IP Verse

Contact-Type Massage Tapping Device And Massager

Patent No. US12023295 (titled "Contact-Type Massage Tapping Device And Massager") was filed by Uc Global Trade Inc on Sep 28, 2023.

What is this patent about?

’295 is related to the field of massage devices, specifically tapping-type massagers. The background acknowledges the growing market for massage products and the unique stimulation provided by tapping massagers. Existing solutions often use eccentric vibrating motors, but these lack sufficient tapping intensity, especially when the massager is pressed against the body. These prior devices also tend to vibrate the entire casing, failing to provide localized stimulation.

The underlying idea behind ’295 is to create a contact-type tapping massager with a freely swinging tapping body housed within a cavity. A driving assembly, connected to the tapping body, imparts a reciprocating swinging motion. This allows the tapping body to build up momentum and deliver a more focused and impactful tapping action, even when the device is pressed firmly against the body.

The claims of ’295 focus on a contact-type massage tapping device that includes a main body with a cavity. Inside the cavity is a tapping body connected to a connecting seat, allowing it to swing. A tapping driving assembly powers the tapping body's motion. The cavity has two openings on opposite sides of the main body, positioned such that the tapping body can protrude through either opening.

In practice, the eccentric wheel mechanism converts the rotary motion of a motor into the reciprocating motion of the tapping body. The cavity ensures that the tapping body can move freely without being obstructed by the massager's casing or the user's body. The openings in the cavity allow the tapping body to directly contact the user, delivering a focused tapping massage.

This design differs from prior approaches that rely on simple vibration. By isolating the tapping body within a cavity and using a dedicated driving assembly, ’295 achieves a more controlled and powerful tapping action. The inertial energy storage within the tapping body enhances the impact, while the cavity minimizes unwanted vibrations in the massager's casing, leading to a more effective and comfortable massage experience.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2020s when ’295 was filed, contact-type massage devices were at a time when such devices typically relied on eccentric vibrating motors to generate tapping sensations. At that time, achieving localized and intense tapping stimulation while minimizing overall device vibration was non-trivial, especially for in-body or skin-contact massagers where damping effects reduced the perceived intensity.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the application because the prior art of record does not disclose, either alone or in combination, the specific structural and functional limitations of the contact type massage tapping device such that the device includes a main body having closed top and bottom ends and two sides positioned between the closed top and bottom ends, the closed top and bottom ends having rounded conical shapes, and a cavity having a first opening, the first opening being on an outside surface of a first side of the two sides, the opening being between the closed top and bottom ends, the cavity has a second opening, the second opening being on an outside surface of a second side of the two sides; and wherein the first opening is adjacent to a first side of the tapping body and the second opening is adjacent to a second side of the tapping body and the first opening and the second opening are opposite each other.

Claims

There are 11 claims in total. Claim 1 is the only independent claim, and it focuses on the structure and components of a contact-type massage tapping device. The dependent claims elaborate on specific features and configurations of the tapping body, driving assembly, and elastic energy storage within the massage device, as well as a massager comprising the device.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Cavity having a first opening
(Claim 1)		“Regarding the arrangement of the cavity (1), the cavity (1) is configured to protect the freedom of motion during use of the tapping body (2) from being hindered, which includes collision and friction of contact, and further includes obstruction caused by the extrusion of a medium (such as air) in a small space (or a negative pressure formed by the tapping device when it leaves the cavity (1)) of the cavity (1).”A hollow space with an opening through which the tapping body can make contact.
Connecting seat
(Claim 1)		“In this embodiment, the connecting seat (6) is configured to support the tapping body (2); the tapping body (2) is the main body that implements the tapping massage stimulation function, and its massage characteristics can be configured with various or customized settings according to the massage type and stimulation site.”A component to which the tapping body is movably connected, allowing the tapping body to swing.
Reciprocating swinging degree of freedom A
(Claim 1)		“the tapping body (2) has at least one reciprocating swinging degree of freedom A relative to the connecting seat (6); the tapping driving assembly (5) is connected to the driving end (23) of the tapping body (2), and is used to provide reciprocating motion power of the tapping body (2) within the degree of freedom A; and the main body of the tapping device is disposed inside the cavity (1).”The ability of the tapping body to swing back and forth relative to the connecting seat.
Tapping body
(Claim 1)		“the tapping body (2) is the main body that implements the tapping massage stimulation function, and its massage characteristics can be configured with various or customized settings according to the massage type and stimulation site. The tapping body (2) can have a certain biased design in terms of its own inertia, for example, a center of the tapping body (2) can be distributed as far as possible at the position where the tapping action occurs, or can be arranged at other positions according to the massage and tapping demands to obtain a better motion inertia; specifically, the tapping body (2) exhibits a motion mode of reciprocating swinging under the action of the driving assembly.”A component of the massage device that moves to create a tapping sensation. It has at least one movable connection member and a driving end.
Tapping driving assembly
(Claim 1)		“the tapping driving assembly (5) is connected to the driving end (23) of the tapping body (2), and is used to provide reciprocating motion power of the tapping body (2) within the degree of freedom A; and the main body of the tapping device is disposed inside the cavity (1).”A component that provides the power to move the tapping body in a reciprocating swinging motion.

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US12023295

UC GLOBAL TRADE INC
Application Number
US18374066
Filing Date
Sep 28, 2023
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Dec 14, 2042
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents