The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 25, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 08, 1998
Charles G Sleichter, III, Dana Point, CA (US);
JB Research, Inc., Bellflower, CA (US);
Abstract
A massaging system for equipment such as a vehicle includes a pad; a heater element, and motorized vibrators in respective regions of the pad; a plurality of vibratory transducers for location relative to plural zones of the seat; a controller for selectively activating the transducers. Each of the vibrators is in a cavity of a main cushion member, the cavity being closed by an outer cushion member that supports an occupant, a soft isolation member being interposed between the transducer and the main cushion member. The isolation member can completely enclose the transducer; alternatively, the transducer can be bonded to the outer cushion member or a reinforcing sheet that is laminated thereto, the isolation member only partially enclosing the transducer. The isolation of the vibrators from the main cushion member provides improved selectivity of particular regions of a user's body to be massaged. Also, in multiple seating installations, unwanted vibration of one seat is suppressed during activation of vibrators in an adjacent seat. Also disclosed is a method for converting a padded support to produce isolated massaging.