Patent Application
20090192422
This disclosure relates generally to handheld massagers that have fluid jets and methods of operation, and in particular to handheld massagers that have fluid jets supplied with fluid from a fluid source of a pool or spa.
Pools and spas typically have a plurality of jet assemblies for directing fluid into the body of water. A user can position themselves in front of the jet assemblies to direct the fluid exiting the jet assemblies onto specific parts of their body to provide hydrotherapy. Due to the submerged positions of the jet assemblies, however, the number of specific body parts of the user that can be positioned in front of the jet assemblies is limited. Moreover, it may be uncomfortable for users to position certain body parts in front of the jet assemblies. To expand the capabilities of hydrotherapy using jet assemblies of pools and spas, devices have been provided to connect to the jet assemblies and provide remote fluid flows that can be more specifically directed upon specific body parts.
One such example of a device that can be connected to the jet assemblies of a pool or spa to provide remote fluid flows is made by HydroAir. That handheld device has a pistol-type grip. Two hoses are connected at one end of a handle, one for supplying air and another for supplying liquid. The fluid exits the handheld device through a jet positioned at about a 90 degree angle relative to the handle. In order to activate and maintain the fluid flow, an actuator must be depressed toward the handle. There are several disadvantages to this design. The pistol-type grip limits the number of different gripping positions of the device and the use of two different supply hoses can result in increased tangles, particularly when compared to a single supply hose. These disadvantages can limit the capabilities of the device. Furthermore, the 90 degree turn that the fluid flow must make can cause a decrease in fluid pressure. That in turn can lead to a decreased pressure fluid stream exiting the jet. This can be particularly problematic when the device is used under water, where the water will dampen the fluid stream. The use of such a continually depressed actuator can cause fatigue in the hand of the user, making use of the device uncomfortable after a period of time. Further, the comparatively narrow configuration of the actuator could lead to fatigue in the hand of a user of extended periods of use, in particular due to tissue compression.
Another device that can be connected to the jet assemblies of a pool or spa to provide remote fluid flows is made by Waterway Plastics, of Oxnard, Calif. That device has a single hose that supplies fluid to a handheld unit having a handle portion intersecting a jet portion at an obtuse angle. However, the jet portion has an enlarged diameter compared to the handle portion, thereby potentially limiting the gripping positions to those involving the handle portion. Furthermore, the uniformity of the handle portion could lead to fatigue in the hand of a user over extended periods of use, in particular due to tissue compression of a user's hand, including compression of the thenar pad.
Another device provides simply a nozzle that is attached to extendable and retractable tubing, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,212. When retracted, the nozzle can function as one of the submerged jets of the spa. When extended, the user can grasp the tubing and direct the nozzle for remote fluid flows. However, the tubing does not have any specific provisions made to facilitate gripping and control by a user.
Handheld massagers for providing hydrotherapy and/or vibratory or pulse massage therapy are disclosed, as well as methods for use of such massagers. The handheld massager can be connected, such as by using a single hose, to a primary fluid supply of a pool or spa. The handheld massager may be configured to provide for multiple different gripping positions, thereby increasing the capabilities of the massager for providing therapy to specific body parts of a user or someone else. The gripping positions may be ergonomically configured to reduce fatigue during use, and may be shaped to accommodate a wide range of user hand sizes. The handheld massager may also be configured to provide for improved fluid flows, and thereby increased fluid pressures. The handheld massager also can have reduced numbers of parts, and in particular moving parts, to increase the durability of the massager. In addition, the handheld massager may have attachments that can facilitate providing vibratory massage, such as by direct contact with a body part of a user or someone else.
In order to provide for multiple gripping positions, the handheld massager may include a housing having a first segment, adjacent a jet assembly of the massager, and a second segment. The first and second segments may be positioned at an obtuse angle to each other, and may be joined by a curved segment. The cross-sections of all of the segments may be selected to fit in the hand of typical users, and may be ovular. Thus, a user can grip either the first or second segments, or even part of the first or second segments and the curved segment. One or more of the segments may have an indentation for receiving a user's thenar pad to facilitate comfortable use of the handheld massager. A jet of the massager can be directed using a wand-like grip with the jet pointed outwardly from the hand or a fist-like grip with the jet pointed downwardly from the hand, thereby increasing the versatility of the massager. The second segment may be configured for wand-like gripping, and may have a curved region in order to provide a recess for the user's thenar pad. The first segment may have a larger cross-section and be configured for fist-like gripping, with the jet assembly on an opposite side of the hand from the thumb and with the curved segment providing a recess for the user's thenar pad. A rubberized pattern may be applied to the exterior of the housing, both to provide a pleasant feeling grip and to reduce slippage in a water environment.
The hose may be connected to a jet assembly of the massager internal of the housing. The obtuse angle between the first and second segments of the housing, as well as the curved intermediate segment, provide a guide for the hose internal of the housing that can reduce kinks and the like in the hose, and thereby provide for a more consistent flow of fluid to the jet assembly and exiting the jet assembly in a fluid stream. Control of the fluid flow may be accomplished using the jet of the pool or spa, thereby reducing the number of parts of the handheld massager, as well as eliminating the need for an actuator that must be continually depressed to activate the fluid stream. Alternatively, control of the fluid flow may be accomplished using a selectively depressible button or the like on the housing. If such control is provided on the housing, it preferable is configured to not require continuous depression in order to active the fluid flow.
The handheld massager may also have an end adapted for direct contact with a body part of a user or someone else. The end may be rigid plastic, or may be made of an elastic or softer material, depending upon the intended use and user preferences. The end may be integrally formed with the housing, or may be in the form of a massage head that can be attached to the housing. The use of such an end can permit the handheld massager to be used for vibratory or pulse massaging.
In one aspect, the handheld massager may be adapted to mate with a removable massage head. A plurality of different massage heads can then be provided for use with the handheld massager. The massage heads can be configured to provide for different sensations during use, or to be tailored for use with specific body parts. The massage heads can be attached to the housing in a manner that causes the massage heads to vibrate, oscillate or the like in response to fluid flow. Instead or in addition, the massage head can vibrate due to the type of jet assembly used, such as a jet assembly having a jet that rotates in response to fluid flow.
A handheld massager 10 and components thereof are disclosed herein and illustrated in
The handheld massager 10 is adapted to be connected using a hose or the like 8 to a primary fluid source of a pool or spa in order to take advantage of that fluid source. The primary fluid source may be the piping of the pool or spa, or an outlet thereof. In particular, the hose 8 may be connected to a jet assembly 6 of the pool or spa. In one aspect, the hose 8 may be provided already connected to a jet assembly 6 that can be substituted for an already existing jet assembly of the pool or spa. In another aspect, the hose 8 may be adapted, or may include an attachment, to permit attachment to an already existing jet assembly of the pool or spa. This permits the massager 10 to be supplied with fluid directly from the primary fluid source. If that fluid source includes a mixture of air and liquid, a single hose 8 can advantageously be utilized to supply the mixture to the massager 10.
The handheld massager has a housing 12 having a jet assembly 30 at one end and adapted to receive a hose 8 at an opposite end, as illustrated in
The housing 12 is hollow, having a first segment 20, adjacent the jet assembly 30, and a second segment 16, as illustrated in
The jet assembly of the pool or spa may be utilized to control the fluid flow to the handheld massager 10, as opposed to having the fluid flow control on the massager 10. However, some or all of the fluid control may be performed using controls on the massager 10. For example, the jet assembly 30 may be rotatably activatable, such that rotation can open or close the flow path. In another example of a fluid control on an alternative massager 100, a selectively depressible button 112 or the like can be used to turn the flow on and off, or to vary the volume of the fluid flow (e.g., low, medium, high), such as illustrated in
The housing 12 includes an outwardly extending radial flange 26, positioned between the first segment 20 of the housing 12 and the jet assembly 30. The flange 26 can be used to support a generally corresponding flange 32 of the jet assembly 30, as illustrated in
The housing 12 is configured to have multiple gripping positions in order to facilitate use of the handheld massager for both self-therapy and for therapy applied to someone else. The segments 16, 18 and 20 are each preferably generally ovular in cross section, with cross-sections sized to fit in the hand of the users. The term “generally circular”, as used herein, includes ovular cross-sections. In one gripping position, a user can grasp the first segment 20 using a fist, with the jet assembly 30 pointing either downwardly or upwardly relative to the fist, as illustrated in
In order to facilitate gripping, the exterior of the housing 12 may have gripping formations thereon. The gripping formations may be ribs, protrusions or the like. Alternatively, or in combination, the gripping formations may be a material applied to the exterior of the housing 12 and having a different texture than the housing 12. For example, a rubberized material 14 may be overmolded to the housing 12 to provide a gripping formation of stripes or bands, as illustrated in
Turning now to more of the details of one example of the jet assembly 30, the jet assembly 30 has a jet 34 for discharging fluid from the handheld massager 12. With reference to
The jet 34 may fixed, with the exiting fluid being capable of use for hydrotherapy. The jet 34 may optionally be of the type that rotates in response to fluid flow. Having a rotating jet 34 can advantageously provide for both a variable steam of fluid exiting the jet 34 for hydrotherapy, as well as imparting a vibratory motion to the jet assembly 30 or attachments, which will be described in greater detail, in order to provide vibratory therapy. When the handheld massager 10 is used for vibratory therapy, components or attachments of the massager 10, as will be discussed in greater detail herein, can be contacted with specific body parts for massaging. The rotating jet 34 may have a ball end 48 adapted to be received in a corresponding socket formed in or between the sidewalls 36 and the cup 38 of the jet assembly 30. The jet 34 may have an offset or inclined passage 46 to cause rotation in response to fluid flow therethrough. In one example, the jet assembly 30 may be of the type readily available for use in pools and spas, such as part no. 961235 available from Pentair. The jet assembly 30 may be modified by placing the side port 42 on the stem 40. Flow rates through such jet assemblies are believed to be in the range of about 11-13 GPM at about 15 psi, which can provide a suitable fluid stream both above the water level and below the water level of the pool or spa. Of course, the flow rate is dependent in part upon the flow rate of the primary fluid source of the pool or spa to which the handheld massager 10 is connected. Although a specific example of a jet assembly 30 is described herein, other suitable jet assemblies can be readily incorporated into the handheld massager 10 in its place.
Turning now to more of the details for providing vibratory massage, attachments in the form of massaging heads 50, 60, 80, 90 and 120 may be attached to the end of the housing 12 having the jet assembly 30, as illustrated in
In a specific example illustrated in
Another example of a massaging head is illustrated in
In yet another example, a massaging head 80 of
Turning to another example of a massaging head 120, illustrated in
In one example of the handheld massager 10, the first and second segments 20 and 16 may each have a length of between about 3 and 5 inches, and preferably about 4 inches. The total centerline length of the handheld massager 10 may be between about 7 and 12 inches, and preferably about 10 inches. The maximum diameter of the ovular first and second segments 20 and 16, as well as the intermediate curved segment 18, may each be between about 1 to 2.5 inches, and the first segment 20 may taper from about 2 inches adjacent the jet assembly 30 to about 1.5 inches adjacent the curved segment 18. Also, one of the first and second segments 20 and 16 may be curved, as illustrated with respect to the second segment 16 in
The housing 12 may be formed from a pair of injection molded parts that mate along a centerline of the housing 12. The pair of parts may be joined via screws or other such fasteners via matching screw bosses 28 integrally formed in the parts. Other suitable ways of joining the parts may also be utilized, such as adhesive, welding, including ultrasonic welding, and snap fits. When screw bosses 28 are used, they may be positioned in spaced relation to each other to define narrowed sections in the interior of the housing 12. The narrowed sections, when sized slightly smaller than the diameter of the hose 8, can be used to facilitate maintaining the hose 8 in position relative to the housing 12. In addition or instead, the opening 22 at the end of the housing 12, opposite the end with the jet assembly 30, can have a dimension that also is slightly smaller than the diameter of the hose 8, and can thus be used to facilitate maintaining the hose 8 in position relative to the housing 12. One or more washers can be placed around the hose 8 at various intervals to assist in maintaining the position of the hose 8 internally in the housing 12.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that handheld massagers and methods of use are disclosed herein that provide for advantages in terms of function and ergonomics. However, the disclosure is not limited to the aspects and embodiments described hereinabove, or to any particular embodiments.
