Massaging apparatus
1451 Apr. 22, 1975 1 MASSAGING APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Winfried Jean Werding, Lausanne,  
 Switzerland [73] Assignee: Gerwi A.G., Engelburg/SG.  
 Switzerland [22} Filed: Dec. 6, 1972 [21] Appl No.: 312,704  
 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 10. 1971 Switzerland 018006/71 {521 US. Cl. 128/57 [51] Int. Cl A6lh 15/00 [58] Field of Search 128/57, 56. 24.3. 38, 56, 128/297. 300, 55, 60, 59  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 86.604 2/1869 Taylor 128/57 1.004.300 9/1911 Pope 128/57 1.710.051 4/1929 Giacopazzi 128/24.3 1.899.208 2/1933 Murphy 128/57 2.384.427 9/1945 Andis 128/57 2.574.601 11/1951 Swanson 128/57 2.629374 2/1953 Acerbi M 128/57 2,662,238 12/1953 Robey r. 128/56 X 3.019.784 2/1962 Eiden 3.297.024 1/1967 Robinson 128/38 Primary E.raminerLawrence W. Trapp Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Burns; Emmanuel .1. Lobato; Bruce L. Adams [57] ABSTRACT A massaging apparatus comprises a hand-held caselike support housing an electric motor. a rotor driven by the motor. and a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted about axes equidistantly spaced apart from and parallel to the axis of the rotor. Said support includes a rim defining an open face of the support disposed in a plane generally parallel to the axis of the rotor. which rim can be applied against an area of a body to be massaged with said area lying in the path of said rollers during rotation of the rotor. An elastic sheet is removably mounted over said open face. and transmits impacts of the rollers to said area of a body being massaged.  
 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEU APR 2 2 i975 SHEET 1 0F 2 PATENTEBAPRZ? 2 F335 sum 2 15 g FIGA- MASSAGING APPARA&#39;IL&#39;S The invention relates to massaging apparatus.  
  Various types of massaging apparatus are known. Some are in the form of a brush. others include rollers or balls elastically or otherwise mounted in a frame. and others employ \ibrating belts. With these known apparatus the massaging action generally takes place by a progressive lateral crushing. An important use of such massaging apparatus is the elimination of cellulitis. However. cellulitis involves deposits. or nodules. which cannot be eliminated by the blood or lymphatic flow but only by bursting the nodules accumulated in the connective tissues. To burst these nodules. the best results obtained to date ha\e been by manual massage. by kneading. vv hich treatment is not without pain to the person being massaged. or by massage with a jet of water or air at pressure or about 6 atmospheres.  
  An aim of the invention is to provide a massaging apparatus particularly suitable for the treatment of cellulitis. and which acts by percussion followed by a progressi\e lateral crushing.  
  According to the imcntion. a massaging apparatus comprises a support and a rotor mounted in the sup port. said rotor carrying at least one roller rotatably mounted about an axis parallel to and spaced apart from the axis of the rotor.  
  Preferably. the support includes a rim defining an open face of the support disposed at least approxi mately in a plane generally parallel to the axis of said rotor. which rim can be applied against an area of a body to be massaged with said area lying in the path of said at least one roller during rotation of the rotor. When the rotor is driven. the or each roller can thus be made to percute the treated area. and then provide a progressive lateral squashing analogous to a massage by kneading. The speed and direction of impact of the rollertsl can be varied by changing the orientation of the apparatus. Percussion is particularly efficient for the treatment of ccllulitis. in view ofthe profound penetration upon impact. the incompressibility of the liquids contained in the tissues. and the relatively little possibility for the tissues to move apart.  
  An embodiment of a massaging apparatus according to the invention will now be particularly described. by way of example. with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. in which:  
  FIG. I is a view in cross-section taken along line I-I of FIG. 4&#39;.  
  FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a removable attachment. taken along II-ll of FIG. 3&#39;.  
 FIG 3 is a plan iew of the removable attachment;  
 FIG. 4 is a side elevational view ofthe apparatus; and  
 FIG. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus.  
  The apparatus shown comprises a main support 1 in the form of a hollow case or housing. for example in a moulded synthetic plastics material. in which a rotor 2 is rotatably mounted. Rotor 2 includes a main shaft 3 carrying at its ends four radial arms 4. 5. 6. 7 and 4&#39;. 5&#39;. 6&#39;. 7&#39;. respectively. with the adjacent arms disposed perpendicular to one another. The outer ends of parallel pairs of the arms spaced apart along shaft 3. namely 4. 4&#39;; 5. 5&#39;16. 6&#39;; 7. 7&#39;. are interconnected by axles 8. 9. It] and I I respectively on which are freely rotatably mounted four members such as rollers l2. l3. l4 and IS. The rotor shaft 3 is mounted in bearings 19 and 20 2 formed in facing walls of the support I during moulding.  
  The arms with their axle. for example 4. 4&#39; and 8. can be formed from a single rod whose ends are bent to form the arms after fitting of the roller.  
  FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically show the means for driving rotor 2. namely an electric motor I6 and a reduction gear I7. which may include a gear change device if desired. Motor [6 also carries a propeller blade l8 which is adapted to suck air in through an inlet (not shown l in the case for the purpose ofeooling motor 16. An adjustable heating element may be placed between the motor 16 and the rotor 2 for a purpose which will be described later. Means can also be provided for setting the speed of the motor.  
  The support 1 includes an open portion or face. defined by a rim having two rim sections generally parallel to the axis of the rotor shaft 3. which can be cov ered by an interchangeable sheet 21 of a flexible elastic ma terial. for example in rubber or in an elastic fabric. which is stretched between two bars 22 and 23 which are removably clipped into recesses 24 and 25 in opposed edges of said rim of support I. and are held in place by the elasticity of the stretched sheet. The sheet could be removably mounted onto said rim by other means; for example. the bars 22. 23 could be replaced by tubular members which slidably engage rails along opposed edges of said rim.  
  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. the sheet 2] is a laminate including two relatively thin layers 26. 27 of an elastically expansible and deformable material disposed about a relatively thick layer 28 of an elastically compressible material. for example a foamed rubber.  
  The part of support I about motor 16 is shaped to form a hand grip. and the said rim of the open face of the support is adapted. in use. to be placed against an area of a body to be massaged with said area lying in the path of the working surfaces of the rollers l2. l3. l-l and 15 during rotation of rotor 2. The tissues and/or muscles ofthe treated area are thus exposed to the following actions. A percussion impact takes place where a roller moves in the direction towards the treated area (right hand part of FIG. I for a rotation of rotor 2 in the clockwise direction I. from the point where the roller contacts the area. where movement of the roller is approximately perpendicular to the area. until the roller moves generally parallel to the area. as shown for roller [5 in FIG. I. Percussion is thus exerted throughout an arc of movement of each roller. and the degree of percussion can be adjusted by exerting a greater or lesser pressure on the handle of support I.  
  Once a roller (e.g.. I5) is in contact with the massaged area of the body. it continues its movement whilst carrying out a kneading which is effective especially when the roller has passed the position of roller [5 in FIG. I; the kneading energy is also dependant on the pressure exerted on the handle of support 1. Three different degrees of intensity of action ofthe apparatus are schematically indicated in FIG. I by three wavy lines 30. 31. 32 which represent momentaneous shapes of the skin and sheet 2] corresponding to three different pressures. By continuing its circular movement. the rotor 2 makes one roller (e.g.. I5) move out of contact with the treated area while the following roller leg. 14) moves into contact. The rate of rotation of rotor 2 determines the frequency of the percussion which is preferably adjustable. by change-speed gears or by a 3 rheostat. between 25 and 100 impacts per second. pret&#34; erably between 40 and ()5. Apart from the percussion producing impacts. the apparatus therefore has also a vibratory effect with a profound penetration generally perpendicular to the massaged area of the body.  
  By using an absorbing sheet such as the laminate shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. it is possible to modify the effect otthe apparatus. or the type of treatment. L&#39;se with a thick absorbing sheet can produce a sedati e effect. while use with a thin sheet. or none at all. is stimulating.  
  W hen a heater is incorporated between the rotor and the motor 16. the air delivered by blade 18. after ha ing cooled the motor It. may be further heated and delirered to the treated area of the body at a desired tem perature in order to combine the massage with a heat treatment.  
  It nould also be possible to vary the intensity of the massage by prmiding means for adjusting the position of the rim defining the open face of the support in relation to the rotor 2.  
 What is claimed is:  
 l. A massaging apparatus comprising;  
 a support ha\ ing a rim which defines an open face of the support; the support defining a rotor axis:  
 a sheet mounted on said rim and extending across said open face. said sheet being a laminate including two relati ely thin layers of an elastically expansible material and a relatively thick layer of an hll elastically compressible material between said two relathely thin layers; and  
 rotor means mounted in the support for rotation about said rotor axis to mow into contact with. and roll in er. successhe portions of said sheet and thereby to apply massaging effects.  
  2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said sheet and said rim hare edges and include. at correspondlng mutually opposed edges. means for releasably gripping an edge of the sheet to an edge of the rim and for holding the sheet elastically stretched between opposed ones of the edges of the rim.  
  3. An apparatus according to claim 1, including an electric motor mounted on said support for dri ing said rotor. and means for propelling air past said motor and said rotor,  
  4. An apparatus according to claim 3, additionally including heater means disposed in said support. be tween the electric motor and the rotor. for heating said air.  
  5. A massaging apparatus according to claim I wherein said rotor means defines at least one roller axis parallel to and radially spaced from said rotor axis. and includes roller means mounted on the rotor for rotation therewith and for rotation about the roller axis to roll to er said successive portions of said sheet and thereby to apply said massaging effects.