High-performance hand massager

Abstract

To provide a high-performance hand massage machine. [Solution] The high-performance hand massager comprises a housing having an opening that allows a hand to access an internal working space; a massage module controlled to massage a part of the hand in various modes; a speaker controlled to play music or sounds; a hand sensor that senses a hand accessing the working space and transmits an activation signal when a hand is detected; a control panel operated to transmit commands; a control module that is signal-connected to the control panel, hand sensor, speaker, and massage module and, upon receiving an activation signal, controls the massage module to operate in a specific mode in response to a command from the control panel and controls at least one speaker to play specific music or sounds; and a power module that receives power from a power source, converts the power, and supplies it to electrically connected elements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hand massager. More specifically, the present invention relates to a high-performance hand massager that can be activated by sensing the presence of a hand, operate in different modes for different users, play different music according to user preferences, induce the user's mood, and display different visual images.

Background Art

[0002] An electronic hand massager is a device that massages a user's hand under electronic control using mechanical technology. Electronic hand massagers typically use air compression, vibration, rolling mechanisms, or thermotherapy to relax the muscles and joints of the hands, fingers, and wrists. Compared with conventional manual massage, electronic hand massagers provide a more consistent and deeper massage experience, and their intensity and modes are adjustable to adapt to individual needs. Electronic hand massagers may relieve hand fatigue and pain, promote blood circulation, reduce joint compression and stiffness, and provide relaxation and stress relief. As people spend more and more time in front of computers using keyboards and mice, the demand for electronic hand massagers is also increasing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] While electronic hand massagers are easy to use, they lack variety in their operation. Users must always face the same electronic hand massager and wait for the massage time to pass. The massage time is boring. If electronic hand massagers could add some kind of entertainment function to change the user's mood, the entire hand massage process would become a synchronized exercise for physical and mental relaxation. However, such a product does not exist on the market. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Here, we will extract and summarize some of the features of the present invention, but other features will be disclosed in subsequent paragraphs. The present invention is intended to encompass various modifications and similar configurations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0006] To satisfy the requirements mentioned above, a high-performance hand massager is disclosed. The high-performance hand massager comprises a housing having an opening for a hand to access an internal working space; a massage module mounted in the working space and controlled to massage a portion of the hand in various modes; at least one speaker mounted in the housing and controlled to play music or sounds; a hand sensor mounted in the working space that senses a hand accessing the working space and transmits an activation signal when a hand is detected; a control panel mounted in the housing and operated to transmit commands; a control module mounted in the working space and signal-connected to the control panel, hand sensor, at least one speaker, and massage module, and which, upon receiving an activation signal, controls the massage module to operate in a specific mode and the at least one speaker to play specific music or sounds in response to a command from the control panel; and a power module mounted in the housing that receives power from a power source, converts the power, and supplies the converted power to the electrically connected control module, control panel, hand sensor, at least one speaker, and massage module.

[0007] The high-performance hand massager may further include an image board that is removable or rotatably mounted on the housing and on which an image picture is displayed.

[0008] The high-performance hand massager may further include a monitor that is detachably fixed to the housing, electrically connected to a power module, signal-connected to a control module, and displays video or images in response to commands from the control module via a control panel. The monitor may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a plasma display, a light-emitting diode (LED) display, or electronic paper. The control module should therefore include a memory unit for storing music, audio, video, and image files.

[0009] The high-performance hand massage machine may also further include a heater that is mounted in the working space, electrically connected to a power module, signal-connected to a control module, and generates heat of various temperatures in the working space in response to commands from the control panel via the control module.

[0010] According to the present invention, the massage module may be pressurized, roller-type, or vibrating. Various modes operate with varying intensities, durations, speeds, or cycles applied to the hand. The hand sensor may be an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, a photoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a radar sensor, or a sonar sensor.

[0011] The control panel may be a touch panel, forming multiple virtual buttons, and when a corresponding virtual button is pressed, a specific command is sent from the control panel. The control panel may also have multiple physical buttons, and when a corresponding physical button is pressed, a specific command is sent from the control panel.

[0012] The power module may include a power distribution circuit and a battery box electrically connected to the power distribution circuit. Therefore, the power source is one or more batteries electrically mounted within the battery box. The power module may also include a power distribution circuit, a transformer electrically connected to the power distribution circuit, and wires electrically connected to the transformer. The power source is an electrical socket into which the wire plugs are inserted.

[0013] According to the present invention, the separation cloth cover may be further fixed to the opening and extend into the working space to separate the hand from the massage module. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] High-performance hand massagers have the following advantages compared to commercially available palm massagers: Firstly, even when the high-performance hand massager is powered on, it only activates when a hand accesses the casing. This saves power if the user turns on the high-performance hand massager but forgets to use it. Secondly, the high-performance hand massager can provide music or sound to help the user pass the time during a massage. Thirdly, the high-performance hand massager has various operating modes that the user can select. Finally, the high-performance hand massager provides visual enjoyment through a monitor or image board. In this way, it can meet the above requirements. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is an external view of a high-performance hand massager according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a high-performance hand massager in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of a high-performance hand massager, showing a hand accessing the working space inside the high-performance hand massager. [Figure 4] This is a front view of a high-performance hand massager with an image board installed. [Figure 5] This is a side view of a high-performance hand massager with an image board installed. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a high-performance hand massager according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a side view of a high-performance hand massager with the monitor fixed in place. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the following embodiments.

[0017] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is an external view of a high-performance hand massager 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of the high-performance (smart) hand massager 1 in the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the high-performance hand massager 1 with a hand H accessing the working space S within the high-performance hand massager 1. The high-performance hand massager 1 comprises a housing 10, a massage module 20, at least one speaker 30, a hand sensor 40, a control panel 50, a control module 60, a heater 70, and a power module 80. For convenience of explanation, the components in Figure 2 are connected by dashed lines to indicate electrical connections and by dotted lines to indicate signal connections. The components, functions, and usage of the high-performance hand massager 1 will be described using the corresponding drawings.

[0018] The housing 10 is a protective case of the high-performance hand massager 1. The external appearance of the housing 10 is not limited by the present invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, the housing 10 has the same external appearance as that shown in Figure 1. The housing 10 is characterized by having an opening 11 for allowing the user's hand H to access the operation space S inside the housing 10. A separating fabric cover 12 can be fixed to the opening 11 and extended into the operation space S so as not to directly contact / rub against the components mounted in the operation space S inside the housing 10. The separating fabric cover 12 has a soft and smooth surface. The separating fabric cover 12 can be used to separate the hand H from the components, particularly the massage module 20, so that the hand H will not come into contact with or rub against the components.

[0019] The massage module 20 is an element of the high-performance hand massager 1 for performing massage on the hand H. The massage module 20 is mounted in the operation space S of the housing 10. The massage module 20 is controlled by the control module 60 to massage a part of the hand H in various modes. According to the present invention, the type of the massage module 20 is not limited. In practice, it is more appropriate that the massage module 20 is of a pressure type, a roller type, or a vibration type, and is used in the high-performance hand massager 1. In Figure 3, the massage module 20 of the first embodiment is of a pressure type. The massage module 20 includes an upper massage cushion 21 and a lower massage cushion 22. Both the upper massage cushion 21 and the lower massage cushion 22 are provided with a plurality of massage protrusions P on the surface and three airbags A (shown by dashed outline lines) inside. The airbags A alternately inflate and deflate, causing several massage protrusions P to press local areas of the hand H. Regarding the modes of the high-performance hand massager 1, various modes may operate with different intensities, different durations, different speeds, or different cycles for the hand H, depending on the type of the massage module 20 and the design of the high-performance hand massager 1.

[0020] In the embodiment, the number of speakers 30 is two. This means there are two speakers 30 mounted on both sides of the housing 10. The speakers 30 are controlled by the control module 60 to play music or audio. The speakers 30 are used to provide some enjoyment to the user when the user is using the high-performance hand massager 1 to relieve hand pain. It is boring to watch the high-performance hand massager 1 operate monotonously for a while. The music or audio may be played separately or switchably according to the mode of the massage module 20. For example, soft music is played in the low-speed mode, and rock music is played in the high-speed mode.

[0021] The hand sensor 40 is one of the technical features of the present invention. The hand sensor 40 is mounted in the operation space S. The hand sensor 40 can sense a hand H accessing the operation space S, and transmits an activation signal when sensing the hand H. Even if the high-performance hand massager 1 is powered on, it does not massage the hand H until the hand H is detected by the hand sensor 40. The activation signal can be understood as a command to the control module 60 for instructing the massage module 20 to operate. According to the present invention, the hand sensor 40 may be, but is not limited to, an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, a photoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a radar sensor, or a sonar sensor. The most important thing is that when installing the hand sensor 40, there should be no other elements between the hand sensor 40 and the hand H, such as the separating fabric cover 12. The specific position of the hand sensor 40 in the operation space S is not limited.

[0022] The control panel 50 is mounted on the housing 10 and faces the external environment operated by the user. The control panel 50 operates to send commands to the control module 60. The control panel 10 is a mechanical structure and may have multiple physical buttons. When a corresponding physical button, such as a mode button, is pressed, a specific command, such as a mode change command to change the current mode of the massage module 20, is sent from the control panel 60 to the control module 60. The control panel 50 can also be a touch panel as shown in Figure 1. The control panel 50 forms multiple virtual buttons B. In this design, similarly, when a corresponding virtual button B is pressed, a specific command is sent from the control panel 50. In addition to the mode button, there may be other virtual buttons B for sending corresponding commands to the control module 60. For example, there is a music / voice selection button that, when pressed, sends a music / voice command to the control module 60 and plays the assigned music or voice through the speaker 30; a temperature button that sends a temperature command to the control module 60 and changes the temperature in the operating space S by the heater 70; and a power button that sends a power command to the control module 60 and turns the power module 80 on or off.

[0023] The control module 60 is an assembly of electronic components including at least one controller, active components, and passive components assembled on at least one printed circuit board. The control module 60 is mounted in the working space S and is signal-connected to the heater 70, control panel 50, hand sensor 40, speaker 30, and massage module 20. As mentioned above, when the control module 60 receives an activation signal from the hand sensor 40, it can control the massage module 20 to operate in a specific mode, the speaker 30 to play specific music or sounds, and the heater 70 to heat the working space S, in response to a command from the control panel 50. The control module 60 may also include a memory unit 61. The memory unit 61 can store music, audio, video, and image files. Video and image files are used in a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] The heater 70 may be any device that generates heat by electricity. The heater 70 is mounted in the operating space S, electrically connected to the power module 80, and signal-connected to the control module 60. The heater 70 generates heat of various temperatures in the operating space S in response to commands from the control panel 50 via the control module 60.

[0025] The power module 80 is mounted on the housing 10 and may be completely enclosed by the housing 10, or may be partially exposed to the external environment. The power module 80 receives power from a power source, converts the power to different voltages, and supplies the converted power to a heater 70, a control module 60, a control panel 50, a hand sensor 40, a speaker 30, and a massage module 20, all of which are electrically connected to the power module 80. The power module 80 has various structures. In this embodiment, the power module 80 comprises a power distribution circuit 81 and a battery box 82 electrically connected to the power distribution circuit 81. Thus, the power source is one or more batteries electrically installed in the battery box 82. The batteries 821 may be rechargeable batteries. A charger (not shown) may be further connected to the battery box 82 to charge the batteries 821 when their power is low. Another structure of the power module 80 will be shown in a second embodiment.

[0026] Please refer to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a front view of the high-performance hand massager 1 with the image board 90 installed. Figure 5 is a side view of the high-performance hand massager 1 with the image board 90 installed. The high-performance hand massager 1 may further include an image board 90 which is removable or rotatably mounted in the housing 10 (in the opening 11) and displays an image thereon. The image board 90 is decorative and adds some enjoyment to the user when using the high-performance hand massager 1. In this embodiment, the image board 90 is made of cardboard and is rotatably mounted in the housing 10. An image of the "Mouth of Truth" is depicted on the front, with the opening 11 engaging with the mouth. When the user uses the high-performance hand massager 1, the user may feel as if their hand is reaching deep into the Mouth of Truth. The speaker 30 is preferably capable of playing the music "Yesterday Once More." This will evoke memories of the movie "Roman Holiday" for elderly users. The image board 90 may also be made of plastic. This board is rigid and cannot be bent or folded. The image board 90 is therefore removablely mounted in the housing 10 in this state.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a configuration diagram of the high-performance hand massager 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a side view of the high-performance hand massager 2 with the monitor 91 fixed. For simplicity of explanation, the same reference numerals as in the previous figures are used in Figures 6 and 7 to represent the same elements. In Figure 6, one difference between the first embodiment and this embodiment is the power module 80'. The power module 80' of the high-performance hand massager 2 comprises a power distribution circuit 83, a transformer 84 electrically connected to the power distribution circuit 83, and a wire 85 electrically connected to the transformer 84. The power source is an electrical socket (not shown) into which the plug of the wire 85 is inserted. This means that the power module 80' can receive AC power and convert AC power to DC power for use.

[0028] In Figure 7, another difference between the first embodiment and this embodiment is that the image board 90 is replaced by a monitor 91. The monitor 91 is detachably fixed to the housing 10. In this embodiment, the monitor 91 may also be fixed to a fixing groove 13 of the housing 10. The monitor 91 is electrically connected to a power module 80' and signal-connected to a control module 60, and displays video or images in response to commands from the control panel 50 via the control module 60. Video and image files can be stored in a memory unit 61 as selected by the user. Music for the video can be played by the speaker 30. The monitor 91 can provide the user with entertainment videos to pass the time. The monitor can preferably be a liquid crystal display (CD), a thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a plasma display, a light-emitting diode (LED) display, or even electronic paper.

[0029] While the present invention has been described in relation to what is currently considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment. Rather, the present invention is intended to encompass various modifications and similar configurations included in the spirit and scope of the appended claims, and the claims should be interpreted in the broadest way to include all such modifications and similar structures. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0030] 1…High-performance hand massager, 10…Housing, 11…Opening, 12…Separation cloth cover, 20…Massage module, 30…Speaker, 40…Hand sensor, 50…Control panel, 60…Control module, 70…Heater, 80…Power module.

Claims

1. A housing having an opening for accessing the internal working space, A massage module mounted in the aforementioned working space and controlled to massage a portion of the hand in various modes, Mounted in the aforementioned housing and controlled to play music or sound, A hand sensor is installed in the aforementioned working space, detects the hand accessing the working space, and transmits an activation signal when the hand is detected. A control panel, which is mounted on the aforementioned enclosure and operated to send commands, A control module is mounted in the operating space and is signal-connected to the control panel, the hand sensor, the at least one speaker, and the massage module, and upon receiving the activation signal, controls the massage module to operate in a specific mode and the at least one speaker to play specific music or sounds in response to the command from the control panel. A power module is mounted on the housing and receives power from a power source, converts the power, and supplies the converted power to the electrically connected control module, the control panel, the hand sensor, the at least one speaker, and the massage module. A high-performance hand massager equipped with [features / equipment].

2. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, further comprising an image board that is detachably or rotatably mounted in the housing and on which an image is displayed.

3. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, further comprising a monitor that is detachably fixed to the housing, electrically connected to the power module, signal-connected to the control module, and displays video or images in response to commands from the control panel via the control module.

4. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 3, wherein the monitor is a liquid crystal display, a thin-film transistor liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode display, a plasma display, a light-emitting diode display, or electronic paper.

5. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 3, wherein the control module further comprises a memory unit for recording music, audio, video, and image files.

6. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, further comprising a heater mounted in the working space, electrically connected to the power module, signal-connected to the control module, and generating heat of various temperatures in the working space in response to commands from the control panel via the control module.

7. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, wherein the massage module is of the pressurized, roller, or vibratory type.

8. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, wherein various modes operate on the hand with varying intensities, durations, speeds, or cycles.

9. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, wherein the hand sensor is an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, a photoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a radar sensor, or a sonar sensor.

10. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, wherein the control panel is a touch panel and forms a plurality of virtual buttons, and when a corresponding virtual button is pressed, one specific command is transmitted from the control panel.

11. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, wherein the control panel comprises a plurality of physical buttons, and when a corresponding physical button is pressed, a specific command is transmitted from the control panel.

12. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, wherein the power module comprises a power distribution circuit and a battery box electrically connected to the power distribution circuit.

13. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 12, wherein the power source is one or more batteries electrically installed in the battery box.

14. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, wherein the power module comprises a power distribution circuit, a transformer electrically connected to the power distribution circuit, and electric wires electrically connected to the transformer.

15. The high-performance hand massager according to claim 14, wherein the power supply is an electrical socket into which the plug of the electric wire is inserted.

16. A high-performance hand massager according to claim 1, wherein a separation cloth cover is further fixed to the opening and extends into the working space to separate the hand from the massage module.

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