Alternating ribbed foot massager

• US 5,830,161 A
• Filed: 10/21/1996
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert J. Cosmano
• Original Assignee: Robert J. Cosmano
• Inventors: Cosmano, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koo, Benjamin K.
• Application Number:
  US08/733,949
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 601/118, 601/119, 601/120, 601/121, 601/115, 601/117, 601/122, 601/123, 601/124, 601/125, 601/126, 601/127
• US Class Current: 601/121
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 15/00 Massage by means of rollers, balls, e.g. inflatable, chains, or roller chains
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2015/0071 with balls or rollers having built-in vibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/12 Feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/02 with electric or magnetic drive

Abstract

A foot massager is built around a cylinder that preferably mounts two axially spaced longitudinally ribbed, bulging sleeves separated by a radially extended central partition disk and captured at their outer ends by roller disks, each having end stops to prevent the massager from rolling too far. The sleeve has alternating short and substantially compressible tall ribs to clutch the skin of a user'"'"'s foot and thereby enhance the soothing effect. The cylinder mounts a vibrator internally. The user places his feet respectively on the two bulged sleeves, turns on the vibrator, and rolls his feet forward and backward in a reciprocating motion that rolls the vibrator on the floor beneath his feet. The configuration of the ribbed sleeves is such that the user can roll his feet against curved end ramps defined on both the inside (the side closer to the other foot) and outside of each foot for a complete massage of all foot surfaces.

Claims

1. A roller foot massager device comprising:

(a) an elongated body defining a longitudinal axis and having;

(i) at least two axially spaced roller disks coaxial with said body, said roller disks each having a circumference;

(ii) at least one sleeve having a bulging central portion and ramped end portions ramping substantially up to the circumference of said roller disks, said sleeve being of substantially circular transverse cross section, having outward projecting alternating short and tall longitudinal ribs wherein said tall longitudinal ribs are substantially compressible and said short ribs are substantially hard, each of which are adapted to massage the skin of a user'"'"'s feet in an alternate manner, said alternating short and tall longitudinal ribs spanning between and being coaxial with said disks; and

(iii) a foam mass within said at least one sleeve and between said axially spaced roller disks;

such that a user can place his foot on said at least one sleeve and push it forward and rearwardly to roll it over a horizontal surface in a reciprocating motion, to massage the surfaces and sides of the foot as said tall longitudinal ribs converge and diverge, and permit massaging access to said short ribs, with the compression and release of said tall longitudinal ribs on said at least one sleeve during said motion.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said elongated body is sized and configured to have a predetermined axial length whereby a user can rest both feet longitudinally spaced thereon, and said at least one sleeve is a pair of sleeves, together spanning substantially the entire distance between said roller disks.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 further having at least one heat means located between said sleeve and said foam mass.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said roller disks have stopping means thereon to interrupt the roll of said massager.

5. The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said elongated body includes a central partition disk parallel to, coaxial with, and of diameter no greater than, said roller disks, and positioned substantially axially centrally of said body and separating said pair of sleeves, to define two separated portions of said body for the left and right foot, respectively.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said elongated body defines an axially extended cylindrical tube as its core and said disks are mounted on said core.

7. The device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said sleeves are substantially continuous lengths of material with said ribs being substantially continuous throughout their lengths, said sleeves each being bunched radially inwardly to define an outwardly bulged, arcuate central portion and bulging end portions to permit the user to roll a foot on the central portion to massage the sole of the foot, or roll it left or right to massage a respective side of the foot on the respective end portion.

8. The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said body has an electrically powered vibrator therein to vibrate said sleeves in use.

9. The device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said body defines an axially extended cylindrical tube as its core and said vibrator is mounted in said tube.

10. The device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said vibrator has a motor with a shaft extending completely through and out of said motor in both axial directions and including an eccentric mass mounted on said shaft on each axial side of said motor.

11. The device as set forth in claim 10 wherein each of said masses is substantially axially centrally mounted on said shaft relative to a respective one of said sleeves.

12. The device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said stopping means comprises a tandem pair of cam-lobes on said at least two axially spaced roller disks.