Title:
SEAT BELT VIBRATOR
United States Patent 3878838
Abstract:
An improved seat belt assembly having a portable battery-operated vibrator inserted into a compartment in a strap which is wrapped around a seat belt and secured thereto. When using the seat belt assembly, the vibrator is turned on and the body muscles adjacent to the seat belt assembly are massaged.


Application Number:
05/421845
Publication Date:
04/22/1975
Filing Date:
12/05/1973
Export Citation:
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
D24/215
International Classes:
A61H23/00; A61H23/00; (IPC1-7): A61H7/00
Field of Search:
128/32-36,63,41
View Patent Images:
US Patent References:
3623481GUM MASSAGE IMPLEMENT AND METHOD OF FINGER MASSAGING GUMSNovember 1971Curran
3416815Seat belt massagerDecember 1968Weiss
1497840GirdleJune 1924Clement
Primary Examiner:
Trapp, Lawrence W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Laney, Dougherty, Hessin & Fish
Claims:
What is claimed is

1. In a seat belt assembly, the improvement comprising:

2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said vibrator is an elongated cylindrically shaped portable battery-operated vibrator.

3. The assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said compartment means is an elongated cylindrically shaped compartment having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of said vibrator for holding said vibrator in place when the said vibrator is in use.

4. The assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said compartment is made of a flexible fabric so that said vibrator being held inside said compartment can be grasped by hand through the flexible fabric and said vibrator turned on and off without having to be removed from said compartment.

5. The assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein the flexible fabric of said compartment is characterized further as being elastic so that vibrators of various diameters can be received and compressingly held inside said compartment.

6. The assembly as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized to include a relatively rigid planar shaped stay having a width substantially equal to the width of the seat belt and said stay disposed between the inside portion of said strap and the seat belt to keep the seat belt from wrinkling or buckling when the strap is wrapped around and secured to the seat belt.

7. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said strap is made of an elastic fabric so that said strap can be stretchingly wrapped around seat belts having various widths.

8. In a seat belt assembly, the improvement comprising:

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to an improved seat belt assembly and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a portable battery-operated vibrator secured to a seat belt.

2. Summary of the Invention

The present invention is an improved seat belt assembly having a portable battery-operated vibrator secured to the seat belt for massaging a person's body and relaxing his muscles while the seat belt is in use.

An object of the present invention is to massage a person's body and relax his muscles while the seat belt assembly is in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly which can be quickly detached and removed from the seat belt for use on another seat belt.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an assembly which can be quickly attached to various types of seat belts having different widths.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a portable battery-operated vibrator which can be turned on and off without having to remove the vibrator from the assembly.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly which will not wrinkle or buckle the seat belt when the assembly is secured around the seat belt.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate various embodiments of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the seat belt assembly.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the seat belt assembly.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the seat belt assembly taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the seat belt assembly of FIG. 2 removed from the seat belt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, the seat belt assembly is designated by the general reference character 10. The assembly 10 includes an elongated cylindrically shaped portable battery-operated vibrator 12, a compartment 14 for holding the vibrator 12, and the compartment 14 secured to a flexible, elastic fabric strap 16 which is wrapped around and secured to a seat belt 18 having a buckle 20.

The assembly 10 in FIG. 1 also shows the feature of having two vibrators 12 held in two compartments 14 should the person using the assembly 10 desire additional vibrating strength.

Strap 16 includes an outside portion 22, an inside portion 24, and a first end portion 26 secured to a second end portion 28 by snaps 30. Disposd between the inside portion 24 of the strap 16 and the seat belt 18 is a relatively rigid planar shaped stay 32 having a width substantially equal to the width of the seat belt 18 which prevents the elastic strap 16 from wrinkling or buckling the belt 18 when the strap is wrapped around the belt 18 and secured by snaps 30. The stay 32 may be secured to the inside portion 24 of the strap 16 by suitable means such as sewing or may be inserted into a suitable pocket sewn into the inside portion 24 of the strap 16.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the assembly 10. This figure shows the use of a single vibrator 12 held by compartment 14. Compartment 14 is of an elongated cylindrical shape and is made of a flexible elastic fabric so that vibrators of various diameters can be compressingly secured by the elastic fabric and by stretching the fabric, the vibrator can be quickly removed to change batteries or be replaced by another vibrator. The diameter of the compartment 14 is substantially equal to or slightly less than the diameter of the vibrator 12. Because the elastic fabric is flexible, the vibrator 12 can be turned on and off without removing it from the compartment 14. The vibrator 12 is turned on and off by rotating one end of the vibrator and counter-rotating the opposite end. Also, compartment 14 being rigidly secured to strap 16 holds the vibrator in place while the vibrator is in use.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the assembly 10 shown along line 3--3 of FIG. 2. Compartment 14 is shown attached to the outside portion 22 of strap 16 and secured around vibrator 12. Strap 16 is shown wrapped around belt 18 and stay 32 and first end portion 26 secured to second end portion 28 by snap 30.

FIG. 4 shows the assembly 10 with the belt 18 removed and strap 16 in an unsnapped position. Vibrator 12 has been removed from the compartment 14. Shown in this perspective view is the relatively rigid stay 32 disposed against the inside portion 24 of the strap 16.

In operation, the assembly 10 is secured to the seat belt 18 by wrapping strap 16 around the belt 18 and securing the strap 16 thereto by snaps 30. Portable vibrator 12 is then inserted into the compartment 14. When the seat belt 18 is in use the person using the belt grasps one end of the vibrator 12 with one hand and the opposite end with the other hand and by rotating the ends in opposite directions, the vibrator is turned on. This step is repeated to turn the vibrator off, but the ends are rotated in a direction opposite to the direction for turning the vibrator on. When the assembly 10 is no longer required the strap 16 is removed from the seat belt 18 by unsnapping snaps 30.

Changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts and elements of various embodiments as disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.




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