Percussive massager

• US 6,733,466 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FKA Distributing Co. LLC, Homedics (Lifetime Brands Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Homedics (Lifetime Brands Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huang, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): DeMille, Danton D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thanh, Quang D.
• Application Number:
  US10/198,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20020193712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 601/101, 601/103, 601/107, 601/108, 601/110, 601/111, 601/129, 601/130, 601/131, 601/134, 601/135
• US Class Current: 601/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0153 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1669 moving along the body in a reciprocating manner
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1685 interchangeable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0254 with rotary motor

Abstract

A percussive massager is provided having a housing including a massage head portion and a handle portion, and a motor support unit affixable within the massage head portion. A motor is supported by the motor support unit, and an output shaft rotatably driven by the motor protrudes from the motor on either side thereof. The massager further includes a pair of vertical connecting rods each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends are operably connected to the output shaft such that rotation of the output shaft causes the connecting rods to reciprocate axially in an asynchronous manner. A rocker arm is attachable to the motor support unit at a central pivot axis thereof, wherein the rocker arm is operably connected to the second ends of the connecting rods and is moved about the central pivot axis by rotation of the output shaft. At least two massage nodes are operably connected to the rocker arm to form a massage surface, wherein the massage nodes are moved asynchronously toward and away from the massage head portion by each of the connecting rods to provide a percussive massage effect.

Claims

1. A percussive massager, comprising:

a housing;

a motor mounted in the housing;

an output shaft rotatably driven by the motor and having two axially spaced apart ends protruding therefrom;

a pair of drive members attached to the output shaft ends such that an engagement surface of each drive member is not concentric with a longitudinal axis of the output shaft;

a pair of connecting rods each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends each cooperate with the engagement surface of one of the opposed drive members such that rotation of the output shaft causes the connecting rods to reciprocate axially in an asynchronous manner;

a rocker arm pivotably mounted relative to the housing and having a central pivot axis, wherein opposed ends of the rocker arm are operably connected to the second ends of the connecting rods, causing the rocker arm to be moved about the pivot axis by rotation of the motor output shaft; and

a massage formation operably connected to the rocker arm and having first and second sides spaced on opposite sides of the rocker arm pivot axis, wherein the first and second sides of the massage formation are moved with the rocker arm by each of the connecting rods to provide a percussive massage effect.

2. The massager according to claim 1, wherein the drive members include a pair of crank arms affixed to each end of the output shaft, wherein one connecting rod is attached to one crank arm in a first offset location with respect to a longitudinal axis of the output shaft, and the other connecting rod is attached to the other crank arm in a second offset location with respect to the longitudinal axis of the output shaft.

3. The massager according to claim 2, wherein the first offset location is about 180 degrees from the second offset location.

4. The massager according to claim 1, wherein the output shaft can be rotated at a plurality of speeds through actuation of a variable speed switch.

5. The massager according to claim 1, wherein the massage formation includes at least two generally hemispherically shaped massage nodes.

6. The massager according to claim 1, wherein the massage formation includes an exterior surface member constructed from a resilient material.

7. A percussive massager, comprising:

a housing including a massage head portion and a handle portion;

a motor support unit affixable within the massage head portion;

a motor supported by the motor support unit;

an output shaft rotatably driven by the motor and having two axially spaced apart ends protruding therefrom;

a pair of drive members attached to the output shaft ends such that an engagement surface of each drive member is not concentric with a longitudinal axis of the output shaft;

a pair of connecting rods each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends each cooperate with the engagement surface of one of the opposed drive members such that rotation of the output shaft causes the connecting rods to reciprocate axially in an asynchronous manner;

a rocker arm attached to the motor support unit at a pivot axis thereof, wherein the rocker arm is operably connected to the second ends of the connecting rods and is moved about the pivot axis by rotation of the output shaft; and

at least two massage nodes operably connected to the rocker arm to form a massage surface, wherein the massage nodes are moved toward and away from the massage head portion by each of the connecting rods to provide a percussive massage effect.

8. The massager according to claim 7, wherein the drive members include a pair of crank arms affixed to each end of the output shaft, wherein one connecting rod is attached to one crank arm in a first offset location with respect to a longitudinal axis of the output shaft, and the other connecting rod is attached to the other crank arm in a second offset location with respect to the longitudinal axis of the output shaft.

9. The massager according to claim 8, wherein the first offset location is about 180 degrees from the second offset location.

10. The massager according to claim 7, wherein the rocker arm includes connectors extending therefrom for securing the massage nodes to the rocker arm.

11. The massager according to claim 7, wherein the massage nodes are removable and interchangeable with another set of massage nodes.

12. The massager according to claim 7, further comprising studs affixed to the second ends of each connecting rod.

13. The massager according to claim 12, wherein the rocker arm includes protrusions and corresponding cavities that are aligned and sized to receive the studs.

14. The massager according to claim 13, further comprising resilient sleeves affixed to the interior of the housing and sized to receive the protrusions, wherein the sleeves are operable to expand and contract in response to movement of the rocker arm by the motor.

15. The massager according to claim 7, wherein the output shaft can be rotated at a plurality of speeds through actuation of a variable speed switch.

16. The massager according to claim 7, wherein the housing is constructed from a plastic material.

17. The massager according to claim 7, wherein the massage nodes are generally hemispherically shaped.

18. The massager according to claim 7, wherein the massage nodes have an internal frame constructed from a plastic material.

19. The massager according to claim 7, wherein the massage nodes have an exterior surface member constructed from a resilient material.

20. A percussive massager comprising:

a housing including a massage head portion and a handle portion;

a motor support unit affixable within the massage head portion;

a motor supported by the motor support unit;

an output shaft rotatably driven by the motor and protruding from the motor on either side thereof;

a pair of crank arms affixed to each end of the output shaft;

a pair of connecting rods each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends are attached to the crank arms in locations offset from a longitudinal axis of the output shaft such that rotation of the output shaft causes the connecting rods to reciprocate axially in an asynchronous manner;

a rocker arm attached to the motor support unit at a central pivot axis thereof, the rocker arm including protrusions which are operably connected to the second ends of the connecting rods, wherein the rocker arm is moved about the central pivot axis by rotation of the output shaft;

resilient sleeves affixed to the interior of the housing and sized to receive the protrusions, wherein the sleeves are operable to expand and contract in response to movement of the rocker arm by the motor; and

at least two massage nodes operably connected to the rocker arm to form a massage surface, wherein the massage nodes are moved asynchronously toward and away from the massage head portion by each of the connecting rods to provide a percussive massage effect.

21. The massager according to claim 20, wherein the protrusions include connectors extending therefrom for removably securing the massage nodes to the rocker arm.

22. The massager according to claim 21, wherein the connectors include screws and the massage nodes each include a corresponding threaded portion.

23. The massager according to claim 20, wherein the massage nodes are generally hemispherically shaped and are at least partially constructed from a resilient material.

25. The massager according to claim 21, further comprising a pair of crank arms affixed to an end of the motor output shaft and provided with an eccentric attachment location for connecting the first ends of the connecting rod to the output shaft.

26. The massager according to claim 25, further comprising rotary bearings at a junction of the eccentric attachment location and the connecting rod first end.

24. A percussive massager, comprising:

a housing;

a motor transversely mounted within the housing, the motor having a rotary output shaft with opposed ends protruding from opposite ends of the motor;

a pair of connecting rods each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends of the connecting rods are rotatably connected to the opposed ends of the output shaft at locations eccentrically spaced about the axis of rotation of the output shaft to cause the second ends of the connecting rods to reciprocate in an asynchronous manner as the output shaft rotates;

an elongated rocker arm having a central pivot axis, wherein the rocker arm is pivotably mounted relative to the housing and includes a pair of transversely spaced apart end portions each operably connected to the second ends of the connecting rods, causing the rocker arm to rock about the central pivot axis as the connecting rod second ends reciprocate; and

two transversely spaced apart massage nodes which at least partially project from the housing, each massage node operably connected to one of the spaced apart end portions of the rocker arm and associated connecting rod second end, wherein the massage nodes move asynchronously toward and away from the housing providing a percussive massage effect in response to rotation of the output shaft.

27. The massager according to claim 24, further comprising a rubber stud interposed between the connecting rod second end and the rocker arm end portion.

28. The massager according to claim 27, wherein the rocker arm end portion is provided with protrusions which each define a cavity sized to receive the rubber stud.

29. The massager according to claim 28, wherein the protrusion is provided with a connector for removably receiving a massage node thereon.

30. The massager according to claim 29, wherein the connector includes a screw and the massage node has a corresponding threaded portion.

31. The massager according to claim 24, wherein the housing has two transversely spaced apart apertures sized to enable the massage nodes to pass therethrough.

32. The massager according to claim 24, further comprising a pair of flexible annular sleeves mounted to the housing and generally sealing the apertures, each sleeve having a central opening sized to enable a connector to pass therethrough for mounting the massage node.

33. The massager according to claim 32, further comprising a mounting plate for mounting the annular sleeves to the housing.

34. The massager according to claim 24, further comprising a motor support partially surrounding the motor and mounting the motor within the housing.

35. The massager according to claim 24, wherein each massage node is generally hemispherically shaped.

36. The massager according to claim 24, wherein each massage node includes an internal frame formed of a plastic material and an exterior surface member formed of a resilient material.

37. A percussive massager, comprising:

a housing;

a motor transversely mounted within the housing, the motor having a rotary output shaft with opposed ends protruding from opposite ends of the motor;

a pair of connecting rods each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends of the connecting rods are rotatably connected to the opposed ends of the output shaft at locations eccentrically spaced about the axis of rotation of the output shaft to cause the second ends of the connecting rods to reciprocate in an asynchronous manner as the output shaft rotates;

a pair of crank arms affixed to an end of the motor output shaft and provided with an eccentric attachment location for connecting the first ends of the connecting rod to the output shaft;

rotary bearings positioned at a junction of the eccentric attachment location and the connecting rod first end;

an elongated rocker arm having a central pivot axis, wherein the rocker arm is pivotably mounted relative to the housing and includes a pair of transversely spaced apart end portions each operably connected to the second ends of the connecting rods, wherein the rocker arm is caused to rock about the central pivot axis as the connecting rod second ends reciprocate; and

two transversely spaced apart massage nodes which at least partially project from the housing, each massage node operably connected to one of the spaced apart end portions of the rocker arm and associated connecting rod second end, wherein the massage nodes move asynchronously toward and away from the housing providing a percussive massage effect in response to rotation of the output shaft.

38. A percussive massager, comprising:

a housing having two transversely spaced apart apertures formed therein;

a motor transversely disposed within the housing, the motor having a rotary output shaft with opposed ends protruding from opposite ends of the motor;

a motor support affixed within the housing and partially surrounding the motor;

a pair of connecting rods each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends of the connecting rods are rotatably connected to the opposed ends of the output shaft at locations eccentrically spaced about the axis of rotation of the output shaft to cause the second ends of the connecting rods to reciprocate in an asynchronous manner as the output shaft rotates

an elongated rocker arm having a central pivot axis, wherein the rocker arm is pivotably mounted relative to the housing and includes a pair of transversely spaced apart end portions each operably connected to the second ends of the connecting rods, wherein the rocker arm is caused to rock about the central pivot axis as the connecting rod second ends reciprocate; and

two transversely spaced apart massage nodes which at least partially project from the housing through the apertures, each massage node including a generally hemispherically shaped frame and a resilient exterior surface member, wherein each massage node is operably connected to one of the spaced apart end portions of the rocker arm and associated connecting rod second end, wherein the massage nodes move asynchronously toward and away from the housing providing a percussive massage effect in response to rotation of the output shaft.

39. A percussive massager comprising:

a housing having two transversely spaced apart apertures formed therein;

a motor disposed within the housing, the motor having a rotary output shaft with opposed ends protruding from opposite ends of the motor;

a motor support affixed within the housing and at least partially surrounding the motor;

a pair of crank arms affixed to the opposed ends of the output shaft, each crank arm provided with an attachment location eccentrically spaced about the axis of rotation of the output shaft;

a pair of connecting rods each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends of the connecting rods are operably connected to the crank arms at the attachment locations to cause the second ends of the connecting rods to reciprocate in an asynchronous manner as the output shaft rotates;

rotary bearings positioned at a junction of the crank arm attachment locations and the connecting rod first ends;

an elongated rocker arm having a central pivot axis, wherein the rocker arm is pivotably mounted relative to the housing and includes a pair of transversely spaced apart end portions each operably connected to one of the connecting rod second ends, the rocker arm end portions including protrusions which each define a corresponding cavity and have a connector extending therefrom, wherein the rocker arm is caused to rock about the central pivot axis as the connecting rod second ends reciprocate;

rubber studs interposed between the connecting rod second ends and the rocker arm end portions, wherein the rubber studs are received in the rocker arm cavities;

a pair of flexible annular sleeves mounted to the housing and each having a central opening sized to enable one of the connectors to pass therethrough; and

two transversely spaced apart massage nodes which at least partially project from the housing through the apertures, each massage node including a generally hemispherically shaped frame and a resilient exterior surface member, wherein each massage node is connected by one of the connectors to one of the spaced apart end portions of the rocker arm and associated connecting rod second end, wherein the massage nodes move asynchronously toward and away from the housing providing a percussive massage effect in response to rotation of the output shaft.