WO2001068184A1

WO2001068184A1 - Panel solarium

Info

Publication number: WO2001068184A1
Application number: PCT/IT2001/000125
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francesco Bollani
Original assignee: BOLLANI Srl
Current assignee: BOLLANI Srl
Priority date: 2000-03-16
Filing date: 2001-03-13
Publication date: 2001-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 2002-09-16
Also published as: ITVR20030017U4; ITVR20030017U1; AU4454201A; ITVR20000025A1

Abstract

A panel solarium (10) for use in the home or in a suitable environment such as a hotel room, nursing home, hospital etc., comprises a frame (11) supporting a series of UV rays emitting lamps (12), a control device (13) and a timer (14) regulating the intensity of light emitted by said lamps (12) and an electrical power supply circuit enabling said solarium (10) to be connected to a suitable source of electric energy; it has the configuration of a cabinet including said frame (11), and it comprises means for attaching said cabinet to a fixed or mobile wall.

Description

PANEL SOLARIUM * * * * *

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention concerns a panel solarium More specifically, it concerns a panel solarium for home and/or professional use (for example, for hotels, swimming pools, nursing homes, etc.) which is preferably hung from or attached to a fixed or mobile wall, with a structure facilitating its use in domestic and/or professional situations such as hotels, swimming pools, nursing homes, hospitals etc., either with the user standing in front of the solarium at a distance of about 15-30 cm (vertical solarium) or lying down on a suitable surface (for example, floor, bed, couch) in the case of a horizontal solarium.

BACKGROUND ART The use of ultraviolet lamps or lamps emitting other forms of light radiation to tan or otherwise provide benefits for the user's skin is a well known fact. These benefits can be noted at both organic and physiological level and are exploited for both aesthetic and medical purposes . Ultraviolet rays can be used to improve blood circulation and treat diseases and/or blemishes of the skin (for example, psoriasis, vitiligo, etc) . They also stimulate production of vitamin D, indispensable for assimilation of calcium in the bones and prevention of diseases such as rickets etc.

These lamps are usually installed in special rooms within centres specifically dedicated to body care and physical wellbeing, sometimes combining treatment by exposure to light and ultraviolet radiation with other beauty treatments .

A booking is often required for access to these centres, restricting the user's free time during certain time bands .

In addition, the user must go to these centres, also dedicating time to travel and often arriving frenetically after an intense working day. It would be a different matter if the user could benefit from exposure to the light and ultraviolet radiation at any suitable moment of the day and within his own home or in a hotel room occupied for work or leisure purposes, or any other situation offering the possibility of privacy, perhaps carrying out other equally relaxing activities at the same time, such as listening to music or performing gymnastic exercises.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention intends to provide a panel solarium for convenient use in private situations by the user who thus avoids the need to travel to other locations to obtain the same exposure treatment.

This invention also intends to provide a panel solarium for easy installation in any location within a private dwelling or other suitable environment (hotel room, nursing home, etc), without necessitating particular operations to adapt support structures .

It may at times also represent an additional interior design element. This invention also intends to provide a panel solarium easy to construct and distribute commercially in such a way as to be financially advantageous and thus attractive to potential users .

This is achieved by means of a panel solarium with the features described in the main claim.

The dependent claims describe advantageous embodiments of the invention.

According to the invention, the panel solarium comprises a compact frame supporting at least one lamp on view when in use, a device to control the required output and exposure time (speed of action) , means of attaching the frame to a fixed or mobile wall and an electrical power circuit enabling the solarium to be connected to any suitable energy source, for example, the type of single phase electrical power source normally used in the home.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the panel solarium may be equipped with at least one door to cover and/or close the appliance when not in use. This at least one cover and/or closure door is preferably equipped with reflecting surfaces. When the solarium is in use, these are oriented towards the space irradiated by the lamp of the panel, thus also diffusing the radiating energy emitted on the sides of the user. The solarium may be fixed to or built into any domestic wall, for example in a bathroom, enabling the user to use it at any time and even for short periods, regulating the exposure time and distance of use of the radiation according to his or her requirements . The cover door may also serve as a mirror, completely concealing the appliance.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the invention will become evident on reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention, given as a non-binding example, with the help of the enclosed drawing representing a side view of a solarium with one closure door.

DESCRIPTION OF A FORM OF EMBODIMENT In the figure, the reference number 10 generally indicates a solarium for home use, in this specific case a panel solarium 10 comprising a frame 11 supporting the lamps 12, a control panel 13 and a timer 14 to regulate and display the length of exposure to the light and ultraviolet radiation emitted by the lamps 12. The frame 11 takes the form of a box with edges 15 to protect the lamps 12 and a transparent sheet providing mechanical protection mounted on the front of the frame so as to be easily accessible to the user. The edges 15 and the sheet form a recess containing the lamps 12.

The surfaces of this recess are preferably covered in reflecting material to improve diffusion and minimise dispersion of the light radiation. The solarium 10 is equipped with an electric circuit powering the lamps 12, terminating in a cable 18 with an electric plug at one end, preferably single phase, which can be plugged into any suitable mains socket available.

The panel 10 may be fixed, for example, to a side wall in a bathroom where the user may use it, combining, for example, exposure to the light radiation with a Jacuzzi treatment, at the end of which the skin is in an ideal condition to maximise efficiency of the exposure to the light and ultraviolet radiation. The panel 10 is fixed by means of self-tapping screws equipped with a plate which penetrates the wall, or by means of the appropriate metal bracket provided with the appliance .

In use, the solarium 10 may be fixed resting on the floor and extending vertically for a height corresponding to the mean user height to reduce the stress on the bracket which does not therefore have to support the full weight of the appliance, but only the lateral force should the solarium fall forwards. The recess may be closed by a cover sheet 23 in transparent material designed to protect the lamps 12 and safeguard the user from direct contact with the lamps 12 themselves .

The control panel may display the time remaining until the end of treatment.

In addition, the control panel 13 may be equipped with a device to manage and programme treatment by means of a token or prepaid electronic card. According to a simplified procedure, the solarium 10 may operate by means of a manual timer 14 with emission of light radiation at a constant intensity and frequency. On request, the panel 10 may be equipped with an acoustic signal indicating the end of the treatment cycle. With reference to the embodiment example shown in the figure, the panel solarium 10 may take the form of a cabinet closed by a side-hinged door 25 with a reflecting surface 26, for example a mirror, on both sides.

In this way, the cabinet can easily be inserted into a special niche in a wall in such a way as to be concealed when the door 25 is in the closed position.

According to another embodiment, the solarium may be equipped with two doors hinged to opposite edges 15 of the panel 10. The reflecting surfaces 26 are designed to uniformly diffuse the light radiation emitted by the lamps 12, particularly if the panel 10 is equipped with two doors 25.

The non-reflecting surface of these doors may be equipped with functional domestic fittings such as coat hooks or towel rails, or may be simply decorative.

According to another embodiment, the panel solarium 10 may be built into a special niche in a wall of the room in such a way as to be concealed when the niche is closed with a door. Again, the panel solarium 10 can be fixed to the wall via uprights (not illustrated) approximately at right angles to the floor.

Each upright may have a means of attachment/detachment at the end furthest from the floor, for example, a bayonet connection easy to action externally.

The other end of each upright may be equipped with a hinge supporting panel 10 which is equipped with a square reinforcing element corresponding to the hinge itself designed to support the solarium 10 in the working position.

The uprights enable the solarium 10 to be moved from the standby position in which the panel 10 is adjacent to the wall and held by insertion of the bayonet connections at the ends into a working position in which the panel 10 is placed in a position approximately at right angles to the wall by means of the support provided by the square reinforcing elements.

In this way, a suitable surface may be located under the solarium 10 to allow the user to take up a supine position, for example a bed or couch.

According to a further embodiment, the panel solarium 10 may be fixed to a domestic door, occupying the minimum space possible in a restricted area.

The frame may be in satin finish aluminium while the cover sheet may be in transparent low radiation absorption acrylic material.

The dimensions of the panel 10 may be in the order of 60 centimetres wide, 200 centimetres high and 9 centimetres deep, with a total weight of about 50 kilograms. There may be, for example, 12 lamps 12, each absorbing a power of 100 or 160 W for a total power of 1,250 or 2,000 W absorbed by the solarium 10.

This power can easily be managed by a domestic electricity mains as it is comparable with that absorbed by any other household appliance.

Claims

1. A panel solarium (10) comprising a frame (11) supporting a series of UV rays emitting lamps (12), a control device (13) and a timer (14) regulating the intensity of light emitted by said lamps (12) and an electrical power supply circuit enabling said solarium (10) to be connected to a suitable source of electric energy, characterised in that it has the configuration of a cabinet including said frame (11) , and in that it comprises means for attaching said cabinet to a fixed or mobile wall.

2. A solarium (10) according to claim 1 characterised in that it comprises at least one door (25) closing the solarium when not in use.

3. A solarium (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims characterised in that said door (25) has reflecting surfaces (26) facing, when in use, towards the space irradiated by said lamp (12) and also on the opposite side with the function of a normal wall mirror.

4. A solarium (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims characterised in that said frame (11) has a recess housing said lamp or lamps (12), equipped with surfaces in reflecting material in order to guarantee uniform diffusion and minimum dispersion of the light radiation.

5. A solarium (10) according to claim 4 characterised in that said recess is closed by a cover sheet in transparent low radiation absorption material .

6. A solarium (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims characterised in that said control device (13) comprises at least one display indicating instantaneous operating parameters and a device for managing and programming the treatment .

7. A solarium (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims characterised in that it comprises an acoustic signal indicating the end of treatment.

8. A solarium (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims characterised in that said means of fixing the panel to the wall consist of uprights with an attachment/detachment means of constraint at one end and a hinge supporting said panel (10) at the other end.

9. A solarium (10) according to anyone of the preceding claims characterised in that said frame (11) is made from aluminium with either a satin finish or epoxy powder coated in various colours.