WO2006101314A1

WO2006101314A1 - Foot massager

Info

Publication number: WO2006101314A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/000765
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daegon Nam
Original assignee: Daegon Nam
Priority date: 2005-03-24
Filing date: 2006-03-06
Publication date: 2006-09-28
Also published as: KR200388340Y1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a foot massager comprising a foot pressurizing part having a plurality of protrusions, and rotating parts respectively provided to each side of the foot pressurizing part to enable the foot pressurizing part to rotate, the rotating part having a diameter greater than the diameter of the foot pressurizing part. The foot massager has the advantage of being used in a simple way at low cost without few limits of time and place for use since a user enjoys the foot massage effect simply by putting his or her foot on the foot pressurizing part of the foot massager and rotating the foot pressurizing part forward and backward.

Description

FOOT MASSAGER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a foot massager. More particularly, the present invention relates to a foot massager which can be used at any place and time because it is portable, and is used and managed in an easy way. Background Art

[2] Foot massage is known as a treatment giving effects of easing tension, revitalizing humans' bodies and preventing disease by stimulating reaction points of organs and body parts. In particular, foot massage is more useful for people in modern life, who work sitting for a long time and are seldom active. Accordingly, recently, a variety of types of foot massagers has been developed and used.

[3] Numerous foot massage devices are known in the art. Among them, prevalent foot massagers are a mechanical type in which a roller or beads are rolled over a foot by a motor and a whirlpool type having a bath into which a foot can be placed.

[4] The mechanical type and the whirlpool type foot massagers are disadvantageous in that they are expensive and incur high electricity expense. In particular, the whirlpool type foot massager is disadvantageous in that it has limits of place and time for use, requires inconvenient maintenance, such as filling and emptying a whirlpool bath, and is dangerous due to the risk of electrical shock since the whirlpool type foot massager uses water.

[5] Accordingly, there still exists a need for a portable, light-weight foot massager that has no limit of place and time for use, can be easily used, and is cheap to use, so that a user can use it while the user studies or works on a computer, sitting on a chair.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[6] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art and, an object of the present invention is to provide a foot massager that has relatively few limits of time and place for use, and that can be used and managed in an easy way at low cost. Technical Solution

[7] In order to achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a foot massager that pressurizes a foot while it rotates, comprising a foot pressurizing part having a plurality of protrusions, and rotating parts provided to both sides of the foot pressurizing part for rotating the foot pressurizing part, in which each of the rotating parts has the diameter greater than a diameter of a cross-section of the foot pressurizing part.

Advantageous Effects

[8] As is apparent from the above descriptions, the foot massager has the advantage of being used in a simple way at low cost without few limits of time and place for use since a user enjoys the foot massage effect simply by putting his or her foot on the foot pressurizing part of the foot massager and rotating the foot pressurizing part forward and backward.

[9] The foot massager has the further advantage of preventing the protrusions of the foot pressurizing part of the massager from being broken by friction with a base surface or from being contaminated by designing the rotating part to have a diameter greater than the diameter of the foot pressurizing part.

[10] The foot massager has still another advantage of adjusting the intensity of massage since the protrusions of the foot pressurizing part have different shapes, sizes and heights in different locations.

[11] The foot massager has the yet another advantage of not slipping away in an undesirable direction because a close-contact member is provided to the circumferential outer surface of the rotating part.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[12] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a foot massager according to one embodiment of the present invention; [13] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the foot massager according to the embodiment of the present invention; [14] FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the foot massager, taken along line A-A shown in FIG. 1, in which the foot massager is in the state of being used; [15] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the foot massager, taken along line B-B shown in

FIG. 1; [16] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the foot massager, taken along line C-C shown in

FIG. l; and [17] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the foot massager, taken along line D-D shown in FIG. 1.

Mode for the Invention [18] Hereafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [19] FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a foot massager according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of the exploded foot massager according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the foot massager, taken along line A-A shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the foot massager, taken along line B-B shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the foot massager, taken along line C-C shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the foot massager, taken along line D-D shown in FIG. 1.

[20] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the foot massager 10 comprises a foot pressurizing part 12 having a plurality of protrusions 12a and 12b, and a rotating part 14 provided to both opposite sides of the foot pressurizing part 12 for rotating the foot pressurizing part 12, in which the diameter of the rotating part 14 has the diameter of a cross- section of the foot pressurizing part 12.

[21] Since the foot pressurizing part 12 is a part that pressurizes a user's foot when a user puts his or her foot on the foot pressurizing part 12, many protrusions 12a and 12b are provided thereto. Referring to the drawings, the foot pressurizing part 12 has a cylinder shape, but is not limited thereto. That is, the shape of the foot pressurizing part 12 is not limited to a cylinder as long as it has pressure protrusions and can support a foot.

[22] The foot pressurizing part 12 can be sectioned into at least two portions having different shapes of protrusions 12a and 12b. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the foot pressurizing part 12 is sectioned into three portions, so that a middle portion thereof has hemispherical protrusions 12a and portions residing at both sides of the middle portion have circular-cone-shape protrusions 12b. The protrusions 12a and 12b can vary in sizes and/or heights. By adjusting the shape, size and height of the protrusions 12a and 12b, the intensity of pressure can be adjusted to correspond to locations on a foot to be pressurized and the degree of fatigue of a user.

[23] The rotating parts 14 are provided to left and right sides of the foot pressurizing part

12 and act to rotate the foot pressurizing part 12 so that the entire sole of a foot can be pressurized by being in contact with the protrusions 12a and 12b. In the drawings, the rotating parts 14 have a circular plate shape, but they can have different shapes as long as they can roll to a predetermined angle. That is, side view of the rotating part 14 can have a semicircular shape.

[24] Referring to FIG. 3, since the rotating part 14 has a diameter greater than the diameter of a cross-section of the foot pressurizing part 12, it plays a role of suspending the protrusions 12a and 12b from the base surface, so that the protrusions 12a and 12b can be prevented from being crushed or contaminated by rubbing with the base surface.

[25] Each of the rotating parts 14 may have a close-contact member in a recess formed on its circumferential outer surface. This structure gives an effect of preventing the foot massager from slipping away in an undesired direction, even if the foot massager is placed on a slippery floor for use. The close-contact member 15 of the rotating part 14 is made of a material that can tightly contact the foot massager to the floor. For example, the close-contact member 15 may be made of rubber, flexible PVC, or silicon. In the case in which the close-contact member 15 is made of rubber, flexible PVC or silicon, it alleviates shocks applied to the foot massager 10.

[26] Referring to the drawings, the close-contact member 15 has a ring shape, but is not limited thereto. That is, the close-contact member 15 may comprise two or more rubber strips that are installed in respective recesses formed on the circumferential outer surface of the rotating part 14.

[27] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the operation and effects of the foot massager according to the present invention will be described.

[28] While a user studies or works, sitting on a chair in an office or a study room, the user puts a foot on the foot pressurizing part 12 of the foot massager 10 and applies pressure to the front part or the rear part of the sole of the foot. Then, the foot pressurizing part 12 is naturally rotated forward or backward due to the structural characteristic of the foot massager 10. At this time, foot massage is performed as the protrusions 12a and 12b formed on the surface of the foot pressurizing part 12 come into contact with the entire sole of the foot.

[29] As stated above, even when the foot pressurizing part 12 rotates, the protrusions 12a and 12b are not in contact with the base surface since the diameter of the rotating part 14 is greater than that of the cross-section of the foot pressurizing part 12. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the protrusions 12a and 12b from being crushed, broken or contaminated.

[30] Furthermore, the close-contact member 15 of the rotating part 14 is advantageous in that, even if the foot massager 10 is used on a slippery surface, the close-contact member 15 prevents the foot massager 10 from slipping.

[31] Depending on the degree of fatigue of a user, the user may require different degrees of pressurizing effect as the user puts the user's foot on the middle portion or the edge portions of the foot pressurizing part 12, the middle portion and the edge portions having different shapes of protrusions. That is, in case of wanting a low degree of pressurizing effect, the user puts his or her foot on the middle portion having hemispherical protrusions 12a. In the case of wanting a high degree of pressurizing effect, the user puts his or her foot on the edge portions have cone-shaped protrusions 12b.

[32] According to the present invention, the foot massager has few limits of time and place for use since it can be used when working in an office, studying on a chair in a study room, and watching a television in a living room.

[33] Further, the foot massager can be used in an easy way at low cost because it uses no water or electricity.

[34] Still further, the foot massager can be used and managed in an easy way since it has a small volume and a light weight. Industrial Applicability

[35] As is apparent from the above descriptions, the foot massager according to the present invention has the advantage of being capable of being used with few limits in time and place for use since it can be used when working in an office, studying on a chair in a study room, or watching a television in a living room.

[36] The foot massager has the further advantage of being used in an easy way at low cost because there is no need to use water and electricity.

[37] The foot massager has the still further advantage of being used and managed in an easy way since it has a small bulk and a light weight.

[38] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claim.

Claims

[1] A foot massager which massages a foot by being rotated, comprising: a foot pressurizing part having a plurality of protrusions; and rotating parts provided to respectively each side of the foot pressurizing part for rotating the foot pressurizing part, each of the rotating parts having a diameter greater than a diameter of a cross-section of the foot pressurizing part.

[2] The foot massager as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protrusions have different shapes, sizes and heights according to locations on the foot pressurizing part.

[3] The foot massager as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the rotating part has a close-contact member enabling the foot massager to be in tight contact with a base surface, in a recess formed on a circumferential outer surface thereof.