Massaging apparatus having self-adjusting constant strength and non-adjust strength modes

A massaging apparatus having self-adjust, constant strength and non-adjust strength modes, said massaging unit in said constant strength mode comprising:

• a frame means for supporting a reclining chair on which a user rests, said reclining chair including a padded seat portion and an approximately upright back portion, said upright back portion including a pair of racks and a pair of rails;
• a massage unit slidably mounted on said back portion of said reclining chair, said massage unit having a pair of applicators which project forwardly from said massage unit through an open area in said back portion in order to be pressed against a user's body and having a means for moving said massage unit up and down said back portion of said reclining chair on said racks and rails;
• a drive means for moving said pair of applicators of said massage unit to apply a massaging force to the user's body;
• a pressure sensor means for monitoring a pressure applied back to said pair of applicators from the user's body as a counter-action of applying said massaging force to the user's body and for providing an output indicative of said monitored pressure;
• a strength-adjustor means for varying at least one parameter from a group consisting of two parameters as follow:
• a distance said applicator projects forwardly from said massaging unit;
• and an operational speed of moving said pair of applicators in order to adjust an initial massage strength applied to the user's body to an optimum massage strength for the user in accordance with said monitored pressure;
• and
• a control circuit comprising:
• a manual controller means for manually controlling said initial massage strength selected by the user;
• an auto-controller means connected to said pressure sensor for receiving said output from said pressure sensor and for actuating said strength-adjustor means in order to increase or decrease said initial massaging strength to said optimum massage strength for the user in accordance with said monitored pressure, said auto-controller including a nullifier circuit means and a delay circuit means;
• and
• a pressure controller means for maintaining said initial massage strength selected by the user even when said monitored pressure deviates from a current massage strength continuously over a predetermined period of time by increasing or decreasing said distance said pair of applicators project forwardly of said massaging unit in order to adjust said current massage strength in line with said initially selected massage strength;
• and
• a selector means for selecting one of a group of two control circuit components including said auto-controller means and said pressure controller means.

A massaging apparatus capable of analyzing a user's back contour and shoulder position, said massaging apparatus comprising:

• a frame means for supporting a reclining chair on which a user rests, said reclining chair including a padded seat portion and an approximately upright back portion, said upright back portion including a pair of racks and a pair of rails;
• a massage unit slidably mounted on said back portion of said reclining chair, said massage unit having a pair of applicators which project forwardly from said massage unit through an open area in said back portion in order to be pressed against a user's body and having a means for moving said massage unit up and down said back portion of said reclining chair on said racks and rails;
• a drive means for moving said pair of applicators of said massage unit to apply a massaging force to the user's body;
• a strength-adjustor means for varying at least one of a distance said applicator projects forwardly from said back of said approximately upright back portion of said support means and an operational speed of moving said applicator in order to adjust a massage strength applied to the user's body;
• a pressure sensor means for monitoring a pressure applied back to said applicators from the user's body as a counter-action of applying said massaging force to the user's body and for providing an output indicative of said monitored pressure;
• and
• a control circuit means comprising:
• a calibrator means for operating in cooperation with said drive means and said strength-adjustor means to move said massage unit with said projecting pair of applicators up-and-down so that said pair of applicators are in pressed contact against different portions of the user's body while keeping said applicator projected by a constant distance in order to obtain a pressure distribution up-and-down said different portions of the user's body;
• and
• a means for controlling actuation of said strength adjustor means to vary said distance said pair of applicators project forwardly of said massage unit, based upon said pressure distribution, while moving said massage unit up-and-down said back portion of said reclining chair with said pair of applicators in contact with different portions of the user's body in order to give an optimum massage strength to different portions of the user's body.