Self contained massage head and method of applying massage forces

摘要

A massage apparatus for use in the therapeutic application of repetitive vibratory force to a recipient. The massage apparatus 5 comprises a housing 10 having a hand portion 26 and a cuff portion 42. The apparatus 5 also comprises a pancake motor mounted 50 within the hand portion 26, the pancake motor 50 having a drive shaft 60 extending forward along the direction of a longitudinal axis 24 of the housing 10. An oscillating assembly 72 mounts within the cuff portion 42 and attaches to the drive shaft 60 of the pancake motor 50, wherein the oscillating assembly 72 translates rotary motion of the drive shaft 60 into orbital oscillations. A counterweight 108 operatively connects to the pancake motor 50 wherein the counterweight 108 decreases vibration in the hand portion 26 by compensating forces generated by the oscillating assembly 72.

主权项

1. A portable massage apparatus for use by an operator in the therapeutic application of repetitive vibratory force to a recipient, the massage apparatus comprising:
a housing having a longitudinal axis, the housing defining a hand portion extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis sized to fit and accept simultaneously both the palm and fingers for the hand of a user, and a cuff portion, and an electrically nonconductive bracket connecting and separating the hand portion and cuff portion, the bracket being configured to insulate and isolate the hand portion and the cuff portion from the operator and the recipient respectively, the hand portion being sized and shaped for suitable use by a human user such that the hands of the user always are generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and axially outboard of the bracket in application use, the axis always passes through the hand or hands of the user during use, the hand portion further having a top for the accepting the user's hands, a bottom, and a side defining first enclosed chamber, the cuff portion having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a second chamber; a motor mounted within the first enclosed chamber, the motor having a rotatable drive shaft extending along the direction of the longitudinal axis from the first enclosed chamber into the second chamber; an oscillating assembly mounted within the second chamber, the oscillating assembly including an offset cam operatively connected to the drive shaft, and a plate mounted about the offset cam axially outwardly thereof, the plate oscillating in an orbital motion upon rotation of the drive shaft thereby translating rotary motion of the drive shaft into orbital oscillations of the plate; and a counterweight mounted within the housing wherein the counterweight decreases vibration in the hand portion by compensating forces generated by the plate as the plate oscillates in the orbital motion.