Abstract:
A spa wall mounted head rest directs a curved sheet of water against a user&#39;s neck and shoulders. The head rest is fed by two laterally spaced apart water flows and includes an internal manifold to uniformly direct the flows across a curved outlet. The resulting curved flow is uniformly directed against the user&#39;s neck and shoulders. The head rest has a curved back to allow mounting in a corner of the spa wall and includes an easily removable and replaceable head rest cover allowing easy maintenance.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to massagers and in particular to neck and shoulder massagers mounted to a spa wall. 
     Spas are commonly enjoyed by millions of users as a relief to the stress and tension of every day life. Water jets in spa walls provide a liquid massage to a user&#39;s back, sides, arms, and legs relaxing muscles and soothing joints. Unfortunately, the massages provided by the wall mounted jets do not address the significant tension often experienced in the neck area. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,303 for “Multiple Slot Fluid Flow”, and US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0070218 for “Head Rest Assembly Having an Illuminated Insert for a Spa,” disclose head rests with straight slots for mounting on a flat spa wall for providing a flat sheet of water to massage a user&#39;s neck. Unfortunately, the internal manifolds of the &#39;303 patent and &#39;218 publication do not provide a uniform flow across the water sheet and centered feeds tend to concentrate the flows at the center of the water sheet. Further, such flat sheets of water merely graze a user&#39;s back, and often fail to address the areas experiencing tension and stress. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a spa wall mounted head rest which directs a curved sheet of water against a user&#39;s neck and shoulders. The head rest is fed by two laterally spaced apart water flows and includes an internal manifold to uniformly direct the flows across a curved outlet. The resulting curved flow is uniformly directed against the user&#39;s neck and shoulders. The head rest has a curved back to allow mounting in a corner of the spa wall and includes an easily removable and replaceable head rest cover allowing easy maintenance. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a spa wall mounted head rest and neck and shoulder massager. The head rest and massager includes a headrest back plate, a headrest support plate, and a head rest cover. The headrest back plate resides in a corner of a spa and has a back plate rear face residing against the spa wall and a back plate front face opposite the back plate rear face. The back plate includes two laterally spaced apart water inlets on the back plate rear face for receiving two horizontal flows of water. A slanted floor surface of the back plate front face resides below the water inlets and faces upward and forward and extending laterally to at least the lateral separation of the two inlets. The headrest support plate resides against the back plate front face. A curved and slanted roof surface of the support plate vertically overlaps with the water inlets and faces down and towards the water inlets and including two peaks. Each peak laterally overlaps one of the two water inlets and the roof surface widens downward from each peak and joining between the peaks for directing the horizontal flows of water into a uniformly laterally distributed downward flow of water. A vertical wall surface of the support plate extends downward from a lower edge of the roof surface of the support plate and faces the back plate. A gap between the floor surface of the back plate and the roof surface and the wall surface of the support plate is in fluid communication with the water inlets and carries the downward flow of water. A downward facing laterally slotted water outlet resides between the back plate and the support plate and is curved away from the spa wall at ends of the slotted water outlet and is in fluid communication with the gap for receiving the downward flow of water and disbursing the downward flow of water as a sheet of water directed downward against a user&#39;s neck and shoulders. The head rest cover resides over the support plate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a spa with a head rest and massager according to the present invention residing in a corner of a wall of the spa. 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed view of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is a top view of a head rest cover of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4B  is a front view of the head rest cover of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4C  is a side view of the head rest cover of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4D  is a rear view of the head rest cover of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4E  is a bottom view of the head rest cover of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4D  of the head rest cover of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6A  is a top view of a head rest support plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6B  is a front view of the head rest support plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6C  is a side view of the head rest support plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6D  is a rear view of the head rest support plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6E  is a bottom view of the head rest support plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6D  of the head rest support plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8A  is a top view of a head rest back plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8B  is a front view of the head rest back plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8C  is a side view of the head rest back plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8D  is a rear view of the head rest back plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8E  is a bottom view of the head rest back plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8D  of the head rest back plate of the head rest and massager according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 10A  is a bottom view of the head rest and massager according to the present invention showing a laterally slotted curved water outlet according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 10B  is a front view of the head rest and massager according to the present invention showing a sheet of water directed downward from the laterally slotted curved water outlet. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the head rest and massager according to the present invention showing a horizontal flow of water into the head rest and massager and the sheet of water directed downward from the head rest and massager. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
     A spa  10  with a head rest and massager  12  according to the present invention residing in a corner  10   a  of a wall  11  of the spa  10  is shown in  FIG. 1  and a detailed view of the head rest and massager  12  is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     An exploded view of the head rest and massager  12  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 3 . The head rest and massager  12  comprises three parts, a head rest cover  16 , a head rest support plate  14 , and a head rest back plate  18 . 
     A top view of the head rest cover  16  is shown in  FIG. 4A , a front view of the head rest cover  16  is shown in  FIG. 4B , a side view of the head rest cover  16  is shown in  FIG. 4C , a rear view of the head rest cover  16  is shown in  FIG. 4D , a bottom view of the head rest cover  16  is shown in  FIG. 4E , and a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4D  of the head rest cover  16  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The head rest cover  16  has a concave curved front  16   a  and a convex curved back  16   b . A cover lip  20  runs continuously around the back  16   b  and includes spaced apart catches  22  for engaging corresponding notches  31  (see  FIG. 6E ) in the head rest support plate  14 . Reinforcing members  26  form a grid inside the head rest cover  16  and comprise spaced apart vertical and horizontal flat members attached to the curved front  16   a.    
     A top view of the head rest support plate  14  is shown in  FIG. 6A , a front view of the head rest support plate  14  is shown in  FIG. 6B , a side view of the head rest support plate  14  is shown in  FIG. 6C , a rear view of the head rest support plate  14  is shown in  FIG. 6D , a bottom view of the head rest support plate  14  is shown in  FIG. 6E , and a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6D  of the head rest support plate  14  is shown in  FIG. 7 . The head rest support plate  14  includes a front support plate face  14   a , a rear support plate face  14   b , and an outward facing rim  32  running continuously around the head rest support plate  14  forming an outside edge between the faces  14   a  and  14   b . The rim  32  includes the spaced apart notches  31  for engaging the catches  22  (see  FIG. 4D ) to retain the head rest cover  16  on the head rest support plate  14 . Some of the notches  31  are cutouts in the rim  32  as seen in  FIG. 6E , and others are recesses on the interior of the rim  32  which do not extend through the rim  32 . 
     The head rest support plate  14  further includes a sloping roof surface (or roof portion)  35  for downwardly deflecting a horizontal flow of water  52  (see  FIG. 11 ) flowing into the head rest and massager  12  through inlets  52  in the head rest back plate  18 , into a uniformly laterally distributed downward flow of water  54 . The roof surface  35  vertically overlaps the water inlets  52  in the assembled head rest and massager  12  and faces down and towards head rest back plate  18 . The sloping roof surface  35  is preferably sloped at an angle θ of between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 45 degrees. The roof surface  35  includes two peaks  35   a  and  35   b , and each peak  35   a  and  35   b  laterally overlaps one of the two water inlets  52 . The roof surface  35  widens downward from each peak  35   a  and  35   b  and joining between the peaks  35   a  and  35   b  to form an “M” shape. The widening roof surface forms a cavity (or gap)  56  (see  FIG. 11 ) between the head rest back plate  18  and the head rest support plate  14  which directs the two horizontal flows of water  52  into a uniformly laterally distributed downward flow of water  54 . A vertical wall surface  34  extends downward from a lower edge of the roof surface  35  of the head rest support plate  14  and faces the head rest back plate  18  in the assembled head rest and massager  12  forming a side of the cavity  56 . 
     A groove  38  spaced apart and inside the rim  32  extending into the rear support plate face  14   b  runs across the top, down the sides and into bottom edges of the sloping roof surface  35 . The groove  38  receives a forward extending portion of an edge  48  (see  FIGS. 8A-8E ) of the head rest backing plate  18 . The edge  48  includes end portions  48   a  which reach forward along outside edges of the floor surface  42  of the head rest backing plate  18 . The head rest support plate  14  also includes cylindrical hollow bosses on the front support plate face  14   a  for receiving screws to attach the head rest backing plate  18  to the head rest support plate  14 . The head rest support plate  14  further includes an edge  30  on the front support plate face  14   a  spaced above a bottom portion of the rim  32  along the bottom of the head rest support plate  14  and following the contour of the bottom portion of the rim  32 . 
     A top view of the head rest back plate  18  is shown in  FIG. 8A , a front view of the head rest back plate  18  is shown in  FIG. 8B , a side view of the head rest back plate  18  is shown in  FIG. 8C , a rear view of the head rest back plate  18  is shown in  FIG. 8D , a bottom view of the head rest back plate  18  is shown in  FIG. 8E , and a cross-sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8D  of the head rest back plate  18  is shown in  FIG. 9 . The head rest back plate  18  has a back plate rear face  18   b  for residing against the spa wall and a back plate front face  18   a  opposite the back plate rear face. The two water inlets  46  extend from the back plate rear face  18   b  and include larger diameter threaded portions adjacent to the back plate rear face  18   b  and barbed hose connection portions behind the threaded portions. The two water inlets  46  carry the two horizontal flows of water  52  into the head rest and massager  12 . The head rest back plate  18  includes the floor surface (or portion)  42  extending forward (or away from the spa wall) residing below the water inlets  46  and facing upward and forward and extending laterally to at least the lateral separation of the two inlets  46 . 
     A bottom view of the head rest and massager  12  showing a laterally slotted curved water outlet  54  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 10A , a front view of the head rest and massager  12  showing a sheet of water  58  directed downward from the laterally slotted curved water outlet  54  is shown in  FIG. 10B , and a cross-sectional view of the head rest and massager  12  showing the horizontal flow of water  52  into the head rest and massager  12  and the sheet of water  58  directed downward from the head rest and massagers  2  is shown in  FIG. 11 . The horizontal flows of water  52  enter the head rest and massager  12  through the two laterally spaced apart inlets  46  and enter a cavity (or gap or manifold)  56  formed between the rear rest support plate  14  and the head rest back plate  18 . Specifically, the roof surface  35 , the wall  34  (see  FIG. 7 ), and the floor surface  42  define or form the cavity  56  (see  FIG. 8B ). The roof surface  35  redirects the horizontal flows of water  52  into a downward flow and the peaks of the roof  35   a  and  35   b  distribute the two horizontal flows into a uniform downward flow leaving the laterally slotted curved water outlet  54 . The laterally slotted curved water outlet  54  is curved away from the spa wall at ends of the laterally slotted curved water outlet  54  to distribute the sheet of water  58  across a user&#39;s neck and shoulders. 
     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.