Warm air massager

• US 7,238,162 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Human Touch, LLC
• Original Assignee: Human Touch, LLC
• Inventors: Dehli, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh; Quang D.
• Application Number:
  US10/916,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20050020947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 601/15, 601/16, 601/18, 601/26, 601/70, 601/72, 601/80, 601/89, 601 93- 95, 601/97, 601/101, 601/107, 601/108, 601/110, 601/11, 607/96
• US Class Current: 601/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/006 of gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0153 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0207 heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0228 heated by an electric resistance element
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/025 by direct air flow on the patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1669 moving along the body in a reciprocating manner
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0254 with rotary motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0071 by localized pressure, e.g. air streams or jets

Abstract

A warm air massager for heating and massaging a body part includes a massage node which includes openings for directing streams of heated air to the body part being massaged. The body part is massaged by the reciprocating motion of the massage node produced by an internal massage motor. The massage motor may rotate to cause an eccentric connector to impart reciprocating motion to a shaft coupled to the massage node. The massage motor may be located within the housing, within the massage node, or there may be multiple massage motors located in each of the housing and the massage node. Intake ambient air enters the massage housing by means of a fan which withdraws ambient air from outside, directs the ambient air through a heater element and directs streams of the heated air through the massage node to the body part being massaged. Each of the fan, the heater element and the massage motor or motors may include multiple settings. The fan and massage motor are preferably separately controlled.

Claims

1. A hand-held electromechanical massager for applying a heated vibrating massage to a user'"'"'s body, the massager comprising:

an elongated handle having a first end, a second end including an orifice and an interior portion, the interior portion of the handle defining a housing;

an air intake vent on the handle located proximate the first end of the handle;

a massage node of generally circular cross section coupled to the second end of the handle and extending outwardly and axially from the second end orifice of the handle;

a motor located within the massage node eccentrically coupled to the massage node for moving the massage node in a manner that provides a vibrating massage to the user'"'"'s body;

an air outlet vent coupled to the handle between the handle and the massage node; and

a heating element and blowing mechanism located within the housing for heating ambient air received from the air intake vent and expelling the heated air through the air outlet vent proximate the massage node, wherein the heated air heats the area of the user'"'"'s body subject to the vibrating massage.

2. The massager as in claim 1, in which said housing includes a massage portion including said orifice and a massage portion axis, and a handle portion having a handle axis angled with respect to said massage portion axis.

3. The massager as in claim 1, in which said housing is generally cylindrical.

4. The massager as in claim 1, in which said massage node is substantially round.

5. The massager as in claim 1, in which said massage node is ellipsoidal in shape.

6. The massager as in claim 1, further comprising a further motor encased within said housing and capable of causing said massage node to one of vibrate and reciprocate, said motor and said further motor being separately controllable.

7. The massager as in claim 1, in which said motor is a rotary motor.

8. The massager as in claim 1, in which said heated air is additionally expelled through at least one opening formed in said massaging node.

9. The massager as in claim 1, in which said blowing mechanism includes a fan and a fan motor.