MASSAGING CHAIR

• US 3,653,375 A
• Filed: 10/30/1970
• Issued: 04/04/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marvin J. Raffel
• Original Assignee: Marvin J. Raffel
• Inventors: Raffel, Marvin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trapp, L. W.
• Application Number:
  US05/085,598
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 128/24.2,32-36
• US Class Current: 601/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2023/0272 multiple masses each rotated by an individual motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2023/0281 multiple masses driven by the same motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0138 incorporated in furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0149 Seat or chair
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 using rotating unbalanced masses

Abstract

Two vibrators are mounted on opposite sides of a chair frame below the seat so that the path lengths of the waves traveling through the chair from the vibrators are equal in both directions in a closed path. There are two controls for the vibrator motors, one control regulating the amount of massaging action by controlling the speed of both the vibrators, while the other control regulates the speed and direction of massaging action by controlling the differential speed between the two vibrator motors.

Claims

1. In an article of furniture having a frame portion whose elements are formed of rigid material and are arranged to provide a closed path surrounding a portion of the article, two electric motor-operated vibrators mounted opposite one another on said frame portion, electric circuit means for the motors of said vibrators, a source of current, and means for controlling the differential speed between the two motors to thereby control the speed and direction of the interference waveS in said closed path formed by the frame portion whereby a massaging action is produced.

2. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 in which there are sag-resistant springs interconnecting opposite parts of said frame portion.

3. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 in which there is also means for regulating the amount of massaging action by simultaneously controlling the speed of both motors.

4. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 in which the electric circuit is a common circuit for the two motors, and in which the controlling means is in said common circuit.

5. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 3 in which the electric circuit is a common circuit for the two motors, and in which both controlling means are in said common circuit.

6. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 in which the article of furniture is a chair, and in which the frame portion is a rectangular frame portion at least part of which is a part of the base of the chair.

7. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 6 in which there are sag-resistant springs interconnecting opposite parts of said frame portion.

8. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 in which each vibrator motor is a multi-speed motor having a field coil with optional taps, in which the field coil of one of the motors has extra taps for producing speeds which are optionally greater than or less than the speed of the first motor, and in which the means for controlling the differential speed between the two motors comprises a switch for controlling the tap selection of said last-mentioned motor.

9. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 3 in which both motors are multi-speed motors with optional taps, and in which the means for regulating the massaging action is a common switch for selecting corresponding taps of the two motors to simultaneously control the speed of both motors.

10. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for controlling the speed and direction of massaging action by controlling the differential speed between the two motors includes a rheostat for at least one of said motors.

11. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 in which the two motors are multi-speed motors, in which there is a common switch for simultaneously controlling the speed of both motors, and in which there is a rheostat for controlling the speed of one of the motors only.