Abstract:
A massage device includes a housing, a driving unit and two massage units driven by the driving unit. Each massage unit includes a planetary gear disc assembled with a universal joint, an inner gear engaged with the planetary gear disc, and a massage disc assembly disposed on a top of the inner gear and driven by the universal joint. The driving unit drives the planet gear disc to rotate and the universal joint drives the massage disc assembly to rotate, thereby providing kneading massage. The inner gear has an incline top surface. When the planet gear disc drives the inner gear to rotate, the incline top surface makes the massage balls on the massage disc assembly to move up and down, thereby providing patting massage. Thus, the massage device can produce kneading and patting massage actions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a massage device, and more particularly to a massage device adapted to apply massage and heating. 
     2. The Prior Arts 
     A conventional stationary massage device, such as a foot, lower back, shoulder or neck massage device, usually includes a housing in which is assembled a driving unit adapted to drive multiple massage balls to rotate. When the massage balls is put in contact with the human body, the rotating massage balls provides a massage action on a region of the human body subjected to massage. The driving unit usually includes a motor coupled with a worm shaft. The worm shaft engages with several intermediary gears that in turn drive a follower wheel coupled with the massage balls in rotation. 
     The massage device is usually capable of applying only a single kneading massage action on a single part of a human body. Further, the massage action is usually superficial, cannot penetrate deep muscle tissue, and fails to adequately enhance blood circulation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary objective of the present application is to provide a massage device that can apply multiple massage actions and can apply deep tissue massage to enhance blood circulation and offer a great relief for fatigue. 
     To achieve the objective, a massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing in which is placed a driving unit casing having a driving unit therein. An outer surface of the driving unit casing is coupled with two massage units driven in movement by the driving unit. The driving unit includes a series of gears. Each of the massage units includes a planetary gear disc that is assembled with a universal joint, an inner gear engaged with the planetary gear disc, and a massage disc assembly connected with the inner gear and driven by the universal joint. A plurality of massage balls are mounted in the massage disc assembly. The massage unit mounted on the driving unit casing connects with a rotary axle of the driving unit. The planetary gear disc is driven by the rotary axle, and consequently causes the massage disc assembly to rotate. The planetary gear disc also drives the inner gear to rotate, such that the massage balls on the rotating massage disc assembly performs up and down oscillating movements. Therefore, the massage device is thus able to provide kneading and patting massage actions. 
     With the above construction, the motor drives a synchronized rotation of the two massage units, and the interaction between the planetary gear disc and the inclined surface of the inner gear enables to rotate the rotary axle for driving the planetary gear disc and inner gear in rotation, thereby causing rotation and up and down oscillation movements of the massage disc assembly. As a result, at least two different types of massage actions can be performed with minimum structural components. Moreover, heating elements may be provided within the massage disc assembly for applying heating during massage, which thereby promotes blood circulation and relieves fatigue in an effective manner. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view showing a massage device with dual massage units according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another exploded view showing the massage device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a partially enlarged view of  FIG. 2  to show massage units; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the massage device according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view showing the massage device according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in  FIG. 4  showing the massage device; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in  FIG. 4  showing the massage device; and 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view showing the massage device used to massage a user&#39;s feet. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  2 A and  3 , a massage device with dual massage units according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing  1 , a driving unit casing  2 , an electric controller  3 , two massage units  4  and a driving unit  5 . The driving unit  5  is received in the driving unit casing  2 . The driving unit casing  2 , the electric controller  3  and the massage units  4  are received in the housing  1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  2 A and  3 , the housing  1  comprises an upper housing cover  11  and a lower housing cover  12 . An inner housing space is defined between the upper housing cover  11  and the lower housing cover  12 . The housing  1  has an ergonomic shape having an inclined angle as shown in  FIG. 3 . The upper housing cover  11  includes two openings  111  through which each of the massage units  4  protrudes outward, and two button holes  112  for placement of a power switch  31  and a speed setting switch  32 . The driving unit casing  2  includes an upper casing  21  and a lower casing  22  that define a hollow space therebetween. The upper casing  21  includes a casing opening  211 . The power switch  31  and the speed setting switch  32  are electrically connected with the electric controller  3 . The lower casing  22  includes a plurality of posts  221  and the driving unit  5  is mounted on the posts  221 . The hollow space between the upper casing  21  and the lower casing  22  is adapted to receive the driving unit  5 . The driving unit  5  includes a motor  51  that has two axles and each of the axles is respectively coupled with a worm shaft  511 . Each worm shaft  511  engages with a double gear  52  that is in engagement with a spur gear  53 . A rotary axle  54  is fitted into a center of the spur gear  53 . Each of the massage units  4  includes a planetary gear disc  41 . The rotary axle  54  passes through a through hole of the upper casing  21  and is coupled to a center of the planetary gear disc  41 . A bottom surface of the planetary gear disc  41  is coupled with an active gear  43  that is in engagement with three planet gears  42  ( FIG. 2A  shows only two of the planet gears  42  and the third one is behind the active gear  43 ). Each of the planet gears  42  is coupled with a planet gear shaft  421  that is fixed on a top of the upper casing  21 . A universal joint  44  is movably mounted on a top of the planetary gear disc  41 . The planetary gear disc  41  is received in an inner gear  45  that is in engagement with the three planetary gears  42 . The inner gear  45  has an inclined surface  451  that slidably coupled with a massage disc assembly  46 . The universal joint  44  connects with the massage disc assembly  46 . The massage disc assembly  46  comprises a cap-like bottom disc  461  connected with a universal joint axle  441  by a screw, an top cover  462  provided with a plurality of restricting openings  4621 , a circuit board  463  mounted on the bottom disc  461 , a plurality of lamps  464  disposed on the circuit board  463 , and a plurality of massage members  465 . The bottom disc  461  includes a cap-like bottom. The inner gear  45  is received in the bottom of the bottom disc  461  and the inclined surface  451  is slidably pressed against the bottom of the bottom disc  461 . The bottom disc  461  has a receiving portion at a center thereof to receive the universal joint axle  441  of the universal joint  44  and a plurality of ribs extended from the receiving portion to reinforce the structural strength of the bottom disc  461 . The massage members  465  are disposed between the top cover  462  and circuit board  463  and confined within the restricting openings  4621 . The massage members  465  may be made of plastics, metal, glass, resin, ceramics, etc. The massage device according to the present invention may combine with alternative medicine and the massage members  465  may be made of magnetite, Germanium, Titanium, or a material containing the aforementioned ingredients to alleviate muscle pain and enhance blood circulation. 
     To provide smooth movement of the universal joint  44 , a joint base  442  is provided on the top of the planetary gear disc  41 . The joint base  442  includes a socket portion  4421  disposed at a center thereof for receiving a ball  443  of the universal joint  44  and four recesses  4422  extended radially from the socket portion  4421  for receiving support ribs  444  of the universal joint  44 . A joint cover  445  is assembled on the joint base  442 . A central region of the joint cover  445  has a through hole that allows the universal joint axle  441  of the universal joint  44  to pass through. The movement of the universal joint  44  is thereby restricted by the joint base  442  and the joint cover  445 . To provide heating of each massage disc assembly  46 , a bottom side of the planetary gear disc  41  is coupled with a large and small sliding rings made of copper. The large and small sliding rings  47 , a circuit board  463  and lamps  464  are electrically connected. The massage unit  4  is assembled on the driving unit casing  2  according to the method mentioned above. The driving unit casing  2  is secured on the lower housing cover  12 . After the upper housing cover  11  is assembled with the lower housing cover  12 , the two massage units  4  are restricted within the two openings  111  of the upper housing cover  11 , whereas the power switch  31  and the speed setting switch  32  on the driving unit casing are also restricted within the corresponding button holes  112  of the upper housing cover  11 . The assembly of the massage device  4  as shown in  FIG. 3  is thereby completed. 
       FIGS. 4-6  are various additional views showing the massage device with dual massage units according to the embodiment of the present invention. More specifically,  FIG. 4  is a top view of the massage device,  FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along section line V-V shown in  FIG. 4 , and  FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along section line VI-VI shown in  FIG. 4 . Once the power switch  31  is pushed to start the motor  51 , the two axles of the motor  51  drive the two worm shafts  511  to rotate, respectively. The worm shaft  511  drives the double gear  52  and the double gear  52  drives the spur gear  53 . Because the spur gear  53  is securely connected with the rotary axle  54  and the rotary axle  54  is coupled with the planetary gear disc  41 , the planetary gear disc  41  is driven to rotate. The ball  443  and the support ribs  444  of the universal joint  44  are received in the joint base  442  of the planet gear disc  41 , and the bottom disc  461  of the massage disc assembly  46  is connected with the universal joint axle  441  of the universal joint  44 . Therefore, the massage disc assembly  46  rotates along with the planetary gear disc  41 . Because the massage members  465  are restricted in the restricting openings  4621  of the top cover  462 , the rotating massage disc assembly  46  will force the massage member  465  to spin. Because the massage disc assembly  46  is disposed on the inclined surface  451  of the inner gear  45 , the rotating massage disc assembly  46  slides on the inclined surface  451 . The rotating massage disc assembly  46  and the spinning massage members provide kneading massage. The active gear  43  of the planetary gear disc  41  then drives the three planet gears  42  in rotation. As a result, the planet gears  42  drive the inner gear  45  to rotate. Owing to the inclined surface  451  of the inner gear  45 , the rotating inner gear  45  will provide the massage members  465  with up and down patting massage movement. 
     The massage device with dual massage units according to the present invention may be adapted to apply kneading and patting massage actions on various parts of a human body, such as feet, thighs, lower back, etc. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the massage device is used for foot massage. With also reference to  FIG. 2 , when the feet are pressed against the massage disc assemblies  46 , the rotating massage disc assemblies  46  and the spinning massage members  465  provide kneading massage on bottoms of the feet. Further, as the massage members  465  of the massage disc assemblies  46  reciprocate moving up and down, an intermittent pressing action is also applied on the feet. In the meantime, the large and small sliding rings  47  also supply power to the lamps  464  on the circuit board  463 . The top cover  462  of the massage disc assembly  46  may be made of a transparent or translucent material, so that the light and heat from the lamps  464  may be propagated through the top cover  462 . Heating can thereby be applied on the body parts subjected to massage, whereas the illumination of the lamps  464  creates a vivid effect that improves the aesthetic appearance of the massage device. Through the electric controller  3  and the speed setting switch  32 , the rotation speed of the massage disc assemblies  46 , the desired massage strength and ON/OFF of the heating function may be adjusted. The power switch  31  and the speed setting switch  32  may be combined to a single switch. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.