Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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This invention relates to a massage device.
Prior Art
In U.S. Patent 2,g64,o37 a massage device is described which
comprises a rocking member, drive means, an elastomeric pivot, a
5 drive connecting member, a structure supporting said pivot and
massage elements which are adjustable in position with respect
to the pivot, thereby varying the amplitude of the massage elements.
The adjustment is effected by mounting each massage element on a
shaft having a gear which meshes with a rack member mounted on the
roc~ing member, the amplitude of the massage element being varied
by turning. Ho~ver, this involves temporary discontinuance of
operation of the massage device; furthermore deep muscle massage
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obtained by giving the massage elements a stroke of up to 1
cænnot be achieved because the vibration transmitted to the
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operator is too great. Also the massage device described in the
above specified U.S. Patent operates at a fixed frequency depend-
ing on the selection of the drive means.
: Summar.v of the Invention
'It is an object of the invention to provide a massage device
; 20 of the type described above which has means for changing the
amplitude or stroke of the massage elements during operation
, It is a further object of the invention to provide a massage
device wherein the frequency of the massage elements, initially
dictated by the electrical drive mea~s, may be changed instantly
;~ 25 during operation.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a massage
; device wherein the massage elements may operate at either a higher
or lower frequency level simply by manipulation of the operator.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a massage
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3o device of the type described wherein the massage ele~ents operate
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either at a higher frequency e.g. of about 20 to 24 cycles per sec-
~ond which corresponds to the frequency of the so called~ waves eman-
;ated by the brain during the active state or at a lower frequency of
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; between 10 to 12 cycles per second corresponding to the so called
` ~waves emanated by the brain during the passive or relaxed state.
~`~ To provide the change in frequency, the massage device has
- opposed gripping means which are secured to the ma~age;d~evice~ -
and grippable at the location of minimum motion of the latter;
preferably the gripping means are resiliently secured to the sup-
porting structure. This minimises the vibration transmitted to the
- operator and enables a stroke of up to 1" on the massage elements
` to be delivered to the body tissue. Preferably the location of
the opposed gripping means is above the elastomeric pivot.
; It is an additional feature of the device that the drive
means is a synchronous mo~r with sufficient weight in the
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supporting structure so that while one level of pressure on the
gripping means will cause the m~ssage members to operate down to
1~ about 22 cycles per second, additional pressure on the gripping
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means will cause the massage m~imbers to operate down to about 10
cycles per second. The weight of the supporting structure is
;~ distributed so that, when held by the gripping means, the moment
` of force about the elastomeric pivot is sufficient to cause slowing
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of the motor when the massage members are on the body tissue.
The change in amplitude of the massage elements is provided
by adding weight to the structure supporting the pivot, at a
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position opposed to the drive connecting member, which weight
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has means to move it towards and away from the pivot.
:~ 25 A further fea~ure of the device is that the massage elements
are constructed in such a manner that they may be covered by a
removable plastic film which may be disposed of and ~uickly
replaced.
Description of the Drawin~s
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- 30 Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the massage device;
- Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device with
the cover removed;
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Figure 3 is a sectional view in elevation of thè devices
Figure 4 is a cross sectional ~ew t~n ~ ~e l~es 4-4 of ~gure 1.
Description of a Preferr _ Embodiment
In the description like numbers represent like parts.
With reference to Figure 1 the massage device has an
elongated casing, generally denoted by the numeral 10 and
preferably made of plastic. The c~sing 10 has a rounded top 12
which curves integrally into r~un~e~ end walls 14 and substantially
p~rallel side walls 16 to define an opening 18. Centrally located
snd trave~sing each side wall 16 are a pair of vertically disposed
hollow rubber bushings 20 backed by a rubbei pad 20,see Figure
4. Each side wall 16 has a pair of apertures, which provide
for secl~rement by screws 24 of a rigid inner structure to be
described later.
The casing 10 has a number of spaced apart apertures 26
located in the top 12 and the end walls 14s these apertures 26
provide for air circulation to connect heat away from the device
when operating. A horizontally disposed slot 28 i8 located in
one end wall 14 for a purpose to be described later. The casing
10 also has an opening 30 to permit entry of an electrical lead
32 which carries a conventional switch 34.
The rigid inner structure referred to above includes a pair
of spaced apart vertically disposed plates 36a and 36b preferably
made of plastic,with each having a ring of apertures 38 which
surround the central aperture 40. The plates 36a and 36b are
secured normally to a horizontally disposed plate 42 short of the
ends thereof, thus providing a pair of platforms 44a and 44b.
The plate 42 is sh~ped to correspond with the opening 18, i.e.
it has substantially p~rallel sides and rounded ends and the
dimension of the plate 42 is such that it slides into the cas~ng
10. The plate 42 has threaded holes 46 on its sides which provide
for its securement to the casing 10 by means of the sorews 24,
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The rigid structure formed of the pl~tes 36a and 36b and 42
when secured in the casing 10 supports an electric motor, not
shown in detail, generally denoted by the numeral 50 and having a
protruding shaft 52. The motor 50 is secured to the plates 36a
and 36b in such a manner that the shaft 52 extends through the
central aperture 40 of the plate 26a. The ring of apertures 38
in each plate 36a and 36b provide for cooling.
Platform 44a of the plate 42 has a slot 54. The motor shaft
52 e~tends over the pl tform 44a to carry a circular sleeve 56
eccentrically secured thereto. A rod 58 centrally secured to the
sleeve 56 extends over the slot 54. The rod 58 carries a bèaring
60 which supports another sleeve 62 which has an integral stub arm
64 extending downwards towards the slot 54. A tubular flexible
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coupling 66 is secured to the stub arm 64 by means of a clip 68.
The flexible coupling 66 extends through the slot 54.
Below the plate 42 and having a similar configuration is a
rocker plate 70 which closes the opening 18 of the casing 10.
The rocker plate 70 is mounted flexibly for pivotal movement on
the transverse axis of the plate 42. The mounting comprises a
pair of spaced apart transverse bars 72 secured to the top side
of the rocker plate 70 each secured thereto t~hrough an intermediate
fibre washer 74. The transverse bars 72 are joined at their upper
surfaces by ~n elastomeric plate member 76. The lower side of the
plate 42 has a centrally located transverse bar 78 which provides
the pivotal axis for the rocker p~ate 70. The transverse bar 78
is secured on its underside to the mid portion of the elastomeric
plate member 76, i.e. between the transverse bars 72,
The rocker plate 70 h~s an integral arm 80 on its upper side
in line with the flexible coupling 66 and is secured thereto by a
clip 82.
It will be apparent that when the motor 50 is switched on,
the motor shaft 52, through the eccentrically located sleeve 56
and connected flexible coupling 66, will oscillate the rocker
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plate 70 about the transverse bar 78. Also the elastomeric plate ~-member 76 provides for quiet operation. .
A pair of massage elements each generally denoted by the
. numeral 84 extend from the underæide of the rocker plate 70 outward
of the casing 10. Each massage element 84 comprises a threaded rod
86 which may be located in a selected one of a series of corres-
pondingly threaded holes in the rocker plate 70, This provides
for adjustment of the position and thereby the stroke of the massage . .
elements 86. i
In the massage elements 84 shown, the threaded rod 86
terminates in a mushroom shaped cap 90 covered by a rubber pad
92. It is a feature of the massage elements 86 that for hygenic
purposes they are designed so that the rubber pad 92 may be
covered by a disposable plastic cover 94. This is accomplished
by means of a cup like member 96, the base of which is centrally
threaded to secure it to the threaded rod 86. The plastic cover
94 i8 large enough not only to fit over the rubber pad 92 but to
; leave a perimeter which is caught in the rim of the cup like !~'
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member 96 when the latter is screwed onto the threaded rod 86
against the mushroom shaped cap 90.
,;~ . The casing 10 supports a carrying handle generally denoted
... .
by the numeral 98 which includes a circular cross bar 100 spaced -~from the casing 10 and opposed to the rocker plate 70. The cross :
bar 100 i8 secured to the corresponding ends of a pair of spaced ..
25 apart plates 102, each having a pair of apertures adjacent the
other end. The hollow rubber bushings 20 provided in the side .
walls 16 fit into these apertures, and the handle 98 is secured .
to the rigid inner structure by means of screws 106 extending
.. through the rubber bushings 20, and the pad 22 to terminate in :
threaded aperture 104 in vertical plates 108 carried by the plate 42.:.
Although the handle 98 is resiliently insulated from the
rigid structure it is not intended to be held by the operator while
the massage elements 84 are in contact with the body tissue because
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the oscillation of the handle 98 renders the hands insensitive.
It is a feature of the invention that the device may be
used with practically no vibration being transmitted to the hands
of the operator. ~his is accomplished by a circular abutment 110
on each plate 102, which circular ahutments 110 constitutes sep-
arate holding means resiliently insulated from the rigid structure
of the device by the hollow rubber bushings 20 which in turn in-
sulate the handle 98. The circular abutments 110 are preferably
placed above the elastomeric plate member 76 but at the location
of minimum motion of the rigid structure when the device is
operative.
The device is primarily intended for connection to the
standard electrical supply and to facilitate its use therewith
the motor 50 is of the synchronous type delivering about 1650
revolutions per minute. If the device is too light the massage
elements 84 will bounce too much despite the application of
pressure by the operator. On the other hand the device, to be
portable and conducive to manipulation by the operator, must not
be too heavy. Accordingly the weight of the device is arranged
. . .
so that the moment of force above the elastomeric pivot 76 is
sufficient to cause slowing of the motor when the massage elements
84 act on the body tissue. This is arranged so that with the
operator holding the device by the abutments 110 to apply minimum
pressure the load causes the massage elements 84 to operate down
to about a frequency of about 22 cycles per second. Motor charac-
teristics and supply are variable but, by way of example and not
~; by way of limitation, it has been found that with a four pole
synchronous motor operating at about 1650 r.p.m. the weight of
the device is between 61 to 7~ lbs. The frequency of 22 cycles
per second is desirable because it appears to have the maximum
penetrative effect on the body tissue, otherwise known as deep
- muscle massage and because of the location of the abutments 110
a stroke of up to 1" of the massage elements 84 can be handled by
the operator.
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'- It hqs also been found that the position of the ~butments
110 enables the operator to apply increased pressure which has the
effect of lowering the frequency of the mass~ge elements 84. In
particular with the device weighted to operate a~, 22 cycles per
' 5 second as described above, increasing pressure on the abutments
' 110 can be exerted to such a degree that the moment of force
about the elastomeric pivot 76 will cause slowing of the motor
50 with the result that the massage elements 84 operate on body
tissue down to about 12 cycles per second or lower e.g, 6 cycles
, 10 'per second depending on the nature of the body tissue.
lt is often desirable to change the amplitude of the massage
,~: members instantly during deep muscle mqssage. This is achieved
by including specific weight means, generally denoted by the
numeral 112, in the rigid structure which is adjustable in
, 15 position in relation to the elastomeric pivotal mounting 76 of
,', the rocker plate 70. The weight 112 is located on the platform
44b thus being removed from the flexible coupling 66 with respect
, to the elastom,eric plate member 76.
,' i A particuarly convenient form of adjustable weight means
112 is illustrated'in Figure 4 and comprises a circular block 114
rotatably mounted on a spindle 116 extending upwards from the
~;' platform 44b. The circular block 114 has an arm' 118 projecting
, normally therefrom to extend outward through the slot 28 in the
' casing 10. The circular block 114 is eccentrically weighted by -~'
25 including in one position only a portion 120 of a heavier material
e.g. the block 114 is made of plastic while the portion 120 is
lead.
It will be apparent that movement of the arm 112 in the slot
28 will change the po~ition of the portion 120 in relation to the
' 30 pi~rotal mounting of the rocker plate 70 on the transverse bar 78.
, As the portion 120 is moved inward the amplitude of the mqssage
'~ elements 84 wi;ll diminish. When the massage elements 84 are
placed against body tissue, the weight of the device is sufficient
to provide a stroke of the elements of up to 1" when
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the device is held in position by the abutments 110. If the
stroke is to be changed the position of the weighted portion
i of the circular block is then changed but otherwise the amplitude
will be constant because the pressure is derived from the weight.
The location of minimum motion of the device can be
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determined by a strobescope. A fan may be mounted on the
motor 50 to p~ovide additional cooling Or the device when
~- ' operated for extended periods at the lower frequency of about
;~ 12 cycles per second.
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