Massaging system having isolated vibrators
First Claim
1. A massaging apparatus comprising:
- (a) a vibrator unit including a housing, a motor supported within the housing, means for connecting the motor to a source of electrical power, the motor being coupled to a mass element for producing vibratory motion of the housing;
(b) a main cushion member having a maim supporting surface and being formed of a resilient material having a first volumetric stiffness, a cavity being formed therein and interrupting the supporting surface for receiving the vibrator unit, the cavity being sufficiently large to provide clearance space on all sides of the vibrator unit;
(c) an isolation device having, a second volumetric stiffness contacting at least a portion of the vibrator unit, the isolation device further contacting at least a portion of the main cushion member, wherein the isolation device is interposed between the vibrator unit and the main cushion member; and
(d) an outer cushion member having a third volumetric stiffness being greater than the second volumetric stiffness, the outer cushion member being bonded to the main supporting surface and covering the cavity, the outer cushion member forming an outer supporting surface being spaced from the main supporting surface.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle massaging system includes a seat pad and motorized vibrators in respective regions of the pad; and a controller for selectively activating the transducers. Each of the vibrators is in a cavity of a main cushion member, the cavity being closed by an outer cushion member that supports an occupant, a soft or resilient isolation device being interposed between the vibrator and the main cushion member for reduced coupling of vibrations to structure or other portions of the seat, but enhanced coupling to a target region of the outer cushion member for improved selectivity of particular regions of a user'"'"'s body to be massaged, and in multiple seating installations, unwanted vibration of one seat is suppressed during activation of vibrators in an adjacent seat. The transducer is bonded to the outer cushion member or a reinforcing sheet that is laminated thereto, the isolation device contacting a bottom portion of the transducer. Alternatively, the isolation device can completely enclose the transducer. The isolation device can include a flexible sealed enclosure containing a viscous material. An offset plate portion of a housing of the vibrator can extend between a structural member of the seat and the target zone region, a body portion of the vibrator being laterally spaced from the structural member when the structural member would otherwise block desired placement of the vibrator. The heater element can be fire resistant. Also disclosed is a method for converting a padded support to produce isolated massaging, and a method utilizing a subassembly of vibrators and the outer cushion member to facilitate production of the system.
100 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A massaging apparatus comprising:
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(a) a vibrator unit including a housing, a motor supported within the housing, means for connecting the motor to a source of electrical power, the motor being coupled to a mass element for producing vibratory motion of the housing;
(b) a main cushion member having a maim supporting surface and being formed of a resilient material having a first volumetric stiffness, a cavity being formed therein and interrupting the supporting surface for receiving the vibrator unit, the cavity being sufficiently large to provide clearance space on all sides of the vibrator unit;
(c) an isolation device having, a second volumetric stiffness contacting at least a portion of the vibrator unit, the isolation device further contacting at least a portion of the main cushion member, wherein the isolation device is interposed between the vibrator unit and the main cushion member; and
(d) an outer cushion member having a third volumetric stiffness being greater than the second volumetric stiffness, the outer cushion member being bonded to the main supporting surface and covering the cavity, the outer cushion member forming an outer supporting surface being spaced from the main supporting surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
(a) a first sheet member having a silicon base fire-resistant adhesive coating on one side thereof for affixing the first sheet member to the outer cushion member;
(b) a resistance wire disposed on the first sheet member opposite the adhesive coating thereof for forming a heater element;
(c) a second sheet member having a silicon base fire resistant coating on one side thereof, the coating contacting the resistance wire and the second sheet member for securing the resistance member between the sheet members; and
(d) a fire resistant power cord projecting from between the sheet members, respective conductors of the power cord being electrically connected between opposite ends of the resistance wire, wherein the first and second sheet members are formed of a polyamide film.
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26. The massaging apparatus of claim 25, wherein each of the sheet members has a thickness of approximately 0.002 inch for providing sufficient structural integrity while effectively transmitting vibrations from the vibrator to a user having contact with the apparatus proximate the heater unit.
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27. A vehicle seat comprising a structural member, a seat pad and a back pad supported relative to the structural member, the seat pad and the back pad each comprising:
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(a) a plurality of vibrator units, each vibrator unit including a housing, a motor supported within the housing, means for connecting the motor to a source of electrical power, the motor being coupled to a mass element for producing vibratory motion of the housing;
(b) a main cushion member having a main supporting surface and being formed of a resilient material, a plurality of spaced apart cavities being formed therein and interrupting the supporting surface for receiving respective ones of the vibrator units, each cavity being sufficiently large to provide clearance space on all sides of the corresponding vibrator unit;
(c) a plurality of isolation devices located in respective ones of the cavities; and
(d) an outer cushion member having the vibrator units bonded thereto in spaced correspondence with the spacing of the cavities, the outer cushion member being bonded to the main supporting surface and covering the cavities with the vibrator units extending into the cavities, the isolation devices contacting bottom portions of the vibrator units, the isolation devices further contacting at least a portion of the main cushion member, and the isolation devices being interposed between the vibrator units and the main cushion member, the outer cushion member forming an outer supporting surface being spaced from the main supporting surface. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A massaging apparatus comprising:
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(a) a vibrator unit including a housing having a generally cylindrical body portion and a plate portion, the plate portion projecting from one side of the body portion by a distance greater than a width of the body portion;
(b) a main cushion member having a main supporting surface and being formed of a resilient material, a cavity being formed therein and interrupting the supporting surface for receiving the vibrator unit, the cavity being sufficiently large to provide clearance space on all sides of the vibrator unit;
(c) a structure supporting the main cushion member and having a structural member projecting in generally parallel relation to the main supporting surface for modifying a contour thereof;
(d) an outer cushion member, the outer cushion member being bonded to the main supporting surface and covering the cavity, the outer cushion member forming an outer supporting surface being spaced from the main supporting surface, the main cushion member and the outer cushion member forming a seat pad of a seat, the seat including a structural member extending within the support structure in relatively closely spaced relation to a target zone region of the outer supporting surface, the vibrator unit being located within the cavity with the plate portion of the housing facing a target zone region of the outer cushion member in generally parallel relation thereto, the plate portion projecting between the structural member and the outer cushion member for imparting vibrations through the outer cushion member opposite the structural member, the body portion of the housing projecting away from the outer cushion member at one side of the structural member; and
(e) an isolation device located in the cavity, the isolation device contacting at least a portion of the vibrator unit, the isolation device further contacting at least a portion of the main cushion member, wherein the isolation device is interposed between the vibrator unit and the main cushion member.
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31. A method for coverting a padded support device to produce isolated massaging of a user'"'"'s body, the device including a resilient main cushion, comprising:
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(a) providing a vibratory transducer having a housing and a control cable extending from the housing for driving the transducer;
(b) forming a cavity in a supporting surface of the main cushion, the cavity being sufficiently large for receiving the transducer housing in spaced relation to the main cushion;
(c) placing the transducer housing in the cavity;
(d) positioning the control cable to extend from the cavity and on the supporting surface to an edge margin thereof;
(e) interposing a resilient isolation device between the transducer housing and the main cushion with a portion of the housing contacting and projecting into the isolation device and the isolation device contacting at least a portion of the main cushion;
(f) providing a resilient pad member for covering the supporting surface;
(g) bonding a reinforcing sheet member to a bottom surface of the pad member; and
(h) bonding the shet member to the supporting surface, the sheet member being laminated between the main cushion and the pad member and covering the cavity with the vibrator being mechanically coupled through the sheet member to the outer cushion member for transmitting vibration thereto, the isolation device at least partially blocking the transmission of vibrations into the main cushion. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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Specification