Hand Held Massaging Tool

• US 20090221944A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merlex Corporation Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Merlex Corporation Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Paoliello, Angelo, Hobson, Barry Reginald
• Granted Patent: US 8,419,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/135
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0153 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0157 portable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1604 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1666 multidimensional
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/022 Face
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2207/00 Anti-cellulite devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0218 with alternating magnetic fields producing a translating or oscillating movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 using rotating unbalanced masses
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/004 power-driven, e.g. electrical
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2201/18 Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/031 of the permanent magnet type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/06 Means for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa

Abstract

A hand held tool (10) comprises a handle (14), a contact member (16), and an electric motor (12). The contact member has a contact surface portion 17 that lies in the first plane. The motor (12) has a stator (23) and an armature (19) where the armature (19) is able to move with non-rotary translational motion in a second plane relative to the stator (23), the second plane being parallel to the first plane. One of the stator (23) and the armature (19) is attached to the handle (14), while the other is attached to the contact member (16). Therefore, relative motion of the stator (23) and armature (19) is translated to relative motion between the handle (14) and the contact member (16). A resilient coupling (18) is coupled between the handle 14 and the contact member (16) and applies a bias against the relative motion between the handle (14) and contact member (16).

Claims

1. A hand held tool comprising:

a handle;

a contact member having a contact surface portion lying in a first plane;

an electric motor having a stator and an armature which together produce a plurality of transverse forces facilitating a non-rotary translational motion of the armature in a second plane relative to the stator, wherein the handle is attached to one of the stator and the armature, and the contact member is attached to another of the stator and the armature, and wherein the first plane is parallel to the second plane, whereby the relative motion between the armature and the stator produces corresponding motion of the contact member relative to the handle; and

,

a resilient coupling coupled between the handle and the contact member and applying a bias against the motion of the contact member relative to the handle.

2. The tool according to claim 1 wherein the armature comprises a carrier that is formed separately of the contact member and attached to or otherwise coupled with the contact member.

3. The tool according to claim 1 wherein the armature is formed separately of the handle and attached to or otherwise coupled to the handle.

4. The tool according to claim 3 wherein the stator is formed separately of the contact member and attached to or otherwise coupled with the contact member.

5. The tool according to claim 1 wherein the resilient coupling comprises one or more resilient members or springs interposed between the stator and the armature.

6. The tool according to claim 5 wherein the resilient members are in the form of resilient posts.

7. The tool according to claim 1 wherein the resilient coupling comprises one or more resilient members or springs connected between the handle and the contact member.

8. The tool according to claim 1 wherein the resilient coupling comprises an endless elastomer band connecting the handle to the contact member.

9. The tool according to claim 8 wherein the elastomer band forms a liquid tight seal between the handle and the contact member.

10. The tool according to claim 1 wherein the stator comprises a magnet that has at least one north pole on one side of the armature and at least one south pole on an opposite side of the armature, each north pole being axially aligned with a corresponding south pole and, for all of the poles on each side of the armature, a respective backing plate, the or each backing plate being made of a magnetically permeable material wherein the poles of each side of the armature are magnetically attached or adhered to the respective backing plate.

11. The tool according to claim 1 comprising a housing constituted at least in part by the handle and the contact member, wherein the motor is disposed inside the housing.

12. The tool according to claim 1 wherein the tool is formed with an axial through hole.

13. The tool according to claim 1 further comprising driver circuits providing electric currents to the coils and control circuits that control the driver circuits.

14. The tool according to claim 13 wherein the driver circuits are provided on a circuit board located within or in close proximity to the handle.

15. The tool according to claim 1 wherein electrical power is provided to the tool either by an on board power source such as batteries or from a remote source supplied by wire.

16. The tool according to claim 13 wherein the control circuits are operable to produce dynamic changes in amplitude of motion of the contact member relative to the handle while maintaining constant frequency of motion.

17. A hand held massaging device comprising:

a handle;

a contact member having a contact surface portion lying in a first plane;

an electric motor coupled between the handle and the contact member and producing a plurality of transverse linear forces to effect a non rotary translation motion in two dimensions of the contact member relative to the handle, the motion being in the first plane.

18. The hand held massaging device according to claim 17 further comprising a controller enabling control of electric current provided to the electric motor to enable variation in pattern of motion of the contact member relative to the handle.

19. The hand held massaging device according to claim 17 further comprising a controller enabling control of electric current provided to the electric motor to enable variation in amplitude of motion of the contact member relative to the handle.

20. The hand held massaging device according to claim 17 further comprising a resilient coupling coupled between the handle and the contact member and applying a bias against the motion of the contact member relative to the handle.