Vibrator for furniture

A vibrator system for inducing vibrations in a body, said system comprising:

• an electro-mechanical vibrator, for producing vibrations in the body;
• means adapted to be connected to a source of A.C. line voltage for supplying A.C. line voltage to electro-mechanical vibrator;
• and
• control means for controlling the duration of the portion of the A.C. line voltage supplied to the electro-mechanical vibrator during each cycle of the A.C. line voltage, said control means comprising an electronic switch which switches between an "on" state during which the A.C. line voltage is supplied to the electro-mechanical vibrator and an "off" state wherein the A.C. voltage is prevented from being supplied to the electro-mechanical vibrator, and signal generator means for variably controlling the time during which said electronic switch switches to the "on" state thereof so as to gradually vary the duration of the portion of the A.C. line voltage supplied to the electro-mechanical vibrator during each cycle, over a given time period, between a predetermined maximum duration and a predetermined minimum duration.

In combination, an article of furniture;

• an electromagnetic vibrator, including a driving coil, for inducing vibrations into the article of furniture;
• and a control circuit for controlling the driving current supplied to the driving coil of said electromagnetic vibrator;
• said control circuit comprising:
• means connected to said electromagnetic vibrator and adapted to be connected to source of A.C. line voltage;
• rectifier means for half-wave rectifying said A.C. line voltage;
• and
• control means for controlling the duration of the portion of each cycle of the A.C. line voltage supplied to said electromagnetic vibrator, said control means comprising an electronic switch connected in series with the driving coil of said electromagnetic vibrator and a variable duration, variable period pulse generator means for generating a train of constant duration pulses for controlling switching of said electronic switch, the frequency of said pulses differing from the frequency of the line voltage such that switching of said electronic switch over a predetermined period occurs at a point in the A.C. half-wave which gradually varies in the same direction over the period so as to produce a corresponding gradual variation in the duration of the portion of the A.C. half-wave supplied to the electromagnetic vibrator.