Personal Care Vaporizer Device for Hands

• US 20120222696A1
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Nichols
• Original Assignee: Thomas Nichols
• Inventors: Nichols, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,696,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 132/200
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0036 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0062 the gas being steam or water vapour
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2033/068 Steam baths
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/065 Hands
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/004 power-driven, e.g. electrical

Abstract

A Personal Care Vaporizer Device for Hands. The device has a main housing that is defined by a large aperture formed in its side. The side aperture provides access to an internal treatment chamber. The user can insert one or both hands into the chamber through the side aperture in order to provide therapeutic treatment for the skin of the hands. The device has a removable fluid reservoir that seats into the main housing. Fluid from the reservoir is ported to an internal cool mist vaporizor such as a transducer or other misting apparatus. Once vaporized, the mist is driven down a mist conduit by user-adjustable airflow. As the mist passes down the mist conduit, it passes a heating element that allows the user to selectively deliver heated or cool vapor into the treatment chamber. The user is able to utilize water and/or fluid having additives such as extracts, additives, therapeutic medications and essential oils as the raw material for formation of the mist.

Claims

1. A vaporizer device, comprising:

a base assembly comprising;

a liquid reservoir;

a vaporizer element configured to vaporize liquid fed to said vaporizer from said liquid reservoir, said vaporizer element forming cool vapor by vaporizing said liquid without the prior application of heat to said liquid;

a treatment chamber internal to said base assembly;

an applicator head forming a wall of said treatment chamber;

a mist conduit in fluid communication with said vaporizer element and said applicator head; and

a heater module located within said applicator head for selectively heating said vaporized liquid in said mist conduit before it exits said applicator head.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said treatment chamber is contained within a main housing, said treatment chamber being accessible through an aperture formed in said main housing.

3. The device of claim 2, said base assembly further comprising said main housing, said housing further defined by said vaporizer element, said vaporizer element being a sonic transmitter.

4. The device of claim 3, where said main housing is further defined by reservoir recess formed in a top side of said base element, said sonic transmitter located in said reservoir recess and said liquid reservoir comprising a detachable tank at least partially insertible into said reservoir recess.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said applicator head is further defined by a face, said face defined by at least one mist orifice in fluid communication with said mist conduit.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a heating chamber in fluid communication with said mist conduit and said applicator head, said heating module located in said heating chamber.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising a flow chamber interconnecting said heating chamber and said applicator head, said flow chamber separated from said applicator head by a flow opening.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a flow gate operable to seal and unseal said flow opening.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a mist control knob protruding from said main housing, said mist control knob operable to change the position of said flow gate.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said main housing comprises a top, a bottom and a peripheral side, said treatment chamber aperture formed in said side.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said treatment chamber is defined by a top and a bottom, said one or more mist orifices located in said top of said treatment chamber.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a drain receptacle formed in said bottom of said treatment chamber, said drain receptacle further comprising a drain tray inserted therein.

13. A device for cleansing and hydrating a human'"'"'s hands, comprising:

a main housing;

a liquid reservoir;

a vaporizer element configured to vaporize liquid fed to said vaporizer from said liquid reservoir, said vaporizer element forming cool vapor by vaporizing said liquid without the prior application of heat to said liquid;

a treatment chamber internal to said main housing;

an applicator head forming a wall of said treatment chamber;

a mist conduit in fluid communication with said vaporizer element and said applicator head; and

a heater module located within said applicator head for selectively heating said vaporized liquid in said mist conduit before it exits said applicator head, the operation of said heater module located on the outer surface of said main housing.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said treatment chamber is contained within a main housing, said treatment chamber being accessible through an aperture formed in said main housing.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said main housing comprises a top, a bottom and a peripheral side, and said treatment chamber aperture is formed in said side.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said treatment chamber is defined by a top and a bottom, said one or more mist orifices located in said top of said treatment chamber.

17. A method for treating the skin of the hands, comprising the steps of:

placing one or more hands into a treatment chamber formed in a main housing;

generating a mist by applying mechanical vibration to a fluid to vaporize said fluid, said generating conducted within said main housing; and

blowing said vaporized fluid down a mist conduit and out through one or more orifices formed in a wall of said treatment chamber.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of mixing water with one or more other ingredients prior to said mist generating step.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said other ingredients of said mixing step are selected from the group of extracts, additives, therapeutic medications and essential oils.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of heating said vaporized fluid within a heating chamber before said mist is blown out through said one or more orifices, said heating conducted after said mist generating step.