A massaging apparatus including a head unit, a pair of housings and a pair of arms. The head unit is configured to massage a body of a user. The pair of housings are connected to opposite sides of the head unit respectively and extend in opposite directions from the head unit. The pair of arms are configured to be held by the user and provided to the pair of housings respectively. The pair of arms are flexible.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
 The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 to
 Japanese Patent Application No. H10-331,360, filed Nov. 20, 1998, entitled
 "Massaging Apparatus." The contents of that application are incorporated
 herein by reference in their entirety.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates to a hand-held massaging apparatus.
 2. Description of the Background
 A hand-held massaging apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility
 Model Publication (Kokai) 5-20,730, entitled "Massaging Apparatus." The
 contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference in their
 entirety. This massaging apparatus includes a rod member having a
 massaging portion on a mid section thereof and a strap attached to one end
 of the rod member. To obtain a back massage, a user grabs onto the strap
 with one hand and the other end of the rod member with the other hand so
 that the massaging portion is placed against a massaging spot or pressure
 point in her back. When the user pulls the strap and the other end of the
 rod member with both hands, the massaging portion is pressed against the
 massaging spot or pressure point and thus effectuates a massage.
 However, the massaging apparatus described above has the following
 drawbacks. First, because the strap freely rotates with respect to the rod
 member, it is difficult to position the massaging portion against a
 precise massaging spot in a user's back. Furthermore, when the user pulls
 the strap and the rod member to obtain a massaging effect, she is likely
 to lose her massaging spot since it is difficult to maintain the same
 balance of force she applied to obtain the massaging spot. Similarly, to
 obtain a massaging effect in a waist or back area, the user must continue
 to pull the strap and the other end of the rod member, and it is thus
 extremely difficult to keep the massaging unit in the same massaging spot
 during her effort to massage her waist or back.
 FIG. 7 shows another conventional massaging apparatus. This massaging
 apparatus includes a rod-shaped housing 2. A head unit 1 is provided on
 one end and a grip 3 is provided on the other end of the rod-shaped
 housing 2. The head unit 1 contains a thumping-type massaging mechanism
 which utilizes a solenoid. An arm 4 is slidably inserted in the housing 2
 from the head unit 1. The arm 4 is flexible and another grip 3' is
 provided at an end of the arm 4. Thus, a user can pull out the arm 4 from
 the housing 2, and hold the grip 3 with one hand and the other grip 3'
 with the other hand. This construction allows the user to maintain
 massaging heads 10 in the head unit 1 onto her waist or back with ease.
 Nevertheless, the massaging apparatus equipped with the arm 4 described
 above has a problem in terms of its usefulness. Because the housing 2 and
 arm 4 have different flexibilities, it is difficult to press the massaging
 portion 10 against a user's waist or back properly. Consequently, the
 massaging apparatus fails to massage symmetrically and thus to achieve an
 effective massage.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 An object of the present invention is to provide a hand-held massaging
 apparatus which facilitates an effective massage.
 The object is achieved according to the present invention by providing a
 novel hand-held massaging apparatus which includes a head unit, a pair of
 housings and a pair of arms. The head unit is configured to massage a body
 of a user. The pair of housings are connected to opposite sides of the
 head unit respectively and extend in opposite directions from the head
 unit. The pair of arms are configured to be held by the user and provided
 to the pair of housings respectively. The pair of arms are flexible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 The preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the
 accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate
 corresponding or identical elements throughout the various drawings.
 FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a hand-held massaging apparatus according to
 an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional
 view of the hand-held massaging apparatus. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a
 head unit 1 includes a massaging mechanism. A massaging portion 10 which
 is to be placed against a user's massaging spot is provided on one side of
 the head unit 1. The massaging portion 10 may be made of rubber or any
 other elastic materials suitable for the purpose. Arc-shaped housings 20
 extend from the right and left sides of the head unit 1 in a manner that
 the arc-shaped housings 20 partially surround a user's body (see FIG. 5).
 A grip 3 is provided at the end of each arm 4 (see FIGS. 4(a)-4(c)). In
 this embodiment, the arc-shaped housings 20 and a frame of the head unit 1
 are formed integrally.
 FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a motor and an eccentric weight of the
 hand-held massaging apparatus. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the massaging
 mechanism described above includes a motor 11 and an eccentric weight 12.
 The motor 11 is mounted on the head unit 1 through an elastic body 15. The
 eccentric weight 12 is connected with a rotating shaft 13 of the motor 11.
 Accordingly, the motor 11 rotates the eccentric weight 12 eccentrically.
 When a user places the massaging portion 10 against a massage spot, the
 rotation of the eccentric weight 12 delivers vibratory stimulation to the
 massage spot. Since a rotational axis (X) of the eccentric weight 12 is
 substantially perpendicular to a surface (10a) of the massaging portion 10
 which is engaged with the user's massage spot, the vibratory stimulation
 described above creates rubbing feeling to the user. Also, as described
 above, because the motor 11 is mounted on the head unit 1 through the
 elastic body 15, there is hardly any vibration transmitted to the grips 3.
 Hence, even after a long period of use, the user will not feel numbness in
 her hands or get tired from holding the grips 3. In the present
 embodiment, a coil spring is used as the elastic body 15; however, a
 rubber, other elastomers or similar elastic materials which absorb
 vibration caused by the massaging mechanism can be used as the elastic
 body 15.
 In the massaging mechanism utilizing the eccentric weight and motor as
 described above, because the rotational axis of eccentric weight is
 substantially perpendicular to a massaging area in contact with the
 massaging portion, the massaging portion vibrates in a direction
 substantially parallel to the massaging area. Such a massaging mechanism
 allows to massage large massaging areas such as a back and a waist at
 once, and to reduce its size as well.
 FIGS. 4(a)-4(c) illustrate three different states in which the arm 4 is
 extended. Referring to FIGS. 4(a)-4(c), the grip 3 is attached the end of
 each arm 4 which telescopically slides in and out from each housing 20. As
 a result, not only the grips 3 are positioned at the ends of the housings
 20 as shown in FIG. 1, but also one or both of the grips 3 can be extended
 out from their respective housings 20 as shown in FIGS. 4(a)-4(c). Thus,
 the positions of the grips 3 can be adjusted by extending the arms 4 in or
 out from the housings 20. To provide such a function, each housing 20 has
 a dovetail groove so that each arm 4 is slidably inserted in the
 respective dovetail groove. The arms 4 therefore are slidable along an
 extending direction of the housings 20. Furthermore, the arms 4 possess
 flexibility so that the arms 4 can flex inwardly with respect to the arc
 of the arc-shaped housings 20.
 Accordingly, a user can pull out the extendible arms 4 provided in the
 housings while holding the grips 3. Then, by pulling and flexing the
 extended arms 4 toward her intended massage spot, the user can position
 the massaging portion 10 accurately against the spot in her back, waist or
 other parts of her body. In addition, because the arms 4 flex toward an
 intended massaging spot, the massaging apparatus of the present embodiment
 sufficiently presses the massaging portion 10 against a massaging spot
 even for users in different sizes. Furthermore, the arc-shape construction
 of the housings 20 makes it even easier to position the massaging portion
 10 against a massaging spot and to pull the arms 4. As a result, the
 massaging portion 10 is pressed against a massaging spot more effectively
 with ample force.
 FIG. 5 is a top plan view for explaining the use of the hand-held massaging
 apparatus. Referring to FIG. 5, to massage a back or a waist, a user holds
 onto the grips 3 at the ends of the extended arms 4, and places the
 massaging portion 10 against an intended massage spot in her back or
 waist. In this manner, the user can place the massaging portion 10
 properly against her intended massage spot without straining her body.
 Further, because the constructions between the head unit 1 and the right
 and left grips 3 are the same, the massaging portion 10 would press
 symmetrically against a massage spot of the user. Hence, the massaging
 apparatus of the present embodiment evenly massages throughout a massaging
 area. Preferably, the arms 4 are made of polypropylene or any other
 materials which are relatively flexible and suitable for the purpose of
 forming such an arm. These arms 4 are also so constructed that the arms 4
 flex relatively toward a massage spot, thereby making a positioning of the
 massaging portion 10 easy. Similarly, because the arms 4 are constructed
 to flex as described above, the massaging apparatus of the present
 embodiment easily permits a massaging of backs and waists in different
 sizes.
 Preferably, the massaging portion 10 has a contacting surface which curves
 along the extending direction of the housings 20 and which would snuggle
 against the curvature of a back and thighs. By constructing the massaging
 portion 10 as such, it becomes easy to massage a wide range and to massage
 the back of the user which she cannot see, and the user easily slides the
 massaging portion 10 along the body surface of the user. Preferably, the
 curvature of the indented contact surface has a radius of 200 mm to 600
 mm.
 Also, referring to FIG. 6, by making a width (W) of the massaging portion
 10 longer than a height (H) of the massaging portion 10, the massaging
 portion 10 snuggles well with user's back, waist and thighs. Preferably,
 the width (W) of the massaging portion 10 is, for example, between 150 mm
 to 250 mm.
 Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electric cord 9 for a power source is
 provided at the end of one of the housings 20. Since the electric cord 9
 at the end of the housing 20 extends out in a direction parallel to a
 direction (X) substantially perpendicular to the contacting surface (10a)
 of the massaging portion 10, the electric cord 9 does not contact the user
 during a massage.
 In the present embodiment, the massaging apparatus includes the head unit 1
 which has the massaging mechanism and the massaging portion 10 which is to
 be placed against the user's massaging spot. Further, the massaging
 apparatus includes the pair of housings 20 and the pair of arms 4 which
 are flexible to flex toward the user's body and which are movably
 introduced into the pair of housings 20, respectively. The pair of
 housings 20 extends from the head unit 1 along opposite directions the
 right and left sides of the head unit 1. The grip 3 is provided at the end
 of each arm 4. Accordingly, the massaging apparatus of the present
 embodiment allows a precise positioning of the massaging portion 10
 against a massaging spot and facilitates an effective massage, because the
 construction between the head unit 1 and one grip 3 and the construction
 between the head unit 1 and the other grip 3 are symmetrically
 constructed, and because the arms 3 are flexible and movable.
 Further, in the present embodiment, the contacting surface (10a) has a
 concave surface. Accordingly, it becomes easy to massage a wide range and
 to massage the back of the user which she cannot see, and the user easily
 slides the massaging portion 10 along the body surface of the user while
 the contacting surface (10a) contacts the body surface.
 Further, it becomes easier to position the massaging portion 10 at the
 massaging spot.
 Furthermore, the massaging portion 10 of the massaging apparatus in the
 present embodiment is properly applied to massaging spots such as a back
 and a waist, because the width (W) of the massaging portion 10 is longer
 than the height (H) of the massaging portion 10.
 In the present embodiment, because the rotational axis of the eccentric
 weight 12 is substantially perpendicular to the contacting surface (10a),
 the massaging portion 10 vibrates in a direction substantially parallel to
 the contacting surface (10a). Such a mechanism allows to reduce the size
 of the massage mechanism for massaging large areas such as a back and a
 waist at once. Furthermore, because the motor in the massaging mechanism
 is mounted in the head unit 1 through the elastic body 15, vibration
 transmitted to the grips 3 through the housings 20 is reduced, and thus a
 user can hold onto the grips 3 even during a long period of use.
 Finally, the electric cord 9 for a power source is provided at the end of
 one of the housings 20 in a manner that the electric cord 9 extends out in
 the direction parallel to the direction (X) (see FIG. 1) perpendicular to
 the contact surface of the massaging portion 10; therefore, the electric
 cord 9 would not be in the way of a user during a massage.
 Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention
 are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be
 understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention
 may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.