Headrest assembly with improved adjustability for a massage device

• US 7,610,639 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Earthlite, LLC
• Original Assignee: Earthlite Massage Tables, Inc.
• Inventors: Chow, William W., Roleder, Jon W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Santos; Robert G
• Application Number:
  US11/452,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20060288484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 562/2, 562/1, 563/2, 5636-638, 564/0, 564/3, 572/5, 297/408, 297/409, 297/391, 297/900
• US Class Current: 5/622
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/026 Supports for lying in a prone position A47C20/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 9/10 Pillows pillow holders A47C21/00, A47C21/026; specially adapted for preventing snoring A61F5/56
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 9/1054 for lying face downwards
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/009 Physiotherapeutic tables, beds or platforms; Chiropractic or osteopathic tables with incorporated massage means A61H2201/0138
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/12 Rests specially adapted therefor; Arrangements of patient-supporting surfaces rests for the surgeon A61B90/60; restraining devices A61F5/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/121 Head or neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/325 prone
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/072 for the head only
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1604 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/022 Face
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 37/00 Accessories for massage

Abstract

A headrest assembly (212) for supporting a face of a user (16) of a massage device (10) includes a resilient assembly (220) that supports the face of the user (15), a support arm assembly (222) that is secured to the massage device (10), and an adjuster assembly (224) that can be used to adjust the position of the resilient assembly (220) relative to the support arm assembly (222). The adjuster assembly (224) can include a first adjuster subassembly (240A) that forms a first, four bar type linkage assembly and a second adjuster subassembly (240B) that forms a second, four bar type linkage assembly. The four bar type linkage assemblies allow for improved range of movement and adjustment of the resilient assembly.

Claims

1. A headrest assembly for supporting a face of a user of a massage device, the headrest assembly comprising:

a resilient assembly that supports the face of the user;

a support frame that supports the resilient assembly;

a support arm assembly that is secured to the massage device; and

an adjuster assembly that can be used to adjust the position of the resilient assembly relative to the support arm assembly, the adjuster assembly including a first adjuster subassembly that forms a first, four bar type linkage assembly, wherein the support frame forms a portion of the first, four bar type linkage assembly, the first adjuster subassembly including (i) a first linkage that extends between and is pivotably connected to the support arm assembly and the support frame, (ii) an adjuster beam that extends away from and is pivotably connected to the support arm assembly, and (iii) a second linkage that extends between and is pivotably connected to the adjuster beam and the support frame.

2. The headrest assembly of claim 1 wherein the adjuster assembly includes a second adjuster subassembly that is spaced apart from the first adjuster subassembly, the second adjuster subassembly forms a second, four bar type linkage assembly.

3. The headrest assembly of claim 2 wherein the support frame forms a portion of the first, four bar type linkage assembly and a portion of the second, four bar type linkage assembly.

4. The headrest assembly of claim 1 wherein pivoting of the first linkage relative to the support arm assembly causes the support frame to move up or down relative to the support arm assembly and wherein pivoting of the adjuster beam relative to the support arm assembly causes the support frame to pivot relative to the support arm assembly.

5. The headrest assembly of claim 4 wherein the support frame includes an ear region and a forehead region and wherein the first linkage is connected to the support frame near the ear region and the second linkage is connected to the support frame near the forehead region.

6. The headrest assembly of claim 1 wherein the first linkage and the adjuster beam rotate relative to each other.

7. A massage device comprising a massage base and the headrest assembly of claim 1 coupled to the massage base.

8. A headrest assembly for supporting a face of a user of a massage device, the headrest assembly comprising:

a resilient assembly that supports the face of the user;

a support frame that supports the resilient assembly, the support frame including an ear region and a forehead region;

a support arm assembly that is secured to the massage device; and

an adjuster assembly that can be used to adjust the position of the resilient assembly relative to the support arm assembly, the adjuster assembly including a first adjuster subassembly having a first linkage that is coupled to the support frame near the ear region, a second linkage that is coupled to the support frame near the forehead region, and an adjuster beam that is coupled to the second linkage;

wherein the first linkage is connected to the support arm assembly and pivots relative to an axis and the adjuster beam is connected to the support arm assembly and pivots relative to the axis.

9. The headrest assembly of claim 8 wherein the first adjuster subassembly forms a first, four bar type linkage assembly.

10. The headrest assembly of claim 9 wherein the adjuster assembly includes a second adjuster subassembly that is spaced apart from the first adjuster subassembly, the second adjuster subassembly forms a second, four bar type linkage assembly.

11. The headrest assembly of claim 9 wherein the support frame forms a portion of the first, four bar type linkage assembly.

12. The headrest assembly of claim 8 wherein pivoting of the first linkage relative to the support arm assembly causes the support frame to move up or down relative to the support arm assembly and wherein pivoting of the adjuster beam relative to the support arm assembly causes the support frame to pivot relative to the support arm assembly.

13. A massage device comprising a massage base and the headrest assembly of claim 8 coupled to the massage base.

14. A headrest assembly for supporting a face of a user of a massage device, the headrest assembly comprising:

a resilient assembly that supports the face of the user;

a support frame that supports the resilient assembly, the support frame including an ear region and a forehead region;

a support arm assembly that is secured to the massage device; and

an adjuster assembly that can be used to adjust the position of the resilient assembly relative to the support arm assembly, the adjuster assembly including a first adjuster subassembly having a first linkage that is coupled to the support frame near the ear region and a second linkage that is coupled to the support frame near the forehead region;

wherein the first adjuster subassembly includes an adjuster beam that extends away from the support arm assembly, and wherein the second linkage that extends between the adjuster beam and the support frame and wherein (i) the first linkage is pivotably connected to the support arm assembly and the support frame, (ii) the adjuster beam is pivotably connected to the support arm assembly, and (iii) the second linkage is pivotably connected to the adjuster beam and the support frame.

15. The headrest assembly of claim 14 wherein the first linkage and the adjuster beam rotate relative to each other.

16. A method for supporting a face of a user of a massage device, the method comprising the steps of:

supporting the face of the user with a resilient assembly;

supporting the resilient assembly with a support frame;

securing a support arm assembly to the massage device; and

adjusting the position of the resilient assembly relative to the support arm assembly with an adjuster assembly, the adjuster assembly including a first adjuster subassembly that forms a first, four bar type linkage assembly, wherein the support frame forms a portion of the first, four bar type linkage assembly, the first adjuster subassembly including (i) a first linkage that extends between and is pivotably connected to the support arm assembly and the support frame, (ii) an adjuster beam that extends away from and is pivotably connected to the support arm assembly, and (iii) a second linkage that extends between and is pivotably connected to the adjuster beam and the support frame.

17. A headrest assembly for supporting a face of a user of a massage device, the headrest assembly comprising:

a resilient assembly that supports the face of the user;

a support arm assembly that is secured to the massage device; and

an adjuster assembly that can be used to adjust the position of the resilient assembly relative to the support arm assembly, the adjuster assembly including a first adjuster subassembly that forms a first, four bar type linkage assembly, wherein the first adjuster subassembly includes a first bar that is connected to the support arm assembly and pivots relative to an axis and a second bar that is connected to the support arm assembly and pivots relative to the axis.

18. The headrest assembly of claim 17 wherein the adjuster assembly further includes a second adjuster subassembly that is spaced apart from the first adjuster subassembly, wherein the second adjuster subassembly includes a first bar that is connected to the support arm assembly and pivots relative to the axis and a second bar that is connected to the support arm assembly and pivots relative to the axis.

19. The headrest assembly of claim 18 wherein the support arm assembly includes an arm connector that extends between the first adjuster subassembly and the second adjuster subassembly, the arm connector being positioned along the axis.

20. The headrest assembly of claim 19 wherein the first bar and the second bar of the first adjuster subassembly and the first bar and the second bar of the second adjuster subassembly each pivot relative to the arm connector.

21. The headrest assembly of claim 19 wherein the arm connector includes a connector latch that is selectively movable between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein when the connector latch is in the unlocked position the first bar and the second bar of the first adjuster subassembly and the first bar and the second bar of the second adjuster subassembly can each pivot relative to the arm connector, and wherein when the connector latch is in the locked position the first bar and the second bar of the first adjuster subassembly and the first bar and the second bar of the second adjuster subassembly are inhibited from pivoting relative to the arm connector.

22. A headrest assembly for supporting a face of a user of a massage device, the headrest assembly comprising:

a resilient assembly that supports the face of the user;

a support frame that supports the resilient assembly;

a support arm assembly that is secured to the massage device; and

an adjuster assembly that can be used to adjust the position of the resilient assembly relative to the support arm assembly, the adjuster assembly including a first adjuster subassembly including a first bar that extends between and is pivotably connected to the support arm assembly and the support frame, and a second bar and a third bar that cooperate to extend between and be pivotably connected to the support arm assembly and the support frame, wherein the support frame forms a portion of the first adjuster subassembly;

wherein the first bar pivots relative to the support arm assembly about an axis, and wherein the second bar is connected to the support arm assembly and pivots relative to the support arm assembly about the axis.