US3494353A - Reciprocating vibratory massaging device - Google Patents

Description

Feb. l0, 1970 vvr-'. MARICH REcIPRocATING VIBRATQIRY' vMAS. ,AGING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D60. 4, 1968 INVENTOR FREDERICK MARICH BY 7 ....J 7

ATWQRNYS Feb. 10, 1970 F. MARlcH 3,494,353

RCIPROCATING VIBRATORY MASSAGING DEVICE Filed Deo. 4, 1968 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 ENTOR. FREDER MARICH ATTRNEYS United States Patent O 3,494,353 RECIPROCATING VIBRATORY MASSAGING DEVICE Frederick Marich, 110 Seville Way,

San Mateo, Calif. 94402 Filed Dec. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 780,953 Int. Cl. A61h 1/00 U.S. Cl. 12S-36 5 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a reciprocating vibratory mas- Sager, especially advantageous for use by professional chiropractors and/or athletic trainers.

A number of devices have been developed for applying vibratory massaging to the body in an attempt to tone muscles and relieve pain. Such devices are exemplified by the device disclosed in recently issued U.S. Patent No. 3,169,521. Although most of these hand-manipulated dev1ces have some degree of effectiveness, each of them has exhibited a number of drawbacks that prevent the respective device from being totally effective for the use intended. For example, the device of the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 3,169,521 is unattractive for a number of reasons including the fact that it is an orbiting device thereby losing a lot of its effectiveness because of the tendency of the machine to rotate, rather than vibrate. Furthermore, the device tends to heat up, with the outer metallic shell becoming uncomfortably hot. The device disclosed by U.S. Patent No. 3,322,117 includes resilient connectors for restraining rotation, but is directed to a circular device that does not have the versatility of the hand-held units.

Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a reciprocating vibratory massager having a continuous air circulation path extending into and out of the compartment housing the condenser motor.

It is another object of this invention to provide a nonorbiting, reciprocal vibratory device wherein the motor chamber and gripping handles are relatively free of vibration.

It is a feature and advantage of this invention to utilize rubber isolation pads (connectors) to accomplish controlled vibration as opposed to rotation of the padded cushion.

It is a further feature and advantage of this invention to provide an air-circulation fan having outwardly curving varies to direct air from the base of the housing up through the motor chamber and out the hollow handles.

It is still another feature and advantage of this invention to provide reciprocating vibratory movement to the padded cushion by mounting the same eccentrically of the motor shaft.

It is a further feature and advantage of this invention to utilize a thrust bearing to protect the motor from undue forces applied thereto when downward pressure is exerted upon the handle members during use of the device.

These objects, features and advantages will become better understood and others will be apparent from a close examination of the following detailed description, especially in view of the attached drawings, wherein:

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FIGURE 1 is a partially sectioned elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view illustrating the outer configuration of the embodiment of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views, there is shown a vibratory massager A including motor housing 10, preferably fabricated from a poorly heat conductive material such as a rigid plastic or, in the alternative, a lightweight metal. Housing 10 denes a relatively large compartment 12, enclosing actuating means such as condenser motor 14 including stater 16, rotor 18, and condensors 19. Motor 14 has integral therewith rotatable shaft 20 secured to sleeve 22. Shaft 20 extends through recessed opening 24 in the top of housing 10 and includes an outer threaded end 25 for engagement with a threaded member such as nut 26. Sleeve 22 includes a lip 28 that is drawn into abutting engagement with ball bearing 30 and thrust bearing 32 when threaded member 26 is tightened on the end of shaft 20. Shaft 20 and sleeve 22 are rotatably supported near their lower end by ball bearing 34.

Attached to the lower end of shaft 20r is eccentric eX- tension 36 to which is secured a similarly eccentricallypositioned air circulating member, such as fan 38, having curved vanes 39 for drawing air up over motor 14. Detachably mounted to extension 36 is yieldable pad 40 including a contoured segment of resilient material 42 preferably formed in an elongated rectangular shape having an outer concave surface 43. Resilient member 42 is conventionally enclosed in a suitable leather or polyvinyl plastic covering 44 which in turn is secured to metal plate 46 by self-threading screws 48. 'Plate 46 contains at the center thereof an annular opening 50 partially enclosed by a similar annular-shaped fiange 52 for retaining the outer portion of circular ball bearing 54 in fixed relation to pad 40. Threaded member 56 is inserted through ball bearing 54 into a corresponding opening 57 in extension 36 so as to retain pad 40 in rotatable alignment with extension 36 when shaft 20 is caused to rotate by actuation of condenser motor 14.

Near the upper end of motor housing 10 are positioned four equally spaced-apart gripping members such as handles 58, formed with bores 59 defining a tubular opening so as to provide an unobstructed fluid path for the introduction of air into housing 12. The opposite end of housing 12 is provided with an outwardly extending flange 60 terminating a finite distance, such as 1A, above plate 46 to provide annular opening 61. As demonstrated by the arrows, air drawn in through the base of housing 12 is forced over motor 14 and out through apertures 59 of gripping members 58.

Massager A is further provided with a plurality of resilient connectors 62 attached at one end within housing 10 and at the other end to plate 46, by conventional means such as screws and bolts 63. Electric cord 64 is arranged to extend through one of the gripping members 58. As shown most clearly in FIGURE 2, off-on switch 66 is attached to housing 10 between and below two of the gripping members 58.

In operation, when cord 64 is attached to an appropriate electrical outlet (not shown) having, for example, 11C-volt, 60-cycle output, and switch 66 depressed to the on position, motor 14 causes shaft 20 to rotate, thus simultaneously rotating eccentric extension 56. In this manner, yieldable pad 40 is caused to reciprocate to the extent allowed by resilient connectors 62. The overall affect is for the resilient member 42 to vibrate at a high rate of speed so as to provide a soothing reciprocation to the body area to which it is being applied. simultaneously with the rotation of shaft 20, fan 38 rotates, causing impeller blades 39 to direct cooling air across motor from opening 61 and out through air inlet passages 59 in gripping members 58. Thrust bearing 32 is positioned to absorb the downward forces applied to gripping members 58 by the operator. As a result, shaft 20 can rotate more frely and motor 10` will run more smoothly, thus with a longer life than the aforementioned prior art devices.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent to one skilled in this art that certain changes and modications may be practiced within the spirit 0f the invention as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vibratory massaging device having an actuating means disposed within an Outer housing, a plurality of spaced-apart elongated gripping members extending outwardly from said housing, and a generally rectangular resilient cushion spaced from said housing, said cushion secured to and adapted for rotation about an eccentric segment of a shaft driven by said motor, the improvement comprising a plurality of resilient connectors, each secured at a rst end to said cushion and at a second end to -said housing so as to convert rotational movement of said cushion about said shaft to reciprocal orbital movement and air circulation means disposed within said housing and integral with said shaft, said gripping means being hollow and in fluid communication with said housing so that said circulating means will continuously convey air into and out of said housing relative to said actuating means so as to cool said actuating means.

2. A vibratory massaging device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said actuating means is a condenser motor.

3. A vibratory massaging device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said condenser motor is supported in part by a thrust bearing.

4. A vibratory massaging device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said air circulating means is a fan at tached to the eccentric segment of said shaft.

5. A vibratory massaging device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said fan includes outwardly curved vanes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,140,711 7/1964 MCGathey 128--33 3,169,521 2/1965 McCaW 128-46 3,251,087 5/1966 Platt. 3,322,117 5/1967 McCaw 12S-33 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,355,539 2/1964 France. 651,86() 1/1963 Italy.

L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

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