Massaging apparatus having pivotally supported supporting arm with therapeutic member

Abstract

A massaging apparatus in which a position of a specific portion such as a user's shoulder with respect to the massaging apparatus can be determined automatically and accurately in a simple construction. The massaging apparatus includes a supporting arm having a therapeutic member pivotally supported thereon and freely movable along the user's body. The position of the specific portion of the user with respect to the massaging apparatus is determined from the relation between the vertical position of the supporting arm and the pivotal position of the supporting arm. A pivotal movement detecting system detects that the supporting arm reaches a prescribed range of pivotal movement is provided. The position of the specific portion of the user with respect to the massaging apparatus is determined from the position of the supporting arm at the moment when the pivotal movement of the supporting arm reaches the prescribed range.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.