Handholdable massager having combination massaging and dual function two speed actuator pad

• US 5,704,902 A
• Filed: 09/19/1995
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Headwaters Research Development Incorporated (Seven Group Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Headwaters Research Development Incorporated (Seven Group Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Anderson, Troy Gene, Vandenbelt, Rudy Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOO, BENJAMIN K
• Application Number:
  US08/530,417
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 601/70-74, 601/78-81, 601/46, 601/48, 601/67, 601/68, 601/69, 601/84
• US Class Current: 601/72
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 using rotating unbalanced masses

Abstract

A handholdable massager having a combination massaging and dual function two speed actuator pad is disclosed which provides both automatic and manual modes of operation enabling a user to enjoy either a hands-free or user-applied massage to almost any body part at user-selectable speeds. The combination massaging and actuator pad, mounted in the presently preferred embodiment for rotation and translation with a handholdable housing body, both vibrates as well as provides the control action to select the manual and the automatic modes of operation at different speeds, simply by rotating and translating it about its axis of rotation. An actuation mechanism having two (2) switches and actuator cams integrally formed with the combination massaging and actuator pad cooperate in the presently preferred embodiment to provide user-selection of the mode and of the speed of operation. The handholdable housing in the presently preferred embodiment has mating top and bottom housing bodies into which a DC motor and two (2) "C" batteries of comparatively light weight are received.

Claims

1. A portable dual function massager selectably providing manual-mode operation, where the massager is "on" and is vibrating, and automatic-mode operation, where the massager is "on" and is vibrating when, and only so long as, translational actuating pressure is externally applied thereto, said massager being free from unintended actuation and undesirable user fatigue, comprising:

a handholdable housing;

an actuator member mounted to said housing for first movement relative to said housing between predetermined at least one manual-mode and at least one automatic mode position, and mounted, at each at least one automatic-mode position, to said housing for second translational movement, relative to said housing, from a predetermined nominally "off" position to a predetermined "on" position, in response to said translational actuating pressure being externally applied to said actuator member that moves it to its "on" position from its nominally "off" position when, and only so long as, said translational actuating pressure is being externally applied;

a vibratory motion imparter mounted within said handholdable housing; and

an actuation mechanism means cooperative with said actuator member and electrically coupled to the vibratory motion imparter, that is responsive to said first movement of said actuator member to each at least one manual-mode position, for actuating the vibratory motion imparter to provide said manual-mode operation of said massager, where said massager is "on" and is vibrating, and that is responsive to said first movement of said actuator member to each at least one automatic-mode position, and to said second movement of said actuator member from said nominally "off" position to said "on" position, for actuating said vibratory motion imparter to provide said automatic-mode operation of said massager, where said massager is "on" and is vibrating when, and only so long as, said translational actuating pressure is externally applied.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said actuator member mounted for first and second movement to said housing is mounted for first movement between first and second predetermined manual-mode positions and third and fourth predetermined automatic-mode positions, and wherein said actuation mechanism means cooperative with said actuator member and electrically coupled to the vibratory motion imparter is responsive to said first movement of said actuator member to said predetermined first and second manual-mode positions thereof to actuate the vibratory motion imparter for manual-mode operation respectively at first and second speeds, and is responsive to said first movement of said actuator member to said third and fourth predetermined automatic-mode positions thereof, and to said second movement of said actuator member from said nominally "off" position to said "on" position thereof, to actuate said vibratory motion imparter for automatic-mode operation respectively at first and second speeds.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein said first movement is rotational movement defined about an axis of rotation, said predetermined first and second and third and fourth positions are rotary positions, wherein said second movement is translational movement along said axis of rotation, and wherein said nominally "off" and said "on" positions are defined at different points along said axis of rotation.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein said member is a combination massaging and dual function two (2) speed actuator pad rotatable and translatable about said rotational and translational axis.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said first movement is rotational movement defined about an axis of rotation and said second movement is translational movement defined along said axis of rotation.

6. The invention of claim 5, wherein said member is a combination massaging and dual function actuator pad rotatable and translatable about said rotational and translational axis.

7. The invention of claim 6, wherein said actuator member includes first and second cams of higher and lower profiles integrally formed therewith.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein said first and second cams of said combination massaging and dual function actuator pad are of longer and shorter angular lengths.

9. The invention of claim 1, wherein said handholdable housing has top and bottom mating housing bodies.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein at least one of said mating top and bottom housing bodies includes walls defining a vibratory motion imparter receiving housing.

11. The invention of claim 10, wherein said vibratory motion imparter receiving housing is integrally formed with said top housing body.

12. The invention of claim 9, wherein at least one of said mating top and bottom housing bodies includes electrodes mounted to walls providing a battery receiving compartment.

14. The invention of claim 12, wherein said actuation mechanism includes at least one switch.

15. The invention of claim 14, wherein said actuation mechanism includes two (2) switches that are connected in parallel circuit legs between said electrodes of said battery receiving compartment and said vibratory motion imparter, and wherein a resistor is provided in one of the parallel circuit legs with one of the switches.

13. The invention 12, wherein said walls providing said battery compartment are formed in both the top and the bottom housing bodies.

16. A handholdable massager selectably operable in one of a manual-mode, where the massager is "on" and is vibrating, and an automatic mode, where the massager is "on" and is vibrating when, and only so long as, translational actuating pressure is externally applied thereto, comprising:

a handholdable massager housing;

a combination massaging and dual function actuator pad mounted to said handholdable massager housing for rotation about an axis of rotation between preselected manual-mode and automatic-mode rotary positions and mounted to said handholdable massager housing for translation along said axis of rotation from an "off" to an "on" translational position by applying said external translational actuating pressure thereto that acts along said axis of rotation; and

means responsive to the rotary and translational positions of said combination massaging and dual function actuator pad for selecting manual-mode operation when the same is rotated to a preselected manual-mode rotary position and for selecting automatic-mode operation when said combination massaging and dual function actuator pad is rotated to a preselected automatic-mode rotary position and is translated from said "off" translational position to said "on" translational position by said external translational actuating pressure;

whereby, the combination massaging and actuator pad both vibrates in either said manual- or automatic-modes as well as selects operation of one of said manual- and automatic-modes.

17. The invention of claim 16, wherein said manual-mode and automatic-mode rotary positions include preselected high- and low-speed manual-mode and automatic-mode rotary positions, and wherein said means for selecting manual- and automatic-mode operation selects manual-mode operation at high- and low-speed when said combination massaging and dual function actuator pad is rotated respectively to said preselected high- and low-speed manual-mode rotary positions and selects automatic-mode operation at high- and low-speed when said combination massaging and dual function actuator pad is both rotated to a respective one of said preselected high- and low-speed automatic-mode rotary positions and is translated from said "off" translational position to said "on" translational position by external pressure.

18. The invention of claim 16, wherein said means includes a switch mounted to said housing and a pair of cams of higher and lower profile depending off of said combination massaging and actuator pad at predetermined positions determined such that said higher profile cam actuates said switch when said combination massaging and actuator pad is rotated to said manual-mode rotary position and said lower profile cam confronts said switch when said combination massaging and actuator pad is rotated to said automatic-mode rotary position.

19. The invention of claim 17, wherein said means includes first and second switches mounted to said housing and first and second pairs of cams of higher and lower profile depending off of said combination massaging and actuator pad at predetermined positions determined such that one of said higher profile cams actuates one of said switches when said combination massaging and actuator pad is rotated to one of said high- and low-speed manual-mode rotary positions and the other one of said higher profile cams contacts the other one of said switches when said combination massaging and actuator pad is rotated to the other one of said high- and low-speed manual-mode rotary positions and determined such that one of said lower profile cams confronts one of said switches when said combination massaging and actuator pad is rotated to one of said high- and low-speed automatic-mode rotary positions and the other one of said lower-profile cams confronts the other one of said switches when said combination massaging and actuator pad is rotated to the other one of said high- and low-speed automatic-mode rotary positions.