US3057348A - Vibratory massage device - Google Patents

Description

1962 c. H. BAER 3,057,348

VIBRATORY MASSAGE DEVICE Filed June 5, 1961 yg INVENTOR: (1. AV H. 505R,

H15 H T TO RA/EY United States Patent ()filice 3,057,348 VIBRATORY MASSAGE DEVICE Clay H. Baer, 2209A S. Jelferson Ave., St. Louis 4, M0.

Filed June 5, 1961, Ser. No. 115,029 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-32) The present invention relates generally to a novel device for use in massaging the human body, and more particularly to a device incorporating means for simultaneously creating suction and vibratory effects on areas of the human body subjected to the massaging action of the device.

Stated more specifically, the present invention provides a device adapted to facilitate the massaging of the human body by means of flexible suction cups removably secured to the undersurface of a preferably paddle shaped element that has an elongated handle portion for its manipulation.

A commercially available vibrator unit is mounted on the upper surface of said element and is rigidly secured thereto, so that the vibrations engendered thereby are transmitted via the base portion of said element to the suction cups and the rim portions thereof, and thus to the areas of the body wherewith the circular edges of said cups come into contact.

The vibrator unit aforesaid includes a base provided at each end with upstanding bearing pedestals wherein the ends of the self-contained motor-operator vibrator mechanism are supported. Said unit also includes a cord and plug for connecting it into an electrical outlet, and a manual switch for controlling the operation thereof.

The paddle shaped element includes a base portion and and an elongated handle portion that merges thereinto at one end. The base of the vibrator unit is rigidly secured to the base portion of said element, being mounted on the upper surface thereof and secured in place by a plurahty of Screws and nuts as will appear.

The invention contemplates a plurality of flexible suction cups, and each of these is secured to the underside of the base portion by means of a self-threading type screw that passes through a circular opening provided therefor in said base portion, and into engagement with the main body portion of the cup.

In consequence of the nested pattern of the suction cups, the suction and vibratory action of massage treatments may be concentrated, or if desirable, some of the suction cups may be readily removed whereby to de crease the concentration of the action over a given area.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple unitary device for facilitating the application of vibratory massage treatments to an individuals body.

It is another object to provide a device facilitating the application of such treatments by an individual without assistance from another, irrespective of the area of his body selected for treatment.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a paddle shaped element including integrally a generally rectangular base portion and an elongated handle portion that merges into the base portion, means for mounting a conventional vibrator unit on the upper surface of said base portion, and means for removably securing a plurality of flexible suction cups to the underside thereof.

Another object is to provide a circular opening adjacent the free end of the handle portion whereby the device of the invention may be hung from a nail or the like projecting from a wall, when it is not in use.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated on a sheet of drawings that accompanies this Specification. Features and objectives of the invention that have not been specifically noted hereinabove, will 3,057,343 Patented Oct. 9, 1962 be apparent from or referred to in the detailed description that follows with reference to said drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a vibratory massage device constructed in accordance with the concepts of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of said device;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view thereof; and

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4--4 of FIGURE 1, particularly illustrating the removable mounting arrangement of the suction cups.

In FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, the assembled device comprising the instant invention is designated as a whole by the numeral 6. Included in the device 6 is a commercially available vibrator unit VU, that includes a base B, a self-contained motor-operated vibratory mechanism M supported therefrom above said base, and a cord C terminating in a plug P for insertion into an electrical socket, as is well understood. It also includes a manual on and off switch designated S. The vibrator unit forms per se no part of the present invention, wherefor it will not be described in detail. The unit VU illustrated in the drawings is exemplary only, and may be of the type disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,198,442.

In association with a vibrator unit of the type referred to, the device 6 of the present invention includes a paddle shaped element designated as a whole by the numeral 8. The element 8 includes integrally, a base portion 10 and a handle portion 12. The base portion 10 is generally rectangular with rounded corners as shown, and merges into the handle portion 12 that is of a comparatively elongated contour, for reasons to appear.

The element 8 would be fashioned of rigid material, preferably of fibre board or aluminum. In other words, the paddle shaped element 8 would be fashioned of lightweight material of such strength as to adequately support the vibratory unit VU when the device 6 is in use.

The vibrator unit VU is mounted on what will be termed the upper surface 13 of the base portion 10 by means of screws 14 that extended through openings provided therefor in said base portion, and have nuts 16 applied to their threaded extremities as shown. It will be understood that any other appropriate means may be employed whereby to rigidly secure the unit VU to the base portion 10 of the element 8, so that the vibratory action of said unit will be transmitted to said element automatically and positively.

Secured to the base portion 10 of the element 8 is a plurality of rubber suction cups each designated 17. Each suction cup 17 includes a rim portion 18. As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the suction cups 17 are dependingly mounted from the underside 19 of the base portion 10 in comparatively contiguous disposition relatively to one another. In consequence of this arrangement, the massage and vibratory action of the device may be concentrated on a selected area of the human body, or if desirable, some of the suction cups may be removed, as will appear.

The manner whereby the suction cups 17 are removably secured to the underside 19 of the base portion 10 is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 4. There it is seen that headed screws 20, having threaded shanks 22 that pass freely through circular openings 24 provided therefor in said base portion, self-threadingly engage in preformed wells 26 provided centrally in the main body portions 27 of said cups. Prior to the insertion thereinto of the screw shanks 22, the preformed wells 26 would have a diameter slightly smaller than that of said shanks.

Preferably though not necessarily, a circular or otherwise contoured opening 28 is provided in the elongated handle portion 12 adjacent the free end thereof, whereby when the device 6 is not in use, it may be conveniently hung from a nail or the like projecting from a Wall or other generally vertical surface.

The simple manner whereby the suction cups 17 are. secured to the underside 19 of the base 10 facilitate their removal, when and if any of them become worn, or require replacement for any reason.

From the foregoing description augmented by an inspection of the drawings, it should be evident that the present invention provides a novel device whereby an individual may massage any part of his body without assistance. The elongated handle 12 enables a person to apply a selected number of suction cups to any selected portion of his body, and to manipulate the device 6 back and forth over a comparatively wide area. In order to massage an easily reachable portion of the body, such as for example the neck and arms, the device 6 may be grasped near the mergence of. the handle 12 into the base portion 10 of the element 8. The device is grasped similarly when it is employed to massage the head and scalp.

It will of course be obvious that the device 6 may just as readily be manipulated by one person administering massage treatments to the body of another. During the massage treatments, the cups 17 not only create suction on human body areas where applied, but simultaneously transmit thereto the vibrations inherent in the device 6 in conseqence of the vibratory action of the thereto aflixed unit VU.

In view of the foregoing description and the drawings, it should be apparent that the present invention provides a novel device for effectively treating portions of the human body by the simultaneous application of suction and vibration thereto.

Because of the ready removal of the suction cups, the number of them may be quickly reduced should it be desirable to deconcentrate the efiective action of the device. Thus, particularly when the device 6 is employed for facial mass-agings, it may be desirable to reduce the number of suction cups 17 to two, or even to one, the balance of said cups being readily removable in consequence of manually rotating them until they are released from engagement with the threaded shanks 22 of the screws 20, as should be apparent.

What I claim is:

A vibratory massage device of the character described,

comprising in combination:

a paddle shaped element including a generally rectangular base portion and a handle portion integral therewith, said handle portion having an elongated contour facilitating manipulations of the device, and being provided with a small opening adjacent the free end thereof, whereby the device, when not in use, may be hung from a nail or the like projecting from a wall or similar surface;

a vibrator unit;

means for rigidly mounting the vibrator unit on the upper surface of the base portion, whereby the vibratory action of said unit will be automatically transmitted to said paddle shaped element;

a plurality of flexible suction cups, each cup including a main body portion and a rim portion;

a plurality of circular openings in the base portion of the paddle shaped element, the number of said open ings corresponding to that of the suction cups;

a plurality of headed screws each having a threaded shank, the number of said screws corresponding to that of said circular openings, and to that of said suction cups; and

a preformed well provided centrally in the main body of each suction cup, the diameter of the well being slightly smaller than that of the screw shanks aforesaid;

the shank of each of said screws passing freely through 'one of said circular openings in the base portion of the paddle shaped element, and into self-threading engagement with the preformed well of one of the suction cups, whereby said cups are removably secured to the underside of said base portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,301,866 Moore Apr. 29, 1919 1,394,206 Mathieu Oct. 18, 192.1 2,561,034 Phillips July 17, 1951

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