Abstract:
An electrically powered massage device has a hand-held unit containing a power source and operation control units extended from. It includes a squirming massage actuator as well as a vibration massage actuator connected to the squirming massage actuator. The hand-held unit contains a battery chamber carrying a plurality of batteries for providing electric power to the device The hand-held unit comprises also an electronic control unit for controlling device operation, and includes a control panel with operation pushbuttons on its outer surface. On said outer surface there is a chamber with transparent cover loosely encasing a plurality of artificial diamonds for visual attractiveness.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to massage devices, especially as they relate to electrically powered vibrating massage devices having control panels, and more particularly, to such a vibration massager of the type used for therapeutic sexual massage or sexual aid, wherein a control panel of the massager has visual communication means. 
         [0002]    In the art of the vibrating massager, especially those of sexual aid devices, there is a large emphasis on physical contact stimulation provided by the product. Improvements on exiting massagers is focused on product shape, dimension, surface finish, vibrating and stimulation modes, etc., all aiming at increasing the physical contact stimulation applied to the body areas concerned. However, certain additional functions of the massager which can help to enhance the sexual aid application, for example visual attractiveness, are omitted by the existing designs because of product complexity and high cost. A low cost solution of the visual attractiveness from the product has been missing for so long in the conventional designs. Other secondary functions which can provide enhancements to the massaging function but are absent in conventional designs include enabling visual communications through the control panel of the massager (but without additionally consuming energy), providing controlled temperature of the device, and indicating the vibration strength, for example. The aforementioned shortcomings of the conventional designs are such that existing massagers have not all the advantages, benefits, features, goals and objectives herein noted. Thus, a need exists to provide a device having some or all of these advantages, benefits, features, goals and objectives. 
         [0003]    Among a few of the advantages, benefits, features, goals and objectives obtained by one or more embodiments of the presently described technology are as follows. 
         [0004]    One or more embodiments of the presently described technology provide a massage device that includes a vibration actuator or actuators and a control panel having a transparent cover, such that the space beneath the cover caries movable objects which can provide, but not limit, a visual communication function in addition to a massaging function. 
         [0005]    One or more embodiments of the presently described technology provide a massage device which provides aesthetic attractiveness of the product in addition to the massaging function. 
         [0006]    One or more embodiments of the presently described technology provide an electrically powered massage device, specially used as a sexual aid or therapeutic device, with a control panel having an additional front cover arrangement in which various systems can be integrated for providing visual communication functions without consuming energy. 
         [0007]    One or more embodiments of the presently described technology provide an electrically powered massage device with a control panel having an additional front cover arrangement in which various systems can be integrated for providing visual communication functions under various application environments. 
         [0008]    One or more embodiments of the presently described technology provide an electrically powered massage device with advantageous visual communication capacity without increasing manufacturing complexity. 
         [0009]    Briefly, an electrically powered massage device of an embodiment of the invention comprises a hand-held unit containing a power source, a massage actuator, and operation control devices. A disclosed embodiment includes a squirming massage actuator as well as a vibration massage actuator connected to the squirming massage actuator. The hand-held unit presently disclosed contains a battery chamber accommodating a battery cartridge or casing providing a chamber for carrying a plurality of batteries for providing electric power to the device, there being an end-cover for covering the battery chamber. The hand-held unit comprises also an electronic control unit for controlling device operation, and further comprises a control panel with operation pushbuttons on its outer surface. On the outer surface there is a chamber with transparent cover loosely encasing a plurality of artificial diamonds for visual attractiveness. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective-type view of completely assembled device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective-type view of the device of  FIG. 1  with the end cover and battery cartridge detached from the device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of the components/units making up the device of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0013]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts in multiple figures of the drawings. 
       DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    A preferred embodiment of the present invention is presented, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, electrically powered massage device  1  comprises a squirming actuator with a prosthetic phallic-simulative member  2  made of suitable resilient material. The resilient material can be of appropriate thickness as heretofore employed in patented or published disclosures of the present inventor&#39;s previous devices for comparable therapeutic or sexual aid use. 
         [0016]    The massage device includes a hand-held portion  3  having a control panel  4  and pushbuttons  5 , a transparent cover  6  closing a chamber which encases a plurality of aesthetic objects  25  arranged in an array which at least partly surrounds control panel  4 , an end-cover  7 , a squirming producing unit  8  and its driving unit  9 , a vibration massage actuator  10  and a power cable  11  connecting to the power source inside the device. In an embodiment of the presently described device  1 , aesthetic objects  25  include one or more types of reflective or refractive objects that reflect or refract light in such a way as to attract one&#39;s attention to the control panel  4 . For example, aesthetic objects  25  can be embodied in one or more of artificial diamonds, nonprecious or semiprecious stones, or other objects useful to produce a desired visual effect. The objects  25  may be so-called white (uncolored) objects or may be of colored types of objects. While objects  25  are referred to as “diamonds” herein, the scope of embodiments of the presently described device  1  are not limited to using diamonds or artificial diamonds as objects  25 . 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the hand-held portion  3  defines a battery chamber with an opening  14  for accepting battery cartridge  12  carrying batteries  13 . At the opening of the battery chamber and on the outside circumference of the chamber terminal there is provided an external screw thread  16 . A corresponding internal screw thread (not shown but inferred by the external screw thread  16 ) disposed in the internal circumference and at the opening of the end-cover  7  is provided to engage with and fasten onto the external screw thread  16 . 
         [0018]    A sealing element  15  made of resilient material can be disposed between the hand-held portion  3  and the end-cover  7 . When the end-cover  7  is fastened onto the hand-held portion  3  a sealing between the two parts can be established. In certain embodiments, a water-tight seal can be established. 
         [0019]    Now referring to  FIG. 3 , the hand-held portion  3  is provided with an elongated radial extension, a so-called boss,  29  having edge-rounded character at its ends relative to the axis of elongation. Boss  29  defines a chamber  30  having an opening  31  for accommodating the control unit of the massage device. 
         [0020]    The control unit comprises a printed circuit board (PCB)  17  containing a suitable control circuit carrying a set of pushbutton switches  18  for operating various functions, a set of button caps  19  for correspondingly putting on the pushbutton switches  18 , a front cover  20  having a skirt portion  32  at its lower side and a set of through holes  21  on the top surface for correspondingly accepting the button caps  19  and a step surface  22  for fitting a base plate  23  which has a hardening surface  24 , a plurality of artificial diamonds  25 , a transparent or translucent cover  26  made in a reversed channel form for accommodating the artificial diamonds  25 , and a membrane  27  having a set of pushing portions  28  corresponding to the pushbutton switches  18 . 
         [0021]    By placement of cover  26  with respect to base plate  23  and hardening surface  24 , a channel is formed in which one or more of artificial diamonds  25  can be inserted. The channel can be rectangular, square, circular in shape or in the shape of any other two-dimensional geometric object. In an embodiment of the presently described device, the channel can surround a face or surface of the control panel  4  so as to be located just inside a circumference of the face. 
         [0022]    Artificial diamonds  25  can be arranged in an array or continuous sequence provided by successive placement so that the array of the diamonds at least partly surrounds control panel  4  by means of said cover  26  channel form, and in the embodiment shown, to provide a lateral end section of diamonds and two parallel longitudinal extensions of the diamond array extending around a corresponding three portions of boss  29 . The artificial diamonds  25  may most preferably be loosely fitted for permitting movement on reorientation of the massage device, as will most readily attract attention, or may instead be closely or tightly fitted in adjacent relationship for fixed location, according to the visual effect desired. That is, diamonds  25  can be loosely positioned inside the channel formed by cover  26  so as to vibrate and thus move as device  1  vibrates, for example. Diamonds  25  can be loosely positioned inside the channel in a number of ways. For example, diamonds  25  can be placed inside channel in a sufficiently low density so as to allow movement of diamonds  25  with respect to the cover  26 . In another example, a circumference of diamonds  25  can be sufficiently small so as to permit movement of diamonds  25  with respect to the cover  26 . As cover  26  is preferably transparent or translucent, diamonds  25  are visible to users of device  1  during operation of device  1 . 
         [0023]    As an alternative to the orientation of three diamond segments, four segments or extensions of artificial diamonds may be provided so as to fully surround control panel  4 , it being understood that if loosely fitted, the artificial diamonds can be free, if desired, to be able to move around four segments. 
         [0024]    Other groupings of the diamonds are also possible, such as parallel grouping of two segments, with the artificial diamonds either loosely or tightly fitted. 
         [0025]    In the foregoing orientations and every possible orientation of comparable effect the array of artificial diamonds provides novel and useful visual effect. The diamonds highlight the control panel and by their light-gathering effect provide for immediate visual location of the control panel, even in a semi-darkened room, and in every possible variation providing visual orientation and location as well as enabling visual communications through the control panel of the massager but without additionally consuming energy from the batteries. 
         [0026]    Instead of artificial diamonds other nonprecious or semiprecious stones may be used according to desired visual effect. The artificial diamonds may be so-called white (uncolored) or may be of colored types. 
         [0027]    In the assembly of the vibratory massager, the front cover  20  with its skirt portion  32  engaged with terminal edge of opening  31  of boss  29  encases the PCB 17  carrying the button caps  19 ; the membrane  27  will then be affixed on the front cover  20  forming the control panel. Elements  23 ,  25  and  26  are integrated into a subassembly unit which is then affixed on the top of the front cover  20 . 
         [0028]    As materials of construction suitable well-known polymers and resins of waterproof character may be employed for the structural components for hand-held portion  3  and its control panel  4  and pushbuttons  5 , and transparent cover  6 . 
         [0029]    As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting.