MASSAGE APPARATUS INCLUDING OSCILLATORS

Abstract

Disclosed is a massage apparatus including oscillators which receive supplied power and oscillate under control of a controller. Here, two oscillators installed to allow oscillation directions thereof to be at right angle are included, and the controller sequentially controls power supplied to the two oscillators to perform oscillations in an order of a bowel movement direction.

Claims

1. A massage apparatus comprising oscillators which receive supplied power and oscillate under control of a controller, wherein two oscillators installed to allow oscillation directions thereof to be at right angle are included, and the controller sequentially controls power supplied to the two oscillators to perform oscillations in an order of a bowel movement direction.

2. The massage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oscillators each comprise an eccentric oscillating body having a semicircular-cylindrical shape and a motor configured to rotate a rotating shaft of the eccentric oscillating body.

3. The massage apparatus according to any one of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of ceramics fixed by skin foam to a front surface of a support plate with the oscillators installed on a rear surface thereof.

4. The massage apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a heating plate installed between the support plate and the skin foam.

5. The massage apparatus of claim 4, further comprising handle holes formed on both ends of the massage apparatus to be easily gripped with hands.

6. The massage apparatus of claim 4, further comprising belt fixing holes to or from which a wearing belt is attached or detached and which are formed on both end walls of the massage apparatus.

7. The massage apparatus according to any one of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of ceramics fixed by skin foam to a front surface of a support plate with the oscillators installed on a rear surface thereof.

8. The massage apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a heating plate installed between the support plate and the skin foam.

9. The massage apparatus of claim 8, further comprising handle holes formed on both ends of the massage apparatus to be easily gripped with hands.

10. The massage apparatus of claim 8, further comprising belt fixing holes to or from which a wearing belt is attached or detached and which are formed on both end walls of the massage apparatus.

11. A massage apparatus comprising oscillators which receive supplied power and oscillate under control of a controller, wherein three oscillators installed to allow oscillation directions thereof to be at 60 degrees are included, and the controller sequentially controls power supplied to the three oscillators to perform oscillations in an order of a bowel movement direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing exemplary embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a massage apparatus including alternately installed oscillators in a perpendicular direction according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the example of the massage apparatus including alternately installed oscillators in the perpendicular direction according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating oscillator-installation parts which form the massage apparatus including alternately installed oscillators in the perpendicular direction according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an oscillator arrangement state of the massage apparatus including alternately installed oscillators in the perpendicular direction according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an eccentric oscillating body installed in the massage apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0026] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating another example of the massage apparatus including alternately installed oscillators in the perpendicular direction according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Since the present invention may be variously changed and may have a variety of embodiments, exemplary embodiments will be described herein in detail with reference to the drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and includes all changes and equivalents or substitutes included in the concept and technical scope of the present invention.

[0028] Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of a well-known technology of the related art will be omitted when it is deemed to obscure the essence of the present invention.

[0029] The present invention may facilitate a bowel movement by oscillators which oscillate in an order according to a bowel movement direction.

[0030] In a massage apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, two oscillators 10 may be perpendicularly arranged to each other to hit (oscillate) in different directions. That is, when the two oscillators are perpendicularly arranged to each other, one may hit in leftward and rightward directions and another may hit in upward and downward directions. Here, when an order of four hits (hits in the upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions) is controlled, a hitting order (an oscillation order) may be performed according to a bowel movement direction (clockwise when viewed in front of a user).

[0031] The oscillators 10 may be controlled by a controller (not shown), and the controller may control the oscillation order of the oscillators 10 by controlling power supplied to the oscillators 10.

[0032] In the massage apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, the oscillation order of the oscillators 10 may be controlled by the controller controlling the power supplied to the oscillators 10 and the oscillators 10 are arranged on a rear surface of a support plate 20 to perpendicularly alternate with each other as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0033] The oscillators 10 may be implemented with various modifications. However, according to an exemplary example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, each of the oscillators 10 includes an eccentric oscillating body 11 configured to have a semicircular-cylindrical shape and include an eccentric rotating shaft 11s and a motor 12 which rotates the rotating shaft 11s of the eccentric oscillating body 11.

[0034] The eccentric oscillating body 11, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 5, has a semicircular cylinder shape and includes the rotating shaft 11s formed to be eccentric to one side such that the eccentric oscillating body 11 at a position eccentric from the rotating shaft 11s applies a force to the rear surface of the support plate 20 to oscillate when being rotated by a rotational force of the motor 12.

[0035] To transfer power of the motor 12, which forms part of the oscillator 10, to the eccentric oscillating body 11, pulleys 11p are installed at one end of the eccentric oscillating body 11 and a motor shaft and a belt 11v is installed between the pulleys 11p to transfer the power of the motor 12 to the eccentric oscillating body 11.

[0036] Bearings 11b support both ends of the eccentric oscillating body 11 in order to rotatably support the rotating shaft 11s of the eccentric oscillating body 11.

[0037] Although the eccentric oscillating body 11 may repeat rotating in leftward and rightward rotations or may rotate in any one direction, a preferable rotational direction is to allow a direction of the order of hits (oscillations) applied to the user to be the same as a bowel movement direction (a movement direction of digestive organs).

[0038] The present invention may facilitate a bowel movement by oscillating the oscillators 10 in the order according to the bowel movement direction.

[0039] The massage apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a variety of functions similar to a general massage apparatus.

[0040] When a thermal function is added to the massage apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, the bowel movement may be more stimulated to redouble effects.

[0041] To perform the thermal function, ceramics 40 and a heating plate 50 are included.

[0042] The ceramics 40 are parts for effectively applying oscillations of the oscillators 10 to a human body, include spherical ends toward the outside of the massage apparatus as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, and are formed of a material having excellent heat conductivity.

[0043] The ceramics 40 are installed to allow inner ends to come into surface contact with a front surface of the support plate 20 on which the oscillators 10 are installed such that oscillations of the oscillators 10 are transferred to the ceramics 40 through the support plate 20.

[0044] The heating plate 50 is further installed between the ceramics 40 and the support plate 20.

[0045] The heating plate 50 is a part for enhancing a massage effect by generating heat and heating a massaged part of the human body which is formed by tortuously arranging heating wires in a zigzag shape or a meandering shape as shown in FIG. 2, and is fixed to the front surface of the support plate 20. The heating wires may be replaced by an aluminum heating body, non-woven carbon fabric, a cotton mesh heating body, a carbon fabric heating body, and the like.

[0046] The ceramics 40 are installed to come into direct contact with the front surface of the heating plate 50 such that heat of the heating plate 50 may be supplied to the human body through the ceramics 40. Skin foam 30 is installed as a supporting part for supporting the inner ends of the ceramics 40 to come into contact with the heating plate 50.

[0047] The skin foam 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention is formed of an elastic material such as integral skin foam. However, the skin foam 30 may be replaced by an elastic material (for example, rubber and the like) in addition to the integral skin foam. Here, the skin foam 30 may be referred to as a buffering fixing portion.

[0048] Also, the massage apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may be used while being directly gripped by hands of the user or being worn on the body of the user.

[0049] To use the massage apparatus while gripping with hands, handle holes 80 are formed in both ends of the massage apparatus to be gripped by hands as shown in FIG. 1. To use the massage apparatus while wearing on the body, belt fixing holes 90 to or from which a wearing belt V is attached or detached may be formed in both end walls of the massage apparatus as shown in FIG. 6.

[0050] For gripping or wearing according to a selection of the user, both the handle holes 80 and the belt fixing holes 90 may be formed. Also, both the handle holes 80 and the belt fixing holes 90 may be omitted.

[0051] In the massage apparatus configured as described above, a rear cover is detachably installed on the rear surface of the support plate 20 to easily install the oscillators 10 and oscillator-driving circuits on the rear surface of the support plate 20, the skin foam 30 is fixed to an edge of the support plate 20, and a support edge 70 is installed to cover a coupling part between the skin foam 30 and the support plate 20.

[0052] Although the two oscillators installed to allow oscillation directions thereof to be at right angle are included in the above embodiment, three oscillators installed to allow oscillation directions thereof to be at 60 degrees may be included.

[0053] Here, hits (oscillations) may be applied in six directions, not four directions. Here, power supplied to oscillators is sequentially controlled by a controller such that oscillations may be performed in an order of a bowel movement direction.

[0054] Also, four oscillators installed to allow oscillation directions thereof to be at 45 degrees may be included.

[0055] The assembling structure may be embodied in a variety of modifications and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0056] According to the embodiments of the present invention, a massage apparatus allows oscillations to be sequentially performed in a direction of a bowel movement such that an effect of stimulating the bowel movement using the massage apparatus is provided.

[0057] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the above-described exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers all such modifications provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.