Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Vibrator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-26
2003-03-25
DeMille, Danton D. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Vibrator
C601S101000, C601S108000, C606S239000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06537236
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a chiropractic adjustor apparatus for use in a chiropractic treatment to apply vibratory energy or force to the human body and, more particularly, is concerned with a chiropractic adjustor apparatus having a housing configured to enhance heat dissipation from the housing and to provide symmetrical support of a force-transmitting shaft by the housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Chiropractic adjustments of the spinal vertebrae of a human body involve the application of pressure or force in a known manner directly to the human body by the hands of a chiropractor or by a chiropractic adjustor apparatus used by the chiropractor. Examples of such chiropractic adjustor apparatuses found in the prior patent art are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,890 to Bichel and U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,955 to Evans et al.
Another example of a prior art chiropractic adjustor apparatus is the one illustrated in FIG.
1
. The apparatus of
FIG. 1
, generally designated
10
, basically includes a housing
12
defining an interior cavity
14
, a handle
16
on the housing
12
for gripping by the user, a trigger
18
reciprocally mounted to the handle
16
for actuation by the user, an electronic control module
20
provided in the handle
16
and activated by depression and release of the trigger
18
, an elongated force-transmitting shaft
22
reciprocally mounted through the housing
12
and through the interior cavity
14
thereof, and an electromagnetic drive mechanism
24
disposed in the interior cavity
14
and connected electrically to the electronic module
20
and operable by the actuation of the trigger
18
and the return action of a compressible spring
26
disposed between a rear end
22
A of the shaft
22
and a rear portion
12
A of the housing
12
to cause the shaft
22
to transmit vibratory energy to the human body.
The electromagnetic drive mechanism
24
includes a spool
28
with electrical windings
30
stationarily supported in the interior cavity
14
of the housing
12
and a stator
32
mounted on the shaft
22
and disposed within a bore
34
of the spool
28
in an electromagnetically coupled relationship with the electrical windings
30
about the spool
28
such that depressing the trigger
18
activates the electrical control module
20
to apply predetermined pulses to the electrical windings
30
so as to actuate the stator
32
and thus the shaft
22
into repetitive reciprocal vibratory type of movement along a longitudinal axis A of the shaft
22
and relative to the housing
12
.
The operation of the electromagnetic drive mechanism
24
creates substantial heating of the electrical windings
30
which, in turn, heats the portions of the housing
12
adjacent thereto. The buildup of heat must be dissipated from the housing
12
in order to prevent overheating of the handle
14
connected thereto and of the electronic control module
20
disposed in the handle
14
. Unsatisfactory dissipation of the heat would make it uncomfortable and difficult for a chiropractor to hold onto the handle
14
for an extended period of time and have the potential to cause a malfunction of the electronic control module
20
. A plurality of passages
36
are provided through the rear portion
12
A of the housing
12
to facilitate passage and dissipation of heat from the drive mechanism
24
and housing
12
.
However, the provision of the passages
36
through only the rear portion
12
A of the housing
12
appears to be inadequate to handle the heat dissipation task. Furthermore, a forward portion
22
B of the shaft
22
is supported by a forward portion
12
B of the housing
12
substantially closer to the electromagnetic drive mechanism
24
in the housing
12
than the rearward portion
12
A of the housing
12
which supports a rearward portion
22
C of the shaft
22
. This results in a substantially asymmetrical supporting relationship of the shaft
22
by the housing
12
.
Consequently, a need exists for an innovation that will provide a housing configuration that will overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art chiropractic adjustor apparatus without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a chiropractic adjustor apparatus designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The apparatus of the present invention has a housing with reversely-oriented, preferably conical-shaped, opposite end portions having passages adapted to enhance heat dissipation. The apparatus also has a force-transmitting shaft which is substantially symmetrically supported by the opposite end portions of the housing in relation to an electromagnetic drive mechanism disposed in the housing.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a chiropractic adjustor apparatus which comprises: (a) a hollow housing having a central interior cavity and a pair of opposite end portions oriented substantially the reverse of one another and extending in opposite directions from the interior cavity, the opposite end portions each having passages adapted to enhance heat dissipation from the housing; (b) an electromagnetic drive mechanism mounted in the interior cavity of the housing; (c) a force-transmitting shaft extending through the drive mechanism and opposite end portions of the housing and reciprocally supported by the opposite end portions of the housing, preferably in a substantially symmetrical relationship to the drive mechanism; (d) an arrangement for actuating the drive mechanism to cause repetitive reciprocal vibratory movement of the shaft along a longitudinal axis thereof and relative to the housing; and (e) means attached to the housing for gripping to hold the apparatus.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1796444 (1931-03-01), Dell'era et al.
patent: 2076410 (1937-04-01), McGerry
patent: 2078025 (1937-04-01), Samuels
patent: 4084810 (1978-04-01), Forsman
patent: 4088128 (1978-05-01), Mabuchi
patent: 4549535 (1985-10-01), Wing
patent: 4566442 (1986-01-01), Mabuchi et al.
patent: 4716890 (1988-01-01), Bichel
patent: 4841955 (1989-06-01), Evans et al.
patent: 5140979 (1992-08-01), Nakagawa
patent: 5618315 (1997-04-01), Elliott
patent: 669897 (1989-04-01), None
Prior Art Chiropratic Adjustor Apparatus (Figs.1&1A) 2 sheets.
Brimhall John W.
Tucek Kevin B.
DeMille Danton D.
Flanagan John R.
Flanagan & Flanagan
LandOfFree
Chiropractic adjustor apparatus having housing configured... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Chiropractic adjustor apparatus having housing configured..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Chiropractic adjustor apparatus having housing configured... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3007912