GB2127297A

GB2127297A - Massage device

Info

Publication number: GB2127297A
Application number: GB08325950A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tantip Dechachart
Original assignee: TANTIP CORP
Current assignee: TANTIP CORP
Priority date: 1982-09-29
Filing date: 1983-09-28
Publication date: 1984-04-11
Also published as: GB8325950D0

Abstract

A therapeutic massage device in which an elastic, relatively stiff axle 10 is provided with hand grips 12 at either end, which hand grips hold a series of individual and separate ball elements 17 to 21 in closely spaced position. Each ball element is freely rotatable on the axle and there is sufficient clearance between the balls to allow the axle to be deformed arcuately partially around the massage recipient's body or body member without contacting the balls in such fashion as prevents their individual free rotation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Therapeutic massage device This invention relates to a therapeutic massage device.

It is well known that massage of human tissue, particularly the musculature is extremely therapeutic both mentally and physically, promotes good circulation and in general contributes to the well being both physically and mentally of the recipient.

Although many devices have been proposed in the prior art, there is a need for a simple, and yet efficient manual massage aid which is effective to conform to the contours of the human body or body parts while at the same time providing highly localised massage pressure at discrete areas over the body or body member.

The invention seeks to provide a simple yet highly efficient massage device which will at all times naturally conform to the contours of the body or body portion to which it is applied and which will, at the same time, allow highly localised massage pressure to be applied by the individual elements thereof.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a therapeutic massage device comprising an elongate axle of flexible material and having a hand grip at each end thereof, and a plurality of separate bulbous members journalled in said axle between the hand grips, each member being freely rotatable on said axle and the hand grips being spaced apart by an amount which compels said members to be disposed in close adjacency to each other but with sufficient clearance therebetween as to permit said axle to be arcuately deformed partially around a body part of a massage recipient without causing the members to contact each other with sufficient force as significantly affects their ability to rotate individually on said axle.

Preferably each member takes the form of a spherical ball. In use, the balls are at all times held relatively closely together and yet each is sufficiently free rotatable on the axle even when the axle is sharply arcuately deformed as around a leg or arm, thereby to permit each individual ball to freely rotate on the axle and to perform its requisite massaging action.

In order that the invention may be better understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevational view partly in section of a therapeutic massage device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a view illustrating one manner of using the device of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is an enlarged view taken generally in the plane of the section line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1,the massage device consists essentially of an axle member 10 which is formed, as indicated by cross hatching, of an elastic material such as rubber or flexible plastics material such as polyurethane. The material of the axle 10 is formed of such diameter and is of such durometerthatthe axle, by itself, is relatively stiff and straight and has no great tendency to droop or flex under its own weight. Attached at either end of the axle 10 are hand grips 11 and 12 which are made of rigid material such as acetal. The hand grips may be secured in place by suitable cross pins, for example brass rivets, or the like 13, 14 and which are otherwise securely attached to the opposite end portions of the axle 10.The inner end of the each hand grip 11, 12 flares to a relatively enlarged end face 15, 16 each of which is substantially flat or slightly convex and between these faces 15 and 16 are arranged a plurality of bulbous elements 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, substantially as is shown. Preferably, these members are made of acetal, nylon or high density polyethylene and are of spherical configuration, typically about 56mm in diameter. Each is provided with a diametrically extending bore of slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the axle 10 so as to be freely rotatable thereon. Also, the balls are cumulatively of a length which is slightly less than the spacing between the faces 15 and 16 so that each ball is freely rotatable on the axle without undue "scrubbing" against adjacent ball or against the end faces 15 and 16.

The axle 10 is of sufficient diameter and the durometer of the rubber material or the like is sufficient to render the axle significantly resistant to elongation in the presence of manual tension exerted thereon. However, as is shown somewhat exaggerated in Figures 2 and 3, when the axle is more or less arcuately deformed to conform to the contours of a body member such as a leg as is shown in Figures 2 and 3, the axle member due to the massaging pressure applied will be subjected to a degree of elongation which is sufficient to prevent the individual ball elements or members from engaging each other or the faces 15,16 with sufficient force as significantly affects their ability to rotate individually on the axle.This allows each ball to bear upon the body member at a highly localised point or region as is indicated by the reference characters 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 in Figure 3 to provide the deep massaging action characteristic of this device but without having a tendency for the balls to "scrub" either against each other or against the skin of the massage recipient. Also, it is desirable that the individual balls do not "wander" significantly as the device is manipulated upward and downward along the body portion or leg as shown in Figure 2 by the direction arrows indicated at 27 and 28.

As noted earlier, each of the balls is typically about 56mm in diameter and it has been found that five such balls are especially effective to provide a suitable massage device for virtually any portion of the recipient's body. The axle 10 is typically about 12mm in diameter. In any event, the ratio of axle diameter to length should lie preferably in the range of about 1/15 to about 1/30 in order to achieve the requisite "stiffness" of the axle member while still allowing itto elastically deform around a body part as is shown in Figures 2 and 3.

With the device as described and as is illustrated, the massage can be effected over a wide range of massaging pressures by merely controlling the tension applied through the hand grips 11 and 12.

Claims

1. Atherapeutic massage device comprising an elongate axle of flexible material and having a hand grip at each end thereof, and a plurality of separate bulbous members journalled in said axle between the hand grips, each member being freely rotatable on said axle and the hand grips being spaced apart by an amount which compels said members to be disposed in close adjacency to each other but with sufficient clearance therebetween as to permit said axle to be arcuately deformed partially around a body part of a massage recipient without causing the members to contact each other with sufficient force as significantly affects their ability to rotate individually on said axle.

2. Atherapeutic massage device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said axle is of sufficient diameter to resist significant manual elongation thereof.

3. Atherapeutic massage device as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2 wherein said axle is of elastic material.

4. Atherapeutic massage device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said axle is of polyurethane.

5. Atherapeutic massage device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the axle has a diameter/length ratio which lies in the range of 1/15 to 1/30.

6. Atherapeutic massage device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said members are spherical.

7. Atherapeutic massage device as claimed in claim 6 wherein five members are provided, each being approximately 56mm in diameter.