Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~5Z3~
FOOT MASSAGER
This invention relates generally to massage devices,
and has to do particularly with a massager adapted to massage
the soles of the feet of the user, while the user is stand-
ing thereon. In a particular embodiment, the massager
disclosed herein is adapted to be used in the bathtub, so
i that the user can employ it while ta~ing a shower, thereby
saving himself time by having the massage and a shower
simultaneously.
BACKGROUND OF THIS INVENTION
There are currently a large number of "healing"
` techniques being studied and developed in Europe and North
America, which do not fall directly within the traditional
; medical approach practised by most doctors. Among these
newer techniques is one called reflexology, which rests
upon a theory that certain specific locations in the soles
of the foot are somehow connected to various ma~or organs
of the body by way of nervous or other passageways.
Practitioners of reflexology find that massage and manipula-
tion of the soles of the feet tends in many cases to have
a marked beneficial effect on various organs and parts of
the body. In reflexology, the manipulation and massage is
normally done manually, and thus in order to obtain the
benefits of reflexology the patient must use the services
of the reflexologis~.
GENERA~ DESCRIPTION OF THIS IMVENTION
I have discovered that it is not essential for the
massage to be carried out by the hands of the masseur or
the reflexologist. The foot massager which I have devised
, :!
.
'`
''
~,,. ', ~ "
~S23~
is capable o~ carrying out massage-like manipulations upon
the soles of the feet by having the user simply stand
upon it. The surface of the foot massager which I have
devised is specially designed to be able to apply an optimum
pressure at separated points against the foot, using resilient,
upright fingers which are blunt-ended and which are fixed
with respect to a base or plate member.
More specificall~7, this invention provides a foot
massager comprising: a plate member large enou.gh for a user
to place at least one ~oot -thereon with contact over substantially
the full sole of the foot, the plate member having a
multiplicity of resillent, blunt-ended, frusto-conical fingers
with their bases at the plate member, the fingers projecting
perpendicularly from the plate member and having their
outer ends lying in a substantially flat theoretical plane
parallel with the plate member, the fingers being between
about 1/4" and about 1/2" long, and in which spacings between
adjacent fingers are between about 3/32" and about 3/8".
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
. _ _
. One embodiment of this invention is illustrated
: in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote
like parts throughout the several views, and in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the.device of
this invention in use;
Figure 2 is a diametric, vertical sectional
view of the foot massager of this invention; and
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken at the line
3-3 in Figure 2.
. PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In Figure 1, the foot massager of this invention
is generally indicated by the numeral 10, and is shown
.: in its normal orientation while in use, with a user standing
. upon it with both feet 12 squarely placed on its surface,
so that the soles are in contact.
. .
~S23~8
2a
Attention is directed to Figure 2, which shows
the foot massager 10 in diametral section. The foot
massager 10 includes a plate member 14 which functions as
a base, and which is larye enough for a user to place at
least one foot thereon with contact over substantially
the full sole of the foot. As seen in Figure 1, the
preferable configuration is one which is large enough for
both feet to be placed squarely upon the massager. The
plate member 14 has a multiplicity of resilient, blunt-
;~ :
~''
523~
ended fingers projecting perpendicularly from it, theouter ends of the blunt-ended fingers lying in a substan-
tially flat theoretical plane parallel with -the plate
member. In the preferred em~odiment~ the plate member
and the fingers are integral with each other, and are
of resilient material such that the plate member can
distort to some extent in order to accommodate itself
to a curved under surface, such as the curved surface
within a bathtub.
Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, it can be
seen that the fingers 16 are frusto-conical, with the
base of the conical frustum at the plate member 14. Again
in a preferred embodiment, the fingers are between about
~" and ~" long, and are arranged in straight lines or
rows which are separated from each other by a spacing between
about 3/32" and about 3/8". Preferably, the fingers of
each line are evenly spaced along the line, and the spacing
- between fingers is substantially the same as the spacing
between adjacent rows.
The sectional view of Figure 2 is one which cuts
through the plate member 14, but the plane of the section
lies between two adjacent rows, which is why the fingers
16 are not shown in section.
Figure 3 is a section through the fingers of
three adjacent rows, and is to a larger scale than the section
of Figure 2. It can be seen that the tops of -the fingers
; all lie substantially in the same plane, which is identified
in both Figures 2 and 3 by the numeral 19.
In the preferred embodiment, the plate member is
substantiall~ circular in plan, although this is certainly
no-t considered -to be an essential or limiting feature. It is
preferred, though again not essential, that the plate member
have some form of suction means on its side opposite the
fingers, by which the plate member can be temporarily stuck
or adhered to a smooth surface, such as a bathtub surface.
In this way, there need be no ~anger of injury to the user,
due to slipping between the pla-te member and the wet bathtub
surface while the user takes a shower.
One form of such suction means is illustrated in
~0 Figure 2, and includes a rim portion 20 for th~ plate member,
~L~523~1~
the rim portion 2Q defining a downwardly open annular channel
surrounding the main body of the massager. As can be
seen in Figure 2, the plate rim portion 20 extends upwardly
; a smaller distance from the upper surface of the plate
member 14 than do the fingers 16 themselves.
Centrally located in the plate member, and visible
~ in Figure 2 (though not in Figure 1), is a portion 21
: which does not have any fingers on it, and which has around
its periphery a plurality of drainage holes 23. The drain-
age holes 23 are certainly not essential, and would only
; be provided in the case where suction means did not com-
pletely encircle and seal off the space under the foot
massager. For example, the provision of discreet circumferen-
tial suction-like sections in the rim portion, separated by
~ccess locations through which drainage water could exit from
underneath the foot massager, would make it reasonable to
provide drainage holes 23. However, the drainage holes 23
are not viewed as essential, even in the case where drainage
; is possible. There is no reason why water falling upon
the foot massager, in the case where the user is taking a
~ shower simultaneously, cannot simply fill up the region of
; the fingers 16, and then overflow at the edge. In any event,
by using a resilient plate member 14 in a bathtub environment,
' the plate member 14 will be curved, and will have a lowermost
`~ 25 point at which any collected water can overflow the rim 20.
' It is important that the fingers 16 be able to yield
at least slightly to foot pressure, so that the sole of the
foot is presented with a surface which to some extent
conforms to the sole contour, while at the same time having
the fingers press individually into the sole with reasonabl~
pressure. For this reason, it has been found that a
particularly satisfactory arrangement is one in which the
fingers are about 3/8" long, frusto-conical, convex at the
free (upper) ends, measure about 0.1 inch diameter at the
free ends, and measure about 3/32" maximum at the base ends.
With these dimensions a durometer hardness of a~out 85 to 90
for the finger material will give a finger which can support
a columnar load and yet will yield resiliently to some extent
~,
3~
to conform partially to the contour o~ the sole of a foot.
Fingers with the foregoing characteris-tics should be
placed approximately 3/16" apart (center-to-center) in
order to support the weight of the user.
A satisfactory material for molding the fingers
and the plate member as an integral structure, is a
mixture of ~0% to 40% low density polyethylene, and the
balance of high density polyethylene. More specifically,
such a mixture which includes 30% low density polyethylene
has been found to work quite well.
In the use of this device, in addition to simply
standing upon the device, it has been found that shifting
one's weight from foot to foot, and rubbing the sole
across the fingers, both tend to increase stimulation
and enhance the benefits to be derived from this device.
I have discovered that use of my foot massager tends to
improve body circulation, prevent scaling on the feet,
; and help to relleve itching or burning feet.
'
