Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a medi-spa service cart having improved storage, convenience and portability properties. The cart includes a castered base, a selectively extensible tubular vertical support and, affixed to the upper end of the support, a principal service tray.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/463,981, filed by the present applicant on Feb. 25, 2011. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates broadly to service carts and is more particularly concerned with a medi-spa service cart construction specifically adapted for use in massage therapy. While the service cart described in detail hereinafter is specifically directed to the delivery of massage therapy, it will be obvious to those of skill in the art that it may also be used to good and beneficial effect in the delivery of other therapies or treatments to the human or animal body, such as physical therapy, manual therapy, bodywork and the like. 
     In the performance of therapeutic massage the subject conventionally sits on a chair or lies on a table and the therapist stands or sits proximate the subject and obtains the necessaries for the massage, such as lotions, gels, creams, cleansing agents, towels, napkins, various implements and the like from a conveniently stationed service cart. The conventional service carts of the prior art are generally in the nature of wheeled cabinets, stacked shelves, drawers, or combinations of these which are bulky and often present difficulties in movement over the floor surface, convenient storage after the massage session ends and, further, lack portability for offsite visits. In accordance with the present invention, however, many of these problems have been resolved or at least greatly ameliorated. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a principal object of the invention to provide a new and novel medi-spa service cart. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a medi-spa service cart of substantially lesser bulk, easier mobility, greater adjustability for proper body mechanics, greater portability for office/offsite visits and more facile storability than those of the prior art. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide a medi-spa service cart having the foregoing benefits and advantages and which is especially adapted for massage therapy service. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the invention the medi-spa cart broadly comprises a castered base, a selectively extensible vertical support member comprising at least two telescoping tubular elements extending upwardly from said base and, mounted to the uppermost end of said support member, a principal service tray. In one preferred embodiment of the invention the cart construction comprises means whereby the overall cart length may be temporarily manually shortened by a few inches. In another preferred embodiment, the principal service tray element of the construction is provided with at least one and, most preferably, a plurality, of recesses each being of a size and shape to closely receive and retain the containers for the goods used in service. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       A fuller understanding of the present invention may be had by referring to the following description and drawings wherein, in the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic isometric view of one embodiment of the medi-spa service cart of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic isometric view showing the upper portion of another embodiment of the invention comprising a preferred form of principal service tray element. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, schematic, isometric view showing the upper portion of another embodiment of the invention comprising an alternative preferred form of principal service tray element. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded, schematic, isometric, view showing the upper portion of yet another embodiment of the invention comprising means whereby the cart, while secured at its preselected length, may be temporarily manually shortened by the operator without disturbing the setting of its preselected length. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the service cart of the invention broadly comprises castered base  1 , selectively extensible vertical support member  10  comprising at least two telescoping tubular elements and, affixed to the upper end of the uppermost tubular element of said support member  10 , a principal service tray  20 . 
     Castered base  1  preferably comprises a central hub  18  and a plurality of at least three and, of even greater preference, five, radially and equiangularly spaced legs  2  extending therefrom. Depending from and pivotally affixed to the outer end of each of said legs  2  is a caster wheel or roller  3 . The resulting array of caster wheels or rollers  3  serves, of course, to facilitate movement of the cart over a floor support surface. Desirably, one or more of the wheels or rollers  3  is provided with a releasable brake whereby the cart is enabled to be held in a fixed location. 
     Affixed to the central hub  18  of the base  1  is a selectively extensible vertical support member  10 . Said support member  10  comprises at least two telescoping tubular elements and can, for example, take the form of a telescoping tubular structure comprising a lowermost tube element  11  and, slidably nesting thereover, an uppermost tube element  12 . Latch means  13  serves to controllably lock the uppermost tube element  12  to the lowermost tube element  11  at a selected length of extension of the support member  10 . The particular construction of the latch means  13  is generally non-critical and many suitable constructions thereof will be obvious to those of skill in the art. For instance, latch means  13  can be in the nature of a simple thumb screw threaded through the uppermost tube element  12  and which locks the support member  10  at its pre-selected length by bearing on the surface of the lowermost tube element  11 . Also suitable are various known spring latches which cooperate with a linear array of notches, teeth or cogs on the lowermost tube element  11  and which, without manipulation thereof, permit extension of the support member  10  and automatic latching of the tube elements  11  and  12  together at the selected length of extension, but which does require manipulation to permit retraction of said support member. Thus, in use, the operator first releases latch means  13 , then extends the support member  10  to the desired length and, finally, re-engages the latch  13  so as to secure the cart construction at its preselected overall length. 
     The dimensioning of the tubular support member  10  is subject to considerable variation and will, in general, be obvious to those of skill in the art. A principal consideration in the selection of said dimensioning will, of course, reside in the specific purpose for which the cart is to be employed. As previously mentioned, a massage therapist works from both sitting and standing positions. Thus, for this service, I have found that a support member  10  which is dimensioned to as to provides an overall cart length range of from about 18 inches to about 42 inches to be suitable. 
     Affixed to the upper end of the uppermost tube element  12  is a principal service tray  20  which, desirably, is of circular geometry. It is further preferred that the principal service tray  20  be affixed to the upper end of the uppermost tube element  12  in a detachable manner, thereby to enable facile removal and such cleansing of the tray as may be required. This can be accomplished, for example, by providing the bottom of the tray with a collar dimensioned so as to define a snugly fitting socket to receive the upper end of the uppermost tube element  12 . 
     It is highly desirable that the cart of the invention include means to provide sufficient vertical elasticity thereto such that, without disturbance of its preselected length, the overall cart length may be temporarily shortened by a few inches simply by manually biasing it downwardly. In this manually induced temporary shortened condition the cart may then be moved under a table for convenient storage. This capability may be achieved by judicious selection of design parameters and/or material of construction of the castered base  1  and/or support member  10 . For example, in the embodiment of the invention of  FIG. 1  the base legs  2  may be conformed as downwardly arcuate leaf springs and the material of construction thereof may be in the nature of an elastic polymeric composition such as glass fiber filled nylon or a metal such as spring steel or aluminum alloy. Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown an alternative scheme whereby said means to provide vertical elasticity takes the form of a gas spring  60   c  comprising a gas chamber  61   c  and piston  62   c . The gas chamber  61   c  is completely housed in the bore  14   c  of uppermost tube element  12   c  with the free end  68   c  of piston  62   c  extending several inches beyond the upper end  15   c  of said uppermost tube element. Principal service tray  20   c  is affixed to the free end  68   c  of the piston  62   c . In use, the operator simply manually depresses the principal service tray  20   c , thereby forcing the extended piston  62   c  of gas spring  60   c  to retract into the gas chamber  61   c  and temporarily shortening the overall length of the cart. Upon release of the manual pressure exerted by the operator, the operation of the gas spring  60   c  returns the piston  62   c  to its extended position, thereby returning the cart to its preselected overall length without the necessity for readjustment of the extensible tubular support member  10   c.    
     Again referring to  FIG. 1 , I much prefer that the principal service tray  20  be provided with at least one and, of even greater preference, a plurality of recesses of sizes and shapes to closely receive the containers for the goods used in service and to thereby prevent them from sliding and slipping over the surface of the tray during use or movement of the cart. One manner of providing such recesses is shown in  FIG. 2  wherein said recesses are defined by one or more suitably sized and shaped depressions  22   a  formed in the floor  21   a  of principal service tray  20   a . The depth of said depressions  22   a  required for any particular service will, in general, be obvious to those of skill in art and can vary from, say, about ¼ inch to about 3 inches. In the case of a principal service tray  20   a  formed of sheet metal, said depressions can be formed by deep drawing. In the case of a principal service tray  20   a  formed of a thermoplastic, such as ABS, the depressions can be formed by any of several molding techniques, such as injection molding, drape molding, vacuum forming and the like. An alternative scheme for providing such recesses is shown in  FIG. 3 . In this case, the principal service tray  20   b  is provided with lid  25   b  which, when assembled to the service tray, defines a space between the floor  21   b  of service tray  20   b  and the lid  25   b . Said lid  25   b  is provided with one or more suitably sized and shaped apertures  26   b , thereby to define the container-receiving recesses. 
     The service cart of the invention may also comprise additional elements which can contribute to its utility in service. Referring once again to  FIG. 1 , such additional elements are generally affixed to or suspended from the uppermost tube element  12  of the vertical support member  10 . For example, as shown, an auxiliary or secondary service tray or shelf  30 , spaced below the principal tray  20 , can be affixed to the uppermost tube element  12 . Preferably, this attachment will be of detachable or pivotal nature. Too, I prefer that the auxiliary tray or shelf  30  be of rectangular geometry and, further, that it be of a length sufficient to project substantially beyond the rim of the principal service tray  20 . Yet another helpful additional element of the invention affixed to or suspended from the uppermost tube element  12  is a detachable container, pail or bucket  50  which, alternatively, provides either a convenient waste disposal site for such waste as may be generated during the course of a service session or a storage receptacle for transiently used equipment, such as a goniometer, sphygmomanometer, stethoscope or the like. Additionally, the uppermost tube element  12  may also have affixed thereto a towel hook  40 . 
     Although the invention has been described and illustrated above with respect to certain specific embodiments thereof it should be recognized and understood that various alterations and modifications in the details of construction may be made without departing from the essential spirit and scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.