Description of the prior art Mechanical devices for massaging several parts of the body, including the back, are known. The currently used systems for massaging the back mechanically include a frame which is generally inserted in the back of an armchair or a chair and is supplied with a sliding carriage with two or four spaced rolls which are arranged so that they touch the user's back on both sides of the spine and near it while the carriage is sliding, thus acting on the paraspinal muscles. In some cases, the rolls are mounted eccentric with respect to their bearing, in order to vary the massaging force according to the dorsal regions where the rolls are moving.

The known systems do not allow an effective massaging for several reasons. Firstly, the massaged surface is extremely limited because the course of the massaging rolls only involves a narrow strip near the spine.

Secondly, the pressure exerted by the massaging rolls acts

uniformly regardless of the resistance exerted by the muscles, and may therefore cause pain in the user.

On the other hand, the devices used for massaging other parts of the body are essentially vibrators and the majority of these cannot replace the manual intervention of a masseur.

Summary of the invention The object of the present invention is to provide a massaging device for performing a massage which meets the specific requirements of different users and which has an intensity variable from point to point according to a pre- established program for the body region involved.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide a device for massaging the back, which can be mounted on the back of an armchair or chair or, anyway, placed in contact to the user's back, and is capable of applying a massage of such a type and local intensity to meet the user's specific requirements, and involving a larger dorsal surface than the surface treated with current massaging devices.

These objects are achieved with the massaging device according to the present invention, in which each massaging roll is elastically connected to a corresponding follower roll, and in which the carriage is slidably interposed between a flexible panel, where the part of the body to be massaged is leant against one side and the massaging rolls run on the other side, and a stiff shaped panel substantially parallel to the flexible panel. A plurality of tracks are formed on the shaped panel for the sliding of the follower rolls, the distance of the profile of said tracks from the flexible panel being variable, whereby the massaging rolls exert a compression on the

flexible panel, the force of which is a function of the law of variations of the track profile.

In particular, each pair of massaging and follower rolls is mounted at the ends of two angularly spaced arms, extending from the ends of a helical spring. In this way, by varying the distance between the shaped and the flexible panel, the intensity of the pressure exerted by the massaging rolls varies because of the joint shifting of both arms which hold the pair of rolls and which, by varying their angle, react elastically to the reaction of the body on the massaging roll.

In addition, massaging can be individually adapted according to the user's specific requirements by supplying the device of the invention with a purposely designed shaped panel for the sliding of the follower rolls.

Brief description of the drawinas Further characteristics and advantages of the massaging device according to the present invention will be explained in detail in the following description of one embodiment given as a not limiting example with reference to the attached drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a front view of the massaging device according to the present invention; - Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the device according to the invention, cut at the arrows II-II of fig. 1; - Figure 3 is a schematic cross view showing a pair of massaging-follower rolls in various positions as a function of the profile of the sliding track formed on the shaped panel; - Figure 4 is a perspective view of a pair of massaging-follower rolls mounted on their elastic support.

Description of the preferred embodiment With reference to the above-mentioned figures, 1 generically indicates a quadrilateral frame composed of two opposing U-shaped parallel bars 2 joined together with at least one pair of crossbars 3. Two sliding members 5 are movably engaged in the U-shaped bars 2 and are rigidly connected together by a crosspiece 6 supplied with a threaded sleeve 7 in its centre, engaging a worm screw 8 pivotally supported by the two crossbars 3 and rotated by an engine (not shown). The assembly composed of sliding members 5 and crossbar 6 forms a carriage, generically indicated with 20, which is capable of sliding in opposite directions along the bars 2 according to the direction of rotation of worm screw 8. In order to prevent vibrations and noise during the sliding of carriage 20, due to a worm screw of a length over a given value, a variation of the invention allows for the worm screw to be engaged in two spaced sleeves 7 arranged in a line and mounted on a pair of crosspieces 6 projecting from slide members 5.

According to this invention, three shafts 9 extend between sliding members 5, and bear a plurality of elastic supports 12 holding massaging rolls 10 and follower rolls 11 matched in pairs. More specifically, each elastic support 12 comprises a helical spring 13 with radially extending ends which build up two arms 13a, 13b forming an angle narrower than 1800, in particular 900. Springs 13, axially mounted on each shaft 9, can rotate freely and are kept in a fixed axial position by spacers 16 (only shown in figure 4). The massaging 10 and follower rolls 11 are pivotally mounted on the ends of the arms 13a, 13b. A rod 4 extends between arms 13a and 13b parallel to shaft 9, to limit the angular displacement of both arms and prevent

them from passing over the plane defined by rod 4 and shaft 9.

As shown in figure 2, frame 3 is contained between a stiff shaped panel 14 and a flexible panel 15, e.g. made of canvas, turned towards the user's back, the two panels 14 and 15 being movably fixed to the frame in any known way. Shaped panel 14 has a series of straight tracks 14a on one side, with a variably curved ground profile according to the type of massage to be applied; follower rolls 11 are sliding in these tracks, whereas massaging rolls 10 touch or do not touch, or even press on, flexible panel 15 according to the distance between the latter and the profile of each track.

As carriage 20 slides, follower rolls 11 follow the undulated tracks along shaped panel 14; as a consequence, elastic supports 12, bearing the pairs of massaging and follower rolls 10 and 11, oscillate accordingly and the massaging rolls 10 exert a stronger or lighter pressure on the user's back leaning against the flexible panel 15 according to the profile of the track followed by respective follower roll 11 on shaped panel 14. The tracks are preferably separated by a border to prevent follower rolls 11 from jumping into an adjacent track.

In order to avoid noise due to the contact of follower rolls 11 with shaped panel 14, the contact face of the rolls can be rounded off and/or covered with a layer of shock absorbing material, such as rubber, or other equivalent means.

The above-described mechanism is clearly illustrated in figure 3 which shows the various positions occupied by one pair of massaging-follower rolls 10-11 and by the respective elastic support 12 as a function of the

corresponding profile on shaped panel 14. The trace of the common lying plane of the shafts 9 on which elastic supports 12 are mounted, is indicated with X-X in figure 3. Position A indicates the elastic support 12 at rest. In position B, the profile of shaped panel 14 goes nearer to trace X-X and the angle between the two arms tends, therefore, to reduce, thus discharging stress on flexible panel 15 which, in turn, transfers it to the back leant against it. In position C, shaped panel 14 shows a marked recess and the elastic support 12 is therefore released, the distance between the massaging roll and the follower roll being shorter than the distance between the flexible and the shaped panel. In position D, the profile of the shaped panel 14 is very close to trace X-X, so that the spring's force pushes strongly against flexible panel 15, thus applying a strong massage on that point of the back touching it.

The above description clearly shows that the massaging device according to the present invention offers the possibility of applying a massage of an intensity which varies from point to point along the same dorsal meridian by providing a suitable profile of the sliding track of one or more vertically arranged follower rolls. In addition, massaging force can be varied between one point and the other at the same dorsal height by providing different profiles of the sliding tracks for the follower rolls carried by the Supports 12 mounted on the same shaft 9. In conclusion, the characteristics of the massage that can be made depend on the configuration of shaped panel 14 which determines all the movements of the elastic supports of rolls 10 and 11 and, therefore, the compression force exerted on every point of the user's back.

It is, therefore, possible to manufacture shaped panels with a standard configuration, e.g. for general applications such as relaxing massages, or individually adapted panels for specific therapeutical requirements, which are prepared on the basis of a dorsal map of the compression forces to be exerted drawn up by the physiotherapist. Moreover, the effectiveness of the massage can be increased by varying many parameters during the design stage of the device: i.e. the spring rate, the length of the arms holding the follower and massaging rolls, as well as the number and arrangement of these rolls.

The device according to the present invention is principally designed to be embodied in the back of an armchair; it can, however, also consist of a stand-alone structure to be worn by the user like a rucksack or leant against the back of a chair or the seat of a car.

In particular, at least one row of massaging rolls may be mounted eccentric on the respective arm, or may have a non-circular section, so that the compression force exerted varies not only as a function of the profile of shaped panel 14, but also with the rotation of the same massaging roll.

Finally, although this description refers to a massaging device for the back, obviously the same principle can also be applied to devices for massaging other parts of the body, for example the limbs.

Variations and/or modifications may be brought to the massaging device according to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention itself as defined in the appended claims.