Bearing device for beauty roller/health roller, and beauty roller/health roller

• US 9,810,260 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation, MTG Limited (Worley Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation, MTG Limited (Worley Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanigawa, Naonari, Matsushita, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis, LaToya M
• Application Number:
  US13/879,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20130245509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 15/0092 hand-held A61H15/0085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2015/0014 cylinder-like, i.e. rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0115 used in water
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1454 Special bearing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1695 Enhanced pressure effect, e.g. substantially sharp projections, needles or pyramids
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/10 for both radial and axial load
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2202/50 Lubricating properties
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2208/52 Polyphenylene sulphide [PPS] F16C2208/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2208/60 Polyamides [PA]
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2208/66 Acetals, e.g. polyoxymethylene [POM]
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2208/78 Polyethylene [PE], e.g. ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene [UHMWPE]
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2220/04 by injection-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2220/08 by compression-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2316/00 Apparatus in health or amusement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 27/08 primarily for axial load, e.g. for vertically-arranged shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/20 Sliding surface consisting mainly of plastics F16C33/22 - F16C33/28 take precedence

Abstract

A bearing device for a beauty and health roller which presents no risk of bathwater or bathtub contamination, is hygienic, is less heavy than conventional ball bearings, is devoid of roller rattle, and exhibits a small rotational resistance of the rollers. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller is used in a beauty and health roller having a grippable body and a roller arranged at the end portion of the body, and rotatably supports the roller on a supporting shaft provided to the end portion of the body. The bearing device comprises a radial bearing 5 into which the supporting shaft is fitted and which rotatably supports the roller on the supporting shaft 2a.

Claims

1. A bearing device for a manual beauty and health roller having a grippable main unit and a roller arranged at an end portion of the grippable main unit, the bearing device rotatably supporting the roller on a support shaft on said end portion of the grippable main unit,

the bearing device characterized in comprising:

a radial bearing into which the support shaft is fitted, the radial bearing rotatably supporting the roller on the support shaft;

a thrust bearing arranged toward one end face of the radial bearing, a preload-applying member interposed between the radial bearing and the thrust bearing, said radial bearing being adapted to rotate synchronously with said roller when said roller is pressed against bare skin and said roller is caused to rotate,

wherein the preload-applying member is in contact with the thrust bearing and each of the radial bearing and the thrust bearing is a slider bearing obtained by being molded from a resin composition and

wherein the entire preload-applying member is a single piece elastic ring that is elastically deformed and said elastically deformed ring is interposed between the radial bearing and the thrust bearing,

characterized in that the elastic ring comprises a cylindrical portion fitted to a sleeve portion of the radial bearing, and a flared portion in contact with the thrust bearing.

2. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 1, characterized in that the radial bearing is electroconductive.

3. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 1, characterized in that the elastic ring comprising a rubber or an elastomer.

4. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 3;

characterized in that the rubber or elastomer is at least one material selected from among silicone rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, and fluororubber.

5. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 3, characterized in that the elastic ring is configured so as to be capable of elastically deforming into an outwardly flared shape.

6. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 1, characterized in that a boundary portion between the cylindrical portion and the flared portion is thinner than the cylindrical portion.

7. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 1, characterized in that the resin composition used in the molding of at least one of the radial bearing and the thrust bearing is a composition that includes a lubricity improver.

8. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 7, characterized in that the lubricity improver is at least one material selected from among carbon, solid lubricants, waxes, and lubricating oils.

9. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 1, characterized in that the radial bearing is an article obtained by injection-molding the resin composition for molding the radial bearing.

10. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 1, characterized in that the base resin of the resin composition is at least one synthetic resin selected from among polyacetal resin, polyphenylene sulfide resin, polyamide resin, polyphenylene oxide resin, and polyethylene resin.

11. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 1, characterized in that a gap formed in an axial direction is provided on at least one surface selected from among an inner peripheral surface of the roller and an outer peripheral surface of the radial bearing.

12. A beauty and health roller having a grippable main unit, a roller arranged at an end portion of the main unit, and a bearing device for rotatably supporting the roller on a support shaft provided at the end portion of the main unit, the beauty/health roller characterized in that the bearing device is the bearing device of claim 1.

13. The beauty and health roller of claim 12, characterized in that a surface of the roller is metal plated, and the support shaft and the roller are electrically energized via the bearing device.

14. The beauty and health roller of claim 12, characterized in that a plurality of the bearing devices are provided in the interior of the roller in the axial direction.

15. The beauty and health roller of claim 12, characterized in that the interior of the roller does not have a waterproof structure.

16. A bearing device for a manual beauty and health roller having a grippable main unit and a roller arranged at an end portion of the grippable main unit the bearing device rotatably supporting the roller on a support shaft on said end portion of the grippable main unit,

the bearing device characterized in comprising:

a radial bearing into which the support shaft is fitted, the radial bearing rotatably supporting the roller on the support shaft;

a thrust bearing arranged toward one end face of the radial bearing, a preload-applying member interposed between the radial bearing and the thrust bearing,

wherein the preload-applying member is in contact with the thrust bearing and each of the radial bearing and the thrust bearing is a slider bearing obtained by being molded from a resin composition,

wherein the radial bearing slides on the support shaft of the grippable main unit and rotates in synchronization with the roller, and

wherein the entire preload-applying member is a single piece elastic ring that is elastically deformed and said elastically deformed ring is interposed between the radial bearing and the thrust bearing,

characterized in that the elastic ring comprises a cylindrical portion fitted to a sleeve portion of the radial bearing, and a flared portion in contact with the thrust bearing.

17. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 16, characterized in that an axially oriented, rib-shaped projection is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the roller;

a fitting groove into which the rib-shaped projection is fitted is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the radial bearing; and

the radial bearing rotates in synchronization with the roller by the fitting of the rib-shaped projection and the fitting groove.

18. The bearing device for a beauty and health roller of claim 16, characterized in that a member separate from the roller is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the roller;

a leg portion of the separate member projects from an inner peripheral surface of the roller through a hole portion formed in the surface of the roller;

a fitting groove into which the projecting portion of the leg portion of the separate member is fitted is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the radial bearing; and

the radial bearing rotates in synchronization with the roller by the fitting of the projection portion and the fitting groove.