Relaxation refreshment apparatus

• US 5,266,070 A
• Filed: 05/27/1992
• Issued: 11/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hagiwara, Hiroshi, Michimori, Akihiro, Araki, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LACYK, JOHN P
• Application Number:
  US07/888,866
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 600/26-28
• US Class Current: 600/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0016 by the smell sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0022 by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0066 with heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0072 with application of electrical currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/005 Parameter used as control input for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/42 Rate

Abstract

A relaxation refreshment apparatus includes a relaxation refreshment chair provided for giving to the user a vibratory stimulus variable in accordance with a detected relaxing degree of the user, an optical stimulus with exterior light shielded at the top part of the chair, a pneumatic stimulus operatively connected to an aromatizer nearby, for giving to the user an aromatic stimulus and an acoustic stimulus with a sound output unit, the apparatus being thus capable of intensively providing to the user various stimuli with an arrangement simplified and effectively realizing a compactness with dimensional minimization.

Claims

1. A relaxation refreshment apparatus comprising (a) a detection means for detecting the degree of relaxation a user, (b) a relaxation refreshment chair including (c) a vibratory stimulus means for giving to the user sitting in said chair a vibratory stimulus in accordance with said relaxed degree detected, (d) an external-light shield mounted to a top part of said chair, (e) an optical stimulus means carried by said external-light shield and including lighting equipment and a means to scatter light from said lighting equipment towards the user'"'"'s head for giving to the user an optical stimulus, (f) a pneumatic stimulus means disposed adjacent to the top part of the chair for giving to an area from the head to the neck of the user a pneumatic stimulus, (g) an aromatic stimulus means including an aromatizer for giving to the user an aromatic stimulus, operatively associated with said pneumatic stimulus means and (h) an acoustic stimulus means including a sound output unit disposed adjacent to the top part of the chair for giving to the user'"'"'s auditory sense an acoustic stimulus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said to scatter means to scatter light of said optical stimulus means includes means for reflecting light from said lighting equipment within said external-light shield.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 which further comprises means connected to respective stimulus means for controlling said vibratory stimulus, optical stimulus, pneumatic stimulus, aromatic stimulus and acoustic stimulus according to a predetermined time schedule.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said detection means detects at least one of an electrocardiogram and respiration, and said controlling means is actuated by a detection output of the detection means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said controlling means sequentially controls respective said various stimulus means for attaining a relaxation induction and a refreshment stimulus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said external-light shield comprises a movable hood mounted to said top part of said relaxation refreshment chair for rotation between a using position and a non-using position.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein at least one of the pneumatic stimulus means, aromatic stimulus means, acoustic stimulus means, optical stimulus means and a light reflecting means are included in said hood.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said pneumatic stimulus means and said aromatic stimulus means are included in said hood.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pneumatic stimulus means includes a blower with a blow-off port.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said aromatizer is in fluid communication with said blower.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said blower is formed to be integral with said blow-off port and includes a fan structure.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said aromatic stimulus means includes means for aromatically relaxing a user, means for aromatically refreshing a user and means for switching between said aromatic relaxing means and said aromatic refreshing means.