Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Wash receptacles – With human body support
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-03
2004-03-02
Phillips, Charles E. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Wash receptacles
With human body support
C601S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06698038
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a foot massager and more particularly to a waterfall foot massager that is adapted to hold a fluid that may be deposited from above onto a user's feet.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Devices for soothing a massaging one's feet are well known in the art. One particular device includes a portable foot bath or basin that holds water into which one's feet may be placed. Such foot baths typically include a vibrating foot support surface that provides a soothing foot massage. Foot baths may also include a pump mounted within the housing so that the water could be moved within the basin and thereby create a therapeutic current which provides soothing sensations. It is also known to pump air into the basin to agitate the basin fluid and comfort the feet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,161 to Barradas discloses a foot bath having a heated floor. The floor is heated to provide direct heating to the user's feet through the floor and by indirectly warming the feet by warming the water in the foot bath. However, Barradas, does not provide any further soothing to a user's feet besides the sensation of warm water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,841 to Chan discloses a foot massager having a heated floor positioned in a basin so that the user's feet may be covered by water. Chan discloses that the floor may be heated and has a plurality of massaging projections on the floor which move to soothe the user's feet. However, Chan does not soothe the tops of the user's feet or provide relaxing visual stimulation as the user's feet are being massaged.
Foot baths of the prior art fail to address the overall well being of the user. Vibrating motors and swirling water of the prior art devices create disturbing noise making it difficult for one to fully relax. While the vibration and jetted water may provide desirable stimulation to the feet, the user's auditory and visual senses are not addressed.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a foot massager that provides desirable tactile, visual, and auditory sensation to aid in relaxation and provide a feeling of well being.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a foot massager having a waterfall.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a foot massager that provides desirable tactile, visual and auditory sensation to aid in relaxation and provide a feeling of well being for the user.
It is still a further advantage of the present invention to provide a foot massager having a basin adapted to hold a fluid and fluid transport device for moving fluid from the basin to a point above a floor of the basin such that water may fall onto a user's feet positioned in the basin.
In accordance with one form of the present invention the foot massager generally includes a housing having a foot supporting floor and walls extending upwardly therefrom to form a basin adapted to hold a fluid. In the preferred embodiment the fluid is water. Preferably there is a fluid transport device disposed within the housing and being operatively connected to a fluid inlet disposed in the basin. The inlet is preferably positioned near the floor or on the lower half of the walls so that it is disposed below the top surface of the fluid level. The fluid transport device then after taking the fluid into the fluid inlet disposes the fluid out of a fluid outlet to a place disposed above and spaced a distance from the floor of the basin. The fluid outlet and the floor defines a foot receiving space therebetween whereby the fluid exiting the fluid outlet falls through the foot receiving space and into the basin. There may be a mechanical pump that pumps the fluid from the inlet to the outlet.
The fluid outlet in the preferred embodiment has a fluid distributor which creates a waterfall effect of the fluid falling onto the user's feet and into the basin. In the preferred embodiment the fluid distributor may include a laterally extending slot. The slot may be disposed on a cover, which defines the upper limit of the foot receiving space with the cover covering a portion of the basin. The laterally extending slot or channel may have an upstanding lip on the front edge whereby the fluid fills up behind the lip and then overflows over the lip and falls into the basin to form a generally uniform layer of fluid to fall from the outlet.
In the preferred embodiment the foot massager further includes a vibration actuator for either vibrating the basin floor or the entire massager unit. The foot massage may also include a heating coil for warming the fluid so that it is comfortable to the touch for the user. It is envisioned that the user may be able to control the vibration, heating and waterfall devices independent of each other and may have an option that allows the user to combine any two of the different options.
The present invention may include a center portion in the basin which allows the user to change removable portions of the service of the center portion. The changeable portion of the center portion may allow the users to change the surface so that they may then rub the bottoms of their feet over the changeable surface depending on the attachment used. The attachments may include a pumice stone, roller or a bristle brush. The users may place their feet over the attachment so that they are further relaxed by the soothing sensations on the bottoms of their feet.
The basin of the present invention may include pivotally mounted rollers on the floor to further provide soothing sensations to the bottoms of the user's feet when the massager is in use. These rollers are preferably freely movable and are not actuated by a motor. Another advantage of the present invention is the vibrations from the vibrator actuator may also pass through the rollers positioned on the bottom of the basin.
A preferred form of the foot massager as well as other embodiments, objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3055357 (1962-09-01), Redka
patent: 3837334 (1974-09-01), Johnson
patent: 3886936 (1975-06-01), Wehrenberg
patent: 3965495 (1976-06-01), McNair
patent: 4620529 (1986-11-01), Kurosawa
patent: 5537696 (1996-07-01), Chartier
patent: 2002/0013964 (2002-02-01), Kuen
Bastia Paul A.
Strick Alan E.
Conair Corporation
Ohlandt Greeley Ruggiero & Perle LLP
Phillips Charles E.
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