Abstract:
A motor vehicle seat having massage units positioned therein and controllable by each user including neck, back and seat. Each massage unit is comprised of a housing having rotational and vibratory members therein that when energized extend beyond the housing in an operative position. When powered off the rotational and vibratory members retract into the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to massage devices and, more specifically, to a motor vehicle seat having massage units positioned therein and controllable by each user including neck, back and seat. Each massage unit is comprised of a housing having rotational and vibratory members therein that when energized extend beyond the housing in an operative position. When powered off the rotational and vibratory members retract into the housing. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   There are other massage devices designed for seating. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,578 issued to Rabhan on Jan. 19, 1960. 
   Another patent was issued to Sugai, et al. on Dec. 27, 1983 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,448. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,158 was issued to Yamazaki, et al. on Aug. 14, 1984 and still yet another was issued on Apr. 25, 2000 to Sleichter, III as U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,880. 
   Another patent was issued to Linzalone on May 30, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,339. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,630 was issued to Cutler, et al. on Apr. 23, 2002. Another was issued to Sleichter, III et al. on Jan. 27, 2004 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,494 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 19, 2005 to Knelson, et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,884. 
   Another patent was issued to Fader on Mar. 4, 1959 as U.K. Patent No. GB809,734. Yet another German Patent No. DE4116836 was issued to Ball on Nov. 26, 1992. Another was issued to Wohlrab on Aug. 22, 1996 as German Patent No. DE 19505445 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 24, 1997 to Joachim as German Patent No. DE19700342. 
   Another patent was issued to Schwarz on Nov. 16, 2000 as German Patent No. DE19930759. Yet another Japan Patent No. JP2003285676 was issued to Tsukagami on Oct. 7, 2004. Another was issued to Takeda, et al. on Jan. 22, 2004 as Japan Patent No. JP2004016287 and still yet another was issued on Nov. 30, 2005 to Hitoshi Omron Healthcare as European Patent Application No. EP1600136. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,578 
   Inventor: Alvin R. Rabhan 
   Issued: Jan. 19, 1960 
   In a therapeutic apparatus of the character described, the combination with the frame of a chair back including opposite frame members, of spaced first and second springs bridging said frame members, an electrically-operated vibrator means mounted on the rear of said first and second springs, whereby on actuation of said vibrator means, said first and second springs will vibrate and a third spring positioned between said first and second springs and bridging said opposite frame members; said third spring being associated with said vibrator means and being biased to urge the vibrator means forwardly. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,448 
   Inventor: Haruo Sugai, et al. 
   Issued: Dec. 27, 1983 
   A massaging apparatus comprises a pair of massaging wheels obliquely and eccentrically attached to a main shaft, a shifting mechanism for shifting the massaging wheels and main shaft in the direction of the length of a chair back rest or a bed, and a spacing changing mechanism for changing the spacing between the massaging wheels. The apparatus is designed to detect the position of the pair of massaging wheels and the spacing therebetween. It further comprises position selecting switches associated with the neck, shoulders, back and waist of the human body. When any one of these position selecting switches is operated, the shifting mechanism and the spacing changing mechanism as well as the rotative direction of the main shaft are automatically controlled in accordance with the detected shifted position and spacing of the massaging wheels. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,158 
   Inventor: Shinichiro Yamazaki 
   Issued: Aug. 14, 1984 
   A vehicle driver&#39;s seat is equipped with an electromagnetically operated vibrator arranged in its back-rest to be activated by energization of an electric control circuit for periodically supplying an electric current to the vibrator from a vehicle battery. A safety device for the driver&#39;s seat comprises a parking brake switch arranged between the electric control circuit and the battery to be opened during the inoperative condition of a parking brake of the vehicle and to be closed in response to operation of the parking brake, and an additional control circuit for energizing the electric control circuit in response to closing of the switch to activate the vibrator during arrest of the vehicle and for deenergizing the electric control circuit in response to opening of the switch to deactivate the vibrator during movement of the vehicle. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,880 
   Inventor: Charles G. Sleichter, III 
   Issued: Apr. 25, 2000 
   A massaging system for equipment such as a vehicle includes a pad; a heater element, and motorized vibrators in respective regions of the pad; a plurality of vibratory transducers for location relative to plural zones of the seat; 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 isolation member being interposed between the transducer and the main cushion member. The isolation member can completely enclose the transducer; alternatively, the transducer can be bonded to the outer cushion member or a reinforcing sheet that is laminated thereto, the isolation member only partially enclosing the transducer. The isolation of the vibrators from the main cushion member provides improved selectivity of particular regions of a user&#39;s body to be massaged. Also, in multiple seating installations, unwanted vibration of one seat is suppressed during activation of vibrators in an adjacent seat. Also disclosed is a method for converting a padded support to produce isolated massaging. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,339 
   Inventor: Salvatore Linzalone 
   Issued: May 30, 2000 
   A vibrating vehicle seat is provided, wherein a vibrating motor is adapted to be installed under the seat of a vehicle. When installed in a vehicle seat, the vibrating motor receives its power from the battery of the vehicle and the frequency of the vibration is automatically adjusted in proportion to the speed of rotation of the vehicle&#39;s engine. There may be a separate manual on/off switch that can additionally control the force of the vibration. A controller box may also be provided with a multiple setting switch to select inputs from 1 to 4 stroke engines, 1 to 8 cylinder engines and 2 to 4 cycle engines. In addition to, or in substitution for, the vibrating motor, passenger stimulation may also be supplied by a rotational massaging ball that will have a moving or a rubbing sensation through the seat in any desired location. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,630 
   Inventor: Stanley Cutler, et al. 
   Issued: Apr. 23, 2002 
   A massaging system includes a pad; a heater element, and motorized vibrators in respective regions of the pad; corresponding heater and motor drivers in the pad; a control wand removably connectable to the pad and having a microcontroller with RAM and ROM, a serial EEPROM; a serial interface to a shift register in the pad for signaling pulse width modulation of the drivers. The ROM defines a master set of operating modes and variations thereof in response to operator input of intensity, region, heat input; and mode signals to the controller. The EEPROM has data for implementing and configuring a subset of the master modes. The system can also provide composite modes including a test mode that automatically sequentially activates each mode and variation of the subset of the modes without delays for exercising non-implemented modes. The system can have a power detector for identifying sources of power having different current limitations, the system being operated with PWM duty cycle limiting when raw power voltage falls below a preset level. Also disclosed is a set-up method for writing data to the EEPROM using the serial interface when the wand is disconnected from the pad for facilitating production of a variety of systems with reduced inventory requirements. The system can also include an audio envelope detector having a dual-slope integrating ADC in the pad that is cycled by serial signals driving the shift register, a single comparator output of the ADC signaling the microcontroller. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,494 
   Inventor: Charles G. Sleichter, III 
   Issued: Jan. 27, 2004 
   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. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,884 
   Inventor: John Knelsen 
   Issued: Jul. 19, 2005 
   A vibrating lumbar support transmits vibrations from an electromagnetic pulse vibrator through a vibration plate, guide rods, an arching pressure surface and then to a seat occupant. The vibrating unit may also transmit vibrations to a seat occupant through a push paddle type lumbar support or through a sinuous wire type lumbar support. 
   U.K. Patent Number GB809,734 
   Inventor: Herbert Edward Fader 
   Issued: Mar. 4, 1959 
   A vehicle seat with base 6, seat portion 5 and back 2 has the back in the form of a shell 22 of which the front portion consists of a flexible cloth or plastic strip 30 pressed into cyclic protrusion by a roller-tipped pivoted arm 34 having a slot to en-gage a stud 40 on a disc 42 driven by an electric motor 48 so that the roller-tip 32 runs along the inside of strip 30 to massage the back of the occupant of the seat and relieve back fatigue. Rubber washers between shell bottom portion 26 and angle brace 60 reduce vibration transmitted by the motor. 
   German Patent Number DE4116836 
   Inventor: Wilfried Ball 
   Issued: Nov. 26, 1992 
   The vehicle seat with a massage facility (7) consists of several strips (8a-f, 9a-c, 10a, b, 18) which each constitute a unit (8, 9, 10) for the massage of given parts of the seat occupant&#39;s body. An individual module has ball shaped massage elements (11, 12) which can be rotated in either direction by a motor driven endless belt (21). The massage pressure can be varied by altering the pressure plates (29a, b, c). ADVANTAGE—Seat with a mechanism which automatically provides an adjustable massaging effect. 
   German Patent Number DE 19505445 
   Inventor: Otmar Wohlrab 
   Issued: Aug. 22, 1996 
   A massage mechanism for incorporation in the backrest of upholstered seating or reclining furniture has a baseframe (1) profiled to the contour of the particular item to be fitted. Two sides of the frame (1) are formed by the parallel handed guide rails (2) between which a rectangular carrier (3) is able to move supported on rollers (5) at each of its corners propelled by a traversing motor (7). The carrier (3) transports a massage unit (6) which incorporates a central pair of adjustable massage rollers (9) having a common axis mounted on a spring-loaded pivot arm and two carrier-mounted motors driving modular attachments permit various massage characteristics to be reproduced. 
   German Patent Number DE 19700342 
   Inventor: Siegfried Joachim 
   Issued: Jul. 24, 1997 
   The massage cushion uses balls which are fixed into pockets which are assembled together to form a cushion which is fixed to car seats etc. The balls are used to produce a massage effect when the user sits in the seat. The user moves himself to gain the desired massage effect or the motion of the vehicle can be sufficient. The device has fixing belts for attaching it to the seat of the car and a cross tension belt is used for the production of a horizontal force. 
   German Patent Number DE19930759 
   Inventor: Tobias Schwarz 
   Issued: Nov. 16, 2000 
   The vehicle seat is fitted with motor-powered pressure units (5) within the backrest, under the upholstery. They have an eccentric rotation round an axis (7a), with rotating pressure surfaces (5a) to press against the seating cover. The rotating pressure units (5) are within a closed shrouding, with elastic distortion, with a number of pressure units (5) rotating round a common horizontal axis (7a). 
   Japanese Patent Number JP2003285676 
   Inventor: Kenji Tsukagami 
   Issued: Oct. 7, 2003 
   PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to easily massage a person sitting on a seat of a vehicle. 
   SOLUTION: The in-vehicle seat with a massage function has a structure in which the massage function is incorporated into a seat back of the seat, a center portion of a seat pad is made hollow in a longitudinal direction over a long distance, the above portion is made only of a sheet fabric and the rubbing balls a bit protruding relative to the seat pad front face can easily move right and left. 
   Japanese Patent Number JP2004016287 
   Inventor: Takeda Takeyuki, et al. 
   Issued: Jan. 22, 2004 
   PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a massage machine for a vehicle capable of effectively giving a massage to the back of a human body. 
   SOLUTION: The massage machine is disposed on the front surface of a seat for massaging the back of a user sitting on the seat. The massage machine has a built-in massage unit 3 for massaging the shoulder in the upper part of the machine, and a built-in massage unit 3 for massaging the waist in the lower part. In addition, an angle setting member 11 whose cross section is a wedge-shaped for making each massage unit 3 rightly face the back of the user behind the massage unit 3. Because of the presence of the angle setting member 11, each massage unit 3 can be made to rightly face the shoulder or the waist of the user. 
   European Patent Application Number EP 1600136 
   Inventor: Hitoshi Omron Healthcare 
   Published: Nov. 30, 2005 
   Provided is a massaging machine (1) with a cover construction improved on design and maintenance with a suppressed cost. A massaging machine (1) is provided with a back rest portion (2) and a seat portion (3). The backrest portion (2) includes: a backrest base (20) having an opening (22) for bringing a massaging tool (11) of the massaging section (10) into contact with a user therethrough; an opening cover (23) provided on the front face of the backrest base (20) so as to cover the opening (22) thereof and freely detachably attached to the peripheral edge of the opening (22); and a backrest cover (26) freely detachably attached to the front face of the backrest base (20) so as to cover the front face thereof. The seat portion (3) includes: a seat base (30); a pair of armrest bases (40) provided at both sides, left and right, of the seat base (30); a seat cover (31) freely detachably attached on the top face of the seat base (30) so as to cover the top face; and armrest covers (43) freely detachably attached on both inner side faces of the armrest bases (40) so as to cover both inner side faces 
   While these massage units may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described. 
   SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   A primary object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle seat having a plurality of massage units that are controllable in sections including neck, back and seat. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle seat having massage units that are controllable by a user positioned within said seat. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a massage unit having a rotation member and a vibratory member. 
   Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a massage unit having a housing wherein said rotational and vibratory members are extendable to an operative position. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a massage unit wherein said rotational and vibratory members are retracted when in the non-operative position. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a massage unit having at least one solenoid for extending and retracting the rotational and vibratory member within said housing. 
   Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
   The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a motor vehicle seat having massage units positioned therein and controllable by each user including neck, back and seat. Each massage unit is comprised of a housing having rotational and vibratory members therein that when energized extend beyond the housing in an operative position. When powered off the rotational and vibratory members retract into the housing. 
   The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
   The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of the present invention in use; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the vehicle massage seat of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the vehicle massage seat of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a detailed view of the vehicle massage head of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the vehicle massage head in the retracted position; 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the vehicle massage head in the extended position; 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded sectional view of the vehicle massaging seat of the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a flow chart view of the vehicle massage seat of the present invention; 
       FIG. 9  is a detailed view of the control unit for the vehicle massage seat of the present invention; 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a bench seat having the vehicle massage system of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 11  is a side view of the vehicle massage system of the present invention in use. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS 
   Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the Vehicle Seat Massage System of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures.
           10  Vehicle Seat Massage System of the present invention     12  vehicle seat     14  user     16  massage unit     17  massage head     18  control unit     19  massage head assembly     20  neck massage bank     22  back massagebank     24  thigh massage bank     26  housing of  16       28  faceplate of  16       30  track of  28       32  vibration element     34  bracket plate     36  rotation plate     38  motor     40  power source     42  screw     44  solenoid     46  post of  36       48  massage banks     50  vibration element wiring     52  motor wiring     54  junction box     56  control box     60  power button of  18       62  neck massage control button of  18       64  back massage control button of  18       66  thigh massage control button of  18       68  select all massage control button of  18       70  mild massage intensity control button of  18       72  moderate mild massage intensity control button of  18       74  heavy mild massage intensity control button of  18         

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention (and several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments, practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to appended claims. 
     FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10  in use. The present invention  10  is a massaging system provided within a vehicle seat  12  that includes a plurality of massage units  16  having motorized vibratory and rotational massaging heads  17  that retract when the system is off and extend towards the user  14  when turned on. Each seat  12  provides a user  14  control unit  18  that may be hand held or stationary. 
     FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the vehicle massage seat  10 . Shown is the exterior of the vehicle massaging seat  10 . The device employs motorized vibratory and rotational massaging heads that are controlled by a hand held control unit  18  that is stored on the side of the seat.  10 . The control unit  18  provides a plurality of speed controls including moderate, mild, heavy, and select massage areas for the neck  20 , back  22 , seat or thigh  24  or all any selected combination thereof. 
     FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the vehicle massage seat  10 . Shown is the seat  12  having a plurality of massage units  16  with massaging heads  17  designed to vibrate and rotate at the command of the user. Each seat  12  provides a set of individual massage units for the neck  20 , back  22  and thighs  24  and individual control units  18 . 
     FIG. 4  is a detailed view of a massage unit  16 . The massage unit  16  comprises a housing  26  with a plurality of massage heads  17  that rotate along a track  30  on a faceplate  28  and mounted to a rotation plate  36  rotated by a motor  38  in electrical communication with a power source  40 . The rotation plate  36  is secured to a bracket plate  34  by a plurality of screws  42  and a vibration element  32  is sandwiched between bracket plate  34  and the faceplate  28 . 
     FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the vehicle massage unit  16  in the retracted position. The massage unit  16  comprises a housing  26  with a plurality of massage heads  17  that rotate along a track  30  on a faceplate  28  and are mounted on a rotation plate  36  rotated by a motor  38  in electrical communication with a power source  40 . The entire massage head assembly  19  will be advanced beyond the housing  26  by solenoid  44  once power  40  is applied thereto. The massage heads  17  are mounted on posts  46  extending from the rotation plate  36 . The rotation plate  36  is secured to a bracket plate  34  by a plurality of screws  42  and a vibration element  32  is sandwiched between bracket plate  34  and the faceplate  28 . 
     FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the vehicle massage unit  16  in the extended position. The massage unit  16  comprises a housing  26  with a plurality of massage heads  17  that rotate along a track  30  on a faceplate  28  and are mounted on a rotation plate  36  rotated by a motor  38  in electrical communication with a power source  40 . The entire massage head assembly  19  will be retracted into the housing  26  by solenoids  44  once power  40  is removed therefrom. The massage heads  17  are mounted on posts  46  extending from the rotation plate  36 . The rotation plate  36  is secured to a bracket plate  34  by a plurality of screws  42  and a vibration element  32  is sandwiched between bracket plate  34  and the faceplate  28 . 
     FIG. 7  is an exploded sectional view of the massage unit  16 . The massage unit  16  comprises a housing  26  with a plurality of massage heads  17  that rotate along a track  30  on a faceplate  28  and are mounted on a rotation plate  36  rotated by a motor  38  in electrical communication with a power source  40 . The entire massage head assembly  19  will be retracted or extended accordingly into the housing  26  by solenoids  44  once power  40  is removed therefrom or applied thereto. The massage heads  17  are mounted on posts  46  extending from the rotation plate  36 . The rotation plate  36  is secured to a bracket plate  34  by a plurality of screws  42  and a vibration element  32  is sandwiched between bracket plate  34  and the faceplate  28 . 
     FIG. 8  is a flow chart view of the vehicle seat massage system  10 . The present invention is a massaging system  10  provided within a vehicle seat that includes massaging banks  48 , vibration element wiring  50 , rotation element wiring  52 , a junction box  54 , a control box  56 , a power source  40  and a control unit  18 . 
     FIG. 9  is a detailed view of the control unit  18  of the present invention. The control unit  18  be stored along the side of the seat and removed from that position to remotely activate and control the massaging effect or deactivate when not required. Other hand held control units  18  may be disposed in other appropriate locations. Stationary control units  18  may be disposed on the dashboard, visor, console or steering wheel among other suitable locations. This figure illustrates just one possible configuration of the control unit  18  comprising a power button  60 , a neck bank control button  62 , a back bank control button  64 , a thigh bank control button  66 , a select all button  68 , a mild massage intensity button  70 , a moderate massage intensity button  72  and a heavy massage intensity button  74 . 
     FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a bench seat having the vehicle massage system of the present invention. The massaging system of the present invention can also be provided in bench seats such as back seats of vehicles. Each seating position is provided with individual control units. 
     FIG. 11  is a side view of the vehicle massage system of the present invention in use. The present invention provides a vehicle massaging seat that includes motorized vibratory and rotational massaging heads that are controlled by a user with a hand held control unit. 
   It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
   While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
   Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.