BACKGROUND
The present invention is related to a holder for a massage apparatus. The prior art teaches various inventions directed to massage apparatus, but the present invention provides a holder for a massage apparatus which may be attached to a “body.” The holder reduces the intensity of a massage apparatus which is retained therein, reduces resonance and noise. The “body” of the invention may be, for example, a shoulder strap on a backpack, shoulder bag, travel bag, messenger bag, baby carrier or in a vest. There may be an additional cover surrounding the massage apparatus which further reduces the resonance, and noise. There may also be an adhesive layer which secures and retains the cover and massage apparatus inside the holder and further helps to reduce the resonance and noise.
SUMMARY
According to one aspect of the present invention, a massage apparatus holder is provided, comprising: a first holder side having a first substantially flat portion and an indentation shaped to receive a portion of a massage apparatus; a second holder side having a second substantially flat portion, wherein the holder is larger in size than the massage apparatus, the thickness is at least 7 mm and a portion of the holder is attached to a body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following section, the present disclosure will be described with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures, in which:
FIG. 1 is a backpack embodiment according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 depicts a holder according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 depicts a holder with a center raised portion and surrounding raised portions which surround the center raised portion;
FIG. 4 depicts a holder with a center raised portion and surrounding raised portions which surround the center raised portion;
FIG. 5 depicts a holder with a center raised portion and surrounding raised portions which surround the center raised portion;
FIG. 6 depicts a cutaway of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 depicts a cutaway of FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 depicts a cutaway of FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 depicts a front view of a holder with a center raised portion and surrounding raised portions which surround the center raised portion;
FIG. 10 depicts a back view of the holder depicted in FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 depicts a front view of a holder with a center raised portion and surrounding raised portions which surround the center raised portion;
FIG. 12 depicts a back view of the holder depicted in FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 depicts a side view of an embodiment;
FIG. 14 depicts a cover inside the holder;
FIG. 15 depicts a cover inside the holder;
FIG. 16 depicts a side view of the holder with a massage apparatus therein;
FIG. 17 depicts a side view of the holder with a massage apparatus therein;
FIG. 18 depicts a bottom view of the holder with a massage apparatus therein and at least one layer of material which retains, protects and covers the massage apparatus;
FIG. 19 depicts a bottom view of the holder with a massage apparatus therein and at least one layer of material which retains, protects and covers the massage apparatus;
FIG. 20 depicts a holder attached to the shoulder straps of a baby carrier;
FIG. 21 depicts a holder with a raised portion and surrounding raised portions;
FIG. 22 depicts a shoulder strap of a body;
FIG. 23 depicts the bottom view of two holders as would be utilized for a backpack or baby carrier;
FIG. 24 depicts the top view of the two holders as depicted in FIG. 23;
FIGS. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 depict one example of the steps to attach a holder to a body. FIG. 35 depicts a control mechanism according to one backpack embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present disclosure.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” or “according to one embodiment” (or other phrases having similar import) in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Also, depending on the context of discussion herein, a singular term may include its plural forms and a plural term may include its singular form. Similarly, a hyphenated term may be occasionally interchangeably used with its non-hyphenated version, and a capitalized entry may be interchangeably used with its non-capitalized version. Such occasional interchangeable uses shall not be considered inconsistent with each other.
As shown in FIG. 1, a body (6) having a back portion (4), wherein the second holder side (8) is substantially linear with the back portion (4). FIG. 1 also depicts the massage apparatus holders (2, 3) in the backpack straps. FIGS. 9 and 10 depict a massage apparatus holder (100), comprising: a first holder side (102) having a first substantially flat portion (104) and an indentation (106) shaped to receive a portion of a massage apparatus (see FIG. 16, massage apparatus 1600); a second holder side (108) having a second substantially flat portion (110), wherein the holder (100) is larger in size than the massage apparatus, the thickness is at least 7 mm and a portion of the holder is attached to a body. The holder may be made of a foam material selected from the group consisting of Ethylene-vinyl acetate foam, Poly urethane foam, butadiene rubber foam, vinyl acetate foam. Expandable Polyethylene, Polyethylene, Crosslinked polyethylene foaming, Electron radiation crosslinked polyethylene foaming, or any other foamy material. The thickness (24) is depicted in FIG. 2. The thickness of at least 7 mm has been found to provide the desired reduction in intensity of the massage apparatus and reduction of resonance and noise. As shown in FIG. 20, the body (2000) has at least one shoulder strap (2006 and 2008) with a rear side portion (2004) and an outside portion (2002), wherein the second holder side (2010) of the massage apparatus holder is substantially linear with the rear side portion (2004) of the shoulder strap (2008). The shoulder strap may be on a backpack, shoulder bag, travel bag, messenger bag, baby carrier, vest.
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, the second side of the holder (88, 90 and 92) has a center raised portion (e.g. 30, 44 and 66), shaped to correspond the massage apparatus and at least two surrounding raised portions (e.g. 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 46, 48, 5-, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 69, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86) which surround the center raised portion (e.g. 30, 44 and 66). FIG. 6 is a cutaway of FIG. 3, FIG. 7 is a cutaway of FIG. 4 and FIG. 8 is a cutaway of FIG. 5. FIG. 6 depicts the height of the center raised portion is lower than each of the surrounding raised portions. FIG. 7 depicts the height of the center raised portion is higher than each of the surrounding raised portions. FIG. 8 depicts the height of the center raised portion and each of the surrounding raised portions are substantially the same level. According to one embodiment, the height difference of the center raised portion and each of the surrounding raised portions are between 5 mm and 20 mm. This height difference has been found critical to provide the desired reduction in intensity of the massage apparatus and reduction of resonance and noise. The shape of the surrounding raised portions may be selected from the group consisting of rectangular, circular, square and elliptical. It has been found that a substantially square shape pro-vides a desired reduction in intensity of the massage. Between the center raised and the at least two surrounding raised portions, there may be at least one additional raised portion.
As shown in FIG. 12, there may be a massage apparatus cover (1200). See also FIG. 14 massage apparatus cover (1400), FIG. 15 massage apparatus cover (1500), FIG. 27 massage apparatus cover (2700). The cover surrounds the rounding sides of the massage apparatus and at least one of the top end and the bottom end is uncovered. The massage apparatus cover as depicted surrounds the massage apparatus and both the top end and the bottom end are uncovered. The cover may be an elastic material. An elastic material refers to a material with stretch. Stretch fabric is a synthetic fabric that stretches. Stretch fabrics are either 2-way stretch or 4-way stretch. 2-way stretch fabrics stretch in one direction, usually from selvedge to selvedge (but can be in other directions depending on the knit). 4-way stretch fabrics, such as spandex, stretches in both directions, crosswise and lengthwise. Stretch fabrics evolved from the scientific effort to make fibres using neoprene. From this research, in 1958, commercial stretch fabrics (“elastomerics”) such as spandex or elastane (widely branded as “Lycra”) were brought to the market. The term elastic material as used herein refers to a fabric which may stretch such as spandex, elastane, neoprene, 2-way stretch and 4-way stretch fabrics. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the cover is secured to the indention of the holder, or one side of the massage apparatus is secured to the holder directly. The cover may be secured by an adhesive (1402). The adhesive may be a glue attached to the cover (1400) between the cover (1400) and the indentation.
As shown in FIG. 13, there may be a first massage apparatus holder (1300) and a second massage apparatus holder (1304), wherein the first substantially flat portion (1302) of the first massage apparatus holder (1300) is in communication with the second massage apparatus holder (1304) and surrounds a massage apparatus (1306) retained in the indentation (1308) of both the massage apparatus holders.
Alternatively, the first substantially flat portion (1802) is covered by at least one layer of material (1804) which retains, protects and covers the massage apparatus (1806). The material (1804) attached to the holder may be stitched together, glued together or sealed together. The material (1804) may be in communication with a portion of the body. As shown in FIG. 13, the massage apparatus may have a massage mechanism and a control circuit (See FIG. 35, control circuit 3500) used to control the massage mechanism (3502). The control circuit may be further comprised of a power cable (1404) used to supply power to the control circuit and the massage mechanism. The massage apparatus may be substantially rectangular shaped, diamond shaped, triangle shaped, hexagonal shaped and elliptical shaped, with rounding sides and a top end and a bottom end.
FIGS. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 depict an example of how the massage apparatus holder may be attached to a body. FIG. 25 depicts a second holder side, FIG. 26 depicts a first holder side having an indentation shaped with a cover 2700 that is glued to the first holder side. FIGS. 27, 28 and 29 depict that the massager apparatus is put inside the cover. FIGS. 30, 31 and 32 depicts a piece of fabric or at least one layer of material (3000) which retains, protects and covers the massage apparatus and is in communication with the first holder side. This may then be sewn into a shoulder strap, as depicted in FIGS. 33 and 34.
As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the innovative concepts described in the present application can be modified and varied over a wide range of applications. Accordingly, the scope of patented subject matter should not be limited to any of the specific exemplary teachings discussed above, but is instead defined by the following claims.
Patent Grant
10888494
