Compact massaging apparatus for a seat having foldable, hinged housing

A compact massaging apparatus, such as for a seat, comprising:

• a substantially closed outer housing means including upper and lower housing sections which are hingedly connected together for relative hinging movement between a closed position wherein the upper and lower housing sections directly oppose and engage one another to define a substantially closed housing and an open position wherein the upper and lower housing sections are relatively hingedly moved away from the closed position through an angle of about 180.degree., said upper housing section including a concave part which projects therefrom into the lower housing section when the upper and lower housing sections are in said closed position, said upper housing section including an top wall section which is positioned above and overlies the concave part when in said closed position;
• a massaging unit mounted in said concave part so as to be disposed substantially below said upper wall section when in said closed position;
• said upper and lower housing sections cooperating to define handle parts disposed adjacent opposite sides of said housing means;
• said massaging unit including an inner box-like housing which is positioned within said concave part below said top wall section, said inner housing having a worm rotatably supported therein and a pair of worm gears rotatably supported therein and disposed in meshing engagement with opposite sides of said worm so that the worm gears simultaneously rotate in opposite directions, a pair of support shafts rotatably supported in said inner housing and nonrotatably and coaxially coupled to said worm gears, and bearing means rotatably supporting said support shafts on said inner housing, each support shaft having a coaxial shaft part which projects upwardly through said inner housing and into an opening through said top wall section, and a motor drivingly coupled to said worm for effecting rotation thereof;
• a pair of rounded ball-like massaging elements positioned outside said housing means adjacent said top wall section for simultaneous orbital rotation in opposite directions, each massaging element being nonrotatably coupled to a respective one of said shaft parts for rotation therewith and disposed in offset relation relative to rotational axis of the respective support shaft so as to undergo an orbiting circular rotation;
• a flexible sheet-like cover of a soft material attached to said upper housing section and disposed so as to extend over and enclose said massaging elements;
• and
• belt-receiving fixtures mounted on said housing means adjacent opposite sides thereof and adapted to receive belts to permit hanging of the massaging apparatus on a seat back.