Patent ID: 8231559

Claim:
A pneumatic massage apparatus comprising: a pneumatic massage device comprising a plurality of air chambers configured to be expanded and contracted by supplying and discharging pressurized air thereto and therefrom so as to be capable of effecting a human body; and a pump configured to supply pressurized air to the air chambers, the pump being separated from the pneumatic massage device, wherein the pneumatic massage device is configured to be worn around an upper limb or a lower limb of a human body in a tubular manner, and the air chambers are arranged successively along a longitudinal direction of the tubular pneumatic massage device, the pneumatic massage device comprising: a hose disposed so as to extend along the longitudinal direction and configured to receive at one end thereof pressurized air from the pump; and electromagnetic valves disposed at respective positions corresponding to the air chambers arranged successively along the longitudinal direction of the hose and being configured to control supply and discharge of the pressurized air to and from the air chambers, the electromagnetic valves each having a displaceable valve member with an armature, and a solenoid configured to attract the armature so as to move the displaceable valve member when a voltage is applied to the solenoid, wherein each of the electromagnetic valves includes a tubular housing having a longitudinal axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the hose, the tubular housing having an air inlet connected, along the longitudinal axis, to the hose at a first end, an air outlet open to the atmosphere at a second end, and a supply and discharge port on a side wall of the tubular housing connected to the air chamber corresponding to the electromagnetic valve, the supply and discharge port being selectively communicated with the air inlet or the air outlet by an opening and closing operation of the electromagnetic valve, wherein at least one pair of adjacent electromagnetic valves are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the hose, and air inlets of the pair of adjacent electromagnetic valves face each other, the at least one pair of adjacent electromagnetic valves having a first electromagnetic valve and a second electromagnetic valve, wherein connectors are configured and arranged so as to enable fluid communication between the hose and the air inlets of the electromagnetic valves, and wherein at least one of the connectors comprises a T-shaped connector having a base portion fluidly connected to the hose at an intermediate position between the pair of adjacent electromagnetic valves in the longitudinal direction of the hose, and extending in a direction perpendicular to the hose, and first and second branch portions extending from a distal end of the base portion in opposite directions along the longitudinal direction of the hose and fluidly connected to the air inlets of the first and second electromagnetic valves, respectively.