Abstract:
A vehicle massaging system includes a seat pad and motorized vibrators in respective regions of the pad; and a controller for selectively activating the transducers. Each of the vibrators is in a cavity of a main cushion member, the cavity being closed by an outer cushion member that supports an occupant, a soft or resilient isolation device being interposed between the vibrator and the main cushion member for reduced coupling of vibrations to structure or other portions of the seat, but enhanced coupling to a target region of the outer cushion member for improved selectivity of particular regions of a user&#39;s body to be massaged, and in multiple seating installations, unwanted vibration of one seat is suppressed during activation of vibrators in an adjacent seat. The transducer is bonded to the outer cushion member or a reinforcing sheet that is laminated thereto, the isolation device contacting a bottom portion of the transducer. Alternatively, the isolation device can completely enclose the transducer. The isolation device can include a flexible sealed enclosure containing a viscous material. An offset plate portion of a housing of the vibrator can extend between a structural member of the seat and the target zone region, a body portion of the vibrator being laterally spaced from the structural member when the structural member would otherwise block desired placement of the vibrator. The heater element can be fire resistant. Also disclosed is a method for converting a padded support to produce isolated massaging, and a method utilizing a subassembly of vibrators and the outer cushion member to facilitate production of the system.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to massaging devices, and more particularly to massaging systems to be used in vehicles and other environments where radiated vibrations may be objectionable, such as in multiple seating structures and the like. 
     Typical massaging systems of the prior art include multiple vibrators that are imbedded in cushions or pads of beds, lounges, chairs and the like. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,096 to Yoo and U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,585 to Liang. It is also known to incorporate massaging vibrators in vehicle seats as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,515 to Tseng. A problem with these systems is that when there are multiple occupants, vibrators activated for the benefit of one occupant transmit significant and often objectionable vibrations to other occupants through shared padding and/or common structural elements. Although individual bucket seats are in common use by drivers and front seat passengers, they are less commonly provided for other passengers of automobiles and other vehicles. Accordingly, it has heretofore been impractical to provide bench seats of automobiles and passenger seats of aircraft with massaging systems. 
     Another problem is that users of massagers having pad-imbedded vibrators sometimes desire localized massaging only. However, the vibrations are transmitted with only gradual attenuation generally throughout the pad. Thus users are faced with the unwelcome choice of avoiding contact between the pad and particular body parts or putting up with unwanted vibrations. 
     A further problem is that internal structure of many seats interferes with a desired placement of vibration sources, rendering impractical desired patterns and modes of massaging. 
     It is also known to provide heating elements in combination with massaging devices of seats. However, existing heating elements of the prior art that are compatible with massaging can present objectionable fire hazards in some applications such as in aircraft seating. 
     Thus there is a need for a massaging system that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a massaging system having localized massaging action. The motors are embedded in a padded user support, such as a vehicle seat, in a manner that avoids transmission of vibrations into structural members or non-local foam, and adjacent seating, if present. In one aspect of the invention, a massaging system for an occupant support structure includes a vibrator unit located in the support structure; a controller circuit for selectively powering the vibrator unit for selectively stimulating an occupant of the structure, the vibrator unit being in a cavity of a main cushion member, the cavity being closed by an outer cushion member that supports the occupant, a flexible isolation device being interposed between the vibrator unit and the main cushion member for isolating vibrations from the main cushion member. Preferably the isolation device comprises a viscous material for damping vibrations being radiated toward the main cushion member from the vibrator unit. The isolation device can incorporate the viscous material within a flexible sealed enclosure. Preferably the enclosure has an opening formed between opposite sides thereof for receiving a body portion of the vibrator unit. Alternatively, the isolation device can be formed of a material having a bulk or volumetric stiffness being less than corresponding stiffnesses of the main and outer cushion members. 
     A housing of the vibrator unit can have a generally cylindrical body portion and a plate portion, the plate portion facing the outer cushion member in generally parallel relation thereto. Preferably the plate portion is affixed to the outer cushion member for enhanced coupling of vibrations to the outer cushion member while maintaining the isolation from the main cushion member. The plate portion can project beyond opposite sides of the body portion. The plate portion can project beyond opposite ends of the body portion. A lower portion of the housing body portion can be circularly cylindrical, having an outside diameter D, the housing also having a depth approximately corresponding to the diameter D in a direction perpendicular to the plate portion. 
     The plate portion can have a length A and a width B, the cavity having a length L and a width W, the width W being between 0.2 inch and 0.5 inch greater than the width B, the length L being between 0.2 inch and 0.5 inch greater than the length A. The housing can have a depth E, the cavity having a height H, the height H being between 0.2 inch and 0.5 inch greater than the depth E. The length L can be approximately 3.75 inch, the width W being approximately 2.75 inch. The height H can be approximately 1.5 inch. Preferably the isolation device occupies at least 40 percent of an overall volume of the cavity for enhancing the effectiveness of the vibration isolation. 
     The apparatus can further include a reinforcing sheet member laminated between the main cushion member and the outer cushion member. The outer cushion member can be of substantially uniform thickness. The thickness of the outer cushion member can be between 0.18 inch and 0.4 inch. Preferably the thickness of the outer cushion member is approximately 0.25 inch. 
     Preferably the vibrator unit is one of a spaced plurality of vibrators that are located in plural zones of the structure for selectively stimulating particular tissue regions of the occupant, each vibrator being located in a corresponding counterpart of the cavity and having a corresponding isolation device interposed between the housing and the cavity. The outer cushion can cover each of the cavities. The main cushion and the outer cushion can form a seat pad of a seat. The massaging apparatus can be in combination with a back pad of the seat, the back pad having counterparts of the vibrators, the main cushion, the isolation devices, and the outer cushion. The seat can be one of a plurality of seats having a common structural element. 
     The apparatus can further include a heater unit attached to the outer cushion member and having a resistance wire connected between conductors of a fire resistant power cord and, secured between a pair of polyamide film sheet members, one side of each sheet member having a silicon base fire resistant adhesive coating, of the adhesive coating of one sheet member contacting the resistance wire and the other sheet member, the coating of the other sheet member securing the heater unit to the outer cushion member. Preferably the thickness of each sheet member is approximately 0.002 inch for providing sufficient structural integrity while effectively transmitting vibrations from the vibrator to a user having contact with the apparatus proximate the heater unit. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a vehicle seat includes a structural member and respective seat and back pads supported relative thereto, each pad a plurality of vibrator units, each vibrator unit having a housing, a motor supported within the housing, and means for connecting the motor to a source of electrical power, the motor being coupled to a mass element for producing vibratory motion of the housing; a main cushion member having a main supporting surface and having a plurality of spaced apart cavities formed therein and interrupting the supporting surface for receiving respective ones of the vibrator units, each cavity being sufficiently large to provide clearance space on all sides of the corresponding vibrator unit; a plurality of isolation devices in respective ones of the cavities; and an outer cushion member with the vibrators bonded thereto and projecting into respective cavities of the main cushion member, the outer cushion member being also bonded to the main supporting surface and covering the cavities with each isolation device contacting a bottom portion of a vibrator unit and being interposed between the vibrator unit and the main cushion member for coupling vibrations mainly into the outer cushion member, the outer cushion member forming an outer supporting surface being spaced from the main supporting surface. The massaging apparatus can further include a controller electrically connected to each of the vibrators for activating selected ones of the vibrators. Each of the isolation devices can include the flexible sealed enclosure having a viscous material contained therein. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a seat includes a structural member, a pad supported relative to the structural member with the structural member extending behind a target region zone of an occupant supporting surface of the pad; a vibrator unit having a housing including a projecting plate portion, a motor supported within the housing, means for connecting the motor to a source of electrical power, the motor being coupled to a mass element for producing vibratory motion of the housing, the vibrator unit being supported by the pad with the plate portion extending between the structural member and the target region zone for imparting vibrations to the occupant supporting surface opposite the structural member, the body portion of the housing projecting away from the occupant supporting surface at one side of the structural member. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a massaging apparatus includes a vibrator unit having a housing including a body portion and a plate portion that projects from one side by a distance greater than a width of the body portion, a main cushion member having a main supporting surface and being formed of a resilient material, a cavity interrupting the supporting surface being formed therein; a structure supporting the main cushion member with a structural member extending parallel to the main supporting surface for modifying its contour; and an outer cushion member bonded to the main supporting surface and covering the cavity, the outer cushion member forming the outer supporting surface spaced from the main supporting surface, the cushion members a seat pad of a seat that also includes a structural member extending within the pad in relatively closely spaced relation to a target zone region of the outer supporting surface, the vibrator being located within the cavity with the plate portion of the housing facing a target zone region of the outer cushion member in generally parallel relation thereto, the plate portion projecting between the structural member and the outer cushion member for imparting vibrations through the outer cushion member opposite the structural member, the body portion of the housing projecting away from the outer cushion member at one side of the structural member. The cavity can be configured to provide clearance space on all sides of the vibrator unit, the apparatus further including the isolation device contacting the vibrator and being interposed between the vibrator and the main cushion member. 
     In a further aspect of the invention, a method for converting a padded support device having a resilient main cushion to produce isolated massaging of a user&#39;s body includes: 
     (a) providing a vibratory transducer having a housing and a control cable extending from the housing for driving the transducer; 
     (b) forming a cavity in a supporting surface of the main cushion, the cavity being sufficiently large for receiving the transducer housing in spaced relation to the main cushion; 
     (c) placing the transducer housing in the cavity; 
     (d) positioning the control cable to extend from the cavity and on the supporting surface to an edge margin thereof; 
     (e) interposing a resilient isolation device between the transducer housing and the main cushion member with a portion of the housing contacting and projecting into the isolation device; 
     (f) providing a resilient pad member for covering the supporting surface; 
     (g) bonding a reinforcing sheet member to a bottom surface of the pad member; and 
     (h) bonding the sheet member to the supporting surface, the sheet member being laminated between the main cushion and the pad member and covering the cavity. 
     The step of enclosing can include completely. enclosing the transducer housing with the isolation material, the isolation material preferably having a volume of not less than 40 percent of a volume of the cavity. Alternatively, the placing and enclosing includes fastening the transducer onto the sheet member in fixed relation to the pad member prior to bonding the sheet member to the supporting surface. Further, there be a plurality of the transducers, the forming being of a corresponding plurality of spaced apart cavities, and the fastening including spacing the transducer on the sheet member in correspondence with the spacing of the cavities. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dual vehicle seat unit incorporating a massaging system according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged partially exploded perspective view of a cushion portion of the system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cushion portion of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 3A is a sectional view as in FIG. 3, showing a preferred alternative configuration of the cushion portion of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a wiring diagram of the system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view as in FIG. 3, showing an alternative configuration of the cushion portion of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view showing an alternative configuration of a vibrator portion of the system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional end view of the vibrator portion of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an alternative configuration of a seat portion of the system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 9 is an elevational view showing an alternative configuration of a back cushion portion of the system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged partially exploded perspective view of a heater of the present invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative configuration of a seat portion having a motorized structure in the system of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing an alternative configuration of the cushion portion of the system of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is directed to a massaging system that is particularly effective in selectively massaging local muscle groups of a user, while limiting transmission of vibrations to adjacent seating and structure. With reference to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, the present invention comprises a microcontroller based massaging system  10  that is installed in equipment such as a vehicle, a vehicle floor being designated  11  in FIG.  1 . The system  10  has a plurality of vibrators  12  that are embedded in a massage pad  14  which can form a portion of a seat  15 . FIG. 1 shows separate counterparts of the system  10  in a side-by-side pair of seats  15 , the seats  15  being structurally joined as further described below. In the exemplary seat  15 , there is a seat cushion  14 A and a separate back cushion  14 B. The system  10  may also contain embedded heaters  16  such as a seat heater  16 A and a back heater  16 B for enhanced massaging of the user. Each vibrator  12  has a housing  13  being further described below, and may comprise a conventional combination of a small DC motor that rotates an eccentric weight, or if desired, a pair of eccentrics at opposite ends of the motor, the vibrators  12  being sometimes referred to herein as motors. It will be understood that other forms of vibrators may be used. Also, the massage pad  14  can be a separate device that is not integrated with the seat  15 . The pad  14  may be divided into foldable sections such as an upper section being the back pad  14 B (for supporting the upper and lower back of the user), and a lower section being the seat pad  14 A (for supporting the user&#39;s hips and thighs). It will be understood that the pad  14  can also include a further section for stimulation and/or massaging of the user&#39;s calves. 
     According to the present invention, each of the vibrators  12  is located in a cavity  17  that is formed in a main cushion member  18  of the seat  15 , an isolation device  20  being interposed between the housing  13  and the cushion member  18  for suppressing the coupling of vibrations of the housing  13  to the cushion  18 . The cavity  17  interrupts a main supporting surface  19  of the cushion  18 . An outer cushion member  21  is bonded to the main supporting surface  19 , thereby enclosing respective ones of the vibrators  12  and the isolation devices  20  in the cavities  17 . Preferably a flexible reinforcing sheet member  22  is laminated between the main cushion member  18  and the outer cushion member  21 , the sheet member  22  also covering the cavities  17 . Preferably, the housing  13  is formed for enhanced coupling of vibrations into the outer cushion member  21  relative to the suppressed coupling to the main cushion member  18 . Accordingly, each housing  13  is formed (such as by molding) with a generally cylindrical body portion  23  and a generally planar plate portion  24 , the housing  13  being oriented~with the plate portion  23  facing the outer cushion member  21  in parallel relation thereto. As shown in FIG. 3, the plate portion  24  projects beyond opposite sides of the body portion  23  for presenting an enhanced surface area of the plate portion in close proximity to the outer cushion member  21 , a lower portion of the body portion being circularly cylindrical for limited area proximity of the housing  13  with the main cushion member  18 . It will be understood that the enhanced coupling by the plate portion  24  is obtained when the plate portion projects beyond at least one side of the body portion  23 . 
     The plate portion  24  can also project beyond opposite ends of the body portion  23  as further shown in FIG.  1 . More particularly, each housing  13  has a length A and a width B of the plate portion, the body portion having a length C and a width corresponding to a diameter D of the bottom portion, the housing  13  also having a depth E approximately corresponding to the diameter D. The cavity  17  has a length L that exceeds the length A by a distance that is sufficient for accommodating layers of the isolation device  20  at opposite ends of the housing  13 , that distance being preferably between 0.2 inch and 0.5 inch. Also, the cavity  17  has a width W that exceeds the width B by a corresponding distance, and a depth or height H that exceeds the depth E by a distance that is also preferably between 0.2 inch and 0.5 inch. In an exemplary configuration of the system  10 , the approximate dimensions of the housing  13  are A=3.5 inches, B=2.5 inches, C=2.0 inches, D=1.15 inches, and E=1.19 inches; the approximate dimensions of the cavity  17  being L=3.75 inches, W=2.75 inches, and H=1.5 inches. Corner extremities of the cavity  17  are rounded, having a corner radius which can be approximately 0.4 inch, the plate portion  24  of the housing  13  correspondingly having a corner radius (which can be approximately 0.2 inch) as shown in FIG. 2 for maintaining clearance between the vibrator  12  and the main cushion member  18 . Preferably, the isolation device  20  occupies at least 40 percent of the volume of each cavity  17 . As further shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a portion of the isolation device  20  extends between the plate portion  24  and the outer cushion member  21  (and the sheet member  22 ). 
     Suitable materials for the main cushion member  18  and the outer cushion member  21  include conventional closed-cell foam padding such as 2-pound mini-cell polyethylene, the outer cushion member  21  preferably having a uniform thickness T that can be approximately 0.25 inch. Thus the massage pad  14  has a foam core including the cushion members  18  and  21 . Typically the main cushion member  18  has a thickness on the order of 2 or 2.5 inches. Each massage pad  14  also typically has an outer flexible seat cover  25  as shown in FIG. 2, which can be made from a decorative material such as sheepskin fur. A suitable material for the isolation device  20  is Nomex™ batting fiber, available from Skandia of Rockford, Ill. A suitable material for the sheet member  22  is needle punch polyester Style #330, 8 oz. denier fiber, available from Lily Designs of Glendale, Calif. The material of the isolation device  20 , in a free thickness of approximately 0.5 inch, is wrapped at least partially about each vibrator  12 . In the exemplary configuration of FIGS. 1-3, the isolation device  20  completely surrounds the housing  13 , being accordion-folded in regions of the cavity  17  beneath the outwardly projecting portions of the plate portion  24 . As further shown in FIG. 3, the isolation member  20  can be formed of separate pieces, one being placed into the cavity  17  prior to insertion of the vibrator  12 , the other being wrapped over upper and lower surfaces of the plate portion  24 . The sheet member  22  is first bonded to the outer cushion member  21  by a suitable adhesive such as a spray foam adhesive and, after the vibrators  12  and the isolation devices  20  are in place, the combination of the members  21  and  22  is bonded to the supporting surface  19  of the main cushion member  18  by a further quantity of the adhesive. A suitable spray adhesive is Super 77™ Spray Adhesive, available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Corp. of St. Paul, Minn. When a pad  14  is provided with a heater  16 , the heater is bonded to the outer cushion member  21  opposite the sheet member  22 , being covered by the seat cover  25 , which can also be bonded to the cushion member  21  and the heater  16 . 
     With further reference to FIG. 3A, the plate portion  24  of each vibrator housing  13  can be bonded directly to the sheet member  22  instead of having the isolation device  20  interposed therebetween. In this configuration, there is significantly greater coupling of vibrations into the outer cushion member  21  without greatly increased coupling to the main cushion member  18 . Also, the bonding of plural vibrators  12  to the outer cushion member  21  (and the sheet member  22 ) provides an inexpensive way to produce a subassembly that greatly facilitates fabrication of the massaging system  10  in many applications. Thus a preferred method for fabricating the massage pad  14  includes forming the main cushion member  18  with a spaced plurality of the cavities  17  in the main supporting surface, bonding the vibrators  12  to the outer cushion member  21  with spacing corresponding to the spacing of the cavities  17 , inserting the isolation devices  20  into the cavities  17 , and bonding the outer cushion member to the supporting surface  19  of the main cushion member  18 . Thus the vibrators  12  and the outer cushion member  21  can be provided as inexpensive subassemblies (with the sheet member  22  and/or the heater  16 ) for use in retrofitting existing seating with the system  10  as described below as well as for facilitating production of new equipment as described above. 
     As further shown in FIG. 3A, an alternative and preferred configuration of the isolation device, designated  20 ′, has counterparts of the previously described fibrous device  20  (FIG. 3) confined below the plate portion  24 , the housing  13  directly contacting the sheet member  22 , and a separate foam member, designated conformal pad  34 , filling a bottom portion of the cavity  17 . The pad  34  contacts and conforms to the shape of the bottom portion of the housing bottom portion  23 . A suitable material for the conformal pad  34  is available as No. CF-40 Confor Foam from Skandia. 
     In the exemplary configuration shown in FIG. 1, the pads  14  collectively have eight vibrators  12  arranged in groups of two motors in four zones, as follows: (1) a first zone  26  for the left and right sides of the shoulder area; a second zone  28  for the left and right sides of the lower back; a third zone  30  for the left and right hips; and a fourth zone  32  for the left and right thighs. Typically, the seat heater  16 A is centrally located between the hip and thigh areas  30  and  32 , and the back heater  16 B is centrally located in or between the shoulder and lower back areas  26  and  28 . It will be understood that other groupings and numbers of zones are contemplated. 
     The system  10  is activated via a remote control device or wand  36  containing push buttons or keys and visual status indicators, as more fully described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/081,402 that was filed on May 18, 1998, and which is incorporated herein by this reference. The wand  36  is removably coupled to an electronics module  37  via a cable  38 , the module  37  having a programmed microcontroller (MCU)  111  for driving the vibrators  12  and heaters  16  as described in the above-referenced patent application. In an exemplary implementation, the electronics module  37  is mounted under the seat pad  14 A, being electrically connected to the vibrators  12  and the heaters  16  by separate wiring harnesses  39 , designated seat harness  39 A and back harness  39 B as indicated in FIG. 4, wiring to the individual vibrators  12  (and the heaters  16 ) passing between the main cushion member  18  and the sheet member  22  into respective ones of the cavities  17  as shown in FIG.  3 . Alternatively, passages can be cut into the main cushion member  18  for passing conductors of the harness  39 . Similarly, a thermostat of the heater  16  can be imbedded in the main cushion member  18 . The wand  36  and the massage pad  14  are powered through a power cable  40  from a suitable source such as DC power of the vehicle  11 . In applications wherein electromagnetic interference is a factor (such as the vehicle  11  being an aircraft), the harnesses  39  are provided with grounded shielding as indicated at  41 , and the vibrators  12  can be provided with suitable bypass capacitors. It will be understood that suitable batteries for operating the system  10  can be located within the pad  14  or the electronics module  37 . The control wand  36  provides a variety of functions or modes which are performed through the manipulation of buttons, keys or equivalent means, with corresponding indicators that designate selected functions and modes as further described in the above-referenced copending patent application. It will be understood that some or all of the control functions of the MCU  111  can be incorporated in the wand  36 . Further, the wand  36  can built into an arm of the seat  15  instead of being a hand-held unit as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Thus each vibrator  12  is caused to vibrate as the eccentric weight rotates, thereby deforming primarily selected regions of the outer pad member  21  and coupling the vibrations for stimulating and/or massaging muscle tissue of the user. 
     As further described in the referenced copending application, power is turned on or off by a “PWR” button on the wand  36 , the PWR button also acting as a double action key for selecting massage duration, and optionally entering test and demonstration modes. The four zones  26 - 32  are individually actuable by pressing corresponding buttons, with visual status indications being provided by respective lights disposed adjacent the buttons. Other buttons control the heaters  16  and various modes of operation of the vibrators  12 , such as select, wave, pulse and zig-zag massaging modes. Additional buttons can control intensity and the speed of progression of the various modes. Additional optional features and modes are described in commonly owned copending application Ser. No. 09/071,357, entitled Microcontroller Based Massage System, that was filed on Apr. 28, 1998, being incorporated herein by this reference. 
     As further shown in FIG. 1, the side-by-side pair of seats  15  have a structural support in the form of a leg frame  42  that is shared between adjacent ones of the seats  15 , additional structure (not shown) connecting the frame  42  beneath and/or within the massage pads  14 . Typically, the frame  42  is suitably secured to the vehicle floor  11 , and may incorporate a positioning mechanism (not shown). 
     With further reference to FIG. 5, a more preferred configuration of the isolation device, designated  20 ″, provides fluidic viscous damping of vibrations within the cavity  17  opposite the vibrator  12  from the outer cushion member  21 . More particularly, the device  20 ′ includes a bag or envelope member  44  sealingly enclosing a highly viscous gel material  45 . The envelope member  44  can be a conventional polymer bag having a sealable opening. A particularly preferred configuration of the envelope member  45  is generally torroidal, having a central opening  44 ′ into which the body portion  23  of the vibrator  12  projects. A suitable source of the gel material  45  is commercially available as minicyclinder pad filler formula #9001-01 from Gar Labs of Riverside, Calif. 
     With further reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, each vibrator  12  can have a counterpart of the housing, designated  13 ′, wherein the body portion  23  is formed by a U-shaped sheet metal holder  48 , the plate portion  24  being formed by a molded plate member  50 , outwardly projecting tab portions  52  of the holder  48  engaging respective pockets  54  that are formed in the plate member  50 . A motor  56  having an eccentric mass  58  is retained between the holder  48  and the plate  50 , the housing  13 ′ further including a cap member  60  for insuring that fibers of the isolation member  20  are prevented from coming into contact with the eccentric mass  58 . 
     With further reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, an alternative configuration of the massaging system  10  has provisions for wiring to the vibrators  12  passing laterally from the cavities  17  and around side extremities of the main cushion members  18  to locations opposite the supporting surfaces  19 . For this purpose, a passage or slot  62  is cut from each cavity  17  to a depth of approximately 0.5 inch for receiving respective pairs of conductors of the corresponding wiring harness  39 . The conductors are dressed into the slots  62 , which are then sealed shut using a suitable adhesive, such as the above-identified spray adhesive. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 also show an exemplary and preferred arrangement of the cavities  17  in the seat pad  14 A and the back cushion  14 B. Particularly regarding the seat cushion  14 A, one pair of the cavities  17  (for the hips zone,  30 ) is centered at a distance K from a rear extremity of the pad  14 A, another pair of the cavities (for the thighs zone  32 ) being spaced forwardly a distance L beyond the distance K as shown in FIG.  8 . The cavities  17  for the thighs zone  32  are laterally spaced laterally by a center distance M, the cavities  17  for the hips zone  30  being spaced laterally by a distance N that is preferably less than the distance M. Also regarding the back cushion  14 B, one pair of the cavities  17  (for the lower back zone  28 ) is centered at a distance P from a bottom extremity of the pad  14 B, another pair of the cavities (for the upper back zone  32 ) being spaced upwardly a distance Q beyond the distance P as shown in FIG.  9 . The cavities  17  for the upper and lower back zones  26  and  28  are laterally spaced laterally by a center distance R. In the preferred arrangement, the distances are approximately K=9.5 inches, L=6 inches, M=9.5 inches, N=5 inches, P=7.5 inches, Q=6.5 inches, and R=4 inches. 
     Preferred locations for the heaters  16 A and  16 B (when present) are further indicated by broken lines in FIGS. 8 and 9. More particularly, the heater  16 A is laterally centered within the distance K and partially covering the cavities  17  for the hips zone  30  as shown in FIG.  8 . The heater  16 A is laterally centered within the distance K and partially covering the cavities  17  for the hips zone  30  as shown in FIG.  8 . The heater  16 B is laterally centered in the lumbar area, covering the cavities  17  of the lower back zone  28 . Counterparts of the slots  62  can be cut into the combination of the main and outer cushion member as indicated at  64  for receiving conductors of the harnesses  39  being connected to the heaters  16 . Typically, each heater  16  has a thermostat element  72  wired thereto, a short slit opening having a depth of approximately 1 inch being cut through the outer cushion member  21  for receiving the thermostat element  72 . The slit and the slot  64  for each of the heaters  16  (if present) are also adhesively sealed as described above once the wiring is in place. 
     With further reference to FIG. 10, a preferred configuration of the heaters  16  that provides exemplary fire resistance without excessively interfering with massaging action includes a pair of sheet members  74  having an adhesive film coating  76  on one side thereof, and a nominally planar assembly of a resistance wire  78  and the thermostat element  72  that is adhesively sandwiched between the sheet members  74 . A suitable material for the sheet members  74  is a bum-resistant polyamide film, one such material being available as bum resistant Kapton® from DuPont of Wimington, Del. and having a burn resistant silicone-based contact cement coated on one side thereof. Electrical power for each heater  16  is delivered through a two-conductor electrical cable  80  that enters between the sheet members  74 , being connected, respectively to the resistance wire  76  and the (series-connected) thermostat element  72  by crimped connections  82 , an additional crimped connection  82  being made at the previously described series connection between the wire  76  and the thermostat element  78 . The connection  82  between the thermostat element  72  and the cable  80  is covered by length of shrink tubing  83 , A first one of the sheet members, designated  74 A, has its adhesive coating facing away from the sandwiched wiring and temporarily having a release film  84  thereon, the film  84  being removed just prior to bonding to the outer cushion member  21 . The other sheet member, designated  74 B, has its adhesive coating facing inwardly for bonding to the wiring and the first sheet member  74 A. Also shown in FIG. 10 are lengths of adhesive Kapton® tape  85  for holding the wire  78  onto the first sheet member  74 A and restraining movement of the wire  78 . A suitable cable for the electrical cable  80  having burn resistant insulation is available according to MIL-W-227500-20TE 2U00 from A. E. Petshe, of Costa Mesa, Calif. Alternatively, suitable soldered connections may be substituted for the crimped connections  82 . Preferably each of the sheet members  74  has a thickness of approximately 0.002 inch for providing sufficient structural integrity while effectively transmitting vibrations from the vibrator  12  to an occupant of the seat  15 . 
     The system  10  of the present invention is also applicable to existing seating as described herein. A method for converting a padded support device to produce isolated massaging of a user&#39;s body includes steps of: 
     1. Removing an outer cover of the device if present for exposing a main cushion thereof; 
     2. Providing a counterpart of the transducer  12  having conductors of the harness  39  extending therefrom; 
     3. Forming a counterpart of the cavity  17  in the main cushion, the cavity interrupting a user-supporting surface of the cushion and being sufficiently large for receiving the combination of the transducer  12  and the isolation device  20 ; 
     5. Providing the isolation device  20 ; 
     4. Placing the transducer together with the isolation device  20  in the cavity  17 ; 
     6. Positioning the harness to extend from the cavity to an edge margin of the cushion; 
     7. Providing a counterpart of the outer cushion member  21  for covering the supporting surface; 
     8. Bonding a counterpart of the reinforcing sheet member  22  to a bottom surface of the outer cushion member; and 
     9. Bonding the sheet member to the supporting surface with the housing mechanically coupled to the outer cushion member, the sheet member being laminated between the main cushion and the outer cushion member and covering the cavity  17 . 
     With further reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, another alternative configuration of the vibrator housing, designated  13 ″, has the plate portion  24  enlarged and offset to one side of the body portion  23  for permitting effective massaging in regions of the seat  15  having structure thereof that would block proper placement of the vibrators  12  of FIGS.  3  and  5 - 7 . As shown in FIG. 11, the seat  15  can include a motorized structure  86  for modifying a contour of the massage pad  14 , such structure being commercially available as a Model “N” 4-way electrical lumbar unit from Schukra Division of Legget and Platt Company located in Ontario, Canada. In typical installations, the structure  86  extends sufficiently close to the front of the pad  14  to preclude location of the previously described vibrators  12  therebetween. When it is desired to provide effective massaging action in a target region of the seat  15  having such structure, the vibrator  12  for that location is configured with the housing  13 ″, the plate portion  24  thereof extending between the outer cushion  21  and the structure  86 , the body portion  23  being displaced laterally relative to the plate portion  24  for clearing the structure  86 . Optionally, the pad  14  can include counterparts of the main cushion member  18  with the cavity  17  formed therein, and the outer cushion  21 , the cavity  17  having an offset configuration for accommodating the offset housing  13 ″ and a counterpart of the isolation device  20 ″ of FIG. 5 as shown in FIG.  12 . It will be understood that the envelope member  44  can be formed with the preferred opening  44 ′ of FIG. 5, not shown in FIG.  12 . 
     Thus it is believed that the system  10  of the present invention is effective for both improving the selectivity of massaging action as well as for preventing unwanted vibrations being conducted into adjacent seating or other structure. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, the sheet member  22  is not required to completely cover the supportive surface  19 . Instead, the sheet member can be sufficiently large to extend some distance beyond opposite sides of the cavities  17  of the corresponding massage pad  14 ; alternatively, smaller pieces of the material can be used to cover pairs of the cavities or, if the cavities are sufficiently spaced, single pieces of the sheet material can be bonded over individual ones of the cavities  17 . Also, one or both of the heaters  16  can be bonded to the sheet member  22 , either in facing relation to the main cushion member  18  or to the outer cushion member  21 , prior to the bonding to the supporting surface  19 . Moreover, the heater  16  can serve as a reinforcing closure of at least some of the cavities  17 , replacing some or all of the sheet member  22 . Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not necessarily be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.