US3844277A

US3844277A - Rubbing and massage apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3844277A
Application number: US00332939A
Authority: US
Inventors: K Pahl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-02-19
Filing date: 1973-02-15
Publication date: 1974-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-29
Also published as: DE2207925A1

Abstract

Apparatus for rubbing and massaging the human body by means of a cloth-shaped rubbing material, which comprises a rubbing material which is disposed so as to form a surface and subdivided into a succession of webs extending substantially parallel with respect to one another, and means for driving alternate webs in one direction, the intermediate webs in opposite direction and for alternating the directions in which said webs are driven.

Description

United States Patent [191 Pahl [ 51 Oct. 29, 1974 1 RUBBING AND MASSAGE APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Karl-Heinz Pahl, Leuchtenberger Kirchweg 101, Duesseldorf-Nord, Germany [22] Filed: Feb. 15, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 332,939

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 19, 1972 Germany 2207925 [52] US. Cl. 128/63, 128/D1G. 10 [51] Int. Cl A6lh 7/00 [58] Field of Search 128/62, 63, 53, 32, 65,

128/D1G. 1O

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,807,308 5/1931 De Remer 128/63 2,071,215 2/1937 Peterson 128/53 2,238,967 4/1941 Brown 128/63 2,807,815 10/1957 Mack 128/63 X 3,381,683 5/1968 Runde 128/63 Primary Examiner-Lawrence W. Trapp Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Burgess, Dinklage & Sprung 5 7 ABSTRACT Apparatus for rubbing and massaging the human body by means of a cloth-shaped rubbing material, which comprises a rubbing material which is disposed so as to form a surface and subdivided into a succession of webs extending substantially parallel with respect to one another, and means for driving alternate webs in one direction, the intermediate webs in opposite direction and for alternating the directions in which said webs are driven.

24 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures RUBBING AND MASSAGE APPARATUS This invention relates to an apparatus for rubbing and/or massaging the human body by means of a clothshaped rubbing material or terry cloth.

After having taken a bath or shower, it is generally agreeable and comfortable to rub the whole body vigorously by means of a terry cloth thereby wiping the body not only dry but also massaging it thoroughly and rubbing off repulsed parts of the horny layer of the cuticle. Heretofore, this has been generally done by means of a rough bath towel or terry cloth, which has the disadvantage that rubbing of the body with its use is often tedious, incomplete and strenuous.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which permits more intensive, thorough and more rapid rubbing and/or massaging of the body especially after having taken a bath or shower.

In accordance with the invention, this object is accomplished by disposing the rubbing material or terry cloth so as to form a surface for bringing the body or parts of it into contact with the cloth and by providing means for imparting to successive webs of the rubbing material extending substantially parallel with respect to one another a reciprocating motion in opposite directions in an alternating succession.

Preferably the cloth-shaped rubbing material is stretched in a substantially vertical plane so that the body may be laterally pressed into contact with the rubbing material the individual websof which are moving in opposite directions. However, it is also possible that the rubbing material or terry cloth is stretched in a horizontal plane so that one can lay the whole body down on the terry cloth thereby rubbing and massaging the body. Finally, the rubbing material may also be stretched in an inclined plane.

If the rubbing material is stretched in a substantially vertical or inclined plane, it is desireable that the individual webs of the rubbing material extend substantially horizontally to support the body leaning laterally against them.

To achieve that the rubbing material conforms to the body as the latter is pressed into contact with it, the cloth-shaped rubbing material has desirably rubber elasticity. In this case, each individual reciprocating web may be associated with a tensile member which is tightly connected with the web, desirably of continuous configuration and directly connected at both ends with the drive means. Suitable tensile members include ropes, ribbons and wire, the rope, ribbon or wire desirably consisting of a rustfree material, e.g., a plastic material or stainless steel.

In cases where the rope, ribbon or wire is embedded in the rubbery material of the rubbing sheet, the rope, ribbon or wire should be capable of being satisfactorily bonded to rubber.

Preferably the rubbing material consists of a continuous cloth, individual web-shaped sections of which are reciprocated in opposite directions in an appropriate manner in operation of the apparatus. Desirably the cloth may have cutouts between the zones forming the individual webs to allow satisfactory relative movement of the individual webs with respect to one another.

The rubbing material may consist of a rubbing sheet of rubber. However, it may also consist of a rubber sheet on which a separate terry cloth is removably buttoned so that the terry cloth contacting the boddy may be replaced after each use, which is important especially when using the apparatus according to the invention in hotels or massage saloons.

The holder of the cloth-shaped rubbing material may be a supporting frame which has return means on each of the sides opposing each other in the direction of movement, the drive means for the individual webs of the rubbing material engaging both sides of the reversed ends of the web. Reversal of the webs may be effected by means of rods, each end of which is attached to a rigid plate. To reduce the resistance to displacement of the individual webs, reversing rolls may be provided on the rods. However, the holder of the rubbing material may also be mounted directly on the oscillating drive means without reversal.

One or two crankshafts having the crankpins connected to the ends of the webs or the tensile members may be provided as drive means for the individual webs. However, double-acting pistons movable with tap water and controlled to move in opposite directions corresponding to the specified movement of the individual webs may also be provided as drive means. Moreover, a camshaft with a gear motor may be used for moving the webs.

Preferably the drive means is tightly connected with the supporting frame so that the total apparatus consists of an integral unit. When constructed in this manner, it is possible to arrange the frame swingably permitting to swing it, for example, into a shower cabin. Such a construction has the advantage that it is not necessary for the user of the shower cabin to leave it for rubbing after having taken the shower but that he can rub himself dry within the warm shower cabin by means of the apparatus according to the invention without being exposed to the draft generally present outside the shower cabin.

For the embodiment of the apparatus which can be swung into a shower cabin, appropriate side faces may be provided at the supporting frame, these side faces forming at least one wall or part of a wall of the shower cabin in both positions of the apparatus, i.e., when swung into the cabin and when swung out of it.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings where FIG. 1 is a front view of the apparatus according to the invention in the direction of the arrow I of FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a further embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention in the direction of the arrow II of FIG. 4;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 in a more detailed representation;

FIG. 6 shows in greater detail a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the drive means shown in FIG. 5; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate further possible means for driving the terry cloth.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the rubbing material of the apparatus according to the invention consists of a continuous sheet 2 which has rubber elasticity and which is stretched in a substantially vertical plane. Due to a plurality of central and lateral cutouts 4 and 6, the sheet 2 may be subdivided into individual webs 8 which extend horizontally (see FIG. 2 in this respect). Reference to webs 8 will also be made hereafter if the cutouts 4 and 6 are absent. In any case, the webs 8 are specific zones or areas which move in opposite directions in operation of the apparatus according to the invention.

At the lateral edges, the individual webs 8 are reversed about vertical rods 10, the upper and lower ends of which are seated in horizontal plates 12. To reduce the frictional resistance between the rods 10 and the individual webs 8, reversing rolls (not represented in the drawing) may be mounted on the rods 10. Behind the reversing rods, the sheet 2 may be provided with cutouts 6a. To illustrate this feature, two webs 8a of the end of the sheet are laterally turned about in FIG. 1.

The ends of the webs 8 reversed about the rods 10 lead to a drive mechanism 14 which is arranged behind the sheet 2 and which imparts to the webs 8 extending parallel with respect to one another a reciprocating movement in alternating succession and in opposite directions. Various types of drive mechanisms 14 may be used, it being only essential that a reciprocating movement is produced. Suitable drive means include driven crankshafts, pistons operated with tap water, camshafts with gear motors, and the like.

The movement of the individual webs is brought about by pulling them by the drive means 14 into the corresponding opposite directions. In case of the cloth 2 represented in the drawing, each web 8 has associated with it a tensile member 16 which consists of a wire or rope which is embedded in the base material of the rubbery sheet. The wire or the rope consists of a rust-free material and can be readily bonded to rubber and is incorporated into the material as the rubber sheet is produced. The ends of the tensile members 16 are connected directly with the moving parts of the drive mechanism 14 and transmit a straight-line movement to the webs 8.

The drive mechanism 14 is attached to the supporting frame 18 consisting of the vertical rods 10 and the horizontal plates 12 so that the apparatus represents an integral unit. As shown in the drawing, the supporting frame 18 is fitted into a rectangular corner of the room while the rubbing cloth 2 extends outwardly from the corner and forms the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle, the right angle of which is situated in the corner. To be rubbed, the user may lean against the central region of the cloth 2, in which case the latter will become vaulted towards the room corner to an extent corresponding to the bearing pressure. The upper and lower plates 12 of the supporting frame 18 have one curved cutout 20 each in the region of the vault to be expected so that the user may approach the apparatus very closely. The height of the cloth extends desirably from a small distance above the floor to about the neck of a medium-sized person.

In FIG. 2, the tensile ribbon 16 is connected directly with the ends of a cranked embodiment of the piston rod 41, the cloth 2 having the cutouts 4 and 6 mentioned above.

FIG. 3 illustrates the special use of the apparatus according to the invention in the room corner of a shower cabin 22. The shower cabin 22, only one room corner of which is shown, is defined on one side of the room corner by the masonry 24 and, on the other side, by the partition 26. The partition 26 terminates at a distance from the brick wall 24 at which a swivel joint 28 for the apparatus according to the invention is provided in the extension of the partition 26. It is possible in this manner to swing the apparatus from a position which is indicated in FIG. 2 in dot-dash lines and in which the total supporting frame 18 is outside the shower cabin into a position in which the supporting frame 18 is situated in a room corner of the shower cabin 22 as shown in the drawing.

To close the opening or passage between the end face of the partition 26 and the brick wall 24 after the supporting frame 18 has been swung from one position into the other, the supporting frame is provided with

side walls

30 and 32 which are arranged at right angles and connected with the swivel joint 28. In the position indicated by dot-dash lines, the side wall 30 engages the brick wall 24 while the side wall 32 closes the interstice between the end face of the partition 26 and the brick wall 24 thereby closing the shower cabin to the exterior. When moved into the position within the shower cabin, the side wall 30 closes the shower cabin to the exterior while the side wall 32 engages the brick wall 24 in the interior of the shower cabin.

If the apparatus has extremely large dimensions, the

side walls

30 and 32 of the supporting frame 18 may be constructed as one side wall each of the shower cabin.

In FIG. 4, the embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention provided with the cranked piston rod 41 is illustrated.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 of the drawing, a particular drive mechanism 14a is provided for the rubbing cloth 2. According to FIG. 1 and 3, the webs 8 of the rubbing cloth 2 passed about the rods 10 which are provided with reversing rolls 34 are provided with tensile members 16 which are connected directly with the drive 14a for the transmission of the movement.

The drive mechanism 14a operates hydraulically, tap water being used as the hydraulic fluid. The drive mechanism consists of a plurality of cylinders 36 in which a double-acting piston 38 is guided. The piston 38 is provided on both sides with piston rods 42 which extend through the cylinder covers 40 and transmit the movement of the pistons. The water-operated pistons may be driven directly through a fluidal proportional amplifier.

Since two directions of motion are simultaneously necessary for each of the individual webs 8 of the rubbing cloth 2 in operation of the rubbing apparatus, the drive mechanism 14a consists of two transmission assemblies, each of which is provided with two cylinders 36. The two cylinders 36 of one assembly operate synchronously with the ends of the piston rods 42 engaging at each end a common

vertical transmission rod

44a,44b and 46a, 46b, respectively.

The tensile members 16 of the webs 8 moved synchronously in one direction are attached to the

transmission rods

44a and 44b while the tensile members of the webs 8 which are simultaneously moved synchronously in the other direction are attached to the

transmission rods

46a and 46b. Due to the actuation of the two drive assemblies in opposite directions, the movement of the individual webs of the rubbing cloth 2 in opposite directions is achieved.

The embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 6 does not require

transmission rods

44a,44b and 46a,46b because the tensile members 16 engage directly the ends of the crank piston rods 41.

According to FIG. 8, the tensile strands 16 of the cloth 2 extend to a crankshaft 14b which drives the cloth.

In case of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the tensile strands 16 of the cloth 2 extend to the crankshafts a and 15 b which drive the cloth.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for rubbing and massaging the human body by means of a cloth-shaped rubbing material, which comprises a rubbing material which is disposed so as to form a surface and subdivided into a succession of webs extending substantially parallel with respect to one another, and means for driving alternate webs in one direction, the intermediate webs in opposite direction and for alternating the directions in which said webs are driven.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the rubbing material is stretched in a substantially vertical plane.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the individual webs of the rubbing material extend substantially horizontally.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rubbing material has rubber elasticity.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the individual webs capable of being reciprocated has associated with it a drivable tensile member which is tightly connected with said web.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said tensile member is of continuous configuration and connected at both ends directly with the driving means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said tensile members are selected from the group consisting of ropes, ribbons and wires.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said rope and wire consist of a rust-free material.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said member selected from the group consisting of ropes and wires is capable of being satisfactorily bonded to rubber and is integrally formed with the base material of the webs within or without the webs.

10. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said rubbing material consists of a continuous cloth.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said cloth is provided with cutouts between the individual webs which are susceptible of being driven in opposite directions.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rubbing material consists of a rubbing cloth of rubber.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rubbing material consists of a rubber sheet to which a separate terry cloth is removably attached by buttonmg.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cloth-shaped rubbing material is supported by a supporting frame which is provided on each of the sides opposing each other in the direction of movement with a reversing member, and said driving means for the individual webs of the rubbing material engages both sides of the reversed web ends.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein rods seated with each of their ends in a rigid plate are provided for the reversal of the webs.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein reversing rolls are mounted on the rods.

17. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one drivable crankshaft having attached to its crankpins the ends of the webs or the tensile members is provided as driving means for the individual webs.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said driving means is a camshaft with a gear motor.

l9. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said driving means is tightly connected with'said supporting frame.

20. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least two double-acting pistons which are operable by means of tap water and controlled to move in opposite directions are provided as driving means.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said water-operated pistons are directly driven through a fluidal proportional amplifier.

22. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said tensile member is attached directly to the ends of a crank piston rod of said piston.

23. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said supporting frame is arranged swingably.

24. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said supporting frame is arranged for being swung into a shower cabin with appropriate side faces of the supporting frame forming atleast one wall or parts of a wall of said shower cabin in the respective position of said supporting frame.

UNITED STA'l'ES lA'l'l'l UFFICE CER'IIFICA'IE 0F CORREC'HQN Patent No. 3,844,277 Dated October 29, 1974 inventor) KARIL-QEINZ PAHL I It is certified that error appears'in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

C01. 6, claim 23, line 1, cancel "l9" and substitute 22 Col. 6, claim 24, line 1, cancel- "20" and substitute l8 f ne sealed this 1st day of fipril 11:75.

Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks RUTH C I'IASOB? attesting Officer

Claims

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rubbing material consists of a rubber sheet to which a separate terry cloth is removably attached by buttoning.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said driving means is tightly connected with said supporting frame.

24. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said supporting frame is arranged for being swung into a shower cabin with appropriate side faces of the supporting frame forming at least one wall or parts of a wall of said shower cabin in the respective position of said supporting frame.