US3707961A

US3707961A - Foot massaging apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3707961A
Application number: US00138631A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Duplessis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-06-22
Filing date: 1971-04-29
Publication date: 1973-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-02
Also published as: CA909625A

Abstract

A foot massaging apparatus adapted to receive and massage both feet simultaneously while the user is comfortably seated with his legs extending in a natural inclined position and with his feet spread apart in a natural manner. The apparatus comprises a platform made of rigid material and adapted to rest on the floor, said platform having a top surface and arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the floor and defining a pair of elongated recesses which are deeper at one end than at their other end and have a bottom surface inclined with respect to the floor, each recess adapted to receive the underside of the user''s foot, and a vibrator unit comprising an electric motor secured to the platform and having a rotor with an excentric mass to set up low amplitude and high frequency vibrations in the platform.

Description

United States Patent 1 Duplessis 51 Jan. 2, 1973 [54] FOOT MASSAGING APPARATUS 22 Filed: April 29, 19-71 21 Appl.No.: 138,631

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Germany ..l28/25 B Primary Examiner-Lawrence W. Trapp Attorney-Pierre Lesperance [5 7 ABSTRACT A foot massaging apparatus adapted to receive and massage both feet simultaneously while the useris comfortably seated with his legs extending in a natural inclined position and with his feet spread apart in a natural manner. The apparatus comprises a platform made of rigid material and adapted to rest on the floor, said platform having a top surface and arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the floor and defining a pair of elongated recesses which are deeper at one end than at their other end and have a bottom surface inclined with respect to the floor, each recess adapted to receive the underside of the users foot, and a vibrator unit comprising an electric motor secured to the platform and having a rotor with an ex centric mass to set up low amplitude and high frequency vibrations in the platform.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEB MI 2 W3 INVENTOR Gerard DUPLESS/S AGENT FOOT MASSAGING APPARATUS The present invention relates to a foot massaging apparatus. Present-day foot massaging apparatuses either do not enable massaging of both feet at the same time and require the user to take unnatural and uncomfortable position.

The general object of the invention resides in the provision of a foot massaging apparatus which will obviate the above-noted disadvantages and, more particularly, which is capable of massaging both feet at the same time and while the user is comfortably seated with his legs engaging the apparatus in a natural position.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus of the character described, of simple and inexpensive and yet rugged construction.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

In the drawings, like reference characters indicate like elements throughout.

The apparatus of the invention comprises a platform 1 and a vibrator unit 2, secured to the underside of the platform 1. Vibrator unit 2 is of conventional construction and comprises an electric motor 3, on the output shaft of which is mounted an eccentric weight 4. The motor 3, together with casing 5 of the vibrator, are secured to the platform 1 by means of bolts 6.

Platform 1 is preferably made of synthetic resin in rigid sheet form. When seen in top plan view, it provides a top surface 7, of generally trapezoidal shape, defining a smaller base edge 8 of concave or V-shape, a larger base edge 9 forming straight end edge portions 10 making an obtuse angle with each other and joined by an intermediate central recessed edge portion 11 forming a central protruding V-shaped portion 12. The lateral straight edges 13 of the platform are mutually inclined.

A skirt l4 depends downwardly from the entire periphery of the top surface 7 and has substantially equal width throughout. The skirt 14 is extended downwardly at the back corners of the platform and at the central V-shaped portion 12 of the front edge to form legs 15 of right angular section, as shown in FIG. 4, adapted to be inserted within a similarly shaped right angular blind bore 16 ofa floor engaging pad 17, made of rubber or the like resilient material.

The legs 15 have all equal length such that the foot pads 17, when engaging a support surface such as a floor, support the top surface 7 of the platform in substantially horizontal position. The top surface 7 is shaped so as to form a pair of elongated foot receiving recesses 18, each having its bottom wall 19 vertically inclined so that each recess 18 has its deepest part located adjacent the back smaller base edge 8, but short of the same to provide a foot heel engaging wall 21 which merges with skirt 14 at the portion 20 of top wall 7. The bottom wall 19 is straight when seen in cross-section, as shown in FIG. 2, and its front edge substantially merges with the top wall 7 of the platform at the larger base front edge 9 of said platform.

The long axes of the recess 18 are diverging towards the front larger base edge 9 of the platform, said long axes being substantially parallel tothe straight lateral edges 13 of the platform. Each recess 18 is provided along its inside wall 22 and intermediate the ends thereof with a boss 23 having an outer shape to conform to the arch at the underside of a human foot. The two bosses 23 are aligned transversely of the platform and protrude above the top surface 7, their protruding parts being interconnected by a raised bridge portion 24 of the top wall of the platform. i

The apparatus is used as follows:

It is placed on the floor in front of a chair or other seat with the larger base edge 9 away from said seat. The electric motor 3 of the vibrator unit 2 is connected to an electric supply and set in motion. The excen'trically weighted rotor of motor 3, which normally rotates at about 1,500 r.p.m., will set up in the platform 1 low amplitude, high frequency vibrations, efficiently massaging the user's feet. The user sitting on the chair places his two feet in the respective recesses 18 with the heel engaging the wall 21 of the recess with the arch of the foot engaging the boss 23 and with the toes extending towards the larger base edge 9.

Due to the diverging positions of the two recesses and the inclination of their bottom wall 19, the users feet are spread apart in a natural manner and his legs are inclined with respect to the floor in a natural manner, while the user is seated. Thus, both feet are massaged at the same time while the user is seated in a most comfortable manner with the users legs and feet in a natural position, whereby the feet can be massaged without fatigue.

The skirt which extends along the entire periphery of the platform serves to reinforce said platform and to mask vibrator unit 2 from view. Legs 15 are very strong, because they have a right angular cross-section.

Vibration of the platform is not imparted to the supporting floor, because of the rubber foot pads 17.

What I claim is:

l. A foot massaging apparatus comprising a platform having bearing surfaces adapted to contact a support surface, said platform defining a pair of elongated recesses at the top surface thereof, said recesses inclined with respect to the plane containing said bearing surfaces for each receiving the underside of a foot of a person seated on a chair supported by said same support surface and a motor-operated vibrator unit secured to said platform, each recess having a substantially flat bottom surface with a lateral boss intermediate its ends, said boss of an outer shape to conform to the arch at the underside of a human foot, said vibrator unit being located underneath said platform, said platform has a downwardly extending skirt at the perimeter thereof, reinforcing said platform and masking said vibrator unit, and said skirt having downward narrow extensions forming support legs for said platform and resilient foot pads fitted on the ends of said legs and defining said bearing surfaces.

2. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the long axes of said recesses are diverging in the direction of the ends of said recesses farther away from said plane.

3. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ends of said recesses merge with the top surface of said platform.

4. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support legs have an angular cross-section and said foot pads have a body with a blind bore of the same angular cross-section as said legs to receive the latter.

5. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platform with its recesses, said skirt and said extensionsare parts of a shaped one-piece rigid sheet of material.

6. A foot massaging apparatus comprising a platform made of rigid material and having bearing surfaces adapted to contact a support surface, said platform having a top surface arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said bearing surfaces and defining a pair of elongated separate recesses, said recesses being deeper at one end than at their other end and each having a bottom surface inclined with respect to intermediate its ends, said boss of an outer shape to conform to the arch at the underside of a human foot.

8. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said platform has a downwardly extending skirt at the perimeter thereof, reinforcing said platform and masking said vibrator unit, and said skirt has downward narrow extensions forming support legs for said platform and resilient foot pads fitted on the ends of said legs and defining said bearing surfaces.

Claims

1. A foot massaging apparatus comprising a platform having bearing surfaces adapted to contact a support surface, said platform defining a pair of elongated recesses at the top surface thereof, said recesses inclined with respect to the plane containing said bearing surfaces for each receiving the underside of a foot of a person seated on a chair supported by said same support surface and a motor-operated vibrator unit secured to said platform, each recess having a substantially flat bottom surface with a lateral boss intermediate its ends, said boss of an outer shape to conform to the arch at the underside of a human foot, said vibrator unit being located underneath said platform, said platform has a downwardly extending skirt at the perimeter thereof, reinforcing said platform and masking said vibrator unit, and said skirt having downward narrow extensions forming support legs for said platform and resilient foot pads fitted on the ends of said legs and defining said bearing surfaces.

2. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the long axes of said recesses are diverging in the direction of the ends of said recesses farther away from said plane.

5. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platform with its recesses, said skirt and said extensions are parts of a shaped one-piece rigid sheet of material.

6. A foot massaging apparatus comprising a platform made of rigid material and having bearing surfaces adapted to contact a support surface, said platform having a top surface arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said bearing surfaces and defining a pair of elongated separate recesses, said recesses being deeper at one end than at their other end and each having a bottom surface inclined with respect to the plane containing said baring surfaces, wherein the long axes of said recesses diverging in the direction of said other ends of said recesses, each recess adapted to receive the underside of a foot of a person seated on a chair supported by said same support surface, and a vibrator unit comprising an electric motor secured to the underside of said platform.

7. A foot massaging apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein each recess has a substantial flat bottom surface with a lateral boss on the inside of the recess and intermediate its ends, said boss of an outer shape to conform to the arch at the underside of a human foot.