Patent Application
20060149173
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a massaging device, and more particularly to an air-pressure massaging device having an automatic adjustment function.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Normally, a massaging device for massaging the leg, foot or hand comprises a pair of oppositely arranged massaging structures, and the part to be massaged is placed between the massaging structures, and then the massaging structures will oscillate to provide a massage effect. However, the distance between the massaging structures is adjustable to fit different user's legs, thus it is unable to provide a suitable massaging force and a comfortable massaging effect.
JP Patent No. 2002-153532, as shown in
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an air-pressure massaging device capable of adjusting the distance between the adjustable massaging assembly and the fixed assembly can be adjusted through the inflation and deflation of an airbag, and accordingly the massaging force is properly adjusted.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to
The base 20 is interiorly provided with a frame 21, inside the frame 21 is a cross rod 22 which is locked with a reverse “π”shaped stop member 221. A dynamic unit 23 is disposed on the frame 21 and firmly positioned on the cross rod 22 by using a positioning structure 231 (as shown in
The two fixed massaging assemblies 30 are in the base 10 and located close to both ends of the drive rod 27, each of the fixed massaging assemblies 30 comprises a ring seat 31, a connecting ring 32, a ring 33, a press ring 34 and a limit ring 35. An end of the ring seat 31 is formed into the shape of a slant surface 311, a slant projection 312 and a slant connecting column 313 extend from the slant surface 311 in the axial directional thereof. On the periphery of the slant projection 312 is a formed positioning groove 314, and the ring seat 31 is axially defined with a through hole 315 through which the ring seat 31 is mounted onto the drive rod 27. The connecting column 313 is defined in the radial direction thereof with a through hole 316, so that the ring seat 31 is fixed to the drive rod 27 by passing a pin 317 through the through holes 271, 316. The connecting ring 32 is rotatably mounted onto the slant projection 312 of the ring seat 31 and is arranged at a predetermined angle, and an arc surface 321 is formed on the inner periphery of the connecting ring 32. On a side of the ring 33 are provided a plurality of ear portions 331 for fixing a ball 332, the ring 33 is mounted onto the slant projection 312 of the ring seat 31 in such a manner that the balls 332 at the ear portions 331 of the ring 33 are moveably received in the positioning groove 314 of the ring seat 31. The press ring 34 is rotatably positioned on the slant projection 312 of the ring seat 31 in such a manner that a side of the press ring 34 is locked with the connecting ring 32, while on another side of the press ring 34 are provided a plurality of massaging projections 341. The limit ring 35 is locked on another side of the press ring 34 having the massaging projections 341. An arc surface 351 is formed on the inner periphery of the limit ring 35 correspondingly to the balls 332 on the ring 33. Therefore, the connecting ring 32, the press ring 34 and the limit ring 35 are positioned on the slant projection 312 of the ring seat 31 via the ring 33, and are rotatable at a predetermined angle relative to the ring seat 31 under the effect of the balls 332 on the ring 33.
The two adjustable massaging assemblies 40 are mounted on the drive rod 27 in the base 20 and located between the two fixed massaging assemblies 30. Each of the adjustable massaging assemblies 40 comprises a housing 41, a movable ring seat 42, a connecting ring 43, a press ring 44, a ring 45 and a limit ring 46. The housing 41 is axially provided with a through hole 411 through which the housing 41 is moveably mounted onto the drive rod 27. The housings 41 of the two adjustable massaging assemblies 40 are different in size, the small housing 41 is received in the big housing 41, and a receiving space 412 is defined between the two housings 41. Each of the housings 41 is provided on its periphery thereof with a positioning portion 413 for engaging with the stop member 221, so that the housings 41 are unable to rotate together with the drive rod 27. On the periphery of the housing 41 is further provided with a first notch 414 and a second notch 415. The first notch 414 is located adjacent to the positioning portion 413. At the bottom surface of the housings 41 are provided a plurality of cavities 416 in each of which is received a ball 417. An end of the moveable ring seat 42 is formed into a slant surface 421, a slant projection 422 and a slant-connecting column 423 are extend from the slant surface 421 in the axial directional thereof. On the periphery of the slant projection 422 is a formed positioning groove 424, and the moveable ring seat 42 is axially defined with a through hole 425 through which the ring seat 421 is mounted onto the drive rod 27. A pair of inserting grooves 426 are oppositely disposed at both sides of the through hole 425 and located in line with the sliding grooves 272 of the drive rod 27. A T-shaped limit pin 427 inserted in the inserting grooves 426 and the sliding grooves 272 serves to allow a limit motion of the moveable ring seat 42 relative to the drive rod 27. Another end of the moveable ring seat 42 is provided with an annular groove 428. The connecting ring 43 is rotatably mounted onto the slant projection 422 of the moveable ring seat 42 and is arranged at a predetermined angle. On the inner periphery of the connecting ring 43 is formed an arc surface 431. The press ring 44 is rotatably mounted onto the slant projection 422 of the moveable ring seat 42, an end of the press ring 44 is locked with the connecting ring 44, and another end of the press ring 44 is provided with a plurality of massaging projections 441. The ring 45 is provided on its side surface with a plurality of ear portions 451 in each of which is received a ball 452. The ring 45 is also mounted onto the slant projection 422 of the moveable ring seat 42 in such a manner that the balls 452 in the ear portions 451 of the ring 45 are moveably received in the positioning groove 424. The limit ring 46 is locked on the side of the press ring 44 having the massaging projections 441, an arc surface 461 is formed on the inner periphery of the limit ring 46 correspondingly to the balls 452. By such arrangements, the housing 41, the moveable ring seat 42, the connecting ring 43, the press ring 44, the ring 45 and the limit ring 46 are confined in the sliding groove 272 of the drive rod 27 by the limit pin 427 on the moveable ring seat 42, and are moveable relative to the drive rod 27.
Each of the massaging wheel assemblies 50 comprises a sleeve 51, an assembling pipe 52 and a return element 53. The sleeve 51 is mounted onto the drive rod 27 of the base 20, and an end of the sleeve 51 is mounted onto the connecting column 423 on the moveable ring seat 42 of the adjustable massaging assembly 40 and is locked thereon. Formed inside the sleeve 51 is an annular step groove 511, and another end of the sleeve 51 is a free end, on the periphery of the free end of the sleeve 51 are provided a plurality of massaging blocks 512. The assembling pipe 52 is mounted onto the drive rod 27 of the base 20, a first end of the assembling pipe 52 is mounted onto the connecting column 313 on the ring seat 31 of the fixed massaging assemblies 30 in such a manner that a through axial hole 521 of the assembling pipe 52 is aligned to the through hole 316 of the ring seat 31, and a pin 317 is inserted through the axial hole 521 and the through hole 316 to fix the assembling pipe 52 on the ring seat 31. On the periphery of this first end of the assembling pipe 52 are provided a plurality of massaging rollers 522. A second end of the assembling pipe 52 extends into the annular step groove 51 of the sleeve 51, at this end of the assembling pipe 52 is formed an annular receiving groove 523, and adjacent to the annular receiving groove 523 is formed an annular flange 524 correspondingly to the free end of and the massaging blocks 512 of the sleeve 51. The return element 53 in this embodiment is a return spring for example, which is disposed in the annular receiving groove 523 of the assembling pipe 52 and biased between the bottom of the annular receiving groove 523 and the edge of the annular step groove 511 of the sleeve 51.
The airbag 60 is ring-shaped and mounted onto the drive rod 27 and located in the receiving space 412 between the two housings 41 of the adjustable massaging assemblies 40. The airbag 60 is provided with an air-inlet structure 61 extending out of the second notch 415 of the housing 41, and on the outer periphery of the airbag 60 is formed a retaining portion 62 for insertion of the stop member 221 of the base 20 so as to prevent the airbag 60 rotating together with the drive rod 27.
Referring to
The massaging device of the present invention also can be disposed at the lower portion of a chair where the use's legs are supported, with reference to
Since the positioning portion 413 of the housing 41 of the adjustable assembly 40 is used to engage with the stop member 221 of the frame 21, the stop member 221 will stop the housing 41 from rotating together with the drive rod 27 (as shown in
When the dynamic unit 23 rotates the drive rod 27, the ring seat 31 and moveable ring seat 42 will be caused to oscillate in the axial direction of the drive rod 27.
During the oscillation of the ring seat 31 and moveable ring seat 42 in the axial direction of the drive rod 27, the balls 332 on the ring 33 of the ring seat 31 will slide relatively on the arc surface 321 of the connecting ring 32. At this moment, the connecting ring 32 is locked with the press ring 34 and the limit ring 35, so that the press ring 34 will be enabled to rotate relative to the ring seat 31.
Furthermore, the balls 452 on the ring 45 of the moveable ring seat 42 of the adjustable massaging assembly 40 will roll on the arc surface 431 of the connecting ring 43, and the balls 417 in the cavities 416 of the housing 41 will slide in the annular groove 428 of the moveable ring seat 42. Meanwhile, the connecting ring 43 is locked with the press ring 44 and the limit ring 46, hence, the press ring 44 is enabled to rotate relative to the moveable ring seat 42.
At this moment, the airbag 60 is inflated by the air source under the control of the user, so as to push the housing 41 of the adjustable massaging assembly 40 to move, the distance between the adjustable massaging assembly 40 and the fixed massaging assembly 30 can be effectively adjusted to fit different users through the inflation and the deflation of the air bag, and accordingly the massaging force can be controlled.
When the adjustable massaging assembly 40 moves relative to the fixed massaging assembly 30, the sleeve 51 moves along with the moveable ring seat 42 of the adjustable massaging assembly 40 in the axial direction of the drive rod 27 since it is positioned on the connecting column 423 of the moveable ring seat 42 of the adjustable massaging assembly 40. Meanwhile, the annular step groove 511 of the sleeve 51 will compress the return element 53.
When the user turn the dynamic unit 23 off, the airbag 60 will be deflated, and the housing 41 of the adjustable massaging assembly 40 will not be pushed by airbag 60 anymore. Therefore, the return element 53 will not be compressed by the annular step groove 511 of the sleeve 51 and will be stretched to push the sleeve 51, so that the moveable ring seat 42 on the sleeve 51 is caused to move away from the fixed massaging assembly 30 in the axial direction of drive rod 27. Meanwhile, the dynamic unit 23 will use the drive rod 27 to make the adjustable massaging assembly 40 and the fixed massaging assembly 30 to their original positions, so as to free the user's leg from the clamp between the adjustable massaging assembly 40 and the fixed massaging assembly 30.
The retaining portion 62 of the airbag 60 is positioned on the stop member 221, so that, during inflation process, the airbag 60 will be evenly inflated to push the housings 41 at both sides thereof.
In addition, the ring seat 31 and the moveable ring seat 42 are structurally identical to each other, and the connecting rings 32, 43, the press rings 34, 44, the rings 33, 45 and the limit rings 35, 46 of the fixed massaging assembly 30 and the moveable massaging assembly 40 are structurally the same. Hence, the production cost of the present invention can be reduced.
When the adjustable massaging assemblies 40 are massaging, the counteracting force to the massaging force thereof will cause a slight press on the airbag 60, and through repeat inflation and deflation of the airbag 60, the massaging force of the massaging device of the present invention is effectively controlled to a comfortable level.
The massaging device of the invention also can be used to massage the ankle and foot, as shown in
As mentioned above, the airbag 60 is used to push the adjustable massaging assemblies 40 at both sides thereof, and alternatively, the airbag 60 also can be disposed at either end of the drive rod 27, and the two adjustable massaging assemblies 40 are disposed between the two airbags 60. The two fixed massaging assemblies 30 can be between the two adjustable massaging assemblies 40, as shown in
At either end of the inner space of the frame 21 in the base 20 is disposed a fixing board 28, and at a side of the fixing board 28 is disposed an airbag 60 facing toward the housing 41 of the adjustable massaging assembly 40. The airbag 60 can be inflated to push the adjustable massing assembly 40 to move relative to fixed massaging assembly 30 along the axial direction of the drive rod 27.
The air source as mentioned above can be air pump or a balloon, so that the airbag 60 can be inflated and deflated automatically by the air pump or manually by pressing the balloon. Furthermore, the air pump uses CPU to control the time of the inflation and deflation of the airbag 60.
It will be noted that
While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
