U.S. patent application number 09/767070 was filed with the patent office on 2002-07-25 for portable massage chair converter.
Invention is credited to Showerman, Chris.
Application Number | 20020096929 09/767070 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25078382 |
Filed Date | 2002-07-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020096929 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Showerman, Chris |
July 25, 2002 |
Portable massage chair converter
Abstract
A portable massage chair converter including a base portion for
coupling with a backrest of an armless chair. A headrest portion is
coupled with respect to the base portion. The headrest portion is
both adjustable vertically with respect to the base portion and
adjustable angularly with respect to the base portion. The headrest
portion includes a padded portion for receiving a face of a person
seated in the armless chair therein. A pair of forearm supports are
coupled with respect to the base portion to allow a forearm of the
person seated in the armless chair to rest thereon.
Inventors: |
Showerman, Chris; (Los
Angeles, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Richard W. Goldstein
2071 Clove Road
Staten Island
NY
10304
US
|
Family ID: |
25078382 |
Appl. No.: |
09/767070 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/423.12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61H 37/00 20130101;
A47C 9/025 20130101; A47C 7/38 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/423.12 |
International
Class: |
A47C 007/50 |
Claims
What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by letters
patent of the united states is as follows:
1. A portable massage chair converter for attaching to an armless
chair to create a massage chair comprising, in combination: a base
portion being comprised of a plate portion, the plate portion
having an upper edge, a lower edge, opposed side edges, a front
surface, and a back surface, the front surface having a pair of
inverted U-shaped supports secured thereto for coupling the base
portion with a backrest of an armless chair; a headrest portion
coupled with respect to the base portion, the headrest portion
being both adjustable vertically with respect to the base portion
and adjustable angularly with respect to the base portion, the
headrest portion including a padded portion for receiving a face of
a person seated in the armless chair therein, the padded portion
being positioned between a pair of slotted brackets whereby the
padded portion can be vertically adjusted with respect to the base
portion between the brackets, the slotted brackets having lower
ends having a horizontal member extending therebetween, the
headrest portion including a pair of vertical rails coupled with
the back surface of the plate portion of the base portion, the
vertical rails having upper ends adjustably coupled with the
horizontal member whereby the padded portion can be angularly
adjusted with respect to the base portion; and a pair of forearm
supports coupled with respect to the base portion, the forearm
supports each being comprised of a vertically oriented segment
extending downwardly from the lower edge of the plate portion, the
vertically oriented segment having a lower end having an arcuate
recess formed therein for being positioned on a thigh of the person
seated in the armless chair, the forearm supports each including an
arm support plate extending forwardly from the vertically oriented
segments to allow a forearm of the person seated in the armless
chair to rest thereon.
2. A portable massage chair converter for attaching to an armless
chair to create a massage chair comprising, in combination: a base
portion coupling with a backrest of an armless chair; a headrest
portion coupled with respect to the base portion, the headrest
portion being both adjustable vertically with respect to the base
portion and adjustable angularly with respect to the base portion,
the headrest portion including a padded portion for receiving a
face of a person seated in the armless chair therein; and a pair of
forearm supports coupled with respect to the base portion, the
forearm supports allowing a forearm of the person seated in the
armless chair to rest thereon.
3. The portable massage chair converter as set forth in claim 2,
wherein a base portion being comprised of a plate portion, the
plate portion having an upper edge, a lower edge, opposed side
edges, a front surface, and a back surface, the front surface
having a pair of inverted U-shaped supports secured thereto for
coupling the base portion with the backrest of the armless
chair.
4. The portable massage chair converter as set forth in claim 2,
wherein the padded portion being positioned between a pair of
slotted brackets whereby the padded portion can be vertically
adjusted with respect to the base portion between the brackets.
5. The portable massage chair converter as set forth in claim 4,
wherein the slotted brackets have lower ends having a horizontal
member extending therebetween, the headrest portion including a
pair of vertical rails coupled with the base portion, the vertical
rails having upper ends adjustably coupled with the horizontal
member whereby the padded portion can be angularly adjusted with
respect to the base portion.
6. The portable massage chair converter as set forth in claim 2,
wherein the forearm supports each being comprised of a vertically
oriented segment extending downwardly from the base portion, the
vertically oriented segment having a lower end having an arcuate
recess formed therein for being positioned on a thigh of the person
seated in the armless chair.
7. The portable massage chair converter as set forth in claim 6,
wherein the forearm supports each including an arm support plate
extending forwardly from the vertically oriented segments to allow
the forearm of the person seated in the armless chair to rest
thereon.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a portable massage chair
converter and more particularly pertains to attaching to an armless
chair to create a massage chair.
[0002] Body massaging is done for pleasure and for therapeutic
reasons. Typically, obtaining a massage requires a visit to the
offices of the person administering the massage. Clients are
usually massaged while laying down in a specially configured
massage table. Such massage tables are generally portable. Massage
chairs are also used for administering massages to clients. Clients
usually sit in these massage chairs in a position facing the chair
so that their back, shoulders, or neck are accessible to the person
administering the massage. Some massage chairs are non-portable,
and the client must visit the offices of the massage therapist.
Some massage chairs are bulky, making their transport a cumbersome
task. What is needed is a massage chair that can be easily
transported.
[0003] The present invention attempts to solve the abovementioned
problem by providing a device that will covert a standard armless
chair into a chair that a person can be comfortably seated in to
receive a massage.
[0004] The use of massage chairs is known in the prior art. More
specifically, massage chairs heretofore devised and utilized for
the purpose of allowing an individual to receive a massage are
known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious
structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs
encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for
the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
[0005] By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,485 to Clark
discloses an adjustable, folding chair for massage. U.S. Pat. No.
2,566,757 to Alexander discloses a headrest. U.S. Pat. No. 380,251
to Dillon et al. discloses a head rest. U.S. Pat. No. 165,286 to
White discloses a head-rest. U.S. Pat. No. 482,520 to Field et al.
discloses a portable dental chair. U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,823 to Riach
discloses an adjustable headrest. U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,590 to Haynes
discloses a chair to promulgate kinesthetic therapy: apparatus and
method. U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,696 to Gillotti discloses an adjustable
massage chair. U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,546 to Danis discloses a
portable headrest having a base support member with air passages
for use while sunbathing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,926 to Amaral
discloses a head cradle for a therapy table. U.S. Pat. No.
6,042,184 to Kofoed discloses a face and head supporting device for
use with a lounge chair or the like.
[0006] While these devices fulfill their respective, particular
objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not
describe a portable massage chair converter for attaching to an
armless chair to create a massage chair.
[0007] In this respect, the portable massage chair converter
according to the present invention substantially departs from the
conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so
provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of
attaching to an armless chair to create a massage chair.
[0008] Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a
continuing need for a new and improved portable massage chair
converter which can be used for attaching to an armless chair to
create a massage chair. In this regard, the present invention
substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the
known types of massage chairs now present in the prior art, the
present invention provides an improved portable massage chair
converter. As such, the general purpose of the present invention,
which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to
provide a new and improved portable massage chair converter which
has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the
disadvantages.
[0010] To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises
a base portion being comprised of a plate portion. The plate
portion has an upper edge, a lower edge, opposed side edges, a
front surface, and a back surface. The front surface has a pair of
inverted U-shaped supports secured thereto for coupling the base
portion with a backrest of an armless chair. A headrest portion is
coupled with respect to the base portion. The headrest portion is
both adjustable vertically with respect to the base portion and
adjustable angularly with respect to the base portion. The headrest
portion includes a padded portion for receiving a face of a person
seated in the armless chair therein. The padded portion is
positioned between a pair of slotted brackets whereby the padded
portion can be vertically adjusted with respect to the base portion
between the brackets. The slotted brackets have lower ends having a
horizontal member extending therebetween. The headrest portion
includes a pair of vertical rails coupled with the back surface of
the plate portion of the base portion. The vertical rails have
upper ends adjustably coupled with the horizontal member whereby
the padded portion can be angularly adjusted with respect to the
base portion. A pair of forearm supports are coupled with respect
to the base portion. The forearm supports are each comprised of a
vertically oriented segment extending downwardly from the lower
edge of the plate portion. The vertically oriented segment has a
lower end having an arcuate recess formed therein for being
positioned on a thigh of the person seated in the armless chair.
The forearm supports each include an arm support plate extending
forwardly from the vertically oriented segments to allow a forearm
of the person seated in the armless chair to rest thereon.
[0011] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the invention in order that the detailed
description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in
order that the present contribution to the art may be better
appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the
invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form
the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
[0012] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment
of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the
invention is not limited in its application to the details of
construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in
the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The
invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced
and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that
the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose
of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0013] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be
utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods
and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present
invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded
as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0014] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a new and improved portable massage chair converter which
has all the advantages of the prior art massage chairs and none of
the disadvantages.
[0015] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
new and improved portable massage chair converter which may be
easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
[0016] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
new and improved portable massage chair converter which is of
durable and reliable construction.
[0017] An even further object of the present invention is to
provide a new and improved portable massage chair converter which
is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both
materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of
low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a
portable massage chair converter economically available to the
buying public.
[0018] Even still another object of the present invention is to
provide a new and improved portable massage chair converter for
attaching to an armless chair to create a massage chair.
[0019] Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide
a new and improved portable massage chair converter including a
base portion for coupling with a backrest of an armless chair. A
headrest portion is coupled with respect to the base portion. The
headrest portion is both adjustable vertically with respect to the
base portion and adjustable angularly with respect to the base
portion. The headrest portion includes a padded portion for
receiving a face of a person seated in the armless chair therein. A
pair of forearm supports are coupled with respect to the base
portion to allow a forearm of the person seated in the armless
chair to rest thereon.
[0020] These together with other objects of the invention, along
with the various features of novelty which characterize the
invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed
to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better
understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the
specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to
the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is
illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The invention will be better understood and objects other
than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration
is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such
description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of
the portable massage chair converter constructed in accordance with
the principles of the present invention illustarted in pace on an
armless chair.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention illustrated
in use.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention.
[0025] The same reference numerals refer to the same parts through
the various figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0026] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular, to
FIGS. 1 through 3 thereof, the preferred embodiment of the new and
improved portable massage chair converter embodying the principles
and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by
the reference number 10 will be described.
[0027] Specifically, it will be noted in the various figures that
the device relates to a portable massage chair converter for
attaching to an armless chair to create a massage chair. In its
broadest context, the device consists of a base portion, a headrest
portion, and a pair of forearm supports. Such components are
individually configured and correlated with respect to each other
so as to attain the desired objective.
[0028] The base portion 12 is comprised of a plate portion 14. The
plate portion 14 has an upper edge 16, a lower edge 18, opposed
side edges 20, a front surface 22, and a back surface 24. The front
surface 22 has a pair of inverted U-shaped supports 26 secured
thereto for coupling the base portion 12 with a backrest 28 of an
armless chair 30. The supports 26 could be provided with protective
knobs 32 on their free ends to prevent the backrest 28 from being
damaged. The plate portion 14 has a generally rectangular
configuration with the lower corners thereof being cut out to
eliminate a potentially dangerous pointed edge.
[0029] The headrest portion 34 is coupled with respect to the base
portion 12. The headrest portion 34 is both adjustable vertically
with respect to the base portion 12 and adjustable angularly with
respect to the base portion 12. The headrest portion 34 includes a
padded portion 36 for receiving a face 38 of a person seated in the
armless chair 30 therein. The padded portion 36 is designed
specifically to receive the face 38 therein. The padded portion 36
has a generally ring-shaped design provided with a central opening
40 to provide access to air to the person while their face is
positioned within the padded portion 36. The padded portion 36 is
positioned between a pair of slotted brackets 42 whereby the padded
portion 36 can be vertically adjusted with respect to the base
portion 12 between the brackets 42. The padded portion 36 includes
an adjustment handle 44 that can be loosened to allow the padded
portion 36 to slide with respect to the slotted brackets 42 in
order to attain the proper positioning of the padded portion 36 for
the person seated in the chair 30. The slotted brackets 42 have
lower ends having a horizontal member 46 extending therebetween.
The headrest portion 34 includes a pair of vertical rails 48
coupled with the back surface 24 of the plate portion 14 of the
base portion 12. The vertical rails 48 are held in place on the
plate portion 14 through the use of brackets 50. The vertical rails
48 have upper ends adjustably coupled with the horizontal member 46
whereby the padded portion 36 can be angularly adjusted with
respect to the base portion 12. The upper ends of the vertical
rails 48 are coupled with the horizontal member 46 through the use
of an adjustment handle 52 whereby manipulation of the adjustment
handle 52 will allow the padded portion 36 to be raised or lowered
with respect to the base portion 12.
[0030] The pair of forearm supports 54 are coupled with respect to
the base portion 12. The forearm supports 54 are each comprised of
a vertically oriented segment 56 extending downwardly from the
lower edge 18 of the plate portion 14. The vertically oriented
segments 56 are preferably pivotally coupled with the plate portion
14. The vertically oriented segment 56 has a lower end having an
arcuate recess 58 formed therein for being positioned on a thigh 60
of the person seated in the armless chair 30. The forearm supports
54 each include an arm support plate 62 extending forwardly from
the vertically oriented segments 56 to allow a forearm 64 of the
person seated in the armless chair 30 to rest thereon. The arm
support plates 62 can be folded up against the vertically oriented
segments 56 when not in use.
[0031] In use, the present invention essentially converts a
standard armless chair 30 into a massage chair. The present
invention can be folded and unfolded. When unfolded, it attaches to
the backrest 28 of the armless chair 30 and a person can then sit
in the chair 30 facing the backrest 28. The person rests their face
38 on the padded portion 36 and their forearms 64 resting on the
arm support plates 62 as the vertically oriented segments are atop
the thighs 60 on the person.
[0032] As to the manner of usage and operation of the present
invention, the same should be apparent from the above description.
Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage
and operation will be provided.
[0033] With respect to the above description then, it is to be
realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts
of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape,
form, function and the manner of operation, assembly and use, are
deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and
all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings
and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed
by the present invention.
[0034] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to,
falling within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *