Electricity: motive power systems – With particular motor-driven load device – Power- or motion-transmitting mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-01
2001-09-04
Dang, Khanh (Department: 2837)
Electricity: motive power systems
With particular motor-driven load device
Power- or motion-transmitting mechanism
C601S023000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285144
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foot massage machine, and more particularly, to a drive unit thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The so-called foot massage machine
1
, as shown in
FIG. 1
, includes a laterally shiftable massage seat
12
at top of a housing
11
. The massage seat
12
, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
, is driven by a slider assembly
13
inside of the housing
11
. The slider assembly
13
brought into rotation by means that an eccentric block
15
is driven by a motor
14
. In addition, a pulley
151
is mounted at outer side of the eccentric block
15
for engaging into a longitudinal groove
131
. As a result, the pulley
151
is movable upward and downward in the longitudinal groove
131
when it rotates. Meanwhile, the slider assembly
13
is driven to move rightward and leftward on two shaft rods
161
at top and bottom of a frame body
16
. Thus, the function to massage the feet is achieved. This kind of this design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,822, TW Patent No.: 145682, 285036, 251457, etc. Though the conventional drive unit of the foot massage machine is simple in configuration, it has the following drawbacks:
1. It's not an optimal state for the mechanical design in making use of the pulley
151
sliding in the longitudinal groove
131
of the slider assembly
13
. The reason lies in that the sliding element directly rubs rather than moving the driven body. Moreover, most of the slider assembly
13
is made by plastic injection molding for adapting to the production's needs. In order that the pulley
151
can be movable upward and downward in the longitudinal groove
131
made from plastic and the slider assembly
13
is driven by the revolving force, the contact of the pulley
151
with the longitudinal groove
131
can't be too close. Otherwise, the friction will be too large for moving the slider assembly
13
. However, a clearance between two moving elements will produce noise. Especially, the inner wall of the longitudinal groove
131
will be rubbed when the pulley
151
repetitively moves thereon. As a result, the noise becomes bigger and the service life is therefore reduced.
2. The longitudinal groove
131
slides on the shaft rods
161
by means of two shaft grooves
132
thereof so that the above-mentioned drawback will also be created. The closer the contact between two shaft grooves
132
and the shaft rods
161
is, the larger the drive force of the motor
14
will be and the more the electricity is consumed, or even the motor
14
is burnt down due to the overload. If a clearance between the shaft grooves
132
and the shaft rods
161
is present, the slider assembly
13
will easily shake during the rightward or leftward shift while the noise is great.
Accordingly, the foot massage machine configured with the above-mentioned structure has drawbacks of short service life and great noise except its cheap price.
In order to remove the above-mentioned drawbacks, another drive slider assembly (see
FIG. 4
) is developed. A motor
14
brings an eccentric block
15
in motion which moves a connecting rod
17
connected with the slider assembly
13
so that the slider assembly
13
can be shifted rightward and leftward on the shaft rods
161
. This kind of design is disclosed in TW 226097, 217532, etc. This design can remove the above-mentioned drawbacks of directly rubbing the longitudinal groove
131
by the pulley
151
; however, the connecting rod
17
can't be too short in order that the slider assembly
13
effectively performs a rightward and leftward displacement. Thus, the motor
14
has to be installed at one side of the frame body
16
rather than at the center of the above-mentioned structure. Accordingly, the center of gravity lies more at one side of the motor
14
in addition to occupying more space. Besides, the rightward and leftward shift of the slider assembly
13
on the shaft rods
161
also has the rubbing problem of the above-mentioned embodiment so that the great noise and the short service life are its drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a drive unit of a foot massage machine which has an unique configuration to reach an effect of smooth sliding and little noise.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a drive unit of a foot massage machine which can reach the effect of lowering abrasion and prolonging the service life thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4535760 (1985-08-01), Ikeda et al.
patent: 5107822 (1992-04-01), Ohashi
patent: 5767634 (1998-06-01), Taylor et al.
Dang Khanh
Rosenberg , Klein & Lee
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