CN103025295A - massager - Google Patents

Abstract

A massager is disclosed herein. One embodiment of the massager includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first end and a second end, wherein at least a section of the first portion between the first end and the second end is curved. A first coupling device is located on the first end and is configured to receive a massage element. A second coupling device is adjacent the second end. The second coupling means is configured to attach to a third coupling means on a second portion of the massager, thereby engaging the first and second portions. The second portion comprises a substantially straight member extending between a first end and a second end, wherein the third coupling means is located on the second end.

Description

massager

This application claims priority to US Provisional Application 61/366,258, filed Jul. 21, 2010, for MASSAGER by Daniel Hennessey and includes the entire disclosure of that US Provisional Application.

Background technique

A body massager, sometimes simply called a massager, functions to enable a user to massage a part of his body. Some massagers have an arm with a ball or the like attached to it. The user rubs the ball into his muscles, thereby massaging his muscles. These massagers tend to be bulky because they are large enough for the user to massage his back while holding the massager in front of his body.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a top view of one embodiment of a massager.

FIG. 2 is a top view of one embodiment of a curved portion of the massager of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a top view of one embodiment of a straight portion of the massager of FIG. 1 .

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the massager of Fig. 1, showing parts separated and some massaging elements.

FIG. 5 is a side view of one embodiment of the ball massaging element of FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the wheel of FIG. 5 .

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an axle of FIG. 5 .

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a wheel-shaped massaging element having a plurality of protrusions.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a massaging element in the form of a scratcher.

10 is a cut away view of one embodiment of the massaging device of FIG. 1 .

Figure 11 is a side view of one embodiment of the coupling mechanism between the curved and straight sections of the massager.

Figure 12 is an end view of another embodiment of the coupling mechanism.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a coupling mechanism.

14 is an enlarged view of the second end of the straight portion of the massager of FIG. 13 .

15 is another enlarged view of the second end of the straight portion of the massager of FIG. 13 .

16 is a view of the first end of the massager of FIG. 13 .

17 is a view of the first end of the massager of FIG. 13 showing the opposite side of FIG. 17 .

Detailed ways

A top view of one embodiment of a massager 100 is shown in FIG. 1 . The massager 100 includes two sections, referred to herein as a first or curved section 104 and a second or straight section 106 . The curved portion 104 is removable from the straight portion 106, thereby enabling the massager 100 to be disassembled and reassembled, as described in more detail below. It should be noted that portions other than straight portions and curved portions may be used herein.

One embodiment of the curved portion 104 is shown in FIG. 2 . The curved portion 104 may not be completely curved. Conversely, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the curved portion 104 may have a straight section 110 and a curved section 112 . In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 , curved portion 104 extends between first end 120 and second end 122 and includes straight section 110 and curved section 112 .

The term "curved portion" means that the portion includes a substantial bend between the first end 120 and the second end 122 . In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, curved section 112 is a semicircle defined by radius 114, constituting a sharp bend. However, curved section 112 need not be as pronounced, and need not be circular. As described in more detail below, the curved section 112 needs to be large enough to enable a user of the massager 100 to contact their back with the massager. In some embodiments, the curved portion may be a section of the massager that has an arc angle of 45 degrees to 90 degrees.

The first end 120 of the curved portion 104 has a coupling section thereon or adjacent thereto that enables the curved portion 104 to be attached to the straight portion 106 . In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the coupling section is a threaded portion 126 which enables the curved portion 104 to be screwed into a corresponding tapped portion within the straight portion 106. . Reference numeral 126 may apply to the coupling section and to the thread. Other coupling devices and methods are described in more detail below.

It should be noted that the second end 122 of the curved portion 104 also has a coupling section 130 adjacent thereto. Coupling section 130 is used to secure a massaging element to second end 122, as described in more detail below. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 , coupling section 130 is an internally threaded section of second end 122 . The internally threaded section is configured to receive a threaded rod, such as a bolt, which can be attached to the massaging element. Other methods and devices for securing massaging elements to massager 100 are described in more detail below.

The curved portion 104 of FIG. 2 has a first handle 134 extending from the curved portion 104 . The first handle 134 can be used to hold the massager 100 or can be used to massage the user. The first handle 134 extends in a direction opposite to the concave curvature of the curved portion 112 . In some embodiments, the first handle 134 is detachable from the curved portion 104 . The first handle 134 has a ball 136 attached to the first handle 134 . The ball 136 can be used as a massaging element. The ball 136 may also assist the user in gripping the first handle 134 by preventing the first handle 134 from slipping out of the user's hand. In some embodiments, the ball 136 is removable and can be replaced with other massaging elements as described below.

Having described the curved portion 104, the straight portion 106 will now be described. Referring to FIG. 3 , which is a plan view of straight portion 106 extending between first end 150 and second end 152 . The second end 152 has a coupling section 156 that is coupled to the coupling section 126 of the curved portion 104 of FIG. 2 . In the embodiment of FIG. 3 , coupling section 156 includes an internally threaded bore that receives threads 126 on first end 120 of curved portion 104 . The second end portion 152 has a reinforcement member 158 extending over the coupling section 126 , 156 between the curved portion 104 and the straight portion 106 . Reinforcing member 158 strengthens the junction between curved portion 104 and straight portion 106 . In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 3, reinforcing members 158 extend over the threads 126 in the curved section 104 and straight section 106, which increases the strength of the joint. The reinforcement member 158 may be integrally formed with the straight section 106 . For example, straight section 106 may be formed from a mold that includes reinforcement member 158 .

Coupling section 126 and coupling section 156 may be configured to position curved section 104 and straight section 106 relative to each other in a preselected configuration when coupling section 126 and coupling section 156 are engaged. For example, if threads are used in the coupling sections 126, 156, the threads may bring the parts 104, 106 into alignment when they are tightened, as shown in FIG. 1 . Pins or other means to achieve the same alignment can be used.

The first end 150 of the straight portion 106 has a massaging element 160 attached to the first end 150 . Although the massaging element shown in FIG. 3 is a ball, many different types of massaging elements may be attached to the first end 150 as described herein. In some embodiments, the massaging elements are removably attached to the first end 150 in a manner similar or identical to the manner in which the massaging elements are attached to the second end 122 of the curved portion 104 of FIG. 2 . For example, massaging elements may be screwed into first end 150 .

The straight portion 106 has a second handle 162 extending from the straight portion 106 . The second handle 162 may be substantially similar to the first handle 134 of FIG. 2 . For example, the second handle 162 is detachable from the straight portion 106 . Similar to the first handle 134, the second handle 162 has a massaging element 164 attached thereto. The massaging element 164 may be a ball as shown in FIG. 3, or another type of massaging element. The ball or other massaging element 164 helps the user secure the second handle 162 while using the massager 100 . The massaging elements 164 also enable the user to massage muscles with the massaging elements 164 . As briefly mentioned above, in some embodiments, the second handle 162 is detachable from the straight portion 106 . For example, the second handle 162 may have a threaded portion that is threaded into an internally threaded hole in the straight portion 106 . In some embodiments, the second handle 162 extends substantially parallel to the first handle 134 when the straight portion 106 is attached to the curved portion 104 as shown in FIG. 1 .

The straight portion 106 may have additional massaging elements attached to the straight portion. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 , straight portion 106 has two additional massaging elements, referred to as first massaging element 170 and second massaging element 172 . The first massaging element 170 and the second massaging element 172 shown in FIG. 3 are balls. It should be noted, however, that they could be other types of massaging elements as described below. Like the other massaging elements, the first and second massaging elements 170, 172 are removable. For example, they can be screwed into the straight portion 106 .

Referring to Figure 1, the massager 100 can be made from a variety of different materials. In many embodiments, the material is substantially rigid or semi-rigid, and may be in the form of plastic or glass filled nylon. The massager 100 and massaging elements described herein may be formed by a molding process.

Having described some embodiments of the massager 100, embodiments of various massaging elements will now be described. Referring to FIG. 4 , this is a perspective view of the massager 100 showing the curved portion 104 and the straight portion 106 separated, and some of the massaging elements attachable to the portions 104 , 106 . FIG. 4 shows four different massaging elements 180 that may be attached to the second end 122 of the curved portion 104 . Massage element 180 includes a small ball 182 , a medium ball 184 , a large ball 186 and a roller 188 . It should be noted that massaging element 180 may be used or replaced by any massaging element associated with massager 100 and is not limited to being attached to second end 122 of curved portion 104 .

A more detailed view of center ball 184 is shown in FIG. 5 . Center ball 184 represents all balls 182, 184, 186 of Figure 4, differing only in size. Ball 184 includes a head 192, which may be substantially spherical or at least partially spherical. Head 192 may have a diameter of about one inch. In some embodiments, the small ball 182 has a head diameter of about 0.875 inches, while the large ball 186 has a head diameter of about 1.125 inches.

Head 192 may be adjacent to a tapered portion 193 that is the transition between head 192 and surface 194 . Surface 194 is configured to contact straight portion 106 of FIG. 1 or curved portion 104 of FIG. 1 adjacent to where ball 184 is attached to straight portion 106 of FIG. 1 or curved portion 104 of FIG. 1 . Shaft 196 may extend from surface 194 . The shaft 196 is used to further secure the ball 184 to the straight section 106 or the curved section 104 . Threads 198 may extend from shaft 196 , or threads 198 may be cut into shaft 196 . It should be noted that in some embodiments, the threads 198 extend to the surface 194 and the shaft 196 is absent.

The ball 184 is screwed into one position on either the straight section 106 or the curved section 104 . For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , a ball 184 may be threaded into second end 122 of curved portion 104 . Corresponding threads within the second end 122 may be positioned beyond the second end 122 by a distance corresponding to the length of the shaft 196 . By locating the threads within the first end 122 , the ball 184 is less likely to move or rock in use and is able to withstand greater forces than if the threads 198 extended only the length of the shaft 196 . In some embodiments, the tapered portion 193 has a tab 200 extending therefrom, which facilitates screwing the ball 184 into one of the portions 104 , 106 by a user.

A more detailed view of roller 188 is shown in FIG. 6 , which is a perspective view of roller 188 . Roller 188 includes a frame 210 supporting wheels 212 . In frame 210, wheels 212 may be replaced with other massaging elements, as described below. Frame 210 has surface 216 that is similar or identical to surface 194 of ball 184 of FIG. 5 . Likewise, the frame 210 has a shaft 218 and threads 220 similar or identical to the shaft 196 and threads 198 on the ball 184 of FIG. 5 . Thus, the roller 188 can be threaded into one portion 104 , 106 of the massager 100 in a similar or identical manner as the ball 180 .

Wheel 212 is shown as smooth. Other embodiments of the wheel 212 may have protrusions extending from the wheel. For example, referring to FIG. 8, the wheel 212 may have a plurality of protrusions 250 extending therefrom. Protrusions 250 may be, for example, bumps or ridges that further massage the muscles.

The frame 210 has two members 224 that extend to support the wheels 212 . Member 224 has a bore 226 that receives a pin or shaft 228 . Wheel 212 rotates about axis 228 in a conventional manner. In some embodiments, the axle 228 is removable so that the frame 210 can accommodate other embodiments of the wheel 212 . One embodiment of the shaft 228 is shown in FIG. 7 . The shaft 228 has a tabbed end 240 which secures the shaft 228 in the frame 210 of FIG. 6 . When the tabbed end 240 is squeezed, the shaft 228 can be removed from the frame 210, which releases the wheel 212. The shape of the tabbed end 240 allows easy insertion of the shaft 228 into the frame 210, which further enables quick replacement of the wheel 212 with another device.

Other types of massaging elements may be attached to massager 100 . For example, referring to FIG. 9 , the massaging element may be a scratcher 260 . The scratcher 260 has a connector that enables the scratcher 260 to be secured to the massager 100 . In the embodiment of Figure 9, the connector is a threaded portion 262 that can be screwed into the massager, as described above with respect to the other massage elements. The scratcher 260 has a plurality of fingers 264 extending from the scratcher 260 . The fingers 264 extend in a direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the threaded portion 262 extends.

A second embodiment of a scratcher 270 is shown in FIG. 10 . The scratcher 270 includes a threaded portion 272, but could have another type of coupling. The scratcher 270 has a plurality of fingers 274 extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the threaded portion 272 extends. It should be noted that while both scratchers 260, 270 have three fingers 264, 274 extending therefrom, any number of fingers may extend therefrom.

A further embodiment of a coupling section 156 is shown in FIG. 11 . The coupling section 156 includes a locking tab 280 extending from the second end 152 of the straight section 106 . The locking tab 280 has a protrusion 282 formed thereon. The locking tab 280 is flexible such that the protrusion 282 moves relative to the second end 152 of the straight portion 106 and returns to its original position.

The curved portion 104 has a recess 286 adjacent to the first end 120 that is sized to receive at least a portion of the protrusion 282 . When the protrusion 282, or at least a section thereof, is located within the recess 286, the curved portion 104 and the straight portion 106 are locked. More specifically, the locking tab 280 prevents the two parts 104, 106 from unscrewing from each other. The curved section 104 can be unscrewed from the straight section 106 by lifting the locking tab 180 to remove the protrusion 282 from the recess 286 .

Another embodiment of the recess 286 is shown in FIG. 12 , which is a cut away view of the curved portion 104 . In this embodiment, the recess 286 includes a ramp 290 and a wall 292 . When the curved portion 104 and the straight portion 106 are screwed together, the protrusion 282 lands on the wall 292 and slides up the ramp 290 where it contacts the outer surface of the curved portion 104 . Thus, locking tab 280 need not be lifted out of recess 286 when curved portion 104 and straight portion 106 are screwed together.

If 104, 106 begin to unscrew from each other, protrusion 282 contacts wall 292 and prevents unscrewing. By lifting the protrusion 282 during unscrewing, the parts 104, 106 can be unscrewed from each other. This effectively locks the parts 104, 106 together after they are screwed together.

Other embodiments for securing the curved portion 104 to the straight portion 106 are described below. Referring to FIG. 13 , which is a perspective view of one embodiment of a massager, the coupling mechanism 300 may include a slot and an extending protrusion for securing the curved portion 104 to the straight portion 106 . The coupling mechanism 300 includes coupling sections from both the curved portion 104 and the straight portion 106 . As described below, this embodiment of the massager 100 has a slot in one portion configured to receive an extended protrusion on the other portion. In the embodiment of FIG. 13 , the groove is located in the curved portion and the protrusion is located in the straight portion 106 .

An enlarged view of second end 152 of massager 100 is shown in FIG. 14 . The second end 152 has a coupling section 200 that utilizes an extension protrusion 204 that is received within a slot (described below) on the curved portion 104 . Coupling section 200 includes an opening or cavity 202 having a protrusion 204 extending into cavity 202 . In some embodiments, cavity 202 is tapered. Although in the embodiment of FIG. 14 the protrusion 204 is elongated and extends in the direction of the straight portion 106, the protrusion 204 need not be elongated. In some embodiments, the protrusion may consist of a plurality of protrusions which may or may not be elongated. For example, cavity 202 may have a plurality of protrusions extending therein.

The coupling section 200 also has a bore 210 extending into the cavity. The base 212 surrounds the hole 210 . The base may be substantially flat and used to support a securing mechanism, as described in more detail below. Hole 210 may be threaded. For example, threads may be molded into coupling section 200 or a threaded insert may be attached into bore 210 . Threads are used when the securing mechanism is a screw, which is used to retain the screw within the hole 210, as described in more detail below.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the second end 152 of the straight portion 106 . Figure 15 shows an embodiment in which cavity 202 is tapered. This taper allows for a better fit of the curved portion 104 into the cavity 202 . As shown, holes 210 penetrate into the cavity 202 to enable the securing mechanism to contact the curved portion 104 .

FIG. 16 shows an enlarged view of the first end 120 of the curved portion 104 . The first end portion 120 is configured to be received by the coupling section 200 of the straight portion 106 of FIG. 14 . As shown, the first end 120 has a tapered section 218 that mates with the taper of the cavity 202 of the coupling section 200 . The first end portion 120 has a slot 220 thereon. The slot 220 is configured to receive the protrusion 104 within the coupling section 200 . Accordingly, the groove 220 is configured according to the protrusion 204 .

An opposite view of tapered section 218 is shown in FIG. 17 . The tapered section 218 includes an aperture 224 configured to receive the securing device that penetrates the aperture 210 in the coupling device 200 . In the embodiment of FIG. 17 , hole 224 is located opposite slot 220 .

One embodiment of a securing mechanism 240 is shown in FIG. 18 . The securing mechanism 240 includes a head 242 and a shaft 244 . Head 242 may be substantially similar to one of the massaging elements on massager 100 in FIG. 1 . The head 242 may include a plurality of protrusions 246 that allow a user to grasp the head 242 when the user secures the head 242 to the massager 100 . Shaft 244 may be threaded so as to screw into bore 210 of FIG. 14 or bore 224 of FIG. 17 .

Having described the components of massager 100, its operation will now be described. The massager 100 is two-piece, which makes it easy to store and transport. When using the massager 100 , the first end 120 of the curved portion 104 is inserted into the coupling section 200 within the straight portion 106 . During insertion, protrusion 204 is received into slot 220 . The tapered portion 218 of the first end 220 allows for a tight fit within the cavity 202 . The securing mechanism 240 is secured to the massager 100 when the two parts 104, 106 are attached to each other. In the embodiment of FIG. 17 , the securing mechanism 240 is screwed into the hole 210 in the coupling section 200 , here the securing mechanism 240 penetrates into the hole 224 in the curved portion 104 . When the securing device 240 is tightened, the curved portion 104 is secured to the straight portion 106 .

Having described several embodiments of the massager 100, embodiments using the massager 100 will now be described. One embodiment using massager 100 is known as ischemic compression. Ischemic compressions are used in Shiatsu and trigger point work. The purpose of ischemic compressions is to deliberately increase blood blockage in an area that, once released, will have resurgence of blood. This washes away waste products, supplies necessary oxygen, and helps damaged tissue heal. This increased blood flow to the area is called hyperemia. The aforementioned massaging elements are used to press muscles or the like to form ischemic compressions.

The application of ischemic compressions involves relaxing the muscle and stretching it to the point of discomfort. Massage elements, such as balls, are pressed directly against the muscle to create tolerable pain (7 to 8 on a 10-scale pain scale), sustained pressure. As the discomfort tends to lessen, gradually increase the pressure by adding more pressure. This process lasts up to one minute. If the muscle is still tender, the process can be repeated.

Claims (20)

1. Massager, including: a first part and a second part, said first part comprising; a first end and a second end, wherein at least a section of the first portion between the first end and the second end is curved; a coupling section adjacent to the first end configured to attach to a coupling section on the second portion of the massager to couple the first portion to the the second part above; and a coupling section on the second end configured to receive a massaging element; and The second part includes: A substantially straight member extending between a first end and a second end, wherein the coupling section is located on the second end. 2. The massager of claim 1, wherein said massaging element comprises a roller. 3. The massager of claim 2, wherein the roller includes a plurality of protrusions extending therefrom. 4. The massager of claim 2, wherein the roller comprises a wheel rotatably and removably attached to a frame. 5. The massager of claim 1, wherein the coupling section on the first end of the first portion and the coupling section on the second end of the second portion comprise threaded portions and an internally threaded portion such that the first portion and the second portion can be screwed together via the coupling section. 6. The massager of claim 1, wherein the coupling section on the second end of the first part and the massaging element include threads so that the massaging element can be screwed into the first part. the second end. 7. The massager of claim 1, wherein said second portion further comprises a handle. 8. The massager of claim 1, wherein the member further comprises at least one massaging element coupled to the member. 9. The massager of claim 1, wherein the second portion first end has a massaging element connectable to the second portion first end. 10. The massager of claim 9, wherein said massaging element comprises a ball. 11. Massagers, including: The first part, said first part includes: a first end and a second end; A second part, said second part including: a first end, and a second end oppositely positioned relative to said first end, said second end comprising a cavity wherein said first end of said first portion is receivable in said cavity. 12. The massager of claim 11, wherein the first end of the first portion is tapered, and the cavity is configured to receive the tapered first end of the first portion. 13. The massager of claim 11 , wherein said cavity includes at least one protrusion, wherein said first end of said first portion includes at least one slot, and wherein said at least one protrusion is receivable within the at least one slot. 14. The massager of claim 13, wherein said at least one protrusion is elongated, and wherein said at least one slot is elongated for receiving said elongated protrusion. 15. The massager of claim 11, wherein a first end of the first portion has a hole, wherein a second end of the second portion has a hole, wherein when the first portion is attached To the second portion, the holes are aligned, and wherein a securing means can be received in the holes. 16. The massager of claim 15, wherein the securing means comprises threaded screws. 17. The massager of claim 16, wherein the bore in the first end of the second portion is threaded. 18. The massager of claim 15, wherein said securing mechanism includes a shaft, and said shaft is receivable within said aperture. 19. The massager of claim 15, wherein said securing mechanism includes a head, and wherein when said securing mechanism is positioned within said aperture, said head is capable of being located on a second portion of said second portion. outside of the end. 20. The massager of claim 15, wherein the head includes at least one protrusion extending therefrom.

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