Portable body massager having width adjustable massage members on translating carriage
Patent No. US7470242 (titled "Portable body massager having width adjustable massage members on translating carriage") on Aug 17, 2005. The application was issued on Dec 30, 2008.
What is this patent about?
’242 is related to the field of portable body massagers, specifically those designed as cushions or inserts that can be placed onto conventional chairs. The invention addresses the mechanical complexity and weight of traditional massage chairs by integrating a high-functionality massage assembly into a lightweight, injection-molded housing that serves as both the external shell and the structural frame for the internal moving parts.
The underlying idea behind ’242 is the use of a dual-motor system on a single carriage to decouple longitudinal movement from the massage action, allowing a single actuator to perform two distinct functions. By utilizing a dual-purpose motor for the massage members, the device can either drive a continuous circular motion for Shiatsu-style kneading or perform incremental adjustments to the lateral spacing of the massage nodes. This eliminates the need for a dedicated third motor for width adjustment, significantly reducing the device's weight and mechanical footprint.
The claims of ’242 focus on a carriage-based massage assembly where a first motor handles vertical translation along a rack-and-pinion guide, while a second motor drives a pair of eccentric massage brackets. The independent claims specifically protect the ability to control these motors independently to achieve five distinct modes: a fixed-width rolling massage, a rolling massage with user-adjustable width, continuous rotary kneading, targeted kneading at a specific height, and a full-travel kneading massage that moves up and down the spine.
In practice, the massage members consist of non-symmetrical brackets, each carrying a primary and secondary node of different diameters and heights. This asymmetric node geometry mimics the varied pressure of a human therapist's hands. When the second motor is stationary, these nodes roll freely over the user's back as the carriage moves vertically; when the second motor is pulsed, it rotates the brackets to change how far the nodes sit from the spine, effectively narrowing or widening the massage path.
This implementation differs from prior art by replacing heavy metal frames with a ribbed injection-molded housing that incorporates the guide rails directly into the shell. By mounting both the drive and massage transmissions within a compact carriage and using the massage motor to double as a width-positioning tool, the invention achieves the sophisticated multi-mode functionality of a full-sized massage chair in a portable, lightweight form factor that is affordable for general consumers.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the mid-2000s when ’242 was filed, portable massage devices were typically implemented using rigid, heavy internal frames and complex guide systems to manage the mechanical stresses of automated massage assemblies. At a time when systems commonly relied on fixed-width tracks or bulky structural housings to maintain alignment, the integration of multi-axis movement within a lightweight form factor was non-trivial. Hardware constraints often forced a trade-off between mechanical durability and portability, resulting in devices that were either structurally robust but stationary, or portable but limited to basic, single-mode vibration or fixed-path movements.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention achieves a technical advancement through an architectural shift that integrates a dual-motor carriage system capable of both longitudinal translation and independent massage member rotation. By mounting the massage members for rotation relative to the carriage, the system enables a dynamic width adjustment and the transition between rolling and kneading effects without requiring the heavy, multi-track frameworks found in conventional designs. This integration allows for a high degree of operational variation—including targeted kneading and continuous rolling—within a simplified, portable housing, effectively overcoming the constraint of high mechanical complexity previously required for multi-modal massage functions.
Claims
This patent contains 25 claims, with claims 1, 14, 15, and 19 being independent. The independent claims focus on a portable body massager designed for use with a chair, featuring a housing with a longitudinal guide, a carriage that translates along that guide via a first motor, and a pair of massage members driven by a second motor to provide adjustable width rolling, rotary kneading, and longitudinal massage effects. The dependent claims serve to further define the mechanical components and user controls, including specific transmission assemblies such as worm gears and racks, the configuration of primary and secondary massage nodes, and the integration of control pads for managing motor operation.
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US7470242
- Application Number
- US11205949A
- Filing Date
- Aug 17, 2005
- Publication Date
- Dec 30, 2008
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents