direction are provided at two locations on the left and right, on the rear side of the bottom surface of the base 4. In this way, since the rolling wheels 15 are provided not at four positions of the four corners of the bottom surface portion of the base 4 but only at two positions on the left and right of the back side, the front side projection 16 of the bottom surface portion of the base 4 is grounded in a normal use state, and the footrest 1 is not easily moved. However, the user side of the ottoman 1 is lifted up so that the ground contact portion of the ottoman 1 is only the rolling wheels 15, whereby the ottoman 1 can be easily moved in the heel-and-toe direction. Moreover, the user's operation of raising the footrest 1 can be performed relatively easily even by only foot operation. Therefore, since the rolling wheels 15 are provided only on the back side of the bottom surface portion of the base 4, the ottoman 1 does not excessively move in a normal use state, and on the contrary, when the ottoman 1 is to be moved in the front-back direction, the ottoman 1 can be easily moved only by the legs by simply lifting the user side of the ottoman 1.

Fig. 8 is a view of the leg rest 3 as viewed from the user side. A massage mechanism 6 for massaging the legs is provided on the leg placement surface 2 of the leg placement unit 3. As shown in fig. 4 to 6, the massage mechanism 6 is covered with a cover 20 made of leather, cloth, or the like, but in the figures other than fig. 4 to 6, the cover 20 is omitted for the convenience of understanding the internal mechanism. The massage mechanism 6 is a mechanism for massaging the legs of the user by inflating and deflating air bags (air bags), and specifically, massages the legs by inflating and deflating a center air bag 23 disposed substantially at the center in the left-right direction of the leg placement surface 2 and outer air bags 24 disposed on both the left and right sides of the leg placement surface 2.

Fig. 8 is a view of the leg rest portion 3 viewed from the user side in a state where each airbag is deflated, whereas fig. 9 is a view of the leg rest portion 3 viewed from the user side in a state where each airbag is inflated. As shown in fig. 8, the massage mechanism 6 is substantially flat in a state where each air bag is contracted. Therefore, the leg rest surface 2 can be made substantially flat when the massage mechanism 6 is not used, and can be used only as a footrest when the massage mechanism 6 is not used. Further, since the surface (massage surface) having the massage mechanism 6 and the substantially flat surface (ottoman surface) used only as the ottoman are common surfaces, an operation and a structure for rotating the ottoman by 180 degrees are not required, unlike the case where the massage surface and the ottoman surface are provided on the opposite sides to each other.

As shown in fig. 9, the center airbags 23 are provided on the right and left sides of the center position in the left-right direction of the leg placement surface 2. The center airbag 23 is formed by overlapping a plurality of (3 in the embodiment of fig. 8 and 9) airbags that communicate with each other, and has a structure that expands like a fan when viewed from the user side as shown in fig. 9. That is, the center airbag 23 is opened in a fan shape by restricting the expansion of only one of the bellows-shaped airbags. Each of the center airbags 23 is disposed to be inflated in a fan shape with the outer side in the left-right direction as a center, and is configured to be able to press the leg 30 (the cross section indicated by the broken line in fig. 9 and 8) of the user in the normal use state toward the outer side in the left-right direction in accordance with the inflation. In fig. 8 and 9, as shown in fig. 5, the leg 30 is shown in a state in which the calf of the leg is placed on the leg placement surface 2, but particularly when the leg placement surface 2 is inclined so that the user side is lowered, as shown in fig. 6 and 13, the sole of the leg 30 can be placed on the leg placement surface 2, and the heel, the instep, and the like including the sole can be massaged.

On the other hand, the outer airbags 24 disposed on both the left and right sides of the leg placement surface 2 are each configured by a first outer airbag 25 disposed on the lower side and a second outer airbag 26 disposed on the upper side of the first outer airbag 25. Each of the outer airbags 25 and 26 is formed by overlapping a plurality of (3 in fig. 8 and 9) airbags that communicate with each other, as in the case of the center airbag 23, and has a structure that expands like a fan when viewed from the user side as shown in fig. 9. The outer airbags 25 and 26 are disposed to be inflated in a fan shape around the inner side in the left-right direction, and to be able to press the legs 30 of the user in a normal use state from the outer side in the left-right direction. Further, treatment protrusions 27 having spherical convex surfaces are provided on the upper side of the first outer bag 25 (upper side in the contracted state shown in fig. 8) via a support plate 28, and the treatment protrusions 27 can be pressed against the legs 30 by the expansion of the outer bags 25, 26. Further, by arranging the first outer bag 25 and the second outer bag 26 in an overlapping manner, the degree of freedom of the pressing position of the treatment projection 27 can be increased, and the leg 30 can be pressed from the obliquely upper side as shown in fig. 9.

The cover 20 has a bellows structure 20a (see fig. 5 and 6) that does not block the fan-like expansion of the airbags 23, 25, and 26.

A sheet 29 made of acrylic resin is fixed so as to cover a portion between the support plate 28 and the center airbag 23 in a state of being supported only on the left-right direction inner end portion of the support plate 28. The thin plate 29 is provided to protect the legs 30 of the user from the screws 31 for fixing the airbags 23 and 24. As shown in fig. 9, the thin plate 29 is elastically deformed in accordance with the expansion of each air cell, and thus does not hinder the treatment operation. The cover 20, which is not shown in fig. 8 and 9, covers the entire massage mechanism 6 including the thin plate 29 and the like, and the legs 30 may be protected by the cover 20.

Fig. 1 to 3 are views showing the internal structure of the footrest 1, fig. 3 is a view seen from the user side, fig. 1 is a view seen from the outside of the footrest 1 to the side of the internal structure (a view seen from the right side of fig. 3), and fig. 2 is a view seen from the inside of the footrest 1 (the opposite side of fig. 1) to the side of the internal structure. In these drawings, the portions not necessary for the explanation of the angle adjusting mechanism of the footrest 1 are appropriately omitted from the description.

As shown in fig. 3, the base 4 includes: an air pump 32 for supplying air to the airbags 23 and 24 through a hose, a pipe, a duct, or the like, not shown; and an electromagnetic valve 33 for opening and closing an air valve between the air pump 32 and each of the airbags 23 and 24. The air pump 32 and the electromagnetic valve 33 can obtain a desired treatment operation by controlling the timing of inflation and deflation of the air cells 23, 25, and 26 for each air cell by a control mechanism, not shown.

The angle adjusting mechanism 7 of the footrest 1 has a bilaterally symmetrical configuration as shown in fig. 3, and is provided on both side surfaces of the angle adjusting mechanism 7 so as to be bilaterally symmetrical to each other with the configuration shown in fig. 2 and 3. Each part constituting the angle adjusting mechanism 7 spans the leg rest 3 and the base 4, and the leg rest 3 and the base 4 are assembled to complete the angle adjusting mechanism 7.

The angle adjusting mechanism 7 of the footrest 1 includes: the operation lever 5 operable upward 10 and downward 11; a switching mechanism 8 for fixing the rotation of the leg placement unit 3 in a state where the operation lever 5 is not operated and releasing the fixation by operating the operation lever 5; the interlock mechanism 9 interlocked with the operation lever 5 and the switching mechanism 8 can release the rotational fixation by the switching mechanism 8 by operating the operation lever 5 in any one of the upward direction 10 and the downward direction 11.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the leg rest 3 includes: a supporting surface 35 for supporting and fixing the massage mechanism 6; and an upper joining portion 36 having a substantially flat plate shape, which is integrated with the support surface 35, extends from the left and right side edges of the support surface 35 toward the base 4, and constitutes a joining portion with the base 4.

On the other hand, the base 4 includes: a bottom surface portion 40; and a lower joining portion 41 having a substantially flat plate shape, which is integrated with the bottom surface portion 40, extends from the left and right side edge portions of the bottom surface portion 40 toward the leg placement portion 3, and constitutes a joining portion with the leg placement portion 3. The upper joining part 36 and the lower joining part 41 both extend parallel to the left and right side surface parts 21 and 22 of the leg rest 3 and the base 4.

Further, the upper engaging portion 36 and the lower engaging portion 41 are supported by the integral rotating shaft 37 to be mutually rotatable. The position of the entire turning shaft 37 is located further to the back side than the center of gravity position (not shown) of the leg placement section 3 in the state where the leg placement surface 2 is horizontal.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the switching mechanism 8 includes: a long guide hole 42 provided in the lower engagement portion 41 along an arc centered on the entire pivot shaft 37; a stopper 43 provided on the leg rest 3 side, penetrating the guide long hole 42, and movable in the width direction of the guide long hole 42 (in the radial direction with respect to the entire rotation shaft 37) (see fig. 2); and a stopper spring 44 for pushing the stopper 43 to the inner peripheral side of the guide long hole. A plurality of recesses 45 engageable with the stoppers 43 are circumferentially arranged in parallel at the edge of the long guide hole 42 on the inner circumferential side, which is pushed by the stopper spring 44. The stopper 43 is a substantially cylindrical member having a circular cross section, and the stopper 43 enters the concave portion 45 of the guide long hole 42 by the urging force of the stopper spring 44, whereby the stopper 43 engages with the concave portion 44 to fix the rotation of the leg rest 3. The inclination angle of the leg rest 3 can be adjusted by which recess 45 the stopper 43 is engaged with. As shown in fig. 2, the stopper 43 penetrates the second guide long hole 46 and the guide long hole 42 provided in the upper engagement portion 36, and one end thereof is connected to one end of the stopper spring 44. The other end of the stopper 43 is supported by the upper engagement portion 36 so as to be movable in the width direction of the guide long hole 42. The second long guide hole 46 is formed as a long hole in the width direction of the long guide hole 42 so as to allow the movement of the stopper 43 (the movement in the width direction of the long guide hole 42) and switch the engagement with the recess 45.

The interlocking mechanism 9 is configured to: by operating the operating lever 5 in either of the upward direction 10 and the downward direction 11, the stopper 43 is moved in the direction opposite to the urging direction of the stopper spring 44, so that the engagement of the stopper 43 with the recess 45 is released, and the rotational fixation of the leg rest 3 is released.

Next, a detailed structure of the interlocking mechanism 9 will be described.

The link mechanism 9 includes: a first connecting portion 48 which is integrated with the operation lever 5, is rotatably supported on the leg placement portion 3 side so as to be rotatable about an axis (indicated by two arrows 50 in fig. 3) in accordance with the operations of the upper portion 10 and the lower portion 11 of the operation lever 5, and has a protruding rotating portion 47 which protrudes substantially perpendicularly to the direction of the axis z (see fig. 3) of the above-described axial rotation and moves in the same direction as the operation lever 5; a second connecting portion 49 which is a rod-shaped member having one end rotatably connected to the protruding end side of the first connecting portion 48; the third link 53 has one end rotatably connected to the other end of the second link 49, has the other end connected to the stopper 43 via a rod-shaped relay member 51 (see fig. 2), and is supported at the upper engagement portion 36 on the leg placement portion side at its intermediate position so as to be rotatable about a predetermined intermediate rotation shaft 52.

Next, the operation of the interlocking mechanism 9 when the operation lever 5 is operated in each of the upward direction 10 and the downward direction 11 will be described with reference to fig. 2.

First, if the operating lever 5 is operated upward 10, the projecting end t1 of the projecting rotary portion 47 of the first link 48 rotates as indicated by the arrow R1, and in conjunction with this, the third link 53 rotates about the intermediate rotary shaft 52, and the end t2 of the third link 53 rotates as indicated by the arrow R4. Therefore, the relay member 51 is pulled upward against the urging force of the stopper spring 44, and the engagement of the stopper 43 with the recess 45 is released.

Next, if the operating lever 5 is operated upward 10, the projecting end t1 of the projecting rotary portion 47 of the first link 48 rotates as indicated by the arrow R2, and in conjunction with this, the third link 53 rotates about the intermediate rotary shaft 52, and the end t2 of the third link 53 rotates as indicated by the arrow R3. Therefore, in this case, the relay member 51 is pulled upward against the urging force of the stopper spring 44, and the engagement of the stopper 43 and the recess 45 is released.

In this way, in the interlocking mechanism 9, the stopper 43 is moved substantially upward by operating the operating lever 5 in either of the upward direction 10 and the downward direction 11, and the engagement between the concave portion 45 and the stopper 43 is released, whereby the rotational fixation of the leg rest 3 can be released. Further, in a state where the operation lever 5 is not operated, the stopper 43 is engaged with any one of the recesses 45 by the urging force of the stopper spring 44, and the rotation of the leg rest 3 is fixed.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the operation lever 5 as viewed from above.

Since the operation lever 5 is provided so as to protrude toward the user side of the leg rest 3, the operation is easier to be performed by the feet, particularly the toes, in the up-down direction than in the case where the operation lever 5 is provided on the side surface of the ottoman 1. The upper surface 5a of the operating lever 5 is provided with a receiver 55 for controlling the wireless remote control of the massage mechanism 6, a stop button switch 56, and an LED57 that lights up during operation.

The upper surface 5a of the operating lever 5 is the following surface: in both the case where the leg rest surface 2 is horizontal (see fig. 5) and the case where the user side is lowered and tilted (see fig. 6), it is easy to receive a signal from a wireless remote control of a user (not shown) who sits on the chair (the direction of travel of the signal is indicated by an open arrow in fig. 5 and 6). On the other hand, for example, the near surface 5b of the operating lever 5 is a surface that is difficult to receive the signal in an inclined state as shown in fig. 6. Even if the receiving unit 55 is provided on the front surface of the base 4, the signal is blocked by the leg rest 3 in the inclined state as shown in fig. 6. Further, since the massage mechanism 6 is a part for performing the treatment operation, the installation of the receiving portion 55 is easily restricted, and since the cover 20 and the like are further provided, there is a high possibility that the signal is blocked. On the other hand, if the receiving portion 55 is provided on the upper surface 5a of the operation lever 5, the receiving restriction caused by the inclination angle of the leg placement surface 2 can be suppressed to the minimum.

Further, since the stop button switch 56 is provided on the upper surface 5a, it is arranged at a position where the hands and feet can easily reach and the switch 56 can be easily pressed, and it is very effective particularly in the case of emergency stop of the massage mechanism 6. Further, since the LED57 is also provided on the upper surface 5a, the presence or absence of lighting can be easily confirmed in either the horizontal state or the inclined state of the leg placement surface 2.

The wire 38 connected to the receiving portion 55 passes through the lower side of the arm portion 5c of the operating lever 5 and reaches the inside of the leg rest 3.

The footrest 1 is provided with a tilt control spring 54 (see fig. 1 and 3) which is different from the stopper spring 44 described above. The tilt control spring 54 is interposed between the leg rest 3 and the base 4, and sets the end fixing position on the base 4 side to a predetermined position 60 different from the entire pivot shaft 37, and the leg rest is extended longer as the inclination angle of the leg rest is larger. This will be explained below. As shown in fig. 1, the tilt control spring 54 is provided between a predetermined position 61 in the upper joining portion 36 of the leg rest 3 and the above-described fixed position 60 on the base 4 side. If the leg rest 3 pivots about the entire pivot shaft 37, the predetermined position 61 on the leg rest 3 side also pivots about the entire pivot shaft 37 (see the arc-shaped broken line in fig. 1). On the other hand, even if the leg rest 3 is rotated, the position of the predetermined position 60 on the base 4 side does not change. Here, the predetermined position 60 on the base 4 side is provided at a position different from the overall turning shaft 37, specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the leg placement surface 2 of the leg placement unit 3 is the predetermined position 60 on the base 4 side in the horizontal state, and is located at an intermediate point on a straight line connecting the predetermined position 61 on the leg placement unit 3 side and the overall turning shaft 37. Accordingly, the tilt control spring 54 extends longer against the elastic force as the leg rest 3 is inclined (see the two-dot chain line in fig. 1).

The footrest 1 constructed as described above has the following operational effects.

In the above-described footstool 1 with a massage function, the rotational fixation can be released by operating the operating lever 5 in either one of the upward direction 10 and the downward direction 11. Therefore, when the leg rest 3 is to be rotated downward 11 (in the direction in which the user lowers), the force of pushing the operation lever 5 downward and the gravity act by operating the operation lever 5 downward 11, and the leg rest can be easily rotated downward 11 (in the direction in which the user lowers), and the tilt angle can be increased. When the leg rest 3 is to be rotated upward 10 (in the direction in which the user is raised), the force pressing the operating lever 5 upward is applied by operating the operating lever 5 upward 10, and the leg rest can be easily rotated upward 10 (in the direction in which the user is raised), and the inclination angle can be reduced. In a state where the operation lever 5 is not operated, the rotation is fixed. Thus, the angle of the leg rest can be easily adjusted by only the foot without using the hand. Therefore, the user can adjust the angle of the leg without raising the upper body while sitting on the chair, and the footrest is extremely convenient. Further, if the structure like the footrest 1 is adopted, the angle adjusting mechanism 7, the switching mechanism 8, and the interlocking mechanism 9 can be configured by relatively simple mechanical means.

On the other hand, when the leg rest 3 is rotated downward 11, the leg rest is easily and rapidly rotated by the force of gravity added to the downward pressing force of the operation lever 5, and for example, the leg rest is inclined at a stroke to the maximum inclination angle, which tends to make it difficult to adjust the leg rest to a desired angle. On the other hand, when the leg rest 3 is pivoted upward 10, the leg rest is pivoted against the gravity, so that the pivoting is difficult, and particularly, when the angle is to be adjusted only by foot, the angle adjustment tends to be difficult due to excessive force or the like. However, by providing the tilt control spring 54 as described above, the tilt control spring 54 is extended when the tilt control spring is rotated in the downward direction 11, and the elastic force of the tilt control spring 54 acts in the direction opposite to the rotation direction to suppress the rapid rotation. On the other hand, when the tilt control spring 54 is rotated upward 11, the elastic force of the tilt control spring 54 that has been extended and is intended to contract acts in the rotational direction to assist the rotation. Therefore, the rotation of the leg rest 3 upward 10 and downward 11 and the control thereof are facilitated. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for adjusting the inclination angle of the leg rest 3 with only the foot.

In the above-described embodiment, mechanical means are used as the interlocking mechanism 9 and the switching mechanism 8, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, electrical means may be used. As examples of the electric unit, for example, the following units can be exemplified: the operation lever 5 is operated in either one of the upper direction 10 and the lower direction 11, and a signal for turning on the switch is transmitted, whereby the fixing and fixing of the switching mechanism 8 are switched, or the motor for rotating the leg rest 3 is operated. However, according to the above-described mechanical unit, the present invention can be configured with a relatively simple structure.

The massage mechanism 6 is not limited to the above-described mechanism, and may be a relatively simple mechanism in which the treatment protrusions advance and retreat in the normal direction of the leg rest 2, for example. However, if the above embodiment is adopted, the left and right legs 30 are sandwiched between the center airbag 23 and the outer airbags 24 to perform the treatment, so that the massage effect can be improved. In addition, in the footrest 1 of the above-described embodiment, the range of angle adjustment can be set by appropriately setting the range of the guide long hole 42.

In the present invention, the range of the inclination angle of the leg rest surface 2 is not particularly limited, and the inclination angle of the leg rest surface 2 may be adjusted within a range including a predetermined angle from a horizontal state to a user side when the footrest 1 is placed on a horizontal surface. In the ottoman 1 of the above embodiment, the range of angle adjustment can be set by appropriately setting the range of the guide long hole 42. In the present invention, since the massage mechanism 6 can be formed to be substantially flat and the leg placement surface 2 can be configured to serve as both the massage surface and the ottoman surface as described above, it is not necessary to turn the leg placement portion 3 by 180 degrees, as in a massage-function ottoman in which the massage surface and the ottoman surface are formed to be mutually opposite surfaces as described in the above-described conventional technique (japanese patent application laid-open No. 2004-. Therefore, even if the range of the inclination angle of the leg rest 3 is, for example, about 0 to 60 degrees (here, 60 degrees means that the inclination angle in a state where the user side of the leg rest surface 2 is lowered is 60 degrees), the leg rest can be used for massaging the calves, the soles, and the like and for the leg rest which is a footstool only. Therefore, the range of the inclination angle can be reduced, and accordingly, simplification of the configuration is achieved.

Next, the operation of the center of rotation of the footrest 1 and the center point P of the leg rest surface 2 based on the rotation will be described.

Fig. 11 is a side view of the footrest 1, showing a state in which the leg rest surface 2 is horizontally placed and tilted (tilted in a direction to lower toward the user side).

As shown in fig. 11, the footrest 1 is inclined by the angle θ in the direction in which the leg rest surface 2 is lowered toward the user side, so that the position of the center point P of the leg rest surface 2 is closer to the user side in the horizontal direction and lower than the position of the center point P in the horizontal state in the vertical direction.

The entire pivot shaft 37, which is the pivot center of the leg placement unit 3, is located at a height less than half the entire ottoman height zh (which is the entire height when the leg placement surface 2 is placed in a horizontal state, see fig. 11). Therefore, when the turning radius ratio of the leg placement surface 2 is large and the leg placement surface 2 is turned so as to be inclined in the direction in which the leg placement surface 2 is lowered toward the user side, the leg placement surface 2 is easily moved toward the user side and downward, and is easily arranged at a position suitable for the sole massage.

The range of the inclination angle of the leg rest 3 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the leg rest be rotatable with an inclination of about 20 degrees or more (θ ≧ 20 degrees) from the horizontal state. More preferably 35 degrees or more, and still more preferably, the angle is adjustable to 40 degrees or more. This is because, when the sole is massaged in the posture shown in fig. 13, it is considered that the massage can be performed relatively comfortably when the inclination angle θ of the leg placement surface 2 is 20 degrees to 40 degrees, particularly 25 degrees to 35 degrees.

The upper limit of the adjustable angle range is not particularly limited, but an angle of about 60 degrees or less is preferably used, and an angle of 50 degrees or less is more preferably used. This is because, as described above, in the present invention, since both the calf and the sole can be massaged on the same side, it is not necessary to rotate the leg placement section 3 by 180 degrees, and even if a user who likes a very special posture can be inclined by about 45 degrees, it is usually sufficient. There is another reason that, when the range of the rotation angle is large, the structural restriction of the ottoman 1 becomes large accordingly, which is disadvantageous in downsizing, weight saving, and cost reduction of the ottoman 1.

It is considered that the footrest 1 is placed on a horizontal surface in the same manner as in a normal use state. The position of the center point P (see fig. 11 and 4) of the leg placement surface 2 in the state of being inclined by the predetermined angle θ toward the user side is closer to the user side in the horizontal direction by the predetermined distance (Xmm) than the position of the center point P in the horizontal state, and is lower by the predetermined distance (Ymm) toward the lower side in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the sole massage as shown in fig. 13 is performed, the position of the leg placement surface 2 is appropriately set, so that it is easy to take a comfortable posture when the sole massage is performed, and the sole massage becomes more effective.

The center point P of the leg placement surface 2 is a center point in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the leg placement surface 2 as shown in fig. 4, and is a reference point for specifying the position of the leg placement surface 2 in the present invention. The leg placement surface 2 has a flexible structure, and when the leg placement surface 2 sinks with the user's legs 30 placed thereon, the center point P can be set to the center point P of the virtual placement surface P1 with reference to a virtual placement surface P1 (see fig. 5 and 6) at the position of the sink.

As described above, it has been judged that: in the sole massage, the leg placement surface 2 is disposed on the user side and on the lower side than the horizontal state, but is effective for performing the sole massage comfortably and efficiently. The reason is that there is a delicate part based on sensory evaluation considering close contact with the human body structure, but basically, the following reason is mainly considered. First, if the leg rest surface 2 is higher than the horizontal position, the user's legs are raised too high to obtain a comfortable posture when performing the sole massage, but the user 71 can take a comfortable posture as shown in fig. 13 by lowering the leg rest surface 2 as in the present embodiment. Further, if the leg placement surface 2 is closer to the user side than in the horizontal state, the user's legs 30 are in a state in which the knees are relatively bent (see fig. 13), and this posture is comfortable for the human. Further, since the knees are in a bent state, even if no particular force is applied to the legs, a force pressing the sole against the leg placement surface 2 is applied in a natural posture, and the sole can be easily fixed to improve the treatment effect.

On the other hand, if the height of the leg placement surface 2 and the position in the near-far direction are not changed in the horizontal state and the inclined state in which the user side is lowered, the knees are excessively bent and restrained when the sole massage is performed, the position of the buttocks is moved forward in order to cancel the restraint, or the position of the shoulders is lowered in accordance with the movement of the position of the buttocks, so that there is a possibility that the optimal massage cannot be received.

Fig. 12 and 13 are views showing the manner of the footrest 1 used in a normal state together with the chair 70, in which the leg rest surface 2 is in a horizontal state in fig. 12, and the leg rest surface 2 is in a state inclined in a direction to descend toward the user 71 side in fig. 13. As shown in fig. 12, if the leg rest surface of the ottoman 1 is set to be horizontal, it is suitable for massaging the calves of the legs 30 of the user and also suitable for use as an ottoman alone without massaging. When the leg placement surface 2 is used in the horizontal state, it is preferable that the user 71 can take a comfortable posture with the legs 30 straightened if the height of the leg placement surface 2 is substantially the same as the height of the seat surface 72 of the chair 70.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 13, in a state where the leg placement surface 2 is inclined in a direction in which the user lowers, it is suitable for receiving a massage in a state where the soles of the user's legs 30 are in contact with the leg placement surface 2. Further, as described above, since the leg rest surface 2 moves further toward the user side and downward than the horizontal state as the state of fig. 12 changes to the state of fig. 13, the leg rest portion 3 can be simply rotated, and thus the calf massage and the sole massage can be comfortably and efficiently performed. At this time, the position of the leg rest surface 2 can be finely adjusted by moving the footrest 1 in the near-far direction by the rolling wheels 15, and the degree of freedom of the position adjustment is increased. However, since the leg placement surface 2 is moved toward the user side and downward only by changing from the horizontal state to the inclined state as described above, the movement by the rolling wheel 15 is not necessary or can be suppressed to the minimum.

In the present embodiment, the predetermined distances x (mm) and y (mm) when tilted by θ degrees as shown in fig. 11 are set as follows.

(a) When θ is 25 degrees, X is 120mm and Y is 60 mm.

(b) When θ is 35 degrees, X is 160mm and Y is 80 mm.

The reason why the setting is made as in the above (a) is because if θ is 25 degrees, X is 100mm to 140mm and Y is 45mm to 75mm, it is advantageous to massage the sole of a foot with a comfortable posture and efficiently.

The reason why the setting is made as in the above (b) is that if θ is 35 degrees, X is 140mm to 180mm and Y is 65mm to 95mm, it is advantageous to massage the sole of a foot with a comfortable posture and efficiently.

As described above, the angle θ, the distance X, and the distance Y are preferably in the numerical ranges having predetermined widths because of the difference in physical constitution, the difference in individual preference for massage, and the like, but by setting the numerical ranges, the arrangement of the leg placement surface 2 can be appropriately set for any of the sole massage and the calf massage (and the use thereof as a footstool only). Further, since the inclination angle can be changed only by operating the operating lever 5 upward 10 and downward 11, the conversion between the sole massage and the calf massage (or the use as a footstool) can be performed very easily and smoothly. Further, by adjusting the position of the ottoman 1 in the near-far direction using the rolling wheels 15, the arrangement of the leg rest surface 2 can be further finely adjusted.

In the above embodiment, the positional relationship between the leg placement surface 2 in the horizontal state and the inclined state in which the user side is lowered is realized only by the rotation about the entire rotation axis 37 as a single rotation axis. Such a positional relationship may be realized by, for example, combining a rotation mechanism and a slide mechanism (a slide mechanism in the horizontal direction), but in the present embodiment, the positional relationship is realized only by rotation about a single rotation axis. The position of the integral rotational shaft 37 for achieving such positional relationship can be appropriately adjusted. Therefore, the above positional relationship can be realized by a relatively simple mechanism without combining a slide mechanism or the like.

In the present embodiment, since the air pump 32 and the electromagnetic valve 33 are provided in the base 4, it is not necessary to provide the air pump 32 and the electromagnetic valve 33 in the leg rest 3. Therefore, the internal space of the leg rest 3 is wide, and the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the entire pivot shaft 37 can be improved. Therefore, it becomes easy to appropriately set the Xmm and Ymm only by rotation around the rotation axis.

Claims (11)

1. A footstool with a massage function is provided with: a leg placement section having a massage mechanism and a leg placement surface on which legs of a user can be placed; a base which rotatably supports the leg placement section, the footrest further having an angle adjustment mechanism which can adjust an inclination angle of the leg placement surface within a range from a horizontal state to a predetermined angle at which a user lowers the leg placement surface, the footrest characterized in that:

the angle adjusting mechanism includes: an operating lever operable upward and downward; a switching mechanism which fixes the rotation of the leg placement unit in a state where the operation lever is not operated and releases the fixation by operating the operation lever; an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the operating lever and the switching mechanism,

the fixing of the switching mechanism can be released by operating the operating lever in either of the upward and downward directions.

2. The footrest with massage function as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the operating lever is provided so as to protrude toward a user side of the leg placement unit.

3. The footrest with massage function as claimed in claim 2, wherein: the upper surface of the operating rod is provided with a receiving part of a wireless remote controller for controlling the massage mechanism.

4. The footrest with massage function as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a turning shaft of the leg placement section relative to the base is provided with an integral turning shaft,

the switching mechanism includes: a guide long hole provided along an arc centered on the entire rotating shaft on the base side; a stopper provided on the leg placement section side, penetrating the guide long hole, and movable in the width direction of the guide long hole; a stopper spring for urging the stopper toward an inner peripheral side or an outer peripheral side of the guide elongated hole,

a plurality of concave portions capable of engaging with the stopper are arranged in parallel along the circumferential direction at the edge of the long guide hole on the side pushed by the stopper spring, and the stopper is engaged with any one of the concave portions by the pushing force of the stopper spring, thereby the rotation of the leg placement portion can be fixed,

the interlocking mechanism may move the stopper in a direction opposite to the urging direction of the stopper spring by operating the operating lever in either one of the upward and downward directions, thereby releasing the engagement of the stopper with the recess and releasing the rotational fixation of the leg rest.

5. The footrest with massage function as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the linkage mechanism comprises: a first connecting portion which is integrated with the operating lever, is rotatably supported on a leg placement portion side so as to be rotatable about an axis in accordance with upward and downward operations of the operating lever, and has a protruding rotating portion which protrudes substantially perpendicularly to an axial direction of the axis of rotation of the axis and moves in the same direction as the operating lever; a second connecting portion having one end portion rotatably connected to the protruding end side of the first connecting portion; a third connecting portion having one end portion rotatably connected to the other end portion of the second connecting portion and the other end portion connected to the stopper and rotatably supported on the leg placement portion side at an intermediate position thereof,

the operation lever is operated in either upward or downward direction, and the interlocking mechanism rotates the third connecting portion around the intermediate position, thereby moving the stopper in a direction opposite to the urging direction of the stopper spring, releasing the engagement of the stopper with the recess, and releasing the rotational fixation of the leg rest.

6. The footrest with massage function as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the tilt control spring is interposed between the leg placement section and the base, and is configured to extend the leg placement section to be longer as the inclination angle of the leg placement section is larger by setting the base-side end fixing position at a predetermined position different from the entire pivot shaft.

7. The ottoman with a massage function according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: the massage mechanism may be substantially flat when not in use.

8. The footrest with massage function as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the massage mechanism can be substantially flat when not in operation, and

the center of rotation of the leg placement section is located at a position less than half of the entire height of the footrest.

9. The footrest with massage function as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the massage mechanism can be substantially flat when not in operation, and

the center point position of the leg placement surface can be positioned on the lower side in the vertical direction and closer to the user side in the horizontal direction than the center point position in the horizontal state by inclining the leg placement surface in the direction in which the user side is lowered.

10. The ottoman with a massage function according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: the leg stool is provided with rolling wheels which can move the leg stool.

11. The footrest with massage function as claimed in claim 9, wherein: the above-mentioned rotation of the leg placement section is performed around a single rotation axis.