Massage Appliance Dual-Structured Cladding Material

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing small-sized massage appliances cause discomfort and pain due to their rough material contact with the skin, especially on sensitive areas like the face, head, and cervical portions, and fail to dampen vibrations, leading to a tired and numb feeling.

Innovation Solution

A massage appliance with a dual-structured cladding material, featuring a super-soft resin with higher flexibility than the soft cover, is used to cover the vibrating section and the entire apparatus, providing a soft and flexible interface that reduces friction and noise, enhancing the sliding and touch feeling while preventing discomfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If resin or rubber is used as the material of the vibrating section, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the touch property with respect to the skin is bad and causes pain during prolonged contact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidskin discomfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining a soft cover made of resin or rubber with a super-soft resin layer. The soft cover provides structural simplicity and ease of manufacture, while the super-soft resin layer provides comfortable skin contact. This composite structure resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and skin comfort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by making only the portion that contacts the skin (the vibrating section) super-soft, while other parts of the device can remain with standard materials. This allows the device to be easy to manufacture overall while providing localized comfort where it matters most - at the skin contact interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If a hard material is used for the vibrating section, then the structure is simple, but contact and pressure for a long time cause pain in the skin

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidskin pain
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines a hard soft cover structure with a super-soft resin layer to create a composite material system. The hard outer structure maintains device simplicity while the super-soft inner layer eliminates skin pain during prolonged contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The super-soft resin layer acts as a pre-applied cushioning layer between the hard vibrating section and the skin. This beforehand cushioning prevents skin pain before it occurs, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and comfort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If the vibrating section has high friction material, then the grip is secure, but sliding with respect to fingers causes tired and discomfort feeling during continuous use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrip securityVSAvoidsliding comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the friction characteristics of different parts of the device. The vibrating section that contacts the skin has super-soft, low-friction properties for comfort, while other gripping portions can maintain higher friction for secure handling. This resolves the contradiction between grip security and sliding comfort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Object-affected harmful factors

If the vibrating section is covered with soft material, then the touch feeling is improved, but the vibrating sounds grate on user's ears and fingers become numb

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouch comfortVSAvoidvibrating sound and numbness
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite materials where the super-soft resin layer serves multiple functions: it provides comfortable skin contact while simultaneously acting as a vibration-damping layer that reduces both audible vibrating sounds and the transmission of vibrations to the user's fingers, preventing numbness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The super-soft resin layer acts as an intermediary between the hard vibrating section and the user's skin. It mediates the vibration transmission, providing comfortable contact while filtering out harmful vibrations that cause ear-grating sounds and finger numbness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The appliance effectively promotes bloodstream and removes body wastes without causing damage to sensitive skin, maintaining a comfortable feel during long-term use by dispersing pressure and damping vibrations, thus improving the massage experience.

Implementation Method 1

the soft cover is vibrated by the vibrating piece via the case and the super-soft resin

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Implementation Method 2

the gel-like elastomer having a flexibility higher than that of the soft cover

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2949308B1Massager, and production method and production device for same
Publication Date: 2020.03.25 TENGA CO LTD
  • EP2949308B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP2949308B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(d)
  • EP2949308B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~4(b)

AI summary

Provided is a technology of a handy type and small-sized massage appliance. In the massage appliance, the vibrating section which is brought in contact with the user's skin and applies vibration is covered by the dual-structured cladding material having a high flexibility. Therefore, the original massage effect such as the promotion of bloodstream, the removal of the body wastes, and recovery from fatigue can be exerted without giving damage on a sensitive diseased part or the skin. There are provided a motor 5, a vibrating piece 8 which is rotatably driven by the motor, a vibrator body 2 which includes the case 9 accommodating these components, a soft cover 20 which surrounds the outer surface of the case, and a super-soft resin 40 which is interposed between the outer surface of the case and the soft cover and integrates the case and the soft cover.