Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Device with applicator having specific movement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-10
2001-09-04
Yu, Justine R. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Device with applicator having specific movement
C601S098000, C601S101000, C601S103000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283928
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a massage apparatus, more particularly to one that incorporates a single motor for operating a massage drive unit and for moving a slide frame upwardly and downwardly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional massage apparatus, a massage drive unit is mounted on a slide frame that is movable upwardly and downwardly.
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional massage apparatus that employs a single motor
15
to operate a massage drive unit
14
and to move a slide frame
13
upwardly and downwardly. The conventional massage apparatus includes an upright frame member
11
having a parallel pair of vertically extending guide rails
111
. An externally threaded screw shaft
12
is mounted on the frame member
11
with the use of screw fasteners
113
, and is disposed parallel to and between the guide rails
111
. The slide frame
13
extends between the guide rails
111
and is coupled slidably thereto so as to be movable upwardly and downwardly therealong. The motor
15
is secured on a support
22
that is fixed to a lower frame part of the slide frame
13
. The massage drive unit
14
is mounted on the slide frame
13
. A coupling member
16
is mounted on a bracket
21
that is fixed to the lower frame part of the slide frame
13
. The coupling member
16
is rotatable about a vertical axis, and is coupled threadedly to the screw shaft
12
. The slide frame
13
further has an upper frame part provided with a screw guide
17
that permits extension of the screw shaft
12
therethrough.
The massage drive unit
14
includes an upright rotatable drive shaft
141
. A lower end of the drive shaft
141
is provided with a drive gear
142
. The motor
15
is coupled to the coupling member
16
on the screw shaft
12
via a transmission belt
18
for driving rotation of the coupling member
16
about the axis of the screw shaft
12
. The coupling member
16
is coupled to the drive gear
142
via a transmission belt
19
for driving the drive shaft
141
to rotate axially.
With further reference to
FIG. 2
, the bracket
21
is a generally U-shaped bracket with parallel upper and lower bracket parts
211
. The coupling member
16
is disposed rotatably between the upper and lower bracket parts
211
, and is formed with a vertically extending screw hole
161
therethrough for threaded engagement with the screw shaft
12
. The screw shaft
12
further extends through aligned holes
212
in the upper and lower bracket parts
211
. The coupling member
16
is formed with an upper gear portion
162
for coupling with the transmission belt
18
, and a lower gear portion
163
for coupling with the transmission belt
19
. When the coupling member
16
is driven rotatably by the motor
15
via the transmission belt
18
, because the screw shaft
12
is stationary relative to the frame member
11
, the coupling member
16
will be able to move upwardly and downwardly along the screw shaft
12
, thereby resulting in corresponding upward and downward movement of the slide frame
13
relative to the guide rails
111
. Moreover, when the coupling member
16
rotates, the drive shaft
141
of the massage drive unit
14
also rotates by virtue of the engagement among the lower gear portion
163
, the transmission belt
19
and the drive gear
142
, thereby enabling a massaging roller assembly
143
of the massage drive unit
14
to impart a predetermined massaging action, such as a kneading or tapping massaging action.
Some of the drawbacks of the above-described conventional massage apparatus are as follows:
1. Sliding movement of the slide frame
13
and operation of the massage drive unit
14
are possible due to the presence of the coupling member
16
. However, such an arrangement results in stress concentration on the coupling member
16
, which can lead to rapid wearing of the same.
2. When replacing the transmission belts
18
,
19
due to wear, it is necessary to remove the screw shaft
12
from the frame member
11
, the coupling member
16
and the screw guide
17
, and to remove the coupling member
16
from the bracket
21
, thereby resulting in a great deal of inconvenience.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a massage apparatus in which stress that results due to sliding movement of the slide frame and operation of the massage drive unit can be evenly dispersed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a massage apparatus in which replacement of transmission belts can be facilitated.
According to the present invention, a massage apparatus comprises:
an upright frame member having a parallel pair of vertically extending guide rails;
an externally threaded screw shaft mounted on the frame member and disposed parallel to and between the guide rails;
a slide frame extending between the guide rails and coupled slidably to the guide rails so as to be movable upwardly and downwardly along the guide rails, the slide frame having upper and lower frame parts;
a motor mounted on the lower frame part of the slide frame;
a massage drive unit mounted on the slide frame, the massage drive unit including an upright rotatable drive shaft having a lower end provided with a first gear and an upper end provided with a second gear, the massage drive unit further including a massaging roller assembly driven by axial rotation of the drive shaft for imparting a massaging action;
a first transmission belt coupled to the motor and the first gear so as to enable the motor to drive the drive shaft to rotate axially, rotation of the drive shaft resulting in corresponding rotation of the second gear;
a coupling unit mounted on the upper frame part of the slide frame, the coupling unit including a rotary member coupled threadedly and rotatable relative to the screw shaft; and
a second transmission belt coupled to the second gear and the rotary member so as to enable the second gear to drive rotation of the rotary member about axis of the screw shaft, thereby enabling the rotary member to move upwardly and downwardly along the screw shaft to result in corresponding upward and downward movement of the slide frame relative to the guide rails.
In the preferred embodiment, the frame member further has top and bottom frame sections. The top frame section interconnects top ends of the guide rails, and has an intermediate portion with an upper shaft mounting plate mounted thereon. The upper shaft mounting plate is formed with an upper first notch that opens at a peripheral edge of the upper shaft mounting plate. The bottom frame section interconnects bottom ends of the guide rails, and has an intermediate portion with a lower shaft mounting plate mounted thereon. The lower shaft mounting plate is vertically aligned with the upper shaft mounting plate, and is formed with a lower first notch that is registered vertically with the upper first notch and that opens in a same direction as the upper first notch at a peripheral edge of the lower shaft mounting plate. The screw shaft has top and bottom end portions, each of which is extended through a respective one of the upper and lower first notches from the peripheral edge of a respective one of the upper and lower shaft mounting plates.
The rotary member is formed with a screw hole therethrough for threaded engagement with the screw shaft, and has an outer surface formed with a belt engaging groove for engagement with the second transmission belt. The coupling unit further includes a bracket mounted on the upper frame part of the slide frame. The bracket has parallel upper and lower bracket parts, each of which is formed with a second notch that is registered vertically with the upper and lower first notches and that opens in the same direction as the upper and lower first notches. The rotary member is disposed between the upper and lower bracket parts such that the screw shaft extends through the second notches in the upper and lower bracket parts. Bearing members are provided respectively on upper and lower ends of the rota
Ladas & Parry
Yu Justine R.
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