Abstract:
The eye massaging device contains a main member having built-in air pump and actuation elements, an inflatable fomentation member, and a belt member where the main member and the fomentation member are attached, and a controller for adjusting the settings of the massaging device. The main member contains a number of slidably engaged pieces that elastically expand along with the belt member when the device is tied around a user&#39;s head. Additionally, the eye massaging device can also provide simultaneous massages to the appropriate acupuncture spots at the sides of the head such as temples by having additional built-in vibrating elements.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   (a) Technical Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to eye massaging devices, and more particularly to an eye massaging device capable of providing multiple massaging functions and whose body is expandable in accordance with a user&#39;s particular head size. 
   (b) Description of the Prior Art 
   A high percentage of urban school children suffer poor eyesight, especially myopia, resulted from prolonged period of eye usage with too much short-distance reading and viewing of books and TV programs. 
   Myopia can actually be corrected in the early stage with proper treatment. Together with people&#39;s awareness of the health of their eyes, therefore, quite a few eye care products using various techniques to release the pressure and tension of eye muscles have been available in the market. 
   Two such eye care products are disclosed by the present inventor as R.O.C. (Taiwan) Patent Nos. 169,241 and 195,314. A common drawback of the two teachings lies in that both their eye massaging devices cannot be flexibly expanded to properly cover the eyes of a user having a particular head size. As can be imagined, every person has his or her specific facial and head characteristics. Without the flexible expansion, the eye massaging device is inevitably displaced from its optimal location to provide the best massaging effect. On the other hand, these devices can only provide massage to the front of the user&#39;s head, but not to the important acupuncture spots at the sides of the head such as temples. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The primary purpose of the present invention is to an eye massaging device is provided herein whose massaging effect is not sacrificed when worn by a user with a particular head size by allowing its main member to expand or retract along the curvature of the user&#39;s head. The eye massaging device contains a main member having built-in air pump and actuation elements, an inflatable fomentation member, and a belt member where the main member and the fomentation member are attached, and a controller for adjusting the settings of the massaging device. The main member contains a number of slidably engaged pieces that elastically expand along with the belt member when the device is tied around a user&#39;s head. As such, the fomentation member and the actuation elements are positioned correctly at their optimal locations to provide a superior massaging effect. 
   An additional purpose of the present invention is that the eye massaging device can also provide simultaneous massages to the appropriate acupuncture spots at the sides of the head such as temples by having additional built-in vibrating elements. 
   The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
   Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram showing the massaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded diagram showing the various components of the massaging device of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded diagram showing the cover element according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-sectional diagram showing the cover element of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional diagram showing the cover element on a user having a larger head size. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-sectional diagram showing the cover element on a user having a smaller head size. 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic front diagram showing the application of the massaging device of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 8  is another schematic front diagram showing the application of the massaging device of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective diagram showing the cover element according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective diagram showing the cover element according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The following description are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and embodiment of the present invention contains a main member  10  having built-in air pump and actuation elements and a fomentation member  30  capable of providing hot compress. The main member  10  and the fomentation member  30  are oppositely attached to the two sides of a belt member  20 . 
   A supporting plate  21  is provided at an appropriate section along the belt member  20  for the attachment of the fomentation member  30  and the main member  10  from the two sides of the supporting plate  21  respectively. The belt member  20  has an appropriate elasticity and fastening elements  22  such as Velcro fasteners at the two ends. As such, the belt member  20  can be worn around a user&#39;s head so as to position the main member  10  and the fomentation member  30  on the user&#39;s eyes with an adjustable tightness appropriate to the user&#39;s comfort. Please note that all directional and positional references of the specification are made relatively to the user wearing an embodiment of the present invention. 
   The main member  10  mainly contains a hollow cover element  50  with an open side facing towards a base plate  12 , and the two are jointly fixed to the front side of the supporting plate  21  by a number of bolt elements  101 . Additionally, a washer plate  18  can be positioned between the cover element  50  and the base plate  12  and bolted to the supporting plate  21  altogether. The washer plate  18  can cover the base plate  12  for an enhanced appearance of the present embodiment. Masking pieces  11  are provided on the top and bottom rims of the cover element  50  respectively also for an enhanced appearance of the present embodiment. A viewing window is provided on the front surface of the cover element  50  so as to reveal the components housed inside the cover element  50  such as the indicator lamps. A number of seats  121  of various styles are provided on the front surface of the base plate  12  for the installation of a circuit board  13 , and air pump  14 , a leakage valve  15 , and a number of actuation elements  16 . The air pump  14  and the leakage valve  15  are for inflating and deflating the fomentation member  30 . As such, a first air pipe  151  is connected between the air pump  14  and the leakage valve  15  which in turn connects to the fomentation member  30  via a second air pipe  151  threading through a hole  122  on the base plate  12 . The actuation elements  16  generate vibrations with a massaging effect similar to the acupressure. The foregoing electrical components are all electrically connected to the circuit board  13 . A number of longitudinal grooves  123  are provided on the front surface of the base plate  12  so that the base plate  12  can be curved appropriately, making the fomentation member  30  and the main member  10  closely attached to the eyes of the user having specific facial and head characteristics. Two vibrating elements  17  (e.g., thin vibrating motors) positioned on the two lateral ends of the base plate  12  have bulging portions right against the user&#39;s temples. 
   The fomentation member  30  has the shape of an eyeshade formed by a first outer piece  31  and a second outer piece  32 , both made of, for example, fibers of bamboo charcoal capable of deodorization, ventilation, and providing negative ions and far infrared, or other far-infrared or nanometer materials, for enhancing the blood circulation of the eyes. An air bag  33  and a thin heating element  34  are enclosed by the two outer pieces  31  and  32  for providing hot compresses to the eyes. A faucet  331  is provided on the front surface of the air bag  33  which is connected to the second air pipe  151  threading through a hole  311  on the first outer piece  31  and the hole  211  of the supporting plate  21 . The heating element  34  is electrically connected to the circuit board  13  via the same route and is heated by the electricity provided from the circuit board  13 . As such, the air pump  14  and the leakage valve  15  can inflate and deflate the air bag  13  to press the warm heating element  34  against the eyes with various levels of pressure. 
   An ergonomically designed handheld controller  40  is connected to the circuit board  13  via a cable  41 . Various control buttons and adjustment knobs are provided on the surface of the controller  40  so as to control the inflation of the air bag  33 , the vibration strength of the actuation elements  16 , the temperature of the heating element  34 , etc., or some fully automated massaging processes involving the foregoing parameters. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cover element  50  contains a U-shaped first piece  51  whose trough opens to the base plate  12 . The width of the trough is slightly smaller at the two lateral end portions  514  which are housed inside a second piece  52  and a third piece  53  respectively. On the front side of each lateral end portion  514 , two lateral slots  511  are provided substantially in parallel. Along a lateral edge of each lateral slot  511 , a flange  512  is provided protruding towards the inside of the first piece  51 . Two ends of a helix spring  54  are fixedly connected two ears  513  adjacent to the outer ends of the slots  511  within the same lateral end portion  514 . The second and third pieces  52  and  53  have two L-shaped hooks  521  and  531  on their inner surfaces respectively that can penetrate through the slots  511 . The longitudinal portion of the L-shaped hooks  521  and  531  are blocked by the flanges  512  so that the second and third pieces  52  and  53  are slidably engaged with the lateral end portions  514  of the first piece  51  without falling off. As such, the second and third pieces  52  and  53  can be expanded to the two lateral sides of the first piece  51  with the L-shaped hooks  521  and  531  sliding within the slots  511 . Please note that the middle portions of the helix springs  54  are attached a structural element (e.g., a protruding stick in the present embodiment) on the inner surface of the second and third pieces  52  and  53  respectively. Therefore, when the second and third pieces  52  and  53  expand, they are under a resilient force by the helix springs  54  to return them back to their original positions. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the present embodiment is worn on a grown-up with a larger head size or a children with a smaller head size by the belt member  20 , the second and third pieces  52  and  53  of the cover element  50  will expand or retract in accordance with the curvature of the user&#39;s head so that the present embodiment can be perfectly matched against the head of a particular user. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the present embodiment covers the user&#39;s eyes like an eyeshade. By the control function of the controller  40 , the air bag  33  and the heating element  34  can have a desired pressure level and temperature in accordance with a user&#39;s preference. The air bag  33  can be inflated and deflated periodically so as to provide a massaging effect similar to performing acupressure by fingers. In addition, the vibrating elements  17  can deliver vibrations to the user&#39;s temples for releasing the user&#39;s pressure. 
     FIG. 9  is a perspective diagram showing the cover element according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the cover element  50   a  contains a U-shaped first piece  51   a  whose trough opens to the base plate  12 . The width of the trough is slightly smaller at the two lateral end portions  513   a  which are housed inside a second piece  52   a  and a third piece  53   a  respectively. On the front side of each lateral end portion  513   a , a 90-degree-turned T-shaped lateral slot  511   a  is provided. The second and third pieces  52   a  and  53   a  have hooks  521   a  and  531   a  respectively that can penetrate through the slots  511   a . Each of the hooks  521   a  and  531   a  contains two L-shaped elements sitting back to back with their longitudinal portions blocked by the lateral banks of the slot  511   a  so that the second and third pieces  52   a  and  53   a  are slidably engaged with the lateral end portions  513   a  of the first piece  51   a  without falling off. Two ears  512   a  are provided above and below each slot  511  respectively in each lateral end portion  513   a . Two helix springs  54   a  have one of their ends fixedly connected to the two ears  512   a  respectively within the same lateral end portion  51   a . The other ends of the helix springs  54   a  are jointly connected to a structural element (e.g., a protruding stick in the present embodiment) on the inner surface of the second and third pieces  52   a  and  53   a  respectively. Therefore, when the second and third pieces  52   a  and  53   a  expand, they are under a resilient force by the helix springs  54   a  to return them back to their original positions. 
     FIG. 10  is a perspective diagram showing the cover element according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the cover element  50   b  contains a U-shaped first piece  51   b  whose trough opens to the base plate  12 . At each of the two lateral ends of the first piece  51   b , a pair of longitudinally expanded blocks  511   b  are provided from the upper and lower inner surface of the first piece  51   b  respectively. On the other hand, the second and third pieces  52   b  and  53   b  have laterally expanded guiding plates  521   b  and  531   b  respectively. By having the guiding plates  521   b  and  531   b  confined by the blocks  511   b , the second and third pieces  52   b  and  53   b  are slidably engaged with the first piece  51   b  at its two lateral ends respectively. For each of the second and third pieces  52   b  and  53   b , two helix springs  54   b  have one of their ends fixedly connected to two structural elements (e.g., two protruding sticks in the present embodiment) on the inner surface of the first piece  51   b . The other ends of the helix springs  54   a  are jointly connected to a structural element (e.g., a protruding stick in the present embodiment) on the inner surface of the second and third pieces  52   b  and  53   b  respectively. Therefore, when the second and third pieces  52   b  and  53   b  expand, they are under a resilient force by the helix springs  54   b  to return them back to their original positions. 
   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 claim, 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.