WO2000061060A1

WO2000061060A1 - Therapeutical steam and heat treatment cabinet

Info

Publication number: WO2000061060A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/009598
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven J. Daffer
Original assignee: Visibelle Derma Inst Inc
Current assignee: Visibelle Derma Inst Inc
Priority date: 1999-04-12
Filing date: 2000-04-11
Publication date: 2000-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 2001-10-12
Also published as: AU4227400A

Abstract

A personal treatment device (10) comprising a personalized capsule (12) that has a bed (18) for a person to lie thereon in a supine position, the capsule (10) has a cover (28) that is openable for access to the bed (18) and closeable to define a chamber (16) in which a person lies. The cover (28) has a divider (50) adjacent a head portion of the bed (18), such that the head of a user will extend out of the cover (28). Suitable heaters (46A, 46B, 46C, 48D) are provided in the cover (28) to radiate energy onto a person on the bed (18), and a steam generator (36) is provided for adding steam as desired to the interior of the chamber (16) and also to direct steam toward the face of a user under control of the user.

Description

THERAPEUTICAL STEAM AND HEAT TREATMENT CABINET

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a personalized therapy cabinet or enclosure having a bed on which a person will lie and be treated with both heat and steam therapy on an individually controlled basis to permit a person to provide overall therapy.

Individual personalized saunas have been advanced, as shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,101,809, and these devices have used dry heat for providing a pleasant environment for a person reclining on a vibratable bed. Steam has also been used in cabinets such as Patent No. 3,409,915, which shows a vibrating, reclining chair with a hood on the outside that carries a speaker, a fan and an oxygen inlet. The steam supply also is provided to the interior of this type of cabinet . Various other steam sauna or steam cabinets have been advanced as well .

U.S. Patent No. 5,645,578, shows a compartment having treatment with light and heat, together wirh a vibratable bed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a personalized cabinet which includes a bed, and which has an array of interior heaters for providing controllable dry heat to a user, and which further has one or more steam sources controlled for providing steam to the interior of the cabinet. Steam is provided on the interior of the cabinet and ducts can be used for directing the steam to various locations for desired therapeutic treatment. There are also steam outlets or. a control panel that direct steam onto the face of a riser. A removable transparent tunnel hood can be placed over the head of the user to direct the steam over the face .

A fan is used to provide a positive pressure to insure proper steam distribution. By providing a combination of heat and steam with a full length bed, which can be vibrated if desired, the treatment can take place as needed for complete relaxation and therapeutic applications of both radiating heat and steam. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a personal therapy compartment made according to the present invention shown in a closed position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the compartment of Figure 1 illustrating schematically the positioning of a person of Figure 1 in the compartment;

Figure 3 is an end view thereof illustrating the control panel and selected steam outlets;

Figure 4 is a side view of the compartment of Figure 1 shown in the cover with an open position;

Figure 5 is a par ial sectional view taken on line 5--5 in Figure 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A personalized compartment illustrated generally at 10 comprises a base 12 that rests on the floor or surface, and supports a hollow cabinet type structure 14 that defines an interior chamber or compartment 16. A bed support wall 17 is supported on the interior and configured to form a bed 18. The bed 18 is provided with a plurality of cushions, as shown individual cushions 20A, 2CB and 20C for supporting the legs, and torso. A pillow 22 is also provided for resting a user's head (shewn in dotted lines in Figure 2 at 26) on an exterior of the cabinet when the cover indicated at 28 is closed.

The base 12 is made with a bottom wall 13 which, with the bed support wall 17, forms an interior chamber shown at 32 (Figure 5) , in which a steam generating 34 is mounted. The steam generating includes a heater assembly 35, shown schematically in Figure 4 that is in a water tank 36, and when powered, generates steam which is provided through a pair of exhaust outlets indicated at 40 and 41. The exhaust outlet 40 is connected to a duct 43 that extends to an outlet port opening 40A on a side flange 45 of the bed support wall 17.

The outlet 41 connects to a duct 42 which leads to a port or opening 41A on a side flange 47 of the bed support wall 17.

It can be seen that the base 12 and the cover 28 can be molded with a double wall construction as shown schematically in Figure 5. The double wall can form steam passageways or ducts to provide steam spouts below the bed wall 17 or in the cover 28 to discharge steam into the interior chamber 16 formed by base 12 and cover 28. The outlet opens for steam can be at desired locations, but the outlets or spouts shown at 40A and 41A are along the sides, on the flanges, to direct steam into the interior chamber 16 where a use will be resting on the bed 18.

The cover 28 is hinged with suitable hinges 44 o the base 12. The base 12 extends upwardly on one side a substantial distance, and the cover is arranged so that it can be raised and lowered from an open position shown in Figure 4, to a closed position shown in Figures 1 , 2 , 3 and 5. The cover is provided with a plurality of infrared heaters indicated generally at 46A, 46B, 46C and 46D in Figure 4. These heaters are constructed so that they will operate safely, and powered from a power source indicated schematically at 48, through controls 53 shown schematically. The controls 53 are on a divider panel 50, that has a neck opening 52 and which is attached to the cover at the head end as shown at 54. The divider 50 is provided with the controls 53 on a control panel 53 as shown in Figure 3. The control panel is near an upper side of the divider 50. the controls 53 include on-off switches for each heater, and a thermostat 64 to control the maximum, and if desired, the minimum temperatures in compartment or chamber 16. The thermostat can be responsive to temperature sensors in the chaπber 16.

The divider panel 50 has steam outlet openings 60 at desired locations to permit steam to exhaust onto the face of a user. The stear. outlets 60 are of the type that are louvered and controllable, so that they can be shut off, or rotated to direct the exhausted steam in selected directions, similar to the outlets of air conditioning and heating άuctε in an automobile. These are conventional louvers that are shown at the outlets 60. A transparent duct 57 is provided to direct steam over the user's face when desired. The duct is open ended and intercepts the steam flow from outlets 60 at the inner end 57A, and steati then flows across the user's face and out the outer end 57B. The duct or tunnel size can be selected as desired. The inner end can be tilted up or have scoops to catch the steam from outlets 60.

The thermostat 64 also car. be connected to the heater 35 of the steam generator tc control the steam generator for turning it on and turning it off when the temperature is outside desired limits. A separate thermostat can be used for controlling the heaters 46A- 46D. Each of the heaters 46A-46D can be individually controlled by thermostat, if desired, or one temperature setting can control all of the heaters simultaneously.

The interior chamber 16 will be held above atmosphere pressure as steam generates so a flow out of openings or ports 60 will occur. A fan 61 is mounted at the foot end and can be turned on to create greater pressure, particularly when steam is to be discharged from outlets 60. The fan 61 is variable speed and controlled with a controller 61A. The flow indicated by arrows 6IB creates movement of the steam across the body and out the ducts so they are opened, for satisfactory therapy. A hand opening 66 covered with a flap will permit a person to reach the controls with the arm inside the chamber 16.

As can be seen, the heaters 46A and 46B over the legs extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of a person or of the bed, and the heaters 46C and 46D, which are in the chest and torso area are extending longitudinally along the length of the person being heated, and are spaced apart a selected distance. A suitable gas spring indicated at 77 can be provided for maintaining a cover in an open position, and has opposite members mounted at 79 and 81 to the cover and base cabinet, respectively.

A power box or power source indicated at 48A can be provided in the base, for the steam generator as shown schematically in Figure 4. Suitable connection cords pass out through the wall of the cabinet and are connected to house current. Such power cords such as shown at 48B can be maintained at any desired position. The individual cushions forming the bed, shown at 20A-20C are supported so that they can be vibrated for vibration at the same time that steam and heat are being felt by the body. Schematically illustrated for cushion 20C is a cushion support panel 70, that is supported on suitable elastomeric or resilient balls 72 relative to the bed wall 17 in a recessed portion shown at 74. A vibrator 76 can be mounted onto the panel 70, and controlled from the control panel 52 to provide vibration as desired. Additionally, the cushion 20B is in a position where it is supported on elastomeric ball 72 (it would be supported at all four corners) and a vibrator 78 can be used for vibrating the smaller cushion 20B. The same type of support on elastomeric balls 72 can be used for the cushion 2CA as well, and thus, individual vibration sensations can be obtained by the user. The vibrations can be individually controlled manually or can be programmed to be energized at preselected times. This type of vibration mounting is shown in

U.S. Patent No. 5,101,809.

Additionally, if desired, aroma therapy treatment can be added by adding outlets on the divider panel 52 and a source of aroma placed on the interior of the chamber that would be controlled by the operator. Music can be added as well for therapy of the user, but the addition of the steam in the interior compartment as well as the infrared heat permits satisfactory individually controlled therapy. If desired, a light hood, such as that shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,645,578, can be utilized on the head end of the chamber.

The steam generator used is a ccmmercially available unit, and can be selected in size to accorrimodate the size of the chamber 16 as desired. Additional steam outlet spouts or ports can be provided in either the cover 28 or in the base 12, at desired locations, and these outlets can be individually controlled with suitable valves or louvers .

If desired, a small fan, such as that shown at 80 in Figure 4, can be provided in addition to main fan 61 for moving additional steam through the openings or ports 60, arid as stated, direct steam outlets could be provided as well through the double walled cover and small provided ducts connecting to the port 60 on the interior of the divider 50. The duct or tunnel 57 can be sized as desired.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A personal treatment device having a support pedestal and an elongated generally horizontally extending bed supported by the pedestal , the bed being supported above a bottom wall of the pedestal and having a portion forming a head rest, a cover member on said pedestal and openable to permit a person access to the bed, and closable to enclose a chamber for a person on the bed, a divider panel adjacent a head end for enclosing the cover and bed while excluding the head rest such that a head of a person using the device is on an exterior of the chamber formed by the cover and pedestal, a plurality of heaters mounted in the cover on an interior thereof, and positioned to direct energy onto a person lying on the bed, and a steam generator mounted on the device and having at least one steam duct for discharging steam into the chamber formed by the pedestal and cover.

2. The personal treatment device of claim 1, including a steam duct on each side of the bed and discharging steam on both sides of person lying on the bed.

3. The personal treatment device of claim 1, wherein said divider has an outlet opening therein, for providing a selectable amount of steam on the exterior of the divider directed toward the face of a person lying on the bed.

4. The personal treatment device of claim 2, wherein said heater members comprise infrared heaters having generally rectangular shapes, including a pair of infrared heaters spaced laterally apart and extending transversely to a longitudinal direction above the bed adjacent an end of said bed opposite from the divider.

5. The personal treatment device of claim 4 and a second pair of heaters of rectangular configuration on the cover extending parallel to the longitudinal axis adjacent a mid-portion of the bed.

6. The personal treatment device of claim 1, wherein said steam duct is adjacent a side of the bed and is substantially level with said bed.

7. The personal treatment device of claim 1 wherein the bed on a bed wall that forms a lower chamber below the bed, the steam generator being in the lower chamber.

8. The personal treatment device of claim 7 wherein the bed wall has flanges on lateral sides thereof, the at least one steam duct being connected to an opening in one of the flanges .

9. The personal treatment device of claim 7, wherein said bed is formed into individual sections comprising cushion sections, and a vibrator for each of said cushion sections providing vibration to a person resting on the bed.

10. The personal treatment device of claim 9 wherein said cushion sections are mounted relative to the bed wall on resilient members, and the vibrator is directly connected to the cushion sections. -lO- ll . A method of providing therapy to a person in a personalized chamber including providing a bed on which a person can lie, enclosing a person in a chamber with a head of the person extending out of the chamber, providing controllable radiant heaters above the person, and providing steam of the interior of the chamber for treatment purposes.

12. The method of claim 11 including providing outlet openings adjacent the head of a person on the bed for permitting steam to exhaust toward the head.

13. The method of claim 11 including providing heaters that extend longitudinally along torso portions of a person lying on the bed.

14. The method of claim 11 including providing heaters that extend transversely across leg portions of a person lying on the bed.