Massage device equipped with interchangeable massage heads

• US 10,137,054 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEB SA
• Original Assignee: SEB SA
• Inventors: Giraud, Camille, Mandica, Franck
• Primary Examiner(s): Woodward, Valerie L
• Application Number:
  US14/087,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20140142472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 15/0085 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 15/02 adapted for simultaneous treatment with light, heat or drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2015/0014 cylinder-like, i.e. rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2015/0057 the axis being resiliently biased
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0107 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/10 with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/105 with means for delivering media, e.g. drugs or cosmetics
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1654 Layer between the skin and massage elements, e.g. fluid or ball
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1685 interchangeable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5058 Sensors or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5092 Optical sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/022 Face
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0245 with ultrasonic transducers, e.g. piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/005 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/007 Kneading
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/30 Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0663 Coloured light

Abstract

The invention concerns massage device including body which contains drive mechanism, at least one type of massage head which includes massage elements, a transmission mechanism which allows the activation of the massage elements under the action of the drive mechanism, installation mechanism which are configured to be installed on and uninstall from the body at least one type of massage head. In accordance with the invention, the device includes recognition means of the type of massage head installed on the body and control mechanisms for said massage device based on the recognition of the type of massage head.

Claims

1. Massage device (1) including:

a body (2) which contains a drive mechanism (3),

at least one type of massage head (4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) which includes massage elements,

a transmission mechanism which allows the massage elements to be activated by the drive mechanism,

an installation mechanism (9) which is configured for the installation and removal of the at least one type of massage head with the body, characterized in that the device includes recognition means (146) of the type of massage head installed on the body and control mechanisms (161) for controlling said massage device based on the recognition of the type of massage head, wherein the massage device comprises a reduction gear installed on an output of a motor,

wherein the installation mechanism comprises a snapping mechanism comprising a blockage system with a notch and a release latch,

wherein the recognition means comprises;

(i) mechanical sensors installed on the at least one type of massage head and the body, and are configured to transfer information to the control mechanisms based on the type of massage head installed on the body;

or (ii) magnetic sensors installed on the at least one type of massage head and the body, and are configured to transfer information to the control mechanisms based on the type of massage head installed on the body, and

wherein the mechanical or magnetic sensors are formed in grooves of the body that receive protuberances of the at least one type of massage head such that the protuberances trigger the mechanical or magnetic sensors and are recognized based on binary code programmed into a command box.

2. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, in which the recognition means (13) are the mechanical sensors (151 and 152, 164, 165).

3. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, in which the recognition means (146) are the magnetic sensors.

4. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, in which the recognition means (146) further comprises optical sensors (169, 170) installed on the at least one type of massage head (147) and the body (2) and are configured to transfer information to the control mechanisms (161) based on the type of massage head installed on the body.

5. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, in which the control mechanisms (161) are configured to control the drive mechanism (3) and alter an action of the drive mechanism based on the type of massage head (4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) installed on the body (2).

6. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, which includes a wave emission system (106) installed on the body and a wave transfer mechanism (108) to transfer waves from the emission system to the at least one type of massage head (4, 5, 6, 7 and 8).

7. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 6, in which the control mechanisms (161) are configured to control the wave emission system (106) and alter the waves based on the type of massage head (4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) installed on the body (2).

8. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, which includes a cosmetic product distribution system (77) installed on the body and a transfer mechanism (90) to transfer the product from the body (2) to the at least one type of massage head (4, 5, 6, 7 and 8).

9. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 8, which includes a trigger mechanism (91) of the cosmetic product distribution system configured to allow the operation of said distribution system in manual or automatic mode.

10. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 8, in which the control mechanisms (161) are configured to control the cosmetic product distribution system and alter the distribution of the cosmetic product based on the type of massage head (4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) installed on the body (2).

11. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, in which the installation mechanism (9) includes a system to detect the correct installation of the at least one type of massage head (4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) on the body (2).

12. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, which includes connection mechanisms between the drive mechanism (3) and the transmission mechanism configured to adjust an angle of orientation of the transmission mechanism when the at least one type of massage head (4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) is installed on the body (2).

13. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, in which the at least one type of massage head (5) contains an application surface (21) and the massage elements comprise at least two massage nozzles which extend perpendicularly to the exterior of the application surface and the massage nozzles appear on the application surface in the shape of virtual concentric circles of center C and in which the transmission mechanism is configured to move the massage nozzles closer together and/or, inversely, to separate them by moving said massage nozzles in one direction and/or the other depending on the patterns which connect them to the center C.

14. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 13, in which the at least one type of massage head (5, 6, 7 and 8) includes a soft skin (29) which covers the massage elements (22a, 22b, 22c, 24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 26c, 28a and 28b).

15. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 13, in which the at least one type of massage head includes a crown (56) which extends perpendicularly to the application surface and the transmission mechanism is configured to trigger an oscillation of the crown around an axis perpendicular to the application surface.

16. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, in which the at least one type of massage head (6) contains an application surface (23) and the massage elements comprise two massage nozzles which extend perpendicularly to the exterior of the application surface, the transmission mechanism is configured to trigger the rotation of the two nozzles in accordance with an axis perpendicular to the application surface, with an oscillation.

17. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, in which the at least one type of massage head (7) contains an application surface (25) and the massage elements comprises three massage nozzles inclined to the exterior of the application surface and the transmission mechanism is configured to trigger the rotation of the three massage nozzles in accordance with three fixed axes respective, perpendicular to the application surface.

18. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, in which the at least one type of massage head (8) includes an application surface and the massage elements comprise at least two massage fingers which extend to the exterior of the application surface and the massage fingers and the transmission mechanism are configured to form a claw.

19. Massage device in accordance with claim 1, in which the at least one type of massage head (4) includes an application surface (31) and the massage elements comprise two massage wheels installed along two parallel longitudinal axes, with a gap between them, and extend partially outside the application surface in which the transmission mechanism is configured to cause synchronized and inverse rotation of the two wheels so that, when seen in a plane perpendicular to the two axes, the section of the massage wheel on the left which extends outside of the application surface turns counterclockwise and the section of the massage wheel on the right which extends outside the application surface turns clockwise.

20. Massage device (1) in accordance with claim 1, which includes a trans-dermal ionization treatment mechanism which is configured to transfer a current on a skin during the application of said massage device to increase and/or accelerate the penetration of a cosmetic product.