Wrap around body massager

• US 7,125,390 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Homedics (Lifetime Brands Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Homedics (Lifetime Brands Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ferber, Roman S., Nemazi, John E., Turner, Michael D., Huang, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, Quang D.
• Application Number:
  US10/654,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20050049529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 601/46, 601/49, 601/51, 601/72, 601/73, 601/80, 601/81, 601 86- 90, 601/93, 601/94, 601/97, 601/98, 601/107, 601/108, 601/110, 601/111
• US Class Current: 601/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 using rotating unbalanced masses
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/001 without substantial movement between the skin and the device

Abstract

The present invention discloses a hand-held body massager having a transverse housing with a massage region. A massage unit is oriented within the housing for parting a massage effect from the massage region. A pair of elongate arms are each pivotally connected to opposed ends of the housing with the massage region oriented therebetween. Each arm includes a handle to be grasped by a user so that the user may urge the massage region against a target surface of the user'"'"'s body.

Claims

1. A handheld body massager comprising:

a transverse housing having a central axis and a massage region;

a massage unit having a motorized eccentric drive oriented within the housing for driving a massage formation extending from the housing for reciprocation relative to the housing, thereby imparting a massage effect from the massage region; and

a pair of elongate arms pivotally connected to opposed transverse ends of the housing, such that the massage region is oriented therebetween, each arm having a handle to be grasped by a user and being pivotal generally toward and away from each other;

whereby the user may grasp each handle to urge the massage region against a surface of the user'"'"'s body.

2. The massager of claim 1, wherein each arm pivots about an axis, and the pair of pivotal axes are generally parallel with each other and orthogonal to the housing central axis.

3. The massager of claim 1, wherein each arm pivots about an axis, and the pair of pivotal axes are generally parallel with each other and are lying in a plane that is generally parallel with the massage region.

4. The massager of claim 1, wherein the pivotal connection of each arm to the housing includes a clutch for maintaining an orientation of the arm relative to the housing.

5. The massager of claim 1, further comprising a locking configuration for cooperating with the housing and at least one of the arms for selectively maintaining a pivotal orientation of the arm relative to the housing.

6. The massager of claim 1, wherein one of the arms includes a power switch operating in communication with the massage unit for regulating power to the massage unit.

7. The massager of claim 1, wherein each handle has a first grip portion and a second grip portion for permitting a user to select a desired grip orientation.

8. The massager of claim 7, wherein the first grip portion of each handle is generally orthogonal to the corresponding second grip portion.

9. The massager of claim 7, wherein the first grip portion of each handle is generally coaxial with the corresponding elongate arm.

10. The massager of claim 7, wherein the second grip portion of each handle is not parallel with the corresponding first grip portion.

11. The massager of claim 7, wherein the first grip portion of each handle is generally coaxial with the corresponding elongate arm, and generally orthogonal to the corresponding second grip portion, so that the user may grasp the first grip portion of each handle to pull the massage region against a surface of the user'"'"'s body, and the user may grasp the second grip portion of each handle to push the massage region against a surface of the user'"'"'s body.

12. The massager of claim 1, further comprising an elongated rocker arm pivotally mounted to the housing for supporting the massage formation thereon, the rocker arm being operably driven by the eccentric drive.

13. The massager of claim 1, wherein the motorized eccentric drive further comprises a motor mounted within the housing, the motor having a rotary output shaft, and a connecting rod having a first end rotatably connected to the output shaft at a location eccentrically spaced about the axis of rotation of the output shaft to cause a second end of the connecting rod to reciprocate as the output shaft rotates, the second end of the connecting rod being connected to the massage formation.

14. A handheld body massager comprising:

a generally U-shaped housing generally lying in a central plane, the housing having a central portion with an inward facing massage region, and a pair of elongate arms, each including a handle at a distal end of the arm; and

a massage unit having a motorized eccentric drive oriented within the housing central portion for driving a massage formation extending from the housing for reciprocation relative to the housing, thereby imparting a massage effect to the massage region;

wherein each arm is connected to the housing central portion by a hinge for pivotal movement about an axis that is generally orthogonal to the central plane, so that a user may grasp each handle for urging the massage region against a surface of the user'"'"'s body.

15. The massager of claim 14, wherein the massage region is generally orthogonal to the central plane.

16. The massager of claim 14, wherein the handle of each arm extends upwardly out of the central plane to enable the user to urge the massage region toward the user'"'"'s lower back with minimal wrist flexing.

17. The massager of claim 14, wherein each handle is generally orthogonal to the central plane.

18. The massager of claim 14, further comprising a pair of lock members to releasably fix the arms relative to the housing for preventing rotation at the pivot joint.

19. The massager of claim 14, further comprising controls for the massage unit located within at least one of the handles.

20. The massager of claim 19, wherein the controls operate an on/off feature and a variable speed control.

21. The massager of claim 14, further comprising an elongated rocker arm pivotally mounted to the housing for supporting the massage formation thereon, the rocker arm being operably driven by the eccentric drive.

22. The massager of claim 14, wherein the motorized eccentric drive further comprises a motor mounted within the housing, the motor having a rotary output shaft, and a connecting rod having a first end rotatably connected to the output shaft at a location eccentrically spaced about the axis of rotation of the output shaft to cause a second end of the connecting rod to reciprocate as the output shaft rotates, the second end of the connecting rod being connected to the massage formation.

23. A handheld body massager comprising:

a transverse housing having a central axis and a massage region;

a massage unit oriented within the housing for imparting a massage effect from the massage region; and

a pair of elongate arms pivotally connected to opposed transverse ends of the housing, such that the massage region is oriented therebetween, each arm having a handle to be grasped by a user and being pivotal generally toward and away from each other;

whereby the user may grasp each handle to urge the massage region against a surface of the user'"'"'s body; and

wherein the massage unit is further defined as a percussive massage unit comprising;

a motor transversely mounted within the housing, the motor having a rotary output shaft;

a connecting rod having a first end rotatably connected to the output shaft at a location eccentrically spaced about the axis of rotation of the output shaft to cause a second end of the connecting rod to reciprocate as the output shaft rotates;

an elongated rocker arm having a central pivot axis, wherein the rocker arm is pivotally mounted to the housing, the rocker arm being operably connected to the second end of the connecting rod; and

a pair of transversely spaced apart massage nodes, which at least partially project from the housing through a pair of transversely spaced apertures formed through the massage region of the housing, each massage node being operably connected to the rocker arm;

wherein the massage nodes move toward and away from the housing for providing a percussive massage effect in response to rotation of the output shaft.