Abstract:
Disclosed is an apparatus for massaging a body part of a user comprising an elongate member having first and second ends and at least one pliable body located along the elongate member. The apparatus further comprises a fastener secured to the first end for suspending the elongate member therefrom between the back of the user and the seating surface of a user&#39;s seat back so as to massage the back of the user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to massagers in general and in particular to an apparatus for massaging a body part of a user. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    It is well known that many people suffer from back pain and stiffness. For such individuals, medications to relieve pain or relax muscles are commonly utilized, to seek relief from such pain and stiffness. However, such medications are typically temporary and only mask or otherwise disguise the pain. In these cases, the pain often returns after the medication wears off. In addition, these medications can have other side effects such as drowsiness which are inadvisable for people who are operating equipment such as vehicles. 
         [0005]    Another treatment for back pain and stiffness is massage which is a commonly applied by a professional. Such professionals are expensive and require time consuming appointments to receive the benefits of such treatment. These appointments are often not practical. 
         [0006]    Previous devices have attempted to provided back massagers for use in a vehicle. However such devices have typically engaged the entire back, such as for example, in the form of a beaded seat cover. These devices are not therefore able to selectably massage a specific point on the back of a user. These devices are also not adapted to be utilized in other settings such as a household chair, hot tub or any other seating location desired by the user. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed an apparatus for massaging a body part of a user comprising an elongate member having first and second ends and at least one pliable body located along the elongate member. The apparatus further comprises a fastener secured to the first end for suspending the elongate member therefrom between the back of the user and the seating surface of a user&#39;s seat back so as to massage the back of the user. 
         [0008]    The pliable bodies may comprise spheres. The spheres may be formed of rubber. The apparatus may comprise a plurality of pliable bodies. The apparatus may comprise two pliable bodies. The pliable bodies may include bores therethrough for passing the elongate member. The apparatus may further comprise support members for supporting the pliable bodies on the elongate member. The apparatus may include a support member for each pliable body. The support member may comprise a body having a bore therethrough sized to pass the elongate body wherein the support member is selectably lockable to the elongate body to fix the support member thereto. The support member may comprises a cord lock. 
         [0009]    The elongate member may have a circular cross-section. The elongate member may comprise a string. The second end of the elongate member may includes an end stop sized to prevent the pliable body from moving therepast. 
         [0010]    The fastener may comprise a hook. The fastener may comprise a carabiner. The fastener may comprise a suction cup for securing to a flat surface. The apparatus may further include a plurality of pliable bodies located at opposed ends of the elongate member wherein the elongate member includes a u-shaped portion therebetween. The fastener may comprise a coupler adapted to span the u-shaped portion and retain the seating surface therein. 
         [0011]    Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view, 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a massage apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention applied to a vehicle seat back. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the massage apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a massage apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention applied to a seat of a hot tub. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a massage apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention having a loop type fastener. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  20  as applied to a vehicle seat  10 . As illustrated, the apparatus  20  is secured to and suspended from the posts  12  of a vehicle headrest  14  such that the apparatus  20  lies against the front surface  16  of the seat  10 . 
         [0018]    The apparatus  20  comprises a flexible elongate member  22  having first and second ends,  24  and  26 , respectively. The apparatus  20  includes at least one pliable body  50  mounted along the elongate member supported by a support member  60 . 
         [0019]    The first end  24  of the elongate member  22  includes an attachment device for suspending the apparatus  10 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the attachment device may be have a hook, carabiner  28  or the like. The carabiner  28  includes a fixed portion  30  and a rotatable portion  32  rotatably secured thereto. The rotatable portion  32  may be selectably rotated into engagement with the fixed portion so as to form a continuous loop  34  therewith as illustrated in  FIG. 1  or away from the fixed portion  30  into an open position as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . As illustrated, the rotatable portion  32  may include at least one post  36  engagable with one of a plurality of corresponding notches  38  on the fixed portion  30 . It will be appreciated that other closure types as are conventionally known in the art may also be utilized for retaining the fixed and rotatable portions together. In operation, the rotatable portion  32  may be opened to the open position and located around the post  12  of the seat headrest  14 . Thereafter, the rotatable portion  32  may be rotated into engagement with the fixed portion  30  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  such that the post  12  is contained within the loop  34 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the fixed portion  30  may also include a bore  40  sized to pass the elongate member  22  therethrough. 
         [0020]    The elongate member  22  may comprise any flexible elongate tensile member. As illustrated, the elongate member  22  may be formed of a length of cord, string, rope or the like. The elongate member  22  may have an suitable cross section as desired by the user, such as, by way of non-limiting example, circular, oval or rectangular. It will also be appreciated that other flexible members may be utilized. It will also be appreciated that the flexible member may have some elasticity to permit lengthening of the apparatus  20  in some embodiments. The elongate member  22  includes a top knot  42  at the first end  24  and a bottom knot  44  at the second end. The elongate member  22  may also include a washer  46  or other suitable load distributing means proximate to the top knot  42 . The bore  40  in the fixed portion  30  is sized to pass the elongate member  22  therethrough. The washer  46  and/or top knot  42  are sized so as to prevent their passing through the bore  40 . Therefore, the washer  46  and or top knot  42  prevent the elongate member from being removed from the bore  40  so as to suspend the elongate member  22  therefrom. Similarly, the bottom knot  44  is sized to as to prevent the pliable bodies  50  and support members  60  from being moved therepast so as to retain the pliable bodies  50  and support members  60  on the elongate member  22 . 
         [0021]    The pliable bodies  50  as illustrated in the accompanying Figures comprise spherical balls having central bores  52  therethrough. Each central bore  52  is sized to slidably receive the elongate member  22  therein. The central bore may include a bushing insert  54  or the like to assist the pliable body  50  to move freely on the elongate member  22 . The central bore  52  may also include a sleeve therethrough so as to facilitate movement of the pliable bodies on the elongate member  22 . The sleeve may be formed of plastic, metal or any other relatively low friction surface. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the apparatus  20  may include one pliable body  50 . Optionally, the apparatus  20  may include more than one pliable body  50  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Although the pliable body  50  is illustrated as a sphere in the accompanying Figures, it will be appreciated that other shapes may be utilized as well, such as by way of non-limiting example, polyhedron, conical, ellipsoid or a non-regular shaped body. The pliable body  50  may be formed of any pliable material such as plastics, natural and synthetic rubbers and elastomers, rubber impregnated fabrics, and natural and synthetic leathers. 
         [0022]    The support member  60  comprises a body  62  having a central bore  64  therethrough sized to accept the elongate member  22 . The central bore  64  is selectably securable to the elongate body  22 . In some embodiments, the support member may comprise a cord lock or cord fastener. In such embodiments, the support member includes a toggle or plunger  66  and an internal spring (not shown). The toggle  66  extends into the body  62  and includes a bore having a similar dimension to the central bore  64 . The spring biases the bore in the toggle out of alignment with the central bore  64  such that the two bores may be substantially aligned when a user depressed the toggle. In such an alignment, the elongate member  22  may be freely passed therethrough and the support member  60  repositioned on the elongate member. Thereafter, the user may release the toggle so the spring will bias the toggle bore out of alignment with the central bore thereby frictionally engaging the elongate member  22  therebetween. In such a position, the support member will be secured on the elongate member. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the apparatus  20  may include one support member  60  located below the pliable body  50 . Optionally, the apparatus  20  may include more than one support member  60  wherein each support member supports a pliable body  50  thereby permitting each pliable body to be moved independently of each other. 
         [0023]    Turning not to  FIG. 3 , The attachment device may also comprise a suction cup  70  as illustrated in  FIG. 3  for attachment to a flat surface such as, by way of non-limiting example, the surface of a hot tub. The suction cup  70  may include an upright body  72  having a bore  74  therethrough for receiving and retaining the elongate member  22  as described above. It will be appreciated that other attachment devices may also be utilized. 
         [0024]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , a further embodiment is illustrated having a loop type fastener  80  suspending a pair or elongate members  22  therefrom. As illustrated, the loop fastener may comprise a longer section of the elongate member  22  such that the apparatus includes two sets of pliable bodies  50  suspended on opposed ends of the elongate fastener with a u-shaped portion  82  therebetween. The loop fastener  80  may include a slide bar  84  sized to span the u-shaped portion  82 . The slide bar may include one or more bores  86  therethrough to receive the elongate member such that the elongate member  22  may be frictionally slidably moved through the bores  86  so as to reposition the slide bar. In operation, the headrest  14  may be located within the u-shaped portion  82  and the slide bar  84  tightened up against the headrest so as to secure the apparatus thereon. 
         [0025]    In operation, the apparatus  20  may be located against the front surface  16  of a seat  18  of a vehicle. Thereafter, a user may sit on the seat  18  such that the pliable bodies  50  massage particular locations on the back of the user. The user may move the pliable bodies  50  on the elongate member by repositioning the support members  60  as described above to cause the pliable bodies  50  to massage different locations on their back. The user may employ one or more of the apparatuses as illustrated in  FIG. 1  as desired. In addition, it will be appreciated that due to the turning motion of the vehicle around corners, the pliable bodies  50  will roll across the back of the user so as to move the massaged point around on their back. Additionally the, vibration of the vehicle will be transmitted through the present apparatus to assist in massaging the user. The apparatus  20  may be applied to a wide variety of seating surfaces, such as, by way of non-limiting example, car seats, kitchen tables, recliners, hot tubs or the like. Additionally, when applied to a hot tub or whirlpool, the motion of the water around the user will also move and vibrate the pliable bodies so as to assist in massaging the user. 
         [0026]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.