WO2025146544A1

WO2025146544A1 - Massage roller

Info

Publication number: WO2025146544A1
Application number: PCT/GB2025/050004
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shahin RASOUL; James Lyons
Original assignee: Smart Ws Ltd
Current assignee: Smart Ws Ltd
Priority date: 2024-01-05
Filing date: 2025-01-03
Publication date: 2025-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 2026-07-05
Also published as: GB2637031A; GB202400155D0

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a massage roller including a core having a rotational axis and protruding surfaces that protrude radially outward from the core with respect to the rotational axis. A protruding surface includes a first region having a first stiffness and a second region having a second stiffness higher than the first stiffness. The massage roller is configured such that, in use, rolling the massage roller against the user provides two different levels of stiffness to the user.

Description

MASSAGE ROLLER

Field of the invention

The present disclosure relates to a massage roller. In particular, the invention relates to a massage roller that can provide a user with a massaging surface having different levels of stiffness.

Background

Massage rollers are known for relieving pain and treating tension in a user’s body. Typically, massage rollers include a cylindrical body, with projections on a surface thereof, arranged to be rolled between a user and a surface, such as the floor. Such massage rollers have been described in various publications such as GB2303793A, US2022241142A1, CN201959203U, US4109649A, US3037500A and

W02006101314A1. Some massage rollers are arranged to be used with a handle so that a user can apply the massage roller to different parts of the body. Such massage rollers have been described in various publications such as FR2480118A1 , US2022202644A1 , WO2022086583A1 , WO2022086584A1 and CN113101 VOA.

Summary of the invention

Aspects of the disclosure provide a massage roller comprising any or all of the following features: a core having a rotational axis; and a plurality of protruding surfaces protruding radially outward from the core with respect to the rotational axis, wherein at least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces comprises: a first region having a first stiffness; and a second region having a second stiffness higher than the first stiffness, the massage roller being configured such that, in use, rolling the massage roller against the user provides two different levels of stiffness to the user.

In this way, when the massage roller is used, the protruding surface comes into contact with the user’s body during rolling and the user may experience a softer massaging sensation from the first region and a harder massaging sensation from the second region simultaneously. It has been found that some muscle conditions respond better to harder massaging surfaces and some to softer massaging surfaces, so this arrangement can advantageously provide both types in a single roller. Alternating between harder and softer regions can stimulate blood flow and aid in muscle recovery. It can also mimic the different types of hand strokes which may be used in a professional massage. If the roller were to only provide hard surfaces, then it may feel overly intense and uncomfortable. Conversely, if the roller were to only provide softer surfaces, then it might not provide sufficient pressure to alleviate deeper muscle tension. The arrangement described herein provides a balance between.

By incorporating a plurality of protruding surfaces by which the different regions of stiffness are provided to the user, a vibrating effect may be achieved while the massage roller is rolled against the user’s body. Such a vibrating effect has been found to reduce muscle soreness and stiffness, which is particularly beneficial after workouts or sitting for a long period of time. It may also improve blood circulation, stimulate nerve endings, relieve stress, and increase flexibility by loosening and lengthening muscle fibres.

The stiffness provided by the first region or the second region may be provided by the constituent material, that is, by its Young’s modulus, and/or the stiffness may be provided by the structure of the protruding surface, such as by the incorporation of one or more hollow regions.

The plurality of protruding surfaces may comprise at least four protruding surfaces. The plurality of protruding surfaces may comprise at least five protruding surfaces. The plurality of protruding surfaces may comprise at least six protruding surfaces. The plurality of protruding surfaces may be distributed evenly around the rotational axis. The plurality of protruding surfaces may extend from the core by the same radial distance with respect to the rotational axis. At least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces may extend along the core parallel to the rotational axis. The massage roller may be configured such that all of the plurality of protruding surfaces extend along the core parallel to the rotational axis. This provides the advantage that, when the massage roller is rolled, the protruding surfaces cause it to undulate in a periodic manner, thereby providing a comfortable massage experience. The core may comprise an N-sided prism. The prism may be a regular prism, such as a regular hexagonal prism. The prism may have a longitudinal axis being collinear with the rotational axis. N may be an integer number being at least three, preferably at least four, preferably at least five, preferably at least six. At least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces may extend from a lateral face of the prism in an outer radial direction with respect to the rotational axis. Such an arrangement can help facilitate simpler construction of the massage roller.

At least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces may comprise a plurality of massage elements. At least one of the plurality of massage elements may comprise an elastomeric material, such as rubber. Each of the plurality of protruding surfaces may comprise three massage elements or four massage elements. Each of the plurality of massage elements may be formed of a separate component fixed to the core. In other arrangements, only some of the plurality of massage elements are fixed to the core. The core may comprise at least one recess. The recess may be configured to slidably receive at least one of the plurality of massage elements. At least one of the plurality of massage elements may comprise a recess, which may be comprised in a base of the at least one massage element. The massage roller may further comprise an attachment pin. The attachment pin may be configured to be received in the recess of the core. The attachment pin may be configured to be received in the recess of the at least one massage element. In this way, the attachment pin can provide a connection between the core and the at least one massage element. The plurality of massage elements may comprise a first massage element and a second massage element. The first massage element may be releasably fixed to the core independently to the second massage element. This can improve the manufacturability of the massage roller by adopting a modular construction.

At least one of the plurality of massage elements may be configured to provide the first region and the second region. At least one of the plurality of the massage elements may comprise a hollow element. The hollow element may be defined by a wall and a chamber enclosed by the wall. The at least one of the plurality of massage elements may also comprise an internal protuberance. The internal protuberance may project from the wall into the chamber. The internal protuberance may be configured to provide the second region. The at least one of the plurality of massage elements may comprise a pocket. The pocket may be configured to receive an insert into the massage element. As such, the pocket may comprise an insert configured to contribute to the stiffness of the second region. The pocket may comprise an opening in the massage element. The opening may be configured to receive the insert in a radial direction with respect to the rotational axis. Advantageously, this may provide a structure for the massage element allowing two levels of stiffness to be incorporated into a single component fixed to the core. This also allows the protruding surface to be made out of a single type of material, such as rubber, while providing at least the first region and the second region of stiffness.

At least one of the plurality of the massage elements may comprise a first massage element configured to provide the first region and a second massage element configured to provide the second region. The first massage element may comprise or consist of a first material having a first Young’s modulus. The second massage element may comprise or consist of a second material having a second Young’s modulus higher than the first. The first massage element may comprise rubber and the second massage element may comprise plastic. The plurality of massage elements may further comprise a third massage element. The third massage element may have a third stiffness being less than the second stiffness. The second massage element may be disposed between the first massage element and the third massage element. This advantageously provides a modular protruding surface formed of different materials to provide at least the first region and the second region of stiffness, which may also improve the manufacturability of the massage roller.

The massage roller may comprise a handle. The handle may be rotatably connected to the core. The handle may be configured such that the core is rotatable about the rotational axis relative to the handle. The massage roller may comprise an end cap disposed at a first end of the massage roller with respect to the rotational axis. The end cap may comprise a plurality of massage projections, which may comprise a rigid material such as plastic. The plurality of massage projections may comprise at least three massage projections. The massage projections may extend from the end cap with a component parallel to the rotational axis. The plurality of massage projections may extend from the end cap by different lengths. Advantageously, this can provide a massage roller that can be applied to different modes of operation, such as handheld use in contrast to rolling the massage roller between the user’s body and a surface.

The end cap may further comprise a groove. The groove may be provided around the rotational axis between the end cap and the plurality of protruding surfaces. The groove may be configured to retain a removable sleeve, which may be an elastic sleeve, for covering the protruding surfaces of the massage roller.

Brief description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a massage roller according to embodiments of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a massage roller according to embodiments of the invention;

Figure 3 is an exploded diagram of the massage roller according to Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a massage element of the massage roller of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of part of the massage roller of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a massage roller according to embodiments of the invention;

Figure 7A is a side view of an end cap of the massage roller of Figure 6;

Figure 7B is a side view of another end cap of the massage roller of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a massage roller according to embodiments of the invention;

Figure 9 is an exploded diagram of the massage roller of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a massage roller according to embodiments of the invention.

Detailed description of the drawings

Embodiments of the claims relate to massage rollers. A massage roller is a tool used to massage different parts of the body, for example to relieve pain, by rolling the massage roller against the body. In particular, embodiments described herein provide a core and a plurality of protruding surfaces extending from the core. It is these protruding surfaces that are configured to roll against the user’s body to provide the massaging sensation. Some or all of the protruding surfaces have different regions of stiffness. In one such protruding surface, a first region has a first stiffness, and a second region has a second stiffness which is higher than the first stiffness. In other words, the protruding surface may have a softer region and a harder region. The protruding surface is configured such that, in use, rolling the massage roller against the user provides two different levels of stiffness to the user.

Massage rollers described herein can be applied to the types of massage rollers in which a user rolls the massage roller between their foot and a surface, such as the floor. In this way, the user can use the massage roller by moving their foot back and forward so as to compress their foot against the protruding surfaces of the massage roller. In other examples described herein, the massage roller has a handle, and the protruding surfaces can be arranged to rotate relative to the handle. In this way, the user can use the massage roller by holding the handle and applying the protruding surfaces to their body, such as their back, and rolling the massage elements back and forward across their body.

In some examples, the protruding surface having the first region and the second region can be provided by a single component. The component may be a piece of rubber having a hollow portion to provide the first region and a solid portion to provide the second region. In other examples, the protruding surface can be formed of separate components each having a different stiffness to provide the first region and the second region. For example, the first component could be formed of a flexible rubber to provide a soft first region, while the second component could be formed of a rigid plastic to provide the harder second region.

Figure 1 illustrates a massage roller 100. The massage roller comprises a core 110 having a rotational axis 3. The massage roller 100 comprises a plurality of protruding surfaces protruding radially outward from the core 110 with respect to the rotational axis 3. At least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces, such as the first protruding surface 130, comprises a first region 130a having a first stiffness and a second region 130b having a second stiffness higher than the first stiffness. The massage roller 100 is configured such that, in use, rolling the massage roller 100 against the user provides two different levels of stiffness to the user.

The core 110 can be formed of a generally elongate member which may have a constant cross section perpendicular to the rotational axis 3. The core 110 may have an outer surface (not shown) from which the protruding surfaces extend in a radial direction outward from the core. In the arrangement shown, the massage roller 100 comprises six protruding surfaces. A first protruding surface 130 extends along the core 110 parallel to the rotational axis 3. A second protruding surface 140 is provided adjacent to the first protruding surface 130 and extends along the core 110 parallel to the rotational axis 3.

The protruding surfaces may comprise a rounded outer surface configured to contact a user in use. In the example shown in Figure 1 , at least the first protruding surface 130 and the second protruding surface 140 comprise a cylindrical outer surface. It will be understood that a cylindrical outer surface can encompass surfaces being formed of only a part of a notional cylinder. For example, the cylindrical outer surface may be a semicylinder whose longitudinal axis is parallel to the rotational axis 3. In this way, the protruding surfaces can be considered as cylindrical ribs extending longitudinally along the core. The remaining protruding surfaces may be arranged similarly to the first protruding surface 130 and the second protruding surface 140, for example in that they may also comprise a cylindrical surface, such as a semicylindrical surface. In the illustrated example, all of the plurality of protruding surfaces, such as the first protruding surface 130 and the second protruding surface 140, extend from the core 110 by the same radial distance with respect to the rotational axis 3.

The first protruding surface 130 may extend from a first angular position of the core 110 and the second protruding surface 140 may extend from a second angular position of the core 110. For example, the first position at which the first protruding surface 130 is located may be separated by an angular distance of 60 degrees with respect to the rotational axis 3. The massage roller 100 may comprise six protruding surfaces as shown in Figure 1 , which may be distributed evenly around the rotational axis 3. In the case of a massage roller 100 having six protruding surfaces as shown in Figure 1 , each of the remaining protruding surfaces may be separated from an adjacent protruding surface by an angular distance of 60 degrees.

The massage roller 100 is not limited to having six protruding surfaces but may have fewer or more protruding surfaces which may or may not be distributed evenly around the rotational axis 3. In some arrangements, the massage roller can have three, four, or five protruding surfaces. In other arrangements, the massage roller can have seven, eight or more protruding surfaces, for example. It would be understood that in order to distribute the protruding surfaces evenly around the rotational axis 3, the separation angle between adjacent protruding surfaces is adjusted according to the number of protruding surfaces. For example, for a massage roller having eight protruding surfaces, distributing the protruding surfaces evenly around the rotational axis 3 would require an angular separation of 45 degrees.

The first protruding surface 130 may be arranged such that a portion of the protruding surface comprises the first region 130a and a portion of the protruding surface 130 comprises the second region 130b. In the arrangement shown, half of the protruding surface 130 comprises the first region 130a and the other half of the protruding surface 130 comprises the second region 130b. It will be appreciated that other fractions could be used. Furthermore, while Figure 1 illustrates the first region 130a being disposed towards a first axial end of the protruding surface 130 and the second region 130b being disposed towards the second axial end of the protruding surface 130, other arrangements may also be envisaged in which the separation between the first region 130a and the second region 130b is provided in a different manner, for example longitudinally with respect to the rotational axis 3. In such an alternative example, the first region 130a could extend along the entire length of the protruding surface 130 at a first circumferential position with respect to the rotational axis 3, and the second region 130b could also extend along the entire length of the protruding surface 130 at a different circumferential position to that of the first region 130a. Furthermore, although the protruding surface 130 has been illustrated as having only a first region 130a and a second region 130b it will be appreciated that further regions may also be included, which could be distributed along the protruding surface 130 at any position. In some examples, the protruding surfaces comprise a flexible or an elastic material, such as rubber. The first region 130a could be provided by a hollow portion inside the protruding surface 130, while the second region 130b could be provided by incorporating a solid portion, or a less hollow portion compared to the hollow component of the first region 130a. In other words, the different levels of stiffness can be provided by selecting different bulk densities. As such, even for a protruding surface formed of a single material, such as rubber, different regions can be provided with different stiffnesses by locally varying the mass of rubber per unit volume of the protruding surface, such as by incorporating more or less air into the protruding surface, for example in one or more hollow portions thereof.

Although Figure 1 only illustrates the first region 130a and the second region 130b as being provided on the first protruding surface 130, it will be understood that such regions could also be provided to some or all of the remaining protruding surfaces, such as the second protruding surface 140. The regions of different stiffnesses need not be arranged in the same manner as they are in the first protruding surface. The second protruding surface may have an arrangement in which the softer first region is on the opposite axial end of the massage roller 100 compared to the position of the first region 130a of the first protruding surface. The position of the softer first region could be alternated around the different protruding surfaces of the massage roller 100.

In operation, a user can place the massage roller 100 on the floor and place their foot, for example, on the protruding surfaces of the massage roller 100 such that their foot is perpendicular to the rotational axis 3. By moving the foot forwards and backwards, the massage roller 100 will roll along the floor forwards and backwards, and the user will experience different levels of stiffness as each protruding region presses against their foot.

Figure 2 illustrates a massage roller 200. The massage roller 200 is compatible with the description of the massage roller 100 described in relation to Figure 1. In particular, the massage roller 200 can have similar structural features to the massage roller 100 such that similar reference numerals have been used to illustrate related components. The main difference between the massage roller 200 of Figure 2 and the massage roller 100 of Figure 1 is that the massage roller 200 provides for a plurality of massage elements in at least one of the protruding surfaces. In particular, at least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces, such as the first protruding surface 230, comprises a plurality of massage elements. As illustrated in Figure 2, the plurality of massage elements in the first protruding surface 230 comprises a first massage element 231 , a second massage element 232, a third massage element 233 and a fourth massage element 234. Each of the plurality of massage elements is formed of a separate component fixed to the core 210. In other words, while the massage elements may be provided in fixed relation to one another by virtue of extending from the core 210, the massage elements can be provided such that they are not integral components with one another and are not fixed directly to each another.

The plurality of massage elements may be arranged successively along the core 210 parallel to the rotational axis 3. Each adjacent pair of massage elements, for example the first massage element 231 and the second massage element 232, may be arranged on the core 210 so as to abut each other along a direction parallel to the rotational axis 3, or may be spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the rotational axis 3. In the illustrated example, all of the massage elements 231 , 232, 233, 234 abut one another along a direction parallel to a rotational axis 3. The plurality of massage elements may have equal lengths defined parallel to the rotational axis 3. In other arrangements, the plurality of massage elements in the first protruding surface 230 may have different lengths to one another. In the illustrated arrangement, the four massage elements 231 , 232, 233, 234 have the same length as one another, the length being defined as a quarter of the length of the core 210 measured along the rotational axis 3.

Similarly to the massage roller 100 described in relation to Figure 1 , the protruding surface 230 comprises a first region 230a having a first stiffness and a second region 230b having a second stiffness higher than the first stiffness. The different regions of stiffness may be provided as described in relation to the massage roller 100 at Figure 1 . In the arrangement shown, the first massage element 231 comprises the first region 230a and the second region 230b. Although the first region 230a and the second region 230b are provided as opposite halves of the first massage element 231 , it will be appreciated that other distributions, as described earlier, could also be employed.

Although only the first massage element 231 has been illustrated as having a first region 230a and a second region 230b, it will be understood that any of the massage elements, such as the remaining three massage elements 232, 233, 234 of the first protruding surface 230, may have the same or similar arrangement of regions having different stiffnesses. For example, the second massage element 232 may have an identical distribution of the first region and the second region as the first massage element 231 such that, along the length of the first protruding surface 230, there is alternation between regions having the first stiffness and regions having the second stiffness. In other arrangements, a massage element can be provided with a first level of stiffness at a first end and a second end thereof, and a second level of stiffness in the intermediate portion of the massage element between the first end and the second end.

All of the remaining plurality of protruding surfaces need not be identical to the first protruding surface 230. In some arrangements, some protruding surfaces may have fewer or more massage elements than other protruding surfaces. In the illustrated example, the second protruding surface 240 adjacent to the first protruding surface 230 comprises only three massage elements instead of four massage elements. Instead of the three massage elements of the second protruding surface 240 all having the same length, it can be seen in Figure 2 that different lengths of massage elements can be employed, such as having a first massage element at one end of the core 210 and a third massage element at the other end of the core 210 each having a first length, and a second massage element positioned between the first massage element and the third massage element having a second length, which may be shorter than the length of the first and third massage elements.

Other features of the second protruding surface 240, or any of the protruding surfaces in the plurality of protruding surfaces of the massage roller 200, may be the same or similar to the features described in relation to the first protruding surface 230. For example, the second protruding surface 240 may have at least a first region and a second region having different stiffnesses which may be distributed as described in relation to the first protruding surface 230. Overall, the illustrated arrangement provides a massage roller 200 comprising six protruding surfaces, wherein three of the protruding surfaces comprise three massage elements each, and interspersed between those protruding surfaces are three more protruding surfaces comprising four massage elements each. Figure 3 is an exploded diagram showing part of the massage roller 200 as described in relation to Figure 2. It will be appreciated that the overall structure shown by the exploded diagram can also be applied to the massage roller 100 described in relation to Figure 1. As described above, the massage roller 200 comprises a core 210 and at least one massage element 231. Figure 3 also illustrates an insert 251 configured to be received by the first massage element 231 , as will be described in more detail in relation to Figure 4.

The core 210 can comprise an N-sided prism having a longitudinal axis collinear with the rotational axis 3. In the illustrated arrangement, the core 210 comprises a 6-sided prism, having the form of a hexagonal shaft. The core 210 is configured to receive the components forming the protruding surfaces. In this respect, the massage roller 200 comprises attachment means to connect the core 210 to one or more protruding surfaces. The attachment means can be provided as a slidable attachment means, wherein a portion of a protruding surface is received by a portion of the core in a slidable manner, or vice versa. The attachment means may be configured to attach the protruding surface to the core 210 in a direction parallel to the rotational axis 3.

In the arrangement shown, the core 210 is configured to receive the first massage element 231 of the first protruding surface 230. In this respect, the core 210 comprises a recess 221 configured to receive an attachment pin 220. The recess 221 of the core 210 may extend along the entire length of the core 210. The attachment pin 220 and the core 210 may be configured for cooperation via a dovetail interface, but it will be appreciated that any other form of connection could be used instead. In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 3, the attachment pin 220 is shorter than the core 210 such that multiple attachment pins 220 can be received by the recess 221. In other arrangements, an attachment pin may have the same length as the core 210 such that each recess 221 can receive a single attachment pin.

The attachment pin 220 is also configured for connection with a massage element, such as the massage element 231. The connection between the attachment pin 220 and the massage element 231 may be configured in a similar slidable manner as described above. In the arrangement shown, the attachment pin 220 comprises a T-shaped portion configured to be received in a recess 222 of the massage element 231. In this manner, the first massage element 231 can be releasably fixed to the core 210 independently of any other massage element. The length of the attachment pin 220 may be similar to the length of the massage element 231 such that only one attachment pin 220 can be received in the recess 222 of the massage element 231. In other arrangements, the attachment pin 220 may be longer than the massage element 231 such that multiple massage elements can be attached to the core 210 via the attachment pin 220.

Recesses that are the same or similar to the recess 221 may be provided on the other faces of the core 210. In the illustrated example, the lateral faces of the core 210 are each provided with a recess extending along the entire length of the core 210 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core 210. As such, the core 210 can be configured to receive one or more attachment pins 220 at each lateral face. In this way, all of the components defining the protruding surfaces can be attached to the core 210 in a similar manner to that provided for the first massage element 231.

Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view of a massage element, such as the first massage element 231 of the massage roller 200 described in relation to Figures 2 and 3. It will be appreciated that the relative dimensions of the massage element shown in Figure 4 could be adjusted such that the structure disclosed herein is equally applicable to the protruding surface 130, which could be considered to have a single massage element extending along the entire length of the massage roller 100. The massage element 231 may comprise a semicylindrical portion which may be connected to a base 266. The base 266 may be configured for connection to the core 210. In this respect, the base 266 may comprise the recess 222, described in relation to Figure 3, for receiving the attachment pin 220. The recess 222 may therefore be provided as a track extending along the base 266 in a direction parallel to the rotational axis 3. As shown in Figure 4, the longitudinal axis of the notional semicylinder can be arranged parallel to the direction of the recess 222.

The massage element 231 may comprise a hollow element 260, which may have the semicylindrical shape described above. The hollow element 260 may be defined by a wall

263 and a chamber 264 enclosed by the wall 263. In the arrangement shown, the chamber

264 is defined by a first end face 261 and a second end face 262 and a wall 263, which may comprise the semicylindrical surface. The first end face 261 and the second end face 262 may be provided on opposite axial ends of the massage element 231 and may be connected by the wall 263 at a top portion and by the base 266 at the bottom portion. The chamber 264 can be formed of an enclosed air chamber.

The massage element 231 may further comprise an internal protuberance 265 projecting into the chamber 264 and configured to provide the second region 230b. In the arrangement shown, the internal protuberance 265 extends from the base 266 into the chamber 264. The internal protuberance 265 is configured to provide a region having a higher stiffness than the region of the massage element 231 that does not have the internal protuberance 265. As such, it can be seen from Figure 4 that the first region 230a can be compressed more easily in view of the uninterrupted chamber 264, and therefore has a lower stiffness than the second region 230b in which the internal protuberance 265 provides a resistance to compression in that region of the massage element 231.

In the arrangement shown, the internal protuberance 265 comprises a cylindrical body with a rounded top portion, which may be hemispherical. It will be appreciated that the internal protuberance 265 may take any other form capable of providing the second region 230b. The internal protuberance 265 extends from the base 266 and covers the majority of the height of the massage element 231 without touching the top portion of the hollow element 260. In other arrangements, the internal protuberance 265 may extend all the way up to the top portion of the hollow element 260 or may extend upwards by a lesser degree compared to what is shown in Figure 4. Although the internal protuberance 265 is shown to be protruding from the base 266 at a position approximately one third of the length along the massage element 231 , it will be appreciated that the internal protuberance 265 could be provided at any other position, such as halfway along the length of the massage element 231. Such an example provides the second region 230b in the corresponding position halfway along the length of the massage element 231 , with a region of lower stiffness on each side.

Instead of providing the second region 230b by incorporating an internal protuberance 265 into the chamber 264, the second region 230b may be provided by space filling. In this manner, instead of the majority of the massage element 231 being hollow, a portion between the first end face 261 and the second end face 262 may be filled with material. This may be achieved by reducing the size of the chamber 264 closer to one of the end faces. For example, the material defining the second end face 262 could be extended further into the chamber 264 so as to provide a chamber 264 only on the left side of the massage element 231. It will be appreciated that any region of the massage element could be provided with one or more hollow components 260 in order to provide different distributions of soft regions and harder regions.

The internal protuberance 265 may comprise a pocket 267. The pocket 267 may extend from the base 266 into the chamber 264. The pocket 267 may be configured to receive an insert, such as the first insert 251 (see Figure 3) of the massage element 231. In this respect, the base 266 may comprise an opening 268 configured to receive the insert 251 into the pocket 267. The insert 251 , as shown in Figure 3, has a shape corresponding to that of the pocket 267. In this way, the insert 251 may be retained in the pocket 267 by an interference fit.

The insert 251 can be configured to provide the increased stiffness for the second region 230b. In this respect, the provision of an insert 251 into the pocket 267 may further increase the stiffness of the second region 230b compared to the first region 230a. With reference to Figure 3, the insert 251 may comprise a surface, for example a bottom surface, configured to interface with the core 210, optionally via the attachment pin 220, in order to provide a reaction surface. In this manner, it will be appreciated that when a user compresses a part of their body against the massage element 231 , they will experience a first level of stiffness from the first region 230a, and a second level of stiffness from the second region 230b, which can be facilitated by the presence of the insert 251 in the chamber 264.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a portion of the massage roller 200 but without the plurality of protruding surfaces in order to show the distribution of inserts. The distribution of inserts shown in Figure 5 will be described in relation to the massage roller 200 of Figure 2, but it will be appreciated that it is also applicable to the massage roller 100 described in relation to Figure 1 . By considering Figure 5 together with Figure 2, it can be seen that the massage roller 200 may comprise an insert associated with every massage element of the plurality of massage elements. For example, a first insert 251 may be received by the first massage element 231 and the second insert 252 may be received by the second massage insert 232, and so on for the third insert 253 and the fourth insert 254.

Differently to the illustration in Figure 2 in which the first region 230a and the second region 230b are provided in opposite halves of the first massage element 231 , the arrangement shown in Figure 5 would provide a massage element having the second region in a central portion with the softer first regions either side thereof. As such, the plurality of inserts 251 , 252, 253, 254 associated with the first protruding surface 230 can be positioned so as to provide a second region of stiffness in a central portion of each of the plurality of massage elements in the protruding surface 230. Figure 5 illustrates just one example of how inserts may be arranged for the first protruding surface 230. Instead of being distributed evenly and symmetrically along the core 210, the inserts may have irregular spacing along the core 210.

With continued reference to Figures 2 and 5, the massage roller 200 may comprise additional inserts associated with different protruding surfaces. For example, the massage roller 200 may comprise a fifth insert 255, a sixth insert 256 and a seventh insert 257 associated with the massage elements of the second protruding surface 240. The inserts 251 , 252, 253, 254 associated with the first protruding surface 230 may be offset from the inserts 255, 256, 257 associated with the second protruding surface 240. The inserts may be distributed evenly and symmetrically along the core 210. In this arrangement, the fifth insert 255 and the seventh insert 257 can be received by a first and a third massage element, approximately one third along the length of each massage element, while the sixth insert 256 associated with a massage element provided between the other two massage elements of the second protruding surface 240 may be provided in a central portion of the massage element.

The inserts associated with the remaining protruding surfaces, for example the four remaining protruding surfaces in the case of a hexagonal core 210, may be arranged similarly to the arrangements described above. For example, the inserts may be provided as a set of four inserts or a set of three inserts corresponding to the number of massage elements of each protruding surface shown in Figure 2. Given that the inserts can provide the stiffer region, it will be appreciated from Figure 5 that the distribution of inserts creates a massage sensation on the user which changes as the massage roller 200 is rolled. For example, rolling the massage roller 200 under a user’s foot will allow the user to experience alternating soft and hard regions of the protruding surfaces.

Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of a massage roller 300. The massage roller 300 can comprise any or all of the features of the massage roller 200 described in relation to Figures 2 to 5. The main difference between the massage roller 300 and the massage roller 200 is that the massage roller 300 comprises a first end cap 370 and a second end cap 380. As such, it will be appreciated that the arrangement of the protruding surfaces, for example the first protruding surface 330 and the second protruding surface 340 may be applicable to the massage roller 100 described in relation to Figure 1.

The first end cap 370 and/or the second cap 380 are configured to provide structural support to the massage roller 300. Applied to some arrangements, such as that of Figure 3, the end caps can be configured to retain the protruding surfaces on the core, such as by preventing the massage elements from sliding off in an axial direction. In this respect, the end caps may be connected to the core, for example by a threaded engagement. The protruding surfaces, for example the first protruding surface 330 and the second protruding surface 340, may have a maximum radial extent that is greater than that of the end caps. This can ensure that the protruding surfaces, instead of the end caps, contact the user in use. Further details of the end caps 370, 380 are described in relation to Figures 7A and 7B.

Figure 7A is a side view illustrating the first end cap 370 as also shown in Figure 6. The first end cap 370 may comprise a plurality of massage projections. The plurality of massage projections may comprise two, three, or more massage projections. In the arrangement shown, the first end cap 370 comprises three massage projections, such as a first massage projection 371 , a second massage projection 372 and a third massage projection 373.

The massage projections 371 , 372, 373 extend from the first end cap 370 in a direction that has at least a component parallel to the rotational axis 3. The massage projection 371 may extend from the first end cap 370 parallel to the rotational axis 3 or, as shown in Figure 7A, the first massage projection 371 may extend at an angle to the rotational axis 3. All of the massage projections 371 , 372, 373 in Figure 7A have the same extension angle with respect to the rotational axis 3. Furthermore, in the arrangement shown, the three massage projections 371 , 372, 373 extend by the same distance along the rotational axis 3 from the end cap 370.

Figure 7B is a side view showing the second end cap 380. The second end cap 380 may comprise two, three, or more massage projections. In the arrangement shown, the second end cap 380 comprises three massage projections which are the first massage projection 381 , the second massage projection 382 and the third massage projection 383. The massage projections of the second end cap 380 may extend from the second end cap 380 parallel to the rotational axis 3 or at an angle thereto. In the arrangement shown, the massage projections 381 , 382, 383 extend parallel to the rotational axis 3 by different lengths. In particular, the first massage projection 381 extends from the second end cap 380 by a first length, the second massage projection 382 extends from the second end cap 380 by a second length, and the third massage projection 383 extends from the second end cap 380 by a third length, wherein the first length is shorter than the second length which is shorter than the third length. In this way, the end cap 380 can be configured to provide a massaging surface which is particularly beneficial when a user is holding the massage roller 300 at an angle to their body such that the rotational axis of the massage roller is not perpendicular to the surface of the body. In operation, a user can hold the massage roller 300 at an angle to a region of their body, such as their back, such that all three massage projections 381 , 382, 383 can provide a massage sensation despite the massage roller 300 being held at an angle.

Any of the massage projections described above may comprise a substantially cylindrical extension having a rounded, preferably hemispherical, end portion. Furthermore, any of the massage projections can be configured to be distributed evenly around the rotational axis 3. One or both of the end caps may comprise a groove. In the arrangement of Figure 7B, the end cap 380 comprises a groove 384 provided around the rotational axis 3. The groove may be positioned along the rotational axis 3 between the protruding surfaces (see Figure 6) and the end massage projections 381 , 382, 383. The groove 384 is configured to retain a portion of an elastic sleeve (not shown). Such an elastic sleeve may be provided around the massage roller in order to provide a covering or sheath. The main purpose of the covering is to provide a barrier between a user’s body and the protruding surfaces of the massage roller, for reasons of hygiene and to prevent the build up of odours on the massage roller. In this respect, using a sleeve secured in the groove 384 of the massage roller 300 provides a way to remove and clean the user-contacting surface of the massage roller without comprising its usability.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a massage roller 400. The massage roller 400 is similar to the massage rollers 100, 200, 300, for example in that it comprises a core 410 having a rotational axis 3, and a plurality of protruding surfaces, such as a first protruding surface 430 and a second protruding surface 440, protruding radially outward from the core 410 with respect to the rotational axis 3. At least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces, such as the first protruding surface 430, comprises a first region 430a having a first stiffness and a second region 430b having a second stiffness higher than the first stiffness. The massage roller 400 is configured such that, in use, rolling the massage roller 400 against the user provides two different levels of stiffness to the user. In this respect, the protruding surfaces are arranged around the core 410 so as to contact a user when a user rolls the massage roller 400 against their body.

The main difference in the massage roller 400 is that instead of a single massage element providing the first and second region, the massage roller 400 comprises a plurality of massage elements including at least a first massage element configured to provide the first region 430a and a second massage element configured to provide the second region 430b. In other words, each massage element is configured to provide only a single level of stiffness.

Figure 9 is an exploded view of part of the massage roller 400 described in relation to Figure 8. The massage roller 400 comprises a first massage element 431 , a second massage element 432 and a third massage element 433. The arrangement and distribution of the massage elements 431 , 432, 433, the core 410 and the attachment means including attachment pins 420 may be the same or similar to that provided for the massage roller 200 as described in relation to Figures 2 and 3. The outer shape of each massage element may be similar to that described above in relation to other massage rollers. In the arrangement shown, at least the first massage element 431 has a rounded outer shape which may comprise a part-spherical surface at a radially outer portion thereof.

In the illustrated arrangement, the different levels of stiffness are provided by the stiffness of the material comprising each massage element. For example, the first massage element 431 may be provided by a softer or more flexible material than the second massage element 432, in order to provide that the first region 430a of the protruding surface 430 has a lower stiffness than the second region 430b of the protruding surface 430. In some arrangements, the first region 430a may be provided by rubber and the second region may be provided by a stiffer material, such as a stiffer rubber or a rigid plastic. The first region 430a and the second region 430b could comprise the same constituent material while employing one or more hollow portions inside the first massage element 431 to thereby reduce the bulk stiffness thereof compared to the second massage element 432.

In some arrangements, the third massage element 433 has a third stiffness to provide a third region 430c, wherein the third stiffness may be less than the second stiffness and wherein the second massage element 432 is disposed between the first massage element 431 and the third massage element 433. The third stiffness may be equal to the first stiffness. While only three massage elements are illustrated in the protruding surface 430, it will be appreciated that more massage elements may be employed which may have the same or different levels of stiffness compared to the first massage element 431 and the second massage element 432. Furthermore, the distribution of the softer and harder regions need not be the same as shown in Figure 8 but could alternate for successive protruding surfaces distributed around the rotational axis 3.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a massage roller 500. The massage roller comprises a handle 590 rotatably connected to the core and configured such that the core can rotate about the rotational axis relative to the handle 590. In this way, the massage roller 500 is configured to provide a means for a user to hold the massage roller against their body in use. The handle 590 may comprise a ring 591 configured to act as a bearing to facilitate the rotation of the core relative to the handle 590. In the arrangement shown, the massage roller 500 incorporates two of the massage rollers 400 as described in relation to Figures 8 and 9. It will be appreciated that the massage roller 500 may alternatively incorporate massage rollers as described in relation to Figures 1 or 2. The massage roller 500 may comprise fewer massage rollers 400, such as only one massage roller 400, or may comprise more than two massage rollers 400. The massage rollers 400 may be connected together by a central axle (not shown) such as a threaded shaft. The massage roller 500 may comprise an end cap 570 on one or both ends of the massage rollers 400, which may secure the central shaft. It will be appreciated that the end cap 570 may take the form of either of the end caps described in relation to Figures 7A and 7B.

In operation, the user holds the handle 590 and rolls the massage rollers 400 against their body to provide a massage sensation, which includes experiencing different levels of stiffness from at least the first region and the second region. In other arrangements, the handle may comprise an attachment interface for connection with another device, such as a massage gun, to provide additional vibration during handheld operation of the massage roller 500.

It will be appreciated from the above description that many features of the different examples are interchangeable and combinable. The disclosure extends to further examples comprising features from different examples combined together in ways not specifically mentioned. Indeed, there are many features presented in the above examples and it will be apparent to the skilled person that these may be advantageously combined with one another.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A massage roller comprising: a core having a rotational axis; and a plurality of protruding surfaces protruding radially outward from the core with respect to the rotational axis; wherein at least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces comprises: a first region having a first stiffness; and a second region having a second stiffness higher than the first stiffness; the massage roller being configured such that, in use, rolling the massage roller against the user provides two different levels of stiffness to the user.

2. The massage roller of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protruding surfaces comprises six protruding surfaces.

3. The massage roller of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plurality of protruding surfaces are distributed evenly around the rotational axis.

4. The massage roller of any preceding claim, wherein all of the plurality of protruding surfaces extend from the core by the same radial distance with respect to the rotational axis.

5. The massage roller of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces extends along the core parallel to the rotational axis.

6. The massage roller of any preceding claim, wherein the core comprises a regular N-sided prism, the regular N-sided prism having a longitudinal axis being colinear with the rotational axis, and wherein N is an integer number being at least three.

7. The massage roller of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces extends from a lateral face of the regular N-sided prism in an outer radial direction with respect to the rotational axis.

8. The massage roller of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the plurality of protruding surfaces comprises a plurality of massage elements, wherein each of the plurality of massage elements is formed of a separate component fixed to the core.

9. The massage roller of claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of massage elements comprises an elastomeric material.

10. The massage roller of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of protruding surfaces comprises three or four massage elements.

11. The massage roller of any of claims 8 to 10, wherein a first massage element of the plurality of massage elements is releasably fixed to the core independently to a second massage element of the plurality of massage elements.

12. The massage roller of any of claims 8 to 11 , wherein the core comprises at least one recess configured to slidably receive at least one of the plurality of massage elements.

13. The massage roller of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the plurality of massage elements comprises a recess, and wherein the massage roller further comprises an attachment pin configured to be received in the recess of the core and the recess of the massage element to thereby connect the at least one massage element to the core.

14. The massage roller of any of claims 8 to 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of massage elements is configured to provide the first region and the second region.

15. The massage roller of claim 14, wherein the at least one of the plurality of massage elements comprises: a hollow element, the hollow element being defined by a wall and a chamber enclosed by the wall; and an internal protuberance projecting from the wall into the chamber and configured to provide the second region.

16. The massage roller of claim 15, wherein the internal protuberance comprises a pocket configured to receive an insert into the massage element.

17. The massage roller of claim 16, wherein the pocket comprises an opening in the massage element, the opening configured to receive the insert in a radial direction with respect to the rotational axis.

18. The massage roller of any of claims 8 to 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of massage elements comprises: a first massage element configured to provide the first region; and a second massage element configured to provide the second region.

19. The massage roller of claim 18, wherein the first massage element comprises rubber and the second massage element comprises plastic.

20. The massage roller of claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the plurality of massage elements further comprises a third massage element having a third stiffness being less than the second stiffness, wherein the second massage element is disposed between the first massage element and the third massage element.

21. The massage roller of any preceding claim, further comprising a handle rotatably connected to the core and configured such that the core is rotatable about the rotational axis relative to the handle.

22. The massage roller of any preceding claim, further comprising an end cap disposed at a first end of the massage roller with respect to the rotational axis, wherein the end cap comprises a plurality of massage projections.

23. The massage roller of claim 22, wherein the plurality of massage projections comprises at least three massage projections extending from the end cap with a component parallel to the rotational axis.

24. The massage roller of claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the plurality of massage projections extend from the end cap by different lengths.

25. The massage roller of any of claims 22 to 24, further comprising a groove provided around the rotational axis between the end cap and the plurality of protruding surfaces.