U.S. patent application number 11/166549 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-28 for massaging foot bath.
Invention is credited to Horng-Jiun Chang.
Application Number | 20060288479 11/166549 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37565531 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060288479 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang; Horng-Jiun |
December 28, 2006 |
Massaging foot bath
Abstract
A massaging foot bath includes a main body, an air guide
cushion, a pneumatic air pump, and an air pipe. The air guide
cushion has a surface formed with a plurality of air holes each
connected to the inside of the air guide cushion and the receiving
chamber of the main body to deliver the air contained in the inside
of the air guide cushion into the receiving chamber. Thus, the foot
bath is operated in a pneumatic manner to produce pressurized air
bubbles in the water contained in the receiving chamber to touch
and massage the feet of a user, thereby providing a massaging
effect to the user's feet.
Inventors: |
Chang; Horng-Jiun;
(Taichung, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NIKOLAI & MERSEREAU, P.A.
900 SECOND AVENUE SOUTH
SUITE 820
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Family ID: |
37565531 |
Appl. No.: |
11/166549 |
Filed: |
June 27, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/622 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61H 33/02 20130101;
A61H 35/006 20130101; A61H 33/6089 20130101; A61H 33/6068 20130101;
A61H 33/60 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
004/622 |
International
Class: |
E03C 1/00 20060101
E03C001/00 |
Claims
1. A foot bath, comprising: a main body having an end formed with a
receiving chamber; an air guide cushion mounted on a bottom of the
receiving chamber of the main body; a pneumatic air pump mounted in
the main body; an air pipe mounted in the main body and connected
between the air pump and the air guide cushion to deliver
pressurized air from the air pump to the air guide cushion; the air
guide cushion having a surface formed with a plurality of air holes
each connected to an inside of the air guide cushion and the
receiving chamber to deliver the air contained in the inside of the
air guide cushion into the receiving chamber.
2. The foot bath in accordance with claim 1, wherein the air guide
cushion has a substantially arcuate upward protruding side, and the
air pipe has a first end connected to the air pump and a second end
connected to the protruding side of the air guide cushion.
3. The foot bath in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an
anti-reverse valve mounted in the main body and located between the
air pipe and the air guide cushion to prevent the water contained
in the air guide cushion from entering the air pipe and the air
pump.
4. The foot bath in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inside of
the air guide cushion is connected to the air pipe.
5. The foot bath in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inside of
the air guide cushion is provided with a plurality of support posts
to support the air guide cushion so that the inside of the air
guide cushion forms an air flow passage.
6. The foot bath in accordance with claim 1, wherein the air holes
of the air guide cushion have different sizes.
7. The foot bath in accordance with claim 1, wherein the surface
the air guide cushion is provided with a plurality of protruding
bosses.
8. The foot bath in accordance with claim 7, wherein the protruding
bosses of the air guide cushion have different sizes.
9. The foot bath in accordance with claim 7, wherein each of the
protruding bosses of the air guide cushion has a height greater
than that of each of the air holes.
10. The foot bath in accordance with claim 1, wherein the receiving
chamber of the main body has a side having an upper portion
provided with a water inlet valve for filling water with the
receiving chamber.
11. The foot bath in accordance with claim 1, wherein the bottom of
the receiving chamber of the main body is formed with a drain hole
connected to an external pipe to drain the water contained in the
receiving chamber outward from the main body.
12. The foot bath in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a
chair mounted on the main body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a foot bath, and more
particularly to a pneumatic massaging foot bath.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A conventional foot bath comprises a main body having a
front end formed with a receiving chamber having a side provided
with a water inlet valve for filling water with the receiving
chamber, a plurality of water inlet ports connected to the
receiving chamber to suck the water contained in the receiving
chamber, a plurality of water outlet ports connected to the
receiving chamber to return the water into the receiving chamber,
and a motor mounted in the main body to suck the water contained in
the receiving chamber into the water inlet ports and to drain the
water through the water outlet ports into the receiving chamber
successively so as to form multiple water beams in the receiving
chamber, thereby providing a massaging effect to a user's feet.
[0005] However, the dirt contained in the water easily blocks the
water inlet ports and the water outlet ports during a long-term
utilization, thereby greatly decreasing the strength of the water
beams. In addition, the receiving chamber of the main body is wet
after use of the foot bath so that bacteria easily exist in the
receiving chamber, thereby causing a sanitary problem. Further, the
pipes of the foot bath are built in the main body, so that the
pipes cannot be replaced when the dirt blocks the pipes, thereby
causing a sanitary problem, and thereby decreasing the massaging
effect.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a foot bath, comprising a main body having an end formed with a
receiving chamber, an air guide cushion mounted on a bottom of the
receiving chamber of the main body, a pneumatic air pump mounted in
the main body, and an air pipe mounted in the main body and
connected between the air pump and the air guide cushion to deliver
pressurized air from the air pump to the air guide cushion. The air
guide cushion has a surface formed with a plurality of air holes
each connected to an inside of the air guide cushion and the
receiving chamber to deliver the air contained in the inside of the
air guide cushion into the receiving chamber.
[0007] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a pneumatic massaging foot bath.
[0008] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
foot bath that is operated in a pneumatic manner to produce
pressurized air bubbles in the water contained in the receiving
chamber to touch and massage the feet of a user, thereby providing
a massaging effect to the user's feet.
[0009] A further objective of the present invention is to provide a
foot bath, wherein the receiving chamber and the drain hole of the
main body are kept at a dry state by the ventilating effect of the
air holes of the air guide cushion after use of the foot bath, so
that the foot bath is maintained at dry and clean situation,
thereby enhancing the sanitary effect of the foot bath, and thereby
facilitating the user employing the foot bath.
[0010] A further objective of the present invention is to provide a
foot bath, wherein the anti-reverse valve prevents the water
contained in the air guide cushion from entering the air pipe and
the air pump, thereby enhancing the lifetime of the air pump.
[0011] Further benefits and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed
description with appropriate reference to the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foot bath in accordance
with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the foot bath as shown in FIG.
1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a side plan cross-sectional view of the foot bath
as shown in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the foot bath as shown in
FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a locally enlarged view of the foot bath as shown
in FIG. 3; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a foot bath in accordance
with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1-5, a foot
bath 10 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present
invention comprises a main body 11 having a front end formed with a
receiving chamber 12 having a side having an upper portion provided
with a water inlet valve 18 for filling water with the receiving
chamber 12 and having a bottom formed with a drain hole 17
connected to an external pipe 23 to drain the water contained in
the receiving chamber 12 outward from the main body 11.
[0019] An air guide cushion 13 is mounted on the bottom of the
receiving chamber 12 of the main body 11 and has a substantially
arcuate upward protruding side 130. A pneumatic air pump 14 is
mounted in the main body 11, and an air pipe 15 is mounted in the
main body 11 and connected between the air pump 14 and the air
guide cushion 13 to deliver pressurized air from the air pump 14 to
the air guide cushion 13. The air pipe 15 has a first end connected
to the air pump 14 and a second end connected to the protruding
side 130 of the air guide cushion 13. An anti-reverse valve 21 is
mounted in the main body 11 and located between the air pipe 15 and
the air guide cushion 13 to prevent the water contained in the air
guide cushion 13 from entering the air pipe 15 and the air pump
14.
[0020] The air guide cushion 13 has an inside 132 connected to the
air pipe 15 and provided with a plurality of support posts 22 to
support the air guide cushion 13 so that the inside 132 of the air
guide cushion 13 forms an air flow passage. The air guide cushion
13 has a surface formed with a plurality of air holes 16 having
different sizes each connected to the inside of the air guide
cushion 13 and the receiving chamber 12 to deliver the air
contained in the inside 132 of the air guide cushion 13 into the
receiving chamber 12. The surface the air guide cushion 13 is
provided with a plurality of protruding bosses 19 having different
sizes. Each of the protruding bosses 19 of the air guide cushion 13
has a height greater than that of each of the air holes 16.
[0021] When in use, the pressurized air from the air pump 14 is
delivered through the air pipe 15 into the inside 132 of the air
guide cushion 13. Then, the pressurized air from the inside 132 of
the air guide cushion 13 is delivered through the air holes 16 of
the air guide cushion 13 into the receiving chamber 12 to produce
pressurized air bubbles in the water contained in the receiving
chamber 12 to touch and massage the feet 30 of a user, thereby
providing a massaging effect to the user's feet 30. The air holes
16 of the air guide cushion 13 have different sizes, thereby
providing a different massaging effect to the user's feet 30. Each
of the protruding bosses 19 of the air guide cushion 13 has a
height greater than that of each of the air holes 16 to separate
the user's feet 30 from the air holes 16, thereby preventing the
air holes 16 from being sealed by the user's feet 30.
[0022] After the water contained in the receiving chamber 12 is
drained outward from the drain hole 17 of the main body 11, the
pressurized air from the inside 132 of the air guide cushion 13 is
successively delivered through the air holes 16 of the air guide
cushion 13 into the receiving chamber 12 to drain the residual
water contained in the air guide cushion 13 into the receiving
chamber 12, so that the residual water is drained outward from the
drain hole 17 of the main body 11. Thus, the receiving chamber 12
and the drain hole 17 of the main body 11 are kept at a dry state
by the ventilating effect of the air holes 16 of the air guide
cushion 13 after use of the foot bath 10, so that the foot bath 10
is maintained at dry and clean situation, thereby enhancing the
sanitary effect of the foot bath 10, and thereby facilitating the
user employing the foot bath 10. In addition, the anti-reverse
valve 21 prevents the water contained in the air guide cushion 13
from entering the air pipe 15 and the air pump 14, thereby
enhancing the lifetime of the air pump 14.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 6, the foot bath further comprises a chair
20 mounted on the main body 11 to provide a comfortable sensation
to the user, thereby facilitating the user employing the foot
bath.
[0024] Although the invention has been explained in relation to its
preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood
that many other possible modifications and variations can be made
without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is,
therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will
cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true
scope of the invention.
* * * * *