Facial exercise device and method

Abstract

A facial exercise device permits different muscle groups in a user's face to be exercised. The device includes an elastic strap assembly configured to grip a user's head, and a pair of pad assemblies that contact the user's face. The strap assembly preferably defines tensioned strap junctions that press the pad assemblies firmly against the user's face. Each junction is formed by three lengths of strap that radiate in different angular directions so that lateral forces applied by the straps to the pad tend to cancel. The pad assemblies displace along tensioned straps to permit positioning to accommodate different users and to exercise different muscle groups.

1 . A facial exercise device comprising: 
 an assembly of elastic straps configured to grip a user's head;    a pad assembly comprising 
 (a) a pad with a skin-gripping surface, and  
 (b) fastening means fastening the pad to the strap assembly for displacement along a strap in the strap assembly, the fastening means positioning the pad assembly such that the strap assembly presses the skin-gripping surface of the pad against the user's face.  
   
     
     
         2 . The facial exercise device of  claim 1  in which the pad comprises: 
 a generally circular core; and,    a cap shaped to fit about the core and defining the skin-gripping surface.    
     
     
         3 . The facial exercise device of  claim 1  in which the fastening means comprise: 
 a fastening element defining a guide structure through which the strap extends in a predetermined plane; and,    a rotary connection coupling the fastening element to the pad such that the pad rotates relative to the fastening element about a rotational axis generally perpendicular to the plane.    
     
     
         4 . The facial exercise device of  claim 3  in which the fastening means comprise: 
 a post attached to the fastening element in alignment with the rotational axis; and,    a recess formed in the pad and receiving the post, the recess and post shaped to interlock along the rotational axis and to rotate relative to one another about the rotational axis.    
     
     
         5 . The facial exercise device of  claim 4  in which: 
 the fastening element comprises a generally planar base to which the post is fastened; and,    the base comprises a pair of slots defining the guide structure, each of the slots surrounding the strap.    
     
     
         6 . A facial exercise device comprising: 
 means defining a strap assembly configured to grip a user's head, the strap assembly comprising a first and second strap junctions from which at least three lengths of strap radiate in different angular directions; and,    first and second pad assemblies associated respectively with the first and second junctions of the strap assembly, each of the pad assemblies comprising (a) a pad with a skin-gripping surface, and 
 (b) fastening means securing the pad to the associated junction such that tension in the associated junction presses the skin-gripping surface of the pad against the user's face.  
   
     
     
         7 . The facial exercise device of  claim 6  in which the strap assembly comprises a multiplicity of elastic straps each having a first end and a second end, the first ends of the straps are joined to one another to define the first junction, the second ends of the straps are joined to one another to define a second junction.  
     
     
         8 . The facial exercise device of  claim 6  in which, in each of the pad assemblies, the pad comprises: 
 a generally circular core; and,    a cap shaped to snap fit about the core and defining the skin-gripping surface.    
     
     
         9 . The facial exercise device of  claim 6  in which, in each of the pad assemblies, a single strap of the strap assembly defines two of the strap lengths radiating for the associated pad assembly, and the fastening assembly comprises: 
 a fastening element defining a guide structure through which the single strap; and,    a rotary connection coupling the fastening element to the pad such that the pad rotates about an axis relative to the fastening element.    
     
     
         10 . The facial exercise device of  claim 9  in which the rotary connection comprises: 
 a post attached to the fastening element in alignment with the rotational axis; and,    a recess formed in the rear face of the base and receiving the post, the recess and post shaped to interlock along the rotational axis.    
     
     
         11 . The facial exercise device of  claim 10  in which, in each of the pad assemblies, the fastening means comprise: 
 a fastening element comprising a planar base, a post aligned with a rotational axis, a guide structure comprising a pair of slots formed in the base through which the elastic loop extends in a plane transverse to the rotational axis, and another slot in the base that retains one of the ends of the strap; and,    the pad comprises a recess receiving the post, the recess and post shaped to interlock along the rotational axis.    
     
     
         12 . A facial exercise device comprising: 
 a strap assembly comprising an elastic loop and an elastic strap configured to grip a user's head in mutually transverse planes; and,    a pair of pad assemblies, each of the pad assemblies comprising: 
 (a) a pad with a skin-gripping surface;  
 (b) fastening means fastening the pad to the strap assembly for displacement along the elastic loop, the fastening means positioning the pad such that the strap assembly presses the skin-gripping surface against the user's face;  
   the elastic strap have one end fixed to one of the pad assemblies and an opposite end fixed to the other of the pad assemblies such that the strap ends displace with the pad assemblies.    
     
     
         13 . The facial exercise device of  claim 12  in which, in each of the pad assemblies, the fastening means comprise: 
 a fastening element having a rotational axis and a guide structure through which the elastic loop extends in a plane transverse to the rotational axis; and,    a rotary joint connecting the fastening element to the pad for relative rotation about the rotational axis.    
     
     
         14 . The facial exercise device of  claim 13  in which, in each of the pad assemblies, the rotary joint comprises: 
 a post attached to the fastening element in alignment with the rotational axis; and,    a recess formed in the pad and receiving the post, the recess and post shaped to interlock along the rotational axis.    
     
     
         15 . The facial exercise device of  claim 14  in which, in each of the pad assemblies, the pad comprises: 
 a generally circular base with a forward surface and a rear surface, the recess located in the rear surface of the base; and,    a cap shaped to snap fit onto the base over the forward surface and defining the skin-gripping surface.    
     
     
         16 . The facial exercise device of  claim 12  in which, in each of the pad assemblies, the fastening means comprise: 
 a fastening element comprising a planar base, a post aligned with a rotational axis, a guide structure comprising a pair of slots formed in the base through which the elastic loop extends in a plane transverse to the rotational axis, and another slot in the base that retains one of the ends of the strap; and,    the pad comprises a recess receiving the post, the recess and post shaped to interlock along the rotational axis.    
     
     
         17 . A facial exercise device comprising: 
 a pad assembly for engaging a face; and,    means defining an elastic strap assembly configured to grip the user's head, the assembly defining a first elastic strap connected to the pad assembly and configured to locate about the user's head substantially in a first plane, and a second strap connected to the pad assembly and configured to locate about the user's head substantially in a second transverse plane transverse thereby pressing the pad assembly against the user's face in response to tension in the straps.    
     
     
         18 . The facial exercise device of  claim 17  in which the pad assembly comprises: 
 a flexible bridging member with first and second ends; and,    first and second skin-gripping pads attached respectively to the first and second ends of the bridging member.    
     
     
         19 . The facial exercise device of  claim 18  in which each of the first and second elastic straps has a first end fastened directly to the first end of the bridging member and a second end fastened directly to the second end of the bridging member.  
     
     
         20 . The facial exercise device of  claim 18  in which: 
 the bridging member comprises first and second apertures located respectively at the first and second ends of the bridging member; and,    the strap assembly comprises an endless elastic loop, the loop extending through the first and second apertures and defining the first and second straps relative to the bridging member.    
     
     
         21 . The facial exercise device of  claim 17  in which: 
 the first elastic strap is endless;    the pad assembly is mounted to the first strap for displacement circumferentially along the first strap; and,    the second elastic strap has one end attached to the pad assembly for displacement together with the pad assembly.    
     
     
         22 . The facial exercise device of  claim 21  in which the pad assembly comprises a fastening element spaced from the pad, the fastening element retaining the one end of the second strap and defining a guide structure through which the first strap extends in a predetermined plane.  
     
     
         23 . The facial exercise device of  claim 21  in which the pad assembly comprises a rotary connection coupling the pad and the fastening element for relative rotation.  
     
     
         24 . The facial exercise device of  claim 17  in which each of the first and second elastic straps comprises adjustment means for adjusting circumferential length of the strap.  
     
     
         25 . A facial exercise device comprising: 
 a pair of pad assemblies each comprising a face-gripping pad;    means defining a strap assembly configured to grip the user's head, the strap assembly comprising: 
 (a) a bridging strap extending between the first and second pad assemblies; and,  
 (b) a pair of elastic straps, each of the pair of elastic straps connected to one end of the bridging strap to define therewith one junction to which one of the pad assemblies is mounted, each of the pair of elastic straps connected to an opposite end of the bridging strap to define therewith another junction to which the other of the pad assemblies is mounted, the pair of elastic straps configured to locate about the user's head with one of the pair substantially in one plane and the other of the pair substantially in another transverse plane thereby to press the pad assemblies against the user's skin.  
   
     
     
         26 . The facial exercise device of  claim 25  in which each of the pad assemblies comprises: 
 an opening through which the bridging strap extends in one direction; and,    one or more openings from which the pair of elastic straps extend in a generally opposite direction;    whereby spacing between the pair of pad assemblies is manually adjustable.    
     
     
         27 . The facial exercise device of  claim 26  in which each of the pair of elastic straps comprises adjustment means for adjusting the length of the strap.  
     
     
         28 . The facial exercise device of  claim 25  in which each of the face-gripping pads comprises a core and a cap shaped to snap fit over the core, the cap defining an operative face-engaging surface of the pad.  
     
     
         29 . A method of exercising facial muscles with a device comprising an elastic strap assembly and a pair of pad assemblies fastened to the elastic straps, comprising: 
 selecting a group of muscles to be exercised;    installing the strap assembly on a person's head such that elastic straps are tensioned to press the pad assemblies against the person's face;    positioning the pad assemblies on the person's face to resist contraction of the selected group of muscles; and,    contracting the selected group of muscles.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  in which the strap assembly comprises an elastic loop to which a pair of the pad assemblies is fastened and a strap with one end fixed to one of the pair of pad assemblies and an opposite end fixed to the other of the pair of pad assemblies, in which the installing of the strap assembly comprises: 
 encircling the person's head with the elastic loop;    partially encircling the person's head with the strap such that the strap is transverse to the loop and gripping the person's head.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  in which the strap assembly comprises one elastic strap to which a pair of the pad assemblies is fastened and a pair of elastic straps, each of the pair of straps having one end fastened to one end of the one strap thereby to define a junction from which at least three lengths of strap radiate in different angular directions, each of the pair of straps having another end fastened to the other end of the one strap thereby to define another junction from which at least three lengths of strap radiate in different angular direction, in which the installing of the strap assembly comprises: 
 placing the one strap across the person's face proximate to the muscles to be exercised; and,    partially encircling the person's head with each of the pair of straps such that each of the pair of straps grips the person's head at spaced apart position.