Abstract:
The present invention relates to a massaging apparatus. Said massaging apparatus is comprised of a massage sphere that can be rotated with the use of adjacent ball bearings. The massage sphere is encased in an upper, midsection and lower housings, whereby only a section of the massage sphere is exposed. A strap is connected to the lower housing, and can be wrapped around the midsection housing for easy storage. To use the massaging apparatus, one simply has to hold the device and roll the exposed part of the massage sphere over the desired area. In order to massage hard to reach areas such as the back, both ends of the strap are held in each hand, and the massaging apparatus is placed on a hard surface such as a wall, in between the wall and the person&#39;s back. The user holds the straps and applies pressure onto the massaging apparatus.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    The present application for patent claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/713,453 entitled “Massaging Apparatus” filed Oct. 12, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to the field of massage devices, and more specifically to ball bearing massage devices. 
         [0004]    2. Background 
         [0005]    Massage therapy, yoga and spas in general have become increasingly popular, especially given recent studies that have indicated that such activities are therapeutic, help relieve stress and relax the body. In a similar vein, personal massage devices have also been devised in order to help relieve said stress and relax joints and muscles. 
         [0006]    Many devices have purported to engage in massaging the body, by rubbing the device on the aching muscles, activating something on said device to contact the muscles. Devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,947,042 (Glennan), U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,685 (Packwood), U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,689 (Faroky et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,783 (Kelley) have been designed as handheld massaging apparatuses with an attachment such as a massaging sphere that rolls around to soothe muscles. 
         [0007]    Glennan, Packwood and Kelly each disclose a similar handheld device with a massaging ball or sphere which rotates around smaller ball bearings. Over half the diameter of the sphere is encased in a portion of the respective devices such that the sphere can rotate freely without ever rolling out of the device. These devices are each comprised of a handheld portion such that one can take the apparatus, and roll the ball over muscles in the arm, leg, etc. and exert as much pressure as is desired to relax the muscles and joints. Kelly&#39;s device specifically discloses variants that include multiple balls, located within certain distances one from the other such that an increased area is massaged at the same time. Unfortunately, these devices are not designed to massage hard to reach areas such as the upper and lower back. 
         [0008]    The Faroky et al. patent describes a hand held massaging device comprising a first and second handle that are interconnected to a rubber ball. The handles are interconnected to the rubber ball through the use of a cord which travels through the rubber ball, which is used as a massage ball. Although this device allows for a certain level of adjustability for the user to maximize its massaging effect, the use of the cord requires a complex assembly which is not ideal for manufacturing or for eventual use by a person. 
         [0009]    There is therefore a need for an improved massaging device that can be easily used and operated without the need for a complex internal assembly of the massaging device. There is also a need for a massaging device that has two straps that can easily wrap around the device, and can separate one from the other and be held by each hand in order to suspend the device, place it against a wall and massage hard to reach areas such as one&#39;s back. Finally, there is a need for a device that does not have to be held in one&#39;s hand, such that it can be placed somewhere (for instance, against a wall) and held in place by both a protective or friction pad and by the pressure exerted upon it by one&#39;s hand, back, leg, etc. Indeed, the devices above need to remain stationary by means of human assistance, rather than by the use of a friction enhancing member such as is facilitated by the present device. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    The present invention provides a massaging apparatus comprising a massage sphere for applying massaging pressure, an upper housing having an opening for receiving the massage sphere, a midsection housing operatively connected to the upper housing surrounding the massage sphere, a lower housing operatively connected to the midsection housing and enclosing the massage sphere, fastening means to connect for connecting the lower housing to the upper housing, and a strap secured to the midsection housing for movement of the massaging apparatus, wherein the massage sphere is rotatably secured enclosed within the upper, midsection and lower housings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    It will now be convenient to describe the invention with particular reference to one embodiment of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the drawings relate to one embodiment of the present invention only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a massaging apparatus, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a massaging apparatus without a strap, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a second exploded view of a massaging apparatus without a strap, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an perspective view of a lower housing and ball bearings as installed in a massaging apparatus, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a massaging apparatus without a midsection housing and strap, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a massaging apparatus without a midsection housing, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional front view of a massaging apparatus, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an interconnected male and female clasp attached to a strap of the massaging apparatus, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a massaging apparatus with a strap coiled around the midsection of the massaging apparatus, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 10A and 10B  are perspective views of a massaging apparatus with the male and female clasps disconnected one from the other and the strap unraveled, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  are perspective views of the massaging apparatus being utilized on a person&#39;s back, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a lower perspective view of a massaging apparatus, according to a second embodiment of the present device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred and other embodiments of the invention are shown. No embodiment described below limits any claimed invention and any claimed invention may cover processes or apparatuses that are not described below. The claimed inventions are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. It is possible that an apparatus or process described below is not an embodiment of any claimed invention. The applicants, inventors or owners reserve all rights that they may have in any invention claimed in this document, for example, the right to claim such an invention in a continuing application and do not intend to abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such invention by its disclosure in this document. 
         [0025]    The terms “coupled” and “connected”, along with their derivatives, may be used herein. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may be used to indicated that two or more elements are in either direct or indirect (with other intervening elements between them) physical or electrical contact with each other, or that the two or more elements co-operate or interact with each other (e.g. as in a cause and effect relationship). 
         [0026]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , a massaging apparatus  10  is shown. The massaging apparatus  10  is primarily comprised of a massage sphere  15  for applying a messaging pressure, encased in an upper housing  20 , midsection housing  25  and lower housing  30 . The upper housing  20  is fastened to the lower housing  30  by fastening means such as screws (not shown) fastened through the underside (not shown) of the lower housing  30 , while the midsection housing  25  is connected to the both the upper and lower housings  20 ,  30 . The relationship between the upper, midsection and lower housings  20 ,  25 ,  30  is further detailed below. A strap  35  is connected to a T-bar (not shown) through an aperture (not shown) of the midsection housing  25 . Male and female clasps  40 ,  45  are connected at opposite ends of the strap  35  and serve to clasp onto one another depending on the use of the massaging apparatus  10 . The functioning of the male and female clasps  40 ,  45  is further explained below; however, a worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that male and female clasps  40 ,  45  could not be present in massaging apparatus  10  as disclosed herein. Indeed, a worker skilled in the art could appreciate a simple strap with no clasps such that the shape of the strap itself would suffice in order to be secured within the midsection housing  25  of the massaging apparatus  10 . The strap, being in the general shape of a rectangle, would be able to use its outer edges in order to wrap around the midsection housing  25  of the massaging apparatus  10  and be releasably secured therein. In order to use the massaging apparatus  10 , the massaging apparatus  10  can be fixed to a position on a wall, table, or other place. A protective rim  50  is operatively connected to the underside (not shown) of the lower housing  30  in order to protect any of said surfaces from damage such as scratches. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that the protective rim  50  could be a friction pad, suction cups, or other similar means of cushioning the device while providing some amount of friction against a wall, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present device. 
         [0027]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the various parts of the massaging apparatus  10  are shown separated one from the other for illustrative purposes. Ball bearings  55  are shown, normally located within cavities  60  and make contact with massage sphere  15  such that when the massage sphere  15  rotates, the ball bearings  55  rotate around themselves with very little friction until the movement of the massage sphere  15  ceases. T-bar  65  can also be seen in greater detail and serves to latch onto the strap (not shown) through an aperture  70  such that said strap (not shown) is secured at all times to the massaging apparatus  10 . 
         [0028]    With further reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a securing member  67  is also shown in greater detail, protruding from the upper housing  20 . When the upper, midsection and lower housings  20 ,  25 ,  30  are connected to one another, T-bar  65  and securing member  67  almost connect one to the other, such that their quasi-connection prevents the strap (not shown) from being removed from the aperture  70  of the massaging apparatus  10 . Five outer chambers  72  are also shown in greater detail on the underside  74  of the lower housing  30 . Fastening means such as screws (not shown) are fitted in said outer chambers  72  and are positioned into slots  76  of protrusions  75  to ultimately connect to recesses  85  on the upper housing  20 . The protective rim  50  is also shown in greater detail and is wider and thicker than the outer extremities of the underside  74  of the lower housing  30  such that the protective rim  50  makes contact with whatever surface the massaging apparatus  10  is placed upon. A worker skilled in the relevant art would appreciate that the protective rim  50  could be made of various types of materials, such as soft fabrics, malleable plastics, etc. without departing from the spirit and scope of the present device. 
         [0029]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , four of the ball bearings  55  are shown within their respective cavities  60  within the lower housing  30 . Five protrusions  75  are also shown and four screws  80  can be seen extending out of slots  76  of said protrusions  75  to connect to recesses (not shown) of the upper housing (not shown). The fastening by the screws  80  of the protrusions  75  and the recesses (not shown) encases the massage sphere (not shown) and prevents upper, midsection and lower housings  20 ,  25   30  from getting displaced with respect to each other. The T-bar  65 , to which is attached the strap (not shown) is also shown with greater clarity. The midsection housing  25  being operatively connected to the upper housing  20  and the lower housing  30  is also operatively connected to midsection housing  30 . 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , the connection between the upper and lower housings  20 ,  30  is shown in greater detail without the midsection housing (not shown). Protrusions  75  extending upwards out of the lower housing  30  are seen connected to recesses  85  extending downwards from the upper housing  20  by means of screws (not shown). The massage sphere is therefore limited to movement within the upper and lower housings  20 ,  30 . T-bar  65  can be seen in its quasi-connection with the securing member  67 , as was previously described. Once the strap (not shown) is connected to said T-bar  65 , the movement of the strap (not shown) is limited by the presence of the securing member  67 . The securing member  67  and T-bar  65  are constructed and arranged to abut against one another and secure strap  35  (not shown). The massage sphere is rotatably enclosed within the upper, midsection and lower housings. 
         [0031]    With reference to  FIG. 6 , the strap  35  is shown connected to the T-bar (not shown) in greater detail due to the absence of the midsection housing (not shown). The securing member  67  is shown, and prevents the strap  35  from being removed from within the massaging apparatus  10 . 
         [0032]    With reference to  FIG. 7 , a cross-section of the massaging apparatus  10  is shown, illustrating in greater detail the relationship between the massage sphere  15  and the ball bearings  55 . A worker skilled in the relevant art would be familiar with the motion of the larger massage sphere  15  and the five ball bearings  55  in the present invention, such that both the massage sphere  15  and the ball bearings  55  rotate along their own axes to create the circular motion of the massaging apparatus  10 . While the present embodiment discloses five ball bearings, a worker skilled in the relevant art would be familiar with a multitude of ball bearings and a possible multitude of massage spheres that could be present in the device without departing from its scope. Further, the massage sphere could be rotated on a ring in order to rotate, or the massage sphere could be on 3 or more contact points, or nodes, which could enable said rotation. The massage sphere  15  remains in place within the massaging apparatus  10  as the diameter of the massage sphere  15  is wider than the diameter of an opening  90  of the upper housing  20 . Indeed, the massage sphere  15  is wedged between the ball bearings  55  and the opening  90  such that it rotates on its own axis depending on the direction of the roll. The upper housing  20  has an opening  90  to receive a massage sphere of various dimensions. 
         [0033]    With further reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , upper and lower lips  95 ,  97  are also shown, and serve to connect to first and second securing members  100 ,  102  of the male and female clasps  40 ,  45  around the massaging apparatus  10  when the device is either not in use and stored away, or if it is used with one hand only, such as for massaging one&#39;s leg or arm. This position of the massaging apparatus  10  is further explained below. In order to secure the male clasp  40  within the female clasp  45 , a circular aperture (not shown) of the male clasp  40  is fitted onto a protrusion  105  of the female clasp  45 . This serves to hold both male and female clasps  40 ,  45  together and thus the strap  35  can be coiled around the midsection housing (not shown) of the massaging apparatus  10 . 
         [0034]    With reference to  FIG. 9 , the massaging apparatus  10  is shown with the strap  35  coiled around midsection housing  25 . The male and female clasps  40 ,  45  are secured with the upper and lower lips,  95 ,  97  by means of first securing member (not shown) and second securing member  102 . In order to detach the male and female clasps  40 ,  45  from the midsection housing  25 , one simply needs to pull on the male and female clasps  40 ,  45  until the first securing member (not shown) and second securing member  102  detach themselves from the upper and lower lips  95 ,  97  of the midsection housing  25 . A worker skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that the strap  35  can be secured to the midsection housing  25  by other means, such as a button connection, Velcro, a hook connecting to a loop etc., without departing from the scope of the invention. A worker skilled in the relevant art would also appreciate that the strap  35  could be retractable, such that instead of wrapping itself around the midsection housing  25  it would retract upon itself and onto T-bar (not shown) or other similar device. 
         [0035]    With reference to  FIGS. 10A ,  10 B,  11 A and  11 B, the male and female clasps  40 ,  45  of the massaging apparatus  10  are shown disconnected from one another. Once disconnected, a person  110  simply has to hold both male and female clasps  40 ,  45  and secure the device such that the massage sphere  15  is facing the back of the person  110 . Meanwhile, the protective rim  50  faces a wall or other similar object and the person  110  can massage his or her back by applying pressure onto the massaging apparatus  10 . The massage sphere  15  rolls around ball bearings (not shown) and massages the area as desired by exerting a massaging pressure onto said area and moving about. The massaging apparatus  10  can also be handheld and utilized on one&#39;s hands, arms, feet, legs, etc. 
         [0036]    With reference to  FIG. 12  and according to a second embodiment of the present invention, a massaging apparatus  110  is generally comprised of a massage sphere  115 , an upper, midsection and lower housing  120 ,  125 ,  130  and strap  135 . In order for said strap  135  to be secured to the massaging apparatus  110 , the width of the strap  135  is wider than the midsection housing  125 , such that the strap  135  can be wrapped around the midsection housing  125  by means of upper and lower lips  195 ,  197 . Indeed, the upper and lower lips  195 ,  197  act as securing means for the strap  135  such that said strap  135  cannot be removed without applying some force. First and second indentations  131 ,  132  are also shown on the second embodiment of the massaging apparatus  110 , and serve to facilitate the displacement of the strap  135 . Indeed, when the strap  135  is completely unravelled from the midsection housing  125 , said strap  135  protrudes from an aperture (not shown) of the massaging apparatus  110 . The aperture (not shown) is positioned exactly where the first and second indentations  131 ,  132  align. As the opening created by virtue of first and second indentations  131 ,  132  is wider than the normal opening of the midsection housing  125 , the strap  135  is able to move more freely about when the massaging apparatus  110  is in use. 
         [0037]    Although the invention has been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Modifications and variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Moreover, with respect to the above description, it is to be understood that the optimum dimensional relationships for the component members of the present invention may include variations in size, material, shape, form, funding and manner of operation.