INTERACTIVE MASSAGING DEVICE

Abstract

A vibratory massaging device having a spaced plurality of proximity sensors distributed on a massaging surface of the device, and a control circuit operative for controlling vibratory intensities in response to activation of particular ones of the sensors being close to a user's body parts being massaged. The device can be configured as a dildo, including both main and secondary vibrators, the secondary vibrator being within an arm portion that is configured for clitoral stimulation. At least one of the vibrators is automatically driven at increased intensity as penetration increases.

Claims

1. A sex toy device comprising: a housing; a proximity sensor that produces signals to a control circuit; and a motor, wherein the speed of the motor varies in response to the signals, and wherein the device is arranged such that the proximity sensor automatically produces the signals in response to the proximity sensor coming into close proximity with a user's body part.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0009] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where:

[0010] FIG. 1 is a lateral sectional view of a massaging device according to the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control circuit for the dildo of FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the control circuit of FIG. 2;

[0013] FIG. 4 is a lateral side sectional view showing an alternative configuration of the device of FIG. 1 in the form of a dildo;

[0014] FIG. 5 is a front side view of the dildo of FIG. 4;

[0015] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control circuit for the dildo of FIG. 4;

[0016] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the control circuit of FIG. 6; and

[0017] FIG. 8 are graphic representations of the intensity levels generated by the different modes of operation of the massaging device of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present invention is directed to a massaging device that is particularly effective in stimulating body parts such as female genitalia. With reference to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, a massaging device 10 includes a motorized vibrator 12 mounted in an elongate housing 13, a screw-on cap 14 detachably connected to the housing and having a control button 15 projecting therefrom, a battery pack 16 inserted within the housing, a control module 18 and a sensor module 20 mounted in the housing and including a sensor circuit board 21 supporting a longitudinally distributed plurality of sensor elements 22 according to the present invention, the elements being individually designated 22A, 22B, and 22C, the element 22C being closest to the control button 15, the element 22A being closest to the opposite end of the device 10. The housing 13 is also covered with a sleeve 24, and the assembly is sealed with an elastic O-ring 25 interposed between the sleeve and the cap 14. In the exemplary configuration shown in the drawings, the device 10 has a cylindrical shape with spherically rounded ends, the control button 15 projecting from one end of the device.

[0019] The control button 15 operates a push-on/push-off power switch 26 that is mounted on a switch structure 19 within the cap 15 for activating the device 10. Also included is appropriate wiring or other conductors (not shown) between the vibrator 12, the battery pack 16, the control module 18, the sensor module 20, and the control switch 26. When activated, the device assumes an idle state unless and until a user's body part comes into close proximity with one of the sensor elements 22. As more particularly described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3 below, proximity with the sensor element 22A only produces a first or low level of activation of the vibrator 12; proximity with the sensor element 22B (but not 22C) produces a second or medium level of activation; and proximity with the sensor element 22C produces a third or high level of activation of the vibrator 12.

[0020] With further reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, an alternative configuration of the massaging device, designated dildo 30, includes counterparts of the motorized vibrator 12, the housing, designated 13, control button, designated power button 15, the battery pack, designated 16, the control module, designated 18 and the control circuit board, designated 19, the sensor module, designated 20 and the sensor circuit board, designated 21 with counterparts of the sensor elements, designated 22 (individually 22A, 22B, and 22C), and a momentary counterpart of the power switch, designated 26. The battery pack 16 is supported within a handle 32 and retained in place by a screw-in cap 34. The power button 15 projects through the handle 32, the control module 18 being located within the handle.

[0021] An elastic counterpart of the sleeve, designated 36 has a main portion 37 covering the housing 13 and having the form of an erect penis with a head portion 38, and an arm portion 39 projecting to one side in a shape and dimension preferably facilitating contact with the clitoris of a user of the dildo, the arm portion enclosing a motorized secondary vibrator 40 that is locatingly supported within an arm cavity 42 of the arm portion 39. Each of the sensor elements 22 is biasingly pressed against the sleeve by a sensor spring 42, the element 22A being closest to the head portion 38 of the sleeve 36, the element 22C being farthest therefrom. As described above in connection with the massager 10, appropriate wiring or other conductors (not shown) connect the battery pack 16, the control module 18, the sensor module 20, and the vibrators 12 and 40.

[0022] The exemplary configuration of the dildo 30 of FIGS. 2 and 3 further includes a mode switch actuator 44 protruding the handle 32 for operation by a user and having a mode switch 46 that is mounted directly on the control circuit board 19. A plurality of intensity indicators 48 also project through the handle, being supported by the control circuit board. The mode switch 46 sequentially selects a plurality of vibration modes, selectively modifying operation of the vibrators 12 and 40 in combination with response to the sensors 22 as described above for the massaging device 10.

[0023] Suitable materials for the housings 13 and 13, and the handle 32 include ABS. Suitable materials for the battery packs 16 and 16 include polypropylene; and suitable materials for the sleeve 36 (and the control button 15 of FIG. 1) include elastic plastic materials such as TPE. A suitable battery complement is four type AAA alkaline batteries.

[0024] With particular reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a control circuit 50 of the dildo 30 is formed by a combination of the control module 18 and the sensor module 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the control circuit 50 includes a body touch detector 52 that operates in combination with a signal detector 54 that signals a microprocessor 56, the microprocessor controlling a main driver 58 for powering the main vibrator 12, and a secondary driver 59 for powering the secondary vibrator 40.

[0025] The touch detector 52 includes the sensor elements 22A, 22B, and 22C, the elements 22 each having a coupling capacitor 60 connected to a common pulse output 62 of the signal detector 54, and a grounded blocking diode 63 connected for maintaining a positive potential at the sensor element 22. That potential is fed through a signal filter that includes a charging resistor 64, a filter capacitor 65, and a discharge resistor 66, the resulting filtered touch signal 67 being fed to a corresponding input of the detector 54. The touch signals are individually designated 67A, 67B, and 67C in FIG. 7, corresponding respectively to the sensor elements 22A, 22B, and 22C. The signal detector 54 monitors each of the touch signals 67, periodically communicating status signals to the microprocessor 56. When any of the sensor elements comes into close proximity to a user's body part, capacitive coupling alters (increases) loading of the associated coupling capacitor, correspondingly changing (decreasing) the resulting touch signal sufficiently to change the relevant status signal.

[0026] In addition to the above-described communication with the signal detector 54, the microprocessor is responsive to the power switch 26 and the mode switch 46 for signaling the main and secondary drivers 58 and 59 as further described below, the microprocessor having separate outputs for driving each of the indicators 48.

[0027] In an exemplary configuration of the dildo 30, the control circuit 50, upon activation by the power switch 26, is responsive to the mode switch 46 for controlling the secondary vibrator 40 as described herein, the main vibrator 12 being responsive to proximity of the sensor elements 22 as described above regarding the sensor elements 22 of the massaging device 10. In this configuration, successive activations of the mode switch 46 produces eight intensity modes of operation of the secondary vibrator 40 as set forth below in Table 1. It will be understood that other modes of operation of the secondary vibrator 40 are within the scope of the present invention. Corresponding variations in operation intensity levels of the main vibrator 12 are possible also, an exemplary schedule being indicated below in Table 2. In table 2, Sensor A excludes activation of the sensor elements 22B and 22C; Sensor B excludes activation of the sensor element 22C. In both tables the activation levels are relative and arbitrary as is consistent with effective levels known to those skilled in the art.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Secondary Vibrator Modes Mode Level Shape 1 0 2 1 Flat 3 2 Flat 4 3 Flat 5 3/0 Sinusoid 6 3/0 Medium Square 7 3/0 Medium/Slow Square 8 2/0 Fast Square

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Main Vibrator Modes Level Mode No Sensor Sensor A Sensor B Sensor C Shape 1 0 1 2 3 Flat 2 0 2 3 4 Flat 3 0 1 3 5 Flat 4 1 2 4 5 Flat 5 2/0 3/0 4/0 5/0 Sinusoid 6 0 1/0 3/0 5/0 Medium Sq. 7 0 1/0 3/0 5/0 Med./Slow Sq. 8 0 1/0 3/0 5/0 Fast Square

[0028] The indicators 48 are driven by the control circuit 50 at low intensity in Modes 1 and 2, medium intensity in Mode 3, high intensity in Mode 3, variable intensity in Mode 4, and blinking in Modes 5-8 synchronously with activation of the secondary vibrator 40. It will be understood that other and various indications in the different modes are possible.

[0029] With reference to FIG. 8, there are shown graphical illustrations of intensity represented by a waveform, wherein the shape of the waveform represents the level of intensity generated by the different modes of operation of the massaging device, such as those corresponding to the vibrator modes of Tables 1 and 2.

[0030] A suitable device for the signal detector 54 is available as ACM3890 from Shizhenshi ACME Micro Electronics of Shenzhen, China. The device is operational with a crystal input at 16 MHz, generating the pulse output 62 at a rate of 500 Hz. A suitable device for the microprocessor 56 is available as ACM3831-3, also from ACME. A suitable 3.3 volt regulator 68 for providing VCC to the detector 54 is available as HT7133 from Holtek Semiconductor Inc. of Hsinshu, Taiwan. The regulator 68 is fed by a power driver 69 in response to activation of the microprocessor 56 by the power switch 26 as described above. The control circuit 50 includes additional conventional circuitry for powering the signal detector 54 as well as the microprocessor 56 in a suitable manner known to those skilled in the art.

[0031] Further regarding the massaging device 10 of FIG. 1, and with particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a simplified counterpart of control circuit, designated 50 is formed by a combination of the control module 18 and the sensor module 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the control circuit 50 includes counterparts of the body touch detector 52 and the signal detector 54 for signaling a counterpart of the microprocessor, designated 56, the microprocessor controlling a counterpart of the main driver 58 for powering the vibrator 12. A suitable device for the microprocessor 56 is available as ACM3831-2, also from ACME. The power switch 26 directly powers the control circuit 50; accordingly, the power driver 69 is implemented as a constant conduit to the regulator 68 when the power switch 26 is activated.

[0032] The touch detector 52 includes the sensor elements 22A, 22B, and 22C, the elements 22 each having the coupling capacitor 60 connected to the common pulse output 62 of the signal detector 54, with counterparts of the blocking diode 63, the signal filter including the charging resistor 64, the filter capacitor 65, and the discharge resistor 66, for generating the touch signal 67 for feeding the detector 54 as described above in connection with FIG. 7. The signal detector 54 monitors each of the touch signals 67A, 67B, and 67C, periodically communicating status signals to the microprocessor 56, also as described above. The control circuit 50 also includes conventional circuitry for powering the signal detector 54 and the microprocessor 56 in a suitable manner known to those skilled in the art.

[0033] Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, the power switch and the mode switch can be combined, the control circuit cycling through a substantially unpowered state and the various modes in response to successive operations of the mode switch. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not necessarily be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.