Patent Publication Number: US-11660247-B2

Title: Multipurpose article for bodily acupressure and massage

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This application claims foreign priority under Paris Convention to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0139699 filed 19 Oct. 2021 with Korean Intellectual Office, all of which are incorporated by reference herewith. 
     BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to an article for bodily acupressure and massage, and more particularly, to an improved multipurpose bodily acupressure and massage article, enabling a user to readily utilize the article for soothing and lessening a bodily fatigue, a muscle pain and other bodily discomforts. 
     When it comes to massaging devices, widely available on the market are massage chairs which are inevitably costly and limited to those ready to invest a relatively high fund. Even a simple massage chair model would easily cost a couple of grans. 
     Alternatives would be a variety of massage articles that have been introduced on the market, most of which seem to employ an article with a hand grip or a handle. An example is a massage stick with a handle to facility its usage in padding sore parts of a human body to combat sore muscles, break up muscular adhesions, and promote blood flow to aid in recovery. 
     As disclosed in Korean Patent and Utility Model Publication Nos. KR20-0145419, KR20-0250627, KR20-0306133, KR20-2011-0000295, KR10-1988-0002501 and KR20-0173224 (all being submitted as IDS herewith), the conventional massage devices or articles deal require a plurality of parts including electric or electronic units, thus resulting in cost increase and inconvenience in storage. Further, those conventional devices had limitation in performing massage and acupressure along bodily points recommended in oriental or traditional medicine-free treatments. 
     Another disadvantage of the conventional massage articles sees product reliability coming from electric and electronic units combined in a single device, resulting in frequent repair requirements in addition to the relatively high purchase cost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been contrived to overcome the conventional disadvantages. 
     An objective of the present invention is to provide a bodily acupressure and massage article enabling a user alone to perform acupressure and massage on and along the user&#39;s body without help of a third party, thus maximizing product usability. 
     Another objective is to allow a user alone to easily massage or acupressure on and along bodily meridian points designated in the traditional acupressure and acupuncture practices, thus improving product reliability. 
     Still another objective is to provide a massage and acupressure article made preferably of wood in a handy, light format at a lower cost without adding any electronic or motor-operated unit, thus maximizing product satisfaction. 
     In order to satisfy these and other objectives, a bodily acupressure and massage article according to the present invention comprises: a main member defined by an elongate bottom, an arched top formed in accordance with a top arc radius, a substantially flat front, a substantially flat rear, and arched sides each formed in accordance with a side arc radius and extending from the arched top; a first protrusion downwardly, outwardly extending from a first end of the elongate bottom and semi-circularly formed in accordance with a first protrusion arc radius; and a second protrusion downwardly, outwardly extending from a second end of the elongate bottom and semi-circularly formed in accordance with a second protrusion arc radius, where the top arc radius is larger than the respective side arc radiuses, and the side arc radiuses are each larger than the respective first and second protrusion arc radiuses. 
     The elongate bottom may be formed larger than a thickness of the main member in length or about three times larger than a thickness of the main member in length. A predetermined gap may be formed between the elongate bottom and an imaginary line linking each lower point of the outer peripheries, where the predetermined gap is between a half and two thirds of a thickness of the main member. The main member and the first and second protrusions may be substantially constant and even in thickness. A looped outer ridge of the article is formed by linking the elongate bottom, the arched top, the arched sides, and respective outer peripheries of the first and second protrusions, wherein a cross section taken against the looped outer ridge is substantially arched. A thickness of the main member is formed ranging between 12 mm and 14 mm, preferably at about 13 mm. Each thickness of the first and second protrusions the thickness is formed ranging between 12 mm and 14 mm or preferably at about 13 mm. 
     Each thickness of the main member and side protrusions may be substantially identical. Each distance between a tip point of the arched top and the first end of the elongate bottom is substantially identical. Each distance between a tip point of the arched top and the second end of the elongate bottom is substantially identical. A tip point of the arched top, and the first and second ends of the elongate bottom are equilaterally triangular when linearly connected. The elongate bottom is about three times larger than a thickness of the main member in length. The main member and the first and second protrusions may be formed of an identical material, an identical natural material, a natural wood, a hardened natural wood or composite wood. 
     The advantages of the present invention are: (1) the two pronged protrusions of the acupressure and massage article enabling a use to perform efficient acupressure and massage on and along bodily meridian pair points traditionally designated on a human body at a nominal cost of the article made of wood; (2) the grip friendly curvature and functional design allowing a user alone to perform a bodily tapping for an acupressure effect in a random grip and a bodily scrubbing for a massage effect by an easy holding of the massage article; (3) a handy and grip friendly design enabling a user alone to perform acupressure and massage on and along the user&#39;s body with a random grip of the article with ease; and (4) a low cost massage article allowing a user to improve blood circulation by using the article for a bodily massage, a facial massage, a temple massage, and other limitless applications to the user&#39;s body parts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing, along with other and further embodiments and aspects of the disclosed inventions, with now be described in greater detail in the below detailed description, to be read in view of the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements and the description for like elements shall be applicable for all described embodiments wherever relevant: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view showing a bodily acupressure and massage article according to the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a front plan view of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a cross section taken along line III-III in  FIG.  2   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a schematic view showing arc radiuses of the acupressure and massage article according to the present invention; 
         FIG.  5    is a schematic view showing a triangular design scheme applied in the main member of the acupressure and massage article according to the present invention; and 
         FIGS.  6 - 8    are schematic viewings showing different grips of the acupressure and massage article according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the accompanying drawings, a bodily acupressure and massage article  10  according to the present invention will now be explained.  FIGS.  1 - 5    show the structure of the acupressure and massage article  10 , and  FIGS.  6 - 8    show some of grip variations of the acupressure and massage article  10 . 
     The bodily acupressure and massage article  10  comprises a main member  20  defined by an elongate bottom  22 , an arched top  24  formed in accordance with a top arc radius AA, a substantially flat front  26 , a substantially flat rear  28 , and arched sides  30  each formed in accordance with a side arc radius BB and extending from the arched top  24 . 
     The article  10  further comprises a first protrusion  40  downwardly, outwardly extending from a first end  22   a  of the elongate bottom  22  and semi-circularly formed in accordance with a first protrusion arc radius CC; and a second protrusion  60  downwardly, outwardly extending from a second end  22   b  of the elongate bottom  22  and semi-circularly formed in accordance with a second protrusion arc radius DD. 
     In this construction, the top arc radius AA is preferably formed larger than the respective side arc radiuses BB, and the side arc radiuses BB are each formed larger than the respective first and second protrusion arc radiuses CC and DD so as to ergonomically streamline the overall structure of the article  10  and facilitate a comfortable grip of the article  10  by a user. 
     For a better performance, the elongate bottom  22  may be formed larger than a thickness T of the main member  20  in length. The elongate bottom  22  serves to provide stability in a user&#39;s grip while separating the first and second protrusions  40  and  60 . 
     In order for the acupressure and massage article  10  to secure a further stability, the elongate bottom  22  may be measured about three times larger than a thickness of the main member  20  in length. 
     The article  10  may be structure such that a predetermined gap G is formed between the elongate bottom  22  and an imaginary line linking each lower point  42   a  and  60   a  of outer peripheries  42  and  62  of the first and second protrusions  40  and  60 , where the predetermined gap may be formed between a half and two thirds of a thickness of the main member  20 . 
     To facility a bodily massage activity by a user, the main member  20  and the first and second protrusions  40  and  60  may be substantially constant and even in thickness. 
     A looped outer ridge  32  of the article  10  is formed by linking the elongate bottom  22 , the arched top  24 , the arched sides  30 , and respective outer peripheries  42  and  62  of the first and second protrusions  40  and  60 . In this construction, a cross section  34  taken against the looped outer ridge  32  may be substantially arched. 
     The article  10  is preferred to have a construction a uniform thickness so that a thickness of the main member  20  can be formed ranging between 12 mm and 14 mm. The structure according to a design and market preference is to form the thickness of the main member  20  at about 13 mm. Likewise, each thickness of the first and second protrusions  40  and  60  is preferably formed ranging between 12 mm and 14 mm, and each thickness of the first and second protrusions  40  and  60  is preferably formed at about 13 mm. So each thickness of the main member and side protrusions may be substantially identical. 
     To obtain a better performance, each distance between a tip point  20   a  of the arched top  24  and the first end  22   a  of the elongate bottom  22  is substantially identical,  13 . And, each distance between a tip point  20   a  of the arched top  24  and the second end  22   b  of the elongate bottom  22  is substantially identical. So the preferred construction is such that a tip point  20   a  of the arched top  24 , and the first and second ends  22   a  and  22   b  of the elongate bottom  22  are equilaterally triangular when linearly connected to one another. 
     The elongate bottom  22  may be about three times larger than a thickness of the main member  20  in length. The main member  20  and the first and second protrusions  40  and  60  may be formed of an identical material, an identical natural material, a natural wood, a hardened natural wood, a composite wood, or an artificial wood. 
     Although particular embodiments have been shown and described, it is to be understood that the above description is not intended to limit the scope of these embodiments. While embodiments and variations of the many aspects of the invention have been disclosed and described herein, such disclosure is provided for purposes of explanation and illustration only. Thus, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, not all of the components described in the embodiments are necessary, and the invention may include any suitable combinations of the described components, and the general shapes and relative sizes of the components of the invention may be modified. Accordingly, embodiments are intended to exemplify alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may fall within the scope of the claims. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except to the following claims, and their equivalents.