[invention Title]

AUTOMATIC ACUPUNCTURE DEVICE

[Technical Field] The present invention relates, in general, to an automatic acupuncture device and, more particularly, to an automatic acupuncture device which allows acupuncture to be continuously implemented using a plurality of needles loaded in the acupuncture device, thereby remarkably shortening the time required to complete the acupuncture.

[Background Art]

A plurality of acupuncture devices have been disclosed in the art, one example of which is described in Korean Utility Model Application No. 1992-10778 entitled "Hand acupuncture device" .

Referring to FIG. 1, in such a hand acupuncture device, a cylindrical needle pipe 6, which defines a needle passage, and a lower cap 7, which defines a needle exit, are coupled to each other. A magnet, into which a non- magnetic ring is fitted, is interposed between the cylindrical needle pipe 6 and the lower cap 7 to attract and hold a needle. An upper cap 1 is threadedly coupled to the upper end of the needle pipe 6. A pair of grasping grooves 2a' are defined at both sides of the upper cap 1,

and a receiving cavity 2 , both ends of which are open in a transverse direction, is defined through the upper cap 1. An elliptical leaf spring 3 , to which a hammer element is secured, is received in the receiving cavity 2. A cylindrical packing 5 is provided to cover the elliptical leaf spring 3.

However, in the conventional hand acupuncture device, a drawback exists in that, since only one needle can be used at a time to implement acupuncture, in a situation where a plurality of needles must be used to implement acupuncture, the time required to complete the acupuncture cannot but be lengthened.

[Disclosure] [Technical Problem] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic acupuncture device into which a plurality of needles are loaded such that they can be automatically and sequentially discharged to allow a user to implement acupuncture by oneself .

[Technical Solution]

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic acupuncture device comprising an outer case; a

power sup _t -)J y section for receiving current from an external power sour ^c e; a driving section supplied with the current received by the power supply section to sequentially strike a plurali t y of needles ; a needle loading and discharging section lor' sequentially loading and discharging the needles through operation of the driving section to implement acupuncture; and a control section for operating the driving section in response to a switching input from a user to permit the acupuncture to be implemented and for displaying operational information about the automatic acupuncture device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the outer case is made of brass .

According to another aspect of the present invention, the power supply section comprises a charger for externally receiving power; and a battery charged through charging terminals with the current supplied from the charger.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the driving section comprises a striking hammer for striking a proximal end of each needle; and a driving mechanism powered by the charged current to reciprocate the striking hammer in a lengthwise direction.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the needle loading and discharging section comprises an inner case for simultaneously holding the plurality of needles; a needle fastening magnet for preventing, using a magnetic force, the plurality of needles loaded in the

inner case from being unintentionally released from the inner case even under external fluctuation; a needle loading magnet for pulling each needle using a magnetic force and thereby loading each needle to a predetermined position; and a magnetic force isolation ring mounted at a predetermined location inside the outer case to prevent magnetic forces of the needle fastening magnet and the needle loading magnet from being applied to the outside of the outer case. According to another aspect of the present invention, the control section comprises a switching element for generating an acupuncture signal; an outside switch connected to the switching element and projecting out of the outer case to be pressed by a user; a display window for displaying operational information about the automatic acupuncture device; and a controller for controlling operation of the driving mechanism in response to the acupuncture signal from the switching element and controlling the display on the display window. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the operational information about the automatic acupuncture device includes information regarding a remaining power level, a charged state of the battery, a malfunction state of the automatic acupuncture device, and the number of needles driven to implement acupuncture.

According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, the needle loading and discharging section

further comprises a needle discharge slot for discharging to the outside the needle struck by the striking hammer.

[Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially broken-away perspective view illustrating a ^' conventional hand acupuncture device,-

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating an automatic acupuncture device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a needle loading and discharging section of the automatic acupuncture device according to the present invention.

[Best Mode]

Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components .

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating an automatic acupuncture device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a needle loading and discharging section of the automatic acupuncture device according to the present invention.

As can be readily seen from FIG. 2, an automatic acupuncture device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an outer case

1, a power supply section, a driving section, a needle loading and discharging section, and a control section.

The outer case 1 is made of brass and has a substantially cylindrical configuration. The power supply section performs a function of receiving current from an external power source . The power supply section comprises a charger 11 for externally receiving power, and a battery 13 charged through charging terminals 12 with the current supplied from the charger 11. The driving section is supplied with the current received by the power supply section and performs a function of sequentially striking a plurality of needles to implement acupuncture using the plurality of needles . The driving section comprises a striking hammer 21 for striking a proximal end of each needle, and a driving mechanism 22 powered by the charged current to reciprocate the striking hammer 21 in a lengthwise direction.

As can be readily seen from FIGs. 2 and 3, the needle loading and discharging section performs a function of sequentially loading and discharging the needles through operation of the driving section to implement acupuncture in a state in which the plurality of needles are held in the needle loading and discharging section. The needle loading and discharging section comprises an inner case 31 for simultaneously holding the plurality of needles; a needle discharge slot 32 for discharging to the outside the needle struck by the striking hammer 21; a needle fastening

magnet 33 for preventing, using a magnetic force, the plurality of needles loaded in the inner case 31 from being unintentionally released from the inner case 31 even under external fluctuation; a needle loading magnet 34 for pulling each needle using a magnetic force and thereby loading each needle to a predetermined position; and a magnetic force isolation ring 35 mounted at a predetermined location inside the outer case 31 to prevent magnetic forces of the needle fastening magnet 33 and the needle loading magnet 34 from being applied to the outside of the outer case 31.

The control section performs a function of operating the driving section in response to a switching input from a user to permit the acupuncture to be implemented and for displaying a power supply state and the number of needles driven to implement acupuncture. The control section comprises a switching element 41 for generating an acupuncture signal; an outside switch 42 connected to the switching element 41 and projecting out of the outer case 1 to be pressed by the user; a display window 43 for displaying operational information about the automatic acupuncture device, including a remaining power level, a charged state of the battery, a malfunction state of the automatic acupuncture device, and the number of needles driven to implement acupuncture; and a controller 44 for controlling operation of the driving mechanism 22 in response to the acupuncture signal from the switching

element 42 and controlling the display on the display- window 43.

Hereafter, operation of the automatic acupuncture device according to the present invention, constructed as mentioned above, will be described.

Among the plurality of needles which are irregularly arranged by the needle fastening magnet 33 in the inner case 31, the proximal end of the needle which is closest to the needle loading magnet 34 is attached to the needle loading magnet 34 to be maintained in a loaded state.

With the needle being in the loaded state, the user presses the outer switch 42 to cause the switch element 41 to generate an acupuncture signal .

In response to the acupuncture signal, the controller 44 drives the driving mechanism 22. By the driving of the driving mechanism 22, the striking hammer 21 is moved downward, strikes the proximal end of the needle maintained in the loaded state, and then returns to its original position. The needle struck by the striking hammer 21 is discharged to the outside through the needle discharge slot 32 to puncture the skin at a predetermined acupuncture position.

At the same time the needle is discharged through the needle discharge slot 32, the proximal end of another needle is attached to the needle loading magnet 34 to also be maintained in the loaded state.

By repeating the above-described procedure, it is possible to continuously implement acupuncture using the plurality of needles.

[industrial Applicability] As apparent from the above description, the automatic acupuncture device according to the present invention provides advantages in that, since a plurality of needles are loaded in the automatic acupuncture device and can be sequentially discharged in a fully automated manner, a user can implement acupuncture by oneself within a short period of time using the plurality of needles .

Further, according to the present invention, because it is possible to aseptically implement the acupuncture, transmission of disease can be avoided. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.