Therapeutic ball

• US 20040249322A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael A Cohen
• Original Assignee: Michael A Cohen
• Inventors: Cohen, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,517,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 15/00 Massage by means of rollers, balls, e.g. inflatable, chains, or roller chains
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0207 heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0257 by a heat accumulator, e.g. a sand or liquid reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0292 with microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1284 using own weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1695 Enhanced pressure effect, e.g. substantially sharp projections, needles or pyramids
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/001 without substantial movement between the skin and the device

Abstract

A therapeutic ball comprises an outer surface having a plurality of projections thereon, and an inner portion comprising a material selected for its ability to retain heat.

Claims

1. A therapeutic ball comprising:

an outer surface having a plurality of projections thereon; and

an inner portion comprising a material selected for its ability to retain heat.

2. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer surface has one portion thereof which has a plurality of projections having a first size, and another portion having a plurality of projections thereon having a second size.

3. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of projections comprises a projection of generally conical shape.

4. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of projections comprises a projection of generally hemi-spherical shape.

5. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the projections comprises a base portion on the outer surface of the therapeutic ball, and a shaped portion mounted on the base portion.

6. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 2 further comprising at least one projection on the outer surface of the therapeutic ball having a third size.

7. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the outer surface has absence of projections.

8. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner portion comprises a central cavity, at least a part of which contains the material selected for its ability to retain heat.

9. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner portion comprises a plurality of cavities formed beneath the outer surface, at least one of the plurality of cavities having a portion thereof which contains the material selected for its ability to retain heat.

10. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material selected for its ability to retain heat comprises a mixture of silica and flax seed.

11. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 10 wherein each of the silica and flax seed may be present in relative proportions representing 50%-85% of the total.

12. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 10 wherein the mixture comprises about 25% silica and about 75% flax seed.

13. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first size projections are larger than the second size projections, and present in numbers of about 6-16 per square inch, and the second size projections are present in numbers between about 20-40 projections per square inch.

14. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 which comprises a substantially half ball.

15. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 14 wherein the half ball is mounted on a base.

16. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first size projections are larger projections formed over about 30%-100% of the outer surface, and the second size projections are smaller projections which are formed over approximately 8%-50% of the outer surface.

17. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 16 wherein the first size projections are formed over approximately 70% of the outer surface, and the second size projections are formed over about 15% of the outer surface, the remaining part of the outer surface having no projections thereon.

18. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first size projections have a diameter of approximately 0.35 inches, and the second size projections have a diameter of about 0.15 inches.

19. A therapeutic ball as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least 25% of the outer surface has an absence of projections.

20. A method of forming a therapeutic ball for massage, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of projections on an outer surface of the ball;

locating a material selected for its ability to retain heat below the outer surface of the therapeutic ball; and

providing heat to the material selected for its ability to retain heat.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the therapeutic ball is heated in a microwave oven.

22. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the therapeutic ball is heated by boiling.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the ball is heat in a microwave oven for about 60 seconds.

24. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the ball is sufficiently heated so as to be approximately 1-15°

F. higher than body temperature.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the ball is heated so as to be approximately 3-10°

F. higher than body temperature.

26. A therapeutic massage device comprising:

a massage application portion having an outer surface and a plurality of projections thereon; and

a base portion upon which the massage application portion is mounted.

27. A therapeutic massage device as claimed in claim 26 further comprising an inner portion comprising a material selected for its ability to retain heat.

28. A therapeutic massage device as claimed in claim 26 wherein the massage application portion is of substantially hemi-spherical shape.

29. A therapeutic massage device as claimed in claim 26 wherein the base portion is configured so as to form a gripping member by means of which the therapeutic massage device can be held so that the massage application portion can be applied to a person.

30. A therapeutic massage device as claimed in claim 26 wherein the base portion has a flat base surface upon which the therapeutic massage device can be mounted.