AU713000B2

AU713000B2 - Vibrating massage table

Info

Publication number: AU713000B2
Application number: AU74292/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Raymond John Tierney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-12-15
Filing date: 1996-12-11
Publication date: 1999-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 2016-12-11
Also published as: AU7429296A

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT VIBRATING MASSAGE TABLE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THIS INVENTION, INCLUDING THE BEST METHOD OF PERFORMING IT KNOWN TO ME: The invention relates to vibrating massage structures such as tables suitable for use in domestic, health service, professional practice, sporting, therapeutic, and other medical and commercial applications.

A vibrating massage structure in accordance with a first aspect of the invention includes a vibrating member coupled to a stationary base, at least one rotatable member coupled to the vibrating member and having a centre of mass rotatable about an axis of rotation, and means for rotating said at least one rotatable member in a continually varying manner. Preferably the massage structure is a massage table.

In a massage table according to a first aspect of the invention the table top vibrates in 0 0 •three dimensions with a continually changing frequency and amplitude. Preferably the 0 vibration is provided by the rotation of an eccentric mass driven by a motor which is provided with pulses of power in a varying pattern of magnitude, duration and S 20 frequency. Preferably two such motors are used, which are independently driven so as to have a constantly changing phase relationship.

Preferably only the top of the table is vibrated in this way, the base being prevented from vibrating with the table top by mounting the table top to the base using a flexible mounting means, such as rubber pads or other flexible support members.

Preferably the or each motor is mounted on the base of the table and a flexible drive i< shaft communicates rotation of the motor shaft to the corresponding eccentric mass, 1:9" i io 'I o the latter being mounted in such a way as to transmit its vibration to the table top.

Each motor is preferably flexibly mounted by means such as rubber pads or other flexible and damping support members which can substantially prevent communication of vibration from the motor to the base and visa versa.

A flexible drive shaft in accordance with a' second aspect of the invention includes a right hand and a left hand wound concentric coil each of resilient material and each having a first and second end, and both coils enveloped in a flexible first cylindrical housing wherein the two corresponding first ends are coupled together at one end of the drive shaft and the two corresponding second ends are coupled together at the other end of the drive shaft, and in use the two first ends of the coils are coupled to a rotatable member of a driving apparatus and the two second ends of the coils are coupled to a rotatable member of a driven apparatus.

Depending on the direction of rotation of the shaft, one of the coils will tend to unwind while the other will tend to wind further. Where the inner coil tends to unwind, this will be resisted by the outer coil which will tend to tighten. In the opposite case, the housing, which is preferably not fixed relative to the concentric coils but allowed to free wheel with respect to the coils when they rotate, limits the 20 diameter which the outer coil can reach as a result of the unwinding effect.

The housing may be of PTFE hose packed with a lubricating medium that is resilient •,to temperature within a preferred range, such as high temperature bearing grease or Smolybdenum grease.

S o "Optionally the flexible cylindrical housing is also enveloped in a further flexible cylindrical housing of larger diameter preferably also a PTFE hose, packed with a lubricating medium similar to that packed in the first mentioned flexible cylindrical housing. In use the later mentioned cylindrical housing may be fixed to non-rotating parts of the apparatus such as the motor frame and or the eccentric mass frame so that it remains stationary to provide protection to users against the rotation of the coil housing.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vibrating massage table embodying the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the table; and Figure 3 is an exploded elevation view of a portion of a flexible drive shaft in accordance with a second aspect of the invention.

The illustrated table includes: a base 11; a table top 12; two electric motors 13a and 13b; an unbalanced mass 14a and 14b corresponding to each motor 13a and 13b rotatably mounted on the table top 12; two flexible drive shafts 15a and communicating rotation of each motor shaft 16a and 16b to the corresponding unbalanced mass 14a and 14b; and flexible mounting means 17 substantially preventing communication of vibration in the table top 12 to the base 11.

Vibration in the table top 12 is actuated by electric motors 13a 13b driving corresponding unbalanced mass 14a and 14b, each having its centre of mass displaced e 20 from its axis of rotation, rotatably mounted on the table top 12.

"The motors 13a and 13b are mounted on the base 11 of the table 10 and corresponding flexible drive shafts 15a and 15b communicate rotation of motor shaft 16a and 16b to the corresponding unbalanced mass 14a and 14b. Each motor 13a and 13b is mounted 25 by vibration damping mounts 20a and In an alternative arrangement not illustrated here, the motors 13a and 13b may be mounted on the table top 12 and rotation of the shafts 16a and 16b may be communicated to the corresponding unbalanced mass 14a and 14b by a corresponding rigid or flexible drive shaft.

1/ While it is preferable that vibration in the table top 12 is actuated by two motors 13a and 13b and the corresponding unbalanced mass 14a and 14b, the invention is not limited to any specific number of motor and unbalanced mass assemblies as previously mentioned.

Thus the table top will be vibrated in all directions in a continually changing pattern which is the resultant of the vibrations applied by the two rotating masses rotating in different planes.

The intensity and pattern of vibration of the table top may be varied by providing to the motors 13a and 13b pulses of variable magnitude duration and repetition. This may be achieved by a programmable device such as a personal computer 19 switching the power supply 18a and 18b on and off in accordance with a predetermined program via power relays 20 or some other suitable switching device. The motors 13a and 13b may be pulsed on and off independently of each other and may be provided with a similar or different power pulsing pattern by the programmable device 19 than that provided to the other motor.

In the preferred program of operation of the motors, the length of time for which each a. motor is supplied with power is varied, in a different pattern for each motor, so that S• the "on" periods vary at different rates for each motor. The first time the motors are actuated, they may be supplied with power for a longer period to break their "stall" position, and periodically the "on" burst may match each other.

*a As well as changing the period of the "on" bursts, the frequency of these bursts is also varied. In the preferred program, this pattern of frequency change is the same for each motor, typically varying from 120 to 35 per minute.

go•• While the period of such cycles of actuation of the motors is a matter of choice, the preferred period is of the order of 15 minutes.

1 ,I It has been found that this continually varying mode of vibration, which in principal does not exactly repeat itself at any time, assists in the psychological acceptance of the brief passages of more vigorous vibration which will occur during the cycle.

The base 11 is prevented from vibrating with the table top 12, by mounting the table top 12 to the base 11 using a flexible mounting means, such as rubber pads 17 or other flexible support members.

A preferred embodiment of a flexible drive shaft 15a and 15b will now be described with reference to Figure 3.

The drive shaft 15 includes concentric right 21 and left 22 hand wound coils of resilient material enveloped in a flexible cylindrical housing 23 such as PTFE hose packed with a lubricating medium (not shown) that is resilient to temperature within a preferred range, such as high temperature bearing grease or molybdenum grease. The cylindrical housing 23 is not fixed relative to the concentric coils 21 and 22 but allowed to free wheel with respect to the coils 21 and 22 when they rotate. The internal diameter of the flexible cylindrical housing 23 limits the diameter which the outer concentric coil 22 can reach as a result of the unwinding effect of the outer Ce oC 20 concentric coil 22 when the flexible drive shaft is subjected to loads tending to unwind e.o: the outer concentric coil 22.

o: a The flexible cylindrical housing 23 is also enveloped in a further flexible cylindrical housing 24 of larger diameter, which may consist of a steel coil tightly clad with PVC .1o 25 tubing, or may also consist of a PTFE hose. The housing 24 is packed with a lubricating medium (not shown) similar to that packed in the first mentioned flexible cylindrical housing 23. The housing 24 is fixed to non-rotating parts of the apparatus (not shown) and does not rotate with the coils 21 and 22, but remains stationary to provide protection to users (not shown) against the flexible cylindrical housing 23 which can rotate with the coils 21 and 22.

Claims

1. A vibrating massage structure including a vibrating member coupled to a stationary base, at least one rotatable member coupled to the vibrating member and having a center of mass rotatable about an axis of rotation, and means for rotating said at least one rotatable member in a continually varying manner.

2. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for rotating includes an electric motor corresponding to the or each rotatable member and mounted on the stationary base, wherein the or each motor is coupled to the corresponding rotatable member.

3. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 2 wherein the or each electric motor is mounted on the stationary base by flexible mounting pads.

4. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with any preceding claim having a first and second rotatable member, the axes of rotation of the rotatable members S being askew to each other. 20

5. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 2, wherein the or each •motor is provided with pulses of electric power of a predetermined pattern including i magnitude, duration and frequency. 25

6. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 5 and comprising two electric motors, each motor being provided with a pattern of pulses of electric power different to the pattern of pulses provided to the other. o.oo

7. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 5 or 6 wherein the electric power to the or each motor is controlled by a programmable computer.

8. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the vibrating member is coupled to the stationary base by flexible mounting pads.

9. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the structure is a table and the vibrating member is a substantially planar table top.

A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 9 wherein at least one axis of rotation is askew to the planar table top.

11. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 2 or 3 wherein the or each motor is coupled to the corresponding rotatable member by a flexible drive shaft.

12. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 11 wherein the or each flexible drive shaft includes a right hand and a left hand wound concentric coil each of resilient material and each having a first and second end, and both coils enveloped in a flexible first cylindrical housing wherein the two corresponding first ends are coupled together at one end of the drive shaft and the two corresponding second ends are coupled together at the other end of the drive shaft, and in use use the two first ends of the coils are coupled to a rotatable member of a driving apparatus and the two second ends of the coils are coupled to a rotatable member of a driven apparatus.

13. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 12 wherein the first 20 cylindrical housing is packed with a lubricating medium. 0

14. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 12 or 13 wherein the first cylindrical housing is enveloped in a second flexible cylindrical housing of larger diameter packed with a lubricating medium.

A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 14 wherein in use the second flexible cylindrical housing is fixed solidly to a non-rotating portion of the driving apparatus.

16. A vibrating massage structure in accordance with claim 14 or 15 wherein in use the second flexible cylindrical housing is fixed solidly to a non-rotating portion of the driven apparatus. Ve

17. A vibrating massage structure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 3rd day of June 1999 RAYMOND JOHN TIERNEY By his Patent Attorneys Halford Co.