The Innovative Design of the Massage Mechanisms for Massage Chair

This study focuses on the innovative design of massage-mechanisms for massage chair. In this paper, we synthesize the massage-mechanisms based on the modified Yan’s creative design methodology. First, we analyze the topological structure and motion characteristics of existing massage mechanisms and conclude its design requirements and constraints. All existing massage mechanisms with beating and kneading functions are mechanisms with 2 degrees of freedom (DOF). The purpose of this paper is to synthesize all the feasible designs of massage mechanisms (including F=2 and F=3). For the mechanisms with 3 DOF, they must have 1 redundant degree of freedom. Then, based on the design requirements and constraints and modified Yan’s creative design methodology, we synthesize 14 design concepts of massage-mechanisms for massage chair. One of the design concepts will be completed the practice including kinematic design, engineering drawing, and the prototype manufacture. As the results, we conclude that the new design has only 5 links (less than existing design) and same kneading and beating traces, and is better than existing design