Massage device

Abstract

A massage device is formed as a plane blade-like extended area of resilient material provided with or constituted by a plurality of massage elements to form an operative massage surface as distinct from a massage bundle of for example birch twigs in a sauna bath. The blade-like area comprises a flat blade with rounded depressions in it. It may be hollow, so that it can be loaded with water to vary the weight, in which a case the handle may be shaped and orificed to provide a vaginal douche.

Description

This invention relates to massage equipment.

It is known to be beneficial to skin tone and muscle condition to apply stringent massage to the skin especially after a hot both or, for example, a Sauna bath. Thus, it is traditional that the skin of a person taking a Sauna bath should be birched with a bundle of birch twigs. The present invention relates to equipment for similar massaging.

The present invention is based on the realization that a particularly effective action can be obtained if the birching portion of such a device is formed as a plane blade-like area rather than a random bundle of twigs, not all of which can touch the skin and the majority of which prevent proper deformation and "give" of those twigs which do contact the skin.

The invention thus provides a massage device consisting of a handle connected to a plane blade-like extended area of resilient material provided with or constituted by a plurality of massage elements.

In one form the invention provides such a massage device in which the handle is connected by an integral transverse blade portion to a plurality of parallel elongate flexible fingers constituting said massage elements.

The flexible fingers can be flat, or circular or otherwise rounded in individual cross section, and in a particularly valuable embodiment are hollow, and/or the blade portion to which they are attached is hollow. In such a case there can be an inlet through which the fingers and/or blade can be filled with water whereby to vary the effective weight or flexibility of the massage device. The overall configuration of the blade is usually generally rectangular, with the fingers extending parallel and preferably possessing rounded ends.

In another form the invention provides such a massage device in which the handle is connected to a unitary flat resilient blade having a plurality of rounded depressions in an otherwise flat flexible surface thereon to provide said massage elements.

The depressions can be part-spherical, for example hemispherical, in shape and be arranged in a regular pattern upon the blade. It is possible according to the invention to have the blade of the massage device hollow, i.e., in a double form, preferably with an opening wherein water can be included to vary the effective weight or flexibility of the blade.

In one particular embodiment of the invention, the blade is generally rectangular in shape and provided with a plurality of such depressions arranged in an hexagonal packing on the surface.

Although it is not the intention of the applicant to be limited by any theory of the action of this device, it is believed to be the case that the depressions effectively increase the air pressure of any air entrapped between them and the skin and thus increase the oxygen content of the blood vessels near the surface. This is in addition to any purely mechanical effect as obtained from normal massage.

Another aspect of the present invention consists in a massage device as described above wherein the handle is hollow and communicates with a hollow portion of (or associated with) the blade which hollow portion can be filled with liquid and thereby provide in combination with a handle orificed at the remote end a vaginal douche. It is possible either for the blade (or part of the blade) to be formed with a hollow configuration, or for a separate bulb to be provided for the necessary liquid. If the handle of the massage device is to be formed in this fashion, it will be found convenient to provide a protective sheath around the handle, which can be disposable or reusable.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a general view of one embodiment massage device according to the invention;

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

FIG. 3 shows a general view of another embodiment massage device; and

FIG. 4 shows a section along line A--A of FIG. 3.

A massage device has a handle 1 and a blade portion generally indicated at 2. The blade portion consists of a plurality of parallel fingers of resilient material 3, which fingers, as will be apparent from FIG. 2, are circular in cross section and have rounded ends 4. This particular embodiment of massage device is hollow, whereby the blade and fingers can be filled or partially filled with water to increase the weight and vary the flexibility. In use, this massage device will be found to be particularly flexible, and effective as an adjunct to a Sauna bath. Since the device is primarily to be used under such wet conditions, a hole 5 is provided to assist in retaining a grip on the device.

The device shown has a handle 1 suitably shaped so as to constitute a vaginal douche. If this embodiment is to be utilized the hole 5 can be replaced by a bulb for retaining liquid, or the liquid in question can be held within the general body of the blade 2. It is particularly valuable if the handle 5 is provided with a suitably protective sheath when in such use.

FIG. 3 shows a massage device having a handle 11 and a blade portion generally indicated at 12 which is generally rectangular in shape and provided with a plurality of part spherical recesses 13. Although the device shown in FIG. 3 is formed of a single leaf of resilient plastic material, it could be formed double and provided with a suitable inlet opening for a supply of water as required to vary the weight or flexibility thereof.

Claims

I claim:

1. A massage device consisting of a handle; a unitary resilient blade having a generally flat massage surface, said blade being connected directly to said handle; a plurality of rounded depressions in said generally flat massage surface thereon to provide massage elements and form an operative massage surface.

2. A massage device as claimed in claim 1 in which the depressions are partly spherical.

3. A massage device as claimed in claim 1, in which the blade is hollow.

4. A massage device as claimed in claim 3, comprising an inlet for water to load said hollow blade and thereby vary the effective weight and flexibility thereof.