EP0765149A1

EP0765149A1 - Massaging garment

Info

Publication number: EP0765149A1
Application number: EP95912314A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Dominique Douady; Marie-France Jacqueline Henriette Jaunet
Original assignee: JAUNET MARIE FRANCE JACQUELINE
Current assignee: JAUNET MARIE FRANCE JACQUELINE
Priority date: 1994-03-14
Filing date: 1995-03-14
Publication date: 1997-04-02
Also published as: WO1995024881A1; FR2717074A1; FR2717074B1; US5765226A

Abstract

A garment for massaging at least one part of a person's body, including a flexible and stretchable cover (1) designed to hug the body part(s) and consisting of portions (2) shaped to fit the muscle masses of the body. The portions (2) comprise separate sealed channels (3) partially filled with an incompressible fluid and aligned with the muscle fibres they contact when said cover (1) is positioned on said body part. The garment provides a muscle massage using the muscles' own motion.

Description

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Massaging clothing.

The subject of the invention is a garment for massaging at least a part of the body of an individual.

Document FR-A-2 144 971 describes an inflatable garment of this type. This garment comprises adjacent waterproof fabric pockets 5, which can each be inflated and deflated, by means of a connection tube connected to an appropriate source of pressurized air, by means of a programmed device making it possible to control selectively inflating and deflating said bags according to a

10 predetermined sequence.

This garment allows to exert on the body of the user, or on a part of it, a massage action similar to that performed manually by a physiotherapist.

However, this garment has the disadvantage of requiring a source of pressurized air and a control apparatus for ensuring the inflation and deflation of the pockets and, consequently, the required massage. It is therefore intended to be used on a site equipped with such equipment and

20 does not allow its user to move freely.

It is also known from the documents US-A-

4,100,686 and US-A-4,567,677 to massage the feet during walking by means of soles partially filled with an incompressible fluid such as water or a

25 gel. These soles consist of two sealed, flexible and waterproof sheets, for example of a plastic material, which form a pocket partially filled with the fluid. During walking, the movement of the fluid in the pocket along the length of the sole ensures a massage of the soles of the feet. According to document US Pat. No. 4,567,677, welds provided between the two sheets at the level of the arch of the foot define pressure drop zones making it possible to limit the circulation of the fluid between the front and rear parts of the sole.

Such soles provide effective massage of the soles of the feet but, by their configuration, they are not suitable for massaging other parts of the human body. The invention aims to produce a garment of simple design which, without using any external equipment and leaving its user entirely free to move and move, allows to automatically massage the part of the body which is there coated when it is subject to movement.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a garment for the massage of at least one part of the body of an individual, comprising a flexible envelope adapted to closely fit at least said part of the body and equipped with means for confining a fluid capable of being circulated to massage said part of the body, characterized in that said confinement means consist of independent sealed channels each partially filled with an incompressible fluid and each oriented substantially in the direction of the fibers or masses muscles with which they are in contact when said envelope is in place on said part of the body.

Preferably, said envelope and the wall of said channels are made of extensible material and said envelope consists of several pieces joined together and adapted to each correspond substantially to the outline of a muscle mass of said part of the body.

Thus, the wearing of the garment according to the invention automatically ensures, by the displacement of the fluid inside the channels, an appropriate massage in the desired direction, namely in the longitudinal direction of the muscle fibers.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows of a mode of *. realization given only by way of example and illustrated

^ 5 by the appended drawings in which:

4 Figure 1 is a partial elevational view, from the back, of an individual wearing a garment according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view along the length of a channel of the garment of Figure 1; 10 and

Figure 3 is a sectional view along line III-III of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1, a garment according to the invention consists of a number of pieces 2 which are cut in such a way that, once the garment is worn by an individual as shown in the figure, the outline of each piece corresponds substantially to that of a muscle mass or area of the individual. In the drawing, the outline of the parts 2 is materialized by lines

20 interrupted which thus correspond substantially to the boundary between two adjacent muscle areas or between a muscle area and a tendon or bone area.

Depending on its surface, each piece 2 of the garment 1 has one or more channels 3 independent of each other and which are each partially filled with an incompressible fluid, for example a liquid such as water. The channel (s) 3 of each piece 2 of the garment are each oriented in the direction of the fibers of the masses or muscular zones with which they are in contact when the

30 garments are worn.

As also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each channel 3 is defined by an elongated tubular sheath 4 made of a fluid-tight material and extensible at least in its longitudinal direction. The sheath 4 is for example made of an elastomeric material or a stretch fabric which is impermeable or waterproofed by a conventional treatment. Preferably, the sheath 4 is made of a material or fabric unidirectionally extendable.

Each sheath 4 is sandwiched between an interior fabric 5 and an exterior fabric 6 also extensible, for example a fabric of the LYCRA type. The fabrics 5 and 6 are preferably extendable unidirectionally, the direction of extension being oriented along the length of the sheaths 4. The fabrics 5 and 6 preferably have elongation characteristics similar to those of the sheath 4. Each sheath 4 is fixed in the desired position between the fabrics 5 and 6 by a seam 7 formed in the latter around the sheath 4 by means of an elastic thread. If the sheath 4 is formed by the assembly of two sheets defining a peripheral rim 8, preferably the seam 7 is sewn through this rim 8.

Preferably, the channels 3 are filled for about half to two thirds of their volume by the incompressible fluid and for the rest by air. The incompressible fluid is preferably water, but it may be another liquid, sand, or the like. The channels 3 have for example a length of between a few centimeters and about ten centimeters and a section of the order of a few tenths of cm ² .

Finally, the different parts 2 of the garment 1 are assembled to each other along their outline shown in broken lines in Figure 1 by seams in elastic son. The whole garment is arranged so as to closely fit the part of the body of the individual who wears it, in the manner of tights. According to the needs, the garment 1 can cover only a part or the whole body and, in the latter case, it can be in one or more parts which overlap at their junction, one of the two parts being able to be devoid of channels 3 in the overlap area. When the garment 1 is worn, the part of the body which is coated with it is continuously gently massaged by the circulation of the incompressible fluid in the channels 3 under the effect of body movements and muscle masses. This massage is particularly effective because it is continuously exercised optimally and effortlessly at each point of the body covered with the garment, thus providing a feeling of well-being.

It goes without saying that the embodiment described is only an example and it could be modified, in particular by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, the assembly of the parts 2 with each other and with the sheaths 4 could be achieved by means other than seams, for example by gluing.

In addition, all of the sheaths 4 forming part of a part 2 can be made in one piece, for example by means of two waterproof sheets formed and assembled by any suitable conventional means.

Claims

1. A garment for massaging at least one part of the body of an individual, comprising a flexible envelope adapted to closely fit at least said part of the body and equipped with means for confining a fluid capable of being circulated to massage said part of the body, characterized in that said confinement means consist of independent sealed channels (3) each partially filled with an incompressible fluid and each oriented substantially in the direction of the fibers of the muscle masses with which they are in contact when said envelope (1) is in place on said part of the body.

2. Garment according to claim 1, characterized in that said envelope (1) and the wall (4) of said channels are made of an extensible material.

3. Garment according to claim 2, characterized in that said envelope (1) consists of several parts

(2) joined together and adapted to each correspond substantially to the outline of a muscle mass of said part of the body.

4. Garment according to claim 3, characterized in that the material of said envelope (1) and / or of said wall (4) has a substantially unidirectional extension, said parts (2) being arranged so that the direction of extension of said material corresponds substantially to the orientation of said muscle fibers.

5. Garment according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that said parts (2) are joined together by extendable connecting means.

6. Garment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said envelope (1) comprises at least two layers of fabric (5, 6) between which are arranged said channels (3).

7. Garment according to claim 6, characterized in that said channels (3) are defined by sealed sheaths (4) assembled between said layers of fabric (5, 6).

8. Garment according to claim 7, characterized in that said sheaths (4) are assembled to said layers (5, 6) by extensible connecting means (7).

9. Garment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said channels (3) are filled for about half to two thirds of their volume by said fluid and for the balance by air.

10. Garment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said fluid is water.